The candidates for the Shrek Seven Devils remained the same as in the original story.
Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Chen Zifeng, Yao Haoxuan, Gongyang Mo, and Xi Xi.
However, Cai Mei'er added three more reserve members, and Ning Que was one of them.
Even though Ye Guyi had not participated in the competition, Cai Mei'er still added her to the roster.
Besides those two, there was also a man named Zhao Long, whose martial soul was the Vajra Bear—a level 51 Power Attack System Soul King.
As for the Seven Devils' reserves, three additional spots had likewise been added.
In addition to Ning Tian, Jin Sheng, Wu Feng, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong, Xie Huanyue, and Nanmen Yun'er, Cai Mei'er also added Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Zhu Lu, who was now Dai Yueheng's fiancée, to the reserve roster.
Clearly, Zhu Lu had been added to ease Dai Yueheng's resentment after being injured by Ma Xiaotao.
"Not only did he inherit his younger brother's position as the White Tiger Duke, but he also inherited his younger brother's fiancée?"
Ning Que looked at Dai Yueheng and Zhu Lu ahead of the group, finding the matter rather amusing.
Everyone knew Zhu Lu was Dai Huabin's devoted lapdog.
In other words, she was hopelessly love-struck!
Something like this might not have meant much in other worlds.
But this was Love Continent!
Because of this trivial nonsense, far too many things had happened on this continent.
Zhu Lu's family genuinely had her best interests at heart. They wanted to give her someone to rely on and a better life, yet in Zhu Lu's eyes, they were harming her and obstructing her pursuit of love.
Dai Yueheng had turned himself into a lapdog to achieve his own goals.
He took care of Zhu Lu in every possible way and left nothing unattended to, yet Zhu Lu did not appreciate it in the slightest.
Reality was just that melodramatic and absurd.
Perhaps Ning Que's gaze had been too direct, completely undisguised. Dai Yueheng noticed it and turned around to glance back at him.
Then, this full-grown man actually revealed a rare, bashful smile.
Ning Que was genuinely stunned.
At the same time, he admired him.
Although Dai Yueheng had hidden it well, Ning Que's spiritual power allowed him to sense the viciousness buried deep within his eyes.
He was indulging Zhu Lu. He was enduring Zhu Lu.
That made Ning Que think more highly of him. If Dai Yueheng could survive Xuan Zi, perhaps he could cooperate with this ambitious man someday.
"Pick up the pace!"
Just as Ning Que was lost in thought, Xuan Zi's distinctly dissatisfied voice rang out.
Xuan Zi had already found Ning Que deeply unpleasant. Seeing him bring a Title Douluo along while carrying out an academy mission only made it worse.
It was plainly a sign that Ning Que did not trust him.
He was a mighty level 98 Super Douluo. Could anything possibly go wrong while he led a group of students on a supervisory mission?
Ning Que naturally noticed Xuan Zi's faint dissatisfaction and hostility, but he paid it no mind.
Before long, the group arrived at the Mingdou Mountain Range. As half a host here, Dai Yueheng eagerly arranged lodging, supplies, and everything else.
During this break, Xuan Zi went to find Jin Heng.
"You may escort them no farther than this. What comes next is a trial for these children. Without experiencing hardship, how can they grow? What right would they have to become Shrek students?"
Xuan Zi's tone was utterly domineering and left no room for doubt.
He was not negotiating. He was issuing an order.
"Are you sure you can keep these children safe?"
Facing Xuan Zi, whose strength far surpassed his own, Jin Heng showed no fear. His words were equally unrestrained.
Having stayed in Shrek City for so long, he had heard plenty about how unreliable this man was.
Whether it was the Young Master or his grandson, they were people he would protect with his life at any cost. To be honest, he truly could not rest easy leaving them under Xuan Zi's protection.
"If I cannot protect them when real danger appears, what could one more person like you possibly change?"
Hearing such provocative words, Xuan Zi flew into a rage.
If Mu En had not repeatedly warned him not to clash with the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, then based on Jin Heng's words alone, he would have taught him a lesson.
He would make him understand that Shrek's ten-thousand-year glory could not be challenged.
"Elder Jin, that's enough."
Just as Jin Heng was about to say more, Ning Que's voice sounded in his mind.
"Remember your promise!"
Jin Heng spoke coldly, forcibly suppressing his urge to continue clashing with Xuan Zi.
If the Young Master had not made plans for this matter, he would have accompanied them no matter what.
Seeing Jin Heng back down and swallow the insult, the anger on Xuan Zi's face finally faded somewhat.
He then led them toward the target of this trip: the extermination of Evil Soul Masters.
As one of the Shrek Seven Devils' reserve members and also their senior, Ning Que naturally followed Ma Xiaotao and the others inside first.
Ning Que had naturally warned his younger sister, Jin Sheng, and the others long in advance, and had equipped each of them with defensive Soul Tools.
"Doesn't this corpse seem a little strange?"
Zhao Long, another of the Seven Devils' reserve members, vaguely sensed that something was wrong and could not help reminding them.
This surprised Ning Que. This reserve member, who seemed less gifted than the others, had actually managed to see some clues.
"According to the intelligence, the bandit leader is only a Soul King. What threat could he possibly pose to us?"
"If you're afraid, you can stay at the very back of the group."
Ma Xiaotao paid no attention at all to Zhao Long's warning.
To put it bluntly, this mission was merely meant to give the younger students a demonstration. There was nothing difficult about it.
They had dealt with more troublesome Evil Soul Masters than this and easily resolved more dangerous situations. What was there to fear from a mere Soul King-level Evil Soul Master?
"Her emotions are a little off?"
Ning Que's spiritual power constantly covered the surroundings, and he keenly sensed that something was wrong with Ma Xiaotao's condition.
During this period, Guyi had not been helping her suppress her evil fire. Combined with Ma Xiaotao's repeated attempts to break through to the Soul Sage realm, the evil fire within her, already agitated and restless, had multiplied at an alarming rate.
Furthermore, being in this place had affected her through the environment. Although Ma Xiaotao had not lost her reason to the evil fire, she had still been influenced by it to some extent, which was why she had become so reckless.
Most importantly, Huo Yuhao was not in the group this time.
Although their leading teacher, Wang Yan, had just given them a warning, hardly anyone took it to heart.
In the end, Wang Yan was simply too weak.
His words were not enough to convince them.
"Jin Sheng, have everyone slow down and activate their defensive Soul Tools."
After successfully capturing the aura of the strongest Soul King in history, Ning Que immediately transmitted his voice to Jin Sheng with spiritual power.
Jin Sheng did not know why, but he obeyed the Young Master's orders without question.
Just as Ning Que finished his transmission, they finally came face-to-face with the enemy.
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