Chapter 68: The Wretched "Shrek Eight Monsters"—Ma Hongjun and Oscar
Nothing happened throughout the night.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking and a faint fish-belly white appeared in the eastern sky, several boys and girls were already standing sparsely on the relatively flat open ground at the center of Shrek Academy.
In addition to the six familiar faces—Lin Qingmo, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ning Rongrong—there were two new faces in the group.
One was a short, chubby kid.
He wasn't very old, yet his body was already round and plump, like a ball.
There was a very contemptible smile on his face.
His brows and eyes looked shifty, and his gaze unconsciously kept drifting toward the girls, making him seem especially lewd.
His name was Ma Hongjun, twelve years old, a rank 27 Attack System Soul Grandmaster. His martial soul was the rather rare Evil Fire Phoenix.
It was just that his personality and appearance made it really hard to associate him with something as noble as a "phoenix."
He looked more like a sleazy grass chicken.
The other was the complete opposite.
He was tall and skinny, with fair skin.
He actually looked quite handsome.
It was just that he seemed rather frail, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.
His name was Oscar, also twelve years old, but his soul power had reached rank 29—only one step away from becoming a Soul Elder.
His martial soul was a sausage, a rare food-type support martial soul.
At this moment, however, this support-type genius had a somewhat vacant look in his eyes, staring blankly in one direction—at Ning Rongrong.
In fact, these people had already had one "unofficial" meeting not long ago.
It was just that the process could hardly be described as pleasant.
Ma Hongjun, unable to control his eyes and mouth, had offended Xiao Wu with his words.
As a result, the enraged Xiao Wu had educated him on the spot with a fierce set of "Eight-Stage Kick," beating him until he cried for his parents, leaving his face bruised and swollen.
So much so that now, whenever he saw Xiao Wu, his calves would tremble uncontrollably, and he wished he could hide as far away as possible.
As for Oscar—
From the moment he first laid eyes on the pretty, lively, and slightly aristocratic Ning Rongrong, it was as if his soul had left his body.
He had been staring at her ever since, dumbfounded and unblinking.
So much so that Ning Rongrong felt extremely uncomfortable and had the urge to kick him.
At this moment—
The atmosphere on the open ground could only be described as strange and complicated.
Xiao Wu stood tightly next to Lin Qingmo, almost half her body leaning against him.
She tilted her little face up, her eyes filled with undisguised dependence and admiration as she looked at Lin Qingmo.
That thick, unmistakable affection—anyone with eyes could see it.
Not far away, at the edge of the group, Tang San's face was dark enough to drip water.
His gaze, like nails dipped in poison, was fixed firmly on the close figures of Lin Qingmo and Xiao Wu.
All kinds of negative emotions were growing wildly in his heart, almost becoming the main theme of his recent days.
What was interesting, however, was that someone else was staring at Tang San with an almost resentful gaze.
It was Dai Mubai.
If looks could kill, Tang San would probably have been sliced into pieces by Dai Mubai's cold, sharp stare.
Yet Dai Mubai's thoughts were conflicted.
His gaze would unconsciously drift toward that cold and slender black figure—Zhu Zhuqing.
Regret, unwillingness, struggle, and a trace of lingering attachment intertwined in his eyes.
Unfortunately, Zhu Zhuqing showed no reaction to his gaze at all.
She didn't even spare him a glance from the corner of her eye.
Instead, her attention was more focused on Lin Qingmo, who was being clung to by Xiao Wu.
Yesterday, Lin Qingmo's display during the test—three thousand-year soul rings, along with that effortless, all-controlling strength—had left an extremely deep impression on her.
This blue-haired youth seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious fog.
Ma Hongjun shrank into the far edge of the group, doing his best to minimize his presence.
Especially when Xiao Wu's disgusted gaze accidentally swept over him, he would jolt in fright and hurriedly look away.
In his heart, he silently chanted, "Don't see me, don't see me."
It was obvious he had been beaten into psychological trauma.
Oscar, on the other hand, maintained his dazed expression, his eyes locked onto Ning Rongrong.
His lips seemed to be moving soundlessly.
He was probably pondering some century-old problem—like how to win a beauty's heart with sausages.
As for Ning Rongrong, who was being stared at, she completely ignored Oscar.
Her lively eyes were filled with curiosity and scrutiny toward Lin Qingmo.
This guy, who always exceeded expectations, seemed far more interesting than he appeared on the surface.
"Ahem!"
A deliberate cough broke the subtle yet tense atmosphere.
Dean Flender's figure had appeared at the center of the open ground at some point.
He pushed up the crystal glasses on the bridge of his nose.
His gaze swept over the eight youths with their various expressions. A trace of satisfaction flashed deep in his eyes, though his face remained stern.
"Alright, everyone's here."
Flender cleared his throat, his voice loud and clear.
"First, on behalf of Shrek Academy, I officially welcome you all!"
"From today onward, you are officially students of Shrek Academy—classmates, and comrades who will fight side by side in the future."
He paused, his eyes lingering on each of them in turn, then threw out a classic title.
"Your team has a name. It's called—the Shrek Eight Monsters!"
"Shrek Eight Monsters?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong wrinkled her delicate nose, her face full of undisguised disdain.
"Dean, isn't that name way too ugly? It has no class at all—it just sounds stupid!"
She was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
All her life, she'd heard titles like "genius" and "prodigy." What was this "Eight Monsters" supposed to mean?!
"Ugly or not, that's what it's called! No negotiations!"
Flender put on a stern face, displaying his authority as dean.
This was Shrek Academy's tradition.
"In legends, Shrek is synonymous with monsters."
"The principle of Shrek Academy is to accept only monsters, not ordinary people!"
"All eight of you are 'little monsters' in the eyes of normal people. The title 'Shrek Eight Monsters' fits perfectly!"
Ning Rongrong pouted.
Though she was still very dissatisfied inside, seeing Flender's unquestionable expression, she could only swallow her protest.
She muttered under her breath, "Monsters it is then… such terrible naming sense…"
Next,
Flender briefly introduced the current situation of Shrek Academy, its rules, and some basic points and precautions regarding soul master cultivation.
There was no long-winded lecturing—mostly solid information.
After finishing, he began assigning today's training tasks.
"Ning Rongrong, Oscar!"
He first called out the two support-type soul masters.
"You two are support-type soul masters. Stamina is your weakness, but it is also the key to your survival."
"Your task today is to run twenty laps around the perimeter of Shrek Academy. No using soul power—purely basic physical training."
"Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing!"
Flender then turned to the four battle-type soul masters.
"You four will run thirty laps. After that, head to the equipment field in the east for specialized physical training. Teacher Zhao Wuji will tell you the details."
Finally, his gaze fell on Lin Qingmo and Xiao Wu, pausing slightly.
"As for Lin Qingmo and Xiao Wu…"
"Lin Qingmo has already discussed your situation and training methods with me in detail. Yours are indeed quite special."
Flender pushed up his glasses.
"So you may train according to your established plan. You don't need to follow the main group. Your training ground will be the open area to the west."
—
End of Chapter