Grandmaster's Special Training

"Is that Dean Flender of Shrek Academy on the Sky Screen supposed to be me?" Flender was only an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy now. He was not yet the Soul Saint he would become decades later; right now, he was merely a Soul Grandmaster.

So when Flender appeared on the Sky Screen, he did not think it was his future self.

It was only after watching more that he noticed the Flender on the Sky Screen had many habits similar to his own.

Eliminating every impossibility, the remaining answer was the truth—the Flender on the Sky Screen really was his future self.

"I can actually cultivate to become a Soul Saint and even found a Soul Master Academy... Future me is incredible!" Unlike Yu Xiaogang, young Flender did not reject the person on the Sky Screen. Instead, he approved of the self who had founded Shrek Academy.

However, he was still young now, just a Soul Grandmaster. He would have to wait several decades before becoming a Soul Saint.

The future was impressive, but he was still far too weak right now.

He could not get carried away.

Lest it affect his future path to becoming a Soul Saint.

The next day.

Having rested until now, the Shrek Academy students had finally recovered.

They came to the academy gates and waited for that day's training.

They had thought Dean Flender would be teaching them, but the one who came was not Flender. It was Grandmaster.

Tang San's eyes immediately lit up upon seeing Grandmaster.

Ever since Tang Hao, that irresponsible cheap father, had left without saying goodbye, Tang San had treated Grandmaster as another cheap father. After all, when he had knelt to become his disciple, he had made that promise: once a teacher, always a father.

"Teacher, you're finally here." Tang San said excitedly.

Without Grandmaster by his side, he had felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.

After all, whenever he wanted Grandmaster to answer his questions, he could not find him anywhere.

Now that Grandmaster had come, the questions that had troubled him for so long could finally be answered.

Tang San could not wait to ask Grandmaster for guidance.

Still, Tang San restrained himself. He had to give Grandmaster some face.

These little monsters of Shrek Academy were all arrogant and proud.

Grandmaster was only a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster. Without Tang San supporting him, he would not have been able to suppress their dissatisfaction.

Fortunately, Tang San was there.

Even if they did not give Grandmaster face, they had to give Tang San face.

Xiao Wu had disliked Grandmaster for a long time. She thought he was a fraud living off a false reputation, and that the Soul Master knowledge he possessed was not even as extensive as hers.

Although Xiao Wu wanted to expose Grandmaster's true colors, Tang San protected him, so she could not expose him at all.

Nor could she expose Grandmaster in front of Tang San.

Because Tang San believed in Grandmaster, and even she could not speak badly of him.

Grandmaster was obviously so weak.

For Tang San's sake, Xiao Wu tried her best not to say anything bad about Grandmaster.

With Tang San backing him up, Grandmaster's standing was secure.

He arranged a new teaching plan. It would begin tomorrow; today would be a day of rest.

"Not good! Everyone, get out of the way!"

At that moment, Tang San noticed something wrong with his body. He shouted to warn everyone to move aside, then found himself unable to stop walking forward.

Eight spider legs emerged from his back again.

Those eight spider legs were also beyond Tang San's control. As they flailed wildly, they scraped Ma Hongjun's arm.

Everyone else managed to dodge.

Only Ma Hongjun, whose arm had been scraped, was unlucky. He fainted on the spot.

Flender recognized the eight spider legs growing from Tang San's back.

They looked very much like the External Soul Bone from the legends.

He looked toward Grandmaster for confirmation, and Grandmaster nodded.

Flender immediately picked up Ma Hongjun and carried him back to the dormitory.

Grandmaster walked over to Tang San and calmed him, guiding him to control the eight spider legs.

Under Grandmaster's patient instruction, Tang San successfully controlled the eight spider legs and retracted them.

Afterward, he went to see Ma Hongjun and used the eight spider legs to detoxify him.

Grandmaster sternly warned Tang San that his eight spider legs were an External Soul Bone. He had to conceal them carefully and avoid exposing them whenever possible.

Tang San understood the seriousness of the matter and promised Grandmaster he would hide the External Soul Bone well.

Grandmaster then asked Tang San about his third Spirit Ability and had him demonstrate its effects so he could arrange his next soul ring.

After Tang San demonstrated his third Spirit Ability, Grandmaster sent him away.

Tang San remembered the deal he had made with Ning Rongrong in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Ning Rongrong wanted to purchase a batch of Godly Zhuge Crossbows.

Tang San did not object. He also wanted to earn money by selling Godly Zhuge Crossbows.

But if he relied on himself alone, he would not have time to cultivate. He would spend all his time forging Godly Zhuge Crossbows.

So Tang San came up with a plan. He separated the Godly Zhuge Crossbow into components, went to Suotuo City to have blacksmiths forge the parts, then brought them back to assemble them.

When evening came, the Shrek Academy students gathered together. Before tomorrow's miserable training began, they held a banquet.

The next day, only Tang San woke up first. He woke the oversleeping Oscar, then went to notify Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.

As for the girls' dormitory, Tang San was not comfortable going over to notify them, but he still forced himself to go.

Fortunately, the girls were far more reliable than they were. By the time Tang San arrived, they were already up.

The group headed to the academy cafeteria together and found Grandmaster acting as the chef.

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Ever since Yu Xiaogang had awakened the bizarre physical Martial Soul known as the Three-Eyed Demon Fox, he had often heard people in the clan mocking him.

Now, because of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Yu Xiaogang's status had risen considerably.

No matter what, the Golden Sacred Dragon was a Martial Soul even stronger than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Yu Xiaogang had not awakened the Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, but he, Flender, and Liu Erlong could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill to recreate the Golden Sacred Dragon.

That meant Yu Xiaogang's descendants might be able to awaken the Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Soul.

Even Yu Xiaogang himself might be able to evolve his Martial Soul from the Three-Eyed Demon Fox into the Golden Sacred Dragon, provided he was given suitable soul rings.

Therefore, before Yu Xiaogang completely lost his value, his status in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan remained very high.

He had originally been the clan leader's son. Even if he was trash, he was still far superior to ordinary people.

Now that he might even produce descendants with the Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Soul, his status had risen even higher.

Yu Xiaogang would enjoy a wonderful future of many children and abundant blessings.

However, he still found the old-man version of himself on the Sky Screen displeasing to look at. Especially now that he had become a cook, he found him even more unbearable.

The food Grandmaster had carefully prepared could replenish the physical strength the Shrek students consumed during training.

Only with a strong body could they absorb soul rings with higher age limits.

After breakfast, Grandmaster led the Shrek students to the academy gates.

He began explaining his rules.

Breakfast would be ready at five in the morning. Anyone who failed to arrive within an hour would not get breakfast.

He then arranged that day's intensified training.

He had Dai Mubai, whose Soul Power level was the highest, step out and knock down the other six without injuring their muscles or bones.

Dai Mubai froze on the spot.

He was supposed to fight Tang San?

Was Grandmaster joking? He had watched Tang San fight in the Star Dou Great Forest and was somewhat intimidated.

Although he had fought Tang San when he met Tang San and Xiao Wu at the Rose Hotel, neither of them had used their full strength then.

He had thought Tang San was weaker than him.

But the experience in the Star Dou Great Forest had made him understand that if Tang San used all his trump cards, then even though Dai Mubai's Soul Power level was higher, he might not be able to defeat Tang San.

Grandmaster had given him a difficult problem.

Just as Dai Mubai was considering how to persuade Grandmaster tactfully, Grandmaster called Tang San out as well and forbade him from using his third soul ring or hidden weapons.

The moment Dai Mubai heard Grandmaster's restrictions on Tang San, he immediately felt capable again.

No hidden weapons, and no third Spirit Ability.

If he still could not beat Tang San, then he would have lived all these years for nothing.

Dai Mubai politely said that it would be unfair for Tang San not to use his third Spirit Ability. He, Dai Mubai, was an honorable man and would never bully the weak with his strength.

Grandmaster had seen Tang San use his third Spirit Ability. He did not think Dai Mubai could still win if Tang San used it.

But since Dai Mubai wanted to broaden his horizons, then he could take a beating.

They were all part of the same team and would fight side by side in the future. It was best for them to learn each other's strengths beforehand, lest problems arise in their future coordination.

Grandmaster told Tang San that he could use his third Spirit Ability.

Dai Mubai felt as though he had lifted a stone only to smash his own foot.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the battle officially began.

One was a level thirty-seven White Tiger assault-type battle Soul Elder.

The other was a level thirty-one Blue Silver Grass control-type battle Soul Elder.

Dai Mubai fought Tang San with outdated notions, only to lose due to his own carelessness.

Unwilling to accept it, he began a second round.

This time, Dai Mubai faced Ma Hongjun and Oscar. With Oscar's support, Dai Mubai was unable to immediately defeat Ma Hongjun.

He stumbled again.

He still had an excuse—he had consumed too much Soul Power fighting Tang San, so that was why he lost.

Grandmaster offered no comment.

He had Tang San fight Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu used Charm and caught Tang San off guard, defeating him.

Grandmaster was even more dissatisfied. He berated Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu from top to bottom.

Grandmaster pointed out every mistake they should not have made.

To make sure they remembered, he gave them a so-called punishment.

Carrying baskets of stones on their backs without using Soul Power, they were to run from the gates of Shrek Academy to the gates of Suotuo City and back, ten times.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had made no mistakes, but they had to accept the punishment as well.

In Grandmaster's words, a group should share blessings and hardships alike.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The moment Madam Ning saw that Ning Rongrong had to accept punishment too, she said angrily, "This is too much! Our Rongrong did nothing wrong, so why should she be punished too?"

Ning Fengzhi curled his lips, feeling rather speechless as he said, "It's to forge team spirit. I think... even if they fail to complete the punishment, as long as they display proper team spirit, they will not be punished."

"You don't care about Rongrong at all." Madam Ning gave Ning Fengzhi a disdainful look.

"I..." Ning Fengzhi had nothing to say.

From the gates of Shrek Academy to the gates of Suotuo City was around seventy or eighty li. Ten trips meant seven or eight hundred li in total.

There was no way they could finish such a long distance.

Before they had even run a third of it, numerous problems arose.

Dai Mubai, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing were doing all right.

Oscar and Ning Rongrong could not keep up.

The physical condition of Support System Soul Masters was already weak, and they were carrying such heavy stones. Before they had even run half the distance, they were exhausted and gasping for breath, unable to pick up speed.

Seeing this, Tang San felt that things could not continue like this.

After discussing it with everyone, they decided to help Oscar and Ning Rongrong lighten their loads.

Each of them took some stones from Oscar and Ning Rongrong, helping to reduce their burden and making things easier for them.

With everyone's help, Ning Rongrong and Oscar were no longer holding the team back.

But Tang San and the others had heavier burdens.

After running like that seven times, they finally could not endure any longer.

In the end, they could not even run. They could only walk slowly.

By evening, they returned to the gates of Shrek Academy. They had not completed the ten rounds and still lacked two.

But none of them could go on. One after another, they fainted.

Grandmaster called Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the other teachers over to carry Tang San and the others back to their dormitories.

After Flender returned from delivering them, he came before Grandmaster. "You arranged something like this right from the start. Isn't that too severe? Wouldn't gradual progress be better?"

Grandmaster calmly said, "I never expected them to complete ten rounds. As long as they show unity, refuse to abandon one another, and refuse to give up, I will consider them to have passed."

Flender suddenly understood. "I see. You did this to cultivate their teamwork."

Grandmaster said, "Yes. Once their basic training is over, their advanced training can be moved to the Great Soul Arena."

Flender smiled. "I already took them to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City to fight soul battles."

Grandmaster said, "Well done, but it was not good to send them into soul battles right from the start. They should first undergo basic training, and their academic lessons must also be made up."

Flender said, "Xiao Gang, I'll leave them to you."

Grandmaster felt that Flender wanted to dump the responsibility on him, but he was happy to take it. As long as he cultivated the Shrek Seven Devils, his great name would spread through the Soul Master world once more.

There were no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters.

His cultivation talent might be poor, but as the invincible theory Grandmaster, he could cultivate powerful Soul Masters.

Grandmaster could not rely on himself now, so he wanted to rely on his disciples to make a name for him.

He had accepted Tang San as his disciple precisely to build his own reputation.

In a sense, Tang San was also one of Grandmaster's test subjects, used to verify whether some of his theories were feasible.

And Tang San had happened to succeed in the end.

Even though that success had little to do with Grandmaster.

He still shamelessly claimed credit for it.

Three months passed like this, and the basic training finally came to an end. The Shrek Seven Devils had also been completely transformed.

They were given a holiday, and each had their own plans.

As soon as the holiday began, Ma Hongjun ran off to Suotuo City to find his confidante and relieve the effects of the evil fire plaguing him.

Tang San also went to Suotuo City to collect the parts he had commissioned from the blacksmith's shop.

As for Xiao Wu, she called Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong along and headed to Suotuo City to go shopping.

That night, everyone returned to Shrek Academy.

Ma Hongjun had been beaten so badly that even his great-grandmother would not have recognized him.

He was now sobbing as he begged Dai Mubai for help.

After Tang San and the others returned, they all came over out of curiosity to watch the show.

After Dai Mubai learned why Ma Hongjun had been beaten, he decided to seek justice for him.

That very night, the group returned to Suotuo City, intending to trouble Bu Le, the four-ring Soul Ancestor who had bullied Ma Hongjun.

Although the strongest student at Shrek Academy was only Dai Mubai, a thirty-seventh-rank Soul Elder, they also had someone like Tang San, who could use hidden weapons. Dealing with a four-ring Soul Ancestor would be easy, would it not?

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had no interest in helping Ma Hongjun seek justice.

Neither of them planned to get involved.

Only Xiao Wu was eager to give it a try. She thought that if they went to seek justice from a four-ring Soul Ancestor, the other party certainly would not be willing, and a fight would inevitably follow.

After advancing to a three-ring Soul Elder, she found sparring with her own people unsatisfying. Now that she could fight an outsider, even if he was a four-ring Soul Ancestor, she had nothing to fear.

If she truly could not beat him, she could simply summon her Third Brother.

As long as Third Brother still regarded her as his most important little sister, he would never allow her to be hurt.