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"I'd like to ask you… how can I become as strong as you?" Xie Xie finally voiced the question weighing on his heart.
"So that's it. You're troubled because you've fallen behind your peers, is that it?" Bai Xu remarked.
Xie Xie gave a bitter smile. "Yes. Both you and Wulin are so strong—so strong that it feels hopeless. You've never even shown your true strength, and Wulin, despite only having two soul rings, can already defeat a four-ringed Soul Ancestor. The gap is so vast that I feel powerless, like I'm stuck in quicksand. No matter how hard I struggle, I can't see any light ahead."
"As for this situation… I can't give you an answer. On the Douluo Continent, martial souls determine everything. A high-quality martial soul inevitably comes with high-level talent, and those who possess them are destined to become Title Douluos. Logically speaking, your talent is exceptional—a rare twin martial soul with innate full soul power. Among your peers, you're already outstanding, and with time, you'll undoubtedly reach Title Douluo level, perhaps even the pinnacle.
But the world always has a few individuals born under the tide of destiny. The so-called 'great era' begins because of them."
Bai Xu stood up and left. There was nothing he could do about Xie Xie's dilemma. But just as he reached the end of the path, a shout made Xie Xie's eyes brighten.
"Xie Xie, what truly limits a person's achievements isn't talent—" Bai Xu pointed to his head. "—It's their mindset."
"But a person's mindset isn't something that can be changed so easily. There aren't any books here about altering one's thinking, either. So, just let things take their natural course."
Bai Xu understood Xie Xie's predicament all too well. Falling behind his peers had planted a seed of inferiority in him. He wanted to strive harder but didn't know which direction to take.
Xie Xie had a noble moral compass—he wouldn't resort to harming others just to grow stronger. Though he felt the pressure, he could only go with the flow in the end.
Still, staying by Tang Wulin's side wasn't a bad thing. Except for the inability to ascend to godhood, Xie Xie would eventually gain nearly everything by the story's conclusion.
The only regret was that Xie Xie wasn't one of the Shrek Seven Monsters because of his own merits—he was one because of Tang Wulin.
In the original storyline, the incident where Xie Xie peeked at Yuanen Yehui bathing never happened. Instead, he sat alone in the night, lost in thought. Though he caught a glimpse of light, he didn't pursue it. He simply returned to his dorm and began cultivating.
Life, for the most part, was quiet.
---
One Month Later.
"This semester, each of you has one task: to build your own mecha. Now, I'll announce the groupings for the practical teams. First group: Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Luo Gui Xing, Wu Si Duo."
This had been decided earlier.
"Last group: Bai Xu."
Wu Zhangkong coldly finished announcing the list, instantly causing an uproar in the class. A person with no secondary profession placed alone in a group? There was no way he could complete the task.
In an instant, Bai Xu became the center of attention.
"The mechas you create must be suitable for your own use. As for how to make them, that's for you to figure out. You can refer to the library for materials—I'll only teach the basics. Building a mecha requires teamwork within each group. You must finish before the end of the semester. If any member of a group fails to complete their mecha, the entire group will be penalized. You all know the consequences of failing the final exam. If even one member doesn't produce a mecha, the whole group will be expelled from the academy. And don't think about cutting corners. In the latter half of the semester, we'll begin training you to pilot standard mechas. Shrek Academy nurtures all-rounded talents. The final exam will be a class-wide mecha competition. The bottom ten students will be eliminated."
But what about Bai Xu?
He remained calm and indifferent, as if expulsion meant nothing to him.
No matter how strong an individual was, without the cooperation of teammates, building a mecha was impossible. This wasn't something one could accomplish alone. Crafting a proper mecha required teamwork and unity.
"You now have half an hour to discuss within your groups. Time is not on your side. The final exam will also include a team competition, where each group can field their four strongest mechas. Specific rules will be announced later."
Gu Yue glanced at Bai Xu and whispered, "What will you do? Let me help you."
He shook his head. "No need. I'm close to a breakthrough. At that point, whether I stay at Shrek won't matter. Besides, I'd rather travel to other continents."
Gu Yue didn't respond, her expression darkening slightly.
But as class ended, Bai Xu faintly sensed an unusual shift in the atmosphere. Rather than discussing mecha construction, most students were gossiping about a senior from the inner court.
Rumors had spread from Sea God's Island—an exceptionally talented senior had once defeated an inner court disciple despite being two major ranks below them. She had been taken in as a personal disciple by the current master of the Sea God Pavilion. But now, her martial soul had mutated, her talent vanished, and she had become a laughingstock.
And the truth was exactly that.
This past month had not been kind to Na'er.
The day after her bet with Gu Yue, Yun Ming had noticed something strange about Na'er. Upon careful questioning, it became clear that something had gone wrong.
The Silver Dragon Spear had lost its luster, turning into an ordinary weapon. Na'er herself seemed to have lost her former brilliance—her soul skills were drastically weakened, and even the spear techniques Yun Ming had taught her now felt obscure and incomprehensible.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the inner court. Now, Na'er's talent was among the lowest in the inner academy.
Though she had once possessed aptitude comparable to Xie Xie's… she didn't have a companion like Tang Wulin to support her. Xie Xie's comprehension was average—he had even needed Elder Cai's guidance just to grasp the basics of the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. Now, expecting Na'er to comprehend the essence of Yun Ming's Sky Piercing Spear was nothing short of a fantasy.
Thus, Na'er's position in the inner court grew precarious. Over the past month, challengers had come one after another—some were former losers seeking to reclaim their dignity, while others were arrogant nobles drawn by Na'er's beauty.
Even the humiliating label of "pretty vase" had begun circulating.
It was clear that if judged solely on her current abilities, whether she could have entered the inner court in the first place was now in question.
Yun Ming was deeply troubled in the Sea God Pavilion. Na'er had inexplicably lost her talent overnight, and even he couldn't determine the cause. If not for the fact that many still feared her status as his personal disciple, challengers would have already stormed her doorstep.
But if this continued, it would only invite criticism—accusations that the master of the Sea God Pavilion had abused his authority to admit an unqualified student. Shrek Academy had never allowed such precedents before.
And it couldn't start under his watch.
"Ya Li, what do you think?" Yun Ming asked the woman beside him.
The Holy Spirit Douluo shook her head. "There's no hidden injury. It truly is a martial soul mutation—and a malignant one at that."
Yun Ming fell silent.
Ya Li sighed. "Lately, Na'er has been deeply distressed. She often hides on Sea God's Island, afraid to go out. She was too dominant before, with almost no losses. Now that she's fallen from grace, she's become an easy target for provocation. What do you plan to do?"
"Once this storm passes, if Na'er still hasn't recovered… we'll send her to the outer court. The inner court is no longer suitable for her. Staying here will only invite more scorn." It was the best solution Yun Ming could offer.
"Dragon Spear Goddess! I challenge you!"
A loud roar echoed across Sea God's Island. Someone had finally thrown caution to the wind and issued a direct challenge.
"It's Hui Huang!" someone recognized the challenger—the very same person Na'er had once humiliated with a single spear strike on the arena.
"Well, it makes sense. Back then, the Goddess made him lose all face on the stage. Everyone in the inner court is a prodigy among prodigies. After being humiliated like that, it's only natural he'd want to reclaim his pride."
When Na'er first entered the inner court, she had been untouchable—aloof and dismissive, driving away countless admirers.
Now that she had fallen, even dogs dared to bark at a tiger in the plains.
"Still too scared to accept? I'm not here because of your martial soul mutation. I lost to you before, so I trained relentlessly. Now, I've reached six rings and become a two-word battle armor master. I've come to test my skills!"
Perhaps Hui Huang truly had no ill intent—but the timing was too perfect. If Na'er's true condition were exposed, the consequences would be dire.
*
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