For Shrek Academy, this was not just a crushing defeat, but a devastating blow from the inside out, bringing the team to the brink of collapse.
Yu Xiaogang watched Flender turn to leave, the anger and humiliation he had been holding back finally erupted. Pointing at Flender's retreating figure, he shrieked, " Flender! You piece of trash! A student was publicly humiliated and trampled underfoot. As the dean, are you just going to stand by and watch, swallowing your pride and suffering in silence?!"
Flender paused, but didn't turn around. He simply stood with his back to him, his voice weary yet resolute. "Let's go."
He understood the situation better than anyone else, and he knew that Yu Xiaogang's anger stemmed more from a loss of authority than from genuine concern for the academy. Continuing the stalemate would only make Shrek lose face even more.
"You...!" Yu Xiaogang was so choked by this disregard that he couldn't catch his breath, and his face turned red.
However, apart from Tang San, whom he was supporting, casting a complicated glance at him, everyone else at Shrek —whether students or teachers like Zhao Wuji —silently followed Flender's pace, no one responding to his anger, and no one even giving him a second look.
He considered himself a wise, strict, and respectable theoretical Grandmaster in the eyes of these trainees, and an indispensable Soul Engineer to the team.
But what is the truth?
Nobody really likes him.
When the training plan was initially formulated, Zhao Wuji could have used his Gravity Enhancement Soul Skill to conduct more scientific and comprehensive weight training. However, Yu Xiaogang insisted on giving a long speech and forcibly changed it to the most primitive and clumsy long-distance running with weights on his shoulders.
The difference is obvious to anyone with a little common sense: Gravity Soul Skill work evenly on every part of the body, while carrying heavy objects concentrates enormous pressure on the shoulders, neck, and spine. If they weren't all physically strong Soul Master, after three months of such high-intensity training, their shoulders would probably be deformed, and their posture would be hunched over. Where would they find any trace of the uprightness and vigor of a young Soul Master?
The Shrek Academy group quickly left the Great Soul Arena amidst this dull and oppressive atmosphere.
Only Ning Rongrong remained at the back. She turned around, waved in the direction Lin Kong was, and said with a bright smile, " Brother Lin, bye-bye!"
Lin Kong gave her a gentle smile, "Yes, Rongrong, be careful on the road."
Ning Rongrong's eyes darted around, and she extended another invitation. "By the way, Brother Lin, would you like to visit our academy? Although... it might not be as grand as your Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Lin Kong didn't agree immediately, but smiled ambiguously and said, "We'll see, if there's an opportunity."
He knew that this visit, which involved the relationship between the two colleges, would ultimately need to be decided by Flender and Qin Ming, the two professors.
After watching the Shrek Seven Devils disappear into the end of the passage, the Imperial Fighting Team regrouped.
Team leader Qin Ming looked around at his team members, his expression becoming more serious, and threw out a crucial question, "Today we've officially met. What do you think of the Shrek Academy team...? What are your impressions of them?"
Yu Feng was the first to jump out, his face filled with exaggerated amazement, but his answer was completely off-topic, "There are so many beautiful women!"
That's absolutely true. In a typical seven-person team, it's already quite difficult to have even one female member. The Imperial Fighting Team, with Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, is the envy of many. But the Shrek Seven Devils actually have three female members— Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, each with their own unique strengths.
This is practically a "luxury" among Soul Master teams.
His shout caused Osler, Yu Tianheng, and the others to involuntarily reveal knowing smiles.
Two cold, clear gazes immediately swept over.
Ye Lingling maintained her calm and composed expression, but the look in her eyes as she glanced at Yu Feng held a hint of something indescribable.
Dugu Yan narrowed her emerald green eyes, her voice carrying a dangerous sweetness. "Oh? Yu Feng, what... do you mean by that?"
Yu Feng jolted awake, abruptly covering his mouth and shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, no! I didn't mean anything! I was just... just objectively stating the composition of the group! Yes, objectively stating it!"
Seeing his cowardly appearance, Yu Tianheng, Osler, and the others couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the atmosphere immediately became much more relaxed.
After the laughter subsided, Yu Tianheng composed himself and seriously commented, "Putting everything else aside, just considering their strength and potential... Dai Mubai and Tang San, despite their lower Soul Power Level, actually displayed considerable combat power. However, their overall Soul Power Level are indeed too low."
Lin Kong added crucial information from the side, "Because they are young."
"Young? How young?" The members of the Imperial Fighting Team immediately became curious.
Lin Kong announced the ages, " Dai Mubai is fifteen. Oscar is fourteen. Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun are all twelve, the same age as me."
"Twelve years old?!" "Fifteen years old?!"
Everyone gasped in unison, their faces filled with shock. To reach the level of Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster or even Three-Ring Soul Elder at this age would be considered genius anywhere. In particular, the combat skills displayed by some of them were even better than those of their peers at the same age!
Qin Ming timely revealed his true intention, his gaze sweeping over each team member. "If... the academy considers recruiting some of them into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, what do you think?"
This question caused everyone present to stop smiling and fall into serious thought. It wasn't just about strength, but also about team composition, resource allocation, and... the conflicts and grudges that had just occurred.
Yu Feng hearing Qin Ming's question, Yu Feng's eyes darted around, and he immediately turned to Lin Kong with a grin, saying, " Lin Kong, I think you should handle this! Use your charm to bring those three beauties over there, and wouldn't our Imperial Fighting Team's 'scenery' double? What do you say?"
Lin Kong rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Dream on, that's wishful thinking. The difficulty level is off the charts."
Qin Ming gestured for Lin Kong to elaborate, saying, "Let's analyze this in detail."
Lin Kong began his analysis clearly and methodically. "Let's start with Rongrong. A few months ago, she turned down better opportunities and chose Shrek Academy instead, which shows her stubbornness in wanting to 'prove herself.' Asking her to switch affiliations now would be tantamount to admitting that her initial choice was wrong, and given her pride, that's highly unlikely. Besides, the relationship between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Shrek has already been established, and Sect Master Ning wouldn't easily let her switch sides."
He paused, then continued, "And then there's Zhu Zhuqing. Everyone knows the truth about her relationship with Dai Mubai. If we let her break away from Dai Mubai and enter our Heaven Dou Royal Academy, are we expecting her to represent Heaven Dou and defeat the Star Luo Royal Team in the future? From both a status and political standpoint, that's practically impossible."
Finally, he mentioned Xiao Wu, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness. "As for Xiao Wu... she'll most likely go with Tang San. Wherever Tang San goes, she'll most likely go too."
Upon hearing this, Yu Feng let out a wail. "So there's not a single one with any hope?!"