Only after Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo departed did Yang Xiong finally breathe a deep sigh of relief, feeling as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Unfortunately, his relief proved to be premature and short-lived. That very night, while Yang Xiong was deep in meditation, an unexpected and unwelcome guest materialized in his room. The visitor was none other than Sword Douluo himself, and judging by his icy, threatening expression, this midnight encounter did not bode well for Yang Xiong's immediate future.
The following morning during class, everyone stared at Yang Xiong with complete astonishment and barely concealed shock. He appeared absolutely miserable—walking with a pronounced limp, his face swollen and covered in vivid bruises, as if he had been thoroughly and systematically beaten by someone far more powerful than himself.
However, this particular morning's training session included an additional participant beyond the usual Shrek teachers and students: a striking young woman who immediately commanded everyone's attention.
This newcomer stood approximately 1.75 meters tall, significantly taller than both Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu. Her figure was elegantly curvaceous, and she possessed remarkable beauty, though her build appeared noticeably stronger and more athletic than Ning Rongrong's delicate frame. Her attire and bearing gave her a mature, sophisticated older sister atmosphere that was both appealing and slightly intimidating.
Everyone felt equally puzzled by the girl's sudden appearance. Normally, Shrek Academy's training group consisted of exactly eight people, so why had another person of their approximate age suddenly joined their ranks?
Ning Rongrong, however, displayed nothing but pleasant surprise and genuine delight. "Shuangshuang! What are you doing here at the academy?"
The usually indifferent and aloof girl showed only the faintest hint of happiness and warmth when she spotted Ning Rongrong among the group. "Rongrong, I'm here to study at Heaven Dou Royal Academy as well."
Flander cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "We have two important announcements to make this morning. First, I have communicated extensively with the three Education Committee members, and we have officially become Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Second Team, to be known as the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Shrek Team. This designation means that we will receive a guaranteed spot in the Advanced Soul Master Competition in approximately one and a half years."
"You should all be aware that your future opponents will be exceptionally strong and formidable, so you must train with unprecedented dedication and intensity. No one can afford to slack off or become complacent."
Everyone erupted in enthusiastic cheers upon hearing this momentous news. As soul masters, they all harbored deep desires to prove themselves and demonstrate their abilities. The full official name of the competition was the 'Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition,' a grand tournament encompassing the entire Douluo Continent. Essentially, all young elite soul masters throughout the continent would participate, and exceptional performance would earn recognition and respect across the entire continent.
Flander continued with his second announcement. "Secondly, normally, participating in the Soul Master Competition requires seven main team members and four substitute members. After our careful screening and recommendations from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, we are adding one new substitute member to our roster. Of course, for the eight of you current members, the main team still contains only seven available positions, and you will still need to compete fiercely among yourselves. If your strength proves insufficient, you may find yourself relegated to a substitute position."
Rather than being discouraged by this potentially threatening news, the others seemed eager and determined to prove themselves. After all, everyone present possessed extremely high natural talent and maintained rigorous training habits, making them very confident in their individual abilities and potential.
Flander turned toward the new girl and gestured formally. "Allow me to introduce you all. This is our new substitute team member, named Qin Shuang. We will be training together from this point forward, and I sincerely hope everyone will get along well and support each other."
"Qin Shuang, please introduce yourself and explain your background to your new teammates."
Since the morning assembly had begun, all the boys had been staring at the newcomer with obvious fascination, primarily because she was extraordinarily beautiful. Her mature, sophisticated older sister image proved extremely attractive to these young men who were still developing their understanding of romance and relationships.
Qin Shuang stepped forward with confidence and poise. "Hello everyone, my name is Qin Shuang. I am twelve years old, a level 27 Strength Attack System Battle Soul Master, and my martial soul is the Vajra Bear."
Except for Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, none of the other team members knew anything about Qin Shuang's background or history.
In reality, Qin Shuang, Ning Rongrong, and Yang Xiong had all grown up together in the same class within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. She was also the only other student in their class who possessed innate level seven soul power, matching the exceptional potential of her two famous classmates.
When they had graduated from their basic studies, Qin Shuang's soul power had already reached the peak of level 25, making her the highest-level soul master among everyone in their age group except for Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong themselves.
Qin Shuang's parents had tragically passed away when she was very young, and she had been raised entirely by the sect's resources and care. She typically trained with exceptional diligence and dedication, and it had been Yang Xiong who suggested that Ning Fengzhi arrange for her admission to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Originally, Ning Fengzhi had possessed no intention of arranging for Qin Shuang to enter Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Geniuses cultivated directly by the sect like her would definitely become crucial backbone members of the organization in the future, so she had been directly assigned to study at the prestigious Seven Treasure Academy instead.
Finally, after Yang Xiong's persistent advice and reasoning, Ning Fengzhi agreed to the arrangement and personally approached Flander to negotiate. Otherwise, given Flander and his colleagues' typically strict standards, they would never have agreed to randomly insert an unknown student into their carefully selected group.
On the Douluo Continent, the proportion of female soul masters remained much lower than that of males. Female soul masters with extremely high talent were considered particularly precious and valuable, especially for organizations like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. The romantic partners of direct disciples were required to be battle soul masters, and Ning Fengzhi himself obviously valued Qin Shuang's potential very highly.
Training and Expectations
In the perspective of experienced teachers like Flander, this upcoming Soul Master Competition served primarily as an opportunity for the students to gain valuable experience and exposure. Compared to the established advanced Soul Master Academy teams with years of experience, the Shrek team's combat power was respectable, but their soul power levels remained disappointingly low for serious competition.
What they valued much more significantly was the subsequent Soul Master Competition, when everyone would be approximately twenty years old. With the existing team's exceptional natural talent and continued intensive training, they should be capable of reaching the Spirit Elder realm, and there might even be multiple team members achieving Spirit King status.
Qin Shuang shared the same age as Ning Rongrong and Yang Xiong. With her demonstrated talent and current strength level, she would definitely be able to advance to Spirit Elder status by the time of the next Soul Master Competition, which represented one of the primary reasons why Flander and his colleagues had agreed to accept her addition to the team.
Flander specifically arranged for Qin Shuang to fight against Zhu Zhuqing in a demonstration match. Although Qin Shuang eventually lost the contest, the strength and skill she displayed throughout the battle proved genuinely impressive to all observers.
The two competitors were approximately the same age, and their fight remained competitive and engaging throughout. It took more than ten intense minutes for Qin Shuang to finally lose, clearly demonstrating that Qin Shuang's defeat came primarily from a lack of combat experience rather than insufficient raw ability or technique.
Matchmaking Schemes
After the morning training session concluded, Yang Xiong approached Oscar and patted him companionably on the shoulder. "Oscar, I've already helped you obtain the person you wanted to meet. It took me considerable effort and negotiation. Now it's entirely up to you to work hard and make the most of this opportunity."
Oscar felt absolutely overjoyed and grateful. "Brother Xiong, I will definitely not let you down or waste this chance you've given me."
Yang Xiong found himself somewhat helpless regarding the entire situation. Although Qin Shuang had been a classmate of both Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, she was also another significant outlier in their class dynamics.
Despite being a girl, her personality remained exceptionally strong and independent, and she typically appeared as cold and unapproachable as winter frost. Apart from her friendship with Ning Rongrong, she rarely interacted meaningfully with others, and many boys who had shown romantic interest in her had been thoroughly beaten by her for their presumptuous advances.
Unfortunately for Yang Xiong's plans, although Heaven Dou Royal Academy had originally arranged a separate dormitory for Qin Shuang, she had actually moved directly into Ning Rongrong's small villa instead. Every time Yang Xiong attempted to spend some private, intimate time alone with Ning Rongrong, he would inevitably encounter Qin Shuang's fierce, disapproving glare that seemed capable of freezing water.
Yang Xiong felt increasingly helpless about the unintended consequences of his scheming. He had planned so extensively and carefully—how could he have inadvertently led himself into such a problematic situation?
After pursuing Qin Shuang romantically for several consecutive days, Oscar was directly and soundly beaten by the object of his affections, which prompted Oscar to approach Yang Xiong with serious complaints about his lack of progress.
"Brother Xiong, is this Qin Shuang perhaps a little too difficult and challenging to deal with? Apart from a few other girls, she doesn't pay any attention whatsoever to any of us boys. Judging from her behavior and attitude, she has absolutely no intention of finding a boyfriend anytime soon."
Yang Xiong patted Oscar reassuringly on the shoulder. "Oscar, you're not exactly young anymore. What kind of romantic partner do you want to find in your future?"
Oscar considered the question carefully for several moments, and a somewhat inappropriate look appeared in his eyes. "Brother Xiong, my requirements really aren't that high or demanding. I just want to find someone who's genuinely pretty and attractive."
Yang Xiong directly delivered a sharp flick to Oscar's forehead. "Look at your limited ambition and shallow thinking. I brought you this opportunity because I hope you will be devoted and serious about relationships. If you simply want to find ordinary girlfriends for casual dating, there are plenty of available options throughout Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I heard that Ma Hongjun is already almost successfully pursuing a beautiful girl."
"However, I think you should consider your long-term future more seriously. You are a food-type soul master, and your girlfriend or life partner should preferably be a battle soul master—and specifically a very strong and capable battle soul master. Otherwise, whether for future adventures or daily life protection, you need someone who can defend and support you effectively."
"Most importantly, you should hope that your future partner will grow and develop alongside you over the years. Qin Shuang possesses natural soul power of level seven, which represents excellent potential in terms of raw talent. With her demonstrated abilities, it's entirely possible for her to cultivate to Spirit Sage or even Spirit Douluo status in the future. You probably don't want to find a romantic partner who will be significantly weaker than you, correct?"
Oscar hesitated for a considerable while before finally speaking his concerns. "But I communicated with Qin Shuang yesterday, and she explicitly told me that she wants to find a relatively strong and capable boy in the future—at least someone who is significantly better and more accomplished than she is."
Yang Xiong looked Oscar up and down critically and couldn't help shaking his head in mild disappointment. "Oscar, it seems that you still lack sufficient training and development. You should also consider this logically: the more powerful and accomplished girls will definitely admire and respect strength above all else. If you truly want to pursue her successfully, you can only achieve success by making yourself stronger and more impressive."
Oscar appeared genuinely puzzled by this advice. "But I am merely a food-type soul master with no direct combat power whatsoever. How can I possibly compare with her fighting abilities?"
A knowing smile appeared at the corner of Yang Xiong's mouth. "Actually, I have a method that can grant you significant combat power, but it's still far too early for you to learn it now. I'll explain everything when you obtain your fifth or even sixth spirit ring."
"But before that crucial time arrives, you must work extremely hard at cultivation, constantly trying to improve your soul power level, while simultaneously exercising and strengthening your physical body."
"Additionally, you should understand that I possess a self-created soul skill called Rasengan. In reality, all soul masters can potentially use this technique with proper training. In the future, if you become strong enough and prove yourself worthy, I will teach you this powerful self-created soul skill."
Oscar remained puzzled by these promises. "Brother Xiong, why don't you simply teach me the Rasengan technique right now? That way, I would immediately possess meaningful combat power."
Yang Xiong shook his head firmly. "This Rasengan technique is not nearly as simple as it appears. It involves numerous complex details and mechanics, especially very high requirements for mental power and spiritual control. You must cultivate other secret preparation techniques before you can safely attempt it. I can only consider teaching you when you successfully reach the Spirit Ancestor level. Didn't you notice that I haven't even taught the technique to Rongrong yet?"
Oscar found himself speechless at this revelation.
Reflections on Friendship and Strategy
After Oscar departed, Yang Xiong couldn't help shaking his head thoughtfully. He genuinely regarded Oscar as a true friend, otherwise he wouldn't have invested so much effort in helping him consider his romantic future. Especially during this recent effort to bring Qin Shuang to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, it had been obvious that both Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were reluctant to approve the arrangement.
In reality, among all the Shrek Seven Devils, Yang Xiong maintained the closest and most genuine relationship with Oscar. Regardless of circumstances, Yang Xiong, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong had naturally formed a tight-knit small circle within the larger group.
Oscar possessed not only exceptional talent but also remarkable intelligence and perceptiveness. He understood complex situations with minimal explanation and demonstrated excellent learning ability. Most importantly, Oscar had developed a genuinely good and trustworthy personality over the years.
Originally, Yang Xiong's personality had been relatively strong and independent. He maintained his own careful considerations when making decisions and didn't particularly enjoy interacting extensively with others, while Oscar proved relatively more socially sophisticated and diplomatic. Their contrasting personalities complemented each other quite well, creating a balanced partnership.
When Ning Rongrong learned that Yang Xiong had arranged to bring Qin Shuang to the academy specifically to introduce her to Oscar, the little princess nearly exploded with indignation and fury.
"You scheming rascal, Yang Xiong! How dare you plot against my dearest friend like this? Don't you understand that Shuangshuang has an extremely strong will and independent spirit? You're essentially pushing her into a dangerous fire pit."
Yang Xiong smiled diplomatically. "If Oscar weren't so genuinely outstanding and exceptional, I wouldn't bother involving myself in this type of complicated matchmaking situation. What do you honestly think of Oscar as a person?"
Ning Rongrong stroked her chin thoughtfully and considered the question for a long time before finally speaking. "Uncle Big Sausage is excellent in all aspects of character and ability, but he remains just a food-type soul master with limited combat applications. His soul skills and usual behavior can be somewhat inappropriate and crude, especially the way he stares at beautiful female students is far too obvious and unseemly."
Yang Xiong couldn't help pinching Ning Rongrong's small ears affectionately. "You've spent so much time with Oscar—don't you truly understand his fundamental character by now? Whether considering his natural talent, dedicated hard work, or stable mentality, he demonstrates much stronger qualities than those young male disciples within our sect. Not to mention his appearance—he can genuinely be considered a rare handsome man among soul masters."
"Aren't you and Qin Shuang supposed to be close friends? Then you should consider Shuangshuang's future happiness even more carefully. Oscar has approximately a ninety percent probability of becoming an extremely rare food-type Titled Douluo in the future."
Ning Rongrong pouted her small mouth in continued displeasure. "You think far too much and scheme too extensively. I always feel that this arrangement isn't entirely fair to Shuangshuang. It feels like both Oscar and Shuangshuang have somehow fallen into your elaborate trap."
Yang Xiong considered her words for a long time before he couldn't help sighing deeply. "A trap? Perhaps it represents the best possible choice for both of their futures."
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