After spending some quiet time together, Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing remained in the room for a while longer.
Not long after, the rest of the Shrek team returned to the academy.
Although Ning Rongrong hadn't participated in any matches yet, Lin Jie wasn't planning to send her out just yet. He instead decided to let her go into seclusion to absorb the Spirit Bone—this particular one suited her perfectly. By the time of the later matches, her contribution would likely exceed expectations.
Even though Lin Jie hadn't explicitly told Zhu Zhuqing about the relationship between him and Ning Rongrong, he'd already hinted at it by mentioning his intent to gift Ning Rongrong a Spirit Bone. Zhu Zhuqing had agreed without protest. With her intelligence, she surely understood the implication. Since she didn't object, Lin Jie took it as silent approval.
Upon returning to the academy, the Shrek members all went about their routines—some to rest, others to cultivate.
As for the matter with Shi Nian and the Spirit Bone, Lin Jie didn't plan on telling anyone. The fewer people who knew, the better.
Before long, Ning Rongrong arrived at his room.
She found it odd that Zhu Zhuqing had asked her to come find Lin Jie. Though the two were close like sisters, they were also love rivals. Was Zhu Zhuqing not afraid that their relationship might deepen?
In truth, it had been Lin Jie who'd asked Zhu Zhuqing to invite Ning Rongrong. He had half-expected her to refuse, but to his surprise, she had agreed.
As Ning Rongrong entered the room, her clear, watery eyes sparkled with curiosity. Zhu Zhuqing had told her Lin Jie had a "gift" for her.
"Hand it over," she said playfully, leaning in and extending her slender jade-like hand with a mischievous grin. She wasn't shy at all.
Lin Jie chuckled helplessly. "You don't even know what it is, and you're already asking for it?"
"I don't care. Zhuqing already told me!" Ning Rongrong said, circling around Lin Jie, peeking over him as if trying to find the gift.
Seeing her like this, Lin Jie sighed with a smile. "Alright, alright. Stop snooping. It's here." With that, he took out a gem-like Spirit Bone from his soul tool.
"This is..." Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up with surprise the moment she saw it.
"It's a skull-type Spirit Bone—gem-type. It's an Illusion-type Spirit Bone that's best suited for auxiliary-type Spirit Masters. And it suits you perfectly," Lin Jie said with a smile.
"Spirit Bone?" Ning Rongrong was stunned. She clearly understood how rare and valuable Spirit Bones were. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan didn't have many, and yet Lin Jie...
"It's too valuable... I..." Despite her playful nature, Ning Rongrong knew the significance of what was being offered.
Lin Jie stepped forward and gently embraced her, whispering into her ear, "Rongrong, what's our relationship? You're going to be my wife someday. This is my gift to you. No refusing. Got it?"
"…Mhm." Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed red as she nodded softly.
Satisfied, Lin Jie added, "For the next couple of days, don't worry about the tournament. Let the others know you'll stay at the academy to refine this Spirit Bone properly, alright?"
"Yes, I understand, Lin Jie." Ning Rongrong smiled sweetly. She had fully accepted that she would belong to Lin Jie in the future. Though the Spirit Bone would merge with her body, in her heart, everything she owned already belonged to him.
Still, she found something strange… Why had Zhu Zhuqing been the one to ask her to come here? But the thought quickly faded—now wasn't the time to overthink.
After spending a little more time together, Ning Rongrong left the room.
Watching her go, Lin Jie couldn't help but sigh. Keeping two girls happy wasn't easy—but still, it brought him joy.
Over the next few days, Shrek Academy's team breezed through several more matches. Much to their surprise, these rounds were rather easy. As of yesterday, they had completed ten rounds and now held an undefeated record of ten consecutive wins.
Besides Shrek, the only other teams to achieve the same flawless record were the four Elemental Academies—excluding Elephant Armored Academy, which had already suffered defeats.
Lin Jie also noticed something odd: since their second-round match against Elephant Armored Academy, they hadn't faced any of the other Elemental Academies.
On the other hand, Elephant Armored Academy kept encountering those same teams—and the results were disastrous for them.
Thanks to Shrek's stellar performance, the academy's fame had spread like wildfire. Enrollment soared, and Flender was absolutely overjoyed. With more students came more income, and his coffers were overflowing.
Today marked Shrek Academy's eleventh match of the qualifiers—and their opponents were none other than one of the four Elemental Academies they hadn't yet faced: Blazing Academy.
Yu Xiaogang entered the room holding a thick dossier, his expression dark and serious. He had been researching the five Elemental Academies for days and had finally found a pattern.
Tang San noticed his teacher's solemn face and asked, "Teacher, is our opponent very strong?"
Yu Xiaogang looked at the group and nodded. "Yes. Compared to your previous opponents, this one will be much harder to defeat. I want all of you to go all out in this match."
"All out? I don't think that's necessary," Lin Jie said calmly.
Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly. "Lin Jie, I know you're strong. But Blazing Academy is not to be underestimated. I've been reviewing all their matches. At first, I assumed they were a typical extreme-style team—but I was wrong. Except for Elephant Armored Academy, all four Elemental Academies have started to adapt. They've begun shifting toward a balanced style, supplementing their weaknesses while preserving their strengths. Do you know what that means?"
He cast a sharp look at Lin Jie.
Lin Jie, however, remained unbothered. "Teacher Yu, I'm afraid I know Blazing Academy better than you do. I assure you—we'll win this match."
Of course he was confident. Compared to Yu Xiaogang's partial understanding of the Elemental Academies, Lin Jie had in-depth knowledge. Not that he could say it aloud—after all, he couldn't exactly explain that he had future foresight.
Yu Xiaogang hesitated, still a little uneasy. "You're that confident?"
"Shouldn't we be?" Lin Jie looked around at his teammates. "If we can't even beat Blazing Academy, how are we supposed to win the championship?"
"Exactly! We'll win, no doubt about it!" Ma Hongjun declared loudly.
"It's just Blazing Academy. Let's crush them!" someone added.
"Lin Jie, you handle the lineup," Dai Mubai said with a nod.
Seeing their unwavering confidence, Yu Xiaogang chose not to argue further. Truthfully, he had come to admire Lin Jie's leadership and strategic thinking.
"We'll go with our standard lineup," Lin Jie said with a faint smile.
That meant: Lin Jie, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Jiang Zhu, Tai Long, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling—seven core team members.