Gangzi Became a Laughingstock Again, Blue Lightning Became Dou Po's Vassal?! Dai Mubai's Dream of the Top Five Shattered

The golden light surrounding Zhou Xu, the Nine-star Dou Saint, had yet to fade from the Sky Screen when the complete Heavenly Pride Ranking was finally fixed in place. From first to eleventh, they were:

Zhou Xu, Ji Hongyue, Qing Lin, Qian Renxue...

Once everyone saw the complete ranking, a desperate roar tore through the sky above Shrek Academy's training grounds outside Suotuo City.

Dai Mubai stared fixedly at the ranking on the Sky Screen, his trembling fingers tracing over every name.

He read from first to eleventh three times over, yet never found the three characters for "Dai Mubai."

The more confident he had been before, the more shattered he was now—he had once held his head high and declared, "I'm the leader of the Shrek Seven Devils. I'll definitely make it into the top five."

He had once sworn before Yu Xiaogang that he would "crush the geniuses of the Dou Qi System."

Yet now, he could not even squeeze onto the bottom of the ranking. His dream of reaching the top five had completely become the continent's laughingstock.

"Impossible... impossible!" Dai Mubai staggered back two steps. The phantom of his White Tiger Martial Soul flashed uncontrollably before instantly collapsing, its silver-white fur stripped of its former luster.

His eyes were bloodshot as he clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning so white they seemed close to breaking.

"I'm already a level 35 Battle Soul Elder! The Evil Eye White Tiger is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul! How could I not make the ranking?! The Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking must have made a mistake!"

"A mistake?" A sweet yet mocking voice rang out. Ning Rongrong stood with her hands on her hips, the corner of her lips curling into an undisguised sneer.

"Dai Mubai, wake up! The top five were already completely taken by Dou Po Academy and Qian Renxue.

You couldn't even make the top twenty, yet you dared brag that you could enter the top five? That's absolutely hilarious!"

She shook the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hand, her tone growing ever sharper:

"Who was it that said, 'I'm the leader, so my ranking will definitely be higher than Third Bro's'?

Third Bro is ranked eighth now. What about you?

You didn't even make the ranking! And you still have the nerve to call yourself the leader of the Shrek Seven Devils.

I think you're the most useless one among the Shrek Seven Devils!"

"Shut up!" Dai Mubai roared, his eyes filled with humiliation and fury.

"I was just unlucky! Give me more time, and I'll definitely make the ranking—and place higher than Tang San!"

"Unlucky?" Ning Rongrong scoffed. "Qing Lin and Ji Hongyue from Dou Po Academy, which one of them got there without strength?

You're the one who isn't good enough, yet you blame luck? I think you're just too full of yourself and have never seen your own limits!"

The surrounding Shrek disciples whispered among themselves, their gazes falling on Dai Mubai with both pity and mockery.

Ning Rongrong had ruthlessly trampled Dai Mubai's pride beneath her feet, and his face alternated between green and white.

He wanted to retort but had no idea what to say. He could only glare at Ning Rongrong, trembling from head to toe.

Just then, a commotion arose from the direction of the infirmary. Flender emerged while supporting the pale-faced Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang had finally regained consciousness after being unconscious for a long time, but his body was still extremely weak.

Half-supported and half-carried by Flender, he barely managed to stand at the edge of the training grounds.

He opened his clouded eyes and immediately looked toward the complete ranking on the Sky Screen.

When he saw that the top three were Zhou Xu, Ji Hongyue, and Qing Lin from Dou Po Academy—all geniuses of the Dou Qi System—

and that even seventh, ninth, and tenth place were Dou Po Academy disciples, his body suddenly stiffened and the light in his eyes instantly dimmed.

Before he could recover, the hushed discussion of a nearby disciple reached his ears:

"Did you hear? The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has submitted to Dou Po Academy as an entire clan.

Clan Leader Yu Yuanzhen and his grandson both became Outer Sect Disciples of Dou Po Academy!"

"Really? The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is one of the Upper Three Sects! It actually submitted to Dou Po Academy?"

"Of course it's true! The Sky Screen has spread the news everywhere. Yu Yuanzhen even moved the clan near Sunset Forest!"

"Then wouldn't Teacher Yu Xiaogang... become part of a family affiliated with Dou Po Academy?"

Those words were like sharp blades, stabbing viciously into Yu Xiaogang's heart.

He had spent his life defending the Soul Power System as the orthodox path and scorning the Dou Qi System as a heretical side path.

Yet now, the Dou Qi System occupied the top three positions on the Gold Ranking List, while his own clan had become a vassal of Dou Po Academy.

Even he himself now nominally belonged to a force affiliated with Dou Po Academy—this humiliation and blow were heavier than anything he had endured before.

"Puh—" Yu Xiaogang felt sweetness rise in his throat and sprayed out a mouthful of blood. His face instantly turned paper-white, and his gaze scattered.

He abruptly raised his head and stared fixedly at the four words "Dou Po Academy" on the Sky Screen, muttering:

"Impossible... my theories... the Soul Power System..."

Before he could finish, his vision went black and his body toppled toward the ground.

"Xiaogang!" Flender reacted swiftly and hurriedly reached out to catch him.

His face was full of helplessness and concern. "Why are you getting worked up again?! The doctor told you to rest properly!"

The surrounding disciples erupted in an uproar. Yu Xiaogang had only just awakened before fainting again; clearly, he had suffered an enormous shock.

At that moment, Ning Rongrong looked at Yu Xiaogang's fallen figure and instinctively scoffed. "How useless. He fainted just from looking at a ranking."

The scoff was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Yu Xiaogang, who had already fainted, did not know whether he had been provoked by that scoff or was experiencing a final burst of strength.

But he suddenly opened his eyes, broke free from Flender's support, pointed at Ning Rongrong, and roared, "Ning Rongrong! How dare you!"

His voice was hoarse yet filled with extreme rage, and his eyes were bloodshot:

"Even if I, Yu Xiaogang, have become a vassal, I'm still better than a spoiled young miss like you who only knows how to mock others!

What right do you have to laugh at me? You didn't make the ranking either! How dare you stand here and make sarcastic remarks!"

Ning Rongrong had been rebuked in public, and her young miss temper immediately flared. Her brows rose as she snapped back:

"So what if I didn't make the ranking? At least I'm not like you, clinging to outdated theories and getting slapped in the face by reality again and again!

Look at yourself—the Dou Qi System has already occupied the top three positions on the Gold Ranking List.

Yet you're still stubbornly refusing to see reality. Now even your clan has submitted, and you still have the nerve to call yourself direct lineage of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

"You!" Yu Xiaogang trembled all over in fury, pointing at Ning Rongrong without being able to say another word.

"Was I wrong to defend the Soul Power System? It is the continent's orthodox path! Dou Po Academy is nothing but a heretical side path, and it will fall sooner or later!"

"A heretical side path?" Ning Rongrong scoffed. "Their dean is a Nine-star Dou Saint. Even the Gold Ranking List has no reward left to grant him. He's stronger than a god!

Your so-called orthodox Soul Power System couldn't even claim a single spot in the top three.

And you still have the nerve to call them a heretical side path? I think you're just deceiving yourself!"

Dai Mubai was already full of pent-up anger. Hearing Ning Rongrong mock Yu Xiaogang,

and recalling the humiliation of being ridiculed by her himself, he immediately found an outlet and roared at Ning Rongrong:

"Ning Rongrong! Don't go too far! Even if Teacher made mistakes, it's not your place, you little brat, to point fingers!"