After everything that happened, Oscar didn't hate Tang San, nor did he hate Ning Rongrong. He only hated his own incompetence—his failure to win over Ning Rongrong's heart.
Once he realized that the one Ning Rongrong truly loved was Tang San, Oscar gave up. Tang San stood like an insurmountable mountain between him and Ning Rongrong.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never surpass Tang San.
"So what are you planning to do with your life now?" Dai Mubai asked. This was the first time he'd heard such an explosive revelation.
"Ning Rongrong, go have your fun—" Oscar said. "I, Oscar, am going to live for myself now. She may come from a major sect, but I'm not inferior. I have a sausage martial soul, full innate soul power. Even without Tang San, by the Food God's trial standards, I'm destined to become a god."
"But what about your Resurrection Light with Ning Rongrong?" Dai Mubai asked.
"Oh, that's easy," Oscar replied. "The key isn't me and Ning Rongrong—it's the Food God and the Nine-Colored Goddess, and behind them, the Asura God."
"That's true," Dai Mubai said. "Well said. We men have to live for ourselves."
Oscar had changed—and Dai Mubai was happy to see it.
In their past life, the "devoted romance atmosphere" among the Shrek Seven Devils had been started by Tang San.
Then Oscar devoted himself to Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun to Bai Chenxiang, and Dai Mubai—just to blend in—had no choice but to feign devotion to Zhu Zhuqing.
It was torture for him. As he often said, he was not born a loyal man, yet was forced to become one. How could life be comfortable like that?
Now, if Oscar also became a womanizer, and Ma Hongjun followed suit, then Dai Mubai would finally have the chance to reverse that stifling "virtuous energy" that plagued Shrek in their previous life. At the very least, he could challenge Tang San's pure-hearted dominance.
In the future, he could proudly say: "The red flag at home doesn't fall, and the colorful flags outside flutter freely."
"So you're telling me, little Os, you were a virgin your whole last life?"
Hearing this, Oscar felt deeply embarrassed.
"Come on, Big Brother Dai will take you to pop your dua lang." Dai Mubai dragged Oscar off to get a hotel room.
"Boss Dai, the booze—"
"Got it. Let's go, let's go."
A year later, Flender returned from outside with a new disciple—Ma Hongjun.
Unlike Oscar, who was snatched from the Spirit Hall, Ma Hongjun was found during a martial soul awakening in the countryside—an overlooked phoenix among the common chickens.
Ma Hongjun, mutated martial soul Evil Fire chicken phoenix, innate soul power of level 9!
"HAHAHA! Looks like our Shrek luck has turned around. Three little monsters in a row!" Zhao Wuji said excitedly.
"Exactly," Flender said. "Little monsters like these are rare. Still missing three—we're far from our goal."
After joining, Ma Hongjun started living a harsh life of cultivating while enduring the pain of his Evil Fire. This discipline surprised the indulgent Oscar and Dai Mubai.
So the two of them simultaneously walked up behind Ma Hongjun and clapped him on the shoulder:
"Phoenix God—"
Startled, Ma Hongjun turned and looked first at Dai Mubai: "War God—"
Then at Oscar: "Food God—"
"You guys reincarnated too?"
"You did as well?"
Once the three confirmed they had all been reborn, Dai Mubai asked:
"Ma Hongjun, didn't expect you to be so hardworking."
Ma Hongjun replied with emotion, "In our past life, you guys know—I watched Bai Chenxiang grow old and die in the Douluo Continent. I couldn't do anything to stop it. Even after becoming a god, I lived in regret."
"If only I hadn't been so playful back then... If only I'd passed the Fire God's trials, Bai Chenxiang wouldn't have had to die of old age in the mortal world." With emotion in his eyes, Ma Hongjun continued, "Now that the heavens have given me a second chance, how could I not seize it and make up for the past?"
Oscar and Dai Mubai exchanged glances.
Among the Seven Devils, apart from Tang San, the one with the most potential was Ma Hongjun.
As long as he obtained the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, his soul would evolve from a mere chicken to a full-blown phoenix—one with the ultimate fire attribute.
If he then acquired the Ten-Headed Blaze Sun Pill, his martial soul would even approach the level of the Angel Martial Soul.
At that stage, Ma Hongjun's talent would be enough to complete the first-tier god trials.
If he succeeded, he would surpass the other six Devils. In the previous life, he failed the Fire God's trial and had to settle for inheriting the Phoenix God position—resulting in Bai Chenxiang dying of old age.
Though they sympathized with him, Oscar and Dai Mubai also found a strange sense of balance in his misfortune.
War God Dai Mubai hadn't lived happily in the God Realm. He had to lock away the "tiger of desire" in a cage, pretending to be a devoted man. And Oscar—married to Ning Rongrong in name—never truly won her love, living only as a husband in appearance. Compared to Ma Hongjun, they found some relief in their own pain.
But now, in this new life, Oscar gave up on clinging to Ning Rongrong and embraced the whole forest instead. Dai Mubai indulged himself to the fullest before Tang San arrived.
And now what? You're telling me we're all out here playing, and you're the only one grinding hard?
What, are you seriously planning to abandon your revolutionary comrades and become the Fire God?
How could you do that? Wouldn't being the Phoenix God and staying as second-tier gods together be fine?
(After becoming gods, Tang San and the others essentially belonged to a different class. When one faces people far beyond their class, there is no jealousy—only awe and admiration. But when someone within the same class begins to rise, people can become envious. Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun were all in the same tier. If Ma Hongjun became the Fire God, that dynamic would break.)
At this moment, Oscar and Dai Mubai's mentality could be summed up as:
"We worry about our brother suffering, but we're also afraid he'll roll up in a Land Rover."
Subconsciously, the idea of sabotaging Ma Hongjun arose in their minds.
"Since all three of us have been reborn, why don't we go out for a drink?" Oscar suggested with a gleam in his eye.
"I'd better not. I still need to cultivate," Ma Hongjun replied.
"That's not how a real brother acts. The Three Heroes of Shrek are reunited—don't you think that's worth celebrating?" Dai Mubai said.
"Uh, I mean…" Ma Hongjun still looked hesitant.
"Come on, just one day of fun. It won't get in the way. You can always cultivate tomorrow. Just start fresh from tomorrow," Dai Mubai said, dragging Ma Hongjun's hand.
Oscar joined in the persuasion, and the two sang in harmony until Ma Hongjun finally gave in.
Dai Mubai paid for a lavish meal at the best hotel in Soto City for the trio to feast together.
At the Soto City Grand Hotel, Dai Mubai was the host. Oscar and Ma Hongjun sat on either side of him as the waiter served wine and food.
Then, Dai Mubai called in a group of extremely sexy female dancers to perform a hot and passionate dance in the center of the private room.
Watching this group of seductive women, Ma Hongjun felt the Evil Fire rising inside him.
He silently thought of Bai Chenxiang's image, and forcibly suppressed his desires.
"Come on, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, today is a day to celebrate. We're not going home sober tonight," Dai Mubai said, raising his glass to the two.
Oscar also raised his glass in return. "Cheers!"
As they clinked glasses, both of them glanced sideways at Ma Hongjun.
Seeing Ma Hongjun still trying to suppress himself, Dai Mubai called over a waiter, handed him a small packet of white powder, whispered a few words into his ear, and then stuffed some money into his hand.
The waiter looked around, took the money and powder from Dai Mubai casually, and left as if nothing had happened.
Dai Mubai then quietly gave Oscar an "OK" hand gesture.
Not long after, the waiter returned with more drinks, serving Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar each a glass.
Under the coaxing of Dai Mubai and Oscar, Ma Hongjun drank the wine brought by the waiter.
After drinking it, Ma Hongjun felt dizzy, and the Evil Fire within him flared up like it had been doused in oil.
His face flushed red like a tomato, and blood vessels filled his eyes.
Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore. The six-year-old Ma Hongjun lunged into the arms of a 20-year-old dancer.
Dai Mubai gave the dancer a look, and she quickly led Ma Hongjun into one of the hotel rooms.
Dai Mubai approached the madam of the brothel, handed her a bag of gold soul coins, and said, "That boy inside is a good brother of mine. You have to take good care of him."
"Young Master Dai, you don't trust our skills? Rest assured, we'll treat him right," the madam replied.
Dai Mubai nodded in satisfaction. Then suddenly, he heard Ma Hongjun's thunderous roar coming from inside the room. He covered his ears and shouted toward the room, "Ma Hongjun, I've really gone all out for you this time. In your past life, who knows what kind of women you had, but in this life, I've brought you the finest!"
With that, Dai Mubai beckoned, and a pair of beautiful twin sisters walked over. He wrapped his arms around both, while Oscar also grabbed a beauty and the two went to their respective rooms to "battle" until dawn.
The Next Morning
Ma Hongjun woke up in bed, looking at the chaotic room around him, his mind a mess.
He recalled what had happened the day before — he got drunk, the Evil Fire surged, and then he ended up with three women…
At that thought, a deep sense of guilt toward Bai Chenxiang rose in his heart.
At that moment, Dai Mubai and Oscar walked into the room, both looking fresh and energetic.
Ma Hongjun looked at them with scrutinizing eyes and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why didn't you stop me?"
Dai Mubai said, "Hongjun, how can you blame us for that? Yesterday, the Evil Fire took over, and you went crazy grabbing that woman to vent your lust. How could we possibly stop you?"
Oscar added with lingering fear, "Your whole face was red like a tomato yesterday. If we tried to stop you, we might've done more harm than good."
Dai Mubai continued, "Brother, I did it for your own good. You were clinging to that dancer like your life depended on it. I had no choice but to pay to help you relieve your desires. Hongjun, take my advice: you can't stop desire once it's burning. It's better to release it than suppress it. When it's time to let it out, let it out."
Spirit Hall – Elder Council
All the elders and high-ranking members were present, including Bibi Dong and the worship elders.
At this point, Qian Renxue had already become the de facto leader of the Spirit Hall.
"Today's meeting has only one purpose — to reform the Spirit Hall," Qian Renxue declared.
Her announcement of reform caught all the elders off guard.
She then pointed out many problems plaguing the Spirit Hall internally and announced several reform measures. Afterward, she asked sternly, "These are the contents of the Spirit Hall reforms. Do any of you have questions?"
Crocodile Elder spoke up, "Xue'er, it's true our Spirit Hall has been infiltrated by parasites and needs a good purge, but some of these reforms affect not only the internal structure of our Spirit Hall, but also the two great empires. If we implement them, it's going to cause a storm between us and them."
Some of Qian Renxue's reform measures directly threatened the core interests of the two great empires. The empires had already grown wary of the Spirit Hall, and these reforms would certainly escalate tensions — something the elders were concerned about.
"But—" Qian Renxue replied, "A war with the two empires is inevitable, Grandpa Sky Crocodile. Since a war is bound to happen, it's better for us to take the initiative."
"Well said," Demon Subduing Duoluo added. "We can't coexist with the two empires. The continent will face war eventually. My Coiling Dragon Staff tells me it can't wait any longer."
Qian Renxue nodded, then addressed the elders and worshippers, "Let's begin voting on the upcoming reform proposals."
In the end, all the internal reform measures of the Spirit Hall were passed, and the execution of these reforms was entrusted to Pope Bibi Dong.
The Spirit Hall, as a major power on the Douluo Continent, had every move watched closely by all factions.
Its reforms instantly attracted widespread attention.
Pope Bibi Dong announced the implementation of the reforms, which were divided into two parts:
The first part was internal strengthening — improving the inspection system and cracking down on corruption within the Spirit Hall. During the purge, parasites like Lord Myles of Gengxin City were removed. Some who got wind of the crackdown fled and were absorbed by the two empires or the three upper sects. A comprehensive inspection system was established to regulate the internal structure.
The second part was external expansion — Spirit Hall would establish a data collection system across the continent, build a Spirit Hall–centric commercial system, and create its own information and communication network.
This part of the reform touched on the interests of all factions. Upon hearing the news, the two great empires and the three upper sects were momentarily stunned. But on further reflection, they began to sense danger.
A data collection system? A commercial system? A communication network exclusive to Spirit Hall?
What exactly is the Spirit Hall planning to do?
At the Body Sect
This magnificent peak belonged to the territory of the Body Sect. Huo Qiqiang, Ning Fengzhi, and Sword Douluo Bone walked along the mountain ridge.
At that moment, Ning Fengzhi was in no mood to admire the surrounding beauty—his face was full of concern.
Upon learning of the reforms within the Spirit Hall, he had become deeply worried and set off to consult with various major powers. The Body Sect was his first stop.
"Sect Master Ning, I wonder what brings you to visit our Body Sect today?" Huo Qiqiang asked.
Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly. "The Spirit Hall's reforms are now known across the land. I've come to ask for your opinion on the matter, Sect Master Huo."
"You want my opinion?" Huo Qiqiang raised his head, gazing at the sunlight streaming through the dense forest.
He casually plucked a leaf and handed it to Ning Fengzhi. "Sect Master Ning, hold this leaf up to the sun."
Ning Fengzhi did so, lifting the leaf toward the sunlight.
"Well, do you understand now?" Huo Qiqiang asked.
Ning Fengzhi stood frozen for a moment before coming to a sudden realization. He nodded. "Sect Master Huo, your insight is truly profound. I cannot compare."
After leaving the Body Sect, Gu Rong couldn't help but ask, "Sect Master, what kind of riddles were you and that guy playing back there? I couldn't understand a word."
Ning Fengzhi handed the leaf to Gu Rong. "Uncle Gu, try holding this up to the sun."
Gu Rong did so.
"What do you see?"
"I can clearly see the leaf's veins," Gu Rong replied. "But… so what?"
"The Spirit Hall is those veins," Ning Fengzhi said solemnly. "They've established Spirit Halls throughout the entire Douluo Continent—even deep into remote villages and farmlands. As a result, every inch of land, every piece of intelligence, is under their control. They can calculate the total population of the two great empires; they can estimate their resource output. In the past, they used this network to absorb soul masters into their ranks. Now, they're baring their fangs."
"The Spirit Hall has created a system for storage and transportation.
They can sell Heaven Dou Empire's goods to the Star Luo Empire, accumulating wealth across the continent. They can store grain in areas of abundance and transport it to disaster-stricken regions, thus winning over the local people.
Every Spirit Hall transmits only the information the Spirit Hall wants the continent to know. They can decide what the majority of people on the Douluo Continent should know, or can know!"
"If this continues, the Spirit Hall will be more than just an empire—it will surpass one.
The two great empires will slowly become nothing more than puppets. Bibi Dong won't even need to go to war to seize control of the continent—the Spirit Hall will simply take it." A bead of cold sweat rolled down Ning Fengzhi's forehead.
"That terrifying?" Gu Rong asked in shock. "Then what should we do, Sect Master?"
Ning Fengzhi replied, "The answer is obvious. If we understand this, others will too. The ones truly under threat are not us, but the two great empires. They must either go to war with the Spirit Hall—or accept slow death."
"This so-called 'reform' by the Spirit Hall is less a reform and more of a declaration of war. Our top priority now should be to unite every possible force on the continent and form an anti–Spirit Hall alliance, to sever its veins reaching across the land, curb its ambition, and restore traditional order."
The Spirit Hall's reform was indeed like a declaration of war to every faction across the continent. If they succeeded, then to the two great empires, it would be no different than handing over their nation's lifeblood—their people and their nobility—into the hands of the Spirit Hall.
This was something the empires would never accept. Therefore, a counterattack was inevitable.
Yet, the Spirit Hall possessed the most powerful soul master army on the continent. A large portion of the titled Douluos on the Douluo Continent were also under their control. They would never start a war unprepared, but war was now clearly inevitable.
The Spirit Hall's reforms had intensified the conflict among the continent's top powers. In a corner of the Heaven Dou Empire, an academy was announced.
Spark Academy, a school heavily funded by the money given by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to body sect, maintained by a group of formidable figures such as Evil Lord, Snow Maiden, and Little White.
Spark Academy did not accept public enrollment. Instead, it adopted an active recruitment model.
Its recruits primarily came from slaves, commoners, and soul masters who had risen from the lower classes. Nobles were excluded from admission.
After its founding, Evil Lord used his authority as a Titled Douluo to secure a place for Spark Academy in the Continental Soul Master Tournament and began forming the Spark Battle Team.
Currently, the members of Spark Battle Team were:
Luo Xingqi – Martial Soul: Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Rank 26, support-type soul master.
Mu Yuanfang – Martial Soul: Golden Clear Sky Hammer. Rank 28, power-attack-type battle soul master.
Lin Chen – Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, with Saint Aura Spirit Herb. Main martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Rank 24, power-attack-type battle soul master.
Ye Qingmei – Martial Souls: Nether Spirit Cat and White Tiger. Rank 24, agility-attack-type soul master.
Su Qingqian – Martial Soul: Emerald Swan. Rank 22, support-type soul master.
Zhao Hengning – Martial Soul: Bone Dragon. Rank 21, defense-type soul master.
Lu Kai – Martial Soul: Holy Light Guardian Angel. Rank 22, control-type battle soul master.
In Huo Yuhao's vision, this Spark Team was not required to match the Shrek Seven Devils in age—but all members had to be born outside the nobility. Each had awakened a seemingly "useless" martial soul, yet all had strong willpower and bore a certain fate: some sought revenge, some wished to overthrow the traditional order.
They were all ambitious—but shackled by their lack of strength.
Their martial souls were, without a doubt, enhanced or refined through the high-tech and "ruthless" methods under Spark Academy's control.
Standing before the seven members of the Spark Team, Headmaster Evil Lord solemnly announced:
"Children, I hereby declare the official formation of the Spark Battle Team. Do you know why this academy is named Spark? And why your team is called the Spark Battle Team?"
The seven pondered. Then Zhao Hengning stepped forward and said, "Headmaster, do you hope that we can shine like stars in the sky and illuminate this era?"
Evil Lord shook his head. "Let me give you a hint—read 'Spark' in reverse."
"Fire Star…" Mu Yuanfang said. "I get it now. I live in a dry region. During drought season, the mountains become extremely flammable. All it takes is a tiny spark—a fire star—to ignite a wildfire."
Evil Lord smiled. "You're very smart. Yes, each of you is a small fire star. One day, you will ignite a flame on this continent full of dry tinder—a fire strong enough to burn down all that is traditional!"
At this moment, while the powers across the continent focused their eyes on the Spirit Hall, no one could have predicted that this newly registered academy would, decades later, become the Linden Ten-Thousand Talent Training Center of the continent.