Qin Chuan turned his head to look at Ning Rongrong, who stood close beside him. The girl had fair skin and delicate features, with a small, pert nose. A faint flush colored the tips of her ears, betraying a young girl's shyness. Her clear eyes were utterly guileless as she looked him over with curiosity.
The system's reminder about his unfinished mission rang out in his mind. The task of beating Oscar to Ning Rongrong remained incomplete.
As his thoughts turned, Qin Chuan made up his mind. He would strike while the iron was hot and complete the system's task right then.
The timing was perfect. Without the slightest hesitation, he stirred the power of his Martial Soul and silently activated his Spirit Skill.
[First Spirit Ability, Shadow Hypnosis. Target: Ning Rongrong.]
There was no sound, not even the slightest ripple of Soul Power. An utterly concealed force of spirit instantly invaded Ning Rongrong's sea of consciousness, pulling her awareness into a pocket dimension all her own.
~~~Within the dream.
An endless sea of seven-colored flowers stretched to the distant horizon, a boundless tapestry of blossoms.
A gentle breeze wafted by, sending waves of flowers rolling in layers. Their fragrance lingered in the air, and the atmosphere was soft and serene.
Ning Rongrong stood alone at the very heart of the flower sea, surrounded by blossoms, beautiful as a fairy in a painting.
Half a meter in front of her, Qin Chuan stood tall with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed.
"Ning Rongrong."
Qin Chuan spoke softly, his voice gentle yet carrying an irresistible mental command.
"Hmm?"
Ning Rongrong looked up at the sound. Her voice was soft and gentle, and she was completely on guard against nothing, her mind immersed in the peaceful dream.
"Who do you love most?"
"Ning Fengzhi."
Without a moment's thought, Ning Rongrong instinctively voiced the deepest attachment in her heart.
That made sense. She'd only just met Oscar, and it was normal for her to love her father.
"Then do you like Qin Chuan?"
"A little."
Qin Chuan's tone was level, each word distinct as it became an absolute command etched into her subconscious. "All right, listen. The person you love most now is Qin Chuan."
Ning Rongrong's gaze grew slightly unfocused, and she murmured after him without thinking. "Love... Qin Chuan."
A satisfied, sly smile flickered through Qin Chuan's eyes. He gave a gleeful, inward cackle and continued issuing commands, keeping a firm grip on the situation. "Then stay close to Zhu Zhuqing for now. When the time comes, tell me everything she does."
"Okay."
Ning Rongrong obediently agreed, every command etched deep into her subconscious.
Qin Chuan understood. With a thought, he slowly withdrew Shadow Hypnosis.
The dazzling, tranquil sea of seven-colored flowers collapsed in an instant. The entire dream quietly vanished like a bubble, and Ning Rongrong's awareness returned to reality.
She blinked, feeling a slight blankness in her mind. The dazed sensation passed in a flash, and her sweet smile remained unchanged. She had no idea that her mind had been quietly rewritten, or that her heart's allegiance had subtly shifted toward the young man beside her.
A system notification sounded in Qin Chuan's sea of consciousness.
[Heavenly Dao System Notification: Congratulations, Host. You successfully beat Oscar to Ning Rongrong. Heavenly Dao Power +2. Current total: 4/10. Accumulate 10 points to unlock the divine ocular technique—Six Paths Reincarnation Eye.]
[New Mission: Beat Dai Mubai to Zhu Zhuqing.]
A glint flashed in Qin Chuan's eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a faint smile.
He had already figured out how the system worked.
Beating Tang San to Xiao Wu, winning Ning Rongrong over, and pursuing Zhu Zhuqing—the core of these missions was to overturn the Shrek Seven Devils' established bonds, sever their predetermined fates, and bring all these geniuses over to his side.
"Slowly, slowly. You'll all be mine."
Qin Chuan mused to himself, his expression calm, betraying none of his ambition.
The Shrek combat assessment was over, and the rest of the process was simple.
Dai Mubai led the five new students through the courtyard to the dormitory area and showed them to their rooms.
Shrek's dorms were plain and modest. They were clean and orderly, but had no luxurious amenities, and each student had a single room.
Once everyone had settled in, Dai Mubai gathered them all and announced Shrek's strict daily curriculum.
"Now that you've joined Shrek, you'll follow Shrek's rules. We train for combat and temper our character. We don't accept spoiled brats or useless deadweights."
Dai Mubai stood with his hands behind his back, his expression stern as he went through the daily training schedule.
From six to eight every morning, everyone had to attend mandatory morning drills. They would carry specially made heavy stones and run laps around the grounds to build up their bodies and willpower, along with various other physical exercises.
From eight in the morning until noon, Yu Xiaogang taught theory and specialized courses on Martial Souls. The lessons covered the basics of Soul Masters, Martial Soul classifications, Soul Power circulation, Soul Ring compatibility, and an encyclopedia of Soul Beasts. They also included the history and geography of the continent, as well as basic knowledge of Soul Tools, to lay a solid foundation for cultivation.
From two to five in the afternoon was the time for combat training.
From five to seven in the evening was reserved for recovery. The academy provided medicinal baths to ease training soreness, heal hidden injuries, and help them consolidate their Soul Power. Dinner was nutritious and suited to the physical demands of Soul Masters.
After hearing the entire grueling schedule, everyone's expression shifted.
Tang San furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected Shrek's training to be far more intense than anything he'd experienced before.
Ning Rongrong looked stunned. Raised in comfort from childhood, she could hardly bear the thought of such brutal training.
Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained cool, though a trace of seriousness crossed her eyes.
Only Qin Chuan remained calm, entirely unfazed.
To him, high-intensity training would rapidly increase his Soul Power, and with the system's help, no amount of hardship was anything to fear.
After a night's rest, dawn broke.
Qin Chuan rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed, his mind not yet fully awake.
Half-asleep, he stumbled to the door and pulled it open.
Two people stood outside.
Xiao Wu stood on the left, holding a wooden tray. On it were two steamed buns, a bowl of porridge, and a dish of pickles.
Steam rose from the buns, carrying the aroma of flour and pork.
Ning Rongrong stood on the right, holding a paper bag stuffed full of snacks, with the wrappers of several packages peeking out.
Today she wore a short, pale yellow top and a white pleated skirt that fell just to her knees.
Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, pinned with a butterfly hair clip.
They stood there side by side, as if they'd planned it together.
"Good morning, Brother Chuan. I brought you breakfast."
Xiao Wu beamed, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Brother Chuan, I brought you some snacks, too."
Ning Rongrong chimed in, her voice sweet and soft.
Qin Chuan blinked, and the last trace of sleepiness vanished from his mind.
[Here we go, here we go.]
He showed no particular reaction, simply smiling naturally. "All right, thank you both. Give me a moment, and then we'll eat in the pavilion downstairs."
"Okay, Brother Chuan."
They answered in unison.
Qin Chuan shut the door and hurried to the washbasin.
He washed his face, rinsed his mouth, and changed into clean clothes.
When he opened the door again, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were still waiting obediently in the hallway.
Xiao Wu had kept holding the tray without seeming to mind the weight.
As soon as she saw Qin Chuan come out, she hurried over. "Brother Chuan, come on, hurry! The buns are going to get cold."
The three of them went downstairs together to the stone pavilion not far from the dormitory.
The pavilion stood beneath a huge banyan tree, open on all sides and cool to sit in during summer.
It had stone tables and benches, and the tabletop was uneven, carved with words by students from previous years.
Xiao Wu set the tray on the stone table, then pulled out a stone bench for Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down without hesitation.
"Here, Brother Chuan. The buns just came out of the steamer, so they're still hot. I'll feed you."
Xiao Wu picked up a bun with both hands and brought it to Qin Chuan's mouth.
A little flour clung to her fingertips, white against her slender fingers.
Qin Chuan opened his mouth and took a big bite.
The hot meat juices scalded his tongue. He drew a breath and said around his mouthful, "Mm, delicious. Thank you, Xiao Wu."