A brilliant, resounding phoenix cry echoed through the entire inner courtyard of Shrek Academy. All eyes involuntarily followed the sound, and in the distance, a golden-red glow illuminated half the sky. A beautiful phoenix, its wings gleaming with flames, flew out from the Golden Ancient Tree, and the long tail feathers shimmered with golden patterns, forming a mesmerizing flame emblem.
Behind the majestic phoenix were six black soul rings, three red ones—an unmistakable symbol of a Title Douluo.
"Swoosh—" "Swoosh—"
Several figures flashed out of the inner courtyard, landing beside Zhu Ziyang.
"Ziyang, that's…" Xuanzi's eyes gleamed with excitement as he asked. Though the identity of the fire phoenix was already clear, he still instinctively asked.
"Mm, that's Xiao Tao," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile. "I think the Tianyuan Pavilion should consider crowning her with a title soon."
"Xiao Tao really did it!" Yan Shaozhe said excitedly. "She's only twenty-four, and she's already a Title Douluo! My disciple, a Title Douluo at such a young age!" The thought filled him with pride and excitement.
"Indeed, Phoenix Douluo is perfect for her title!" Cai Mei'er added enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with joy.
The elders around also voiced their agreement, praising the title Phoenix Douluo as highly fitting for Ma Xiaotao. It was a legacy title, a reflection of the inheritance from her bloodline—Ma Hongjun's descendant and the last of the Ma family, who had always been a significant part of Shrek Academy's history.
While Ma Xiaotao's title was a matter of pride, the soul rings she had was secondary. The elders, well aware of the divine blessing Zhu Ziyang, Ma Xiaotao, and Jiang Nannan had received, regarded their extraordinary soul ring configurations as completely understandable and even expected.
The secret of their divine blessing had been subtly shared with the elders when Zhu Ziyang returned from the Spirit Master Continent, taking the role of Tianyuan Pavilion's leader. Naturally, the elders were thrilled to witness the rise of Shrek Academy's most glorious period in history.
In their eyes, the worst-case scenario for Shrek Academy was to have three Ultimate Douluos, an unprecedented peak. Given the extraordinary talents and abilities of Zhu Ziyang, Ma Xiaotao, and Jiang Nannan, the possibility of reaching divine status was highly probable. So, despite Zhu Ziyang being just around twenty, even the oldest of the elders, nearing a century old, were eager to follow his guidance.
"Chi—"
The fire phoenix flew across the sky, landing gracefully before Zhu Ziyang and the others. Its form quickly shrank, transforming into a beautiful woman—Ma Xiaotao.
"Xiao Tao, congratulations!" Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er stepped forward to congratulate her.
"Teacher, Teacher Mei'er!" Ma Xiaotao smiled brightly at them, her face full of joy. "Hehe, how do I look? Am I bringing honor to you?"
"Mm, yes, yes!" Yan Shaozhe nodded, his emotions a mixture of pride, excitement, and relief. This was the happiest he had been since his retreat.
"Xiao Tao, have you thought about your title?" Elder Lin asked. "Our old suggestion was Phoenix Douluo. What do you think?"
"Title?" Ma Xiaotao was momentarily taken aback. She hadn't considered it before. Instinctively, she turned to Zhu Ziyang, hoping he would help her decide. But when she saw his smiling face, the meaning was clear—he wanted her to make the decision herself. With a sigh, she lowered her head in thought. "Let me think..."
"Take your time. No rush," the elders said, patient and understanding. They had all the time in the world, and a title was a momentous decision. Comparing it to the upcoming tournament, the title felt more significant.
"Ugh! Forget it! I can't be bothered to think about it. I'll just call myself Fire God Douluo!" Ma Xiaotao, always the pragmatic one, gave up after just a few seconds of thought, loudly declaring her choice.
"Fire God Douluo?" The elders exchanged curious glances. It was an unconventional choice, but they didn't oppose it. After all, Ma Xiaotao was the chosen of the Fire God, and it was only fitting that her title reflected that.
"Hahaha, Fire God Douluo is perfect! First, we had Dragon God Douluo, now Fire God Douluo. Truly a blessing for Shrek Academy!" Xuanzi laughed heartily, impressed by her choice.
Thus, Fire God Douluo Ma Xiaotao was born, her title etched into the annals of Shrek Academy.
The coronation ceremony for Ma Xiaotao was brief. With the elders present, there was no need to waste time waiting for others. It was held directly in the academy, with Yan Shaozhe personally crowning his proud disciple. The elders congratulated the new Title Douluo, and an official declaration was made to the three empires, announcing the birth of Fire God Douluo.
After the coronation, they couldn't delay any further. Following the previously agreed-upon plan, Elder Xuan, Ma Xiaotao, and the team set out for Mingdu, with Ma Xiaotao as the official leader. Zhu Ziyang was the real leader, while Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo would lead the support team for Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song. Two teams set off separately, but their actions were coordinated.
"Everyone, the fate of the continent is in our hands. Let's do our best!" Before departing, Zhu Ziyang spoke solemnly and seriously.
"Yes!" The elders, for a moment, felt as if they had returned to their youth. Their spirits were lifted, and their enthusiasm soared.
With everything set, Zhu Ziyang, Ma Xiaotao, and Elder Xuan arrived at the inner courtyard training ground, where Jiang Nannan, Qian Lingyi, Wu Huan'er, and the other members of the team were already waiting. A total of thirteen disciples, including the official team and the substitute team, were present.
"Xiao Tao Jie, you broke through!" Wu Huan'er immediately ran up to Ma Xiaotao, hugging her arm. "Did you really reach Title Douluo?"
"Mm-hmm!" Ma Xiaotao smiled and patted Wu Huan'er on the head. "From now on, no one will dare to bully you anymore!"
"Mm-mm!" Wu Huan'er nodded happily, her small nose twitching. She suddenly sniffed the air, her face flashing with a strange expression before glancing shyly at Zhu Ziyang.
Zhu Ziyang, not noticing her gaze, smiled inwardly. He would have likely teased her if he had seen it. However, he noticed everyone's attention was now on Ma Xiaotao, and he spoke up.
"Alright, let's go! We're headed to Mingdu!" Zhu Ziyang said, waving his hand to signal for them to start moving.
Without further words, Zhu Ziyang led the way, with Jiang Nannan, Qian Lingyi, Wu Huan'er, and the rest of the team following closely behind. Though each of them had their thoughts, one thing was clear: they all understood Ma Xiaotao's significance. They had seen her breakthrough and knew she was now a Title Douluo at just twenty-four years old.
Though Zhu Ziyang's presence was a more immediate force, Ma Xiaotao's achievement was more relatable to them. For most of them, reaching Title Douluo before twenty-five no longer seemed impossible.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan and Qian Lingyi had simpler thoughts. Jiang Nannan's thought was: How could she steal the spotlight like this? And Qian Lingyi was thinking: Why was I always a step behind?
The Shrek Academy representative team set off towards the Western Continent with a clear destination: Mingdu, the capital of the Sun Moon Empire!
Not long after they left Shrek Academy, another team departed from Shrek City. This team, made up of about ten people, was none other than the Tang Sect team, led by Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya.
Though the teams traveled separately, it was agreed that outside of the tournament, Tang Sect would follow Zhu Ziyang's orders as all Tang Sect members were also Shrek Academy disciples.
Not long after the Shrek Academy team set off, another team also departed from Shrek City. This team, consisting of around ten people, was also made up of young individuals in their twenties. They were undoubtedly the Tang Sect team, represented by Ho Yuhao, Tang Ya, and others.
Although officially two separate teams, the Shrek Academy team and the Tang Sect team did not act simultaneously; instead, they chose to move separately. After all, appearances needed to be maintained.
However, it had already been decided in advance that, while they would not interfere with the competition-related matters, for everything else, the Tang Sect team would follow the command of Zhu Ziyang. After all, the members of the Tang Sect were not only disciples of Tang Sect but also inner disciples of Shrek Academy!
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