"Seven Treasures shine in name: the second is—Speed! The first is—Strength!"
Just as Zhu Zhuqing lunged forward, about to close the distance with Qian Jue, Ning Rongrong rotated her 'Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda'. Her second spirit skill and first spirit skill were released in quick succession. Two radiant beams of light shot forth from the lower tiers of the pagoda, instantly merging into Zhu Zhuqing's body. In that moment, her speed surged, carrying her to Qian Jue half a second faster than before.
Half a second may sound trivial, but in battle, that brief gap can mean everything—enough to catch an opponent off guard or force an opening that leads to victory.
However, Qian Jue's strength had already surpassed the level where such tricks could grant easy advantage. Facing Zhu Zhuqing's incoming claws, he calmly raised his right hand and caught her wrist in a firm grip.
"Tsk, rather smooth," Qian Jue remarked inwardly.
Zhu Zhuqing, naturally, wouldn't submit so easily. When two attempts to break free failed, she suddenly leapt upward, curling into a tight ball. At the peak of her arc, she unfurled her body, driving both feet forcefully toward Qian Jue's head.
"Damn—!"
Qian Jue quickly lifted the hand that held his Kindred Bow to block her kick. Letting go of the bow, he snatched hold of her ankle with his free hand. Using the momentum of her strike, he spun her in a swift circle before flinging her away—straight into Ning Rongrong. The two girls tumbled into a heap on the ground.
"Ah—ow…" Ning Rongrong cried out, still reeling.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, rolled to her feet the instant she hit the ground. Crouched low like a stalking cat, her gaze never left Qian Jue. Seeing that he made no move to follow up with another attack, she cautiously moved to Ning Rongrong's side, helping her up without breaking eye contact with him for even a second.
Once Ning Rongrong managed to stand, still rubbing her sore hip, the two exchanged a glance—each seeing the same worry mirrored in the other's eyes. For Zhu Zhuqing especially, the clash left a deep impression.
This boy, Qian Jue, had an extraordinary physical strength. When he seized her wrist earlier, she had struggled twice yet couldn't break free. His grip was nothing like a typical agility-type spirit master. And later, when she struck with her full force, he blocked it effortlessly with one hand, his body utterly unmoved—more formidable than even a power-type spirit master. How were they supposed to fight against that?
Both girls hesitated.
"What are you two thinking about?"
Qian Jue's voice snapped them out of their thoughts. With a flick of his left hand, the Kindred Bow, which had been floating nearby, flew back into his grasp. Without further warning, he loosed a glowing arrow straight toward Zhu Zhuqing.
*Whoosh!*
Zhu Zhuqing reacted instantly, diving to the side to evade. Ning Rongrong turned her head to check on her partner, only for another light arrow to graze past her hair, whistling into the distance before fading away.
Startled, Ning Rongrong quickly reached up. To her horror, a lock of her silky hair was singed, curling and smoking faintly, the acrid scent of scorched strands wafting around her.
"You—!" Ning Rongrong's eyes widened, blazing with anger as she glared at Qian Jue. But as she glanced around, she realized the guards who usually followed her were absent, and everyone here belonged to Shrek Academy. Her fury melted into grievance, tears welling until they spilled over.
"Waaaah!"
Crouching down, Ning Rongrong hugged her knees and burst into tears.
The sudden outburst left not only Zhu Zhuqing and Qian Jue stunned but also drew bewildered looks from all the spectators.
Ma Hongjun shuffled closer to Xiao Wu, whispering, "Eh, Xiao Wu, it's just a bit of burnt hair, right? Does she really need to cry like that?"
Xiao Wu shot him a glare. "Why don't you try burning off your own hair and see how it feels!" She then moved over to Ning Rongrong, gently trying to console her.
Ma Hongjun scratched his cropped hair and muttered, "So what if it burns? It'll grow back once you summon your spirit anyway…"
Qian Jue overheard, shrinking his neck awkwardly. His original plan was for the light arrow to graze past Ning Rongrong's hair, stirring it dramatically—beautiful and elegant, while also serving as a warning. But he had forgotten that his arrows weren't ordinary projectiles; they carried soul power and heat. That was how things turned into this mess.
Now Ning Rongrong surely hated him. He even felt relieved that he hadn't ruined Xiao Wu's braid in their past sparring—otherwise, she might have fought him to the death.
Helpless, Qian Jue glanced at the Grandmaster, silently pleading for assistance. But the Grandmaster only returned his gaze with weary eyes, as if saying: 'This is your problem to fix. And don't forget, I'm trying to recruit them. Don't you dare scare them off!'
Qian Jue scratched his head. Looking around, his eyes landed on a stick of incense burning nearby—the timer the Grandmaster had lit for the test. In a flash of inspiration, he raised his bow and shot an arrow, shattering the incense into pieces.
"Cough—uh, the incense is gone. That means you've passed. From now on, you're officially students of Shrek Academy. Right, teacher?"
The Grandmaster rolled his eyes. "You're the examiner. If you say they passed, then they passed. Xiao Wu, take Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing back to the girls' dormitory. Everyone else, disperse and prepare yourselves. Tomorrow morning, we set out for the Star Dou Forest!"
"Yes, sir!"
The group responded in unison. Those who had long been waiting for this, especially Oscar and the others whose soul power had already reached bottlenecks, could barely contain their excitement.
Qian Jue scratched his head as he watched the boys and girls depart. In the end, he decided to follow Oscar and the others. Ning Rongrong was still upset; it would be better to wait until she calmed down before apologizing.
Meanwhile, the Grandmaster watched Xiao Wu guide the two girls back toward the dorms. Shaking his head, he sighed. "So, this girl really does hold quite a high status within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Otherwise, she wouldn't have developed such a willful personality. To cry in the middle of battle over something so trivial… I wonder if she'll truly stay. But if she does, we'll have to correct that spoiled temper of hers."
With another sigh, he slowly returned to his room.
At the same time, in the forest outside the academy, Flender stood before a young man clad in white training garb. His usually lazy eyes now carried a stern authority as he scrutinized the youth.
The young man, caught off guard at being discovered, gave an awkward smile and cupped his hands. "Disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Zhu Feng, pays respects to Senior Flender."
"Hmph. I knew the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wouldn't just let that girl wander unguarded. Speak. Why have you sent your precious disciple to enroll at our Shrek Academy?"
"Ah—please, Senior Flender, don't be angry. The young miss herself admired your academy's unique methods and insisted on enrolling. Our sect master entrusted me with this letter for you."
From his robes, Zhu Feng produced an envelope, its surface marked: 'To be opened by Headmaster Flender personally.'
"Your sect master…" Flender narrowed his eyes, suspicion flashing as he tore open the seal. But as he read, his expression shifted, eyes widening in astonishment.
"That little girl… is actually Sect Master Ning's only daughter?! And you mean to leave her here for training?!"
Zhu Feng too was startled. He had always known Ning Rongrong to be indulged by the two clan elders, her temperament spoiled and difficult, never particularly well liked. He had never expected the sect master to entrust her to outsiders like this.
With a bitter smile, Zhu Feng bowed again. "The sect master's decisions are beyond a subordinate's right to question. But it's true—the young miss is his only child, dearly cherished by the two elders. I ask only that you watch over her well, Senior Flender, and let no harm befall her. I must return to report to the sect now. Farewell."
With that, Zhu Feng stepped back, turned, and vanished into the trees, leaving Flender alone with the letter. Reading it again, a slow grin spread across his face.
"Hahaha! This is perfect! We've gained a prodigy of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for free. I'd been worrying with Xiao Gang over our lineup, but now? No more worries! Next year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament—Shrek Academy will be there for sure!"
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