Flender's Bitterness

Oscar froze for a moment, then looked up and met Xue Tianxing's gentle gaze. Instinctively, he wanted to agree.

Flender followed his gaze—Xue Tianxing wore a moon-white brocade robe, with subtle Ice Phoenix patterns embroidered along the collar. He looked every bit the young nobleman of extraordinary birth. Though Liu Tianfeng beside him wore plain robes, he sat with his back perfectly straight, and faint Soul Power fluctuations spread from him, carrying the oppressive presence of a Spirit Douluo. How could Flender dare slight them?

So Flender gave a dry cough, suppressing his misgivings as he hurriedly replied,

"We are honored by your kindness. Then we shall gladly accept."

As he spoke, he pulled Oscar along toward Xue Tianxing's table.

Dragged along by him, Oscar glanced back at his unfinished meal and said softly,

"Headmaster, I haven't finished eating yet..."

"Forget eating. Someone's treating us to something better!"

Flender scolded him under his breath. By the time he reached the table, his face was already full of courteous smiles as he addressed Xue Tianxing and Liu Tianfeng.

"May I ask how I should address you two?"

"I am Prince Xue Tianxing of the Barak Kingdom."

Xue Tianxing raised a hand and pointed to Liu Tianfeng beside him. His tone was gentle yet composed as he continued,

"This is our kingdom's honored elder, Elder Liu Tianfeng."

"A prince?"

Oscar's eyes widened in shock. The spoon in his hand clattered onto his plate. He had never expected that this boy, who looked about his own age, was actually a prince of a kingdom.

Flender was even more shaken. He had only realized earlier that Liu Tianfeng was not someone to provoke, but he had never expected him to be Cold Sword Liu Tianfeng. Back when he had traveled through the Spirit Master world, he had once seen from afar this Spirit Douluo, famed for his swift swordsmanship, take action. How could he dare be disrespectful now? He immediately straightened up and cupped his hands in salute toward Liu Tianfeng.

"So it is Senior Cold Sword! This junior is Flender. Greetings, Senior!"

Liu Tianfeng merely nodded without comment, raising a hand in gesture before saying to Flender,

"Sit. There is no need for such formalities."

Only then did Flender breathe a sigh of relief. He pulled the still-dazed Oscar down to sit, but the moment his backside touched the edge of the chair, he could not help probing,

"Senior, did you specifically call us over because you had some instruction for us?"

Liu Tianfeng glanced at Xue Tianxing and replied indifferently,

"I did not call for you. He did."

Flender's gaze immediately shifted to Xue Tianxing, and his eyes gained a trace more vigilance. A prince would not strike up a conversation for no reason.

Yet Xue Tianxing seemed not to notice his wariness and said with a smile,

"Headmaster Flender, I have heard of Shrek Academy. It is called Monster Academy and only accepts children under twelve whose Soul Power has reached Level 25. The threshold is quite high."

Then Xue Tianxing changed the subject. His gaze fell on Oscar as he asked curiously,

"This little brother looks quite young. He should not be twelve yet, right? Could he also be a student of Shrek Academy?"

Flender chuckled awkwardly and hastily explained,

"Little Oscar is considered my unofficial student. He has not formally entered the academy yet, only follows me to learn some basics. He will officially enroll once he turns twelve."

Xue Tianxing nodded, then turned to Oscar. His tone became even more friendly as he said,

"From the look of you, you came to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring, right? Which Soul Ring are you here to obtain?"

Oscar still possessed the innocence of a child. He failed to hear any hidden meaning in the question and instead puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm here to get my second Soul Ring! I just broke through Level 20 and became a Soul Grandmaster!"

The moment those words came out, Flender's warning of "Don't talk nonsense" got stuck in his throat.

Looking at Oscar's face, completely unaware that he had said anything wrong, Flender's mouth twitched. This kid is far too honest!

A casual question, and he had spilled everything!

His expression shifted between green and white as he sighed inwardly.

He was still too young, without even the slightest sense of caution.

Xue Tianxing, however, seemed not to notice Flender's embarrassment and praised him with a smile,

"Oh? You came for your second Soul Ring right after breaking through? That is impressive."

When Liu Tianfeng heard Oscar say that he had just reached Level 20, his eyelids lifted slightly, and his fingers paused unconsciously. Reaching the Soul Grandmaster realm at eight or nine years old truly marked him as a promising talent. For an ordinary family, it would have been enough to inspire amazement.

But Liu Tianfeng glanced at Xue Tianxing beside him, who had become a Soul Elder at seven, and his surprise faded. He merely gave a quiet "Mm" and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Oscar's heart warmed at Xue Tianxing's praise. His childish nature surfaced, and he lifted his chin as he declared,

"Of course! The Headmaster and teachers all say that I'll definitely become the Continent's Number One Support Spirit Master someday!"

The amusement in Xue Tianxing's eyes deepened as he followed up,

"The Continent's Number One Support Spirit Master? That is impressive. May I see what your Martial Soul is?"

The moment he said this, Flender's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly tried to stop Oscar with his eyes. Don't let this foolish boy reveal all his secrets again!

But Flender was still too late.

Before he could speak, Oscar directly gathered his Soul Power. A faint pink glow appeared around his fingertips, and with a soft pop, a pink-and-white sausage materialized in his palm, still giving off a light warmth.

"Look! This is my Martial Soul—a sausage!"

Holding up the sausage, Oscar said excitedly to Xue Tianxing,

"If your Soul Power is depleted tomorrow, I'll let you see just how good its support abilities are. It definitely works!"

The light of Martial Soul Possession flashed and vanished, while the sausage rested steadily in his palm.

At that, Liu Tianfeng, who had not paid much attention before, instantly fixed his gaze on Oscar, his expression gaining several degrees of seriousness.

A Food System Spirit?

When Liu Tianfeng had heard Oscar call himself the "Continent's Number One Support Spirit Master," he had assumed it was merely Flender's casual encouragement. He had guessed Oscar's Martial Soul was probably a Tool Martial Soul similar to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, since such Martial Souls stood out the most among Support Spirit Masters.

But he had never expected it to be a Food System Spirit. This was the most unusual path among Support Spirit Masters, and also the one least likely to produce geniuses. Yet every Food System Spirit possessed exceptionally effective support abilities.

Looking at this boy before him, already possessing Level 20 Soul Power at eight or nine years old—and with a Food System Spirit—Liu Tianfeng lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingers as he began calculating inwardly.

This child truly had the potential to become a top-tier Support Spirit Master.

If he could follow Tianxing in the future, having a Food System Spirit Master by his side would greatly increase Tianxing's combat strength. If the Barak Kingdom wished to contend for the Heaven Dou Empire's position in the future, would that not give them far greater confidence?

Flender, sitting nearby, saw the change in Liu Tianfeng's expression perfectly clearly. His heart sank, and even the smile at the corners of his mouth stiffened.

Flender knew very well that with Oscar's talent on display, any force with even a little discernment would not let him go.

Liu Tianfeng was an honored elder of the Barak Kingdom, while Xue Tianxing was its prince. If they truly opened their mouths to recruit him, what could his run-down Shrek Academy possibly use to keep the boy?

If Oscar went to Barak, he would be treasured like a precious gem. Resources and cultivation conditions would be plentiful. It would be far better than gnawing on hard bread with him.

At that thought, Flender only felt a heavy blockage in his chest. Looking at the sausage in Oscar's hand, it seemed as though he were watching a treasure about to fly away. Even his eyes began to sting.