*Dang! Dang! Dang!*
As the bell signaling class rang out across the academy, all eight Shrek students were already lined up neatly on the training field, not a single one missing.
From the dim light of dawn, three figures slowly walked forward—Grandmaster, Flender, and Liu Erlong. Even the Grandmaster, usually so stern and exacting, couldn't help but feel a surge of pride seeing eight such gifted youths standing side by side before him.
With talents like these in their hands, perhaps the championship of the next Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament wasn't an impossible dream after all!
"Are you ready?!" Grandmaster barked.
"Ready!" the students roared in unison.
"Good. Then let's do another round of adaptation training!"
"Ahhh…"
Aside from Qian Jue, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, the other five—Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun—all had their spirits sink instantly, their earlier excitement vanishing into misery.
"Eh, Xiao Wu, what's adaptation training?"
Ning Rongrong, standing at the end of the line, whispered curiously to Xiao Wu. She had no idea what could make everyone's enthusiasm collapse so quickly. Zhu Zhuqing, standing on Xiao Wu's other side, also leaned closer, clearly just as eager to know.
"Adaptation training…" Xiao Wu tilted her head back, staring blankly at the hazy morning sky. Memories of Qian Jue's wolf spirit inflicting its painful bite, and Oscar's lewd soul incantation, flashed before her mind. Ever since she had learned the true meaning of Oscar's Big Sausage spell, she avoided his food unless absolutely necessary.
"It's two extremes of torture," Xiao Wu said solemnly. "One physical, one mental. Trust me—you won't want to experience either."
"Torture…" Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong echoed softly.
Ning Rongrong's mind flickered back to her mischievous pranks: tossing snakes into her Sword Grandpa's bedding, or dyeing the last strands of her Bone Grandpa's hair into garish colors. At the time, both had shouted that she was "torturing" them.
Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, thought of the ruthless struggles within her clan—schemes, betrayal, endless blood feuds. To her, that was torment in its cruelest form. Both girls furrowed their brows.
"Alright, Qian Jue, summon your wolf spirit. Don't let it fully manifest. Everyone else, stretch out your hands. And remember—no matter what happens, you are not to make any sudden movements. Especially you two," Grandmaster said firmly, stopping in front of Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
The adaptation training with Qian Jue's wolf spirit had evolved. No longer did they slash their palms open to endure its energy. Now, the wolf spirit lightly bit them instead—just enough to cause sharp pain, but without lasting harm. Grandmaster deliberately refrained from telling Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing what awaited them, intending to leave a deep impression.
With resigned sighs, the others stretched out their arms, expressions of grim acceptance etched on their faces. Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had no choice but to follow suit.
"Mm…"
"Ugh…"
"Ah…"
One by one, the boys' throats gave off stifled groans, their hands twitching as the wolf spirit's bite sank into their flesh. Watching them, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing grew even more nervous.
At last, it was Zhu Zhuqing's turn. She gritted her teeth, clenching her arm tightly as she braced herself.
"Mm—ah!"
A jolt of searing pain shot through her forearm, nearly forcing her to yank it away. But recalling Grandmaster's warning, she endured, slowly pulling her hand back. Two rows of deep bite marks marred her pale skin.
Ning Rongrong's heart pounded harder as she watched Zhu Zhuqing squat down, clutching her arm. Her fear swelled when Xiao Wu too drew back her hand, trembling, holding it against her chest, silver teeth biting into her lip as her face twisted in pain.
"What kind of training is this? Does it really hurt that much?" Ning Rongrong's voice wavered, tears already forming as the unseen pressure drew closer.
Then it struck—
"Ahhh!"
Agonizing pain lanced through her wrist. Ning Rongrong, pampered and delicate all her life, had never endured such torment. Instinct took over—she wrenched her arm back in panic, heedless of Grandmaster's warning.
In doing so, her arm scraped across the wolf spirit's sharp teeth. A jagged wound more than ten centimeters long split open, blood instantly welling and running down in crimson streams.
"Waaahhh!"
Seeing the blood gush forth, combined with the burning pain, Ning Rongrong collapsed into sobs. Tears and blood quickly soaked into her clothes.
"Rongrong, are you alright?!" Xiao Wu, freed from her own pain, rushed over, crouching to check her injury.
"Get away from me!"
To everyone's shock, the usually sweet Ning Rongrong shoved Xiao Wu hard. The force sent Xiao Wu staggering several steps back, nearly falling if not for Tang San catching her.
"You're all the same—you're bullying me together! Uuuhh!"
Tang San frowned deeply. He hadn't expected Ning Rongrong to turn on Xiao Wu like this. Just yesterday, even after Qian Jue had made her cry during sparring, she had seemed pitiful and endearing. But now, seeing her lash out at someone who came to comfort her, he found himself starting to dislike her.
The boys shifted awkwardly, unsure what to do. Especially Qian Jue—yesterday he had burned her hair by accident, and today his wolf spirit had torn open her arm. This was starting to feel like karmic retribution.
"Enough, Ning Rongrong," Grandmaster's voice cut cold and sharp. "Cry if you must, but then stand up. Oscar's spirit will aid your recovery. Do his adaptation training, and the wound will heal faster."
"Shut up! Who would take part in that stupid training of his?! What kind of lousy academy is this, torturing people and even injuring me! Believe it or not, I'll go back to my sect right now, bring Bone Grandpa and Sword Grandpa, and raze this garbage academy to the ground!"
Her shrill voice echoed across the field.
Grandmaster was stunned. He knew she was spoiled, but he hadn't realized her temper was this foul. Clearly, strict discipline would be needed.
"You can't go back. Do you think your father didn't know you ran away? It's precisely because of your vicious temper that he entrusted you to us. Unless you shed this arrogance, you won't be leaving."
"Bullshit! What right do you have to discipline me? What kind of useless Grandmaster are you? A waste of a Spirit Grandmaster, stuck at rank 29 even at your age. I'll surpass you soon enough! And you dare to lecture me?"
Liu Erlong's temper flared instantly. "What?! A brat from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan dares insult him? Watch me teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!" She rolled up her sleeves, already stepping forward.
But Grandmaster held out a hand to stop her.
"You're right, Rongrong. My spirit power is only rank 29. And it may never reach rank 30. In that sense, you are correct."
"Hmph." Ning Rongrong turned away, disdainfully clutching her arm.
"But the one unworthy isn't me—it's you." His voice hardened like steel. "You are the one without the qualifications to stay here."
Her eyes flew wide. "Me? You're saying 'I'm' unqualified?! Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is unmatched under heaven! I'm the most outstanding disciple of my generation. And you say I don't have the right? Are you blind?!"
"It isn't I who am blind—it's you." Grandmaster's words cut like knives. "Look around you. In soul power, in character, in talent, in martial spirit—do you surpass any of them? If you are the best your clan can produce, then perhaps the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is already on the road to decline."
Her face turned red with fury. "I'm weaker than them? They're only older, with slightly higher soul power! My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can elevate an entire team. Can they do that?"
Grandmaster shook his head. "And yet no team would take you. Who would trust their back to someone with your attitude? Even your own father—have you ever seen him treat his comrades this way? Even if your power grows, do you think you'll ever find a Titled Douluo to stand beside you? They all have pride. Why would they endure your tantrums? You still don't understand where you fall short? Fine. I'll show you."
He gestured at Qian Jue. "Qian Jue. Thirteen years old. Rank 37 agility-attack type Spirit Elder. A twin-spirit wielder, his Kindred martial spirit is among the most powerful in the entire continent. At rank 23, he fought Spirit Ancestor-level opponents to a standstill. You saw his strength yesterday. Even if he doesn't summon his martial spirit, you and Zhu Zhuqing together wouldn't last ten seconds against him."
Ning Rongrong stared at Qian Jue in disbelief.
Grandmaster turned to Dai Mubai. "Dai Mubai, rank 39 strong-attack type Spirit Elder. His White Tiger is a top-tier martial spirit. At fifteen, he's only a step away from rank 40. Do you think you could match that?"
She bit back, "They're combat-type! I'm support. Support cultivates more slowly!"
"Then let me introduce Oscar," Grandmaster pressed on. "Just like you, he's a support spirit master. His spirit power has already reached rank 30. Today, we're heading to the Star Dou Forest to obtain his third ring. And most importantly—his Sausage Spirit is unique. He is the only innate full-spirit-power support-type I have ever seen. Did you awaken with innate full spirit power? No. And I also know this: the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda carries an unspoken flaw. None in your sect's history have ever surpassed Spirit Douluo. But Oscar's spirit has no such limits. If nothing goes wrong, he will reach Titled Douluo. Then the title of strongest support spirit will not belong to your clan."
"You—you…" Ning Rongrong's lips trembled. She had never heard of another support spirit master with innate full spirit power. And Grandmaster had pierced straight into the deepest secret of her clan.
Grandmaster wasn't finished. "Tang San, twin spirits. Rank 30. You know what that means. Ma Hongjun, rank 30 as well, bearer of the Evil Fire Phoenix—a top-tier flying martial spirit. Do I need to explain what the Phoenix signifies? And Xiao Wu… perhaps her gap with you is smaller, but her martial spirit is still rare, her unique combat skills devastating. Rank 30 as well, and only twelve years old. Compare yourself to any of them—do you measure up?"
His gaze shifted to Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhu Zhuqing, tell me—why did you come here?"
"To become stronger!"
"And what will you do when the academy assigns training?"
"If it makes me stronger, I'll carry it out without hesitation."
"Then tell me—do I have the qualifications to guide you?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, then at her companions, still awed by Grandmaster's revelations. Her eyes firmed. "Absolutely."
"Ning Rongrong, did you hear? Yes, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is powerful. But if not for it, you wouldn't even qualify to be here. Strip away your martial spirit, and with that spoiled personality, no one would accept you. So I'll ask again—are you still determined to keep acting this way?"
Ning Rongrong stood frozen. Tears welled thicker, streaming down her cheeks. Grandmaster's words had torn her pride to shreds. She looked around. The others stood silently, watching from a distance. Even Xiao Wu, who had always been closest to her, was at Tang San's side now.
'Am I really that unbearable?'
Her heart broke. She wailed aloud and turned to flee the training grounds.
"Are you sure you want to leave?"
Grandmaster's voice halted her steps.
"We're about to depart for the Star Dou Forest to hunt spirit rings. This is your best chance to become part of this team. Are you certain you want to walk away? If you do, then in ten years—at most ten—they will be people you can only look up to."
Ning Rongrong's steps faltered. She turned, eyes swimming with tears, staring at them. Leave, or stay?
Finally, Xiao Wu approached gently, wrapping her arms around her.
"Rongrong, stay. If you can change your temper, everyone will accept you."
"Uuuh…"
Ning Rongrong's tearful eyes met Xiao Wu's sincere gaze.
"R-really?"
"Of course. They're all good people."
Looking at Xiao Wu—the girl she had just shoved away moments ago—Ning Rongrong felt the weight of her own shame.
"Waaaahhh! Xiao Wu, I'm sorry!"
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