Jiang Huai and the others left the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena. They had no plans to watch the upcoming team matches; none of the teams looked like they could put up a fight.
But the Heaven Dou Crown Prince called out to them. Jiang Huai and the others turned around and saw a refined, gentle-looking man dressed in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's crown prince attire.
The Heaven Dou Crown Prince walked up to Jiang Huai and said, "You must be Brother Jiang Huai, captain of the Shrek Academy Team?"
Jiang Huai nodded. "May I ask who you are?"
Xue Qinghe smiled and introduced himself. "I'm Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
At that, Jiang Huai and the others immediately saluted. Only Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing did not. By rank, Dai Mubai was the third prince of the Star Luo Empire, equal in standing to the Heaven Dou Crown Prince. Zhu Zhuqing was Dai Mubai's future consort, so her standing was equal as well.
Jiang Huai himself did not need to salute, either, but he still did not know his own identity.
Only the older generation at Shrek—Flender, Zhao Wuji, Yu Xiaogang, and a few other senior teachers—knew Jiang Huai's identity. None of the others did.
Yu Xiaogang wondered why Xue Qinghe had come to see Jiang Huai. Flender, meanwhile, had dollar signs in his eyes; his thoughts of making money were already running wild.
Xue Qinghe helped Jiang Huai up after he saluted and said, "There's no need for such formalities."
That made Gu Yue suspicious. Standing beside Jiang Huai, she had the feeling that Xue Qinghe meant no good. His presence also gave off an aura she disliked.
As a woman, Xiao Wu felt the same way. She had a faint dislike of Xue Qinghe, too.
Soon, they said goodbye to Xue Qinghe and returned to Shrek. Yu Xiaogang told Jiang Huai that it was fine to maintain friendly relations with Xue Qinghe, but he should not get too close to him.
Jiang Huai nodded. Soon, everyone began resting in preparation for the afternoon's matches.
Yu Xiaogang went with Qin Ming to the Great Soul Arena to watch the upcoming matches, while Jiang Huai and the others either cultivated or rested.
At this point, Jiang Huai and Tang San went to the hills behind the school. Jiang Huai said to Tang San, "Xiao San, Blue Silver Grass has an innate ability to control. You should have felt it, too. All four of your Soul Rings rejected you, right?"
Tang San nodded. "That's right, Brother Huai. What should I do?"
Jiang Huai told Tang San to sit cross-legged and focus his mind on sensing the bloodline within his body.
Tang San sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, sensing his bloodline. Suddenly, he saw a blue-haired woman in a pale blue dress gently touching his face.
Tang San suddenly understood, though his Martial Soul did not awaken. The power of his bloodline had raised his Martial Soul to the level of the Blue Silver King.
Tang San's first four Soul Skills did not change, but they gained additional effects, including recovery and holy light.
Jiang Huai told him to keep his mind focused. Before long, Tang San entered a state of enlightenment and began cultivating on his own.
Blue Silver Grass sprang up all around him. Jiang Huai asked, "Xiao San, how do you feel?"
Tang San opened his hands. "I feel warm."
Tang San began cultivating in the hills, and Jiang Huai left to cultivate on his own.
Yu Xiaogang and Qin Ming returned that afternoon. Yu Xiaogang brought the latest news: after the first match of the qualifiers, their opponents for the afternoon had forfeited.
Qin Ming told Jiang Huai to get the team ready for tomorrow's match. Their opponents would be very strong, so they needed to be ready to change tactics at any moment.
After dinner, Jiang Huai organized everyone and led them to the training grounds. Every day, they had to be in their best condition to face new opponents.
Jiang Huai led them in laps around Shrek Academy's track. From time to time, female students stopped to watch. They were looking at Dai Mubai, but also at Jiang Huai.
Jiang Huai and Dai Mubai were already recognized as the two most handsome boys at Shrek Academy, while Gu Yue, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu were regarded as its three most beautiful girls.
Those men did not dare hope to win Gu Yue's affection, because her boyfriend, Jiang Huai, was the strongest person at the school.
Soon, everyone dispersed and returned to their dorms to wash up. Jiang Huai went back to his own dorm, took a shower, changed into his nightclothes, and lay down.
Time flew by...
The next morning
Everyone from the Shrek Academy Team gathered in the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena's waiting room. They were waiting for Yu Xiaogang and Qin Ming to bring back the name of the day's opponents.
Jiang Huai stood in front of the nameplates for the teams that had advanced the day before. He had no idea which team they would face next.
Just then, Yu Xiaogang opened the door and walked in, with Qin Ming following him and closing the door behind him. Yu Xiaogang told Jiang Huai and the others that their opponent that morning would be Elephant Armored Academy.
Yu Xiaogang then repeated what he had said the day before, advising Jiang Huai and the others to forfeit the match.
At that, Jiang Huai gripped the chalk in his hand so hard that it punched a hole in the blackboard.
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath. Yu Xiaogang felt a chill run down his back. None of them had ever seen chalk pierce a blackboard before.
To ease the tension, Dai Mubai asked the others whether they wanted to fight. They all said they did, and Flender pushed up his glasses and nodded.
Yu Xiaogang looked grim and was about to stop them, but then he met Jiang Huai's murderous gaze. Jiang Huai said coldly, "If Shrek forfeits every time we face a strong opponent, what will the world think of us?"
When Jiang Huai said the words "the world," an imperial bearing emerged around him. Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and the others shuddered, because they saw in Jiang Huai the figure of the powerful ruler of the former Jiang Kingdom.
And so, the team chose to fight. Jiang Huai picked the lineup. "Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, Tai Long, and Jiang Zhu—you seven will compete. Mubai, Zhuqing, if things go wrong, use Martial Soul Fusion immediately to end the match. Tang San, you'll direct the team during the fight."
The seven stood up in high spirits and shouted, "Understood!"
A short while later, Jiang Huai led everyone from Shrek out of the waiting room. He took them down the corridor, passing several other academies.
The three core members of Skywater Academy—Shui Bing'er, Xue Wu, and Shui Yue'er—stared at Jiang Huai without looking away.
When they entered the area where the competitors waited, Jiang Huai patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Remember! Blue Silver Grass has always had the ability to control. You absorbed four control-type Soul Rings, so your control ability will be impossible for them to withstand!"
After that, Flender, Liu Erlong, Yu Xiaogang, and Qin Ming stayed behind. Jiang Huai took those who weren't competing out of the waiting area and headed for the VIP stands.
There were five seats in the VIP section. Flender, Liu Erlong, Qin Ming, and Yu Xiaogang took four of them, and Jiang Huai sat in the fifth. The others stood to watch the match, but Gu Yue wasn't going to stand obediently. She sat right on Jiang Huai's lap to watch. The others said nothing and focused on waiting for the match to begin.
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