Even after the preliminary rounds ended, Heaven Dou City remained bustling, with young Soul Master dressed in the uniforms of various academies visible everywhere on the streets.
Apart from the team members who stayed at their residences to cultivate and rest, the rest of the members from the three academies of the Godwind Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, and Skywater Academy went to the most bustling commercial street together.
Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er walked side by side ahead, their pace slow, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones. Shui Yue'er followed behind her sister, her gaze wandering among the shops lining the street.
Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu walked in the middle, with Huo Yun and Huo Lie following closely behind.
The two men had come specifically to talk to the girls from the Skywater Academy, hoping to strike up a conversation today. However, as soon as they arrived at the commercial street, the girls dispersed into the nearby shops, leaving them no chance to even strike up a conversation.
Feng Lingtian and Su Mei'er were walking at the back of the group. When they passed a jewelry stall, Su Mei'er slowed her pace and her eyes fell on a silver hair accessory.
She picked it up, looked at it, and put it back, her movements very light, as if she had just casually flipped through it. Feng Lingtian didn't say anything. After Su Mei'er took a step forward, he bent down, picked up the hair accessory, paid for it, and then followed her to hand it to her.
Su Mei'er glanced down, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Wasting money again." Then she put the hair accessory back in her hair. Feng Lingtian coughed lightly and said, "I'm happy to." He then rubbed his nose, his face flushed, and continued walking forward.
Bai Yu and Zhong Yue stopped for a while at another stall. Zhong Yue carefully selected some items, picked up a pendant shaped like a rice stalk, paid for it, and handed it to Bai Yu.
Bai Yu blushed as she took the rice stalks and tried to tie them to the Wind Chime. The wind blew, and the rice stalks swayed gently beside the bells, the rustling sound blending with the crisp ringing of the Wind Chime.
Bai Yu looked down, then smiled at Zhong Yue, "Good taste." Zhong Yue didn't say anything, his ears turned slightly red, and he looked away from Bai Yu's smile, pretending to look at the signs on the street.
Ye Qingyu and Su Ran hadn't kept up with the group at all. The two stopped in front of a pastry shop, Ye Qingyu with osmanthus cake in her mouth, her eyes still glancing into the shop.
Su Ran took a bite. "The osmanthus is from last year; the fragrance has faded." Ye Qingyu mumbled as she handed over another piece, "Then try this one—"
Su Ran took a bite, and the two quickly veered from "whether it tastes good" to "whether we can replicate it ourselves." By the time they came to their senses, the group had already walked quite a distance.
At the other end of the street, members of the Shrek Academy were also strolling around.
Xiao Wu squatted in front of the general store, examining a carrot pendant, while Tang San stood beside her watching. Tai Long followed behind Tang San, arms crossed, observing the surroundings.
Ning Rongrong was picking out hair accessories at a jewelry stall, while Oscar followed behind, not daring to speak. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing walked side by side at the back of the line, their steps in sync. Ma Hongjun looked around, his gaze sweeping across the street.
The two groups met face-to-face in the middle of the commercial street.
Dai Mubai noticed Feng Xiaotian at first glance. Throughout the entire qualifiers, Feng Xiaotian hadn't played a single game, but Dai Mubai knew very well that Feng Xiaotian was the true core of this undefeated team.
Their eyes met briefly in the crowd, then they nodded to each other. The others also greeted each other. The atmosphere wasn't particularly warm, but it wasn't tense either.
But the friendly atmosphere was quickly ruined by Ma Hongjun.
His gaze swept from Huo Wu to Shui Yue'er, then to the other women, a sly smile playing on his lips, "Oh, what a day! All these beauties are gathered here; it's quite a feast for the eyes!"
Huo Wu Dance stopped in her tracks.
She turned to look at Ma Hongjun, her eyes turning cold. "What's it to you? Where are you looking with your dog eyes!"
After taking another closer look at Ma Hongjun, Huo Wu said, "And your way of attracting people is really low-class. But then again, looking like you, I doubt any beautiful woman would want to pay attention to you. How pathetic."
Ma Hongjun's smile froze on his face. He opened his mouth slightly, wanting to retort but couldn't find the words.
" Huo Wu." Tang San frowned and took a step forward. "No matter what, don't be so aggressive in your tone."
Huo Wu's gaze shifted from Ma Hongjun to Tang San. Tang San's evasive attitude only made her angrier.
"Was my tone harsh?" Huo Wu said, "Your own teammate was harassing someone in the street, and instead of doing anything about it, you come here telling me not to be so harsh?"
She paused slightly, her eyes full of mockery, and said calmly, "That makes sense, after all, that's the motto you Shrek members uphold—'Those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre.'"
That's a perfect fit for you, it's utterly ridiculous. So, actively harassing others is what you call "daring to cause trouble"?
"Oh, by the way, I have a question for you: When your good teacher told you 'don't worry' before the competition, did he also tell you that once the Clear Sky Hammer is revealed, the Spirit Hall will be watching you?"
Tang San's expression changed.
"I doubt it. Your teacher didn't explicitly tell you to use the Clear Sky Hammer. He said 'Don't have any worries,' do you know why?"
After thinking for a moment, Huo Wu Tang San continued, "Because if we win, it's because of his excellent guidance. If something goes wrong, he can say, 'I didn't tell you to use the Clear Sky Hammer; you misunderstood.'"
Huo Wu's voice wasn't loud, but every word was incredibly sarcastic.
"He could claim credit for himself or disclaim all responsibility. From beginning to end, he carefully prepared his own escape route, placing all the risks on his disciple. How hypocritical."
" Huo Wu!" Huo Wushuang whispered, but Huo Wu didn't look at him.
Tang San's fists were clenched. Dai Mubai's face was ashen. Xiao Wu glared at Huo Wu, her lips pressed into a thin line. Zhu Zhuqing remained silent.
Ma Hongjun kept his head down and hadn't uttered a single word since Huo Wu's outburst—he was the one who caused the trouble, and now he didn't even have the right to raise his head.
Shui Yue'er stood next to Shui Bing'er without saying a word. But her eyes had been changing ever since Ma Hongjun spoke his first words. When Huo Wu finished speaking, she finally spoke.
"It's not just hypocrisy." Shui Yue'er's voice was softer than Huo Wu's, but her tone was just as cold. "Have you ever thought about why Tang San is always the one stealing the spotlight in every battle? Of the rest of you, who has ever truly been valued?"
Her gaze swept from Dai Mubai to Zhu Zhuqing, then to Ma Hongjun, and finally landed on Oscar and Ning Rongrong.
" Grandmaster only has eyes for Tang San. You are merely tools to clear obstacles for Tang San. Has Grandmaster ever truly paid attention to your changes and growth? Has he ever given you any pointers on how to stand out on the field?"
No one answered.
Dai Mubai clenched his fists tighter, but he didn't speak. Xiao Wu wanted to retort, opened her mouth, but ultimately just bit her lower lip. Zhu Zhuqing lowered her gaze.
Oscar lowered his head, recalling that he had only played once in the preliminaries, while Godwind Academy's Ye Qingyu and Bai Yu had their own highlight moments in every match. He was truly envious.
Ning Rongrong bit her lip. Ever since the day Yu Xiaogang led everyone to put pressure on her during the pill incident, she had already seen through the hypocrisy of that " Grandmaster ".
At this moment, Shui Yue'er's words did not make her angry; she only felt that someone had finally spoken out about this matter.
Tai Long stood at the very back, expressionless. He didn't care about Yu Xiaogang or what Shui Yue'er had said; he only cared about Tang San. He glanced at Tang San's back but didn't move.
Feng Lingtian stood to the side, remaining silent. His gaze swept over the faces of each member of Shrek Academy.
Dai Mubai's forbearance, Xiao Wu's grievances, Zhu Zhuqing's silence, Oscar's momentary inferiority when he lowered his head, Ning Rongrong's relieved expression when she bit her lip—everyone is different, but no one refutes it.
He suddenly remembered his team. Zhong Yue was always at the forefront, Bai Yu and Ye Qingyu provided support and kept up with the pace, and the others also played their roles.
Everyone was able to be seen. This wasn't luck; it was something he had planned from the beginning—to prevent the team from becoming another Shrek.
"He's gone." Feng Xiaotian's voice came from beside him.
Feng Lingtian withdrew his gaze. The people from the Third Academy had already started to move forward. Huo Wushuang grabbed Huo Wu's arm, but Huo Wu shook off his hand without turning back.
Shui Bing'er held Shui Yue'er's hand. Shui Yue'er's eyes were slightly red—she had just been disgusted by Ma Hongjun and was extremely angry.
Feng Lingtian caught up with the group. He didn't look back, but after taking a few steps, he was still thinking about something.
The Shrek students are all very talented, but these words today will tear a wound in their hearts. Whether that wound will heal depends on themselves.
But Oscar and Ning Rongrong--
Feng Lingtian made a mental note of it. If there was an opportunity in the future, these two people would be worth poaching from Shrek Academy.