Sunset Forest,
Meanwhile, somewhere on the outskirts of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a man and a young woman could be seen having a conversation.
"Grandpa, Teacher Qin has planned for us to go to Suotuo City's Great Spirit Arena to participate in battles and gain more experience," the young woman said as she looked at the man beside her.
She was an exceptionally beautiful and alluring woman with short, deep-purple hair and a pair of emerald-green eyes that gave her an unusually captivating appearance.
The man beside her was none other than the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, while the young woman was his only granddaughter, Dugu Yan.
"Oh? Then you better perform well," Dugu Bo replied seriously. "And always remember what I've told you. Think before you act. Never look down on others simply because you possess strength or come from a noble background."
"Yes, Grandpa," Dugu Yan obediently replied.
Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction.
However, his expression soon became somewhat gloomy.
"Sigh... It's already been almost four months, yet I still haven't found the Young Master."
He couldn't help but sigh.
Ever since his encounter with Lev, Dugu Bo had been searching for him whenever he had the opportunity. He had even traveled around different parts of the empire in search of any information regarding the mysterious young man.
Yet, despite his efforts, he couldn't find even the slightest trace of Lev.
It was as though the young man had completely disappeared from the world.
"Grandpa, are you still thinking about that young man you met?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.
She had heard her grandfather mention Lev countless times over the past few months.
Naturally, she couldn't help but become curious about the mysterious young man who had left such a deep impression on Dugu Bo.
"Of course."
Dugu Bo's expression became serious.
"You must remember this. If you somehow encounter the Young Master during your journey to Suotuo City, you must seize the opportunity to approach him and become acquainted with him."
His tone carried an unusual degree of importance.
His encounter with Lev had completely changed his perception of the world.
The mysterious knowledge, abilities, and unfathomable strength that Lev possessed had left an unforgettable impression on him.
More importantly, Dugu Bo wanted to meet him again.
"Yes, Grandpa," Dugu Yan obediently replied.
Although she had never personally met Lev, her grandfather had drawn a portrait of him for her.
She had to admit that the young man in the portrait was extraordinarily handsome.
After listening to her grandfather repeatedly recount everything that had happened during their encounter, her curiosity toward Lev had only grown stronger.
'Just what kind of person is he to make Grandpa this interested in him?'
Dugu Yan couldn't help but wonder.
After talking for a while longer, Dugu Bo finally stood up.
"That's enough for now. Let's head back."
Dugu Yan nodded.
"Yes, Grandpa."
The two then left the outskirts of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and began making their way out of the Sunset Forest.
Neither of them knew that their journey to Suotuo City would soon bring them face-to-face with the very person they had been talking about.
**********
—One month later—
Great Spirit Arena,
Another month passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, the Shrek Seven Devils had caused quite a stir throughout the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena. Their performance could only be described as a storm that continued to grow stronger with every battle.
In that single month, the Shrek Seven Devils participated in twenty-seven team battles.
Twenty-seven battles.
Twenty-seven victories.
Within their current ranking range, they had absolutely no competition.
Their astonishing winning streak had naturally attracted the attention of the Great Spirit Arena.
If not for the fact that their current Spirit Fighting Badge rank was still too low and therefore failed to meet the minimum requirement for participation in the Central Spirit Battle Arena, which required at least a Silver Spirit Fighting Badge, they would likely have already been invited to fight on the central stage.
Tonight, however, would be different.
As night descended upon Suotuo City, the Shrek Seven Devils made their way toward the Great Spirit Arena.
Tonight would be their final team battle before advancing to the next rank.
Upon arriving at the registration area, Yu Xiaogang approached the counter as usual and took out the Shrek Seven Devils' team battle badge.
"Excuse me. I'm here to register for a team battle."
The staff member accepted the badge out of habit.
However, the moment his eyes fell upon the words engraved on it, his expression suddenly changed.
His face paled slightly.
"Shrek... Seven Devils?"
Yu Xiaogang frowned.
"Yes."
"Sir, could you please wait here for a moment?"
The staff member immediately stood up and hurried toward the back, tightly clutching the Shrek Seven Devils' badge in his hand.
Yu Xiaogang watched him leave with a thoughtful expression.
'It seems there really is something going on.'
Considering the team's performance over the past month, it was impossible for the Great Spirit Arena to remain indifferent.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.
The staff member soon returned.
However, this time, another man accompanied him.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
Yu Xiaogang immediately recognized the man.
He had seen him before.
When the Shrek Seven Devils had participated in their first team battle at the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena, this very man had been their host and announcer.
The man approached with a polite smile.
"Hello, respected team leader. May I have a conversation with you? I assure you, it won't take too much of your time."
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
He had already expected something like this to happen.
With the Shrek Seven Devils' astonishing record over the past month, it would have been strange if the Great Spirit Arena hadn't noticed them.
"Of course."
The man smiled and gestured toward the back.
"Please follow me."
He then led Yu Xiaogang into a quiet room behind the registration area.
Once the door was closed, the man introduced himself.
"I'm the manager of the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena. You can call me Manager Ao."
He paused before continuing.
"On behalf of the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena, I'm here to formally invite the Shrek Seven Devils to participate in a team battle on the Central Spirit Arena's main stage tonight."
Yu Xiaogang remained calm.
"And why is that?"
Although he already knew the rules of the Great Spirit Arena, he deliberately asked.
Manager Ao sighed.
"Normally, teams are only allowed to participate in the Central Spirit Arena after obtaining the appropriate rank. However, there are special circumstances tonight."
He then explained the entire situation.
A group of influential aristocrats had recently arrived in Suotuo City and brought along a powerful Spirit Master team.
Because of their background and strength, they had been given considerable attention.
Unfortunately, the team had repeatedly dominated their opponents, causing the Great Spirit Arena to suffer substantial losses.
Their strength was simply too overwhelming for ordinary teams within the current range.
The arena had already attempted to arrange suitable opponents for them, but the results remained the same.
The aristocrats continued winning.
And the Great Spirit Arena continued losing money.
Manager Ao looked at Yu Xiaogang with a somewhat helpless expression.
"That's why we're hoping the Shrek Seven Devils can accept this challenge."
"You are currently the only team we believe has a chance of defeating them."
Yu Xiaogang listened quietly.
He wasn't surprised by the request.
After all, the Shrek Seven Devils had won twenty-seven consecutive team battles.
However, he wasn't interested in accepting simply because of the money or additional points.
He was more interested in what this battle could provide his students.
Experience.
After considering the matter for a while, Yu Xiaogang finally nodded.
"Fine. We accept."
Manager Ao's expression immediately brightened.
"Excellent!"
"However..."
Yu Xiaogang raised a finger.
"I have several conditions."
Manager Ao immediately became serious.
"Please, go ahead."
Yu Xiaogang calmly stated his requirements.
They were considerably more generous than what the arena normally offered, but considering the circumstances, Manager Ao had little reason to refuse.
After some discussion, the two sides finally reached an agreement.
Yu Xiaogang then leaned back slightly.
"We're not accepting this battle for the sake of accumulating points or earning money."
His eyes became serious.
"My students need experience."
"I understand."
Manager Ao nodded.
"Then I'll immediately retrieve the information regarding your opponents and prepare everything necessary for tonight's battle."
He stood up and bowed slightly.
"I'll also notify the relevant personnel that the Shrek Seven Devils have agreed to participate."
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Good."
Manager Ao quickly left the room.
After the door closed behind him, Yu Xiaogang remained seated for a moment.
A Central Spirit Arena battle.
Against a team powerful enough to cause the Great Spirit Arena significant losses.
He couldn't help but become slightly interested.
'This should be an excellent opportunity to see how far they've truly progressed.'
His gaze became thoughtful.
Especially when he remembered Lev.
'And perhaps this will finally allow me to see more of his true strength.'
After a short while, not only did the staff bring all seven Shrek students into the room, but Flender and Zhao Wuji were also invited over.
Yu Xiaogang calmly repeated everything Manager Ao had previously mentioned while placing the newly received information flat on the table.
As they discussed and planned how they would win the upcoming battle, Lev, on the other hand, quietly examined the information spread across the table. He casually read through the details until he suddenly came across a familiar name.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
'So, it's already time for that, huh.'
Meanwhile, while everyone was busy discussing the battle, Yu Xiaogang suddenly noticed Lev smiling as he looked at the information.
He couldn't help but become curious.
"Lev, is there something you wanted to say?"
"Hmm. Well, I am actually familiar with their Vice Captain," Lev answered.
He knew very well that he was familiar with all of them, but he didn't particularly care about the others. His attention was focused mainly on Dugu Yan, the granddaughter of Dugu Bo.
Yu Xiaogang raised an eyebrow.
"You know her?"
Lev looked at him before casually answering, "I haven't met her in person, but I accidentally met her grandfather before coming to Shrek Academy."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang and the others were immediately shocked.
"D-Did you mean you've met the famous Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo?" Flender suddenly asked in disbelief.
He was very familiar with the name Dugu and knew just how terrifying the Poison Douluo was.
Lev simply nodded and decided not to elaborate further.
Flender and the others couldn't help but gasp.
Meeting a genuine Titled Douluo was an extremely rare and dangerous occurrence. Naturally, they were eager to hear more about Lev's encounter with Dugu Bo, but their expectations were quickly disappointed when Lev remained completely silent.
Seeing that Lev had no intention of explaining, Yu Xiaogang could only suppress his curiosity and continue with the meeting.
Afterward, he allowed Tang San to formulate their battle strategy. Lev suggested that Dugu Yan should be left to him, which Tang San readily accepted.
Zhu Zhuqing, unlike the others, had a completely different thought.
She quietly looked at Lev with a meaningful gaze, already knowing that there was probably more to his relationship with Dugu Yan than he was letting them believe.
While Shrek was holding their meeting, another group was resting comfortably inside VIP Lounge Number Three.
There were seven people in the room, all of them possessing distinct characteristics and appearing to be around twenty years old.
These seven people were precisely the members of the Emperor Team listed in Yu Xiaogang's information.
Sitting on the sofa were the captain, Yu Tianheng, and the vice-captain, Dugu Yan.
The handsome young man was the Wind Chime Bird Spirit Master, Yu Feng, while the black-clothed man was the Ghost Leopard Spirit Master, Osler.
The two brothers sitting on the floor and meditating were naturally the Black Tortoise Spirit Masters, the Shi brothers.
Standing quietly in the corner was the Emperor Team's auxiliary-system Spirit Master, Xie Lingling, who possessed the Nine Heart Begonia Spirit.
The seven members were quietly waiting for their upcoming battle when the door suddenly swung open.
The moment the person entered, the atmosphere inside the room immediately changed.
All seven members of the Emperor Team instinctively stood up.
Even Yu Tianheng, who had been sitting comfortably on the sofa, immediately rose to his feet. The Shi brothers also stopped their meditation and opened their eyes.
In unison, all seven members of the Emperor Team respectfully saluted the person who had just entered.
"Teacher Qin."
All seven of them greeted him respectfully.
"This time, you may have finally met your match. I just received the basic information regarding your opponents today from the City Lord. The battle was only decided by the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena a short while ago. Have a look."
As he spoke, Teacher Qin walked toward the sofa behind the crystal table and sat down. He already had a piece of silk cloth containing the information in his hand, which he carefully unfolded across the tabletop.
Teacher Qin then began explaining the background and battle records of their opponents.
The members of the Emperor Team were surprised after hearing about Shrek's impressive winning streak. However, when Yu Tianheng and the others saw the spirit ranks listed in the information, mocking expressions soon appeared on their faces.
"Don't underestimate them."
Dugu Yan's cold voice immediately interrupted their thoughts.
"They have continued winning despite facing opponents with advantages over them. If we become careless and underestimate them, we could very well suffer the same fate."
She was clearly displeased by her teammates' attitudes.
Unlike the original Dugu Yan, she had changed considerably after her grandfather, Dugu Bo, began personally teaching her. The encounter with Lev in the Sunset Forest had caused Dugu Bo to rethink many things, and he had subsequently placed greater emphasis on teaching his granddaughter humility and kindness.
Although only a relatively short period had passed, it was already enough to change Dugu Yan's personality to some extent.
Teacher Qin nodded in agreement.
"Dugu Yan is right. Regardless of their spirit ranks, you must not underestimate your opponents. You should give this battle your absolute best."
He then looked toward Dugu Yan.
"After the battle, remember to treat their poisoning injuries."
Hearing this, the other members of the Emperor Team were confused.
"Why?" Yu Tianheng asked.
"Every time we fight, Teacher Qin always tells us to strike without mercy. Why are you suddenly telling us to treat our opponents' injuries afterward?"
The others also looked toward Teacher Qin curiously.
However, Teacher Qin did not answer immediately.
Instead, he simply waved his hand.
"I'll explain everything after the match. For now, just focus on preparing yourselves."
Seeing that Teacher Qin clearly had no intention of explaining further, the Emperor Team could only suppress their curiosity.
After everything was settled, the Emperor Team, led by Yu Tianheng, left the room and headed toward the arena.
The battle was about to begin.
**********
---Two Hours Later---
Central Main Spirit Arena,
The Central Main Spirit Arena was now filled with deafening cheers and excited shouts from the audience.
Suddenly, the spirit tool lanterns illuminated the entire arena, their dazzling brilliance spreading in every direction before converging toward the spirit fighting stage. It was as if an enormous golden spotlight had descended from the heavens, perfectly enveloping the entire arena.
At the center of the spirit ring, the ground suddenly began to rise.
A circular platform approximately two meters in diameter slowly emerged from the stage, supported by a thick golden pillar. Rising alongside the pillar was a beautiful young woman.
She was the announcer for the upcoming battle.
The moment she appeared, the audience erupted into even louder cheers and shouts. With a professional smile on her face, she began introducing the two teams participating in the battle.
"Emperor Team, Captain: Yu Tian-Heng, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit Master..."
"Shrek Seven Devils Team, Captain: Evil Eye White Tiger, White Tiger Spirit Master..."
The white-dressed young announcer skillfully introduced both teams, her primary purpose being to heighten the anticipation of the numerous VIP spectators present.
"Next, will the team members from both sides please take the stage!"
Following her announcement, two sliding doors on opposite sides of the spirit fighting stage silently opened.
The members of both teams simultaneously entered the arena and slowly made their way toward the center of the spirit ring.
The Emperor Team occupied the left side, while the Shrek Seven Devils stood on the right.
As the fourteen Spirit Masters faced each other, an overwhelming amount of spirit power erupted almost simultaneously.
One after another, their spirits were released, their bodies undergoing various transformations as their spirit rings emerged beneath their feet.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Both sides focused their attention on one another, each trying to gauge their opponent's strength while preparing for the battle that was about to begin.
However, amid the intense atmosphere, Lev remained completely calm.
A faint smile hung on his face.
His eyes swept across the members of the Emperor Team, and the familiar system notifications immediately began appearing in his mind.
[Initial Skill: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Body Enhancement has been learned.]
[Initial Skill: Black Tortoise Body Enhancement has been learned.]
[Initial Skill: Wind Chime Bird Body Enhancement has been learned.]
[Initial Skill: Ghost Leopard Body Enhancement has been learned.]
[Initial Skill: Nine Hearted Begonia has been learned.]
[Initial Skill: Jade Phosphor Serpent Body Enhancement has been learned.]
[Initial Skill: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon has been learned.]
Lev's smile widened slightly.
'Not bad.'
After both sides completed their preparations, the announcer raised her voice.
"Both teams, prepare yourselves!"
The audience instantly fell silent for a brief moment.
Then—
"Let the battle... BEGIN!!!"