Hearing Chen Feng's words, Ning Rongrong nodded thoughtfully. Although she wasn't much younger than him, she always felt like she could never quite keep up with his thinking.
Sometimes, she genuinely wanted to pry open Chen Feng's head and see what was inside — how could someone so young always seem so composed and mature?
Just then, a woman's voice rang out.
"Tianlong... Is that you, Tianlong?"
Yu Tianlong turned abruptly.
Standing not far away was a woman who appeared to be around thirty. She covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She wore a simple blue cotton dress, her features delicate and striking — brows like painted strokes, eyes full of life. Beneath her robe was a figure most ordinary girls could only envy.
It was Liu Erlong.
In that moment, she stared at Yu Tianlong in astonishment, hands still gently covering her mouth.
"Tianlong... It's been so many years. Are you doing well? Your right arm... wasn't it—injured?"
She caught herself mid-sentence. Though she'd long been estranged from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, she was well aware of what had transpired there — especially the infamous "Triad Trial" among the clan's top youths. The uproar it caused was legendary within the clan.
Yu Tianlong stood calmly. He had anticipated this reunion long before arriving.
Looking at the woman he was supposed to address as "aunt" by clan seniority, he felt little familial warmth. After all, he was a side-branch descendant, while Liu Erlong's father had once been the clan's second patriarch — their status worlds apart.
"Aunt," Yu Tianlong greeted politely.
"Tianlong, what are you doing at Shrek Academy?"
Liu Erlong stepped forward with curiosity, but her expression suddenly shifted.
"Don't tell me... you're the Soul Master that Teacher Li said came to issue a challenge?"
Yu Tianlong glanced at Chen Feng, his expression a little odd, then nodded.
Liu Erlong frowned.
"I was just wondering who would be bold enough to try such a thing. So it's you — that explains it.
With a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit, you do have the confidence."
As a bearer of a mutated Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit herself, Liu Erlong knew better than anyone how formidable that beast spirit was. Given Yu Tianlong's natural talent, he could indeed draw out its full potential.
Back in the clan, Yu Tianlong had even shown promise beyond that of Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin.
"You've got guts, kid. You're here to stir up trouble right on my turf, huh? Don't you know Shrek Academy's predecessor, Blue Tyrant Academy, was founded by me?"
She narrowed her eyes further.
"I also heard you're the captain of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's new academy team. So what, you've gone over to their side now?"
Her tone turned sharp. Liu Erlong had always been known for her temper, and now, hearing that Yu Tianlong had aligned himself with another sect — potentially even betraying his roots — she felt ready to erupt.
Yu Tianlong sighed, glancing again at Chen Feng.
"Aunt... I was expelled from the clan.
Where I go, how I survive — that's my own business now. Joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan doesn't make me disloyal."
"Also, I think you misunderstood. I'm not the captain — just a regular team member.
The real captain… is him."
Yu Tianlong stepped aside, revealing Chen Feng behind him.
"A regular member?" Liu Erlong blinked in disbelief.
"With your talent, you're just a member?"
Yu Tianlong nodded firmly, affirming it was no mistake.
Liu Erlong's gaze shifted to Chen Feng, sizing him up carefully.
The young man wore a black robe. His presence was calm and detached, his expression unreadable — he didn't seem particularly outstanding at first glance. But to make Yu Tianlong, of all people, willingly play second fiddle? That said a lot.
She knew full well that if Yu Tianlong's right arm had healed completely, he'd be qualified to lead even the strongest elite teams. For him to submit to this boy's command, Chen Feng had to have something extraordinary.
"Seven Kills — Chen Feng," he introduced simply, nodding.
"Seven Kill Sword?" Liu Erlong's pupils shrank sharply.
No wonder!
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit was powerful, yes — but the Seven Kill Sword was hailed as the number-one offensive martial spirit. Of course, it could dominate even a top-tier beast spirit.
"I never imagined that anyone besides Sword Douluo would also possess the Seven Kill Sword," she said.
"What's your relationship to him?"
"He's my grandfather," Chen Feng replied calmly.
Liu Erlong took a deep breath and nodded. That explained everything.
Her expression quickly turned serious.
"No wonder you're so confident. Seems like your team might be able to challenge our Little Monsters...
But even so, you've gone too far. Saying you're here to 'teach us a lesson'? That's a bit arrogant, don't you think?
Let's see who's teaching who. Come with me!"
With that, she turned and headed toward the training grounds.
By now, a crowd had gathered. As Liu Erlong led a group out, murmurs broke out across the field. Students called out to their friends, eager to witness what promised to be a spectacle.
"Dai Mubai, Tang San, where are you?" Liu Erlong called impatiently.
"We've got challengers at the gate — are you still hiding?"
"We're here!"
A deep, confident voice rang out as the crowd parted.
Three figures walked forward.
Leading the group was a tall, broad-shouldered young man with striking features and a commanding presence. Long golden hair draped behind him, and in his deep blue eyes shimmered a hint of cold arrogance.
It was none other than Dai Mubai.
Compared to when they'd met in the Star Dou Forest, he had grown noticeably stronger. His aura was wilder now, more untamed. There was an inner chill to him, like a sharp blade half-drawn from its sheath.
Beside him stood a woman of stunning beauty and dangerous curves — Zhu Zhuqing.
The two were still a couple, though their body language betrayed a certain distance between them.
Ning Rongrong whispered to Chen Feng,
"That Dai Mubai is always sneaking off with Ma Hongjun to visit brothels. Zhuqing must've found out again. They're definitely in a fight."
Chen Feng nodded slightly. In truth, both Evil-Eyed White Tiger and Evil Fire Phoenix spirits had inherent flaws.
In the original timeline, Tang San had given them rare immortal herbs — Fiery Apricot Chrysanthemum and Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower — which refined their spirits and removed the defects.
But in this timeline, Chen Feng had claimed the herbs ahead of schedule.
That meant those two hadn't received their transformations.
Still, he wondered — Ma Hongjun was driven by his martial spirit's evil fire. But what was Dai Mubai's excuse?
Was he simply disillusioned by internal family struggles and a bleak future, turning instead to hedonism?
Within moments, Dai Mubai and the others had reached the field.
Alongside him and Zhu Zhuqing was a chubby, lecherous-looking young man — who else could it be but Ma Hongjun?
With this, three of the Shrek Seven Devils had appeared — all except Ning Rongrong.
The moment they laid eyes on Chen Feng, all three paused in surprise.
They had briefly met him in the Star Dou Forest. They believed Tang San had gained a 3,000-year spirit ring thanks to Chen Feng's help.
Had Chen Feng known what they were thinking, he would've been speechless.
*That encounter? Tang San's external spirit bone got stolen by me — not to mention I "gifted" him a storage belt as a decoy.
You call that helping? Seriously?