The Shrek Seven Devils' Faith Completely Collapsed, Oscar and Ma Hongjun Announce Their Withdrawal!

Sunset Forest.

The scene was tinted warm orange. Six young people stood in an open clearing, and eight immortal-grade herbs lay on the stone platform before them, each one radiating visible spiritual light.

Tang San stood at the center of the stone platform, his palm hovering over the herbs like a patriarch handing out fruit.

A herb appraisal panel popped up on the right side of the Sky Screen.

[Immortal-Grade Herb · Complete Medicinal Potency Appraisal (Heaven's Will Calibrated Edition)]

The names, grades, and true effects of all eight immortal herbs were listed one by one, the golden lettering clear enough to sting the eyes.

[Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass: Cleanses marrow and reforges bones, rebuilds the foundation of one's meridians, and serves as a foundational immortal herb for attaining a god-level physique. No side effects.]

[Infernal Delicate Apricot: Tempers Soul Power purity to the utmost limit and can catalyze a second awakening of one's martial soul. No side effects.]

The ownership fields for both herbs bore the same name—Tang San.

Before the comment section could even start cursing, information on the third herb appeared.

[Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower: Surface effect—strengthens the attack power of fire-element martial souls and raises the Soul Power limit. Hidden side effect—long-term absorption will cause disorder in the martial soul's genetic chain, triggering uncontrollable mutation.]

On Shrek Academy's training ground, Ma Hongjun's fist froze in midair. He could neither clench it nor loosen it.

He lowered his head and looked at his right hand. The Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul mark faintly surfaced in his palm, and its edges... really were rougher than they had been three years ago. He had always thought it was a normal reaction to cultivation.

The panel for the fourth immortal herb appeared.

[Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid: Surface effect—greatly enhances the support capabilities of food-type soul masters, strengthening the duration and recovery amount of soul skills. Hidden side effect—permanently solidifies the food-type soul master's support neural pathways, sealing off the potential to awaken combat-type soul skills. Irreversible. Ownership: Oscar.]

The comment section reacted faster than the people on the training ground.

[Irreversible??? Does that mean Oscar can only be support for the rest of his life? He can't even awaken combat soul skills to protect himself??]

[Tang San kept the immortal herbs that could reach godhood for himself, gave Ma Hongjun one that would mutate his martial soul, and fed Oscar one that permanently locked away his combat power—this is called distribution? This is castration!]

[What did he take his teammates for? Tools whose permission to level up he could lock??]

Oscar stood at the edge of the training ground, both hands spread before him.

He stared at his palms, his ten fingers curling slightly. A food-type soul master's hands should have been nimble and dexterous, able to provide supplies for teammates at any moment on the battlefield.

On the Sky Screen, the scene in Sunset Forest continued. As Tang San distributed the herbs, he wore a gentle smile and spoke in a sincere tone. Every word he said sounded flawless.

"This Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower suits Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix best. It can increase your fire-element attack power by at least thirty percent."

"Oscar, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a food-type soul master. After you eat it, your support abilities will become the ceiling for food-type soul masters across the continent."

Tang San's inner thoughts panel played simultaneously on the right side of the scene.

[Ma Hongjun—combat-type chess piece. The mutation side effect of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower is controllable. If the mutation deviates, he can be used as a disposable pawn to exhaust the enemy's high-level combat strength in a crucial battle.]

[Oscar—logistics-type tool. Once the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid locks his combat potential, he will never be able to operate independently from the team. His dependence on me will reach its maximum.]

The comment section went insane again.

["Isn't that the terminology people use for raising dogs???]

[Making you only able to support and unable to fight, so you can never leave him—this is more vicious than murder!!]

[Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan · Elder Lei Ting: Tang San uses poison against his enemies, and poison against his allies too. The only difference is that enemies die quickly, while teammates die slowly.]

Oscar raised his head and looked toward Tang San on the other side of the training ground.

More than twenty paces separated them.

Oscar did not walk over. His lips moved slightly, forming a faint curve that could have been a bitter smile or something else entirely.

His comment appeared on the Sky Screen.

[Shrek Academy · Oscar: I, Oscar, came from a poor family. Being able to enter Shrek Academy was already like smoke rising from my ancestors' graves. I remember everything you've given me over the years. Immortal herbs, hidden weapons, clues to soul bones—I remember every last one.]

The comment paused for a line there.

[Shrek Academy · Oscar: I remember today too. I remember that you raised me as a tool for six years. From today onward, I withdraw from the Shrek Seven Devils and will have nothing to do with Tang San ever again. From now on, even if I, Oscar, wander the streets selling sausages and starve to death by the roadside, it will have nothing to do with you, Tang San—not a single coin's worth.]

Someone on the training ground sucked in a sharp breath.

After saying that, Oscar turned and took three steps before stopping again. He did not look back, but his voice carried over clearly.

"Third Brother, don't smile at me like that again. I'm scared."

Ma Hongjun stood stunned for two seconds, then kicked over the weapon rack beside him.

His comment appeared right after Oscar's.

[Shrek Academy · Ma Hongjun: I, Ma Hongjun, am a bastard. I'm greedy, lustful, and never do anything proper. Everyone in Heaven Dou City can curse me. But no matter how much of a bastard I am, I've never raised my brothers like livestock! Martial soul mutation? Tang San, you couldn't even be bothered to gamble on me once. You placed your bet directly on me becoming useless?]

[Shrek Academy · Ma Hongjun: The Shrek Seven Devils are disbanded from today onward. Whoever wants to be a tool can be one. I'm done serving.]

[He even calculated his own brothers...]

[Xiao Wu was a pig, Oscar was a dog, and Ma Hongjun was a wager. Did Tang San ever treat anyone like a person?]

Suotuo City.

Outside Shrek Academy's main gate, commoners packed both sides of the street. Since the Sky Screen descended, the entire city had been watching this unprecedented broadcast.

A burly man who looked like a butcher emerged from his meat shop, still gripping a bone cleaver. After looking up and reading Ma Hongjun's comment, he turned and walked to the wooden plaque bearing the words "Shrek" above the academy gates.

Bang.

He brought his blade down on it, splitting the plaque open.

"What kind of shitty famous academy treats students like livestock, ranks them, and feeds them medicine accordingly?!"

The woman selling steamed buns beside him followed up with a kick. More people crowded around. Some threw rotten vegetable leaves, while others simply grabbed hold and started tearing. Under the tugging of dozens of hands, the plaque snapped in two with a crack, crashed to the ground, and was trampled countless times.

Flender stood on the second-floor corridor, watching the chaos at the entrance. Both hands gripped the railing, his knuckles turning pale.

He did not go down to stop them.

What was there to stop? The plaque was dead, but reputation was alive. Once the reputation had rotted, keeping the plaque would only leave a piece of useless wood.

An official announcement scrolled across the bottom of the Sky Screen.

[Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament · Organizing Committee Emergency Notice]

[Following investigation, core members Oscar and Ma Hongjun of the competing team "Shrek Team" have publicly announced their withdrawal. The team's actual number of active members no longer meets the minimum requirement for participation. Pursuant to Article 7, Clause 3 of the tournament regulations, Shrek Team is immediately stripped of its eligibility to compete in this year's tournament.]

The announcement hung on the Sky Screen, its golden letters dazzling.

On Shrek Academy's training ground, Dai Mubai leaned against the perimeter wall with his arms folded across his chest. He had not spoken from beginning to end.

Zhu Zhuqing stood beside Xiao Wu and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Their gazes met briefly in the air before each looked away.

Dai Mubai's comment appeared on the Sky Screen.

[Shrek Academy · Dai Mubai: I am a member of the Star Luo Royal Family. I entered Shrek for training. Tang San used the Shrek team to pave the way for Tang Sect's revenge, using our lives to build up his capital. I, Dai Mubai, accept this loss. Call me blind. From today onward, I draw a clear line between myself and Tang San. The Star Luo Royal Family does not raise venomous snakes that bite their masters.]

Someone in the comment section sneered.

[Isn't Dai Mubai just running now that he sees the tide has turned? He's as shrewd as a monkey.]

[Who cares whether he's shrewd? The Seven Devils are completely finished anyway.]

[The Shrek Seven Devils, once famous throughout Heaven Dou, all withdrew in half a day. Who would believe it if someone wrote this into a storybook?]

Tang San stood in the center of the training ground.

The people around him left one after another. Oscar was gone. Ma Hongjun was gone. After posting his comment, Dai Mubai climbed over the wall and left as well. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong helped Xiao Wu toward the girls' dormitory, never looking at him even once.

He was the only one left on the training ground.

[Heaven's Will Punishment · Fortune Deprivation]

[Shrek Team Fortune Value: Zero.]

[Tang San · Protagonist Halo Protection: Reduced by 50%.]

[Note: After the decline of your fortune protection, fatal crises that were once diverted by fortune will no longer be automatically avoided. From this day onward, the dice of fate will no longer roll only in your favor.]

In the direction of Spirit City, the earth trembled.

Tens of thousands of golden rays burst from the peak of Pope Hall, and a pillar of light shot into the sky...

[Spirit Hall · Qian Renxue: A notice to the entire continent. Tang San's fortune has broken, and Heaven's Will has abandoned him. The Clear Sky Sect harbors an evil disciple and shelters the one responsible for massacring a city. In the name of Heaven's Will, Spirit Hall hereby issues a general offensive order against Tang San and his accomplices, effective immediately.]

[Spirit Hall · Grand Worshipper: By Her Highness's command, all seventy-two elders of Spirit Hall and every worshipper shall prepare for battle.]

[Spirit Hall · Ghost Douluo: This old man has waited twenty years for this order.]

A crack tore open the clouds above the Sky Screen.

Golden sacred will poured down from the rift, casting the shadow of an enormous divine punishment sword across the heavens. The sword shadow spanned half the skies of the Heaven Dou Empire, its tip pointing from afar toward—Shrek Academy.

The citizens of Suotuo City looked up at the golden greatsword hanging in the sky. Some went weak in the legs and fell directly to their knees.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi stood by the window, gripping the communication jade slip he had just received. Sword Douluo had already set out, but whether he would make it in time was another matter.

Bone Douluo stood behind him, watching the golden sword shadow on the Sky Screen. The wrinkles on his old face twisted into a knot.

"Sect Master, Spirit Hall is truly making its move this time."

"Inform all disciples stationed outside to return before tonight. Fully activate the Glazed Tile Pagoda Defensive Formation."