Waiting and Moving Forward

"The old one can't be thrown away either."

Flender's tone remained calm, but it carried an unquestionable seriousness.

"Every Shrek Academy uniform was made with money. We can't just throw them out casually. Send it to the tailor today for repairs. The academy will pay."

Dai Mubai looked at him.

Flender's expression did not change at all. He sounded casual, as though he had merely mentioned it in passing.

But Dai Mubai had seen too many people in the imperial palace. He knew that what a person said and what they truly meant were often two different things.

Flender was not simply reluctant to part with the uniform—though he was reluctant. More importantly, it was an attitude of "if something is broken, repair it; once it's repaired, keep using it."

Do not waste. Do not squander. Do not discard things carelessly.

That was also part of Shrek.

"I'll go get Little Oscar to change."

After saying that, Flender turned and left.

Dai Mubai placed the uniform on the table and looked at the neatly folded dark blue fabric.

Brand-new, smooth, with gleaming brass buttons.

Every stitch and thread in this uniform was proof of how this academy had gone from being dirt poor to gradually improving.

Flender could not bear to throw it away not because he was stingy, but because he could not bear to forget.

Dai Mubai folded the uniform properly, held it in his arms, and walked out of the dormitory.

When Oscar emerged in his new uniform, he looked far more spirited.

The new uniform had been pressed perfectly straight. Its dark blue stand-up collar framed the youth's handsome face, while the double row of brass buttons gleamed in the morning sunlight. The metal fittings on the epaulets and collar insignia reflected faint glimmers of light.

Standing there in that outfit, he radiated energy from head to toe.

"Ma Hongjun, do I look handsome?"

Oscar spun around in front of Ma Hongjun.

Ma Hongjun gave him a thorough once-over.

"The clothes look pretty handsome."

"What about me?"

"If the clothes look handsome, that's enough."

"...Are you asking for a beating?"

"Can you beat me?"

Oscar opened his mouth, recalling how he had charged around fearlessly against Dai Mubai yesterday, yet had been completely unable to get close to Ma Hongjun because of his flight and long-range attacks.

He could not beat him. He really could not.

Oscar chose to keep quiet.

Dai Mubai stood to one side watching the two bicker, and the corner of his lips twitched slightly.

Breakfast had been made by Teacher Shao Xin.

Rice porridge, meat buns, scrambled eggs, cold side dishes, and one boiled egg per person—it was so lavish that it hardly seemed like breakfast at an academy.

It was Dai Mubai's first time eating breakfast at Shrek Academy. He held his bowl and stared at it for quite a while.

In the Star Luo Empire's imperial palace, breakfast consisted of a table full of delicacies from land and sea. There were seven or eight kinds of pastries alone, but every item was so refined that it barely seemed like food. Eating there did not feel like having a meal; it felt like performing some sort of ritual.

But breakfast here was different.

The rice porridge was thick and rich, the meat buns had generous fillings and thin skins, and the scrambled eggs were golden and enticing.

Everything was simple and solid, making one feel that eating was simply eating.

He had three bowls of porridge, four meat buns, a plate of scrambled eggs, and two boiled eggs.

Zhao Wuji watched from the side and could not help remarking, "This kid can eat pretty well too."

After breakfast, Flender gathered everyone at the training ground.

Morning light spilled across the bluestone floor, casting a faint white sheen.

The dark blue flags around the training ground fluttered gently in the breeze, their golden emblems appearing and disappearing beneath the sunlight.

Flender stood before the group with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the three people before him—Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Dai Mubai.

The three youths stood side by side, all wearing dark blue uniforms. Though they differed in height and build, they shared the same vigor.

"Today, we're discussing serious matters."

Flender got straight to the point without any nonsense.

"Ma Hongjun and Little Oscar have both broken through Rank 30 and are now Soul Elders. Once they acquire their third Soul Rings, their Soul Power will stabilize above Rank 30."

His gaze fell upon Dai Mubai.

"Dai Mubai, you are currently at the peak of Rank 29, only half a step away from Rank 30. How long do you think you'll need to break through?"

Dai Mubai did not answer immediately.

He closed his eyes and sensed the Soul Power within his body.

The Soul Power flowing through his meridians was already close to saturation, like water in a cup about to overflow.

For that final step, what he lacked was not more training, but something indescribable.

It might be an opportunity, a moment of enlightenment, or perhaps simply a little more time.

"Within half a month."

"By then, I'll also happen to be eleven years old."

Dai Mubai opened his eyes.

"At most, no more than twenty days."

Flender's brows shifted slightly.

That was faster than he had expected. It seemed Dai Mubai had indeed been cultivating diligently during this period, and his Soul Power foundation was already extremely solid.

"Ma Hongjun. Little Oscar."

Flender turned toward Ma Hongjun and Oscar.

"You two have already broken through Rank 30, but you have yet to obtain your third Soul Rings. If we wait until Dai Mubai breaks through Rank 30, the three of you can go acquire your third Soul Rings together, and we won't need to make a second trip. What do you think?"

Ma Hongjun thought for a moment, then glanced at Dai Mubai.

"I'll wait."

"This period will be perfect for strengthening ourselves and preparing to hunt higher-year Soul Rings for our third rings. Building a solid foundation is a good thing."

There was no hesitation in that crisp, decisive answer.

Dai Mubai froze slightly when he heard those two words.

He had thought Ma Hongjun might reluctantly agree to wait, or perhaps directly say, "I won't wait," and tell Dai Mubai to go hunt his Soul Ring once he broke through.

After all, waiting for someone else brought no benefit to oneself. It would only waste time and delay one's cultivation progress.

But Ma Hongjun's reaction was completely different from what he had expected.

No hesitation, no reluctance, no pause to weigh the pros and cons.

Just two clean, decisive words: "I'll wait."

Dai Mubai opened his mouth to say something, but Oscar spoke before he could.

"I'll wait too."

Oscar's tone was as decisive as Ma Hongjun's.

"This is a good time to train our bodies. We're still young, and we have plenty of time. There's no need to rush."

Listening to that, Dai Mubai felt that something was not quite right.

When Ma Hongjun said, "I'll wait," it was simply because he handled matters cleanly and decisively.

But when Oscar said, "I'll wait," why did it sound as if Dai Mubai were taking advantage of him?

"Then it's settled."

Flender made the final decision, giving Dai Mubai no chance to refuse.

"Dai Mubai, I'm giving you twenty days to break through Rank 30. Then the three of you will go acquire your third Soul Rings together."

"Yes."

Flender continued, "For these twenty days, Zhao Wuji will take charge of your daily training. He'll make the arrangements."

Dai Mubai looked at Zhao Wuji, who grinned, revealing a smile that sent a chill down his back.

Dai Mubai suddenly felt that breaking through Rank 30 within half a month might not be the hardest part.

"Ma Hongjun and Little Oscar, your training will continue as usual. You can start considering targets for your third Soul Rings over the next few days. We'll discuss them together, and once we decide, we'll set off directly."

Flender's gaze lingered on Ma Hongjun for an extra moment.

"Ma Hongjun, you've got plenty of clever tricks in that head. Do some research in advance."

"Understood, Teacher."

"Alright, that's all for today. Zhao Wuji, take Dai Mubai to warm up. Everyone else, train at your own pace."

Zhao Wuji walked over and looked down at Dai Mubai.

"Kid, I heard you're a prince of the Star Luo Empire?"