Tang San, with a gloomy expression, said helplessly, "This is a long story."
He led the Shrek Three Prodigies—Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar—to a secluded place. These were his most trustworthy brothers in his past life, and now, all of them were reincarnated just like him. So Tang San had full faith in them and didn't intend to hide any of his experiences thus far.
When Tang San said that his destination on this journey was the Blue Silver Forest, Ma Hongjun was shocked. "Ah San, did you go to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor?"
Tang San nodded.
"How could I forget about that!" Dai Mubai slapped his forehead in regret, then quickly asked, "So Ah San, did you manage to awaken it?"
"Wait, something's not right," Oscar interjected. "Ah San, if your Blue Silver Emperor spirit had awakened, you shouldn't look this... ugly, right?"
Tang San shook his head. "There was an anomaly in the Blue Silver Forest. The shameless Blue Silver King took advantage of my mother's absence to usurp the throne of the Blue Silver Emperor. I didn't just fail to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor spirit—in fact, even my bloodline was stripped away."
Hearing this, the Three Prodigies silently breathed a sigh of relief. Dai Mubai feigned a shocked expression and said, "What?! Ah San, your Blue Silver Emperor bloodline was taken away? No way! Take me to the Blue Silver Forest—I'll help you take it back!"
"Yeah! Let's kill the Blue Silver Emperor and reclaim your bloodline and rightful throne!" Ma Hongjun echoed.
"No... there's no need. It's not the right time yet," Tang San said, lowering his head. "To become the Blue Silver Emperor, one needs at least 100,000 years of cultivation. With our current strength, going to fight the Blue Silver King is no different from committing suicide."
"Then what do we do now? Don't tell me your Blue Silver Grass spirit is really crippled?" Dai Mubai asked. "If that's the case... what should we do?"
Oscar chimed in, "If the Blue Silver Grass spirit is truly gone, how about switching to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer instead?"
Tang San replied, "Now isn't the time. Have you forgotten who I am? I'm the child chosen by the God of Shura—the favored one of this era. I think... if I've lost my bloodline, the gods won't sit idly by and do nothing."
The Three Prodigies exchanged looks. Dai Mubai said, "Alright then, Ah San, it's up to you. No matter what you decide, the three of us will always support you."
"Thank you... You guys are truly my best brothers." Tang San said with emotion.
Afterward, Dai Mubai and the others started telling Tang San about what happened while he was gone—how Yu Tianheng and Er Ming, those two fools courting death, had been using their spirit fusion technique to get close to the naïve Xiao Wu and take advantage of her. Hearing this, Tang San's eyes turned red, and he panted like an enraged bull.
After Tang San left, as Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were about to go, Oscar suddenly said, "Don't you think something's off?"
"What do you mean?" Dai Mubai asked.
Oscar said, "It's always easier to see things clearly as a bystander. That brat keeps claiming he's the 'chosen one,' the 'child selected by the God of Shura.' We stuck with him because we wanted to ride that wave and cling to greatness. But—"
"Those Eight Spider Lances of his? They got forcibly ripped out by Bibi Dong.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well? He tried to enter it twice and couldn't even bring out a single immortal herb.
And now he sneaks off to the Blue Silver Forest to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor and not only fails, but gets his bloodline stolen too. Think about all those past events—where's the part that shows he's a 'favored by fate'?"
"Now that you say it… it really does make sense," Dai Mubai said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Ma Hongjun muttered, "Could it be that brat's so-called destiny has sprung a leak?"
Oscar added, "Didn't he swear that the gods wouldn't sit by and do nothing? But he lost the Eight Spider Lances—did the gods help him? He lost the Ice and Fire opportunity—did they help him? Even now, with the Blue Silver Emperor—still no help!"
"If he's no longer the 'chosen one,' then why are we still following him?" Ma Hongjun asked.
Oscar replied, "We can't be sure yet that Ah San has truly lost that status. Besides, we're not following him for godhood anymore. Whether he gets a divine seat or not doesn't matter—what matters is Xiao Wu. Let's just focus on completing the mission she gave us."
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun both nodded in agreement.
This was the first time the Shrek Three Prodigies began to doubt Tang San's identity as the "chosen one" and the child selected by the God of Shura.
Later, the three entered Xiao Wu's room. Xiao Wu was lazily sitting in a chair, with Yu Tianheng and Er Ming standing on either side behind her like guardian statues.
Xiao Wu yawned and asked, "That little loser is back. Did he start cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer?"
"Xiao Wu, no, he didn't. He went to the Blue Silver Forest to try awakening the Blue Silver Emperor," Dai Mubai said.
"He went to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor?" Xiao Wu's face twitched slightly, but soon returned to calm. "Awaken the Blue Silver Emperor? He should take a good look in the mirror first. With that monkey-faced mug of his, he really thinks he's worthy?"
Then she gave Dai Mubai a flirtatious look and asked, "Brother Mubai, how did that loser's awakening go?"
Trying to hold back laughter, Dai Mubai said, "He went to the Blue Silver Forest and not only failed to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor, but even had his bloodline stripped away. Without it, he's short, dark-skinned, and ugly—like a black chimpanzee."
"Pfft—hahahahaha!" Laughter burst out inside Xiao Wu's room.
After the laughter faded, Xiao Wu rested her chin on one hand and said, "But still, that loser hasn't attached any spirit rings to his Clear Sky Hammer yet. Until he does, I won't be able to sleep peacefully."
Yu Tianheng stepped forward and said eagerly, "Don't worry, Xiao Wu-chan. Tonight, I'll provoke him again. Tomorrow, I'll fight in front of him. He won't be able to hold back."
"No, our opponent tomorrow won't be easy. Old tricks lose their effect. Let's change things up and play with that loser in a new way," Xiao Wu said with a shake of her head. "If Tang San wants the team leader position tonight, just give it to him. Tomorrow, I'll go into battle with him—I want him to truly feel how powerless he is without the Clear Sky Hammer."
As she finished, a wicked smile curled on Xiao Wu's lips.
"Xiao San, where have you been? You really made your teacher terribly worried."
Unlike the others, Yu Xiaogang walked right up as if sensing Tang San's arrival, gripped his hand, and fussed over him with exaggerated concern.
Tang San pulled his hand away with a dark expression and said coldly, "I already had Dai Mubai and the others submit a leave request. Family matters are none of your concern."
"Family matters?"
Yu Xiaogang was stunned, then suddenly noticed Tang San's appearance—his skin was dark, his stature seemed shorter—he looked like a pig raised in a countryside farm. Shocked, Yu Xiaogang blurted, "Xiao San, why do you look like this?"
"Tanned," Tang San muttered evasively.
After a long and exhausting barrage of questions, Tang San finally managed to shake off Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong. When he arrived at the Shrek Academy's base, he saw a face he truly didn't want to see—Yu Tianheng.
"Yo yo yo, look who it is—our dark little A-San!"
Yu Tianheng walked up with an obnoxiously exaggerated tone, placed a hand on Tang San's head, and slid it down until it reached his own collarbone. "How'd you end up so short, so dark, and so ugly~?"
Tang San didn't care much about appearances.
In his previous life, after awakening the Blue Silver Emperor, he had been so handsome it turned heads across the Douluo Continent and even the God Realm—countless people had secretly fallen for him.
But did he let that go to his head? So what if he was a bit good-looking? Big deal.
Still, he suddenly noticed an unusual gaze. He turned and saw Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu curiously observing him from behind Yu Tianheng. Ning Rongrong's reaction didn't bother him, but the strange look in Xiao Wu's eyes pierced his heart.
"Yu Tianheng, if you've got something to say, say it. Otherwise, get lost. I don't want to see you," Tang San said furiously.
From behind him, Dai Mubai shouted, "You heard him, Yu Tianheng! If you've got something to say, then spit it out. If not, get lost, understand?"
"A-San, actually, I don't have much to say," Yu Tianheng said smugly. "Since you're the team captain and you're back, I figured I should report how things have gone these past four days."
He pulled out the competition reports and presented them with a smirk.
"While you were away, I led Shrek Academy to three consecutive victories. (Canghui Academy had a bye, so it doesn't count.) Every win was thanks to the critical role played by me and Xiao Wu's spirit fusion technique~"
Tang San: "#@#￥%#￥."
"For the sake of Shrek Academy winning the championship, how about this—let me, Xiao Wu, and Er Ming take the lead in the upcoming matches. You just watch and learn from the sidelines. Brother Tianheng will take you all the way to the finals, and when we face the Spark Academy, I'll help you get your revenge too."
Yu Tianheng's words made Tang San recall the illusion he had seen in Shi Nian's dream world. All the tragedies of his life stemmed from this very Soul Master Tournament.
It was because he had allowed Yu Tianheng and Xiao Wu to use their spirit fusion technique too much that Xiao Wu eventually fell in love with Yu Tianheng. That was something Tang San could never let happen again.
"In your dreams. I'm the team captain. I decide who plays tomorrow," Tang San growled, eyes reddening. "And I'll never let you on the field again. Never—"
Yu Tianheng chuckled and said, "Sure, you're the captain. But as the captain, you'll have to take responsibility for your decisions. If I'm benched and Shrek loses, that's on you."
"Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility," Tang San said angrily.
With that, he turned and stormed off, the Shrek Trio quickly following behind.
Once they were farther away, Tang San asked Dai Mubai, "Who's our opponent tomorrow?"
If it was a standard team, Tang San was confident he could put on a strong performance and turn around Xiao Wu's bad impression of him.
"A-San, tomorrow we're up against the Wind-Fire Team," Dai Mubai replied, clearly troubled.
"Wind-Fire Team?" Tang San didn't immediately understand.
"A-San, it's the combination of the Godwind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy," Ma Hongjun explained.
"...Oh." Tang San instantly felt a headache coming on. This opponent was going to be tough.
"What's their current strength?" Tang San asked.
"Only members from Blazing Fire Academy have shown up so far. Their strength is about the same as in your past life," Oscar answered.
"In that case, we can still beat them. But we'll need to go all out tomorrow."
Tang San looked at the trio and said.
Dai Mubai slapped his chest confidently. "A-San, I'll follow your lead. Whatever strategy you give, we'll follow."
"Same here," said Ma Hongjun and Oscar together.
"Thank you, all of you," Tang San said with deep emotion.
Because Yu Tianheng and Er Ming hadn't caused any trouble, Tang San naturally resumed his role as captain. He looked around and announced, "Tomorrow, I'll go up with Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Tai Long. Any objections?"
Yu Tianheng crossed his arms and said, "No objections here, Captain."
Er Ming added, "But let's get one thing clear first, Captain. If we lose tomorrow, what will you do?"
Yu Tianheng laughed. "If our dear Captain loses, he'll probably shamelessly cling to his title and refuse to step down."
Tang San snapped, "If I lose tomorrow, I'll step down as captain. Yu Tianheng, you can have it!"
Yu Tianheng's eyes lit up. "Great! We'll go with that."
The moment he made that vow, Tang San realized he had fallen for Yu Tianheng's goading.
If he lost the captaincy, Yu Tianheng would absolutely pair himself with Xiao Wu in future matches, use their spirit fusion again and again, win her heart, and claim her—securing the Asura God's inheritance in the process.
That would mean taking away everything Tang San had in his past life.
He couldn't allow it.
But the vow had been made—there was no taking it back.
No matter what, he had to win tomorrow. Losing was not an option.
Fortunately, based on Tang San's calculations, this was still just the round-robin stage. The Wind-Fire Team likely wouldn't reveal their full strength.
If that was true, tomorrow could be a perfect opportunity for him to secure a sweeping victory.
The next day, at the competition venue, it was Shrek Academy versus Wind-Fire Academy.
Tang San looked around at his teammates. Except for Zhu Zhuqing, everyone was present.
The sight made Tang San fall into nostalgic thought.
In his past life, he had led the Shrek Seven Devils to victory in the Soul Master Tournament, overcoming obstacle after obstacle, finally standing atop the champions' podium. What a time of vitality and flourishing that had been.
But now, in this life reborn, he had repeatedly suffered setbacks. Tang San longed for a battle—one that would allow him to prove himself again.
Turning his head and slightly tilting it upward, he looked at the girl in front of him—dressed in a shit-green uniform covered in ads, her hair tied in a scorpion braid. She was his beloved, Xiao Wu.
In his previous life, she had been the mother of his two children, his one and only. The scabbard to his Shura Sword.
Memories of his past life flickered in his mind like a revolving lantern. He remembered everything from their days together in Nuoding City, to the carefree times in Soto City with the "Three-Five" group, and the hard-earned victory they achieved together in the Soul Master Tournament.
Now, finally, he was able to stand beside Xiao Wu again in the same battle arena. Let this match be the stage where he and Xiao Wu shine together.
Let this match mark the true beginning of the Three-Five team.
In that moment, Tang San's heart surged with energy. He looked forward to the duet dance between him and Xiao Wu on the battlefield.
Sensing his gaze, Xiao Wu turned and slightly bowed her head, looking at him.
"Ah-San gege, is there something weird about me?" she asked softly.
A barely noticeable blush crept across Tang San's dark face.
"N-no, nothing," he replied.
The match was about to begin. Both sides had taken their positions. Originally, Tang San had assumed that the Windfire Academy wouldn't field their full lineup, maybe hide some of their strength. But seeing their actual team composition, his heart sank.
Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang—every one of their elites was on the field. The rest of the team members were also all at the Soul Ancestor (fourth-ring) level. They were up against a fusion of the Godwind and Blazing Academies—the full-powered version of the Windfire team that had reached the finals in his past life.
There was no escaping a hard battle today.
When Huo Wu's proud gaze swept over the seven Shrek members, she instantly flared up—
"What's the meaning of this? Where's Yu Tianheng? Where's Er Ming? You just send out this short, dark, and fat guy? Are you looking down on Windfire Academy?!"
Tang San's face darkened as he retorted coldly, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Huo Wu snapped. "Knowing your team was the opponent today—you're supposed to be strong—we decided you were worth facing with our full force. So we're going all out to have a true showdown. And this is how you respond?!"
Well, I should really thank you for that "honor," Tang San thought sarcastically. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yu Tianheng in the stands. He was watching gleefully, clearly taking pleasure in Tang San's dilemma.
Tang San steadied his heart. Today's opponent is strong—but I have no reason to lose. If I can win, I must win.
He made up his mind to take this seriously. So what if Blue Silver Grass is considered a trash martial spirit? Let the world witness the secrets of my Tang Sect techniques!
"If you're going to look down on us," Huo Wu said, turning to Feng Xiaotian, "then we won't hold back either. Let's show them our full strength."
"Uh? Oh… o-okay. Let's show them how strong we are," Feng Xiaotian stammered, snapping out of his daze.
Huo Wu didn't notice anything odd. She stared at Tang San proudly, while Feng Xiaotian, taking advantage of her inattention, sneaked another glance at the girl with the scorpion braid on the opposite side.
Even though she wore that hideous shit-green uniform littered with ads, it couldn't hide her radiance. The moment Feng Xiaotian saw her, it was as if his entire world became filled with this girl. Every movement, every smile of hers tugged at his heartstrings.
Before meeting her, Feng Xiaotian had thought Huo Wu was the most beautiful girl in the world, and he had resolved to win her heart. But when he saw this girl for the first time—everything changed.
This is the Xiao Wu I want!
As if sensing Feng Xiaotian's gaze, the girl on the other side gave him a sly smile.
In that instant, Feng Xiaotian's heart sank like a ship struck by a torpedo.
"Both teams, activate your martial spirits. The match will begin in one minute," the referee announced.
With the signal given, both teams hurried to make final preparations—martial spirits activated.
On Shrek's side, everyone was Soul Ancestor level, except Xiao Wu, who stood out as a Soul King with five spirit rings.
On Windfire's side, each team member revealed martial spirits of either wind or fire attributes. Their ring configurations were all Soul Ancestor level and above.
What truly shocked Tang San was Feng Xiaotian. His martial spirit—the Gale Two-Headed Demon Wolf—was now surrounded by an astonishing five rings: two yellow, two purple, and one black.
"Awoooo—!"
The two-headed wolf let out a long mating howl aimed directly at the Soft-Boned Rabbit. To Tang San, this was a direct provocation—Feng Xiaotian was challenging Xiao Wu, and him.
Tang San's heart grew heavy. Reborn, he had prepared for the Windfire team's trump cards. But Feng Xiaotian? You're not playing by the script at all!
No immortal herbs, no Eight Spider Lances, no Blue Silver Emperor bloodline—I'm in such a pathetic state. Meanwhile, all of his rivals were stronger than they were in his previous life. Jealousy surged uncontrollably in his chest.
Feng Xiaotian, weren't you supposed to waste time researching self-created soul skills and fall behind in cultivation? How the hell are you a Soul King already? How can you be a Soul King?! You don't deserve this!
Yet another Soul King appeared in this year's tournament.
Ning Fengzhi exclaimed, "I never imagined the quality of this year's competition would be so high. Another genius Soul King appears. Shrek, Spark, Windfire—any one of them would've been championship contenders in past tournaments."
In the spectator stands, Flender adjusted his glasses and sighed.
"I thought with three Soul Kings on our side, we had this tournament in the bag. I didn't expect the competition this year to be so fierce."
Liu Erlong said, "Boss Fu, don't worry too much. There may be plenty of geniuses this year—but our little monsters have their own trump cards."
Flender pushed his glasses again. "True enough."
Back on the battlefield, both teams now stood evenly matched.
Each team had one Soul King and six Soul Ancestors.
Oscar busied himself producing sausage after sausage, distributing them to the team, quietly waiting for the match to begin.
DONG DONG DONG— The bell rang.
Tang San turned and said to Xiao Wu and the others behind him, "Everyone, follow the plan."
But before he finished speaking, Xiao Wu vanished from his sight.
Xiao Wu—this… this wasn't part of the plan!
A wave of unease surged in Tang San's heart at the all-too-familiar scene before him.
Sure enough, Xiao Wu had teleported and reappeared behind Feng Xiaotian.