"How confident are you in curing her?"
"Fifty percent."
Su Ming's reply was extremely perfunctory.
Now that Yan Shaozhe had relented, acquiring Ma Xiaotao was a foregone conclusion.
His mind was now occupied with how to use Ma Xiaotao to bait Feng Ling.
"You can take Xiaotao, but what if you can't resolve her issue?"
"Kill her." Su Ming was succinct.
Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe felt a sense of suffocation.
"You can take Xiaotao, but I demand to visit her once a month."
Yan Shaozhe made his final struggle.
His eyes were slightly red, his heart nearing collapse.
If Su Ming refused this condition too, he would truly fight Su Ming recklessly, consequences be damned.
Su Ming tilted his head, revealing a playful smile.
"Are you sure you want to travel to the Sun Moon Empire every month?"
"..."
Yan Shaozhe considered for a long time and came up with a countermeasure.
"Isn't Yuhao on your side? Let him visit on my behalf."
"Fine."
Su Ming had no objection to this.
Ma Xiaotao's current role was as bait.
A Dark Phoenix, and also Yan Shaozhe's disciple—this held immense attraction for Feng Ling.
Lure Feng Ling, and Zhongli Wu would also have a chance of being drawn out.
Last time, Zhongli Wu attacked the Sun Moon Royal Team but escaped. Now that Du Busi had reached the Limit Douluo level, if Zhongli Wu dared show his face again, Su Ming was determined to keep him there for good.
Su Ming left Shrek Academy with Ma Xiaotao.
Sea God Pavilion.
Xuan Zi and the others gathered, their expressions filled with worry.
If before they could still deceive themselves, saying the Continental Soul Master Elite Spirit Dueling Tournament was just a temporary setback, and the forging field was just a late start—that with Shrek's foundation, given time, they were destined to catch up to and even surpass the Body Sect...
Then now, they dared not fool themselves like that anymore.
Su Ming had already grown up.
If they didn't pay serious attention now, this gap would become irreparable.
Because Shrek Academy's only remaining advantage was having produced a God!
What if Su Ming becomes a God?
And a brand new God at that.
"I propose the academy goes all out in cultivating these next few generations of students. Without a doubt, this is an era where fortunes converge, just like the time of Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and the first-generation Shrek Seven Monsters ten thousand years ago. The era of God ascension has arrived again. Our academy cannot continue like this."
These words were spoken by Yan Shaozhe.
The deeper the hurt, the more thorough the realization.
Today, he had been rendered speechless by Su Ming. Profiting from this bitter experience, he genuinely recognized the academy's problems.
"Currently, the inner court disciples need training, and the geniuses of Yuhao's generation also need training."
Elder Lin followed closely, voicing her agreement with Yan Shaozhe.
Elder Song and the others indicated they had no objections.
Xuan Zi remained silent for a long time, then blurted out words that greatly surprised everyone.
"I remember some inner court students need Spirit Rings, right? How about I personally lead the team to hunt the best Spirit Rings for them?"
Yan Shaozhe fell silent.
Elder Lin fell silent.
Elder Song opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound.
"Xuan Zi, your cultivation is the highest; it's better for you to remain stationed at the academy, right?" Elder Zhuang couldn't help but speak up.
Elder Zhuang's Martial Spirit was the Tree of Life, making him a healing-type Spirit Master with Spirit Power as high as level 97, also considered one of Shrek's foundational assets.
Although his strength was inferior to Xuan Zi's, his status within the academy was no lower than Xuan Zi's.
It could be said that currently, the two most important people for the academy were Xuan Zi and Elder Zhuang.
He was also the only one who could directly refute Xuan Zi now.
"I just want to do my part for the academy urgently! Besides, staying in the academy makes me increasingly restless. I feel that a trip outside might very well lead to a breakthrough for me."
Xuan Zi muttered a couple of sentences, not caring if the others heard him or not, and turned his head away without speaking further.
The other Pavilion Elders all heard Xuan Zi's muttering.
They exchanged glances, all somewhat hesitant and unable to decide.
Without a doubt, having a Limit Douluo stationed at the academy now was key. Otherwise, Su Ming could come to Shrek's door anytime and bully them at will.
If Xuan Zi broke through to level 99, that Du Busi certainly wouldn't dare to barge directly above the Sea God Pavilion.
But, was Xuan Zi's words credible?
Finally, everyone looked at Elder Zhuang.
"Sigh, since you want to go out to clear your mind, then go. Remember not to lose track of the students, and lower your standards for the Spirit Rings a bit. We can't afford to lose any more geniuses."
Elder Zhuang instructed Xuan Zi.
"Remember, this Spirit hunting trip is not for tempering the students anymore. Don't wait until they are in a life-or-death crisis before intervening."
Xuan Zi nodded repeatedly.
"Understood, understood."
Just let me go out, I'll agree to anything.
"Let's compile the list for this Spirit hunting trip."
Soon, a list appeared within the Sea God Pavilion, detailing those who recently needed Spirit Rings.
"Xi Xi, Yao Haoxuan?"
Yan Shaozhe's eyes narrowed.
They broke through?
He really hadn't received the news.
It seemed he had indeed been negligent before, his management of the academy had slackened to an extreme.
Xi Xi was a Shrek Seven Monster. Although Yao Haoxuan didn't quite qualify, he was a reserve member.
Strictly speaking, the Shrek Seven Monster system, maintained for ten thousand years, was a bit messy in this generation.
Apart from the first-generation Shrek Seven Monsters, subsequent Seven Monsters were temporary; the seven participants in the Continental Soul Master Elite Spirit Dueling Tournament were the Seven Monsters, re-elected for each tournament.
This tournament, first Ma Xiaotao replaced a level 6 Soul Engineer to participate, then Yao Haoxuan was severely injured and couldn't compete. Finally, the tournament ended in defeat, utterly crushed by the Sun Moon Royal Team.
Oh, and the team captain's Martial Soul also degenerated into an Evil Martial Soul during the tournament, remaining unconscious.
It could be said that this generation's Shrek Seven Monsters were basically never formally established.
Within Shrek Academy, they also hadn't really publicized the seven formally.
No wonder Yan Shaozhe hadn't paid much attention to Xi Xi.
During the tournament period, Ling Luochen was level 55, Yao Haoxuan was level 55 (benefiting from misfortune to reach level 56), and Xi Xi was level 56.
Now, Yao Haoxuan and Xi Xi were both level 60, while Ling Luochen had already obtained her sixth Spirit Ring, avoiding this... predicament.
Yan Shaozhe breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it's just these two kids.
Following the list were fifteen other inner court disciples, each at level 50 or 60, requiring Spirit Rings at the ten-thousand-year level.
This single Spirit hunting trip would require seventeen ten-thousand-year Spirit Rings.
Only Shrek Academy could organize a Spirit hunt on such a large scale.
"That's quite a number of ten-thousand-year Spirit Rings needed. It might even provoke a counterattack from the Star Dou Great Forest. It's right for Xuan Zi to go." Elder Song expressed her view after reading the list.
"I think so too." Elder Lin said.
They collectively changed their tune.
They couldn't let Xuan Zi think they were targeting him.
Xuan Zi's expression softened.
He snatched the list, scanned it, and stuffed it into his chest.
"Rest assured, I guarantee each of them will obtain the best possible Spirit Ring and return to the academy in perfect condition."
He felt Elder Song's words were very right.
Such a difficult task, currently only he in the academy was qualified to handle it!
Striding out of the Sea God Pavilion, Xuan Zi felt his mood lift.
Finally, he could go out again.
I'm about to be free again!
***
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(Chapter End)