Shrek's Eight Monsters: Order Established, Teamwork Begins

Morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across Shrek Academy's training ground. Master had only just left when Dai Mubai gathered everyone around the stone table at the center of the field—the training plan Master had left behind lay spread across it, densely written with every day's training regimen, from Spirit Power Control to Team Cooperation, each item scheduled down to the hour.

"Now that everyone's here, let's establish the rules first." Dai Mubai stood up, his short golden hair especially striking in the morning light. "Master's training plan says the team needs clear roles, and we should also have a simple age ranking to make future coordination easier. But let me be clear: the ranking is only for keeping track of ages. Call each other whatever you normally do. There's no need to fuss over seniority."

As he spoke, he pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket. It listed everyone's names and ages. "I'm fifteen, the oldest. If you don't mind, just call me Boss Dai. Oscar is thirteen, a few months older than Tang San and Zhi Xia, so he's second. Tang San and Zhi Xia are both thirteen, but Tang San's birthday comes first, so he's third and Zhi Xia is fourth. The rest—Hongjun, Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhuqing—are all twelve. Hongjun's birthday is earliest, so he's fifth; Rongrong is sixth, Xiao Wu is seventh, and Zhuqing is eighth."

"I have no objections!" Oscar was the first to raise his hand, still holding half a sausage. "Boss Dai has more experience. We definitely can't go wrong training under you. Tang San and Zhi Xia are close in age, and they already worked well together during the assessment. Third and fourth suit them perfectly."

Ma Hongjun scratched his head and nodded with a simple grin. "No problem with me. We're all cultivating together anyway, so the ranking doesn't really matter." Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing nodded as well, while Xiao Wu hopped straight over to Tang San's side. "No matter where we rank, Tang San and Zhi Xia are still my good friends!"

Lin Zhixia looked at the ranking on the paper, her fingers lightly brushing the Starwood Arrow Shaft. "This is good. Age rankings will help us better understand each other's stages of growth. For example, Boss Dai and Oscar are older than us and have more combat experience, so we can ask them for advice if we run into problems later."

Tang San nodded in agreement, his gaze falling on the "Team Coordination" section of the training plan. "Now that the ranking is settled, let's try our first team coordination training according to Master's requirements. The plan says this morning's task is an Offensive and Defensive Drill—Boss Dai, Hongjun, and I will handle the front. Zhi Xia will provide Ranged Support. Oscar and Rongrong will provide Rear Guard Support. Xiao Wu and Zhuqing will carry out a Flank Assault."

"Good! We'll go with that division!" Dai Mubai immediately made the decision and took the lead in releasing his Evil Eyes White Tiger martial soul. Golden Soul Power enveloped his body, his hands transformed into sharp tiger claws, and the muscles beneath his bronze skin tightened. The pressure of an Assault System Spirit Master instantly spread outward.

Ma Hongjun followed close behind, his Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul igniting in orange-red flames. The fire gathered into a fireball in his palm, and the temperature rose sharply. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass emerged quietly as well, pale blue blades winding around his arms, ready to unleash control at any moment. Lin Zhixia drew the Starfall Bow, its Void Piercing Feather Fletching trembling slightly on the shaft as an arrow of Void Penetration rapidly formed.

Oscar and Ning Rongrong stood in the rear. Light flashed in Oscar's palm, and a sausage appeared out of thin air. "My First Spirit Skill, Recovery Sausage. Call for me whenever your Soul Power runs low. My Second Spirit Skill, Detox Sausage, can also handle poison attacks in an emergency." Ning Rongrong released the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, and two rays of light lit up on its body before falling upon Dai Mubai and Tang San. "Strength Boost and Speed Boost are in place. I can switch targets at any time."

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, then ran toward the woods on either side of the training ground at the same time. Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul made her movements light as a butterfly, while Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat let her silhouette melt into the shade. The two soon vanished among the trees, leaving behind only faint Spirit Power Fluctuations as signals for their assault.

"Begin!" Dai Mubai gave the order and charged at the dummy targets ahead. Flender had set up the targets just yesterday. They were made from hard oak, with different attack points marked across them. His tiger claws, imbued with Soul Power, slammed hard into one dummy's chest. Wood chips flew, and a deep crater was blasted into the target.

Ma Hongjun's fireball followed immediately, striking the dummy's head with precision. Orange-red flames instantly engulfed it, scorching it black. At that moment, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass suddenly surged forth, binding two nearby dummy targets that were about to "ambush" them. At the same time, he unleashed his Second Spirit Skill, Parasitize—tiny seeds burrowed into the targets, simulating the effect of restraining enemies.

"Enemy on the right!" Lin Zhixia suddenly called out, firing a Starlight Arrow toward the woods on the right with a piercing whistle. The arrow passed through a tree trunk and struck the dummy hidden behind it with perfect accuracy. At the same time, she swiftly formed a second arrow and aimed it at a dummy on the left. The arrow split into three smaller arrows, each striking one of the dummy's limbs and "pinning" it in place.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing in the woods attacked at the same time. Xiao Wu leaped out from behind a tree, her long leg carrying Soul Power as it kicked the dummy's knee and knocked it down. Zhu Zhuqing launched an assault from the other side, her claw-like fingertips sweeping across the dummy's neck in a simulated killing blow.

"My Soul Power's draining a little too fast!" Ma Hongjun's flames gradually weakened as he shouted between breaths. Oscar immediately tossed him a Recovery Sausage. "Eat it, quick! It'll restore thirty percent of your Soul Power!" Ma Hongjun caught the sausage and took a bite. Sure enough, the Soul Power within him quickly recovered, and his flames flared up again.

Ning Rongrong promptly adjusted her boost target, shifting the Speed Boost to Lin Zhixia. "Zhi Xia, speed increased by thirty percent. Watch for ranged attacks!" Lin Zhixia nodded. The firing speed of her Starlight Arrows visibly increased, and within seconds, she shot down three "ambushing" dummy targets.

Half an hour later, all the dummy targets had been "dealt with," and the eight sat around the stone table to rest. Dai Mubai wiped the sweat from his forehead. "For our first time working together, this is already very coordinated. But there are still problems—Hongjun's flame attacks cover too wide an area and could easily hurt teammates by mistake. Xiao Wu and Zhuqing also need to be more precise with the timing of their assaults. Just now, you nearly collided with Tang San's control."

"Boss Dai is right," Tang San added. "After I use Parasitize, faint Spirit Power Fluctuations remain on the ground. The next time Xiao Wu and Zhuqing launch an assault, avoid the areas with fluctuations. And when Zhi Xia's Starlight Arrows split, she can give us advance notice so we can adjust our positions."

Lin Zhixia nodded and put the Void Piercing Feather Fletching back into her quiver. "Next time, I'll call out 'Arrow incoming' beforehand. When you hear it, be ready to defend." Ning Rongrong added, "My boosts last five minutes. I'll remind everyone when they're about to expire so I can refresh them in time."

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance. Xiao Wu said with a smile, "We'll pay closer attention to the timing next time. We won't clash with Tang San's control again!" Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly as well, a trace of seriousness flashing through her eyes. Though she spoke little, she placed great importance on Team Cooperation.

Oscar handed out several Recovery Sausages and said with a smile, "Don't rush, everyone. Getting in sync takes time. With Rongrong and me here, you don't need to worry about Soul Power or boosts. As long as we practice a few more times, we'll definitely become more and more coordinated!"

The sun gradually climbed higher. The eight sat together on the training ground, discussing the details of the drill one after another. There were no rigid titles based on rank, only honest exchanges between friends; no stiff demands of assigned roles, only tacit cooperation between one another. Dai Mubai looked at his companions, his golden eyes filled with anticipation. He knew that this team of "monsters" would one day shine with a brilliance all their own on the future battlefield. And Shrek Academy's fate would quietly be rewritten through their fights side by side.