Training Routine

In the days that followed, Shrek Academy's training only intensified. Master seemed to have seen even greater potential in their clash with the Imperial Dou Team, and he imposed stricter standards on the seven of them.

Before dawn every day, they had weighted runs, physical training, Soul Power control exercises... their schedules were packed with every kind of task. Afternoons were reserved for targeted combat drills—sometimes the seven worked together, sometimes they were split into different teams, and sometimes they even had to endure Teacher Zhao Wuji's "affection" in the form of his Immovable Ming King True Body.

Under the intense training, everyone was growing rapidly. Their Soul Power steadily improved, and their coordination became increasingly seamless. But the exhaustion was just as real.

One afternoon, the blazing sun hung overhead. A two-on-two match had just ended, and Ma Hongjun sprawled on the ground like a puddle of melted fat, his tongue hanging out. "I can't do this anymore... Master's trying to train us to death..."

Oscar weakly produced sausages, lacking even the energy to complain. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing sat beneath the shade of a tree, sweat trickling down their cheeks and soaking their collars. Dai Mubai leaned against the trunk, his chest heaving violently.

Xiao Wu shuffled over to Xiao Xiaoxiao's side and plopped down, carefully resting her injured arm on her knee. She sighed mournfully, "Sister Xiaoxiao, I feel like my legs don't belong to me anymore."

Xiao Xiaoxiao herself was aching all over, her Soul Power heavily depleted. Her Spiritual Power had yet to fully recover, and her temples still throbbed faintly. She forced a smile, pulled a small waterskin from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night, and handed it to Xiao Wu. "Have some water."

"Sister Xiaoxiao really is the best!" Xiao Wu took it, gulped down several mouthfuls, then handed it back to Xiao Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Xiaoxiao took a few sips herself. The cool water slid down her throat, driving away some of the heat. Her gaze unconsciously swept toward the other side.

Tang San sat alone on a large rock nearby, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. The Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated silently within him, faint white currents of air swirling around his body. His recovery was clearly much faster than everyone else's. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead as well, yet his expression remained calm, as though the fierce match had not burdened him much at all.

As if sensing her gaze, Tang San's eyelashes stirred, and he opened his eyes. His gaze met Xiao Xiaoxiao's directly.

Xiao Xiaoxiao seemed to have been scalded. She hurriedly looked away, pretending to lower her head and straighten the hem of her perfectly neat clothes. For no reason at all, her heart skipped two beats.

Tang San's gaze paused briefly on her somewhat flustered profile before calmly shifting away. He closed his eyes again and continued regulating his breathing, as though it had merely been an accidental glance.

Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes, looking from one to the other. A sly curve appeared at the corner of her lips as she gently nudged Xiao Xiaoxiao with her uninjured elbow. Lowering her voice with a teasing smile, she said, "Sister Xiaoxiao, why are you looking at Xiao San? Do you think he's especially amazing, especially reliable?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Xiao Xiaoxiao's face heated up as she instinctively retorted. Her voice came out a little too loudly, drawing looks from both Dai Mubai and Oscar.

"Oh~" Oscar immediately perked up, waggling his eyebrows. "Is there something going on?"

Dai Mubai raised an eyebrow as well, amusement gleaming in his wicked eyes.

Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them slightly. Ning Rongrong looked over curiously too.

Xiao Xiaoxiao's face instantly turned crimson, and she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground. "Xiao Wu! If you keep spouting nonsense, don't expect me to apply medicine for you next time you get hurt!"

Xiao Wu giggled as she dodged away. "Oh my, did I hit the nail on the head, so now you're embarrassed and angry?"

"Xiao Wu!" Both ashamed and flustered, Xiao Xiaoxiao reached out to tickle her. Xiao Wu laughingly dodged, but accidentally bumped her injury and cried out in pain. The two immediately ended up in a playful scuffle.

The commotion finally caught Tang San's attention. He opened his eyes once more and looked at the two of them, especially Xiao Xiaoxiao's rarely seen embarrassed fury. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes shone particularly brightly with irritation, making her completely different from her usual clever, sharp-tongued self.

An exceedingly faint trace of amusement flickered through his eyes, so faint that even he did not notice it. Yet it quickly returned to calmness, though the corners of his lips seemed just the slightest bit softer than usual. He said nothing and closed his eyes again, as though the laughter and horseplay around him had nothing to do with him.

Dai Mubai stroked his chin. Looking at Tang San's calm, unconcerned appearance, then at the red-faced Xiao Xiaoxiao and Oscar and Xiao Wu beside her, who were enjoying the spectacle and stirring things up, he chuckled and quietly said to Zhu Zhuqing beside him, "Looks like Shrek's going to get livelier in the future, apart from Fatty."

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him but did not respond. She simply closed her eyes again, though the corner of her lips curved upward almost imperceptibly.

Watching Xiao Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wu play around, Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and smiled softly. Her gaze occasionally drifted toward Oscar, and who knew what she thought of, but her cheeks faintly reddened.

In the distance, Master stood with Flender and Zhao Wuji. Flender pushed up his glasses as he watched the energetic yet utterly exhausted young men and women, especially the unintentional budding stirrings of youth flowing between them. Rubbing his fingers together, he chuckled to Master. "Xiao Gang, look at these little monsters. Even all that training hasn't drained their energy."

Master's expression was stern as his gaze swept across the field, lingering for a moment in particular on Tang San and Xiao Xiaoxiao. He said mildly, "A proper outlet for their emotions can help ease the pressure of training. As long as it does not affect what matters."

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily. "Being young is great! Back in my day—"

Flender mercilessly cut him off. "Back in your day, all you knew was fighting, brawling, and causing trouble!"

Zhao Wuji glared. "Boss Flender, quit tearing me down!"

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell upon the young men and women. Their sweat glimmered faintly. The exhaustion was real, the playful scuffling was real, and the quietly growing yet still undefined feelings were real as well. Within this shabby academy, amid the grueling training, the story of youth had only just begun to write its first notes.