A few of them chatted for a while, but very soon, Zhao Wuji mercilessly interrupted.
"Little monsters, even though Xiao Ao is back and I'm just as happy as you all, that doesn't mean training can slack off." Zhao Wuji's voice boomed.
Then, after glancing at Oscar, then at Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, his eyes flickered with a crafty look.
"But since you've all missed Xiao Ao so much, now that he's back, why don't you two have a friendly match with him? Let's see how much progress you've made lately!"
Hearing this, both Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai instantly revealed eager expressions.
Ma Hongjun's eagerness came from his rapid growth in strength. He felt that his soul power level had already caught up with Oscar's and had long wanted to fight him again. This time, he was sure he could finally defeat his boss at least once.
As for Dai Mubai, he had spent the past year hearing countless tales of Oscar's feats. To him, Oscar had become almost a legend. Even if he knew he might not be his match, he still wanted to test it personally. After all, since he now called Oscar "big brother," how could he not experience his strength with his own hands?
"Teacher Zhao, that's a great idea!" Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai said in unison.
Afterward, the two exchanged a look, everything clear without words.
Zhao Wuji looked at their burning fighting spirit, then at Oscar and the Dugu Yan beside him, before slowly adding:
"Since you two are so confident, how about this: Hongjun and Mubai form a team, and Xiao Ao, you pair with Dugu Yan. A friendly spar! That way I can see how much you've improved, and also get familiar with our new students' martial spirit and strength."
"No problem!" Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai replied together.
Dugu Yan also smiled and said, "I have no problem either."
Then all three turned to look at Oscar, waiting for his answer.
Oscar looked helplessly at Dugu Yan.
"If you step in, they probably won't even get the chance to fight."
That instantly displeased Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai. They knew sister-in-law's strength wasn't low, but what did he mean by "no chance to fight"?
Before they could protest, Oscar said calmly:
"Teacher Zhao, don't let my sister join. I alone am enough."
Zhao Wuji didn't object. He knew Oscar wasn't one to brag. Instead, he chuckled.
"Xiao Ao, looks like you've improved quite a bit if you're this confident. Or did Gai Yue not tell you how much Hongjun has grown?"
Oscar shook his head.
"He told me. But I'm still confident."
Though Ma Hongjun knew his boss didn't boast without reason, he still found this hard to accept. His strength wasn't low now, yet Oscar wanted to go one-on-one? Wasn't that looking down on him too much?
Dai Mubai thought the same.
Ma Hongjun voiced it directly:
"Boss, if you can't handle it later, you can always admit defeat."
Oscar only smiled faintly.
"Heh. Getting cocky again, are you? Did you forget what happened when you just got your first soul ring and challenged me out of pride? Do you remember how I beat you into a pig's head?"
At those words, Ma Hongjun's mind was instantly filled with the memory he'd rather forget. That time, he had indeed gotten too full of himself, provoking Oscar—only to be beaten so badly his slimmed-down face was swollen like a pig's head. He remembered it all too vividly.
But now, things were different. He wasn't the same as back then. Even if he wasn't sure whether he and Dai Mubai together could win, at least he wouldn't end up beaten into a pig's head again.
After all, no matter how strong Oscar was, he couldn't fly, right? But now, Ma Hongjun could.
Of course, he knew Oscar could ride swords to fly, but with Oscar's current soul power, if he used sword-flight, his close-combat ability would definitely drop. And in long-range exchanges, Hongjun could just fly circles and escape. No chance of being caught and beaten this time.
Still, he worried a little for Dai Mubai. If their boss couldn't catch him, then Mubai would be the unlucky one to get thrashed.
Nobody knew their boss's temper better than Ma Hongjun. When he said he'd beat someone, he really meant it—no mercy, no face-saving.
Zhao Wuji turned to Dugu Yan.
"What about you? What do you think?"
Dugu Yan casually waved her hand.
"Whatever he says."
Seeing the sister-in-law so obedient, both Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai couldn't help feeling envious. Who wouldn't want such a beautiful, graceful, obedient girlfriend?
So, both silently vowed: This time, we have to win. And it's two against one!
"Good, then it's settled. The three of you, onto the fighting platform!" Zhao Wuji waved his hand.
With the cries of a phoenix and a tiger, Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai leapt onto the stage.
Oscar watched the two, their heroic postures full of momentum, and curled his lip before stepping onto the platform at an unhurried pace.
"Since it's a spirit battle, follow the rules. You three have one minute to release your spirits and prepare," Zhao Wuji announced.
The moment his words fell, Dai Mubai impatiently unleashed his martial spirit.
A tiger's roar echoed out. Two yellow spirit rings floated up around him. White fur covered his body, and a domineering "王" (king) character appeared on his forehead. His hands turned into tiger claws, ten razor-sharp talons flashing with cold light.
"Dai Mubai, Martial Spirit: White Tiger. Twenty-ninth rank, Attack-Type Battle Spirit Master. Please guide me!"
Alongside his roar came Ma Hongjun's phoenix cry. His soul power surged, and blazing crimson flames erupted from his body, shooting skyward and raising the temperature around them by several degrees.
Bathed in flame, Ma Hongjun looked like a fiery phoenix incarnate. His crimson hair seemed like a phoenix crown, while two yellow and one purple spirit rings rose behind him.
"Ma Hongjun, Martial Spirit: Evil Fire Phoenix. Thirty-fifth rank, Attack-Type Battle Spirit King. Please guide me!"
With their spirits released, the pressure from their combined phoenix cry and tiger roar surged toward Oscar.
Oscar only nodded slightly. He had known about their year's worth of effort, so this wasn't surprising.
Dai Mubai had been at the peak of the twenty-fifth rank when he entered Shrek. Now at twenty-ninth rank, his growth was reasonable—especially since he hadn't used whale glue, hadn't absorbed rings above his level, nor consumed immortal herbs. Otherwise, his progress would've been greater.
As for Ma Hongjun, after taking the Phoenix Nirvana Pill, his soul power had jumped directly from the twenty-fifth rank to the thirtieth.
And even then, the medicine's effects weren't fully spent. After stabilizing his strength and absorbing a higher-level third soul ring—though it was only 4,000 years, still not on Oscar's level—combined with the remaining medicinal power, his soul power had surged to the thirty-third rank.
In just over seven months, he had risen another two levels, reaching the thirty-fifth rank, on the verge of thirty-six.
Though not yet eleven years old, he had already shattered Oscar's previous record.
But everyone at Shrek Academy knew clearly—it was because of that Phoenix Nirvana Pill.
And since the pill came from Oscar himself, even if Hongjun broke his record, Oscar remained Shrek Academy's undisputed legend.
Precisely because of this, Ma Hongjun understood all too well what his boss meant to him.
Oscar hadn't only resolved his Evil Fire problem, but had also raised his strength and talent to new heights. If he didn't follow this boss for life, then he wasn't even human!