Chapter 67: Choice.
The return journey passed without incident. After reuniting with Zhao Wuji, everyone arrived back at Shrek Academy smoothly. There were only five days left before the preliminary rounds of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Competition.
During this time, Yu Xiaogang frequently appeared at the training grounds, arranging team battle plans for the Shrek group. Yu Xiaogang's requirement for Shi Yi was simple: to do the right thing at the right time, something Shi Yi excelled at. As a substitute during crucial moments, he only needed to observe the opponent from the sidelines and be prepared for the moment he entered the game. Data collection was, in a sense, Shi Yi's specialty.
Furthermore, as in the original novel, Yu Xiaogang selected four additional substitutes from the original Blue Tyrant Academy pool.
Tai Long, Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu—except for Tai Long, who was level 38, the others were all level 35. While their average age was slightly older than the Shrek group, their strength was comparable.
Without the halo of using immortal artifacts to cheat, Shrek's strength has shrunk considerably. Led by Dai Mubai, only one of the Shrek clan has broken through to Soul Sect, reaching level 41. Tang San has advanced one level in the past few months and is now level 39, Oscar level 36, Ning Rongrong level 38, Ma Hongjun level 35, and Zhu Zhuqing level 38.
The levels of the Shrek clan reveal a lot. Dai Mubai's age aside, Tang San clearly benefited from his association with Dugu Bo, and his own advanced techniques, despite their diverse training, have given him a significant lead. Oscar and Ma Hongjun appear quite average. Despite their exceptional talent, their spirit power levels reveal a lack of effort in their cultivation. If Ning Rongrong's level can be explained by sect resources, then Zhu Zhuqing's presence speaks volumes.
This was even when everyone was practicing Shi Yi's original version of the Twelve Meridians. Even without immortal items, the Twelve Meridians' ability to regulate the meridians was still having a significant impact on the Shrek group. Given Zhu Zhuqing's innate soul power, her soul power level should be at the bottom of the pack, but her diligent, even frantic, dedication to her physical and soul training allowed her to rise to the top.
"From the start of preparations, Xiao San, Zhu Qing, and Rong Rong, do your best to adjust your training structure. Physical training can be put aside for now. Breaking through to Soul Sect during the competition will give your opponents a significant surprise," Yu Xiaogang said to the three.
They nodded in agreement.
After Yu Xiaogang had made the basic arrangements, he explained the schedule to the Shrek group.
Soon, Shi Yi began to feel drowsy, but fortunately, the training wasn't long, and everyone soon dispersed.
Shi Yi returned to his training area to find Zhu Zhuqing staring at him, lost in thought.
"What's up? Something wrong?" Shi Yi chuckled as he looked at the slender figure slowly approaching him.
Zhu Zhuqing looked hesitant, as if unsure what to say.
"Let's go, talk," Shi Yi whispered, interrupting her silent thoughts.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly and slowly followed Shi Yi. Not far away, Ning Rongrong, watching them slowly depart, also had a look of disappointment on her face. At that moment, she realized clearly what the sect truly meant to her.
As they walked quietly along the academy's path, Shi Yi chuckled and slowly began to speak, "Are you anxious before the match?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked deeply at Shi Yi and whispered, "Hmm... but I don't really understand what I'm anxious about."
Shi Yi shook his head slightly, saying, "You're not anxious, you're just confused. You know the strength of the Shrek team. Defeating the Star Luo Empire Royal Academy isn't impossible. If you lose, your goal is clear: survival. But if you win, you'll face a lifelong decision, and you hesitated before it."
Zhu Zhuqing's expression was complicated. Shi Yi's words struck a chord with her.
Shi Yi then pulled a gold soul coin from his soul guide and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing, who looked puzzled.
Seeing the confusion on Zhu Zhuqing's face, Shi Yi chuckled, "If you don't know which side to choose, flip a gold coin. The moment it lands, you'll know which side you prefer."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shi Yi and flicked the gold soul coin into the air in front of him. The coin tumbled repeatedly in mid-air. Zhu Zhuqing quietly caught the slowly falling coin, silently observing Shi Yi.
Shi Yi gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder and chuckled, "No matter what choice you make, I respect you. Even if you choose to return to the Xingluo Empire with him, this is the first time in your life that you have had the freedom to make a choice. Your efforts have not been in vain."
Zhu Zhuqing, observing Shi Yi's calm smile, felt a surge of anger. She gently opened Shi Yi's hand, snorted, glared at him, and then ran in the other direction, still clutching the gold soul coin tightly.
Shi Yi was slightly startled at this. Watching Zhu Zhuqing's rapidly receding figure, his lips curled slightly, knowing that Zhu Zhuqing had already made her choice.
Just like that, five days flew by.
In Tiandou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire,bthe Grand Opening Ceremony of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition, the Tiandou Empire Division, was held in Tiandou City.
As the spirit master world's grandest competition, it captivated not only spirit masters themselves, but also the citizens of Tiandou City, from royalty and nobles to the common people, who treated it like a major event.
The opening ceremony took place at the Tiandou Grand Soul Fighting Arena in Tiandou City. Tickets for the opening ceremony had already sold out a month in advance.
As the main venue for the Tiandou Division, the Tiandou Grand Soul Fighting Arena had suspended all soul fighting competitions for a month to undergo internal renovations. All of the sub-arenas within the Grand Soul Fighting Arena were merged with the main soul fighting center, creating a single, immense arena.
For the next few days, all of the Tiandou Division's preliminaries would be held here.
Every world has its own stage. In Douluo Continent, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition is undoubtedly the pinnacle of the arena. Not only are students who achieve a certain level of achievement, but even those who simply participate are the object of intense competition among nobles and clans.
At this moment, with the Tiandou Grand Spirit Arena at its center, nearly one-third of Tiandou City was a scene of throngs of people. For several days now, all hotels in Tiandou City have been fully booked. The city's population has practically skyrocketed. This demonstrates the immense appeal of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition.
"The quality of Tiandou City is still high!" Ma Hongjun couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his chubby face flickering between the towering and prominent features.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, upon hearing this, moved away from Ma Hongjun in disdain.
Aside from a few dazzling girls, everyone from the Shrek group to the substitutes kept their heads down as much as possible. Their attire was truly embarrassing.
"Why don't you have to wear this shit green school uniform?" Ning Rongrong whispered to Shi Yi.
Everyone turned their eyes to Shi Yi when they heard that. Shi Yi looked at Ning Rongrong and smiled, "I'm not participating in the competition today. Besides, you don't know yet, Dean. If you have money, you can say anything. If you don't want to wear it, why donate some money to the academy on behalf of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and then donate a beautiful team uniform, right?"
Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard that, and they all looked at Ning Rongrong with hope.
Ning Rongrong nodded quickly and said, "I'll have someone talk to the dean after today. I don't want to be wearing advertising."
Ning Rongrong pointed at the bright red words on Zhu Zhuqing's back: "Wanted Advertising Sponsors?" Beneath the six large characters were smaller words: "Please contact Mr. Flanders, the dean of Shrek Academy, to discuss advertising fees."
"However, the dean's color combination is still amazing. Red and green, it's a dog's paw. This green dress with red words, nothing could be more eye-catching," Shi Yi said with a smile.
It was precisely because of this bizarre attire that Tang San and the others immediately attracted special attention the moment they entered the crowd.
"What academy are they from? Oh my god, did they just crawl out of a toilet?"
"That's hilarious! That green monster pattern on their chests is so cute. And why are their ears like trumpets?"
"Look, look, what kind of advertising are they doing behind their backs? Is there really such a high-level spirit master academy? Can such a school participate in the Continental High-level Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition? That's ridiculous. There really are all kinds of birds in the forest."
"Keep your voice down. They are spirit masters after all. But they're probably just here for the occasion. Look, there's that fat guy in there, he looks like a ball."
"..."
Shi Yi subconsciously distanced himself from the Shrek group, following Flanders and Yu Xiaogang in front of him. With a look of "I don't know these people behind me", he strode into the crowd. Zhao Wuji, following behind him, was not slowing down at all.
Most of the participating teams were dressed in fancy clothes. Although they were wearing the uniforms of their own academies, none of them were as weird as the Shrek Academy. Dressed in sleek uniforms in gold, silver, red, and white, adorned with a variety of ornaments, patterns, and school logos, the young spirit masters strode proudly into the Grand Soul Fighting Arena like heroes. Their presence was truly majestic, a commanding presence that looked down upon the world.
Soon, the Shrek Academy group arrived at the rest area within the main arena, designated for participating academies. They weren't the first to enter, but they weren't the last either. The spacious rest area held over a thousand seats, divided into sections for the various spirit master academies to rest and wait.
Although there weren't as many people outside, the entrance of the advanced spirit master academy members made the Shrek Academy crowd the center of attention. Despite their best efforts to find a corner, they still attracted considerable attention.
Soon, just as in the original novel, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun engaged in a verbal exchange with the Canghui Academy personnel, seemingly over Xiao Wu's concerns. Tang San, however, remained perfectly composed and silent.
Seeing this, Shi Yi couldn't help but smile. He thought, "You'll have to suffer the same fate as Tang San did in this matter to learn your lesson. "
Shi Yi didn't say much, but exchanged a few words with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing before settling down with Yu Xiaogang and the other teachers to rest.
When Nian appeared, Flender's heart skipped a beat. He sternly warned Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, "You two, stay out of the house for the time being. Behave yourself. That guy just now is not to be trifled with. Okay, the opening ceremony is about to begin. Prepare to enter. Mubai, Tang San, you two lead the others in. I'll go ahead. Let's go to the stands and watch your heroic displays."
Without giving anyone a chance to protest, the dean slipped away, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Shi Yi smiled at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, "Since I'm not wearing a school uniform, I won't be intervening in the opening ceremony. Good luck, you two."
With that, Shi Yi followed Flender to the stands.
"Hey, remember to tell the dean not to accept any advertising. I'll have someone talk to him about the donations after this is over..." Ning Rongrong said, heading in the direction Shi Yi had disappeared.
Watching Shi Yi vanish in the blink of an eye, Ning Rongrong said bitterly, "What a disloyal fellow."
Shi Yi soon arrived in the stands. There was a dedicated area for representatives from each academy. Seeing this, Shi Yi quickly spotted the Shrek teachers in the crowd and sat down next to them.
"Why don't you go to the opening ceremony? It's a great opportunity to show off," Zhao Wuji teased Shi Yi.
"But that depends on who you stand with," Shi Yi said unhappily.
Then, Shi Yi turned to Flanders and chuckled, "Rongrong just told me to tell you not to accept any advertising. She'll have people come to the academy to donate, even uniforms."
Flanders' eyes lit up at the words, as if he had already seen the gold coin beckoning him.
Liu Erlong, standing by, grumbled, "Boss Flanders, you're really going too far. If nothing else, let these kids wear their regular school uniforms. I can't bear to see them wearing custom-made uniforms. We just had a fight over this little fat kid. If that old man Shi Nian gets on our nerves, won't that just get us into trouble?"
"Sister Erlong, you're just tired of being broke. I'll change when I get home today." Flanders pushed his glasses up a bit, a little embarrassed, then glanced at Shi Yi with admiration.
Shi Yi understood him best. How could he squeeze money out of the wealthy without doing this?
A few people chatted and laughed in the stands, and soon Shi Yi and the others heard the roster for the qualifying matches.
"First round of the qualifying round: Canghui Academy vs. Zixing Academy."
"First round of the qualifying round: Auckland Academy vs. Flame Glory Academy."
"..."
"First round of the qualifying round: Tiandou Royal Academy vs. Shrek Academy."
"..."
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