It wasn't that Xie Xie couldn't be parasitized—it was simply that Wu Zhangkong and Xu Xiaoyan were far more cost-effective choices.
Wu Zhangkong needed no explanation. His talent and strength were among the very best. As long as he was willing to return to Shrek Academy, his lowest possible achievement in the future would be to reach Super Douluo.
Xu Xiaoyan was also a strong candidate. The "Absolute Validity" of her Starwheel Ice Staff gave her the potential to become the number one control-type Soul Master on the entire continent. In the original story, she did just that. Though at present, her Starwheel Ice Staff was still unstable, Nan Fusheng remembered that later on, during Shrek Academy's end-of-term exams, her martial soul would undergo a mutation and evolve completely—allowing her to wield the staff's Absolute Validity even in daylight.
Xie Xie, however, was a different story. His mindset was far too relaxed. He worked hard, but not desperately so. Although he possessed twin martial souls, they were merely companion spirits. Even when used together, they couldn't compare to the true top-tier martial souls.
Unless he could completely fuse both martial souls, he would never truly become the Time-Space Dragon from the original work. But that required him first to fall for Yuanen Yehui and suffer a brutal beating; only then would he be driven to change. Right now, he was still lacking.
Back to the matter at hand—through parasitizing the two young men earlier, Nan Fusheng learned their names.
The first one he controlled was named Zhang Wuji.
But this Zhang Wuji knew no Nine Yang Divine Skill, no Heavenly Shifting Technique, and hadn't been struck by any mysterious Xuanming Divine Palm. He was simply a scion of one of Tianhai City's major families, with relatives holding high positions in government.
His martial soul was their family's hereditary spirit: Sea Dragon.
Any martial soul carrying the name of "dragon" was bound to be powerful, and among them, Sea Dragon was an exceptional one. At just seventeen years of age, Zhang Wuji's soul power had already reached Rank 39. Even within his family, his standing was not low.
The second youth he controlled was of civilian birth, named Zhang Chulan.
He wasn't some cheeky joker who "didn't shake Bi Lian," nor did he go "bird-walking under the moon." He was simply a normal young man—soul power Rank 36, martial soul: Water Element.
But the most important part was their identities.
In the previous Tianhai Alliance Tournament, they were part of the seven-man team that won the Junior Division Team Championship.
This time, they had returned to aim for the Youth Division Team Championship.
Although their other teammates were resting in different rooms of the hotel, that didn't matter; what was important was securing control over the team captain, Zhang Wuji.
And the purpose? Naturally, it was to give the Shrek Academy team, set to appear at the opening ceremony, a little surprise.
However, before doing that, Nan Fusheng needed to control at least one person within the tournament's organizing committee. Otherwise, his chance to get on stage wouldn't exist.
"Hah… Looks like I'll need to borrow the power of the Origin Castle again. But since this time, I'll only be drawing on Sequence Four strength, the burden should still be manageable."
Nan Fusheng let out a slow breath. This next move of his was just an experiment—success or failure, he was ready to accept the outcome.
"Hehehe… Shrek Academy, prepare yourselves. I've got a little surprise waiting just for you!"
The Tianhai Alliance Tournament's opening ceremony was held at the Tianhai Sports Stadium, a massive venue that could seat eighty thousand people, the largest of its kind within the entire Tianhai Alliance.
For the Eastern Sea economic zone, this tournament was the grandest of events, drawing the attention of the entire Federation. Every year, it produces outstanding talents.
The tournament had originally been founded for exactly that reason—to select and nurture promising individuals, grooming them to become the pillars of the Tianhai Alliance.
The Federation itself was riddled with factions, and the Tianhai Alliance stood as a formidable force in its own right—especially in terms of economics, ranking among the top giants of the nation.
Yet, one thing had always troubled Tianhai: their heritage was shallow. The Eastern Sea region had developed late; while money and industry could rise quickly, true heritage and foundations took centuries to build.
Inland metropolises boasted great clans with thousand-year or even ten-thousand-year lineages. Their elites had been cultivated generation after generation, their backgrounds vast and roots unshakable.
By comparison, Tianhai Alliance had always been lacking in talent, perpetually falling behind in critical areas.
To the inland elites and even some in the Federation's upper echelons, Tianhai was nothing more than an economic powerhouse, contributing resources but lacking in any other remarkable qualities. Its status never rose above the middle tier.
Of course, Tianhai's leaders were unwilling to accept this. About two centuries ago, they established the Tianhai Alliance Tournament to seek out talent and spur growth.
The rewards were generous—rich prizes and, more importantly, specialized resources to help nurture winners further, thereby strengthening the Alliance's foundations.
Early in the morning, representatives from every city had already entered the stadium and taken their places.
The massive venue was packed to the brim, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see.
For Tang Wulin, it was his first time in such an enormous place. Throughout the opening ceremony, he was overwhelmed, surrounded by people much taller than him, unable to see much of the proceedings. To him, it just felt like standing for a long time, hearing a few motivational speeches—and then it was over.
Next came the lot drawing to determine matchups.
This was handled entirely by the teachers, leaving the Class Zero students with nothing to do.
The stadium had become a roaring ocean of cheers. In the center, workers were already setting up a massive platform.
"Where's Fusheng?" Xu Xiaoyan suddenly asked Tang Wulin, her gaze scanning around, as though searching for someone.
"Fusheng? This morning, he suddenly came down with a high fever and collapsed. Teacher Wu called for the medical staff, and he's being looked after right now," Xie Xie answered casually.
"What? He's sick? Is it serious?" Xu Xiaoyan immediately tensed at the news, concern flickering across her face.
For Soul Masters, their bodies were far tougher than those of ordinary people. Illness was rare—and when it did occur, it usually meant something serious and troublesome.
"I'm not sure either. You'll have to ask Teacher Wu—oh, speak of the devil, here he comes." Xie Xie glanced over to see Wu Zhangkong approaching.
The Cold and Proud God of Male Charm was as striking as ever. Despite the bustle of the opening ceremony, silence fell in the area around him. Female students nearby all turned their heated gazes toward him, their eyes practically glowing.
Unfazed by the attention, Wu Zhangkong strode straight over to Tang Wulin's group.
"Teacher Wu, Fusheng, he…" Xu Xiaoyan quickly asked, but before she could finish, Wu Zhangkong cut her off.
Don't worry. Nan Fusheng is fine. The medical staff said it's just over-exhaustion coupled with a bit of a chill. With his physique, he'll recover quickly.