Seeing that Ning Rongrong's hair had dried, Su Yu placed her on a nearby chair and gently knelt down to hold her ankle.
Ning Rongrong shyly retracted her leg slightly, as her feet were particularly sensitive.
Noticing her hesitation, Su Yu paused and looked up at her with a gentle gaze:
"Don't move, let me check if the soles of your feet are blistered."
Her cheeks flushed, but she obediently stayed still, though her toes curled reflexively.
His fingers were warm as they held her slender ankle, while his other hand lifted her skirt to reveal her pale feet.
Sunlight fell across her instep, revealing several faint red marks.
Su Yu moved carefully, his fingertips brushing against the soles of her feet where he discovered two small blisters.
"You've gotten blisters, and you said you were fine earlier."
He shook his head helplessly and took out a small jar of ointment from his Soul Guiding Device.
"Ah..."
When the ointment touched the blisters, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but gasp softly, but she didn't pull her foot away, instead biting her lip as she watched his focused expression.
His long eyelashes cast faint shadows under his eyes as he looked down, his seriousness warming her heart.
"Bear with it a little. The pain will be gone by tomorrow after applying this."
Su Yu's voice softened further as he carefully spread the ointment.
Watching him crouched before her, Ning Rongrong suddenly felt that the exhaustion from running and the pain in her feet were insignificant. She whispered:
"Brother Husband, thank you."
Su Yu looked up with a smile, set her foot down, and straightened her skirt:
"Alright, rest for a while now, and don't move around unnecessarily."
A week passed in the blink of an eye—
Shrek Academy didn't employ any particularly unique training methods. There were two physical training sessions per week, with the rest of the time dedicated to Soul Power cultivation.
Today, Flender led everyone to a new teaching location!
In Suotuo City—
Flender brought the group to a less bustling street, eventually stopping in front of a shabby tea shop.
"Dean, are we having class here today?"
Tang San eyed the worn tables and chairs in the tea shop and couldn't help but click his tongue.
Without answering directly, Flender first ordered the cheapest coarse tea from the waiter.
After everyone sat around a round table, he adjusted his old glasses and pointed into the distance:
"The classroom isn't here. It's over there."
Following his direction, the group saw a massive complex of buildings standing about a hundred meters away.
The walls were towering and majestic, resembling a slumbering giant compared to the surrounding residential houses.
Dai Mubai's expression changed abruptly at the sight of the buildings. He swallowed and said in a low voice:
"Dean, are we... having them go to a place like this already?"
Flender took a sip of the coarse tea, his tone calm yet firm:
"Remember, you are monsters, not ordinary seedlings from a greenhouse."
"Since you're monsters, your training must match that."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the young men and women present, his voice growing more serious.
"Your Martial Souls are vastly different, each with its own cultivation method."
"What the academy can teach you is how to use your Martial Souls more flexibly and skillfully, and help you find Soul Rings that are better suited to you!"
"To help you accumulate genuine combat experience and bring out all the potential hidden in your bones."
"At the same level and with equal strength, what ultimately matters is practical combat experience—something that can determine life and death."
Flender lightly tapped his finger on the table. "So today, your classroom will be there, and the lesson is just one—practical combat."
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances. Ma Hongjun didn't dare to speak, while a trace of helplessness appeared in Dai Mubai's wicked eyes.
"Buildings like this can only be found in cities of the main city level."
"Its scale can be said to be a sign of a city's or even a country's prosperity. Such a building is called a Grand Combat Arena."
"And it is named after the city it's in. Therefore, the one before you is called the Suotuo Grand Combat Arena."
"The so-called Combat Arena is a place where Soul Masters compete with their Martial Souls—in other words, it's where Soul Masters fight."
"Alright, I don't need to tell you much more. If you don't know the rules of the Combat Arena, just fight a few more matches and you'll find out!"
"My requirement for you is to obtain the Silver Combat Soul Badge before graduation!"
Flender finished the tea in his cup and looked at them with a mischievous grin.
"Remember, this isn't an easy task. You'll understand once you go in!"
Flender led the group inside and had Dai Mubai tell them about his combat record.
"Dean, is this really necessary?"
Dai Mubai looked at Flender with a pleading expression, but Flender ignored him and spoke impatiently:
"Just say it when I tell you to! Why so much trouble?"
"Yes, Dean!"
Dai Mubai made a bitter face, scratched his head, and looked at the others behind him, his voice tinged with discomfort:
"I... I started coming to the Suotuo Grand Combat Arena when I was at level 29 Soul Power. I've fought 56 matches in total."
He paused, as if a bit embarrassed, and added:
"As for my record... 29 wins and 27 losses. I now have 2 points and am still at the lowest Iron Combat Soul rank."
Upon hearing Dai Mubai's words, the others clearly didn't believe it!
Ma Hongjun also stepped forward and shared his points:
"So far, I've fought 33 matches with 21 wins and 12 losses, totaling 9 points."
As soon as Dai Mubai finished speaking, the confusion on Tang San and the others' faces deepened—given Dai Mubai's strength, it didn't seem right for him to have only 2 points.
"Dai Mubai! Based on your strength, you should be one of the top fighters in the Combat Arena. How could you only have 2 points, fewer than Ma Hongjun?"
Dai Mubai looked at Tang San with a wry smile:
"When I first started participating, my Soul Power Level was 29, and I competed in Great Soul Master duels. I won several matches in a row, but I soon reached the Soul Elder level."
"After that, I kept participating in Soul Elder duels, always facing veteran Soul Elders. I lost a streak for a while, with wins and losses here and there. Over the years, I've only netted two wins and gained 2 points!"
"As for Fatty, he's been competing in Great Soul Master duels the whole time. His strength is relatively high in that category, so naturally, he has more wins!"
Seeing the change in their expressions, Flender finally stepped in:
"Alright, so you see, obtaining the Silver Combat Soul Badge is quite challenging! I have high hopes for you all—don't let me down!"
Flender brought the group to the front desk of the Combat Arena and had them register for participation.
Each person paid ten Gold Soul Coins to receive an Iron Combat Soul Badge, after which they could participate in combat. For every victory, they would receive a subsidy of five Gold Soul Coins.
Upon hearing about the subsidy, Xiao Wu's eyes immediately lit up: "We get paid for winning? Then we'll have to fight seriously!"