Shattering Pride

Ning Rongrong was still unable to refute him. Flender was right—Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Lan Xue were all stronger than her in Soul Power.

Flender turned to Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing. "Ma Hongjun is about the same age as Tang San and Lan Xue. He entered Shrek Academy at eleven. Although his martial soul has a flaw, the Mutated Martial Soul he possesses is an exceptionally gifted top-tier Beast Spirit Soul. Judging by martial souls alone, few people on the entire continent can compare to him. His Soul Power is no weaker than yours either, and that is while he has devoted part of his energy to making up for his martial soul's flaw."

"Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power is similar to yours. But unlike you, she possesses a steadfast and determined heart. Zhu Zhuqing, tell me, what did you come to Shrek Academy for?"

Zhu Zhuqing answered without hesitation in her icy voice, "To make myself stronger."

Flender asked, "What will you do about the courses arranged by the academy?"

Zhu Zhuqing said, "As long as it benefits the improvement of my strength, I will carry it out without hesitation."

Flender said flatly, "Ning Rongrong, you heard all that. Ask yourself—which one of them can you compare to? Here, you are already the worst of the lot. What right do you have to be proud? I dare say that if you leave this place, twenty years from now, every one of them will have achieved far more than you."

Ning Rongrong was unwilling to accept it. She truly was unwilling. "What about Oscar? I'm stronger than him no matter what, right? He's also an auxiliary-type soul master, just a mere Food-Type Spirit user. He can't possibly be better than me, can he?"

Flender shook his head. "No, you're wrong. If you think that, then you are terribly mistaken. Oscar's talent is even greater than Mubai's. Otherwise, why would I have allowed him into the academy? Ning Rongrong, I'll only ask you one question. Have you ever seen a Food-Type Spirit with Innate Full Soul Power?"

Ning Rongrong's face went pale. "No, that's impossible. How could an auxiliary-type martial soul possess Innate Full Soul Power?"

Although people with Innate Full Soul Power were rare in the world of soul masters, they were not unheard of. However, none had ever appeared among auxiliary-type martial souls. Ning Rongrong considered herself exceptionally gifted, a genius beyond others, because when her martial soul awakened, her Soul Power had reached level nine. She had been only one step away from Innate Full Soul Power. That was already the pinnacle among auxiliary-type martial souls.

She had never imagined that Oscar, Uncle Great Sausage, who was somewhat handsome but so lewd whenever he recited his soul incantation, would actually possess Innate Full Soul Power.

Flender said calmly, "Oscar is an unprecedented existence. His future achievements are limitless. He may even replace your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's position among auxiliary-type soul masters. You may choose not to believe me, but I can tell you with certainty that it is entirely possible."

Ning Rongrong stood there in a daze. Ever since she was little, she had grown up surrounded by everyone's care. Coupled with her own talent, she had been spoiled to the extreme. She had always believed that she was the most outstanding and the most gifted. Even if she was not strong enough yet, it was only because of her age.

When she saw Tang San fight Zhao Wuji, Ning Rongrong had already been deeply shaken. Yet subconsciously, she had still placed herself and Tang San in separate categories. After all, their martial souls followed entirely different paths of cultivation.

But now, every word Flender spoke was like a sharp sword piercing her heart, utterly shattering the thing she had been most proud of.

Ning Rongrong's face looked somewhat pale. Suddenly, she burst into tears, turned around, and ran toward her dormitory.

A smug smile appeared on Flender's face. If I can't handle a little twelve-year-old girl, then I don't deserve the title of Golden Iron Triangle.

Using her mind-reading ability, Lan Xue saw Flender's self-indulgent fantasy and sneered coldly.

"Letter." With a single word, Lan Xue made Flender feel as though thorns were pressing against his back, and the smile on his face froze.

Seeing the strange smile on Flender's face, Dai Mubai cautiously asked, "Headmaster, should I still go help her pack her things?"

Flender glared at him. "Do you really want that girl to leave? Ning Rongrong may be spoiled, but her nature isn't bad. Let her think things through herself. Go call Oscar back and tell him I'm waiving his punishment. Have him go comfort Ning Rongrong."

"Oh." Dai Mubai agreed and turned to find Oscar. At that moment, he could not help admiring Flender even more.

Dai Mubai also came from an influential family, so of course he knew how terrifying the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's status was on the continent. There were only around ten Titled Douluo in all of Douluo Continent, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect alone had two of them. With such power, even the imperial families of the two great empires had to be polite when meeting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Leader. Yet Flender was unafraid of such power and dared to rebuke the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's most beloved little princess like this. That could not be explained by mere courage alone.

What Dai Mubai did not know was that this headmaster before him carried a letter sent by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Leader in his robes—a letter that could be used as an imperial decree. Otherwise, would Flender really have acted with such complete disregard?

Lan Xue secretly stuck out her tongue. She had not expected Ning Rongrong's true nature to be like this either. Still, seeing it with her own eyes was far more affecting than reading it in a novel. When she had been with Ning Rongrong yesterday, she had always felt a sense of closeness with her. Only now did she realize that Ning Rongrong's personality was even more overbearing than her own.

Flender clasped his hands behind his back. "All right, prepare to depart. You have all seen the outcome for Ning Rongrong and Oscar. If you want to stay here and cultivate, then you must follow the academy's rules. Attend every class properly. Here, my words are orders. Next, you will begin your first class since arriving at Shrek. Each of you will complete your own course independently. Don't blame me for not warning you in advance—if you don't do well enough, even if you don't die, you'll lose a layer of skin."