The sun shone brightly, and the sky was clear and cloudless.
A gentle, warm breeze, carrying a hint of heat, now drifted across the Shrek Academy's training ground, where many students in'shit-green' uniforms could be seen moving about within the Academy.
Not far away, Master sat in a wheelchair, a thin blanket covering him.
Although his complexion was still pale, it was much better than a few months ago, and Liu Erlong stood quietly behind him, holding half a bowl of unfinished medicinal soup.
It turned out that Liu Erlong had rushed back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan overnight, kneeling to beg Yu Yuanzhen, who was in seclusion, to intervene and save him. Upon learning that his own son had been severely injured by Dugu Bo, who had extracted his Bloodline, the Thunder Douluo was instantly enraged, but ultimately, reason overcame his fury.
After all, for a mere 'good-for-nothing'!
Making an enemy of someone like Dugu Bo was not a wise move.
In the end, this old father secretly allowed Liu Erlong to take away the Revival Grass and Dragon Blood Ginseng, treasures from the Sect, which barely managed to keep Master clinging to half his life.
At this moment, a row of students stood neatly in front of Master.
They were Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Xiao Wu, and... Tai Long, Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, Jiang Zhu, and others.
These latter four were the main force Liu Erlong had prepared for this Soul Master Competition before Lan Ba Academy was renamed Shrek Academy.
They were all elites carefully cultivated by Liu Erlong and kept at the Academy.
Looking at these individuals before him, Master's expression was not good; he sighed and said:
"Although Mubai has just broken through to rank forty in Soul Power, the overall strength of the Shrek Team is now far from what it was. Ning Rongrong has dropped out and returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and Little San is still missing... Alas, with the Soul Master Competition imminent, we can't even assemble a complete seven-person lineup. Such a Shrek might not even make it past the preliminary rounds."
"Shrek Academy... it's over."
Hearing this, Liu Erlong placed the medicine bowl on a nearby stone table and gently laid her hand on Master's trembling shoulder, comforting him softly:
"Xiaogang, don't say that. The Little freaks are still young; even if we are eliminated this time, five years from now, they will surely become a team that will shock the entire Douluo Continent. For now, taking care of your health is the most important thing."
Master sighed deeply, his cloudy eyes filled with dejection, and said: "Erlong, you don't need to comfort me. With the lineup so incomplete, and Little San's return uncertain, how can we talk about the future? How can Mubai alone bear this broken situation? My Martial Soul theory, I'm afraid..."
"How can that be? The children are all working hard. Mubai has broken through to rank forty, and Fatty, Zhuqing, and the others have also made rapid progress. Even if our performance is not good this time, it will be a valuable experience. Your health has just started to improve, so you must not worry and grieve anymore." Liu Erlong applied a little more pressure to her hand, continuing to comfort him.
At this moment, no one except Zhu Zhuqing noticed that Dai Mubai's expression had become extremely grim; his face was ashen, and his clenched fists were white at the knuckles.
The cruel competition rules of the Star Luo Empire imperial family.
Once he lost to his brother in this competition, what awaited him was not just failure, but the tragic outcome of having his Soul Power crippled and being completely exiled. Immense pressure, like a giant boulder, weighed on Dai Mubai's heart, almost making him unable to breathe.
"Master! Besides sighing all day and saying we're finished, what else can you do?" His chest heaving violently, the long-suppressed anger in Dai Mubai's evil eyes finally erupted.
"Aren't you known for your invincible theories? Now that the team is short on people and lacks strength, isn't this precisely when you need to find a solution? You just sit in your wheelchair, complaining, 'It's over, it's over!' Constantly avoiding setbacks—is this your so-called Master demeanor?"
"We haven't even entered the arena, and you've already pronounced our death sentence! Since you already think we're bound to lose, why should we even participate? We might as well just disband!"
He suddenly stepped forward, his voice filled with uncontrollable indignation.
"You... you..."
Master trembled with rage at this sudden defiance, his finger shaking as he pointed at Dai Mubai, his face instantly turning crimson, his chest heaving violently, almost causing him to faint.
Seeing this, Liu Erlong's face darkened, and she sharply reprimanded:
"Mubai! Stop it! How can you speak to an elder like that!"
Dai Mubai was now consumed by anger, no longer caring about seniority; he abruptly turned to Liu Erlong, his evil eyes bloodshot, and his voice even more agitated:
"Elder? Look at him now! Besides lying there wallowing in self-pity and saying discouraging words that dampen morale, does he have any semblance of an elder?!"
Before Liu Erlong could retort, he aimed his criticism directly at her.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"