Backroom manipulation?
Yes, that's exactly what it was.
That man in black earlier had come to tell Cang Jingkong that the Academy was already aware of Elder Cai's actions. They instructed her to quietly give Forsi some help, ensuring she could pass smoothly.
That was why Cang Jingkong had stood by Forsi's side, muttering all those "self-talks"—so Forsi could better understand the abilities of the candidates and make an informed choice.
As a Shrek Academy teacher, she had every student's details at her fingertips. With her guidance, combined with Forsi's four-ring Spirit Ancestor strength, scoring full marks in this round should've been a certainty.
"I choose Number One," Forsi's clear, crisp voice rang out across the arena.
"What? Number One? Are you sure?" Cang Jingkong tugged at her sleeve, whispering urgently, "I think Number Ten would be a much safer choice."
Didn't I make it obvious enough? This little girl was just too stubborn! With her strength, defeating Number One wasn't impossible—but it would cost her quite a lot. Going for a perfect score might not be so easy.
"I'm sure," Forsi replied firmly, already stepping into the ring.
Her opponent was the previously mentioned Number One candidate, a figure small and thin.
"Very well," Cang Jingkong announced, taking her place as referee. "I'll arbitrate this duel. During the fight, my command is law. When I call stop, you stop. Understood?"
"Yes." ×2
"Good. Prepare to begin. Start!"
At her word, the match erupted.
Number One charged at once, his speed astonishing—already on par with an agility-type Spirit Master.
Forsi, on the other hand, stood stock still. She gave a lazy yawn, didn't even bother to summon her Spirit, and looked at him as though he were nothing but empty air.
Normally, such blatant disregard would have enraged any opponent. But Number One's eyes remained eerily calm, unnervingly mature for someone his age.
The distance between them vanished quickly. At just ten meters away, Number One summoned his Spirit.
Two yellow rings, one purple—an utterly standard configuration—rose beneath him.
But the instant they appeared, his thin frame exploded outward, swelling rapidly. His last ring, the thousand-year purple, flared with power.
A thousand-year ring technique right from the start?!
His body ballooned like an inflating balloon. In an instant, his clothes shredded, leaving only an elastic undergarment to preserve some decency.
Brown fur sprouted across his skin. Though his face remained human, his figure was transformed—over four meters tall, arms like pillars, his body overflowing with raw power.
Those massive arms swung down mercilessly toward Forsi, without the faintest hint of restraint.
"Boom!"
The ground shook violently. The entire arena trembled as golden inscriptions flared across the walls and floor, suppressing the massive shockwave.
"!!"
Number One's eyes went wide with disbelief.
Those enormous arms—powered by his thousand-year soul skill and the Titan Giant Ape Spirit—were being held in place by a pair of delicate, pale hands. Hands that looked soft and fragile, yet now felt harder than tempered steel.
Impossible!
This was a strike no ordinary four-ring Assault-type Spirit Ancestor could meet head-on!
Then—
"Black… black… black… black…"
Four deep-black ten-thousand-year rings rose around Forsi, their brilliance reflecting in his horrified gaze.
A terrifying strength surged from her hands, flinging his arms aside. Before he could react, he saw a snow-white palm flash toward him—then darkness claimed his mind.
From the outside, it looked even more shocking.
Forsi had calmly caught Number One's massive blow barehanded.
Then, four jet-black ten-thousand-year rings rose from her body.
She flung his arms wide, stomped hard, and shot forward. Her flawless jade arm glowed with the radiance of Five-Element Divine Light.
Simultaneously, her Spirit Abyss Realm spiritual power slammed into his mind, blanking his thoughts. In that instant, her glowing hand clamped firmly around his head.
She shoved downward.
"Boom!"
The arena shook harder than before, dust billowing up in choking clouds.
When the dust settled, Forsi stood serenely in the center, as though nothing had happened at all.
Except… the ground beneath her feet was cracked open, and Number One's head was buried deep into the stone floor.
—Instant kill.
The spectators gaped in disbelief.
Was this still human?
The scene was too surreal, like Lin Daiyu uprooting a willow tree with her bare hands.
A delicate, beautiful young girl on the outside—yet brutal beyond words in reality!
"Thank goodness she didn't pick me…"
That was the thought that flashed across the other Shrek students' minds.
When Forsi had chosen Number One, they had all pitied her. That was Yuan'en—ruthless, merciless, and the strongest among them. The pretty new junior sister would be crushed.
But no… the clown was us.
An instant kill. Absolute domination.
They imagined themselves in Yuan'en's place and shuddered—if even he couldn't take a single blow, how could they fare any better?
And then those four ten-thousand-year rings… Just what kind of monster had joined Shrek Academy this year?
A heavy sense of pressure weighed on them all. In Shrek, the younger years were allowed to challenge their seniors. With this junior sister's strength, how many of them could even last a round against her?
"This is Shrek Academy?" Forsi's voice cut in, cool and mocking. "Three years here, and this is all the strength you've gained? Pathetic."
The students wanted to protest, but when even Yuan'en—their strongest—had been floored in one move, what words could they offer? Silence was their only answer.
Cang Jingkong's lips twitched at Forsi's scorn. Were the students weak? No. This girl was simply monstrous.
To one-shot a Titan Giant Ape Spirit user in close combat—what kind of storm would she stir when she entered the Academy proper?