As soon as Li Chang'an spoke, everyone's eyes turned toward him, making him feel a little awkward. Still, he didn't flinch in the slightest.
Although he had no intention of making a move on Ning Rongrong, watching Flender scold her so harshly struck a nerve. After all, he too had grown up constantly being berated by his teachers. He could relate to what Ning Rongrong must be feeling right now. Besides, they'd already wasted enough time here—he still had to head to Suotuo City afterward.
"Changsheng, what do you think?" Flender asked calmly. He genuinely valued Li Chang'an's opinion, not only because of his mysterious background but also due to his formidable strength.
"Honestly, from my point of view, Ning Rongrong certainly did make a mistake by not completing the task as instructed. But I also think your training methods, Dean Flender, are a bit too... one-dimensional," Li Chang'an replied with an innocent, harmless expression.
"First off, I believe the essence of being an auxiliary-type Spirit Master lies in both agility and durability. And your training focuses solely on running laps. To be honest, that's not quite appropriate," he continued, speaking smoothly and logically, without sounding arrogant or out of place.
"Oh? Then how would you suggest training auxiliary-type Spirit Masters?" Flender asked with interest, clearly intrigued by what Li Chang'an had just said.
"Ahem. Well, there's actually a lot you can do here. For example, improving running speed doesn't have to mean endlessly running in circles. You could try tying sandbags to your legs during daily walks..." Li Chang'an didn't suggest any fancy methods, just simple, effective training tips common in his previous life. They didn't sound overly flashy, but they made perfect sense and caught Flender's attention.
"Finally, Dean, I don't think teaching is just about being harsh. Excessive strictness only leads to resentment and resistance from students..." At this point, Li Chang'an couldn't help but think back to certain people and events from his previous life...
Flender did take some of Li Chang'an's words to heart. He stopped scolding Ning Rongrong and, after giving a few brief instructions, prepared to take the group to Suotuo City.
With a wave of his hand, Flender said, "Let's go. Keep up."
As soon as he finished, he pushed off with the tip of his foot, soaring gracefully in the direction of the city gate.
The others quickly followed behind.
Flender maintained a swift pace the entire way, and it soon became clear just how much of a gap there was in everyone's strength.
Right behind him was none other than Li Chang'an, the Spirit King with a Tool-type Martial Soul. Although he wasn't speed-oriented, thanks to his fourth soul ring and constant soul power regeneration, his speed didn't fall behind even those from agility-attack classes.
Trailing Li Chang'an was the spirit Master with the deepest soul power among them—Dai Mubai. Surprisingly, behind Dai Mubai wasn't Tang San, but Zhu Zhuqing.
Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track technique excelled in subtle maneuvering, but when it came to raw linear acceleration, Zhu Zhuqing, as an agility-type Spirit Master, had the edge. So he and Xiao Wu were tied for third place. Ma Hongjun brought up the rear, but he wasn't far behind Tang San.
It wasn't a long trip from Shrek Academy to Suotuo City. As they neared the city's southern gate, Flender finally began to slow down so the rest could catch up.
Suotuo City was located deep within the Balak Kingdom, well-protected and free from outside threats. As such, its gates remained open around the clock. The six of them entered the city without issue.
Though night had already fallen, Suotuo City seemed to have just awakened. In fact, it was livelier than during the day. Along the bustling streets, shopfronts were brightly lit. Night vendors had already set up their stalls, selling snacks and trinkets in their usual spots.
Although the group had stayed in Suotuo City for a couple of days, they hadn't ventured out at night before. Tang San looked around with mild interest, but Xiao Wu was practically brimming with excitement. Her eyes darted in all directions, drawn to anything curious or fun. Had Li Chang'an not been holding her hand the whole time, she'd probably have wandered off already.
Zhu Zhuqing remained cold and detached, as though nothing around her mattered. Her eyes never left Flender's back, unaffected by the lively surroundings—though from time to time, her gaze did flicker toward Li Chang'an.
Dai Mubai's demeanor was calm and composed, almost mirroring Zhu Zhuqing's. The only difference was that he lacked her icy exterior. He looked perfectly natural—except for the occasional glance he cast at Zhu Zhuqing, his eyes full of quiet contemplation.
Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, couldn't keep his eyes still. Unlike Xiao Wu, who was interested in everything, Fatty had a very specific focus: women.
From ages 15 to 60, as long as they had a shapely figure, Ma Hongjun's eyes didn't miss a single one. The moment he saw a curvy woman, he'd be gulping like he hadn't drunk water in days. Luckily, he was at the back of the group, so no one aside from Li Chang'an noticed his behavior.
'Sigh… Fatty's a lost cause,' Li Chang'an thought to himself. What's so fun about this city? He's got no long-term vision at all.
Suddenly, Flender stopped and looked up at the sky, murmuring, "Still got some time. Follow me."
With that, he led them into an unassuming tea shop by the roadside. The six of them sat around a circular table, and Flender ordered six cups of the cheapest tea available.
Li Chang'an stared at the murky tea filled with floating leaves and silently roasted Flender in his mind. But he didn't make a scene or act superior—after all, Flender was the dean. Constantly disagreeing with him would just be too much.
Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose at the muddy tea in front of her. "Dean, don't tell me this is where our first lesson is going to be?"
Flender replied, "Of course not. Your class will be held over there." He raised his hand and pointed outside.
Following the direction of his finger, Li Chang'an saw a massive building not far from the tea shop. From their angle, they could only see the towering structure reaching nearly a hundred meters into the air. It loomed large in the darkness, faint lights flickering from within.
Dai Mubai's expression changed. He muttered, "Dean, are you really sending them there on their first day?"
Flender's tone was calm. "Remember, you're not ordinary people. You're monsters. And monsters must be trained like monsters."
He continued, "Facilities like that one only exist in cities with main administrative status. Their scale is a reflection of a city—or even a nation's—strength. These buildings are called Great Spirit Arenas. They're named after the cities that host them. So the one before you is the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena."
"Any Spirit Master who enters the Great Spirit Arena is identified only by the title of 'Spirit Fighter.' After winning your first match, you'll earn a badge. From there, each victory earns you a point."
"Once you earn enough points, your badge rank increases. The badge system is universal across the continent's main cities."
"There are many benefits to higher-ranked badges, which I won't get into now. The ranks are based on minerals, from lowest to highest: Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond—a total of eight tiers."
Flender's gaze swept over the five students before him. "Your task is simple: before graduation, each of you must earn a Silver Spirit Fighter badge. Understood?"
Upon hearing this, Tang San and the others couldn't help but think, Isn't that just the second level? That sounds way too easy.
"Getting the Silver badge isn't as simple as you think."
Dai Mubai sighed and explained, "I'm currently at Level 37. I've fought fifty-six matches, with twenty-nine wins and twenty-seven losses. And I've only got two points."
Everyone was shocked.
They were well aware of Dai Mubai's strength. How could his score be so low?
"Because the Arena's ranking system pits you against others of the same level," he said. "When I was at level 29, I won match after match. But after I hit thirty, I started getting matched with 36 or 37-level opponents—and then the losing streak began..."
"Man, what a ripoff..." Xiao Wu couldn't help but complain. The others all nodded in agreement.