Chapter 258: Just Top 8? No Way!

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A few days later, Xue Qinghe arrived at Shrek Academy with a cold-faced girl.

"Hahaha, Brother Zeng, I've heard about your glorious achievements in the academy. With the power of a Spirit Ancestor, you challenged a Spirit Saint powerhouse. Only you, Brother Zeng, can accomplish such a feat on the entire continent." Xue Qinghe laughed heartily when he saw Zeng Yi, holding a folding fan in his hand, covering his face.

Xue Qinghe approached Zeng Yi, closed his fan, lightly tapped Zeng Yi's shoulder, and teased, "How does it feel? Tell me."

Suddenly, Xue Qinghe remembered that Zeng Yi couldn't hear what he was saying and couldn't help slapping his forehead, laughing again, "Haha, how silly of me! Brother Zeng, you can't hear anything now."

Zeng Yi looked at Xue Qinghe, who was laughing mischievously in front of him. Although he couldn't hear what he was saying, he could sense that this guy was making fun of him. He stared at him with a disdainful look.

In addition to Zeng Yi, there were Shrek's Six Monsters, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, Flender, Liu Erlong, and Qin Ming present. Upon seeing Prince Xue Qinghe of the Heavenly Dou Empire arriving at the academy, everyone became respectful.

After all, the prince's identity meant that he would be the future Emperor of the empire!

Of course, there were some who didn't care about Xue Qinghe's identity, such as Ning Rongrong, who was already familiar with him. Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, who were not citizens of the Heavenly Dou Empire, naturally didn't show much respect for Xue Qinghe either. Moreover, Dai Mubai was the prince of the Star Luo Empire, so he didn't care about Xue Qinghe's status at all.

However, seeing Xue Qinghe's attitude towards Zeng Yi surprised them. Judging from Xue Qinghe's interaction with Zeng Yi, it was evident that their relationship was not ordinary.

Zeng Yi gave Xue Qinghe a disdainful glance, then shifted his gaze to the cold-faced girl standing behind him. He vaguely recalled this girl.

"This is the Spirit Master with the Nine Heart Flowering Apple as her martial Spirit, right? I remember that when you were in the Suotuo City's fighting arena, your team had a thrilling battle with their group. I think you should know them." Zeng Yi smiled and pointed at Zhu Zhuqing and the others.

The girl simply nodded in response without saying a word. Her expression remained unchanged, maintaining an aloof demeanor.

Seeing her behavior, Xue Qinghe said somewhat embarrassedly, "She's not good at socializing with others."

"It seems that you are acquainted with each other. But let me introduce you anyway. This is our genius student at our school, Ye Lingling. She possesses the top-tier healing system Martial Spirit, the Nine Heart Flowering Apple, and she is a Rank 38 auxiliary system Spirit Elder." Xue Qinghe introduced her to everyone.

After hearing Xue Qinghe's introduction, Master Yu Xiaogang couldn't help feeling shocked. Ning Rongrong had mentioned Ye Lingling to him before, and her Martial Spirit, the Nine Heart Flowering Apple, had terrifying auxiliary abilities comparable to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

With group healing, as long as their allies still had a breath, she could instantly restore them. This terrifying Spirit skill had nuclear bomb-level power on the battlefield, capable of completely reversing the entire situation in an instant.

After Shrek's team defeated the Emperor's Team, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had read many ancient books and gathered a lot of information, gaining a better understanding of the terrifying abilities of the Nine Heart Flowering Apple.

Moreover, he remembered that Ye Lingling had a spirit power level of 35 when they fought at the Suotuo Arena several months ago. From then till now, it had been over half a year. As an auxiliary system Spirit master, she had actually increased her spirit power by three levels. This proved that her talent in cultivation was not inferior to any of the Shrek Seven Monsters.

Indeed, they shouldn't underestimate the geniuses from other academies! Master Yu Xiaogang looked at Ye Lingling deeply, realizing how powerful she was.

Qin Ming, seeing his former student and recalling that he hadn't explained to them why he left the Heavenly Dou Imperial Academy, felt a sense of guilt.

"Lingling, are you doing well?" Qin Ming cared about his former student and couldn't help asking.

However, Ye Lingling didn't even spare a glance at Qin Ming and stood silently in place. This made Qin Ming feel awkward, not knowing what to say.

When Qin Ming was at the Heavenly Dou Imperial Academy, he led the Emperor Team for several years. The bond between them couldn't be forgotten, and the members of the Emperor Team respected Qin Ming very much, even considering him a role model.

However, their esteemed mentor had left the academy without saying goodbye and joined the academy that had defeated them, Shrek Academy. How could they accept such a situation?

Although they couldn't be considered mortal enemies, becoming friends seemed almost impossible.

Xue Qinghe, also unable to hide his surprise, glanced at Qin Ming, his former genius teacher at the academy. A disdainful expression flashed in his eyes. Then he looked at Ye Lingling and said, "Lingling, you can start healing now."

"Okay." Ye Lingling nodded and spoke with a respectful tone. It was evident that she held a great deal of respect for Xue Qinghe.

Ye Lingling walked in front of Zeng Yi. Compared to Zeng Yi's 1.8-meter height, her stature seemed much smaller. She only reached his chest, making the contrast particularly apparent.

Ye Lingling couldn't help but raise her head, her pair of watery eyes looking at Zeng Yi with curiosity.

This man in front of her left a deep impression. She had personally witnessed him effortlessly defeat the vice-captain of her team, Dugu Yan, in the fighting arena. He easily blocked Captain Yu Tianheng's Spirit skill attack without even releasing his Spirit rings.

Moreover, when they fought against Shrek Academy, the strongest member of the Shrek team didn't even participate, yet they still lost to them. This defeat had a profound impact on them.

They had always believed that their team was the strongest among the younger generations in the Heavenly Dou Empire because they had never tasted defeat until they encountered the Shrek team, and not even their strongest lineup.

This humiliating defeat showed how devastating the blow was to them.

However, they didn't let it get to them. After returning to the academy, they worked even harder in their cultivation and, with the abundant resources of the academy, their strength had greatly improved.

Now, several members of the Emperor's Team had already advanced to the Spirit Ancestor realm, hoping to redeem themselves in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.

Suddenly, a pink light emitted from Ye Lingling's body, and a gentle Spirit power filled the surroundings. Everyone could feel a surging vitality, making every cell in their bodies cheer with joy.

A beautiful Nine Heart Flowering Apple bloomed in Ye Lingling's hand, radiating brilliant light, enveloping her delicate figure. The fragrant flower fragrance pervaded the surroundings. Her silver long hair gently swayed with the fluctuation of Spirit power, and her aquamarine pleated skirt swayed lightly. Dozens of pink petals danced around Ye Lingling, making her look like a fairy dancing in a flower garden.

Ye Lingling extended her slender fingers and plucked a petal from the blooming Nine Heart Flowering Apple in her hand. With a light flick of her jade-like finger, the petal flew towards Zeng Yi and turned into pink light dots, blending into his body.

Suddenly, Zeng Yi felt a warm and gentle energy surging through his meridians, giving him an indescribable comfort, as if he were sleeping in his mother's embrace.

Moreover, his ears felt itchy, making him want to scratch them. But he knew that it was his damaged eardrums being repaired.

It really worked!

This made Zeng Yi extremely excited. Who would willingly choose to become deaf when they could regain their hearing?

"Is it working?" Ning Rongrong asked somewhat worriedly.

After hearing Ning Rongrong's words, Ye Lingling spoke up, "Of course it works. With my martial Spirit's ability, I can even reconnect severed limbs for people. Restoring hearing is a piece of cake for my Nine Heart Flowering Apple." As she spoke, a touch of pride emerged on Ye Lingling's expressionless face.

After a pause of about ten seconds, the itching in Zeng Yi's ears finally disappeared. Regaining his senses, he noticed that everyone was surrounding him, staring at him expectantly.

"How is it? Can you hear now?" Oscar asked first.

Zeng Yi shook his head and said, "No."

Hearing Zeng Yi's words, everyone's expressions instantly fell, disbelief evident in their eyes.

"Oh my god, even Ye Lingling's monstrous healing system martial Spirit couldn't heal Yi Ge's ears. Then what can we do? Is Yi Ge condemned to be deaf forever?" Ma Hongjun felt a sense of despair.

However, the next moment, Zeng Yi's actions left everyone dumbfounded.

Zeng Yi slapped the back of Ma Hongjun's head, cursing with a smile, "You fatso, who are you calling deaf?"

Ma Hongjun was astonished and couldn't react for a moment. Then, filled with excitement, he pounced on Zeng Yi, tightly hugging him in a bear hug.

"F*ck! Yi Ge, you've been teasing us all along!"

"Great, you've finally recovered!"

Others couldn't help but gather around Zeng Yi, giving him a beating.

Watching the students' playful scene, Liu Erlong also breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Zeng Yi had regained his hearing; otherwise, she would've felt guilty for the rest of her life.

Flender seemed to sense Liu Erlong's current mood and patted her shoulder. His gaze fell on the students, and a contented smile appeared on his face.

Zeng Yi had regained his hearing, bringing great joy to everyone. To celebrate, they left the academy and went to a luxurious restaurant in Heaven Dou City.

Of course, Xue Qinghe and Ye Lingling were also invited by Zeng Yi.

They partied until early morning before dispersing.

Before leaving, Xue Qinghe pulled Zeng Yi aside and quietly said, "Zeng Yi, I advise you to stay away from Shrek Academy for sometime."

"Why?" Zeng Yi was puzzled by Xue Qinghe's cryptic words.

Xue Qinghe said earnestly, "Zeng Yi, it seems that many forces have set their sights on you. You might encounter danger at any time."

"Why?" Zeng Yi remained curious.

"Do you remember your fight with Dean Liu Erlong? The Spirit rings you displayed, to be honest, even I was surprised. A configuration of three purple and one black ring is enough to attract everyone's attention."

Xue Qinghe continued, "This matter has already spread from Shrek Academy, and the news has spread throughout Heaven Dou City. Those aristocrats and various sect forces have set their sights on you."

"So, that's what this is about."

At that time, Liu Erlong had gathered the entire school to watch his battle with her. However, Liu Erlong didn't expect his Spirit rings to be so extraordinary, which led to the entire school finding out about it. Although she asked everyone not to talk about it, it was clear that she couldn't control everyone's mouths, and the news still spread.

Xue Qinghe patted Zeng Yi's shoulder and said, "Zeng Yi, you need to know that in a world of talent, if you don't grow, you're just a withered bone on the roadside. Some people want to recruit you, but there are others who don't want anyone to get what they can't have. Although Shrek has several Spirit Saint powerhouses, can they protect you constantly?"

"Listen to me, return to Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School as soon as possible. With the power of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, they can protect you thoroughly."

After saying that, Xue Qinghe left with Ye Lingling.

Watching Xue Qinghe's departure, Zeng Yi's eyes flickered, deep in thought.

A few days later, on a training ground, Zeng Yi sat on Oscar's back, his body floating up and down. Oscar, shirtless, had a flushed face, sweating profusely, and panting heavily.

Zeng Yi sat cross-legged on Oscar's back, while Oscar struggled to do push-ups. Zeng Yi acted as a weight for him.

"1482, 1483..."

For each push-up Oscar did, Zeng Yi would count.

"1499! Come on, Oscar, just one more to complete the task." Zeng Yi cheered him on.

As Oscar lowered his arms to push his body up again, he felt the task was incredibly difficult. His forehead veins bulged, and he gritted his teeth. Underneath him, sweat had formed a pool, soaking the ground.

"1500!"

With a heavy voice, Oscar managed to complete his last push-up, using up his last bit of strength.

After achieving his goal, Oscar's strength gave out, and his body fell to the ground. Sensing that something was wrong, Zeng Yi swiftly moved away from Oscar's back.

Plunk!

Zeng Yi stood on the side, smiling as he watched Oscar lying on the ground, gasping for breath. He looked like he had just been hauled out of a pond.

"How does it feel? Is it comfortable?" Zeng Yi asked with a grin.

"It's... alright." Oscar weakly responded. After a while, he propped himself up using his arms and caught something that was quickly thrown towards him, fumbling to catch it.

Upon careful examination, he realized it was a water bottle. Without delay, Oscar opened the bottle cap and gulped down the water. At this moment, all he wanted was to replenish his body's fluids.

Since Oscar wanted to transition towards becoming a both support and combat-type Spirit Master, Zeng Yi had been helping him with his training. The training focused on physical fitness and precise control over his own Spirit power.

Unlike Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar didn't possess any exceptional talent in swordsmanship. Despite Zeng Yi teaching him for a long time, he could only perform basic sword techniques. Therefore, Zeng Yi intended to teach him some boxing and martial arts instead.

Although Zeng Yi was a master swordsman, he had some insights into boxing and martial arts as well. Even though Oscar's Martial Spirit was food-based, as long as he obtained some Spirit skills that could enhance his physical condition in the future, along with his formidable physique and the use of Spirit power, he would be able to fight against Spirit Masters.

After resting for more than ten minutes, when they were about to continue their training, they sensed a terrifying aura spreading throughout the academy.

Zeng Yi was greatly shocked. He had experienced this aura several times before, and it was the aura of a Titled Douluo-level Spirit power.

Could it be that someone was invading?

"Oscar, let's go and take a look." Zeng Yi quickly said, preparing himself for combat.

"Okay."

The aura was coming from the academy's main gate. Zeng Yi and Oscar hurried towards that direction, mentally preparing themselves for a battle.

When Zeng Yi reached the academy's main gate, he saw the academy's teachers and the dean already present.

On the other side stood two individuals, one old and one young. Zeng Yi didn't recognize the elderly person, but the one who had released the aura earlier should be him.

A powerhouse at the Titled Douluo level.

The other person, however, surprised Zeng Yi because he was very familiar with him; Tang San.

Seeing Tang San, Zeng Yi couldn't help but relax. Xue Qinghe's earlier warning had made him think that someone was causing trouble for him, causing unnecessary worry.

To think that he was here with Tang San; then they should be allies.

Zeng Yi carefully recalled his memories. Indeed, Tang San returned to Shrek Academy around this time, and Shrek's Seven Monsters officially embarked on their extraordinary journey.

Originally, the plan was for the Seven Monsters to participate in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament as a means of training. After all, they were still young, and aiming for the championship seemed unrealistic. Their goal for this tournament was to make it into the elimination rounds and reach the top 8.

"Our goal isn't too high, is it? Our students are young and have plenty of opportunities. Aiming for the championship for the next year tournament will be more reasonable." Grandmaster had thought.

But Tang San said they were aiming too low!

How could I, the protagonist, settle for the top 8? No way! Our goal is the championship!

And so, he gave his little buddies a collective cheat.

...

[[Notes: Nope. We are not nerfing our boy.

On a more serious note, I've been reviewing your feedback regarding the proofreading quality, and I'm genuinely dismayed by the numerous proofreading errors I've made. These range from inaccuracies in cultivation realms to misidentifying he/she pronouns.

I hold myself to certain standards, and I apologize that you have to sift through these mistakes as I translate this story in my leisure time. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to go back and edit the previous ~250 chapters.

I'll explore potential tools to enhance proofreading (though I'm skeptical about finding a perfect fit for my specific case). If not, I commit to proofreading each chapter 2-3 times moving forward.

Please inform me if you come across any proofreading errors so that I can gauge my improvement. Thank you for taking the time to read.]]