Morning broke with a cool breeze drifting over Shrek Academy. The courtyard, usually filled with the sounds of training and chatter, had taken on a rare, anticipatory silence. Overhead, the sky was clear, and the sun, still low, cast golden shafts of light that danced through the leaves of the ancient oak trees. Today, the air carried a different kind of charge—a tension brimming with excitement and uncertainty.
At the heart of the academy, the open sparring ground had been swept and cleared. Around it, benches and seats were arranged in a wide circle, and already, students had begun to gather. The Emperor Team stood at one end of the courtyard, composed, focused, each member in full gear. On the opposite side, Shrek Academy fighters prepared themselves.
Flender stood beside Qin Ming at the edge of the field, arms folded as his keen eyes swept over both teams. "Seven versus seven," he said. "Standard team format. No fatal blows. Zhao Wuji will referee."
"Understood," Qin Ming replied. His expression remained composed, but there was a gleam in his eyes. "Let them show what they've learned."
Zhao Wuji strode into the center of the arena, voice booming. "Shrek Academy team consist of Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Meng Yiran, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar. Step forward."
Shrek team approached, each member calm but alert. Dai Mubai golden pupils scanned the opposing team with confidence. Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing moved with silent precision, her gaze cool and unreadable. Xiao Wu stretched her limbs with casual grace, her playful eyes hiding the sharp instincts of a predator. Ning Rongrong walked with poise, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda already summoned, glowing gently in her palm. Meng Yiran gripped her Serpent Cane tightly, her expression unreadable behind the glint of her glasses.
Ma Hongjun exhaled a puff of heated breath, his eyes blazing. Oscar, unarmed but grinning, gave a small salute with a sausage in hand. "Ready for action!"
"From the Emperor Team," Zhao Wuji continued, "Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Osler, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Yu Feng, and Ye Lingling."
The seven stepped forward as one, their formation crisp. Yu Tianheng wore a composed, confident smile, electricity flickering faintly along his arms. Dugu Yan green eyes held steady focus. Osler adjusted his glasses as his Martial Spirit activated—a sleek, obsidian-bladed spear of light forming at his side.
The Shi brothers raised their twin shields in silent tandem. Yu Feng bounced slightly on the balls of his feet, his feathers shimmering with anticipation. Ye Lingling stood quietly in the back, a soft glow beginning to gather around her feet.
Tang San stood atop the second-floor balcony of the academy building, arms resting on the wooden railing. He watched quietly, blue eyes flicking between the fighters. "Their formation is solid," he murmured.
Beside him, Li Wei nodded once. "They won't hold back."
Tang San glanced sideways. "And neither will we."
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"Activate your martial spirit and match will begin". Zhao Wuji give his instructions.
Both sides activated their Martial Spirits in an instant.
"White Tiger!" Dai Mubai roared, his body expanding, claws elongating, muscles bulging with golden lines.
"Hell Civet," Zhu Zhuqing whispered, her form blurring with dark light.
"Soft Bone Rabbit!" Xiao Wu ears twitched as her spirit energy flared.
"Serpent Cane," Meng Yiran murmured, a long staff coiling with phantom scales in her grasp.
"Evil Fire Phoenix!" Ma Hongjun body burst into flames, crackling with heat.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda," Ning Rongrong said gently as her jewel-like pagoda appeared, glowing with radiant light.
"I have sausage," Oscar said, offering a mushroom-shaped one to Dai Mubai, who took it without hesitation.
Across from them, the Emperor Team was just as quick.
"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon," Yu Tianheng declared, lightning crackling around him.
"Jade Phosphor Serpent," Dugu Yan said smoothly, her eyes glowing a venomous green.
"Black Leopard," Osler hissed, his form covered in a coat of sleek shadowy fur.
"Wind Chime Bird!" Yu Feng shouted, wings of translucent wind appearing on his back.
"Shield of Earth!" both Shi Mo and Shi Mò intoned as their twin shields glowed with rock-like fortitude.
Ye Lingling stepped behind them, the Nine Heart Begonia blooming above her head, its petals shimmering gently.
________________________
Dai Mubai roared forward, boosted by Ning Rongrong strength and agility buffs, clashing head-on with Yu Tianheng. Lightning and claw collided, the crackling energy splitting the air. Yu Tianheng blocked a powerful swipe, retaliating with a thunderous punch that sparked against Dai Mubai Vajra-enhanced arm.
'He matching me blow for blow,' Dai Mubai thought, exhilarated.
Nearby, Ma Hongjun shot into the sky, fiery wings ablaze. "Phoenix Fire Line!"
Yu Feng, already airborne, spiraled to the side. "Wind Spiral Flash!" His body moved like a blur of wind, evading Hongjun attack and retaliating with razor wind feathers that scraped through the fire.
"You're fast," Hongjun admitted. "But how long can you fly?"
Yu Feng grinned. "Let's find out."
___________________________
Zhu Zhuqing darted through the battlefield, leaving afterimages in her wake. Her target is Osler, whose Black Leopard spirit kept him just as nimble. The two blurred through a dizzying exchange of claw swipes and counter-dashes.
"You're fast," Osler growled, "but I live in the shadows."
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. Her next move split into five phantom clones, surrounding him.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu charged at Dugu Yan.
"Teleportation!"
Xiao Wu vanished, reappearing above Dugu Yan with her signature flying waist bow attack.
Dugu Yan eyes gleamed. "Poison Mist!"
A green fog erupted as Xiao Wu landed, forcing her to leap away, coughing.
"Tch, nasty," Xiao Wu muttered.
________________
Meng Yiran swung her serpent cane toward Shi Mo, vines erupting mid-air. He raised his shield just in time to block them, but the thorns wrapped around, trying to entangle his arm.
"Stone Guard!" Shi Mò countered, slamming his own shield down to create a shockwave that forced Yiran back.
Ning Rongrong, from the rear, watched and calculated. She raised her pagoda and sent targeted buffs to each teammate—strength to Dai Mubai, agility to Zhu Zhuqing, defense to Xiao Wu, and a barrier to Ma Hongjun.
Ye Lingling, ever calm, pulsed her Nine Heart Begonia, healing Yu Tianheng scraped arm and dispersing the residual heat burns on Osler.
Oscar scurried between them all, handing out sausages with frantic efficiency. "Detox sausage for Xiao Wu! Energy sausage for Dai Mubai! Mushroom flying sausage for Zhu Zhuqing!"
The Fight Intensifies
Thunder split the sky as Yu Tianheng unleashed his third spirit ability: Thunder Rage Explosion. Dai Mubai crossed arms to shield himself but was sent skidding backwards.
"Damn," he muttered, panting. "That hit hard."
"I'm not done yet," Yu Tianheng said, charging again.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing clones began exploding on impact as Osler chased them down, each detonation leaving scorch marks across the ground.
"These aren't illusions... they explode!" Osler realized.
Zhu Zhuqing lunged in at that moment, claws slashing upward.
Across the field, Dugu Yan hissed, her body taking on a serpentine posture.
"Jade Serpent Transformation!"
Her skin turned scale-like, and her strikes became sharper and faster. Xiao Wu, sensing the danger, focused.
"Charm!"
Their eyes met. Dugu Yan paused, dazed for a heartbeat. That was all Xiao Wu needed to land a solid hit to the side.
Yu Feng and Ma Hongjun collided again mid-air, fire and wind spiraling.
"You can't win this in the sky!" Yu Feng said.
"Then I'll bring the sky down!" Ma Hongjun yelled, releasing Phoenix Fire Wire. A massive fireball erupted, dispersing Yu Feng wind vortex and blasting them both apart.
________________
Meng Yiran trapped Shi Mo and Shi Mò in a twisting coil of web, but her energy was flagging.
"Oscar, a little help!"
Oscar tossed her a glowing blue sausage. "Recovery sausage!"
She bit down, spirit power surging again.
On the Emperor side, Ye Lingling was growing pale. Her healing had been constant. Too constant.
"I'm nearly out," she said quietly.
Dugu Yan covered her, her own energy dipping.
Zhu Zhuqing reappeared behind Osler, claws extended.
"Hell Hundred Claws!"
Slash! Blood sprayed, and Osler fell.
"One down," Li Wei murmured from above.
"But the others won't fall so easily," Tang San replied.
Dai Mubai activated his trump card: White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
He roared, muscles doubling, spirit power surging like a tidal wave.
Yu Tianheng frowned. "Now you've done it."
He raised his arms. Lightning Dragon Claw.
Their clash shook the earth, sending cracks through the stone platform.
But then—
"Enough!" Qin Ming's voice cut through the din.
The fight froze.
Smoke curled through the field, both teams panting, wounded, bruised—but alive.
Qin Ming stepped forward. "That's enough for today. You've both proven yourselves."
Zhao Wuji nodded. "Agreed. No need for anyone to be crippled."
Both teams stepped back. There was no victory declared. None needed.
They knew. They had been tested.
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Later that evening, the atmosphere was mellow. Bandages were applied, food shared, grudges slowly thawed in the warm company of mutual respect.
Dugu Yan approached Zhu Zhuqing. "You're sharper than I expected. I like that."
"You're clever. That poison mist is terrifying," Zhu Zhuqing replied.
Not far away, Yu Tianheng clinked cups with Dai Mubai. "Next time, full power. No holds barred."
"Next time," Dai Mubai agreed.
Li Wei and Tang San descended from the terrace.
"They held their own," Tang San said.
Li Wei nodded. "And now, they know what true pressure feels like."
From the shadows, Flender smiled to himself.
Monsters, every one of them. Just as it should be.