"How about it, junior? Would you like to join us?"
Seeing Ning Rongrong's thoughtful expression, Huang Lili couldn't help asking again.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun wore complicated expressions, too, and looked at Ning Rongrong with some concern.
No way. Among the students from Shrek who had come to Blue Tyrant Academy, she was the only girl left.
"Forget it. I don't know that much about Han Xing."
Ning Rongrong shook her head and declined. "Though I'm pretty curious, joining the Fan Support Group can wait until later."
Hearing her answer, Oscar and Ma Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief.
"I see. What a shame." Jiang Zhu sighed.
"I thought I'd be able to talk about A Xing with you more, junior."
"Actually, it's not a shame. There's still plenty of time ahead of us, isn't there?" Ning Rongrong replied with a light laugh.
"True enough." Huang Lili nodded.
"I'm sure you'll be drawn in eventually."
Listening to their conversation, Han Xing couldn't help shaking his head.
Ning Rongrong was the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. There was no way she'd casually join some oddball organization.
But he wasn't about to say that out loud.
"By the way, Han Xing, how did you break through to Level 40?" Flender seemed to remember something and hurriedly asked.
"I heard you were only at Level 38 a while ago."
Hearing this, Han Xing gave a casual explanation.
"My teacher and I had an unexpected encounter, and I broke through by chance. Tang San should have told you about my teacher."
Han Xing had no intention of sharing the Immortal Herbs. After all, these people were enemies, not friends.
"I see." Flender didn't press him.
Matters concerning a Titled Douluo weren't something he should know about.
Besides, he hadn't been trying to uncover Han Xing's secrets. He had only brought it up to ease the atmosphere.
Feeling that things were reasonably calm, Flender immediately stated his purpose.
"Actually, I came here to invite you to join the Shrek Academy Team."
"The academy team?" Hearing the name, Han Xing already understood, but still put on a puzzled look.
"The Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament begins in a year. You should know about it," Grandmaster said gravely.
"The Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition is an excellent opportunity for you to gain experience."
"So we plan to form the Shrek Academy Team and enter the competition, but we only have seven members at the moment."
"If we want to go far in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition, we have to make sure we have members to rotate in as substitutes."
"And then?" Han Xing asked.
"So you're planning to make me a substitute?"
As soon as Han Xing finished speaking, Jiang Zhu and Huang Lili shot angry looks at Grandmaster.
"Of course not. With your strength, how could you be a substitute?" Flender hurriedly shook his head.
"Then who are you planning to make the substitute?" Han Xing continued.
"There won't be substitutes. The eight of you will take turns competing," Grandmaster hurriedly said.
Hearing this, Han Xing couldn't help sneering.
"What are you laughing at?" Grandmaster frowned, his tone turning reproachful.
"Have you ever actually seen the Advanced Soul Master Tournament?" Han Xing retorted.
"Since it's a competition, you're obviously aiming for the championship, right?"
"If so, there have to be starters and substitutes, and the starters must compete in the final match."
"Getting to compete in the final match brings plenty of benefits, even if you lose."
Han Xing said gravely, "And you're telling me there won't be any substitutes? How is that any different from playing house?"
Grandmaster was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
"We don't even know whether we'll make it to the final stage."
"Our main goal is to gain experience, not win the championship," Grandmaster explained.
To his surprise, Han Xing laughed even harder at that.
"If you're not competing to win the championship, then there's no reason for me to join."
"If you can't be number one, there's no point in doing it at all."
"Either don't do it, or do it the best you can!" Han Xing's tone turned stern.
"And have you forgotten something? If I really joined, who would be the core of your team—me, or your beloved disciple, Tang San?"
Grandmaster lowered his head.
That was indeed something he had overlooked before coming to recruit Han Xing.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought of it. He had simply chosen to ignore it without realizing.
But judging by Han Xing's conduct, he certainly wasn't someone who'd back down easily.
And with Tang San's current strength, he couldn't keep a troublemaker like Han Xing in line.
Flender didn't say anything as he watched Grandmaster.
In his view, Han Xing was the same age as Tang San, a Soul Ancestor, and had four Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings.
The team should naturally have Han Xing at its center.
But the problem was that Grandmaster was responsible for assembling the Shrek Team.
And Flender knew Grandmaster's goal was to build a team centered around Tang San.
Unwilling to give up, Grandmaster looked at Han Xing again.
"Tang San is a control-system Soul Master. He's responsible for controlling the flow of battle, so naturally the team's core should be a control-system Soul Master."
Hearing this, Han Xing shook his head. "Then forget it."
"I'm not someone who likes taking orders from others." Han Xing waved a hand and headed toward the others.
"Also, let me remind you: the competition in the Soul Master Tournament is fierce."
"With Tang San and the others' current strength, a year from now, they might not even make it through the preliminaries."
Seeing this, Huang Lili and Jiang Zhu hurried after him.
"A Xing, wait for us!"
Back where they stood, Grandmaster and Flender exchanged glances.
"Xiao Gang, what if we wait another five years?" Flender tentatively suggested.
"After all, Tang San and the others are only twelve or thirteen now. In five years, even Dai Mubai will only be nineteen."
"No." Grandmaster shook his head.
"Five years from now, they'll still be within the age limit, but the main reason for having the children enter the Advanced Soul Master Tournament is to let them gain experience."
"Forcing everyone to stay at the academy just to win the championship would put the cart before the horse."
Hearing this, Flender shook his head and said nothing more.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Grandmaster and Flender, then at Dai Mubai, and couldn't help lowering her head.
Dai Mubai noticed Zhu Zhuqing's glance and couldn't help giving a bitter smile.
To Grandmaster and the others, competing in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition was merely an opportunity to gain experience.
But to Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, it was a crucial step toward standing up to their older brother and sister.
Only by making a strong enough impression in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition could they earn the right to oppose their siblings.
If they couldn't even get through the Spirit City preliminaries...
Once word reached the Star Luo Empire, they might never get another chance to turn things around.