The atmosphere in the familiar team meeting room at the Shrek Academy was somewhat oppressive.
Apart from Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing, who have not yet returned to the team, all other team members and teachers have arrived.
The sunlight streaming through the window could not dispel the underlying restlessness inside.
Yu Xiaogang stood beside the head seat, his hands behind his back, his face so dark it could wring water. He glanced around at the students, lingering for a moment on the two empty seats, his voice carrying its usual seriousness and obvious displeasure:
"Only three days remain until the start of the qualifying rounds. Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing have yet to return, and there's been no word from them. We shouldn't have let them leave the team without permission and follow unknown outsiders. What could a mere child know about choosing Soul Skill! This kind of disorganized and undisciplined behavior could severely impact the team's strategy and morale if anything goes wrong before the competition!"
Yu Xiaogang spoke sternly, as if he had completely forgotten who had lost the bet and lost face, and who had reluctantly let them go.
Ning Rongrong, head bowed in the corner, fiddled with the hem of her clothes, inwardly rolling her eyes and thinking to herself, "How can she say that with such self-righteousness... She clearly lost the bet and was humiliated by Big Brother Tang's questioning, yet now she's putting on airs and blaming others? No wonder she's been subjected to so much contempt; her skin is incredibly thick..."
Ning Rongrong's opinion of this " Grandmaster " had plummeted to rock bottom.
Flender adjusted his glasses, a familiar smile on his face as he tried to ease the tension, and said, " Xiaogang, don't be too anxious. I know Little Ao and Zhu Zhuqing; they both know what's important. Since they promised to come back for the competition on time, they probably won't break their word. They're probably on their way; let's wait and see."
As the dean, Flender had to maintain team discipline, but he was also unwilling to be too harsh on outstanding students, and he didn't want to escalate the conflict at this critical juncture.
"Hmph!" Yu Xiaogang let out a heavy snort, expressing his extreme dissatisfaction with Flender's "muddying the waters" attitude.
He glanced at Flender, his frustration intensifying.
Besides blaming Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing, Yu Xiaogang also subconsciously harbored some resentment towards Flender.
Why is it that, as fellow Soul Master, you, Flender, clearly knew that absorbing Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring would cause a "mental shock," yet you never reminded me of this during our usual interactions?
He made me lose face in front of Ning Fengzhi and His Highness the Crown Prince, leaving me utterly humiliated!
Now, even these students, except for the Little San, look at me with less of the respect they used to have, and more of a subtle distance and doubt...
All of this made Yu Xiaogang feel extremely frustrated and embarrassed.
The air in the conference room seemed to freeze, with only the occasional soft sound of Ma Hongjun moving his chair.
Dai Mubai's expression was equally unpleasant. His focus was clearly different from Yu Xiaogang's; Zhu Zhuqing's prolonged absence was making Dai Mubai restless and uneasy.
"Tap, tap."
Just as the dullness was about to reach its peak, two clear and steady knocks broke the silence.
The door was pushed open, and Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing appeared in the doorway.
The two looked travel-worn, but their spirits were high, their eyes bright, their breathing steady, and they even gave off a sense of renewed energy.
The two quickly scanned the room, their eyes meeting briefly with that of their friend Ning Rongrong, who looked delighted. They exchanged a reassuring look before stepping forward and bowing respectfully to Flender.
"Dean, we're back." Oscar's voice was as energetic as ever, while Zhu Zhuqing simply nodded slightly.
Flender visibly relaxed, a smile spreading across his face, "Good to be back, good to be back! The timing was pretty perfect. How was the trip? How much has your Soul Power increased? Did you acquire any suitable Soul Ring and Soul Skill?"
Flender genuinely cared about the students' gains and temporarily set aside his distracting thoughts.
However, before Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing could answer, a cold laugh, undisguised and full of sarcasm, came from the side.
"Heh." Yu Xiaogang put his hands behind his back, scrutinizing the two of them with icy eyes.
His gaze seemed to say: Without my theoretical guidance, what decent Soul Skill could you two, acting on your own, possibly acquire? Probably just barely passable, or perhaps you even chose unsuitable Soul Ring to accommodate the limited lifespan.
Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing seemed not to hear the mocking laugh at all, and completely ignored Yu Xiaogang's smug gaze.
Oscar cleared his throat, a smile playing on his lips, and spoke first, "Dean, my Soul Power is now level 42. My Fourth Soul Skill is called ' Heaven and Earth Creation Sausage.' After consuming it, there are two effects to choose from: one is the ability to create non-living objects with a structure I understand for a short time, such as temporarily making a shield; the other is the ability to change my appearance and physique, Simulation people or animals I've seen, but it cannot copy Martial Soul or Soul Skill, and it can also slightly enhance my mental strength. It's mainly used to confuse opponents or in emergencies."
Immediately following, Zhu Zhuqing's cold voice rang out. "I am level 43. My Fourth Soul Skill, ' Nether Dreadclaw,' unleashes several claw-like attacks with tearing effects, possessing a certain armor-piercing capability."
Zhu Zhuqing made no mention of the terrifying penetration, continuous bleeding, and weakened defense.
The two tacitly agreed to say that the age of the Soul Ring was "more than four thousand years," and made no mention of the Soul Bone. They also omitted the names of the Soul Beast, only summarizing their effects.
However, the increased Soul Power Level alone, and the seemingly extraordinary Soul Skill effects, were enough to stir up a ripple in the conference room.
"' Heaven and Earth Creation Sausage ' and ' Nether Dreadclaw ', one is level 42 and the other is level 43!"
Ma Hongjun was the first to lose his composure, his eyes widening in excitement, his voice rising with anticipation, " Little Ao, Zhu Zhuqing, you two are amazing! You've suddenly become the two with the highest Soul Power in our team! Those Soul Skill sound so cool! Little Ao, your Sausage can transform and change shape? Zhu Zhuqing's claws can even break through armor? That's incredible!"
The others also looked surprised, their gazes filled with disbelief as they looked at the two.
Even the usually composed Tang San frowned slightly as he carefully examined his returning companions.
Ning Rongrong was genuinely happy for her friend; her beautiful eyes sparkled with joy, and she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.
Flender adjusted his glasses, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
Although Flender was stingy, he was genuinely kind to his students and truly happy for their growth. He didn't hold back his praise, "Very good! Excellent! Your Soul Power has increased significantly, and your Soul Skill are also highly unique and have great practical value. The fact that your Fourth Soul Ring has reached a level of over four thousand years and that you've acquired such a useful Soul Skill proves that your foundation is solid. Your choice of Soul Ring this time was correct, and you've gained a great deal!"
However, this sincere praise and the heartfelt admiration and envy of their companions were like a red-hot iron, burning deeply into the hearts of the other two people.
Dai Mubai sat there, his face so dark it was almost black. His fists, clenched tightly under the table, showed prominent veins on the back of his hands.
The stronger Zhu Zhuqing became, the clearer the feeling of being out of his control became. Especially when he thought that Zhu Zhuqing's growth was closely related to Tang Feng, the poisonous fire of jealousy burned through Dai Mubai's internal organs.
Dai Mubai stared intently at Zhu Zhuqing's aloof profile, his gaze terrifyingly complex.
Yu Xiaogang's expression was beyond ugly; it was as if dark clouds were gathering over the city, and a storm was brewing.
The disdainful sneer from just moments ago still seemed to linger in his ears, but in the blink of an eye, these two "unruly" students delivered a resounding slap to Yu Xiaogang in the face in front of everyone with a real level increase and a Soul Skill that sounded quite impressive!
Yu Xiaogang felt his authority crumbling at a visible speed in front of these young trainees.
His gloomy gaze lingered on Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing, trying to find a flaw in their words.
The atmosphere in the conference room, which had eased slightly with the return of the two, became stagnant and oppressive again due to their gloomy aura.