The tense silence that followed Zhang Tian's verbal dismantling of Tang San was thick and uncomfortable. Xiao Wu glared daggers at him, her protective instincts for her 'brother' on full display, while Tang San himself looked flustered, his usual calm composure rattled by the cold, unassailable logic he had faced. Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, was looking at Zhang Tian with a newfound, brilliant light in her eyes. Before the awkward atmosphere could solidify, a familiar, authoritative figure strode into their midst. It was Flender.
His sharp, hawkish eyes scanned the group, lingering for a moment on the cratered landscape before settling on Ma Hongjun.
"Hongjun," Flender began, his voice carrying the weight of command. "For your newly arrived five junior brothers and sisters, later tell them about the Academy's regulations. After that, each of you should return to your rooms to rest and, as far as possible, recover to your peak states. Today's first class will begin in the evening."
He then turned his gaze to Oscar and Ning Rongrong. "Oscar, you and Ning Rongrong are exceptions. You two follow me."
Waving a dismissive hand at the others, he said, "You can all go rest. Remember, before the sky is dark, ensure you reach your peak condition. Don't blame me for not reminding you. The Academy's curriculum is different from any other place. You will even face mortal danger."
Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze flickered towards Zhang Tian for a brief moment, a silent acknowledgment, before she turned and walked stoically towards the dormitories. Ma Hongjun, looking relieved to be dismissed, waddled off as well.
Tang San, however, remained. His curiosity was piqued. He wanted to see how this eccentric Dean, this friend of his own Grandmaster, intended to teach. Oscar and Ning Rongrong were both auxiliary types; their exclusion from the evening class made a certain kind of sense. But the timing was strange. Why must education be conducted at night? As Tang San stayed, Xiao Wu naturally remained glued to his side, watching the proceedings with her large, curious eyes.
Flender paid them no mind, focusing his entire attention on the two support masters before him.
"Everyone has their own unique ways to cultivate," he began, his voice taking on a professorial, lecturing tone. "As spirits are different, cultivation methods are as different as can be. On the Douluo Continent, there are practically no two completely identical spirits. Therefore, the Academy's instruction to you is not about how to cultivate your spirits—that is your own journey. It is about how to use your spirits, about how to fight, and how to allow you to even better assist your comrades in arms."
Tang San felt a flicker of familiarity. Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had said something remarkably similar, though with far more theoretical depth and detailed examples.
In Zhang Tian's Spiritual Sea, Ah Yin scoffed softly. 'Such broad, generic statements. He speaks as if he has stumbled upon a profound truth, but this is the most basic principle of spirit mastery. It's like a baker explaining that different ingredients make different kinds of bread. It's true, but hardly revolutionary.'
'He's trying to sound mysterious and knowledgeable,' Zhang Tian thought, watching Flender with a detached amusement. 'It's the same style as Yu Xiaogang's theories. A lot of dramatic pronouncements built on a very simple, often flawed, foundation.'
Oscar, having heard this speech before, simply lowered his head, a look of bored resignation on his face. Ning Rongrong, however, nodded, her expression serious and thoughtful, trying to absorb the supposed wisdom.
Flender continued, puffing out his chest slightly. "You two are auxiliary type Spirit Masters. One provides attribute additions, the other is a food system spirit. Spirit Masters like you, whether on the battlefield or in peacetime, both need companions to protect you. Otherwise, you will find it very difficult to survive. Oscar, tell me, as an auxiliary type Spirit Master, what capacity on the battlefield best keeps you from danger?"
Oscar, clearly having been drilled on this, answered without a moment's hesitation. "Hiding behind one's companions, exploiting the surroundings—terrain and buildings—to evade danger, and keeping as far away from the center of combat as possible."
"Quite right," Flender nodded, pleased. "But you have not mentioned one crucial point. As an auxiliary type Spirit Master, the ability to run away is a necessary, vital quality. An auxiliary type Spirit Master who is unable to flee is not a good Spirit Master. But what is needed to escape? Physical strength! Your spirit power gives your bodies a stronger quality than ordinary people, but your enemy will almost always be a Battle Spirit Master. Consequently, you must carry out rigorous physical strength exercises. In a key moment, being able to run one more step might be the difference between life and death."
Oscar understood all too well where this was going. He could already feel his legs aching in sympathy. He shot a pained, bitter look towards Tang San before sighing.
Sure enough, after his lengthy, dramatic exposition, Flender delivered the punchline. "Your class for today is to carry out physical strength drills. Starting from now, run twenty laps around the entire village. If you have not returned by lunchtime, you need not eat. You may use your spirits for assistance. Now, set out. Oscar, you are in charge of leading."
"Yes, Dean," Ning Rongrong replied with a surprising amount of confidence, and immediately started jogging. Oscar, with the weary resignation of a condemned man, followed after her.
'This is his grand plan for training support masters?' Zhang Tian thought, almost laughing. 'A marathon? It's absurd.'
'It lacks any nuance,' Ah Yin agreed, her mental voice laced with disdain. 'An Agility Attack type like the cat girl needs endurance, yes, but also explosive speed and flexibility training. A Power Attack type needs to train their core strength and explosive force. A Control type needs to train their spirit power control and mental fortitude. For a support master, what is the most important skill?'
'Battlefield awareness,' Zhang Tian answered internally. 'The ability to assess a chaotic situation and decide in an instant who needs a buff, who needs healing, and where the safest position is. That requires mental and tactical training, not just running.'
'Precisely,' Ah Yin affirmed. 'Endurance is useful, but being able to sprint for fifty meters to dodge an attack is far more valuable than being able to jog for fifty kilometers. He is treating them like infantry grunts, not specialized support personnel.'
Watching Oscar and Ning Rongrong run off, Flender turned his attention to Tang San. "You, follow me alone."
The subsequent meeting in Flender's office was a brief, emotional affair that Zhang Tian could only guess at. Tang San delivered the letter from his teacher, and from the muffled sounds of Flender's erratic emotional outbursts that he could faintly hear, it was clear the two men shared a deep, complicated history. When Tang San emerged, his expression was thoughtful, and he immediately went off to cultivate, a discipline Zhang Tian could respect, even if he found the boy himself grating.
Hours passed. The sun climbed high into the sky. Zhang Tian sat in his room, cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the torrent of energy from his domain refining his spirit power to an ever-greater purity. He didn't need to use his domain to know what was happening outside. It was a simple, predictable human equation.
'It must be afternoon by now,' he mused. 'Ning Rongrong, a spoiled princess from a great clan, forced to run a meaningless marathon in a shabby village under the hot sun. She must have realized the pointlessness of it hours ago. I'd wager she got tired, hungry, and simply left. She's probably in Suotuo City right now, enjoying a fine meal at a nice restaurant and exploring the shops. And Oscar, that poor simp, will undoubtedly lie to cover for her.'
Well…Through his foresight due to him knowing the story, he knew this was the next stage of Flender's "teaching." The public humiliation, the breaking of her pride, the forced subjugation of her personality.
'He wants to butcher her spirited, spoiled personality and forge her into something more docile and obedient,' Zhang Tian thought, a frown touching his lips. 'To crush her spirit under the guise of "discipline." It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. She's my business partner now. Her vibrant, even arrogant, personality is part of who she is. I will not let this manipulator ruin her.'
He already had a plan. He would let Flender play his hand, and then he would intervene, deconstructing his entire methodology, just as he had done with Tang San's naive moralizing. He would protect his business partner's personality.
As evening approached, the designated students gathered again in the main grounds. Zhang Tian, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing all stood ready, their spirit power at its peak. Flender's attention, however, was fixed on the two who had just arrived.
"Oscar," Flender's gaze was sharp, penetrating. "You two finished running twenty laps?"
Oscar coughed nervously, nodding. "Dean, I finished running."
Flender snorted coldly. "I asked about you two, not you alone."
Oscar glanced at Ning Rongrong, who was looking at him with a pair of big, beautiful eyes filled with a feigned innocence that was almost convincing. Oscar clenched his teeth, a martyr for a cause he had just met. "Yes, Dean. We both finished running."
A smile spread across Flender's face. It was not a pleasant smile. It was the sinister, self-satisfied grin of a predator who had just seen its prey walk into a trap. "Very good, Oscar. I did not expect you to possess such a noble spirit of camaraderie. You, come over here."
With a wry, bitter smile, Oscar walked up and stood before Flender.
Flender slowly raised his right hand and clapped Oscar on the shoulder, the gesture looking more like a sentence being passed than a commendation. "I greatly appreciate your spirit of camaraderie. That being the case, you can go run another twenty laps. Let me have a look at just how deep your friendly affection actually is. And don't bother trying to cheat. I've sealed your spirit power. Go."
Oscar didn't say a word. He just nodded silently, turned, and began to run, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Flender's gaze returned to the others. "Do you understand why I did that? Why I made him continue running?"
Ma Hongjun wisely kept his mouth shut. Zhu Zhuqing looked on indifferently. But Tang San and Xiao Wu, bless their naive hearts, subconsciously shook their heads.
The sinister smile returned to Flender's face. "Because he lied. Even if it was for the sake of camaraderie, he still lied. You are all children. Lying is the worst moral character flaw. I hope you all understand this."
His lecture delivered, he turned his sharp gaze upon the one innocent-looking, lovely, and pitiful Ning Rongrong. "Tell me. Have you completed the course I arranged for you this morning?"
Ning Rongrong, seeing Oscar punished on her behalf, answered honestly. "I haven't. The distance was too long. I was hungry. I couldn't persevere."
Flender's smile widened. "Therefore, you ran off to Suotuo City, gorged yourself on a fine meal, and even went shopping before returning to find Oscar, correct?"
Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes narrowed. "You spied on me?"
Flender's expression immediately turned cold and severe. "As the Dean, I am responsible for every student. If Oscar's lie was pardonable, born from a misguided sense of camaraderie, then your violations are unforgivable! Leaving the Academy without permission, failing to follow directives, and having a senior lie for you! On a battlefield, there is only one outcome for such behavior: punishment by martial law. Death."
Ning Rongrong's gentle expression vanished, replaced by a haughty, contemptuous smirk. "This isn't a battlefield. It's just a shabby academy."
"That's right," Flender nodded. "But it is my Shrek Academy. And I give you two choices. First, pack your things and leave immediately. Second, prove to me you have the qualifications to stay, and the resolve to never break the rules again."
Ning Rongrong laughed, a sound that was surprisingly bold and intrepid for a twelve-year-old girl. "Flender, who do you think you are? You're merely a minor Spirit Saint."
Flender remained calm. "That's right, I am only a minor Spirit Saint. But that is still an insurmountable gulf for a Spirit Grandmaster like you. Even if you are the greatest genius of your clan, here, you are just a student. Now, please leave. Shrek Academy does not welcome a student who cannot behave herself."
"You dare kick me out?" Ning Rongrong shouted, her hands on her hips. "You're the first person in my entire life who has ever dared to treat me like this!"
"Your father may spoil you, but I am not your father," Flender's voice turned icy. "In my eyes, every other student here is more powerful than you. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda may be the strongest auxiliary spirit, but in your hands, you only bring it shame."
"That's drivel!" Ning Rongrong's chest heaved with anger. She, the pride of her clan, being told she was worthless? It was unthinkable.
"Drivel? Then tell me, who here are you more powerful than?" Flender challenged.
"I am an auxiliary type! Of course I can't compare to Battle Spirit Masters in direct combat! But my effect on the battlefield is greater than theirs! With my assistance, an entire team's power will be substantially upgraded!" she retorted, stating the fundamental truth of her spirit.
Flender just shook his finger at her. "No, you're mistaken. Each person present will have a more powerful effect than you, because they all have a chance of surviving. You do not. With your disposition, you are nothing but cannon fodder." He leaned in, his voice cold. "Because of your heart. Your impatience, your arrogance. Even your father would be killed by a common Spirit Master without his companions. Do you truly believe, with your attitude, that you can find companions who will give you their backs completely?"
Ning Rongrong was dumbstruck, his words striking a raw nerve. She was intelligent enough to understand his meaning, even if she hated it.
Flender pressed his advantage, going for the killing blow. "Let's not even talk about the others. Let's talk about Oscar. Rongrong, I will ask you one question. Have you ever seen an innate full spirit power food system spirit? Oscar has Full Innate Soul Power."
The color drained from Ning Rongrong's face. "No... that's impossible. How can an auxiliary spirit have innate full spirit power?" She thought her own ninth-rank spirit was already the peak for support types.
"Oscar is an existence unprecedented in history," Flender declared grandly. "His future accomplishments are boundless. It's even possible he will one day replace your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School's position among all auxiliary Spirit Masters."
Ning Rongrong stood there, despondent, her world crumbling. From childhood, she had been the best, the most cherished, the most gifted. Now, this man was telling her she was worthless, replaceable cannon fodder.
It was at that moment, with Ning Rongrong on the verge of tears, that a calm, clear voice cut through the tense atmosphere.
"Excuse me, Dean Flender."
Every head turned. Zhang Tian stepped forward, his expression polite, but his blue eyes held a sharp, analytical light that made Flender pause.
"While your dedication to discipline is admirable," Zhang Tian began, his voice perfectly level, "I have some questions regarding the efficacy of your methods and the logic of your comparisons."
Flender frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Your training for support masters," Zhang Tian said. "A twenty-lap run around the village. A test of endurance. But is a marathon runner what a support master needs to be? On a chaotic battlefield, are they more likely to be chased for ten kilometers, or to be targeted by an Agility Attack master who closes fifty meters in two seconds? Wouldn't training in explosive, short-burst speed for evasion be more practical? What about mental conditioning to make critical decisions under pressure? What about tactical drills to improve battlefield awareness and target prioritization? Forcing them to run until they're exhausted seems... fundamentally counter-intuitive to preparing them for their actual role."
Flender was momentarily speechless. The boy's points were sharp and logical.
Zhang Tian continued, not giving him a chance to recover. "Furthermore, your comparison between Ning Rongrong and Oscar. You praise Oscar's Full Innate Spirit Power as 'unprecedented.' It is indeed a remarkable talent. But you dismiss the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda as if it were a lesser spirit. Let's analyze them."
He looked at the group. "Oscar's sausages provide recovery. An invaluable ability, to be sure, especially for a single ally after a fight. But Ning Rongrong's spirit is a force multiplier on an entirely different scale. At her current rank, she can provide a thirty percent boost to both Strength and Agility. Not to one person, but to our entire team, simultaneously. In the middle of a battle, which is more impactful: healing one person after they've been hit, or making the entire team thirty percent faster and stronger so they don't get hit in the first place?"
He turned his gaze to Flender. "Her support scales. With every spirit ring, her buff increases by ten percent. At Level 70, she could theoretically provide a seventy percent boost to seven attributes for her entire team. At that point, Dean Flender, what is the value of Oscar's sausage in a team fight? It's a useful tool, but her spirit changes the very fabric of the battle."
He wasn't finished. "You also praise Oscar's innate talent as a marker of his future success. Yet, Oscar is fourteen years old and Level 29. Ning Rongrong is twelve and Level 26. For a support master, her progression is nothing short of breathtaking. Oscar, despite his 'unprecedented' talent, is just ahead by only three levels despite being two years older. Yes, Ning Rongrong has the resources of her clan, but that doesn't diminish her own innate talent and hard work, which is somehow clearly superior on a level-per-year basis. You belittle her for a supposed personality flaw while ignoring her demonstrable, superior results."
Tang San, seeing his teacher's friend being logically cornered, felt the need to step in. "Zhang Tian, you're missing the point! Dean Flender isn't just talking about power, he's trying to temper her arrogant personality! A spirit master with a bad character, no matter how powerful..."
"Is a tempered personality best achieved through public humiliation and flawed logical arguments?" Zhang Tian cut him off smoothly, turning his cold blue eyes on him. "There is a vast difference between tempering steel through fire and challenge, and shattering porcelain with a hammer. True character is built by facing genuine adversity and learning from one's own failures, not by being psychologically broken down by an authority figure who uses half-truths to assert dominance. What the Dean is doing isn't teaching; it's bullying. It breeds resentment, not respect."
Tang San flushed, unable to form a coherent rebuttal. He had been made to look like a naive apologist for a bully.
Flender was stunned into silence. This twelve-year-old boy had, in the space of two minutes, completely deconstructed his teaching philosophy and exposed it as shallow and ineffective in front of all his new students. He felt a hot flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. He had no logical counter-argument.
Ning Rongrong stared at Zhang Tian, her eyes wide. The despair and humiliation she had felt just moments before were washed away by a tidal wave of gratitude and awe. He hadn't just saved her; he had championed her, defended her talent and her worth with a clarity and intelligence that was more powerful than any spirit ability. He hadn't just stopped the bully; he had proven the bully was wrong.
In that moment, her burgeoning interest in the mysterious, handsome boy solidified into something far deeper, far more powerful. He was her hero.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels like "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon