"By the way, Dean Flender, you said we'd go to the Great Soul Arena tonight. What are we doing during the day?" Dai Mubai had already sensed that something was off and asked with a puzzled look.
"Heh, heh." Flender lowered his head and pushed up his glasses. "During the day, you'll run around Shrek Academy until dusk. This is to strengthen your bodies. Without a strong body, when you encounter a Soul Master you can't beat, you won't even be able to escape."
"Control System Soul Masters will carry ten kilograms of sandbags, Agility Attack System Soul Masters fifteen, and Power Attack System and Support System Soul Masters twenty. Along the way, you may choose to take some of someone else's sandbags, but there's one condition: anyone who falls behind today won't get dinner tonight. Whether you help your teammates is up to you."
Hearing this, Ma Hongjun secretly leaned toward Dai Mubai's ear and said, "Boss Dai, let's all run a little slower. That way, none of us will fall behind."
Flender noticed Ma Hongjun's little maneuver and chuckled to himself. "Heh, heh. Don't think you can slack off during training. Anyone who hasn't finished twenty laps before sunset will automatically be counted as having fallen behind. I'll supervise you from the sky the entire time, so you'd better watch yourselves."
Flender tossed a pile of heavy sandbags and several ropes out of his Soul Tool. Once everyone used the ropes to strap the sandbags onto their bodies, they could begin training.
"Any more questions? If not, let today's training begin," Flender said.
"Wait! I have a question!" Ning Rongrong immediately raised her hand and said angrily, "Why do we Support System Soul Masters have to carry as much weight as the Power Attack System? That's unfair! Our physical fitness isn't as good as theirs to begin with. How are we supposed to keep up without falling behind? I refuse! This is unfair!"
Flender pushed up his glasses. "Then let me ask you: on the battlefield, will your opponents show you mercy just because you're a Support System Soul Master? You Support System Soul Masters are often their highest-priority targets. If you have no companions left beside you to protect you, are you just going to let yourself be captured without a fight?"
"I..." Ning Rongrong paused. "If there's one thing our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect never lacks, it's people to protect us! The situation you're talking about would never happen! You're dreaming in broad daylight!"
"Heh. Dreaming in broad daylight." In a flash, Flender appeared before Ning Rongrong. The oppressive presence of a Soul Saint instantly descended upon her, pressing down so hard that she began struggling to breathe.
"What about now? If I wanted to kill you, who could step forward to protect you? Could your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect send someone flying over to punish me?" Flender stared coldly at Ning Rongrong. "This is Shrek. I don't care what background you have or how talented you are. Here, there are only students and teachers. I recognize nothing else!"
Flender's overbearing aura swept across the entire area, and Ning Rongrong's pretty face flushed crimson under the pressure. "Flender, I bet you wouldn't dare kill me! If you so much as touch a hair on my head, my family will never let you get away with it!"
Flender chuckled. "Heh, heh. It's true that I won't kill you, but I have the authority to make you pack your bags and get out. If you want to be the first student eliminated from this year's intake, congratulations. You can leave right now." Flender showed no intention of indulging Ning Rongrong in the slightest. Tucked inside his clothes was a letter Ning Fengzhi had sent him-his golden token of protection. With that letter, even if Ning Rongrong turned the heavens upside down, Flender would still dare to put her in her place.
"Flender! You! You're playing dirty! All you dare do is threaten to expel me! What else can you do besides that?" Ning Rongrong roared.
"That's right. All I can do is threaten to expel you, but what can you do about it? I'm the dean. I call the shots at Shrek. You're a student, so learn to obey." Flender turned his back, and blue owl wings spread behind him. "Anyone who fails to finish fifteen laps today will be expelled automatically. Shrek has no use for trash. If you can't endure hardship, crawl home and suckle at your mother's breast."
Whoosh!
Flender beat his wings and vanished into the clouds overhead.
Although Flender had disappeared from sight, everyone knew he hadn't truly left. His eyes remained fixed on them like surveillance cameras.
"Wah..." Ning Rongrong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "How can Shrek treat me like this? I've never had to put up with this kind of humiliation at home. Boo-hoo..."
Seeing this, Oscar was just about to step forward to comfort her, but Qin Ye beat him to it.
Qin Ye handed Ning Rongrong a handkerchief and gently patted her shoulder. "Rongrong, don't cry. I'll carry your sandbags for you. It's only twenty kilograms, right? I can handle it."
"Brother Ye..." Wiping her tears, Ning Rongrong nodded obediently like a little girl. "You're so kind, Brother Ye. Thank you. I won't forget this."
"Heh, silly girl. What are you saying? We're family. Why stand on so much ceremony?" Qin Ye reached out and stroked Ning Rongrong's head. "It's only natural for an older brother to protect his younger sister. Even on the battlefield, I'll be there to protect you. Until I fall, you won't suffer any harm."
Qin Ye's gentle words completely moved the girl's innocent heart. It was as though he had opened an umbrella over a helpless girl in a thunderstorm, soothing her dejected spirits.
Oscar stood nearby, utterly stunned. He was a Food System Soul Master; he couldn't offer any promise of protection that carried enough weight. Compared with Qin Ye's pledge, Oscar felt deeply powerless. It seems I can't do anything at all. Oscar lowered his head and clenched his fists, his heart filled with helplessness.
True to his word, Qin Ye immediately walked over to the sandbags, picked up the ropes, and strapped Ning Rongrong's share onto his back and legs.
"Let's get going. Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, if you get tired too, tell me anytime. I can help carry some of your weight as well."
"Okay. Thank you, Brother Ye." Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing had also strapped on their sandbags and followed behind Qin Ye.
"I'll set the pace so we can keep running until dusk with as little effort as possible. Just follow me." Qin Ye only had eyes for the three girls who belonged to him. He didn't care about anyone else, not even Dai Mubai. If he couldn't keep up, he could fend for himself.
Seeing that Qin Ye had already led his group off, Dai Mubai immediately called for Ma Hongjun and Oscar to follow. "Xiao Ao, Hongjun, follow me. You both know the dean's temper. When he says no dinner, he really won't let you eat a single bite. Hurry and keep up."
After Dai Mubai and the others left, only Tang San remained, exhausted to the point of collapse. He stared blearily at the sandbags before him and nearly vomited.
"No, please! I only just finished training! I haven't even slept or eaten yet! I'm really going to die!" Tang San's legs trembled with weakness as he cried out feebly.
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