Meng Shenji took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm of shock raging in his heart.
"Something unexpected has happened. It looks like the lineup of the Heaven Dou Royal Team is about to change."
He rose to his feet and paced back and forth across the hall.
"Now that Yu Tianheng has lost, according to the Soul Fighting Arena's rules, he is no longer the team captain. I'm afraid we'll have to ask Qin Feng himself what he thinks."
Luo Cheng nodded, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.
"To be honest, I never expected anyone to defeat Yu Tianheng so cleanly."
"But..."
Luo Cheng changed tack, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing wider.
"This may well be a wonderful opportunity for us! I'm sure you three have heard that a team called the 'Shrek Seven Devils' recently came to the Great Soul Arena."
At the name, the three members of the education committee all looked displeased.
That bunch was like a pack of unreasonable monsters, winning fight after fight in the Soul Fighting Arena. They had not only humiliated Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but also cost the Great Soul Arena a great deal of money.
"If Qin Feng is willing to step in, our odds of defeating Shrek will be much better."
A glint flashed in Luo Cheng's eyes.
A ruthless fighter who could knock over even a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon with one slap would surely make short work of a few Shrek country bumpkins.
Meng Shenji stopped pacing, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"In that case, there's no point guessing here. Let's go talk to him ourselves."
Heaven Dou Royal Team, captain's office.
The afternoon sun streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding the room.
Qin Feng closed the team file in his hands and stretched.
When he looked up, he met two rather strange gazes.
Dugu Yan sat on the sofa opposite him, her long legs crossed. Her usually cool, beautiful face was now flushed like a ripe apple.
Beside her, Ye Lingling's usually chilly eyes held less indifference and more curiosity and teasing.
The two of them simply stared at him without a word.
Qin Feng looked down at himself. His clothes weren't on backward, and his zipper was done up.
"Why are you two looking at me?"
Qin Feng asked, puzzled.
Had he looked so handsome studying those files that he'd bewitched the two girls?
At Qin Feng's question, Dugu Yan jolted like a startled rabbit.
"N-nothing!"
She hurriedly looked away, pretending to fix her hair as she tried to hide her fluster.
Who knew what had been going through her mind just then?
The explicit descriptions in the diary were circling through her thoughts like a curse, impossible to shake.
And Ye Lingling's teasing comment about legs earlier had left her too embarrassed to look directly at Qin Feng's legs.
That rascal really did have a good physique...
Watching Dugu Yan's mortified expression, Ye Lingling's lips curled into a rare, faint smile.
Her beautiful eyes, hidden behind the black veil, glimmered as she spoke in a clear, melodious voice.
"Yanzi is complimenting you on how impressive you are."
"She said you actually managed to beat Yu Tianheng. That kind of strength makes her feel..."
"Ye Lingling!"
Dugu Yan panicked, springing straight up from the sofa.
She clapped a hand over Ye Lingling's mouth, her pretty face turning so red it looked ready to bleed.
"Lingling, why do you have to say everything out loud?"
How could she say something so private in front of the person they were talking about?
And something so mortifying, at that!
With Dugu Yan's hand over her mouth, Ye Lingling could only make muffled "mmph" sounds, but her crescent-shaped eyes gleamed with mischief.
Just as the atmosphere in the office grew hazy and flirtatious—
Knock, knock, knock.
The door opened after a knock.
Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhilin, the three members of the education committee, filed in, followed by Luo Cheng, the Great Soul Arena's manager.
Dugu Yan quickly released Ye Lingling, then awkwardly straightened her rumpled clothes before sitting back down and resuming her usual aloof demeanor.
But her still-burning earlobes gave away how she really felt.
Qin Feng sat in his spacious office chair without bothering to rise. He merely glanced at the newcomers.
"What brings you three here?"
Meng Shenji looked at the young man before him, approval flashing through his eyes.
To remain so calm and composed in the presence of three Soul Douluo-level experts—just that much self-possession alone put him far beyond most people.
"Qin Feng, we heard that the academy has produced an extraordinary young talent who managed to defeat Yu Tianheng. Naturally, a few old fellows like us had to come and meet you after such a major event."
Meng Shenji stroked his beard with a smile, looking Qin Feng over.
"Indeed, you have a fine bearing! A hero among the young!"
Qin Feng remained unfazed by the praise, his expression calm.
"I was just lucky."
His unassuming manner, undisturbed by praise or blame, raised the three committee members' opinion of him even higher.
This young man had a bright future ahead of him!
Zhilin, who had not spoken until now, suddenly stepped forward, his eyes alight with enthusiasm.
"Qin Feng, I can see that your Martial Soul is special and that you have a unique understanding of plant-type Martial Souls. I'm a Soul Douluo, and my Martial Soul is the Azure Vine. If you'd be willing to..."
"Not interested."
Qin Feng didn't even look up as he cut Zhilin off.
"I won't take a master."
The blunt refusal froze the smile on Zhilin's face. His hand, extended halfway, hung awkwardly in the air.
Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan were also taken aback.
Zhilin held an extremely high standing in the Heaven Dou Empire's Soul Master World. Plenty of people would have given anything to become his disciple, yet this kid had rejected him without even thinking?
"Uh... If that's the case, then let's leave it at that."
Meng Shenji smoothly intervened, gaining a new appreciation for Qin Feng's pride.
Young people with talent naturally had their pride.
"Actually, there's another important matter we came to discuss with you."
Meng Shenji stepped aside, revealing Luo Cheng behind him.
"This is Mr. Luo Cheng, manager of the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena."
Luo Cheng stepped forward and gave Qin Feng a slight nod, getting straight to the point.
"Captain Qin, I'll be frank. A team called the 'Shrek Seven Devils' recently came to our Great Soul Arena. They've won every match and caused us heavy losses."
"I've watched you fight. You're powerful. If you lead the Imperial Fighting Team and put an end to their winning streak, it'll benefit both sides."
Qin Feng lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertips.
The Shrek Seven Devils?
Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun...
Weren't they the bunch of cheaters from the original story?
Especially Tang San, always going on about how someone deserved to die, while being a hypocrite himself.
Beating those guys up had already been part of his plans.
As a transmigrator, what was the point of coming to this world if he didn't kick Tang San around a little?
Seeing Qin Feng say nothing, Luo Cheng assumed he was weighing the pros and cons, so he quickly put forward the offer he'd prepared.
"As long as Captain Qin is willing to lead the team into the competition, the Great Soul Arena will pay you a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins as an appearance fee, win or lose."