Ning Rongrong Backed Down, but She Still Talked Tough

By the time Ning Rongrong finished twenty laps, her legs had turned to jelly.

She leaned against the Wooden Stake at the edge of the field, her face pale and her forehead drenched in sweat.

Oscar was no better off.

He sat on the ground, muttering that he should have kept his mouth shut.

Yuan Yu, on the other hand, was doing all right.

Even at the end of the run, he still had the strength to help Oscar up.

Flender stood beside the field, watching Ning Rongrong.

"Do you know what you did wrong?"

Ning Rongrong bit her lip.

She didn't want to admit it.

But she knew she had acted rashly today.

Flender didn't wait for her answer.

"You can be the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Once you leave the sect, you can keep throwing your tantrums, too."

"But if you want to stay at Shrek, you need to learn how to be a teammate."

Ning Rongrong looked up.

"Why do I have to stay?"

Flender smiled.

"You can leave."

He said it softly.

Ning Rongrong found herself unable to speak.

If Flender had begged her to stay, she could have turned around and walked away.

If Flender had feared the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she could have stood her ground to the end.

But Flender wasn't afraid at all.

He truly thought she was free to leave.

Leaning nearby, Yuan Yu suddenly spoke up.

"Dean, if she's leaving, she'll have to do it tomorrow."

Flender looked at him.

"Why?"

"It's dark."

Yuan Yu said earnestly, "Suotuo City is dangerous at night. If she goes missing and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect comes looking for her, we can't afford the compensation."

Flender fell silent for a moment.

"You have a point."

Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened with anger.

"Who asked you to pay for me?"

Yuan Yu looked at her.

"So are you still leaving?"

Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, then turned her face away.

"No."

Oscar said quietly, "That's good."

Ning Rongrong glared at him.

Oscar shut his mouth at once.

Flender waved a hand.

"That's enough for today. Formal training begins tomorrow."

Everyone dispersed.

Ning Rongrong had barely taken a few steps when her legs gave way and she nearly fell.

Zhu Zhuqing reached out to steady her.

The movement was quick and gentle.

Ning Rongrong froze.

Zhu Zhuqing let go.

"Watch your footing."

With that, she turned and left.

Ning Rongrong watched her go, her thoughts in even greater turmoil.

Zhao Wuji came over from the side.

"Don't rush off to dinner."

Ning Rongrong's face stiffened.

"We have to run again?"

"No running," Zhao Wuji said. "We'll do something simple instead."

He pointed to the middle of the field.

"Ten breaths. Dai Mubai will charge you from the front, Zhu Zhuqing will protect you, and Yuan Yu may draw only one Rock Pattern. No drawing his blade. You decide when to give support."

Ning Rongrong instinctively wanted to say it wasn't fair.

But she swallowed the words before they came out.

Dai Mubai walked to the opposite side, his White Tiger Martial Soul taking possession.

Zhu Zhuqing stood beside Ning Rongrong.

Yuan Yu used his sword sheath to draw a dark-gold Rock Pattern on the ground.

"Don't be afraid. It's a little safer behind the line, but it won't stay safe forever."

Zhao Wuji raised his hand.

"Begin."

Dai Mubai charged forward.

Ning Rongrong went pale. Her first instinct was to retreat.

Zhu Zhuqing moved faster, stepping sideways to block the force of Dai Mubai's initial charge.

Only then did Ning Rongrong react.

"Seven Treasure Mantra, Second: Speed!"

Light fell over Zhu Zhuqing.

With her speed boosted, Zhu Zhuqing circled to Dai Mubai's side and tapped his shoulder with one claw.

Zhao Wuji called a halt.

"Too slow."

Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth.

"Again."

The second time, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda lit up the moment Dai Mubai moved.

Zhu Zhuqing gained speed early and forced Dai Mubai to change direction before he reached the Rock Pattern.

Only then did Zhao Wuji nod.

"Remember that feeling."

Breathing hard, Ning Rongrong looked at Zhu Zhuqing.

"Thank you for earlier."

"You gave me speed, too," Zhu Zhuqing said.

Ning Rongrong paused.

Those words reached her more deeply than Flender's lecture had.

Dinner that night was quieter than breakfast.

Ma Hongjun watched Ning Rongrong as he gnawed on a steamed bun.

"You really finished all those laps?"

"Got a problem with that?" Ning Rongrong snapped.

Ma Hongjun shook his head at once.

"No. I just think you've got a lot of grit."

Ning Rongrong paused.

She had thought Ma Hongjun was making fun of her.

But he sounded sincere.

She lowered her head and picked up some food.

"Thanks."

Ma Hongjun was taken aback.

Oscar did too.

Xiao Wu couldn't resist stirring things up.

"Well, well. The little princess knows how to say thank you."

Ning Rongrong looked up.

"Xiao Wu!"

Laughing, Xiao Wu ducked behind Tang San.

Tang San sighed helplessly.

Yuan Yu sat to one side, sipping his soup.

Shrek's food wasn't particularly good.

But the table was lively.

It was nowhere near as good as the food in Spirit Hall's dining hall, and far rougher than the medicinal meals at Worship Hall.

But here, people bickered and snatched food from one another. Someone nearly started a fight over a piece of meat.

Yuan Yu found it rather fun.

After dinner, Flender called everyone to the field.

"Tomorrow night, we're going to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City."

Dai Mubai clearly knew already. His expression didn't change.

Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance.

Ning Rongrong asked, "The Soul Arena?"

Flender nodded.

“One of the places where Soul Masters grow fastest.”

He looked at Yuan Yu.

"That includes you."

Yuan Yu raised an eyebrow.

“Dean, I'm level fifty-five.”

"I know."

“That's why you'll go to the Soul King Division,” Flender said.

Oscar sucked in a breath.

“Dean, aren't you afraid he'll tear the place apart?”

Flender's eyes gleamed behind his glasses.

"If he does, the Soul Arena pays for it, not the academy."

Yuan Yu looked at him with newfound respect.

“Dean, you're quite the schemer.”

Flender pretended not to hear.

“Also, you'll have Team Battles in the future. Yuan Yu's level is too high, so under the usual rules, he can't sign up for ordinary Team Battles with you for now.”

Xiao Wu frowned.

"Does that mean he can't fight alongside us?"

Flender shook his head.

"It means we have to choose our fights carefully."

Yuan Yu understood.

If he joined them, they would likely be matched against teams in the Soul King bracket.

Tang San and the others were only Soul Grandmasters and Soul Elders right now.

Throwing them into that wouldn't be training. It would be sending them to their deaths.

“I can start with Individual Soul Duels.”

Yuan Yu added, “We can talk about Team Battles when you need me.”

Ning Rongrong glanced at him.

She had thought Yuan Yu would be upset.

But he wasn't in the least.

Flender nodded.

"Sometimes, knowing when to stay out of a fight is good judgment, too."

Yuan Yu smiled.

"Dean, for once, you sounded like a teacher."

Zhao Wuji coughed beside them.

"Yuan Yu."

Yuan Yu immediately shut his mouth.

Zhao Wuji's facial swelling still hadn't completely gone down.

Yuan Yu figured he'd better not provoke his teacher.

That night, Yuan Yu returned to his room.

The Sun Wheel Blade rested across his knees.

Five patterns glowed quietly.

The sixth Rosy Cloud Pattern remained dark.

But earlier that day in the tea shop, the Rosy Cloud Pattern had stirred faintly when Ning Rongrong raised her hand to release her martial soul.

Yuan Yu ran a hand along the blade.

"See into people's hearts?"

The blade gave no answer.

Ling Yuan's voice came from outside the window.

"Go to sleep."

Yuan Yu immediately set the blade down.

"Got it."

In the distance, the lights of Suotuo City came on.

Tomorrow night, the Shrek Eight Monsters would enter the Great Soul Arena for the first time.

And Yuan Yu's name would appear on the registration list for Suotuo City's Soul King Division for the first time.