Ning Fengzhi's Invitation

Recently, Dai Mubai flew into a rage over being "cheated on" and resorted to daily drinking. It wasn't until Flender told him the truth—that nothing improper had happened during Chen Xuan and Zhu Zhuqing's trip—that he calmed down.

At first, Dai Mubai refused to believe it. As a man, he knew too well that not everyone was as pure and loyal as Tang San, who loved only Xiao Wu. However, after calming down, he considered Zhu Zhuqing's character, realizing that she rarely lied and had no reason to deceive Flender.

Immediately, he sought out Zhu Zhuqing to apologize. But she remained cold, giving him no favorable response, stating bluntly, "The one you should apologize to is Chen Xuan, not me."

That led to the current situation.

In front of Tang San, Xiao Wu, and others, Dai Mubai put his pride aside and offered an apology to Chen Xuan.

"Chen Xuan, I wrongly accused you before. I'm sorry."

For someone like him—handsome, confident, and always holding himself in high regard—this was a big step, showing his sincerity.

"Oh, I see," Chen Xuan responded flatly.

Chen Xuan wasn't particularly bothered by trivial matters like this, which didn't affect his life much. Still, he had a feeling Dai Mubai's apology lacked depth.

Dai Mubai frowned, his expression darkening. Chen Xuan's indifferent attitude seemed to suggest he didn't care at all, as if he didn't even respect Dai Mubai. As a prince of the Xingluo Empire, Dai Mubai was used to being proud and had rarely bowed his head to anyone. Now that he had apologized, what more did Chen Xuan want?

Chen Xuan's carefree attitude made it seem, in Dai Mubai's eyes, like he wasn't giving him any face at all.

"Alright, Chen Xuan, Mubai, let's get back to training," said the master, hands clasped behind his back.

For the next ten days, the Shrek group continued their training under Yu Xiaogang's guidance. The regimen included physical conditioning, weight training, mountain climbing, and sparring—sometimes one-on-one, sometimes two-on-one.

Most of their time was spent improving teamwork, with Liu Erlong acting as their training opponent. Even when it was seven-on-one, the Shrek students stood no chance; Liu Erlong was just too ferocious and violent.

The rules were the same as in competitions: no use of any weapons besides their martial spirits. This restriction hit Chen Xuan hard, leaving him beaten black and blue daily. He felt frustrated, even though he had confidence in his speed and had added a new technique to his Flash Step called Lightning Step, which incorporated lightning-attribute soul power.

Chen Xuan thought he was fast—after all, he had done a lot of lightning body refinement. Among Soul Elders of his rank, few could match him in speed. But in front of this "she-dragon," he was completely outclassed.

The unluckiest ones were Ma Hongjun and Oscar, who were beaten the worst. Every time they tried to fly into the air, Liu Erlong would slap them back down.

The students often heard screams echoing from the forested mountains behind Shrek Academy, loud and clear, though not exactly pleasant to the ear.

Because of this, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and the others privately gave Liu Erlong the nickname "Blazing Dragon."

Ten days flew by. The Shrek Seven Devils, along with the substitute members, finally completed a month of grueling training.

Yu Xiaogang had promised them that although their soul power might not increase much from this third stage of training, their physical fitness and endurance would greatly improve.

After a month without a single day of rest, his prediction was spot on. None of the eleven Shrek members saw a breakthrough in their soul power. Even Tang San, with his innate full soul power and highest natural talent, remained at level 41, still some way off from level 42.

Chen Xuan couldn't help but admire Yu Xiaogang's insight. Under his guidance, none of the Shrek members who had taken celestial herbs saw a breakthrough in soul power, including Tang San or Dai Mubai.

The only exception seemed to be Xiao Wu. After being intimate with her, Chen Xuan's own soul power had risen by two levels, and Xiao Wu's soul power must have increased as well. However, he couldn't understand why she still only had three soul rings.

Afternoon

Flender decided to give the Shrek group a half-day break so the students could rest.

Instead of returning to his dormitory, Chen Xuan wandered around the academy, eventually sitting on a bench to rest.

"Chen Xuan, there you are! I've been looking for you," Ning Rongrong called out as she appeared, dressed in a stunning light blue dress that revealed her long, fair legs. She wore high heels and white stockings, looking radiant.

She had changed out of her dirty training clothes, now wearing a clean outfit with light makeup, looking pure and charming.

"What's up? Do you need something?" Chen Xuan asked, his gaze drawn to her. Beautiful things naturally attract attention.

Ning Rongrong, her long legs moving gracefully, walked up to him. The bench was long, so she sat down beside him.

"Do you have time later or tonight?" she asked.

"I've already made plans with Zhuqing for tonight," Chen Xuan replied honestly.

"Oh, I see."

Though turned down, Ning Rongrong wasn't upset. She explained, "My father wants to meet you. He said he has something to discuss."

Chen Xuan was surprised. He had no connection with the leader of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Why would Ning Fengzhi want to see him? Was he trying to recruit him?

Chen Xuan quickly dismissed the thought. It was unlikely. He hadn't even revealed his full strength yet, so Ning Fengzhi had no reason to recruit him.

"Alright, I'll meet him when I have some free time," Chen Xuan replied, not declining but explaining that he was too busy that day.

"Alright," Ning Rongrong didn't press the matter, leaving to relay the message to her father, Ning Fengzhi.

Meanwhile

At the Tiandou Palace, in the Eastern Palace of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

"Master, has Brother Chen not arrived yet?" a refined young man asked.

He was around twenty years old, with golden hair and a red ceremonial robe lined with gold and encrusted with gems—obviously expensive. This was none other than Crown Prince Xue Qinghe of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Across from him, Ning Fengzhi sipped tea. Though the leader of a prestigious clan, he was gentle and approachable, exuding a soft demeanor rather than a commanding presence.

"Qinghe, what is it about this Chen Xuan that has you so intrigued?" Ning Fengzhi asked playfully, taking another sip of tea.

The two shared a mentor-student relationship that had developed over many years, making them quite close.

Over the past ten days, Xue Qinghe had asked Ning Fengzhi several times to help arrange a meeting with Chen Xuan.

Ning Fengzhi was puzzled by the prince's interest in a young man. While talented, Chen Xuan didn't seem to surpass Tang San in any significant way. His only standout feature was his ten-thousand-year spirit ring, which was the main reason Ning Fengzhi hadn't tried to recruit him yet.

"Master, this Brother Chen is exceptionally gifted and full of potential. He's exactly the kind of person I need," Xue Qinghe replied, smiling gently.

Ning Fengzhi shook his head slightly. "He's indeed impressive, but in terms of raw talent, I'd still say Tang San has the edge."

Of course, Xue Qinghe knew Tang San was more talented. His interest in Chen Xuan wasn't entirely his own—it came from someone else.

Evening

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