Don't Lead Stelle Astray

Oscar's eyes went wide when he saw his name ranked ninth on the Genius Ranking, his face filled with delighted surprise.

But the very next second, he keenly sensed the aura radiating from Dai Mubai beside him.

That faint displeasure was practically solidifying.

He knew perfectly well that his strength was still insignificant. Even if he had luckily ranked above Dai Mubai, he did not dare act even slightly presumptuous.

He could only wear a fawning smile and rub Dai Mubai's shoulders even more diligently as he said,

"Boss Dai, how could I possibly compare to you? Look at the earlier introduction—you've used immortal herbs!"

"I guess I only barely surpassed you in talent this time because of my age. I'm just a few years younger than you, Boss Dai!"

"Besides, Tang San's immortal herbs are an enormous bonus for all of us!"

Oscar's explanation was flawless, and Dai Mubai's tense expression immediately cleared.

At the same time, Dai Mubai's gaze fell upon Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun beside him, and he sank into thought.

The Sky Screen had already made it clear that this ranking was not based purely on strength, but took many factors into account, including age and talent.

With that in mind, all his doubts were resolved.

Why was he, the strongest among the Shrek Seven Devils, ranked only tenth?

Shouldn't the other Little Monsters also have places on the list?

This was absolutely not because the others from Shrek were weak. On the contrary, their talents were simply too astonishing!

Oscar's explanation instantly lit a spark of anticipation in the heart of the normally quiet Zhu Zhuqing.

She was only fourteen this year, yet she was already a genuine Soul Ancestor.

Even Spirit Hall's renowned Golden Generation had not achieved such heights at her age!

With that thought, everyone at Shrek Academy immediately swept away their earlier gloom, and laughter and cheers once again rang through the skies.

Everyone eagerly looked up, their eyes fixed intently on the Sky Screen as they waited for it to reveal their strength and grant those tempting, generous rewards.

When Oscar's name and portrait appeared prominently on the Sky Screen, Spirit Masters in every corner of the Douluo Continent immediately began discussing it fervently.

Everyone could not help but sigh that this Spirit Master Tournament was truly filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with countless concealed experts.

They had never even heard of this Spirit Master named Oscar before.

He seemed to have suddenly emerged from some forgotten corner, yet he had managed to rank ninth among countless contestants.

Such strength was enough to make everyone view him in a new light.

Soon, Oscar's detailed information was clearly displayed on the Sky Screen one item at a time.

[Oscar, age sixteen.]

[Martial Soul: Sausage. Level forty-one food-system Tool Soul Master. Two yellow and two purple Spirit Rings.]

[His four soul skills are: Recovery Big Sausage, Detoxification Small Sausage, Rapid Flight Mushroom Sausage, and Excitement Pink Sausage!]

[This student comes from Shrek Academy. He once consumed the immortal herb Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid, increasing his Soul Power by five levels and resolving the problem of food-system Spirit Masters cultivating slowly.]

[The first food-system Spirit Master in history with Innate Full Soul Power!]

Once Oscar's information was revealed, the entire Douluo Continent was shaken, and countless Spirit Masters were greatly excited.

A food-system Spirit Master could actually make it onto the Genius Ranking!

It seemed the Heavenly Ranking's selection criteria did not favor only Spirit Masters with overwhelming combat power.

What left everyone even more dumbfounded was that this genius actually possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

A food-system Spirit Master with Innate Full Soul Power was simply an unheard-of marvel!

And what they found most unbelievable was that Oscar came from the obscure Shrek Academy!

Just what kind of place was Shrek Academy, to cultivate two ranked geniuses in succession?

There were over a hundred academies participating in the Spirit Master Tournament. An academy whose team could produce two Heavenly Ranking powerhouses at once was absolutely not to be underestimated!

For a time, countless factions began investigating everywhere, frantically gathering every scrap of information about Shrek Academy, afraid of overlooking this hidden top-tier force.

Oscar did not have many soul skills to introduce. After all, he was a food-system Spirit Master, and his combat ability was not particularly outstanding to begin with.

However, when the Sky Screen showed him using his soul skill,

and the incantation, "I Have a Big Sausage," spread across the continent, everyone immediately burst into laughter.

Oscar had always been deeply bothered by that embarrassing incantation.

Now that the entire continent had heard it, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the ground and never show his face again.

Elsewhere, Stelle, who was eagerly awaiting the Heavenly Ranking's next reveal, became interested the moment she heard Oscar's ridiculous soul-skill incantation.

Her large golden eyes spun as she curiously looked toward Oscar, one small hand rubbing her chin as she pondered.

Should I also shout a loud incantation whenever I take out a weapon next time?

Like "I Have a Big Baseball Bat!"

"I Have a Hard Long Spear!"

"I Scatter Hats to Break Weaknesses!"

"I Have a pink..."

As she muttered the final line, Stelle's lively eyes carried a hint of mischief as she cast an unfriendly glance toward Mimi beside her.

"Mimi... Mimi?"

As if sensing Stelle's bad intentions, Mimi immediately put her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed up like a round balloon as she angrily scolded her.

Stelle could not help scratching her head at the sight.

If she really shouted those incantations, it would indeed be a little inappropriate. Once she returned to the Astral Express, Himeko would probably give her a harsh scolding!

She glared at Oscar indignantly, her little brows knitted together as annoyance filled her heart.

It was all Oscar's fault. He had nearly led her astray. He really deserved a beating!

[Oscar has won ninth place on the Genius Ranking. Reward: the age of all Spirit Rings increases by two thousand years!]

The Sky Screen's voice rang through the heavens once more, clearly reaching everyone's ears. Upon hearing it, everyone looked at Oscar with eyes full of envy.

A full two-thousand-year increase to his Spirit Ring ages was undoubtedly an enormous opportunity for a food-system Spirit Master!

Having received his reward, Oscar beamed so brightly that his eyes curved into crescents. He quickly turned to the others and cupped his hands in congratulations.

"Hehe, my reward is nothing special! Zhuqing, Fatty, both of you are stronger than me. You'll definitely make the list and get even greater rewards!"

"Especially Tang San—you'll definitely take first place!"

"According to the ranking's reward rules, every rank higher adds another thousand years to your Spirit Rings. At this rate, if Third Brother takes first place, every one of your Spirit Rings can gain ten thousand years! Just thinking about it feels unbelievable!"

Tang San listened with anticipation shining in his eyes. He was full of confidence in both his strength and talent.

Before Oscar had made the list, he had felt a trace of unease after hearing that Spirit Hall's Golden Generation had three Soul Kings, worried that he might rank behind them.

Now that he knew age was also a key factor in the ranking, he was even more determined to claim first place.

Everyone raised their heads once more, their eager gazes fixed on the Sky Screen hanging high in the sky. Even their breathing unconsciously grew lighter.

The Sky Screen did not delay at all. After a brief pause, the next name appeared prominently.

[TOP 8: Ning Rongrong!]

"Hahahaha! As expected, this young lady's talent is peerless!"

The moment Ning Rongrong saw her name, she proudly put her hands on her hips and laughed until her eyes curved into crescents, her delight impossible to hide.

Then her gaze fell on Tang San. Her smile faded slightly, and her eyes filled with sincere gratitude.

Without the Aromatic Silk Beauty Tang San had given her, she knew that with her original talent, she could never have made it onto the Heavenly Ranking!