After the match between Shrek Academy and Qian Ling Academy concluded, the other participating academies in the rest area all collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the previous five red spirit rings, although the two white spirit rings were equally unreal, they at least made them understand that the young man named Huo Yuhao was not a Spirit King, nor did he possess five 100,000-year spirit rings. Judging from the fact that there was still a Spirit Grandmaster in the Shrek Academy team, Huo Yuhao was very likely also a Spirit Grandmaster.
As long as he wasn't a Spirit King, especially a Spirit King with five 100,000-year spirit rings, then they could all accept it. After all, it was too terrifying, and they didn't want to encounter such a formidable opponent in this and the next Grand Competition.
In the Sun Moon Academy's rest area, the team leader, Teacher Ma, looked thoughtful and said to the students behind him, "Rulong, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, what are your thoughts?"
"Heh!" Xiao Hongchen scoffed and said, "I thought Shrek Academy really produced an extraordinary talent, but it turns out he's just a clown who fakes things and plays tricks! I think, if Big Brother Ma's main team isn't confident in defeating Shrek Academy, you can just let our reserve team go, right, Meng?"
"Exactly!" Meng Hongchen echoed with a smile, "Shrek Academy actually sent a reserve team. Are they so arrogant that they believe they can defeat us with four Spirit Ancestors, one Spirit Elder, and two Spirit Grandmasters? How laughable!"
"Hmph!" Faced with the Redchen siblings' mockery, Ma Rulong's expression turned grim. He said, "Did you two forget about Ma Xiaotao and Jiang Nannan? You might not know Ma Xiaotao, but I can tell you, she was one of the members of Shrek's reserve team in the previous competition. At fourteen, she was already at the Spirit Ancestor level. Five years have passed, so she must be a Spirit Emperor by now!
And Jiang Nannan, you all know her. She's only fifteen. Can you really conclude that she isn't a member of the reserve team? Although you, Xiao Hongchen, also reached the Spirit King realm at fifteen, you know how you achieved that Spirit King status. Are you confident you'll remain undefeated when you encounter Jiang Nannan five years from now?
Oh, right, there's also a team member named Zhu Ziyang in the Shrek Academy team. He's also fifteen and hasn't played yet. How can you be so sure he isn't a member of the reserve team?
It's far too early to be so complacent!"
Ma Rulong's tirade made Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's faces turn extremely ugly. However, they were merely proud, not foolish. Ma Rulong's words made them realize that they had indeed been somewhat arrogant.
Thus, Xiao Hongchen, uncharacteristically, didn't retort to Ma Rulong. Instead, he said with a serious expression, "Big Brother Ma, you're absolutely right. However, no matter how many things Shrek Academy has hidden, I will shatter them with the spirit tools in my hands!"
On the other side, after the seven members of the reserve team arrived at the rest area, they all broke into happy smiles. Huo Yuhao even let out a sigh of relief, saying, "Phew, that's great! I finally don't have to pretend to be aloof anymore! You don't know, with so many eyes staring at me simultaneously on stage, I was almost scared to death!"
"Alright, Yu Hao, you get credit for this match!" Tang Ya affectionately embraced Huo Yuhao, her pretty face smiling as she said, "Ziyang, Nannan, you didn't see how wonderful the expressions on the faces of the Qian Ling Academy people were at the time. I bet they never expected that the person they were most focused on was actually just a Spirit Grandmaster, hahaha!"
"Hehe!" Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan said with a wry smile, "We didn't see it, but we could hear the shouts and curses from the audience!"
"Sigh! I also didn't expect the audience's reaction to be so strong. Forget it, let them curse!" Wang Yan also sighed, then a smile reappeared on his face as he said to the seven members of the reserve team, "You all did very well, outstandingly. I'm very satisfied!"
"Mainly, the opponent's lineup gave us an opportunity!" Bei Bei said, "The opponent had a single-core lineup, and we happened to have Xu Sanshi, which is why we were able to complete the decapitation operation so smoothly!"
"Hehe! Of course! My Xuanwu Displacement isn't just for show. As long as it's within my attack range, I can displace even a Spirit Saint!" Xu Sanshi said proudly.
"Look at you showing off!" Tang Ya rolled her eyes and said, "Be careful not to blow your own horn too much and have it backfire!"
"How could that happen!" Xu Sanshi said playfully.
"Alright, let's head back to the hotel. There's nothing more to see in the upcoming matches." Wang Yan said, "The match against Zhengtian Academy the day after tomorrow will be a tough battle. Everyone go back and get some good rest!"
The Shrek group left Star Luo Plaza.
---
That night, in Zhu Ziyang's room.
Zhu Ziyang sat cross-legged on the bed with a calm expression, his eyes closed as he entered a state of meditation. His spirit power, amplified by his Spirit core, rotated rapidly, accumulating bit by bit, filling Zhu Ziyang's realm.
Within his mental force, the Snow Empress Soul Spirit egg and the Ice Empress Soul Spirit egg had entered the final stage of incubation. It was estimated that they would fully hatch in about half a month.
Electrolux, meanwhile, was silently repairing his own soul. Being a remnant soul himself, if he wanted to revive, he would need to possess a complete soul. He was still just a remnant soul; if a complete soul was considered one hundred percent, then he currently only had thirty percent, and this was after several years of nurturing!
However, Electrolux was not in a hurry. His divine soul realm was already there; what he lacked was the life force to fill that realm. As long as he could wait for Zhu Ziyang to become a god, then the life force he desired would be as much as he wanted, wouldn't it? After all, isn't a soul the combination of mental force and life force?
Beside the two Soul Spirit eggs was a silver-white crystal. This was the Silver Dragon Wolf's soul crystal. Four years had passed, and this crystal finally showed signs of activity; a crack appeared on its surface.
The moment the Silver Dragon Wolf's soul crystal stirred, Zhu Ziyang and Electrolux felt it simultaneously. The master and disciple appeared together in the great hall on Zhu Ziyang's mental force island, watching the soul crystal with its slowly floating crack.
"Teacher, this Silver Dragon Wolf is about to awaken," Zhu Ziyang said, with a hint of emotion in his tone. In fact, if it weren't for the Silver Dragon Wolf's sacrifice, Zhu Ziyang would not have been able to achieve his current strength and realm. Perhaps his Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe would still have evolved into Ultimate Light due to the Great Bright Art, but it would probably have taken ten or twenty years, and his second Spirit would certainly not have directly evolved into the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit, possessing Ultimate Ice.
Therefore, to some extent, it was the Silver Dragon Wolf that made Zhu Ziyang who he was today, and Zhu Ziyang felt a hint of gratitude towards the Silver Dragon Wolf.
"Yes, speaking of which, I should also thank this little dragon. If it weren't for her, the chances of you and I, master and disciple, meeting would be almost zero!" Electrolux also sighed with emotion, saying.
As the master and disciple sighed, the Silver Dragon Wolf's soul crystal was already covered in dense cracks. Then, to their astonishment, it shattered with a bang, revealing a miniature giant dragon covered in silver scales. The dragon's appearance was remarkably nine-tenths similar to Zhu Ziyang's second Spirit. The only difference was that the scales of Zhu Ziyang's Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit were ice-white, while the silver giant dragon's scales were bright silver.
The Silver Dragon Wolf, no, she should now be called the Heavenly Frost Sacred Silver Dragon, opened her silver vertical pupils, her eyes revealing confusion and curiosity as if waking from a long dream, like a newborn young dragon. She began to devour the fragments of the soul crystal around her body.
Zhu Ziyang and Electrolux did not disturb her, watching silently. Each time the silver young dragon devoured a crystal fragment, her form would change slightly, and Zhu Ziyang would also feel a subtle change in sync. The first spirit ring of the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon trembled and transformed, which filled Zhu Ziyang with a sense of anticipation.
Before long, the silver young dragon finished devouring all the soul crystal, and her appearance transformed into that of an adult true dragon, becoming a genuine Silver Dragon. Her vertical pupils also turned white, representing the ice element, and her gaze fell directly upon Zhu Ziyang. With surprise and excitement in her tone, she said, "Zhu Ziyang, I truly didn't misjudge you!"
"You still recognize me?" Zhu Ziyang was very surprised, not expecting that the Silver Dragon Wolf, having evolved into a Silver Dragon, would still remember him.
"Of course, although I've been in slumber all these years, I could perceive the changes within your mental force," the Silver Dragon said, her tone filled with joy and ease. She looked at Electrolux, "This must be the Necromancer Catastrophe, Necromantic Saint Magic God, Electrolux, right? A pleasure to meet you for the first time, please guide me!"
"Haha, you're quite self-aware, little dragon!" Electrolux laughed, accepting the Silver Dragon's overture, and said.
"Since you know what's happening within my mental force, then you must also know about the existence of Soul Spirits, right?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Mm-hmm!" The Silver Dragon nodded and said, "Of course! I really didn't expect that the ruler of the Extremely North Land, the Ice Snow Maiden, would also be taken by you. You truly surprise me. It seems that the oath I made you swear back then was completely trivial for you!"
"So, do you want to become my Soul Spirit?" Zhu Ziyang ignored the Silver Dragon's emotion and asked directly.
"Why not?" The Silver Dragon readily agreed to become Zhu Ziyang's Soul Spirit, replying with a rhetorical question, "Besides, I was clearly the first Spirit Beast to invest in you, but I can only become your third Soul Spirit, boohoo, I feel like I've lost out big time!"