From the moment Oscar appeared, Dai Mubai had been quietly observing him. From registration up until now, as the Soul Battle was about to begin, Dai Mubai had already found Shrek Academy full of surprises.
Originally, from what he'd heard, although Shrek Academy was known for only admitting "monsters," its reputation in the outside world was rather ordinary.
He had only come here to live incognito, to escape the pursuit of his imperial elder brother.
But once he stepped into this academy, he realized it was anything but ordinary.
The old man who collected registration fees at the gate looked like a simple farmer—yet he turned out to be a genuine Soul Emperor powerhouse!
And this referee, Vice Dean Zhao Wuji, was a Soul Sage!
But most importantly, the red-haired boy was standing before him now. Though about the same age as himself, the boy carried a calmness and confidence Dai Mubai couldn't even imagine possessing.
Since being led in by Ma Hongjun, the two had chatted quite a bit. Not only did Dai Mubai learn that Ma Hongjun, at just nine years old, had already reached the terrifying level of Spirit Power 25, but Hongjun had also said he had a "big brother"—a true monster.
Not only handsome, but also a swordsman…
At that moment, Dai Mubai had been extremely curious. What kind of person could make a prodigy like Ma Hongjun willingly call him big brother? Now that he saw Oscar, even without knowing his true martial spirit or strength, just from his bearing alone, Dai Mubai understood why.
Still, why did such an academy, with people like these, have such a poor reputation outside?
Before he could dwell on the thought, Zhao Wuji coughed lightly and spoke again:
"The assessment continues. Both sides, release your martial spirits!"
Oscar didn't interrupt. Instead, he sat down beside Zhao Wuji, poured two cups of peach water from the jug, and handed one to him.
"Ma Hongjun, Martial Spirit: Evil Fire Phoenix, Level 25, Assault-type Spirit Grandmaster."
As Ma Hongjun declared, two yellow spirit rings rose from beneath him. Flames erupted across his body, surging with heat so intense the surrounding air grew scorching.
With the eruption, a sharp phoenix cry echoed. In that moment, Ma Hongjun seemed like a crowned Fire Phoenix, exuding unstoppable majesty.
By now, Ma Hongjun was no longer the chubby boy from three years ago. After following Oscar in cultivation for over three years, his strength had completely transformed.
In fact, if Oscar had not acquired the external spirit bone Sky Azure Spirit Jade Sword, he himself might not have been confident against Ma Hongjun at the same level.
After all, Ma Hongjun's martial spirit was a genuine Phoenix—a pure, top-tier spirit. Even compared to Dai Mubai's White Tiger, it might stand a bit higher.
Of course, this was only because Ma Hongjun had learned to suppress and control his Evil Fire. The Evil Fire had once been a curse, but now only its benefits remained.
Facing the surging aura, Dai Mubai couldn't help swallowing hard. He knew he had underestimated Shrek Academy. But even then, he still hadn't expected Ma Hongjun to be this strong.
And yet, precisely because of this, a competitive fire stirred in his heart. If Shrek Academy had talents like this, wouldn't joining it make his own path even more meaningful?
He had indeed fled because he couldn't compete with his elder brother back home. But that didn't mean he was ready to give up.
At twelve years old, he still carried hope—and even some reckless optimism. He had not yet fallen into the dissipated state depicted in the original story.
"Dai Mubai, Martial Spirit: White Tiger, Level 25, Assault-type Spirit Grandmaster. Please guide me!"
With a shout, Dai Mubai released his martial spirit. Two yellow spirit rings rose around him, his body covered with white fur. On his forehead appeared the black "王" (King) symbol, and together with his demonic eyes, his aura transformed.
Though not yet equal to Ma Hongjun's flames, he managed to hold his ground.
"Not bad," Ma Hongjun smiled. "To withstand my pressure without fear—you're qualified to be my opponent. Then let me see your strength."
He didn't use a soul skill. Instead, flame surged over his body, boosting his speed. His claws condensed into blazing talons, striking through the air toward Dai Mubai.
Twin fiery claw prints ripped forward. This was Ma Hongjun's refined self-created soul skill—compressing his flames into explosive attacks, wielded like ordinary strikes.
Seeing that Hongjun hadn't even used a soul skill yet, Dai Mubai's heart tightened. He reevaluated his opponent.
Most soul masters' techniques for channeling their martial spirit's properties were just basic applications, not true self-created skills. But Ma Hongjun's technique was different—compressing flames into detonating claws was something ordinary spirit masters simply couldn't do.
"A self-created skill?" Dai Mubai muttered. Without hesitation, his second yellow spirit ring lit up.
"Second Soul Skill—White Tiger Light Wave!"
A golden light beam burst from his mouth, colliding with Hongjun's flaming claws and shattering them.
Ma Hongjun wasn't surprised. After all, he hadn't used a soul skill, while Dai Mubai had unleashed his second.
With his speed boosted by flame, Ma Hongjun closed in.
Dai Mubai immediately activated his first soul skill, White Tiger Barrier, boosting attack, strength, and defense by fifty percent.
It had to be said—Dai Mubai was indeed a rare genius. With innate Spirit Power at level nine and the backing of the Star Luo royal family, his two spirit rings were both top-quality. His soul skills carried impressive might.
The White Tiger was, after all, also a top-tier martial spirit. Backed by such foundations, Dai Mubai's current strength was solid.
But his opponent was Ma Hongjun. Though ostensibly a ranged burst-type spirit master, after three years of training under Oscar, his physical strength at level 25 was comparable to a level 35 Soul Elder!
Even with his fifty-percent boost, Dai Mubai's body simply couldn't bridge the gap.
When their blows collided—Hongjun's blazing talons against Dai Mubai's fist—the White Tiger was sent flying, a crisp crack resounding. His arm had fractured.
Yes—fractured. Ma Hongjun hadn't held back. This was an assessment, not a spar.
After all, he was selecting a future teammate. He needed to see Dai Mubai's true strength.
"Ahh!" Dai Mubai screamed as he crashed to the ground.
Just when Hongjun thought he would concede, Dai Mubai slowly rose, clutching his arm. His voice was hoarse, but firm:
"I haven't lost yet!"
Though shaken by Hongjun's overwhelming power, he couldn't bring himself to admit defeat. He needed to see exactly how great their difference was.
Both Oscar and Zhao Wuji were impressed. This boy had spirit.
To continue fighting even with a broken arm—it said everything about his character.
Oscar also understood something: the difference between the original story and reality. Whatever Dai Mubai's reputation in the novel, here and now, he still had backbone.
And thinking back, in the original story, aside from his infamous debut in the Rose Hotel, Dai Mubai's record wasn't so bad. Later, as captain, he had even been a reliable leader.
In fact, during the Spirit Master Tournament, he had already developed his own soul skill, strong enough to contend against his elder brother, nearly at the Spirit King level.
"Teacher Zhao," Oscar commented with a smile, "this one isn't bad. Looks like we've got another good seedling this year."
Zhao Wuji laughed. "Indeed. His talent can't compare with yours or Hongjun's, but he's still a little monster."
As they spoke, Dai Mubai launched another attack.
"Second Soul Skill—White Tiger Light Wave!"
This time, he charged it longer, pouring more spirit power into it. The beam was stronger than before.
But to Ma Hongjun, it only meant he needed to get serious.
"You're good," Hongjun said. "So I'll give you a more respectable defeat."
His two spirit rings lit up at once.
"Second Soul Skill—Bathing in Phoenix Flames!"
His flames surged by fifty percent.
For a pure burst-type like Hongjun, a fifty percent boost in flame meant a fifty percent increase in overall power.
"First Soul Skill—Phoenix Fire Line!"
With Bathing in Flames enhancing it, the fiery line erupted from his mouth, clashing against Dai Mubai's White Tiger Light Wave.
The collision shook the air.
But though they were both at level 25, the foundation of their spirit power was far apart. Within a second, Hongjun's flame overwhelmed the light wave, surging straight for Dai Mubai.
At the final moment, Hongjun cut off his attack, pulling Dai Mubai out of harm's way.
The White Tiger collapsed to his knees, his spirit power completely exhausted.
Luckily, Hongjun was fast enough to catch him before he fell.
"Big Bro Oscar, sausages!" he shouted.
Oscar immediately pulled two Super Recovery Sausages from his storage soul tool and tossed them over.
It wasn't that Oscar conjured sausages on the spot. In truth, he regularly used his spirit skill to create them until his spirit power was drained, then stored them in advance. His storage was always stocked with plenty of sausages for emergencies.
He had always found it odd in the original story—why hadn't he done this sooner?
Hongjun ate one himself and pushed the other into Dai Mubai's mouth.
This is my big bro's first soul skill, he explained. It restores spirit power, stamina, injuries, and even mental strength over time.