Evening come as moonlight start spilled across the training grounds of Shrek Academy as Team Two prepared for departure. The air was crisp, alive with energy, but the mood within the group was a mixture of excitement and tension.
"Remember," Flender said, his arms crossed as he surveyed the four student from team one and five student from team two . "You can only enter one-on-one and two-on-two matches. Team matches require seven members. As we cannot change the member easily it will be hard for team match."
"Understood," Li Wei replied calmly.
Xiao Wu grinned. "It's been ages since we last went to the arena. I missed the roar of the crowd!"
Oscar slung an arm around Ma Hongjun. "Fatty, ready to burn someone's eyebrows off again?"
"As long as they don't mind getting roasted!" Ma Hongjun puffed out his chest, laughing.
Zhu Zhuqing stood silent, arms crossed, eyes locked on the horizon. Dai Mubai glanced her way, but she didn't return the look. The crack between them had widened into a chasm.
Ning Rongrong and Meng Yiran stood to the side, observing the group dynamic. The tension didn't escape them.
The journey to Soto City was uneventful but filled with small chatter. Xiao Wu relived her past victories with animated gestures, while Oscar boasted about the time his sausage saved a spirit master from poison.
"That's not how I remember it," Ma Hongjun muttered.
Meng Yiran's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "So this is what the Great Spirit Arena is like?"
"It's a battlefield of pride," Xiao Wu replied. "And a great place to earn spirit coins."
They arrived by late evening. The familiar towering structure of the Great Spirit Arena stood like a monument of battle, its silver façade gleaming under the moon. Spectators flowed through its grand entrance, while staff members bustled about, maintaining order.
As the group entered, murmurs began to rise.
"Hey, isn't that Li Wei?"
"Yeah, the ones who dominated the solo battles a while back!"
Inside, a receptionist greeted them. "Welcome back to Great Spirit Arena. May I know whether you will be participating in 1v1, 2v2 or team match?"
Li Wei nodded. "Understood. We'll sign up."
They gathered in a side hall to decide on their lineup.
"Let's not waste time," Oscar said. "I'll go with Fatty again for a two-man match."
"Me in a solo," Xiao Wu said with a wink. "I want to stretch my legs."
"Same," Dai Mubai said. "I need to blow off steam."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but she stepped forward and signed her name under the 1v1 column. The message was clear: she would not team up with anyone, especially not Dai Mubai.
Meng Yiran hesitated. "I'll try a solo match too. It's my first time, but... I want to test myself."
Li Wei remained silent.
"You not joining?" Oscar asked.
Li Wei shook his head. "I'm observing this round. I want to evaluate everyone's fighting styles. To begin with I already got the gold badges so today I thought that I will just watch."
Inside the arena proper, the matches began.
Match 1: Meng Yiran
Meng Yiran stepped into the ring, facing off against a lanky spirit master with a clawed beast martial spirit. The referee gave the signal.
"Snake Lance, activate!" Her serpent-like weapon glimmered as she launched into movement. Agile and swift, she danced around her opponent's slashes, countering with venomous precision. The audience gasped when her lance struck home, paralyzing her opponent after a brief skirmish.
She won in under three minutes.
Cheers erupted. Her eyes lit up with satisfaction.
Match 2: Oscar + Ma Hongjun
"Buff me up, partner!" Fatty cried.
Oscar tossed him a glowing sausage. "I, your father, have a mushroom sausage. Here take this swift Flight Mushroom Sausage and go wild!" It enable Ma Hongjun to fly.
Fatty burst into the ring with phoenix flames blazing, driving their two opponents into a defensive mess. Oscar hovered midair using his mushroom sausage, offering support with aerial sausages and strategic taunts.
It was messy but effective. They won by attrition as their opponent cannot touch them.
Match 3: Zhu Zhuqing
Silence descended as Zhu Zhuqing entered the ring. Her opponent, another agility type, smirked confidently.
"Hell Rush," she whispered.
She vanished.
In a flash, claws swiped past air. Zhu Zhuqing reappeared behind her enemy and struck with surgical precision. A series of phantom slashes followed, overwhelming the foe in a flurry of darkness.
The crowd held their breath until the opponent fell.
Zhu Zhuqing bowed and walked off without a word.
From the stands, Dai Mubai watched, fists clenched.
Match 4: Dai Mubai
"White Tiger Enhancement!"
The battlefield shook as he transformed, muscles bulging. His opponent, a power-type spirit master with earth-based defenses, met him head-on.
Roars echoed as fists clashed with raw force. Dust flew. Dai Mubai pushed harder, fury in every strike. He finally triumphed, but his victory left him breathless.
He glanced toward the hallway Zhu Zhuqing had exited. She never looked back.
Match 5: Xiao Wu
"Charm!"
The male defense-type she faced wavered. Xiao Wu smirked and used her agility to dance around him. With a graceful Waist Bow, she flipped him over, stunning the crowd.
"You're too slow!" she giggled.
The match ended with her bouncing in victory, waving to the cheering stands.
Back in the waiting lounge, the team gathered.
"That was awesome!" Meng Yiran exclaimed, panting slightly. "That claw guy never knew what hit him."
"You did well," Li Wei said. "You kept your footwork tight and used poison sparingly. Smart."
"Thanks... I was so nervous."
Ma Hongjun chomped on a spirit bun. "I will burns another two! That's a winning streak."
"Because I kept you alive!" Oscar retorted.
Xiao Wu lay across a bench. "We should have brought snacks. Victory makes me hungry."
Zhu Zhuqing sat by the window, arms crossed, eyes closed. Her face was impassive.
Dai Mubai sighed but said nothing. He turned away.
Later that evening, in the inn common room, the students ate together. Despite the underlying friction, the mood was lighter.
"Next time," Ning Rongrong said suddenly, her voice firm, "I want to try a 2v2 with Li Wei."
Everyone blinked.
Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"
She smiled. "Because I know you'll keep me alive. And maybe… I can support you too."
He didn't respond immediately. Then, slowly, he nodded. "All right. Next time."
As the moon rose over Soto City, the spirit arena glowed in the distance. The roar of battles still echoed, but Team Two of Shrek Academy had already made their mark.
And this was only the beginning.