Inside Suotuo City's most luxurious hotel, the members of the Heaven Dou Royal Team were resting and chatting.
Qin Ming pushed open the door.
"I'm going to visit Dean Flender and the others at Shrek Academy. Anyone want to come?"
Yu Feng groaned. "I'd scare people half to death if I went looking like this!"
Osler and the Shi Mo brothers all shook their heads.
Dugu Yan didn't even look up.
"I'm not going."
"Teacher Qin," Chen Jieqi said at just the right moment.
"I'll go with you. I'd also like to see for myself who the opponents were that drove us into such a desperate corner."
Qin Ming fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
What Chen Jieqi hadn't said was that the person he wanted to see wasn't an ordinary opponent.
It was Tang San, the continent's universally acknowledged Child of Destiny, a soul from another world.
Blue Silver Grass? It was nothing more than a disguise.
He knew it wasn't a Trash Spirit at all, but a seed sealed by bloodline, waiting for the day it would awaken and break through the soil.
It was laughable that Yu Xiaogang had spent his days studying Trash Spirit theories with this "seed" right in front of him, yet failed to see the truth.
Tang San's ability to cultivate Blue Silver Grass to this level had never been thanks to Yu Xiaogang. It came entirely from the Martial Soul's own potential.
He was a transmigrator, so he wouldn't blindly worship authority.
But precisely because he was a transmigrator, he needed a sense of belonging more than anyone.
What Yu Xiaogang had given him wasn't a theory, but a "home." To shake his faith, he first had to make Tang San feel that this home wasn't safe enough.
Chen Jieqi's task was to make Tang San start doubting on his own.
If Blue Silver Grass really was a Trash Spirit, how had he made it this far?
If it wasn't, then what did the theories his teacher revered as gospel amount to?
Whatever Tang San chose, his trust in Yu Xiaogang would be shaken.
That was the move he had laid out.
The gates of Shrek Academy were even more dilapidated than Chen Jieqi had expected.
Qin Ming stood frozen at the entrance for a long while.
"When I graduated, the gate looked just like this."
With that, he pushed it open and went inside.
Seeing him, Flender laughed and scolded, "You little rascal. So you do remember the way back."
Qin Ming greeted them in turn. "Dean Flender, Teacher Zhao, Grandmaster."
Chen Jieqi stood half a step behind. His gaze swept over Flender and Zhao Wuji, then passed Yu Xiaogang by as if he were no more than an insignificant ornament.
He gave a slight bow. "Dean Flender, Teacher Zhao. I've heard a great deal about you."
He offered Yu Xiaogang no greeting, no title, not even the slightest acknowledgment.
Flender's brows lifted slightly, and his gaze lingered on Chen Jieqi for a moment longer.
The corner of Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched. This kid was pretty arrogant.
But he hadn't been discourteous, so no one could fault him.
A trace of helplessness crossed Flender's eyes. He could see clearly that the boy wasn't ignorant of etiquette; he was doing it deliberately.
The group headed toward the back courtyard when Ning Rongrong suddenly rushed out of a room and stared straight at Chen Jieqi.
"You're Chen Jieqi?"
"I am."
"So it really is you!"
Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed red.
"My dad talks about you all the time. You're not even twelve, and you're already a Soul Ancestor! I've heard it so often I could scream! That's why I refused to go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I just had to come to Shrek!"
Chen Jieqi's expression remained calm.
"I'm sure Sect Master Ning told you other things too, like why you didn't want to go to Heaven Dou.
"He keeps talking about you because he hopes you'll do even better.
"You came to Shrek and found your own path. What's there to criticize?"
Ning Rongrong froze, then stepped aside in frustration, muttering under her breath,
"What's so impressive about being a Soul Ancestor at twelve..."
Chen Jieqi didn't turn around, but the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
Inside the recovery room, the Shrek Seven Devils were sitting or lying down, their injuries not yet healed.
Chen Jieqi stood quietly to one side, his gaze passing over each of them before finally settling on Tang San for a moment.
As Xiao Wu walked past him, her steps suddenly slowed.
Chen Jieqi noticed from the corner of his eye and discreetly let a faintly warm aura seep from the holy-light imprint between his brows.
This pure, divine energy held a natural allure for Soul Beasts.
"You..." Xiao Wu stared at him.
"Were you the person outside the Spirit Fighting Arena that night?"
Chen Jieqi put on a suitably surprised expression.
"You remember me?"
"Your aura is very special. It's warm and comfortable."
Xiao Wu leaned closer, curiously eyeing the imprint between his brows.
"Can I touch it?"
Chen Jieqi lowered his eyes to look at her. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, and still so innocent.
What a pity...
Yet his face remained completely impassive.
"Sure. Just once."
Xiao Wu lightly touched it with her fingertip. A golden glimmer danced, and her eyes lit up further.
"It really is warm."
For an instant, a faint trace of doubt passed through her eyes.
She couldn't explain what she was feeling. Was it warmth?
But the warmth felt a little too deliberate. Still, she didn't think much of it. After spending so much time with Third Brother, she'd grown used to never doubting the people around her.
Chen Jieqi took in her reaction.
She wasn't very vigilant, let her feelings guide her, and was deeply bound to Tang San.
Voluntary sacrifice? That was no longer possible.
He reached a conclusion. That path was closed.
Then all he could do was... take it himself once the time was right.
Tang San sat in a corner, his fingers clenching and unclenching. He immediately stood and stepped between Xiao Wu and Chen Jieqi.
They were less than two paces apart. Tang San was half a head shorter, but his presence was no weaker.
"Chen Jieqi."
"Tang San."
"How old are you?"
"Twelve."
"A Soul Ancestor?"
"Yes."
The room fell utterly silent.
Dai Mubai looked up, Oscar's eyes widened, and Ma Hongjun blurted out,
"What kind of monster is this..."
Tang San's heart sank. They were the same age, yet he was only at level thirty-two, and his Blue Silver Grass could be easily burned through by lightning.
Chen Jieqi suddenly spoke.
"Honestly, I've seen countless geniuses, but you're the only one who's managed to cultivate Blue Silver Grass to such a level and make it this strong."
His expression was utterly sincere, but his mind was as calm as still water.
"Everyone knows Blue Silver Grass is a Trash Spirit. Yet with its control and poison, you forced a level-thirty-nine Power Attack System Soul Elder to use his Third Spirit Ability.
"That isn't talent. It's the result of countless hours of hard training and fighting."
"I became a Soul Ancestor at twelve, but that was only because I had an advantage in my Martial Soul and Spirit Rings.
"But you turned a single blade of grass into a weapon that the Imperial Fighting Team feared. If we swapped Martial Souls, I might not have been able to do what you did."
He didn't need to disparage Blue Silver Grass. He only needed to lead Tang San to wonder:
Without Hidden Weapons, movement techniques, and the Eight Spider Lances, how far could he get with Blue Silver Grass alone?
Worse still, Tang San would never learn the truth about the Blue Silver Emperor. The harder he worked, the more tightly he would be bound by the shackles of his "Trash Spirit."
And Chen Jieqi only needed to watch from the sidelines.
Xiao Wu's eyes grew warm. She felt that everything the young man had said was true.
Tang San looked straight at Chen Jieqi, his eyes softening slightly.
He pressed Xiao Wu back into her seat, but Ning Rongrong sidled up to Chen Jieqi and lowered her voice.
"Are you really a Soul Ancestor? How many rings?"
"I'd rather not say."
Chen Jieqi shook his head gently.
She asked again in a small voice,
"Did my dad ever mention me to you?"
"He did. He said you were gifted, but a little spoiled."
"Did he say bad things about me too?"
Ning Rongrong blushed.
"They weren't bad things. He was worried about you."
Chen Jieqi lowered his voice until only the two of them could hear.
"You chose the right path. Shrek might be the place that suits you best. Sect Master Ning might not say it out loud, but he must be proud of you."
Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened. "Why are you telling me this?"
Chen Jieqi looked at her.
"Because you're Ning Rongrong, not because your surname is Ning."
Ning Rongrong froze, finally understanding why her father always praised him so highly.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Watching her expression, Chen Jieqi thought,
This ought to get back to Ning Fengzhi, right...
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang walked forward, his expression dark.
"You looked down on them just now. Do you think a Trash Spirit like Blue Silver Grass has no future? Do you think these children are useless, and even question the direction Tang San is taking in his cultivation?"
Chen Jieqi lifted his eyes, his tone steady.
"Grandmaster, I've never thought Blue Silver Grass had no future.
"But I do want to ask you: did you choose Tang San's Blue Silver Grass for him?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed. "No."
"Did you teach him his Hidden Weapons, movement techniques, or eye techniques?"
Yu Xiaogang was struck dumb.
"He made it this far not because of your theories, but because he's strong enough on his own."
Chen Jieqi looked at Tang San.
"You trust him, so he deserves your trust.
"But don't confuse 'trust' with 'being right.'"
Tang San clenched his fists, his breathing quickening.
"I don't need you to teach me. My path and my Martial Soul were chosen by my teacher. They can't be wrong!"
Chen Jieqi smiled faintly.
"When I said you were impressive, I meant it.
"When I said I might not be able to do what you did if we swapped Martial Souls, I meant that too.
"But Blue Silver Grass has a limit. That's true as well."
"You didn't lose to Yu Tianheng because you were weak. You lost because Blue Silver Grass is countered by lightning.
"You'll encounter more natural enemies in the future. Can you really rely on Hidden Weapons, movement techniques, and the Eight Spider Lances to win every time?"
"You don't have to believe me, but you can't pretend the question doesn't exist."
When he finished speaking, Chen Jieqi gave Flender and Zhao Wuji a slight nod, then turned to leave.
As he passed Yu Xiaogang, he didn't even glance at him. He kept walking and went straight out the door.
Inside the room, Tang San stood frozen in place.
He wanted to argue, but realized that every word was true.
Blue Silver Grass withered at the touch of fire. Without the trump cards he'd brought from the Tang Sect, he would have lost long ago.
The image of a twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor and Chen Jieqi's words kept circling through his mind.
A trace of doubt about Yu Xiaogang pricked at Tang San's heart like a fine needle, impossible to shake.
He even remembered his father's drunken muttering: the Clear Sky Hammer was the greatest Martial Soul in the world.
Yu Xiaogang stood in the corner, his shoulders trembling, his heart filled with fear.
He was afraid Chen Jieqi was right, afraid the theories he'd devoted his life to would collapse, and even more afraid he'd ruin Tang San.
Flender gazed toward the doorway and sighed softly.
"That kid's even craftier than Qin Ming was back then.
He praised them first, then struck. Every word was reasonable, and every blow landed right on Tang San and Yu Xiaogang's hearts."
Zhao Wuji nodded.
"But not a single thing he said was false."
Outside the village, Qin Ming caught up with Chen Jieqi.
"You shouldn't have said those things."
"Maybe not."
Chen Jieqi looked back at the dilapidated gates of Shrek.
"But someone had to say them."
Qin Ming was silent for a moment.
"Those last things you said—did you really mean them?"
Chen Jieqi didn't answer right away.
The night wind blew in from the street, carrying the chill of early autumn.
"I meant them," he said.
"But sometimes the truth hurts more than a lie."
Qin Ming looked at him, feeling that this twelve-year-old student was more frightening than any opponent.
Chen Jieqi turned and headed toward Suotuo City.
The seed had been planted.
He didn't need Tang San to come to his senses now. He only needed to wait until Blue Silver Grass was backed into a corner in the future, so Tang San would remember what he'd said today, begin to doubt for himself, make his own choice, and turn toward the hidden Clear Sky Hammer.
As for Xiao Wu... He lowered his eyes, a cold glint passing through them.
Now he understood.
She was innocent and emotional, utterly devoted to Tang San.
Someone like her would never "offer herself willingly."
He made his judgment: this path wouldn't work.
Then all he could do was... wait until the time was right, and claim her value!
Tang San was too weak. Killing her wouldn't provoke enough "backlash from fate." The time wasn't right yet.
But one day, when he had everything ready,
he would take that Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring with his own hands.
There was no rush.
He could afford to play this game.