Qin Ming: What's so hard to swallow?

Upon hearing Tang San's words, Qin Ming fell silent.

The Shrek Four Monsters became even more flustered when they saw that he didn't speak.

Tang San, in particular, fearing that Qin Ming would revoke his captaincy, hurriedly asked, "Teacher Qin Ming, what is the academy's attitude towards us?"

He still needs to seize his father's Spirit Bone; he can't afford to perish in the academy. He must keep his position as captain.

"I haven't reported this to the academy yet, but I can't rule out the possibility that your three teammates will expose it, especially Osler. He has a good relationship with Yu Feng and might use this opportunity to help Yu Feng get promoted."

Qin Ming brewed a pot of tea and looked at the red-haired fat man, "After all, your Phoenix Martial Soul has turned into an old hen, so your combat power should have declined a lot, right?"

"Yes..." Ma Hongjun slowly lowered his head, secretly lamenting his predicament.

Qin Ming's gaze swept over the four of them, and he asked, "Your Soul Power Level haven't decreased, have they?"

"No, I've leveled up two times," Tang San said.

Dai Mubai said, "My Soul Power has increased by three levels."

"I've advanced four levels," Oscar said.

"I... I've leveled up five times," Ma Hongjun said hesitantly.

"Your Soul Power has actually increased?" Qin Ming was dumbfounded. So, this doesn't seem to be all bad news after all?

No, we can't think of it that way. Although these guys' Soul Power Level have increased, their Martial Soul have undergone malignant mutations and variants, greatly reducing their potential. For them, it's still more of a curse than a blessing.

Qin Ming took a sip of hot tea, gradually calming down. He glanced at the four people and said, "Although your Martial Soul have undergone a malignant mutation, I will not revoke your team memberships. You are still members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team."

"However," he paused, then said in a deep voice, "I won't stop the substitutes from challenging you. If you lose, you'll be relegated to the substitutes."

"After all, you've been through such a dramatic turn of events. Your three teammates and the substitutes are all resentful of you. I hope you can understand."

"Okay, we have no problem."

The four of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this was already the best possible outcome. Their strength had plummeted, and they were no longer the irreplaceable geniuses of their sect. Maintaining their current status was already a stroke of luck.

Qin Ming smiled slightly and said gently, "Alright, then I'll give you a task that will help strengthen team cohesion."

"What mission is it, Teacher Qin Ming?" Tang San asked.

"Oscar, how do the effects of your three Soul Skill Martial Soul to those of the sausage?" Qin Ming looked at Oscar with a meaningful expression on his face.

"I..." Oscar blushed and said in a low voice, "The effect of my Martial Soul is a little worse than that of the Sausage Martial Soul."

"How much is it different?" Qin Ming couldn't help but ask. As the teacher in charge, he needed accurate information.

Oscar thought for a moment and said, "Take my third Soul Skill as an example. My Flying Mushroom Sausage flies at the speed of Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, and the effect lasts for one minute. My new third Soul Skill — Flying Mushroom Chicken —also flies at the speed of Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, but it only lasts for 40 seconds."

Qin Ming raised an eyebrow and asked, "The skill effect has been reduced by one-third?"

"Pretty much. My other two Soul Skill are the same, though a bit weaker than before." Oscar nodded slightly, unsure of what he was up to.

Qin Ming chuckled, "Very good. It seems your Martial Soul is still of excellent quality. You are still a rare food-type Soul Master on the continent. In the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team, no one can shake your position."

"However..." Qin Ming gave Oscar a deep look, "Your Martial Soul is too unique. It won't be easy for the team members to accept it. That's why I gave you a task."

He looked at Dai Mubai and the other two, "Oscar made three kinds of Kun Kun, each of you has to eat one."

"Huh?" The three were dumbfounded.

Oscar was equally stunned; he hadn't expected Qin Ming's mission to be this.

"What?!" Qin Ming's gaze suddenly turned extremely stern, and he said seriously, "You're a team. What can't you eat? Don't even mention Kun Kun; for someone who wants to win, they'd eat shit!"

"Today we won't train, we'll only do one thing: eat the three different kinds of food Oscar made!"

Tang San remained silent, and so did Ma Hongjun.

Dai Mubai suddenly became excited. "Xiao Ao, give me one of each of the three kinds of fragrance... uh, three kinds of food."

"Okay." Oscar nodded, then chanted an even more lewd incantation, creating three delicious-looking dishes.

Dai Mubai quickly ate three sticks to Tang Ma's astonishment.

"Very good, Mu Bai, you've accomplished your mission with great enthusiasm." Qin Ming's eyes lit up, overjoyed.

That's what he said.

It's just that the appearance has changed; what's so hard to swallow about that?

As long as the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team can accept the new "sausage," there won't be any problems, even if the sausage is slightly less effective than the original.

Qin Ming looked at Oscar and instructed, "Oscar, make two of each of the three types of 'sausages' and give them to Tang San and Ma Hongjun."

After the two men had finished eating Oscar's food, he went to persuade the other three nobles.

"Okay." Oscar took a deep breath, chanted the soul incantation, and conjured two of each of the three types of sausages.

Tang San and Ma Hongjun's expressions immediately changed.

While the three monsters were eating sausages, Bibi Dong and Yu Mingxiao, far away in Spirit City, were discussing something.

Bibi Dong asked, "Mingxiao, when do you plan to take action against the Heaven Dou Empire? As far as I know, some nobles in the Heaven Dou Empire have frequently clashed with the Church in recent years, and the relationship between the two sides has become irreconcilable. It is only Gu Ji the Church's strength that the nobles have not openly stirred up trouble."

As the Church spread its mission, it inevitably encroached on the interests of the nobility, which was the root of the conflict between the two sides.

Moreover, the noble forces of Heaven Dou were already the most powerful among the Two Great Empires.

The Star Luo Imperial Family's royal family possesses high-quality Martial Soul, allowing the emperor to rely less on the nobility and effectively embody imperial supremacy.

The Heaven Dou Empire is different. The Swan Martial Soul of the royal family is a support-type Martial Soul. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family was able to establish a country either by skillfully maneuvering among various forces and ultimately gaining the support of the nobles, or because their inherited Swan Martial Soul had degenerated and, in a more ancient era, the Martial Soul may have originally possessed powerful offensive capabilities.

Yu Mingxiao said, "Let's wait a little longer. We need to wait for a leader to emerge so that he can stir up the pent-up resentment among the Heaven Dou nobles and make them jump out on their own."

"Who?" Bibi Dong couldn't help but ask.

Tang San.

"Tang San? Never heard of him. Is there anything special about him?" Bibi Dong asked, looking puzzled.

Yu Mingxiao smiled. "If it weren't for me, he would be the chosen one of this era."