Chapter 28: A Fool's WagerThe night that the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's resources arrived was the night the schism at Shrek Academy solidified from a subtle crack into a gaping chasm. It was a division that could be seen, smelled, and tasted in the very air of the dining hall.
On one side of the large wooden table sat the Shrek Six, their faces grim, their spoons scraping listlessly against bowls filled with a bland, greyish porridge. It was, according to the Grandmaster's strict dietary regimen, a perfectly balanced meal designed for optimal nutrient absorption and physical recovery. It was also completely, utterly tasteless. The texture was gluey, the flavor non-existent. It was sustenance, not food.
On the other side of the table, a world away in culinary delight, sat Zhang Tian, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.
Before them was a feast.
A steaming platter of roasted spirit beast meat, its skin crispy and glistening, filled the air with a rich, savory aroma. There was a vibrant salad of crisp, fresh vegetables drizzled with a light, fragrant dressing. A pot of fragrant, fluffy white rice. A tureen of thick, nourishing soup, and even a small plate of delicate, fruit-filled pastries for dessert. This was the high-grade, nutritious food supplied by the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect, prepared by a chef they had also dispatched to the academy.
The contrast was brutal, a tangible representation of the two different worlds now coexisting in the same shabby space.
Dai Mubai's handsome face was a thundercloud of resentment. He chewed his tasteless porridge with a furious grinding of his jaw, his gaze constantly flicking towards the other side of the table. He wasn't just angry about the food. His eyes were locked on Zhu Zhuqing.
She sat next to Zhang Tian, eating her delicious meal with a quiet, focused grace. Dai Mubai watched them, a toxic brew of jealousy and rage churning in his gut.
'Look at her,' he thought, his inner voice a venomous snarl. 'Sitting with him. Laughing at something he said. She's my fiancée! She should be sitting with me, supporting me! Instead, she's over there with that… that pretty boy. He's humiliating me. Cuckolding me in front of everyone!'
The others on his side of the table were equally miserable. Ma Hongjun looked longingly at the roasted meat, a line of drool threatening to escape the corner of his mouth. Oscar sighed dramatically, lamenting his fate. Tang San and Xiao Wu ate their porridge without complaint, their discipline unwavering, but even they couldn't help but inhale the delicious aromas drifting from the other side of the table with a hint of envy.
When the meal was finally over, the Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang, who had been observing the tense dinner with a dispassionate, analytical gaze, finally made his move. He stood up, his expression as stiff and unreadable as ever.
"Rongrong," he said, his use of her familiar name sounding jarringly out of place, as if a machine were attempting to mimic warmth. "A word, if you please. After you are finished."
Ning Rongrong raised a delicate eyebrow but nodded. After wiping her lips with a silk napkin, she excused herself from her friends and followed the Grandmaster out of the tense dining hall, leaving a trail of curious and worried glances in her wake.
They stood outside, under the cold light of the stars. Yu Xiaogang did not beat around the bush. He went straight to the heart of the matter, his tone that of a superior imparting unquestionable wisdom.
"I have observed the new facilities your sect has so generously provided," he began, his voice a flat monotone. "The simulation fields and the medicinal bath facilities will be of great use in accelerating the cultivation of our students."
He paused, letting his words hang in the air. "As the guiding hand of this team, I have devised a new, more intensive training regimen that will push every student to their absolute limits. However, such training will inevitably lead to muscle fatigue and internal strain. The high-quality medicinal baths your father has arranged will be crucial for their recovery, allowing them to endure this intensified training and grow stronger at a much faster rate."
He turned his bespectacled gaze upon her, his expression one of profound, logical certainty. "Therefore, for the sake of the team's overall strength, for the glory we will achieve in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Grand Tournament, it is imperative that all students have access to these recovery facilities. As a core member of this team, it is your duty to think of the collective. You should share."
His words were eloquent, his logic framed in the unassailable language of teamwork and the greater good. He was confident that the young, impressionable girl would see the wisdom in his words and agree.
Ning Rongrong stared at him for a long moment. Then, a slow, cold sneer spread across her beautiful face.
"Grandmaster," she said, her voice dripping with a saccharine sweetness that was more insulting than any shout. "Your concern for your students is truly… touching."
She let the sarcasm hang in the air for a beat. "Fine. I can agree to let some of them use the baths."
Yu Xiaogang's expression remained impassive, but he felt a flicker of triumph. His methods, as always, were effective.
"However," Ning Rongrong continued, her sweet tone turning to ice. "I will allow Tang San and his little sister Xiao Wu to use the facilities. They seem decent enough."
Her eyes narrowed, the sneer returning in full force. "But as for that sausage-selling pervert Oscar, that fatso Ma Hongjun, and especially," she spat the name like poison, "that cowardly degenerate Dai Mubai… they can forget it. They are not to set a single foot in my bathhouse. Ever."
The Grandmaster's face twitched, a crack in his emotionless facade. "Rongrong," he said, his voice taking on a faintly chiding tone. "You must not let personal feelings interfere with team dynamics. They are your classmates. Your teammates. You should not hold onto such a grudge for so long. For the team to function..."
"Grandmaster," Ning Rongrong cut him off, her voice now completely devoid of emotion, as cold and hard as a diamond. "If you continue to speak, I will find it very difficult to allow even Tang San and Xiao Wu to enjoy the medicinal baths. Do you understand?"
The threat was absolute. It was a checkmate.
Yu Xiaogang stared at her, a silent fury brewing behind his placid expression. He wanted to reprimand her, to lecture her on respect and duty, to break her stubborn pride. But he knew, with a certainty that infuriated him, that he was powerless. The resources were hers, a gift from her father. He had no authority here.
He could only choose to secure the benefit for his prized disciple. The others were secondary.
He gave a stiff, almost imperceptible nod. The conversation was over. He turned and walked away without another word, his pride wounded, his plans disrupted.
'It seems Flender will have to spend some of his own secret funds,' Yu Xiaogang thought, his mind already working on a contingency. 'A separate, inferior bathhouse for the other three. It will have to suffice. The most important thing is that Little San will have access to the best resources. That is all that matters.'
Ning Rongrong watched him go, a triumphant smirk on her face. She turned and walked back towards her friends, feeling lighter than she had in days.
She found Zhang Tian and Zhu Zhuqing waiting for her near the newly constructed simulation fields. Zhu Zhuqing's usual cold expression had softened into one of genuine gratitude.
"Rongrong," she said, her voice soft. "Thank you. For asking your father to build this Dark-attribute field for me. You didn't have to do that."
Ning Rongrong just waved a dismissive hand, a bright, happy smile on her face. "Of course I did! You're my friend! It's only natural! Besides," she added, bumping her shoulder playfully against Zhuqing's, "I want you to get stronger quickly! The stronger you are, the better it will be!"
Their moment of friendship was a warm bubble in the cool night. Zhang Tian suggested they take a walk, a quiet stroll to enjoy the soft, cold breeze that was sweeping through the grounds.
As they walked along a moonlit path, a figure stepped out from the shadows, blocking their way. It was Dai Mubai. His face was a mask of cold fury, his evil eyes blazing.
"Zhuqing!" he shouted, his voice loud and accusatory. "You shouldn't be roaming around with other men at night! It is not appropriate!" He let the words hang in the air, a clear, possessive implication in his tone.
Before any of the three could react, more figures appeared behind Dai Mubai. It was Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun. They had clearly followed him, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and a pre-emptive readiness to support their senior student.
Zhang Tian simply stared at Dai Mubai, his expression one of bored amusement. "If you wish to exert some authority over Zhuqing," he said, his voice calm and level, "perhaps you should focus on getting stronger first. Because at this moment, you are, for all intents and purposes, a dead man walking."
He took a casual step forward. "Tell me, Dai Mubai, how long do you think you have to live before your elder brother comes for you? Five years? Ten? Or will it be sooner?"
The words struck Dai Mubai like a physical blow. His face turned an ugly shade of purple. "This is a matter between me and Zhuqing!" he roared, pointing a trembling finger at Zhang Tian. "You are an outsider! You have no right to intervene!"
A slow, chilling smile spread across Zhang Tian's lips. "An outsider? That's interesting. I consider Zhuqing to be a very good friend. If even I, her friend, am an 'outsider'… then what does that make you, her estranged, coward degenerate fiancé who ran away and left her behind while enjoying his life here in this place? Not just that…You are someone whom she clearly despises so I doubt you have any authority or right to be involved with her."
The logic was a blade that gutted Dai Mubai's argument completely.
Enraged beyond reason, his mind stripped of all logic, Dai Mubai fell back on the only thing he had left: a challenge.
"You!" he snarled at Zhang Tian. "I challenge you to a spar! Right here, right now! No external weapons! Just our spirits! If you lose, you will stay away from Zhuqing forever! If you win… then I will not bother you two again!"
Zhang Tian raised a single, elegant eyebrow. He turned his gaze away from the sputtering prince and looked directly at Zhu Zhuqing, his expression one of genuine, polite inquiry.
"Zhuqing," he asked, his voice calm, "what do you think of this? Is your fiancé really putting you up as a prize in a duel? Should I go and beat him up for you?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, which had been cold, now burned with a furious, white-hot fire. She stared at Dai Mubai, her expression one of utter, profound disgust. In that moment, her last, lingering shred of hope that he could change, that he could be a worthy partner, evaporated completely.
He wasn't just a degenerate. He was no different from Ma Hongjun. He saw women not as people, but as resources, as objects to be won and possessed.
She turned her burning gaze to Zhang Tian, and her expression softened, pleading. "Beat him," she said, her voice a low, intense whisper. "Please." Then, a flicker of worry entered her eyes. "But… be careful. Give up if it gets too dangerous. His Martial Spirit is a top-tier beast spirit, and his cultivation is ten levels higher than yours."
A gentle, reassuring smile touched Zhang Tian's lips. He reached out and gently rubbed her head, his touch warm and comforting. "It will be alright," he said softly.
He then turned his casual gaze back to the fuming prince. "I accept."
In his Spiritual Sea, Ah Yin, who had remained a quiet observer for a few weeks, finally spoke. Her voice was not loud, but it carried the cold, absolute authority of an empress.
'Crush him, Zhang Tian,' she commanded. 'If you need my help, I will lend you my power.'
'There's no need for that, Ah Yin,' Zhang Tian projected back, his mind a placid lake of confidence. 'To beat a coward like this… I don't need any help at all.'
Chapter 29: The Price of ArroganceThe moonlit grounds of Shrek Academy transformed into a makeshift colosseum, the air thick with the unspoken challenge that hung between the two factions of students. The tension was a palpable thing, a low hum of animosity that drew the attention of the academy's masters.
From the direction of the main office, three figures emerged, their long shadows stretching across the dirt field. Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang, had heard the commotion and arrived to observe.
They saw the clear division. On one side stood Zhang Tian, flanked by a supportive Ning Rongrong and a silently watchful Zhu Zhuqing. On the other, Dai Mubai, his face a mask of furious pride, was backed by the unified front of Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun.
The teachers did not intervene. They simply stood at a distance, their presence lending a grim, official air to the proceedings. This was not just a squabble between children; it was a conflict of ideology and leadership that needed to be resolved.
Yu Xiaogang watched with a cold, analytical detachment, his mind already having calculated the inevitable outcome.
'The result of this spar is obvious,' he thought, his confidence in his own theories absolute. 'Dai Mubai possesses the Evil Eye White Tiger, a top-tier Beast Martial Spirit known for its overwhelming power and physical prowess. His spirit power is at Level 37. Ten full levels higher than his opponent.'
His gaze shifted to Zhang Tian. 'The other boy, despite his clever tricks and strange weapons, possesses a mutated grass spirit. A plant-type. Inherently weaker in direct combat. And he is merely a Level 27 Spirit Grandmaster. The disparity in both spirit quality and spirit rank is an insurmountable gulf. Dai Mubai will win. He must win.'
Tang San, standing beside his teacher, felt a flicker of uncertainty. He glanced at Yu Xiaogang, his voice a low whisper. "Teacher, should we stop this? A fight like this could damage the unity of the team."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving the two combatants. "No, Little San," he murmured, his voice meant only for his disciple. "Let them fight. This is a necessary lesson. That Zhang Tian is far too arrogant, too convinced of his own unorthodox methods. He needs to experience a setback."
A faint, smug smile touched the Grandmaster's lips. "Only through defeat will he understand the true gap between himself and a genius who follows a proper, structured path. This will temper his pride. It might even make Ning Rongrong realize that while her friend is clever with his mechanical tools, his potential as a Spirit Master is limited. She will see the value of our training and return to the fold. In the end, this will strengthen the team's cohesion."
The logic, as always, seemed flawless to Tang San. He had personally fought Dai Mubai and knew how ferocious the prince could be when pushed. Limited to only their martial spirits, without his hidden weapons or Zhang Tian's explosive firearms, a direct confrontation was a matter of raw power.
'Teacher is right,' Tang San concluded, his loyalty reaffirmed. 'Zhang Tian cannot possibly be Boss Dai's opponent. This will be a good lesson for him.'
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian turned to Ning Rongrong, his voice a gentle murmur that cut through the tension. "Watch this fight closely, Rongrong," he said, a calm smile on his face. "Don't just watch me. Watch him. Imagine you are in my place. See his movements, his attack patterns. And ask yourself what you would do. The answer might surprise you. And please you."
With that cryptic advice, he stepped forward into the center of the makeshift arena.
The fight began with a roar.
"Evil Eye White Tiger, Possess!" Dai Mubai bellowed, his voice filled with rage.
A dazzling white light exploded from him. His muscles swelled, his bones cracking and popping as his body grew larger. White fur with distinct black stripes erupted across his skin, and his hands transformed into massive, sharp tiger paws. His blonde hair turned a stark white, and his pupils constricted into vertical slits, glowing with a cold, malevolent light. Three spirit rings—two yellow, one purple—pulsated around him with immense power.
He was no longer a boy; he was a predator.
Zhang Tian, in contrast, was a portrait of calm. He simply raised a hand, and his Blood Silver Grass materialized, its crimson color stark against the silver moonlight, its golden veins pulsing with a quiet, regal light. His own two yellow spirit rings appeared, looking almost pitifully dim compared to Dai Mubai's powerful display.
"You will regret this, Zhang Tian!" Dai Mubai snarled, his voice a low, guttural growl. He didn't waste a second. He opened his mouth, and a brilliant sphere of white light condensed.
"Second Spirit Ability! White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
The sphere of light shot across the field like a cannonball, leaving a trail of scorched air in its wake. It was an attack meant to overwhelm, to obliterate.
Zhang Tian didn't flinch. He didn't even try to block.
His feet moved in a strange, unpredictable pattern. It wasn't the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track; it was something else, something he had developed himself through his grueling training. A series of short, explosive sidesteps and pivots, using the ground itself as a springboard. He flowed to the left, the light wave grazing past him, its force blasting a crater in the ground where he had been standing.
'He's faster than I expected,' Dai Mubai thought, his frustration growing. 'No matter. He can't dodge forever.'
"Third Spirit Ability! White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
A golden light erupted, overlaying the white aura of his spirit possession. His body swelled even further, his muscles becoming as hard as granite. His power and defense skyrocketed by one hundred percent. He was now a true juggernaut.
He charged, the ground trembling under his powerful strides. He was a miniature avalanche of muscle and fury.
"Bloodvine Cage!" Zhang Tian commanded, slamming his palm onto the ground.
A dense cage of thick, crimson vines erupted directly in Dai Mubai's path. But the powered-up prince didn't even slow down. With a roar, he smashed through the cage as if it were made of dry twigs, sending splintered vines flying everywhere.
He was on top of Zhang Tian in an instant, his massive tiger claws swiping at his head.
"Crimson Shield!"
A dense, layered shield of vines materialized just in time. Dai Mubai's claws slammed into it with a sickening, tearing sound. The shield groaned and cracked, but it held, absorbing the immense force. The impact still sent Zhang Tian sliding back several meters, his feet carving deep grooves in the dirt.
The onlookers watched, stunned.
'He blocked it?' Tang San thought, his eyes wide. 'Even with the Vajra Transformation, Boss Dai's full-strength attack was stopped by a simple vine shield? The toughness of that Blood Silver Grass is unbelievable. It might not be much weaker compared to my Blue Silver Grass.'
Dai Mubai roared in frustration and attacked again, a relentless flurry of claws and punches. Zhang Tian met each blow not with force, but with cunning. He would manifest shields at the last possible second, angling them to deflect the blows rather than absorb them head-on.
He used single, whip-like vines to lash at Dai Mubai's joints, not to cause damage, but to disrupt his balance and ruin the flow of his attacks.
He was a matador, expertly guiding a raging bull, letting it waste its immense strength against the air.
With every block, every brief contact his vines made with Dai Mubai's body, he felt it. The sweet, satisfying trickle of 'Devour'.
The prince's vast reserves of spirit power were being slowly, imperceptibly, siphoned away.
At the same time, the invisible spores from his second spirit ability had long since settled on Dai Mubai, a silent, parasitic infection waiting to be activated.
"Stand still and fight me, coward!" Dai Mubai bellowed, firing another Intense Light Wave at point-blank range.
This time, Zhang Tian didn't have time to fully dodge. He crossed his arms, and a cocoon of vines erupted around him.
The light wave struck, and the cocoon exploded outwards. Zhang Tian was thrown back, tumbling through the air before landing gracefully on his feet, seemingly unharmed.
The initial phase of the fight was a clear stalemate, but one that was rapidly draining Dai Mubai's spirit power while leaving Zhang Tian relatively fresh.
From the sidelines, Ning Rongrong watched, her eyes wide with a dawning realization. She wasn't just watching a fight; she was running simulations in her head, following Zhang Tian's advice.
'His lunge… I saw the muscle in his shoulder tense a full second before he moved,' she thought, her mind replaying Dai Mubai's charge. 'And his light wave… he has to inhale deeply right before he fires it. There's a pattern. A rhythm.'
She imagined herself on the field, her small frame moving through the chaotic dance.
'I could dodge that,' she murmured aloud, her voice a soft, disbelieving whisper. 'If I moved to the left when he inhaled, the light wave would miss me completely. And the charge… if I just took one quick step back and to the side, he would run right past me.'
She let out a soft gasp. "I could actually do it. I could dodge his attacks."
The realization was a thunderclap in her mind.
"It's a pity," she continued, her voice filled with a strange mixture of excitement and disappointment. "I can only dodge. I still can't defeat him. But just being able to avoid his attacks… for a support master like me to be able to do that against a top-tier power attacker… it's incredible. Zhang Tian's training is actually so useful!"
Zhu Zhuqing, standing beside her, heard the soft murmurs. Her head snapped towards Ning Rongrong, her icy eyes wide with shock.
'She's confident she can dodge him?' Zhu Zhuqing thought, stunned. 'I'm an agility-type, and even I wouldn't be so certain. That training Zhang Tian is giving her… what in the world is he teaching her?'
On the field, Dai Mubai was panting, his powerful Vajra Transformation flickering. He had expended an enormous amount of spirit power and had nothing to show for it but frustration. He could feel his stamina waning.
Zhang Tian, seeing his opponent begin to tire, finally allowed a cold, predatory smile to touch his lips.
The time for defense was over.
"You've had your fun, Dai Mubai," he said, his calm voice cutting through the prince's heavy breathing. "My turn."
He didn't charge. He simply stomped his foot.
The spores that had infested Dai Mubai's body for the entire duration of the fight suddenly activated.
Dai Mubai roared in shock and pain as dozens of tough, blood-red vines erupted directly from his own body. They sprouted from his arms, his legs, his torso, wrapping around him, binding him, constricting him.
He tried to flex his muscles, to break free with his immense strength, but the vines were tougher than he expected, and his own power was beginning to fail him.
"Now," Zhang Tian said, his voice dropping to a merciless whisper. "Thousand Crimson Needles."
The ground around the struggling prince exploded. A swirling tempest of hardened, crimson needles rose into the air and descended upon him like a biblical plague.
"First Spirit Ability! White Tiger Shield Body Barrier!" Dai Mubai roared in desperation, reactivating his defensive skill.
The needles hammered against the translucent shield with the sound of a thousand angry hornets. The barrier held, but it was being rapidly weakened, cracks appearing all over its surface.
While he was pinned, distracted by the needle storm, Zhang Tian made his move.
"Viper's Kiss Strike."
A single, thick vine, its tip hardened to the peak with his Spirit Power, shot from the ground beneath Dai Mubai. It bypassed the frontal assault of the needles and struck the Shield Body Barrier from below, at its weakest point.
CRACK!
The barrier shattered into a million points of light.
The storm of needles descended, peppering Dai Mubai's transformed body. They weren't sharp enough to pierce his tough, fur-covered hide, but the blunt impacts were like being beaten by a hundred tiny hammers. He grunted in pain, his focus completely broken.
And then, the final assault came.
A massive, tidal wave of Blood Silver Grass erupted from the ground, a crimson tsunami of pure, binding force. It slammed into the stunned and beleaguered prince, overwhelming him completely. He was thrown off his feet, his body entangled in a hundred thick, constricting vines.
He landed on his back with a heavy thud, pinned to the ground, utterly defeated. He struggled, but his spirit power was nearly depleted, and the vines held him with an unbreakable grip. His White Tiger Vajra Transformation flickered and died, his body shrinking back to its normal size, leaving him vulnerable and helpless.
The fight was over.
The silence that fell over the field was absolute. Every single person—student and teacher alike—was staring, their minds unable to process what they had just witnessed.
Yu Xiaogang's face was a mask of stone-cold disbelief. His perfect theory, his unassailable logic, had been shattered.
A Level 27 mutated trash spirit had not just defeated, but had utterly dominated a Level 37 top-tier beast spirit. It should have been impossible. It was as though all his time studying the theory of Spirit Masters was a waste of time as he saw this result with his own eyes.
Flender's jaw was on the floor. Zhao Wuji just stared, his mind replaying the creative, brutal efficiency of the fight.
Tang San's expression was the most complex. He was shocked, yes, but also… intrigued. He had been so certain of the outcome. To see Zhang Tian win, and win so decisively, with such unique skills… it didn't intimidate him. It ignited a fire in him.
'His control over his spirit is truly on another level,' Tang San thought, his mind racing, analyzing every move. 'My Blue Silver Grass is inherently stronger due to absorbing anime-type spirit beast's spirit rings. If I could achieve that level of control, if I could develop my own skills like that… combined with my Tang Sect techniques… I could be unstoppable. I want to fight him. I need to fight him.'
Zhang Tian walked slowly towards the defeated prince, his steps deliberate, his expression cold. He stood over Dai Mubai, who glared up at him with eyes full of hatred and humiliation.
Zhang Tian looked down at him, a sneer of pure contempt on his handsome face. He then leaned down and spat on the ground, right next to Dai Mubai's head.
"It doesn't matter if I use weapons or not, you coward," he said, his voice a low, insulting whisper. "In the end, you can only be stepped on by my foot."
He raised his leg, preparing to once again grind his boot into Dai Mubai's handsome face, to seal the humiliation completely.
"Stop!"
"Zhang Tian, that's enough!"
Yu Xiaogang and Flender finally snapped out of their stupor. They moved at the same time, rushing forward to intervene.
Flender unleashed the full pressure of his Spirit Saint cultivation, a crushing weight that slammed down on Zhang Tian, seeking to immobilize him.
A wave of immense force tried to press him to his knees. In his spiritual sea, Ah Yin stirred. 'He dares?! Let me help you resist!'
'No!' Zhang Tian commanded her silently, gritting his teeth. 'Tang Hao is watching! Do not reveal yourself!'
He took the full force of the pressure himself. His bones groaned, his muscles screamed, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. It felt like a mountain was on his shoulders. But his will refused to break.
With a defiant roar that was more mental than physical, he forced his leg down.
His boot connected with Dai Mubai's face.
He ground it into the dirt.
Then, slowly, defiantly, he raised his head, his blue eyes blazing with a cold, triumphant fire as he stared directly at the stunned and furious faces of Dean Flender and the great Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.