Gangzi's Request

Qingxi put on her mask and updated her spirit power level at the registration desk, ensuring that even without a fifteen-match winning streak, she would be matched against opponents above level thirty.

"I didn't think you'd come back. Two days later and your spirit power has already broken through to level thirty?" Supervisor Ao looked at the badge Qingxi had just updated, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

"Just a stroke of luck." Qingxi shook the copper soul-fighting badge in her hand. "Are you going to arrange a tough opponent for me today?"

"I really can't arrange that." Supervisor Ao shook his head with a smile. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and added, "However, your upcoming opponents will all be level thirty or higher. There are quite a few experts among them, so take it slow."

"I was just joking. I'm off to my match then." Qingxi smiled as she bid him farewell and headed toward her designated soul-fighting arena.

"Let us welcome Thousand-Hand Asura, the winner of this soul fight!"

Grandmaster stood by the window, having finished watching Tang San's latest match. Just as he prepared to leave to find his beloved disciple, a familiar name rang out from the stage below.

"Next up, Qiankun Mingxin versus Blood Blade Mad Saber. Be advised, as the current hot favorite with a winning streak, Qiankun Mingxin's opponents have never lasted more than a minute against her. Her spirit power has just broken through level 30, while Blood Blade Mad Saber is already a level 36 Spirit Elder. Can she defeat her opponent this time and continue her streak? Ten-minute intermission, the fight begins shortly."

Grandmaster paused, his dark eyes falling on the side of the arena, watching the masked figure sitting cross-legged. A flash of astonishment crossed his face.

It's her?!

He had assumed that since she hadn't appeared for two days, she wouldn't return to the Great Soul Fighting Arena, yet here she was today.

At this thought, Grandmaster felt a flicker of annoyance. If Xiao San had been one match slower, wouldn't he have been able to face her and humiliate her properly?

"Teacher." Just then, Tang San pushed the door open. Seeing the imposing back standing by the window, he bowed with immense reverence.

"Xiao San, come here." Grandmaster's voice was low, his gaze locked firmly on the fighting stage.

"Yes, Teacher." Tang San walked over to stand behind Grandmaster. As he followed his gaze, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes, followed immediately by overwhelming killing intent. "It's her!"

The woman who dared to hurt Xiao Wu!

"I intend to invite her to join our Shrek Academy."

"Teacher, that must not happen! She has successively injured Ma Hongjun, Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu. Such a person is not fit to join our Shrek Academy." Tang San said angrily. Furthermore, he felt that even if she did join, the others would never tolerate her.

Grandmaster cast a cold glance at the furious Tang San; this was the first time Xiao San had defied him.

He lowered his eyelids, his expression stern. "Regarding this matter, the Dean and I have given it careful consideration before deciding. Watch her match first."

Hearing Grandmaster say this, Tang San calmed down and focused on the fight below. The more he watched, the more astonished he became.

"One minute! Qiankun Mingxin has finished the match in one minute once again! Let us congratulate her on winning this soul fight!!" The host's excited voice rang out across the stage again, and the audience erupted into thunderous applause.

"If you were to face her, could you win?"

"Of course." Tang San's tone was certain.

He had never once used his external spirit bone, hidden weapons, or his second martial soul in any of his matches so far.

Ending a battle in one minute was something he could do as well.

Grandmaster nodded in satisfaction; this was his good disciple.

"I suspect that this person, like you, possesses twin martial souls."

Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain her strength.

"What!" Tang San's eyes widened in shock, and he looked at Grandmaster in disbelief.

He remembered Grandmaster saying how precious twin martial souls were, and that in the history of the continent, only two had ever been born besides him.

One had died from an explosion of power because they could not withstand the strength of the spirit rings added to their twin martial souls.

And the other was now the supreme Pope of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong.

It could be said that every possessor of twin martial souls was a genius among geniuses.

Connecting this to Qiankun Mingxin's uncanny strength, Tang San readily accepted the fact.

"However, it is a pity that the first one she cultivated is the more powerful martial soul." Grandmaster wore a regretful expression, though this was merely his speculation.

That staff looked very similar to a Coiling Dragon Staff, yet it was slightly different and possessed extraordinary power.

"Xiao San, after the Great Soul Fighting Arena concludes, your next training will be for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. My requirement is first place." Grandmaster extended a finger, his gaze fixed firmly on Tang San as he continued, "In my heart, you are the most outstanding, which is why I have always been strict with you. If the information is correct, the prize for first place in this year's tournament will be three spirit bones over ten thousand years old!"

With his status as an honorary elder of Spirit Hall, it was not difficult for him to uncover such information.

"Three spirit bones!!" Tang San's eyes widened in surprise.

He knew the value of spirit bones all too well. Such rare treasures of the continent—Spirit Hall actually dared to offer them as the first-place prize.

"Indeed. However, the entry requirement for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament is that participants must be under twenty-five years of age, in a team of ten: seven main combatants and three substitutes. But our Shrek Academy only has seven..."

"So that is why you want her to join our Shrek Academy, Teacher?" Tang San asked.

"Yes." Grandmaster nodded calmly, then added, "Her strength may not be equal to yours, but it is above Ma Hongjun and Zhuqing. Furthermore, I intend to take her as my disciple to prevent her from going astray. When the time comes, as her senior brother, you must discipline her well."

Grandmaster felt smug; having trained two geniuses with twin martial souls, even the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family would likely treat him as an honored guest.

Tang San nodded. Indeed, if such a person were not disciplined properly, she would likely go down the wrong path.

"Teacher, is there anything you need me to do?"

"Tomorrow, Flender and I will go to find her and propose a wager. The only thing you need to do is to defeat her soundly in the arena!" A flash of ruthlessness crossed the depths of Grandmaster's dark eyes.

He would have Xiao San defeat her personally, and then, at her most desperate moment, he would extend an olive branch. He did not believe she would remain unmoved.

"Understood, Teacher." Tang San nodded in agreement. Watching the girl's retreating back, he secretly vowed to himself that he would spare her life, but that was all.

Xiao Wu's vengeance, he had to exact it!

"Go down and prepare for the team battle." Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back, maintaining an air of inscrutable mystery.

As the team battle began, Qingxi appeared in the spectator stands with two sticks of candied haws, placing her usual bet on the Shrek Team to win.

This was a golden goose that laid eggs every single day!

Someone poked her shoulder from behind. She turned around, but no one was there.

She was poked twice more. She turned around again, still no one.

The next second, a ghastly face appeared right in front of her.

Qingxi kept a wooden expression, calmly biting off a candied haw and holding it in her mouth.

"Are you bored?" She chewed on the candied haw while standing up to walk outside.

"Tch, Master, you're so dull." Dugu Yan retracted her ghastly face, pouting as she followed behind Qingxi.

"Catch." As the words fell, a lump of something was tossed directly at Dugu Yan by Qingxi.

Seeing the scales shimmering with a cold light, Dugu Yan felt her hair stand on end and hurriedly channeled her spiritual power to form armor on her skin. The next second, the heavy object landed in her arms.

"What is this?" Dugu Yan gripped the handle and gave it a swing; the sound of scales dancing through the air rang out.

She was slightly surprised; this weapon, which was neither quite a whip nor anything else, was incredibly sharp.

"Your weapon. You can give it a name. Remember to bind it with a drop of your blood," Qingxi said indifferently.

"How about Red Scale?" Dugu Yan smiled, pricking her fingertip. A drop of essence blood was absorbed by Red Scale, and she could clearly sense a connection forming between herself and the weapon.

It felt as if... it were her own martial soul.

Dugu Yan raised her hand and recited the mental incantation. As if by natural instinct, the scales on Red Scale fell away one by one, leaving behind a long whip covered in even finer scales.

Thirty-six golden-red scales swirled around her, sharp beyond compare.

Dugu Yan had a premonition that the sharpness of these scales could easily pierce through even a soul master above level 70 who possessed a true martial soul avatar.

Dugu Yan's gaze landed on the wall in front of her, eager to test it out.

"Put it away. You'll have to pay for anything you break," Qingxi glanced at her indifferently, seemingly knowing what she wanted to do, and reminded her.

After all, the last person who broke the floor had to pay one thousand Gold Soul Coins.