"Hmph!"
Inside Heaven Dou Royal Academy, seven young men and women seethed with indignation.
"Teacher Qin, what does His Highness the Crown Prince mean by 'guidance'? Does he really think we're that useless?"
A blue-haired, violet-eyed young man slammed his fist on the table, fuming.
Their team leader was Qin Ming, a talented student who had also graduated from Shrek Academy.
"I've told you before: you're too restless and too arrogant. On your trip to Suotuo City, you should have seen plenty."
Qin Ming looked at the disciples he had brought up, helplessness washing over his face.
"And tomorrow's match... I can only say it may be even tougher than the one against Shrek. I believe His Highness the Crown Prince has your best interests at heart. He wants to help you improve."
"Besides, Shrek will be coming to Heaven Dou before long. You'll be classmates then. Don't you want them to see how much you've improved?"
A hint of anticipation appeared on Qin Ming's face as he spoke.
The blue-haired young man was Yu Tianheng, heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
He slowly sat down, evidently still unable to move on from their defeat in Suotuo City. Even so, his emotions gradually settled.
"Brothers, we have to accept the challenge! Winning won't be easy, but we can't just do our best—we have to give it everything we've got!"
"Right!"
All seven answered in unison.
"Teacher Qin, go back and tell His Highness the Crown Prince that we accept the match!"
Yu Tianheng was the first to declare his intent, and the others quickly followed.
"Good!"
Qin Ming gazed up at the sky, saying nothing.
"My teaching wasn't wasted!"
But at Blazing Fire Academy, Murong Ci had a much bigger headache.
"Where am I supposed to find seven people, Brother System? I'm dying of worry!"
[You, Huo Wu, and Huo Wushuang—and if you pull Feng Xiaotian in, that makes four. Just find three more wherever you can.]
Murong Ci slapped his forehead in distress.
"What are you thinking about?"
Huo Wu came over and smoothly linked her arm through Murong Ci's.
"Putting a team together. The Crown Prince said I have to form a seven-person team to compete against the Imperial Fighting Team."
"A seven-person team? How many do you have now?"
"Four. You, me, my brother, and Feng Xiaotian."
Huo Wu tipped her head back and pondered for a moment.
"Just find three Blazing Fire Academy students. It's not like the four of us can't fight."
"Fine. Come on, let's go to the training grounds and see how the students are doing."
"Sure!"
Huo Wu readily agreed, and the two headed for the training grounds, one after the other.
They kept bickering along the way...
"Do you think Feng Xiaotian will join us?"
"If he doesn't, I'll keep beating him up."
Huo Wu gave the soft flesh at Murong Ci's waist a vicious pinch.
"Look at you, all full of yourself!"
On the main road from Suotuo City to Heaven Dou City, a large procession was making its way toward Heaven Dou City.
"Little Monsters, we should reach Heaven Dou Royal Academy tomorrow. But... where is the academy, anyway?"
The speaker was Flender. Following Gangzi's "borrow a hen to lay eggs" plan, they were heading to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to enroll.
"Rongrong, do you know?" Flender asked, looking down the road before them. After all, Ning Rongrong had lived in Heaven Dou City since she was a child.
But Ning Rongrong was clearly distracted. A few days earlier, she had used Tang San's Godly Zhuge Crossbow to kill the Fierce God Fighting Team. Combined with the admiration she felt for that person's strength, and her regret, the journey to Heaven Dou had left her restless and unsettled.
"Huh? Oh, Dean, I know where Heaven Dou Royal Academy is."
"Oh? Then we're counting on you from here, Rongrong!"
The girls beamed and nodded enthusiastically in approval.
Xiao Wu still felt a little shaken.
Meanwhile, at Blazing Fire Academy, Huo Wushuang had already called Feng Xiaotian over. Murong Ci stood at the edge of the training grounds with a roll call sheet, ready to pick out his troops.
"You, you, you, and you three—step forward!"
"Huo Ling'er, Huo Yun, Huo Hai. Not bad."
Huo Ling'er was a young woman, a twenty-seventh-level Support-type Battle Soul Master whose Martial Soul was the Fire Bell.
Huo Yun and Huo Hai were twin brothers. Their Martial Souls were the Blazing Fire Spear and Blazing Fire Shield.
One attacked, the other defended; their strengths complemented each other.
"The lineup's not bad. Your Soul Power is just a little low. You'll need to train together more."
"Yes!"
The three answered in unison.
Feng Xiaotian stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching coldly.
"Hey, I've gotta say, you're pretty good at winning people over. Even I ended up willingly joining your team."
Murong Ci rolled up the sheet and teased him.
"Buddy, if I remember right, I beat you into submission. What's the matter? Want another one-on-one training session?"
Feng Xiaotian said nothing, merely shivering a little.
Clearly, he had no desire to go through the same thing a second time.
"If nobody has any objections, let's get training. With a handsome and dashing guy like me at the helm, we're sure to win, but we're a team, after all. We should still have some collective pride!"
"Here's a little secret: you can earn money competing in seven-person teams at the Great Soul Arena. Want to make some extra cash and eat something good?"
At those words, Huo Ling'er, Huo Yun, and Huo Hai immediately perked up and threw themselves into training.
By evening, everyone had collapsed to the ground. Only Murong Ci, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian were still standing.
"Tomorrow morning at eight, meet here. We're going to work on team coordination. Big brother, buddy, help me carry them away."
Huo Wu lay sprawled on the ground, unwilling to move even a finger.
"Ci... carry me back..."
Murong Ci didn't hesitate. He scooped Huo Wu up in a bridal carry.
Under Feng Xiaotian's unblinking gaze, he carried her into his own room.
Then the lights went out.
Feng Xiaotian: "..."
"Don't bother staring. You don't stand a chance."
Huo Wushuang carried Huo Yun and Huo Hai on his back.
"Ling'er's yours to handle. The rest is up to you."
Feng Xiaotian looked at Huo Ling'er lying on the ground, unsure what to do.
But... the rest was up to him?
Feng Xiaotian sighed, picked Huo Ling'er up, and carried her to her dormitory.
That night, at the Moon-Gazing Tea House.
Xue Qinghe seemed to have grown fond of the place.
Whenever he was bored or had some free time, he would come here for a few cups of tea.
The staff recognized the Crown Prince and didn't dare neglect him.
He always got the finest private room.
There were three people in the room this time.
Xue Qinghe, Snake Lance Douluo, and Porcupinefish Douluo.
"Elders, what have you learned about Murong Ci?"
The two elders knelt on one knee and bowed.
Snake Lance Douluo answered respectfully.
"Reporting to Young Master, Murong Ci was expelled from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Three months ago, Ning Fengzhi drove him out."
After Snake Lance Douluo finished, Porcupinefish Douluo added, "When they parted, Ning Fengzhi gave him a four-hundred-year-old Flame Demon Lion Soul Beast. After leaving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he headed north and appeared at Blazing Fire Academy a month later. His Soul Power had leapt from level ten to level twenty-seven."
Xue Qinghe traced a finger along the rim of his teacup, his expression unreadable.
"Oh? Seventeen levels in a month? What opportunity did he come across?"
"Your subordinate does not know."
"Interesting, interesting. Keep looking into him. You should trust those you employ, and not employ those you distrust. He already knows my true identity, yet he hasn't exposed me. He's worth winning over."
"Young Master, we don't know the truth of this man's abilities. If we try to win him over so rashly, I fear..."
"Ah, there's no need to worry about that. What I want to know now is how my cheap teacher would react if he found out that the servant he drove away was such a genius."
Xue Qinghe took a sip of tea, a trace of mockery in his expression.
"I imagine he'd be kicking himself. Elders, please arrange tomorrow's match. You may leave."
"Your subordinates take their leave!"
After the two left, Xue Qinghe toyed with a tiny Angel Statue in his hand.
"May I be like the stars... while you are like the moon..."
Silence reigned, broken only by the storyteller downstairs, recounting Yongzhen's legend.