After departure, Tang San found Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, and said solemnly:
"Mubai, Fatty, Oscar—there's something I want to ask you."
"Say it, Tang San. We're brothers. Whatever you need, we'll help you."
Dai Mubai thumped his chest proudly.
"I want you to go all out. Don't hold back. Help me completely eliminate the Heaven Dou Imperial Team."
"Huh?" Ma Hongjun frowned.
"What kind of grudge do you have with them, Tang San?"
Tang San shook his head:
"I have no personal grudge with them. I just don't want the Shrek Seven Devils to fall into a tough fight… and force Xiao Wu into a corner."
Compared to the glory of Shrek, what Tang San cared about more was Xiao Wu—his love.
If possible, he hoped to defeat the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team in a crushing sweep, not even giving Er Ming and Xiao Wu a chance to use their Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
After all, those who performed martial soul fusion either held hands, leaned back-to-back, or had their bodies closely pressed together.
Just imagining those scenes from his memories—of martial soul fusion—playing out with Xiao Wu and Er Ming… made Tang San's blood pressure spike. His eyes turned red, and his breathing grew heavy.
Tang San simply couldn't accept his woman fusing with another man's soul—even if that man was her own brother. He absolutely couldn't accept it.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar exchanged glances. Dai Mubai placed a hand on Tang San's shoulder and promised,
"Tang San, I promise—I'll do everything I can to help you."
Ma Hongjun and Oscar also placed their hands on his shoulders and said,
"We're brothers. Xiao Wu is our sister-in-law. How could we just sit back and watch our sister-in-law fuse souls with someone else? Tang San, we'll do our utmost to help you."
"Thank you, all of you… You're truly my brothers," Tang San said, touched.
After the Shrek Seven Devils arrived at the Soto City Soul Arena, Flender secretly met with Qin Ming.
"Qin Ming, you've done well these past few years. You're already the youngest Soul Emperor on the entire continent," Flender said.
Qin Ming replied modestly,
"It's all thanks to your guidance back in the day, Teacher."
Flender said,
"No need to be modest. The academy only provided you a platform. Most of what you've achieved came from your own efforts. Now—where are those things I asked for?"
"Here, Teacher." Qin Ming respectfully handed Flender a sheet of paper.
"All the intel you wanted is here—information on our Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team."
Flender took the intel and scanned it briefly. At times, his brows furrowed, and at other times, they relaxed. Finally, he patted Qin Ming on the shoulder and said,
"Not bad. The team you've trained is quite decent."
"Not at all." Qin Ming was inwardly thrilled by the praise but replied humbly,
"Compared to the students you've trained, I'm still leagues behind."
"While the little monsters may indeed be more talented, the gap isn't as huge as you make it sound," Flender said.
"So—how about this? Let your team serve as a whetstone for your junior brothers. You're okay with that, right?"
"Of course," Qin Ming replied.
"Being the stepping stone for the Shrek Seven Devils' rise to fame—that would be our honor."
"Hahaha!" Flender laughed and patted his shoulder.
"Good, you're indeed a monster from Shrek Academy. I'll remember this. If things don't work out for you elsewhere, know that Shrek's doors are always open for you."
Seeing how well Qin Ming had done for himself—and now that Shrek Academy had assembled a full team—as long as they performed well in the Soul Master Tournament, they could soar like a roc catching the wind. Their future looked bright, and Flender was already considering poaching him back.
"Thank you, Teacher," Qin Ming said respectfully.
—
On the other side, Flender brought the Heaven Dou Imperial Team's intel to the teachers' lounge for discussion.
"What do you think, Xiao Gang?" Flender asked.
Yu Xiaogang looked at the report and said,
"The Heaven Dou Team's martial souls are powerful and rare. They have the immensely restorative Nine-Hearted Begonia, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the Biphos Snake—all formidable beast martial souls. Their soul quality isn't inferior to our little monsters', and in terms of levels, they're generally higher. In terms of chances, I'd say it's a 30-70 split—30% chance for our Shrek Seven Devils, and 70% for the Heaven Dou Team. But I still believe our kids can pull off a miracle."
"Master, don't forget—Xiao Wu and Er Ming have a martial soul fusion technique," Zhao Wuji reminded.
Yu Xiaogang's expression became slightly awkward,
"Then I guess it's more like 40-60."
Flender fell silent and then turned to Li Yusong,
"Soto City has already released the Heaven Dou Team's info. What are the odds looking like?"
"They're favoring the Heaven Dou Team," Li Yusong said.
"Even though we've been on a winning streak, the Heaven Dou Team comes from one of the three great academies. People around here generally don't think we can maintain our streak."
Zhao Wuji asked,
"Dean, how should we bet?"
Flender thought for a while and then said,
"Split our funds into two. One part, we bet openly on our Shrek Seven Devils winning. The other part—place a hidden bet on the Heaven Dou Team under another identity. That way, if our kids win, we profit big. If they lose, we recover some of our losses."
Zhao Wuji gave a thumbs-up,
"Dean, brilliant strategy!"
After the Shrek teachers finished their discussion, the intel was passed down to the Shrek Seven Devils.
The reincarnators among the Shrek students scoffed at the list.
Heaven Dou Imperial Team again? Even after living another life, they still haven't improved.
Just as Tang San was preparing to outline the upcoming strategy, Ning Rongrong interjected:
"Hey, why do you all seem to be underestimating this team? Do you even know what the Heaven Dou Imperial Team represents?"
"Oh? And what do they represent?" Ma Hongjun asked lazily.
"They've always been one of the top three contenders to win the Continental Soul Master Tournament," Ning Rongrong said.
"Their team is extremely strong. Yu Tianheng has the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—the strongest beast martial soul on the continent. Ye Lingling has the so-called 'undying' Nine-Hearted Begonia. If the Nine-Hearted Begonia lineage weren't limited to a single heir, even my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—which is considered the number one support-type martial soul—would have to concede. And you guys are treating such a strong team like they're nothing??"
Dai Mubai responded,
"So what if he has the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? My White Tiger martial soul isn't afraid of him. And besides—we also have a super beast martial soul, the Titan Giant Ape. Not to mention, we also have—"
Just as he was about to mention their martial soul fusion technique, Dai Mubai glanced at Tang San and abruptly shut up.
"Besides, Nine-Hearted Begonia can only heal. Your support, Ning Rongrong, is more well-rounded. You're not inferior to them. Don't undermine yourself while inflating others," Oscar said lazily, glancing at Ning Rongrong.
His tone had lost all the passion it once held when he liked her.
Ever since his heart had been filled by Xiao Wu, his feelings—both love and hate—for Ning Rongrong had faded.
In Oscar's eyes, Ning Rongrong was now barely more than a stranger—only still relevant because she was part of the Shrek Seven Devils.
"You think I'm inflating others and deflating our own? I was kindly reminding you not to be overconfident, and this is how you react? Hmph—" Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened. She turned her head away, not wanting to look at them.
"Alright, Ning Rongrong does have a point. Let's not underestimate the Heaven Dou Imperial Team. Let's get on with planning our next tactics," Tang San said, stepping in to smooth things over.
After a round of discussion, Tang San finalized the battle plan.
At last, Xiao Wu said, "It's alright, everyone. Even though our opponent this time is very strong, don't forget—we still have a trump card. That's the Spirit Fusion Technique between Er Ming and me. As long as we can use our fusion, we'll definitely make up for the gap between us and the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team."
"You're right, Xiao—" Ma Hongjun started to respond, but was immediately cut off by the sound of Tang San clearing his throat behind him, prompting him to shut his mouth quickly.
With a stiff expression, Tang San said, "Xiao Wu… there's no need to use that trump card. With our strength, we can defeat the Heaven Dou Imperial Team even without using the Spirit Fusion Technique."
"Ah San giegie, we shouldn't underestimate our opponent," Xiao Wu replied, tugging on Er Ming's hand. "The fusion technique is something we'll need to use eventually—why not demonstrate it now in this high-profile tournament?"
You want me to watch—under the gaze of thousands—my woman perform a Spirit Fusion Technique with another man?! Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot, and his breathing quickened.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun quickly pressed their hands on Tang San's shoulders and whispered urgently in his ear: "Calm down. Breathe. Calm down, Tang San."
Jealousy surged within Tang San. He didn't dare get angry at Xiao Wu, so all his frustration was directed at Er Ming. Why is it that Er Ming gets to share a fusion technique with Xiao Wu? If my spirit could resonate with hers, chasing her would've been so much easier… If we had a spirit resonance, what would our fusion technique be like…?
Before he knew it, Tang San was lost in a daydream.
Dai Mubai gave his shoulder a pat and said quietly, "Tang San, it's time."
"Oh, right…" Tang San snapped back to reality.
In the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team's quarters, Qin Ming was speaking seriously. "This time, our opponent is different from any we've faced before. You all need to treat this with caution."
"Oh? What's so different about them?" Yu Tianheng asked nonchalantly.
"They're from Shrek Academy. As you all know, Shrek is a school that only produces monsters, not trash. Anyone who graduates from there is a true elite," Qin Ming said with pride.
Shrek Academy? What kind of no-name school is that? The Heaven Dou team exchanged confused looks. But out of respect for their teacher, no one voiced their doubts aloud.
Qin Ming continued, "Because this opponent is no joke, I'm not demanding that you win today. Friendship first, competition second. Also—Dugu Yan, you're not allowed to use your third spirit ability in this match, understood?"
"What? Why not?" Dugu Yan asked in surprise.
"No reason. This is a test for your team, understood?" Qin Ming replied.
"…Understood."
After Qin Ming left, the seven members of the Heaven Dou team couldn't help but grumble.
"Shrek Academy, only trains monsters, not trash… What kind of backwater academy is that? I've never even heard of it on the list of famous academies," said Oslo.
"You're forgetting something," reminded Yufeng. "Qin Ming himself came from that school."
"Oh~" Upon hearing this, the rest of the team suddenly understood.
"In every other city's match, Teacher Qin Ming always demanded victory. But not this time. What does that mean? Is he saying those junior schoolmates of his are better than us?" Yu Tianheng said unhappily. "Fine then. Let's use the arena to show him whether it's us or his 'monster' juniors who are truly stronger!"
Using the showdown between the Shrek Seven Devils and the Heaven Dou Imperial Team as a draw, the arena was already packed to capacity that evening.
Toward the back of the spectator stands, a woman with snow-white hair sat silently, her gaze fixed on the center of the arena.
Beside her was an empty seat. No one dared sit there—until a man arrived and quietly took the spot.
These two were Snow Empress and Huo Qiqiang.
"Your people have arrived, right?" Huo Qiqiang asked.
"They're already preparing. This match will serve as the warm-up. The next one will be the real deal," Snow Empress replied.
Huo Qiqiang smiled faintly. "Then before the main course… let's enjoy a little appetizer."
On the stage, the beautiful female host with a white dove spirit soared gracefully as she spoke into her microphone:
"Welcome, everyone, to the Soto City Spirit Arena! Tonight's featured battle is: the Shrek Seven Devils versus the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team!"
"The Shrek Seven Devils are Soto City's star team. So far, they've remained undefeated in all team battles!"
"And Heaven Dou's team comes from the Royal Academy itself. They represent the highest level of spirit masters across the continent. Tonight—"
"Will Shrek's undefeated streak finally end? Or will the best-ranked team in the tournament be knocked down a peg? Let's find out together! First up, please welcome: Team Shrek!"
The spotlight shifted, and the Shrek Seven Devils entered the stage. All eyes turned to them—five males and two females, walking the long path to center stage. Along the way, excited fans cheered:
"Shrek! Monsters! Shrek! Monsters!"
After Team Shrek arrived at their designated side of the arena, the female host turned her mic to the opposite end:
"And now, please welcome: the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team!"
From the other side of the stage, the seven proud figures of the Heaven Dou team walked out and entered the ring. As they passed through the crowd, the audience erupted:
"Heaven Dou Battle Team! Heaven Dou Battle Team! Unstoppable might from Heaven Dou!"
Yu Tianheng led his team into position opposite the Shrek Seven Devils.
He glanced curiously at the seven opponents. He wanted to see what kind of talents came from a school that claimed to "only raise monsters."
Suddenly, his gaze stopped on one of the Shrek members—a soft pink figure.
That delicate girl… why do I feel a faint spirit resonance from her?
Spirit resonance? Could it be… we have a Spirit Fusion Technique together?!
Yu Tianheng was stunned. He kept staring at Xiao Wu—the longer he looked, the more he liked what he saw. The more adorable she seemed, the more beautiful she appeared.
Gradually, Xiao Wu's image filled his mind. Her every movement, every smile took over his thoughts.
Noticing Yu Tianheng's gaze, Xiao Wu curiously looked back. Seeing him staring, she gave him a playful wink—like Cupid's arrow piercing straight into his heart.
In an instant, Yu Tianheng's battleship was sunk!