Groudon Can't Fly

Shrek Academy.

A deathly silence enveloped the once high-spirited Shrek Seven Devils.

Ning Rongrong's delicate face gradually flushed red, her lips trembling slightly. Her lively eyes were fixed on the Sky Screen's evaluation of Electrolux, especially the words "deep fusion of Pokemon power and the Spirit Master system," as though she wanted to etch them into her soul.

She thought of the invincible figures of those Pokemon in the Heavenly Pride Arena Tournament, whether it was their bizarre abilities or their absolute power.

Neither was something ordinary Spirit Masters could contend against.

Her Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda... was known as the continent's number one support Martial Soul.

Even though her Innate Soul Power was rank nine, the highest achievement she could attain in this life would be the same as Ning Fengzhi's—forever stuck at rank seventy-nine...

No matter how hard she worked or how many Spirit Rings she acquired, the shackles of her family were like an insurmountable chasm blocking her path.

But now, she had seen another path!

A path that might break through the flaws of her Martial Soul and even grant her formidable combat power!

As a support Spirit Master, the weakness in her combat ability could not be ignored.

But Pokemon perfectly made up for that deficiency.

Once this thought arose, it spread wildly through her heart like a prairie fire.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was a support-oriented sect, and its lack of top-tier combat power had always been its greatest weakness.

If... if the sect could cooperate with the Pokemon World, if every member of the clan could obtain powerful Pokemon companions...

"Rongrong, you..." Oscar keenly noticed the girl's unusual state and spoke with concern.

Ning Rongrong abruptly turned her head, looking at Flender, then Yu Xiaogang, before finally fixing her gaze on Tang San. Her expression was incomparably complicated, filled with guilt and struggle, but even more with the resolve of someone who had made up her mind.

"I'm sorry, Dean, Grandmaster, Third Brother... everyone." Ning Rongrong's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet exceptionally clear. "I... I want to return to the sect. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect needs to consider its future."

She did not say it outright, but everyone present understood what she meant.

Electrolux's example and Qian Renxue's success were like a beacon, illuminating the possibility that support Spirit Master families like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had long desired—the possibility of breaking through their own limitations.

Before the survival of her sect and a possible new future, the bonds of the academy and the team before her seemed to have become things she could abandon.

"Rongrong!" Dai Mubai frowned, trying to dissuade her. "The situation is still unclear. We don't know whether the Pokemon World is friend or foe. It's too dangerous!"

"Precisely because the situation is unclear, we need to find a way out for the sect as early as possible!" Ning Rongrong rarely displayed the decisiveness befitting the young mistress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. "I can't just watch the sect fall behind in the possible upheavals to come, or even... perish."

She gave everyone a deep look, especially Yu Xiaogang, whose gaze was evasive and face grim, as well as Tang San, who had furrowed his brow as if deep in thought. Then she resolutely turned and walked toward the academy gates.

Several Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect guards hidden in the shadows swiftly followed her.

Almost at the same moment Ning Rongrong turned away, another cool and aloof figure moved as well.

Zhu Zhuqing.

She had remained silent all along, but stormy waves churned in her beautiful cat-like eyes as well.

The cruel competition of the Star Luo Empire, the generations-long entanglement between the Zhu and Dai families, her fate as a pawn... what Electrolux and Qian Renxue had shown was the possibility of relying on her own strength and that of her companions to break free from a predetermined fate!

Whether it was her or the current Dai Mubai, no matter how hard they tried, neither could see any hope of defeating the other two.

The appearance of the Pokemon World was the variable.

Unlike Ning Rongrong, she offered no explanation. She merely gave Dai Mubai a slight nod, her gaze calm yet distant, before silently following Ning Rongrong's footsteps.

Her destination might not have been the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but clearly, she too had decided to seek that "other path."

"Zhuqing! Even you..." Dai Mubai's outstretched hand froze in midair, his face turning ashen.

He felt it. Something that had held the team together was quietly crumbling under these successive shocks and temptations.

Ma Hongjun and Oscar looked at each other in bewilderment. Xiao Wu tightly gripped Tang San's arm, her eyes full of worry.

Tang San watched Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's retreating figures, then looked at Electrolux's name on the Sky Screen. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.

His teacher's theories seemed increasingly untenable, his companions were drifting apart due to outside temptations, and the humiliation of his father and sect remained unavenged... an unprecedented confusion and pressure weighed heavily upon his heart.

Flender let out a heavy sigh, adjusted his glasses, and looked toward Yu Xiaogang. The latter merely stared vacantly at the ground, as though he had suddenly aged another ten years.

The Shrek Seven Devils, a group once regarded as the golden generation, had developed their first clear and profound crack under the new shock concerning power and future paths brought about by Electrolux's placement on the list.

And this might only have been the beginning.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Four Lower Sects, the imperial families of the two great empires... the upper echelons of every power were urgently convening meetings at this moment. The central topic was only one: how should they face the "Pokemon-Spirit Master Fusion System," this new variable that might change the continent's landscape? Should they remain wary and reject it, or attempt contact?

Electrolux's placement on the list was not merely a ranking. It was a key that opened the cages in countless hearts, releasing infinite longing and ambition for change, power, and an entirely new future.

Lu Feng stood in the Distortion World, sensing the surging undercurrents across the continent through the Sky Screen. His halo avatar flickered faintly.

"The seeds have been sown." He looked at Electrolux beside him. "Next comes waiting for them to sprout, and... giving them the proper 'watering.'"

Electrolux held his staff, and beneath his hood, the corner of his mouth seemed to lift in the faintest curve. "A very interesting era, isn't it, God Lord? Chaos and opportunity coexist. I look forward to seeing what kind of fruits these 'seeds' will bear."

A new era was crashing down at unprecedented speed amid the cracks of the old order and the ambitions of countless people.

The combat power of a Second-Level God was far too authoritative. The people of Douluo Continent had no thought whatsoever of challenging him.

Electrolux was one of their own, so naturally Lu Feng would not make a move.

This time, the Heavenly Pride Arena Tournament did not even open, and the reward was directly obtained.

Terrifying Divine Power surged through Electrolux and Darkrai, raising their strength by an entire level.

Even Lu Feng could not help clicking his tongue. This reward was truly generous.

He wondered what sort of rewards the top ten would receive.

Just then, the golden light screen in the sky suddenly erupted with seven-colored radiance. Lu Feng watched this bizarre change.

He immediately became alert. He had a feeling that something huge was coming.

[Ranked Tenth: Groudon, God of the Earth, Age 33]

[Evaluation: A God Rank life-form born in the core regions deep beneath the world, continuously growing stronger by absorbing the power of the earth. Wherever his will reaches, land expands and magma surges. His very existence is the manifestation of the earth itself, placing him among the highest ranks even within the vast host of divine beasts. However, constrained by his own laws, soaring through the skies is his eternal regret. Reason for making the list: Can't fly.]

[Reward: Small Divine Domain]

[Defeat a listed individual to seize their reward. There is no limit to the number of challengers. Until the final battle, only the top ten who suppress every opponent may retain their rewards.]