Tang San faced the Goddess of Life, who hovered in midair, and gave a slight nod.
"Goddess of Life, I brought this kid here because I wanted to ask you for a favor."
He turned to the side and pointed to Ji Jing, getting straight to the point.
"He wants to learn forging, and I'm going to teach him myself. But he still needs a pair of hammers that suit him. Ordinary hammers made from Divine Realm metals wouldn't be good enough, so I wanted to ask you to make him a pair of custom-made divine artifacts."
The Goddess of Life's gentle gaze fell on Ji Jing, full of affection and warmth. She looked at him just as she would a beloved junior.
The Goddess of Life doted on him without limit, for he was the child born to the first deity of the Divine Realm.
She smiled, her voice like a spring breeze brushing across one's face.
"I thought it was going to be something serious. If Jing'er needs them, I'll naturally do my best. I agree."
Her answer was crisp and decisive, without a moment's hesitation or any mention of conditions. That only made Ji Jing feel a little awkward.
"This..."
Ji Jing was about to say something, but the Goddess of Life had already turned to Tang San.
"Sea God, now that we've settled this, you can send Jing'er back."
She spoke softly.
"Making divine artifacts will take some time. Once the hammers are ready, I'll personally deliver them to him."
"Good." Tang San nodded, without a word of polite formality. Given his relationship with the Goddess of Life and how much they both cared for Ji Jing, there was no need to say more.
Seeing this, Ji Jing stopped being self-conscious and bowed respectfully to the Goddess of Life. "Thank you, Auntie Green."
Tang San raised his hand, and a familiar golden light once again enveloped Ji Jing. He glanced at the Goddess of Life in farewell, then waved his hand.
The golden light wrapped around Ji Jing and instantly tore through space, vanishing from this Divine Domain, so full of life.
When the familiar aura of Douluo Continent enveloped Ji Jing once more, he found himself back in his dormitory at Shrek Academy.
Outside the window, the horizon had already begun to pale like a fish's belly. The first light of dawn had appeared, and the air held the damp chill unique to early morning.
Clearly, his trip to the Divine Realm had taken the entire night.
A wave of mental exhaustion swept over him. His clash with the God King Tang San and the intense concentration required had drained a great deal of his energy.
He glanced at Wang Dong, still sleeping in the next bed, then quietly went to the desk, picked up a pen and paper, and quickly wrote a note.
"Dong'er, I want to sleep, so I won't be going to class today. Please ask the teacher to excuse me."
He gently placed the note on the bedside table, flopped onto his bed, pulled the covers over his head, and began snoring away.
Another day passed, and Shrek Academy summoned all its core disciples to gather at the Soul Fighting Zone.
The expansive Soul Fighting Zone felt unusually solemn.
Dozens of figures stood quietly, clearly separated into groups by year.
Ji Jing, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and the others stood at the head of the first-year group.
Ji Jing looked around and noticed that Zhu Lu was no longer among the students in his year.
Dai Huabin was dead, so naturally, she no longer wanted to stay at the academy.
Aside from the familiar faces, most of those present were senior students from the upper years.
They all had steady auras and sharp eyes. The pressure they radiated made the air throughout the Soul Fighting Zone feel heavy.
It was extraordinarily rare for Shrek Academy to summon all its core disciples on such a large scale.
Standing beside Ji Jing, Wang Dong lowered her voice and asked curiously.
"Ji Jing, why did the academy suddenly call so many of us here? What's going on?"
The surrounding students hadn't asked, but they were all listening discreetly, clearly eager to hear the answer.
Ji Jing remained remarkably calm. He glanced at Xuan Zi, who stood on the raised platform not far away, and answered casually.
"The new Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament is about to begin. They're probably selecting the new Shrek Seven Devils."
"Shrek Seven Devils?"
Wang Dong was a little surprised.
It was more than just a title. It was the highest honor Shrek Academy could bestow.
At his side, Xiao Xiao looked a little nervous. She asked in a quiet voice.
"Then... the competition must be fierce, right?"
Her gaze drifted toward the senior students, whose auras were so deep and powerful. She could feel the immense pressure just standing there.
Ji Jing only shrugged, unconcerned, and said lightly.
"Not really."
His nonchalant attitude made Xiao Xiao pout. She turned her head away and stopped looking at him.
She didn't think that what Ji Jing called "not really" would be easy for her.
Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts and murmuring among themselves, an aura as imposing as a mountain rose from the center of the platform.
The crowd's vision blurred. An unkempt old man was now hovering above the Soul Fighting Zone.
He still clutched his trademark wine gourd, but a startling glint shone in his cloudy eyes.
It was Xuan Zi.
Looking down at the academy's dozens of most outstanding disciples, he didn't waste a single word. In his hoarse voice, he announced.
"You're starting an all-out free-for-all right now. The last seven standing advance and stay. Everyone else can get lost."
Simple, brutal, and unreasonable.
The moment his words fell, the entire Soul Fighting Zone plunged into silence, followed by a sudden uproar.
Though Xuan Zi hadn't explained the purpose, even a fool could tell this was important.
Almost immediately, everyone became fully alert.
The tense air filled with the reek of gunpowder. The students quickly moved, warily scanning everyone around them. They began gathering in small groups based on their usual relationships, looking for allies they could trust.
Amid the opening chaos, one figure rushed to Ji Jing's side at once.
"Hehe, big brother Ji Jing!"
Xu Sanshi rubbed his hands together, his face wearing an undisguised, ingratiating smile.
"We're counting on you from here on out!"
Ji Jing looked at him and felt a little speechless.
How could someone have such a thick skin?
Still, he didn't object.
After all, Xu Sanshi's talent and strength were truly top-notch among ordinary people, and the defensive power of his Mysterious Underworld Turtle Martial Soul was an indispensable part of any team.
Beibei soon came over too, bringing Jiang Nannan with him.
Though Jiang Nannan had never personally seen Ji Jing instantly defeat Soul Emperors and Soul Kings, she still vividly remembered how he had gravely injured Xu Sanshi with a single punch during the freshman assessment.
So she had chosen to come with Beibei.
Now Ji Jing, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and the newly arrived Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan made exactly seven.
A potential Shrek Seven Devils team had already begun to take shape.
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