Shrek Eight Monsters' First Battle

The Shrek Eight Monsters won.

It hadn't been an easy victory.

But it had been a fine one.

Of the Ironblood Team's seven members, three had been knocked off the platform, two could no longer fight, and the remaining two had surrendered.

Yuan Yu stood at the center of the Dueling Platform, his Sun Wheel Blade back in its sheath.

He hadn't chased anyone down.

But everyone knew that victory had hinged on him.

He had held the front line.

He had protected the rear.

And whenever things had nearly gone wrong, his blade had brought the fight back under control.

The cheers from the stands rose in waves.

"Myriad Phenomena!"

"Shrek Eight Monsters!"

"Fight another round!"

Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips.

"Another round? They wish."

Ma Hongjun sat on the ground, panting.

"If we fight again, I'm eating ten sausages first."

Oscar immediately said, "Ten is fine. Pay up."

Ma Hongjun glared at him.

"We're brothers, and you're talking about money?"

Oscar looked serious.

"Even brothers have to eat."

Dai Mubai walked up to Iron Hand and pulled him to his feet.

Iron Hand glanced at him, then at Yuan Yu.

"You're strong."

Yuan Yu smiled. "You're not bad yourselves."

Iron Hand shook his head.

"A loss is a loss."

He said nothing more and led his teammates off the platform.

Tang San watched them leave. "Their teamwork was good. If the level matchups hadn't been so strange, we wouldn't have won this easily."

Yuan Yu nodded.

"So we need to review the fight when we get back."

Xiao Wu's face fell.

"We still have to review it?"

"Yes."

Yuan Yu looked at her.

"You charged too far ahead. Black Snake nearly slipped past you and hit our rear line from the side."

Xiao Wu huffed.

"Wasn't that because I trusted you?"

"You can trust me, but don't stake your life entirely on me."

He hadn't said it harshly.

But Xiao Wu understood.

She glanced at Tang San and nodded.

"Got it."

Zhu Zhuqing came over.

There was a shallow cut on her shoulder.

Ning Rongrong's expression changed when she saw it.

"You're hurt?"

Zhu Zhuqing glanced down.

"It's nothing."

Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together.

When Black Snake had rushed her, Zhu Zhuqing had stepped in front of him.

Without Zhu Zhuqing, she would certainly have been forced out of the fight.

"Thank you."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at her.

Ning Rongrong seemed a little uncomfortable.

"For what you did just now."

"Teammates," Zhu Zhuqing said simply.

Just one word.

Yet something stirred in Ning Rongrong's heart.

It was the second time she had heard that word today.

Yuan Yu smiled to himself and said nothing.

Flender and Zhao Wuji came over.

Flender looked pleased.

"You fought well tonight."

Everyone was just about to relax.

Then Flender added, "But there were plenty of problems."

"I knew it," Xiao Wu muttered.

Flender pretended not to hear.

"Dai Mubai, you charged in too quickly."

Dai Mubai nodded.

"Yes."

"Ma Hongjun, your firepower was good, but stop trying to burn through everything at once."

Ma Hongjun scratched his head.

"Understood."

"Tang San, your judgment was good, but sometimes you're too eager to cover every gap yourself."

Tang San paused.

He hadn't expected Flender to say that.

Yuan Yu glanced at him.

Tang San did have that habit.

If he could handle something himself, he did.

That wasn't necessarily wrong.

But in a Team Battle, letting someone else take an opening could sometimes be faster.

Tang San nodded.

"I'll work on it."

Flender turned to Xiao Wu.

"You don't need me to say it, do you?"

Xiao Wu pouted.

"I charged too far ahead."

"Good. You know."

"Zhu Zhuqing, you did well, but don't treat yourself like a blade you can throw away."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flickered.

"Yes."

"Ning Rongrong."

Ning Rongrong immediately stood straighter.

Flender looked at her.

"You did better today than yesterday."

Ning Rongrong froze.

She had thought she was about to be scolded again.

"But you're still not fast enough," Flender said. "If a support Soul Master is a moment late, a teammate might take another hit."

"I understand," Ning Rongrong said softly.

Finally, Flender turned to Yuan Yu.

"You're the biggest problem."

Everyone looked at Yuan Yu.

Even he was taken aback.

"Me?"

Flender nodded.

"You're too good at covering for everyone."

Yuan Yu fell silent.

Was that a criticism?

Or a compliment?

"You can patch every hole, and that's a good thing," Flender said. "But if it keeps happening, they'll get used to waiting for you to do it."

Yuan Yu understood.

Flender was right.

He was strong, so he could protect them.

But if they relied on him every time, the rest of Shrek would never grow.

Zhao Wuji added from beside him,

"From now on, learn to draw your blade half a step later."

Yuan Yu looked at him.

"Teacher Zhao, you want me to watch my teammates get hit?"

"No."

Zhao Wuji said, "I want them to know they can get hit."

It was a blunt way to put it.

But it made sense.

Yuan Yu nodded.

"I'll remember that."

Flender was satisfied.

"Back to the academy."

When it was time to collect the prize money at the Spirit Arena, Flender went in person.

Yuan Yu meant to follow, but Zhao Wuji caught him by the shoulder.

"Don't bother."

Yuan Yu looked at him.

"Teacher Zhao, that's my money."

"Once it's in Flender's pocket, watching him won't do you any good," Zhao Wuji said.

Yuan Yu thought about it.

That sounded like the voice of experience.

On the way back to the academy, everyone was much more at ease with one another than they had been on the way there.

Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun argued over who had fought more impressively.

Oscar tried to sell them sausages, saying they were on sale tonight.

Dai Mubai walked ahead, occasionally turning to remind them not to fall behind.

Zhu Zhuqing was still quiet, but she didn't keep as much distance from the others.

Ning Rongrong walked beside her and tried several times to speak, but never did.

Tang San came up alongside Yuan Yu.

"Thanks for tonight."

Yuan Yu smiled. "You've thanked me a lot today."

Tang San smiled too.

"Because I really should."

Yuan Yu looked toward Suotuo City beneath the night sky.

"Don't keep thanking me. If we're really teammates, you can drop the formalities."

Tang San nodded.

"Okay."

They walked a little farther.

Tang San suddenly asked, "Did my father come by last night?"

Yuan Yu stopped short.

He looked at Tang San.

Tang San's gaze was calm.

"Teacher Zhao's injuries didn't look like he got them from a fall."

Yuan Yu sighed.

"Your dad really cares about you."

Tang San fell silent for a moment.

"He didn't give you trouble, did he?"

Yuan Yu smiled.

"No. He just told me to stay away from you."

Tang San frowned.

"What did you say?"

"I said no."

Tang San stopped walking.

Yuan Yu stopped too.

Tang San looked at him.

"Why?"

Yuan Yu thought about it.

"Because you're a decent guy."

Tang San froze.

Yuan Yu added,

"And Hidden Weapons are pretty interesting."

Tang San couldn't help laughing.

That one remark eased some of the weight on his mind.

"I'll show you some later, then."

Yuan Yu's eyes lit up.

"Can I take them apart?"

Tang San: "...No."

By the time they returned to the academy, it was late.

Everyone went to their rooms.

Yuan Yu sat on the edge of his bed and laid the Sun Wheel Blade across his knees.

After today's Team Battle, the sixth Rosy Cloud Pattern was a little brighter than before.

It hadn't fully awakened.

There was only a faint Rosy Glow.

Yuan Yu studied the pattern.

In the Spirit Arena, he had seen more than his enemies' weaknesses.

He had also seen his teammates' habits.

Xiao Wu charged in too quickly.

Tang San always tried to shoulder everything himself.

Ning Rongrong talked tough, but she had started to listen.

Zhu Zhuqing said little, yet she was always there when it mattered.

Dai Mubai had his pride, along with an impatience he kept hidden.

Ma Hongjun was afraid of hurting others.

Oscar worried he wasn't useful, but he never stopped handing out sausages.

Those things weren't always easy to see.

Once they stepped into the arena, everything came out.

The Rosy Cloud Pattern glimmered.

A faint thread of Divine Sense entered Yuan Yu's mind.

"To know a person, watch what they do first."

Yuan Yu looked up.

Pale moonlight lay beyond the window.

He ran a hand over the Sun Wheel Blade and chuckled.

"Is the Sixth Trial coming?"

No voice answered.

Only the Rosy Glow on the blade grew a little brighter.

Early the next morning,

Flender opened his door and found an invitation from the Soto Great Soul Arena.

A single line was written on it.

"Lord Myriad Phenomena, in three days: a win-streak challenge in the Soul King Division."

Flender's eyes gleamed behind his glasses.

Standing behind him, Yuan Yu suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Dean, wipe that smile off your face first."

Flender turned around.

"Yuan Yu."

"Yeah?"

"This is the academy's chance to strike it rich."

Yuan Yu was silent for a moment.

Right now, he really wanted to write Bibi Dong a letter.

Shrek was great.

Its dean just put his students through a bit too much.