Today, Zhao Wuji Gets Serious

There wasn't much wind on the training ground.

But the mood soon changed.

Zhao Wuji stood before the new students, his gaze sweeping over Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.

It finally settled on Yuan Yu.

"Twelve years old. A level-fifty-five Soul King."

Zhao Wuji laughed.

"When Flender told me last night, I thought he'd had too much to drink."

Yuan Yu looked at him.

"The Dean drinks too?"

Zhao Wuji paused, then burst out laughing.

"You've got a strange sense of priorities, kid."

Ning Rongrong glanced at Yuan Yu.

As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had seen plenty of geniuses.

But a twelve-year-old Soul King? She had never seen one of those.

And then there were his five strangely colored God-given Spirit Rings.

She had thought coming to Shrek meant leaving a great sect for a backwater academy.

Now she realized that backwater academy had a monster more frightening than any genius in her sect.

It was an uncomfortable feeling.

And a novel one.

Zhu Zhuqing stood to one side, her expression calm.

She didn't ask why Yuan Yu was so strong.

She only cared whether she could use his strength as a benchmark.

Tang San, meanwhile, kept watching Yuan Yu.

Level fifty-five.

A Sun Wheel Blade.

God-given Spirit Rings.

And that earlier remark: "I could tell."

Tang San had already marked Yuan Yu as someone he absolutely couldn't underestimate.

Zhao Wuji clapped his hands.

"The original rule was simple. I give you one incense stick's worth of time. Hold out until it burns down, and you pass."

At that, he looked toward Yuan Yu.

"But with you here, the rules need to change."

Xiao Wu immediately asked, "Why?"

Zhao Wuji pointed at Yuan Yu.

"He's a level-fifty-five Soul King standing alongside you. If I keep playing around, I'll embarrass myself."

Yuan Yu spread his hands.

"Teacher Zhao, I can watch from the sidelines."

Zhao Wuji glared at him.

"In your dreams. You came to Shrek, so you follow Shrek's rules."

Dai Mubai spoke up quietly from the side.

"Teacher Zhao, Yuan Yu already went through a test last night."

Zhao Wuji grinned.

"Flender tested him last night. I haven't."

Yuan Yu looked at Dai Mubai.

"Are all the teachers at your academy this reasonable?"

"You get used to it," Dai Mubai said.

Behind them, Oscar murmured, "When the Unmoving Bright King wants a fight, nobody can stop him."

Ma Hongjun nodded.

"Especially when he spots a monster."

Zhao Wuji heard them.

"You two. Shut up."

Oscar and Ma Hongjun fell silent at once.

Zhao Wuji turned to the new students.

"Here's how we'll do it. Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing: the four of you follow the original rule. Hold out for one incense stick."

"Yuan Yu, you're joining them."

"But your job is different."

Yuan Yu raised an eyebrow.

"What job?"

"You're not allowed to defeat me outright."

Tang San: "..."

Xiao Wu: "..."

Ning Rongrong: "..."

Even Zhu Zhuqing looked up.

Zhao Wuji was perfectly serious.

"You're level fifty-five, and I'm level seventy-six. There's a gap, but not one so big we can't fight. If you come at me with everything you've got, testing these youngsters will be pointless."

Yuan Yu understood.

"My job is to protect them?"

Zhao Wuji nodded.

"Right."

"They hold out until the incense burns down. You keep the field under control."

"I'll take this more seriously, but I won't use my seventh Soul Skill."

Yuan Yu smiled.

"Now that's an interesting rule."

Tang San looked at him.

"Work together?"

Yuan Yu nodded.

"I'll cover the front. You watch the flow of the fight."

A flicker passed through Tang San's eyes.

He had intended to test Yuan Yu first.

But with one sentence, Yuan Yu had settled their roles.

"I'll support you," Ning Rongrong said.

Xiao Wu flexed her wrists.

"So I do the fighting?"

Zhu Zhuqing's voice was cool.

"I'll look for openings."

Yuan Yu glanced at them.

This was Shrek.

They were standing together for the first time and hadn't learned to work as a team, yet each had already found a place.

Zhao Wuji lit a stick of incense.

"Begin!"

The moment he spoke, Soul Power erupted from him.

Martial Soul Possession: Powerful Vajra Bear.

Seven Spirit Rings rose around him.

The pressure bore down on everyone at once.

Ning Rongrong's expression changed, and she immediately released her Martial Soul.

"Seven Treasure Mantra: First: Strength!"

"Second: Speed!"

Light fell over Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing.

Yuan Yu hadn't asked for support.

He stood at the very front and drew his Sun Wheel Blade.

Five God-given Spirit Rings rose around him.

Azure, red-gold, violet-white, green-gold, and dark gold.

Their five colors faced Zhao Wuji's seven Spirit Rings.

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up.

"Now that's more like it, kid!"

He struck with his palm.

Yuan Yu didn't retreat.

His Rock Pattern lit up.

He raised his Sun Wheel Blade to block.

"Stone Breathing: First Form."

"Serpent Rock: Twin Poles."

Two dark-gold Rock Patterns spread from beneath the blade, forcibly stopping Zhao Wuji's first palm strike.

Bang!

The ground cracked.

Yuan Yu retreated three steps.

Zhao Wuji also paused for an instant.

Watching from the side, Dai Mubai's eyelid twitched.

Yuan Yu hadn't been serious at all when they fought last night.

Zhao Wuji laughed even louder.

"Not bad! You caught one of my blows!"

Yuan Yu shook out his hand.

"Teacher Zhao, with that grip of yours, you probably shouldn't pat anyone on the shoulder."

Xiao Wu had already circled around and charged from the side.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass wound toward Zhao Wuji's ankle.

Zhu Zhuqing slipped along the shadows toward his back.

Ning Rongrong stood behind them, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shining continuously.

The Wind Pattern flashed beneath Yuan Yu's feet. He slid sideways and took a shockwave meant for Xiao Wu.

"Don't take his strength head-on."

Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose.

"I know."

Tang San could see it clearly.

Yuan Yu wasn't taking over their fight.

He was filling the gaps.

Whenever their formation was about to break, he was there.

The Blue Silver Grass held Zhao Wuji for an instant. Just as he was about to break free, Yuan Yu vanished from where he stood.

His Thunder Pattern flared.

"Thunder Breathing: First Form."

"Lightning Flash."

Violet-white lightning flashed.

Yuan Yu appeared beside Zhao Wuji, the back of his blade darting toward Zhao Wuji's shoulder.

Zhao Wuji reacted instantly. His second Spirit Ring lit up, and his Powerful Vajra Palm swept across.

Yuan Yu didn't meet it head-on. His Wind Pattern shifted, and he slid past the palm strike.

Tang San seized the chance to bind Zhao Wuji again with Blue Silver Grass.

Zhu Zhuqing's claws struck at Zhao Wuji's back as well.

Zhao Wuji was forced half a step backward.

For a moment, the edge of the training ground fell silent.

"Teacher Zhao stepped back?" Oscar murmured.

"Half a step," Dai Mubai said.

Ma Hongjun swallowed.

"Is this newcomer really here to study?"

Zhao Wuji glanced down at his feet.

His grin turned fiercer.

"Good!"

"Now that's what I call a monster."

His third Spirit Ring lit up.

Gravity intensified.

Tang San and the others sagged under the weight.

Ning Rongrong's face went pale.

Yuan Yu immediately drove his blade into the ground.

Rock Pattern spread out, holding up a layer of the crushing force for the others.

"Tang San."

"I'm here."

"Hold him for a moment."

Tang San didn't ask why.

Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground and wrapped around Zhao Wuji's legs.

Xiao Wu leaped into the air.

Zhu Zhuqing darted in from the side.

Yuan Yu drew his blade.

Flame patterns flared.

"Flame Breathing: First Form."

"Unquenchable Fire."

He didn't aim for Zhao Wuji's vitals.

With flames trailing from the back of his blade, he swept low across the ground. A line of fire erupted just in front of Zhao Wuji's feet.

Zhao Wuji was about to exert his strength when the flames forced him to pause.

Xiao Wu followed with Waist Bow.

Zhu Zhuqing's attack struck too.

Zhao Wuji took both blows head-on and laughed even louder.

The incense had burned down by a third.

The way Tang San looked at Yuan Yu had changed.

Strong.

But never reckless.

He could have charged in on his own, yet he kept covering gaps for the whole team.

Someone like him would be a pleasure to have as a teammate.

As an opponent, he'd be a real headache.

Zhao Wuji rolled his shoulders.

"Kid, I'm going to take this a little more seriously."

Yuan Yu held his blade across his body. Five Spirit Rings shone behind him.

"Teacher Zhao."

"Hm?"

"You'd better mean it."

Zhao Wuji froze for a beat.

Then he burst out laughing.

"Good!"

"Then let's see how long a five-ring Soul King from Spirit City can last!"

The incense was still burning.

Shrek's first Team Battle had taken on an entirely different feel.