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When Bibi Dong regained her senses beside the nameless tombstone, it was already three or four in the morning.
"Xiaoming, I wonder how Sister A Yin is doing... And your child must be sixteen years old now. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, or if they look like you."
"But don't worry, Xiaoming. Once I complete the God Trial and destroy the Spirit Hall, no matter how vast the Star Dou Great Forest is, I will find them." After saying this, Bibi Dong poured another cup of wine in front of the nameless tombstone.
She finished the remaining wine in the flask and then returned to Spirit City.
That same day, Shrek Academy welcomed a middle-aged man with an ever-stern, rigid expression.
However, Lin Dongyao and the others were not present, leaving the academy eerily empty.
Li Yusong, who had been practicing his spirit in the square, stopped when he noticed the man and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for Flender. Is he at the academy?" the man replied.
Just then, Flender's voice rang out from the balcony of a wooden house behind the square: "Xiaogang, you've finally arrived!"
Overjoyed, Flender leaped straight down from the balcony.
The visitor was none other than Yu Xiaogang.
"When I found out Tang San was your disciple, I knew you'd come. Good, good—after disappearing for so long, you've finally decided to show yourself!" Flender exclaimed excitedly, pulling Yu Xiaogang into a tight hug.
"Big Brother Flender, I'm sorry for making you worry," Yu Xiaogang said with a hint of guilt.
"It's fine, as long as you're back. No need to dwell on the past—I understand. Come, let's have some tea." Flender kept a firm grip on Yu Xiaogang's shoulder, as if afraid he might vanish again, and led him to the balcony.
"What's going on?" Li Yusong muttered in confusion as he watched the two.
"Big Brother Flender, where are the academy's students?" Yu Xiaogang asked curiously as he accepted a cup of tea.
"Xiaogang, you really found yourself an outstanding disciple. His talent is remarkable. Just two days ago, he and the others broke through to the 30th rank, so Zhao Wuji took them to the Star Dou Great Forest," Flender said with a sigh.
"Oh? San'er has already reached the 30th rank? That's faster than I expected," Yu Xiaogang remarked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, along with my disciple, Oscar. Both of them just hit the 30th rank—especially your Tang San. He's only twelve!" Flender replied.
"How many students does Shrek Academy have now?"
"Including Tang San, there are eight in total."
"Can I take a look at their records?"
"Of course! With the help of the Grandmaster of the spirit master world, how could I refuse?"
Flender immediately handed over the files of the eight students and sipped his tea quietly, not disturbing Yu Xiaogang as he reviewed them.
"Excellent, truly excellent. These students are all promising talents. A White Tiger and a Netherworld Civet—their surnames are Dai and Zhu? No mistake, they must be from those families," Yu Xiaogang mused as he flipped through the records.
"Impressive, Xiaogang. You recognized them at a glance," Flender chimed in.
"An Evil Fire Phoenix… Hmm? A food-system spirit master with innate full spirit power?"
"Big Brother Flender, you even have the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan here? Not bad at all. With this lineup, they're fully capable of competing in this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament!" Yu Xiaogang was visibly astonished by the other students' spirits.
"Xiaogang, to be honest, it'll be tough. The tournament starts in just over two years, and the oldest among them, Dai Mubai, is only a Spirit Elder. If they can even make it to the finals, that'd be an achievement."
"If it were the next tournament, they might have a shot at the championship. But this time? It's too difficult," Flender said pessimistically.
"That's true. However, from now on, I'll take charge of their training. Is that acceptable?" Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly.
"Of course! No problem at all," Flender agreed readily.
"Hmm? There's also a Blue Silver Grass spirit here—with innate spirit power of eight? A 27th-rank healing spirit master?"
"What a pity. If only they had pursued the control system instead of the support-healing path. Our team is missing a strong control-type spirit master."
"But how could a Blue Silver Grass spirit have innate spirit power of eight? The surname is Lin… Big Brother Flender, what's this child's background?" Yu Xiaogang stared at Lin Dongyao's file, utterly perplexed.
"Xiaogang, this child is the grandson of the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo. Whether he's a blood relative or not, I don't know, but Dugu Bo did come here once to warn us."
"As for the Blue Silver Grass… Well, spirits on the Douluo Continent come in all shapes and forms. With so many Blue Silver Grass spirits out there, an occasional mutation isn't unusual," Flender explained, deliberately mentioning Lin Dongyao's connection to Dugu Bo.
"Big Brother Flender, you don't understand. I've spent years researching Blue Silver Grass. It's inherently fragile and lacks the conditions for mutation. I'm certain he has another spirit—a twin spirit. That's the only explanation for his innate spirit power of eight," Yu Xiaogang declared confidently.
"Xiaogang, even if you're right, if Dugu Bo didn't disclose the other spirit, we can't just pry. He specifically warned me to minimize this child's contact with Spirit Hall members."
"Dugu Bo's poison is unmatched in the world, and he's a Title Douluo. I've heard about his past conflicts with Spirit Hall," Flender cautioned.
"I just want to know what his other spirit is. It could be a hidden trump card for the tournament, increasing our chances of victory."
"But if he truly only has the Blue Silver Grass spirit and is purely a healer, he won't contribute much to the team. You know the rules—only seven can compete in the tournament. So, Lin Dongyao will have to be a reserve member. If he were a control-type, it'd be different." Yu Xiaogang shook his head dismissively.
"That's fine. Dugu Bo also insisted that he not participate in the Great Spirit Arena battles," Flender said helplessly.
Though Lin Dongyao was the least talented among the eight, Flender had no grounds to expel him—especially with Dugu Bo's explicit instructions.
After all, Flender was in no position to defy a Title Douluo.
"Very well. Oscar and Ning Rongrong are excellent support types. As for Lin Dongyao… his healing abilities should be decent. I'll assign him as a reserve for now," Yu Xiaogang concluded after reviewing the files.
"It's a shame we lack a control-type spirit master. We'll adjust the lineup based on the students' progress later."
While the two were discussing Shrek Academy's students…
Lin Dongyao and the others were facing a crisis—a massive spirit beast had appeared before them.
"It's the King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape! Run!" Zhao Wuji's expression darkened as he immediately activated his Spirit Avatar, shouting at the students.
ROAR—!
With a single swipe, the Titan Giant Ape toppled a nearby tree, blocking Lin Dongyao and the others' escape path.
"Damn it, Er Ming! Why show up now?" Xiao Wu thought helplessly as she stared at the giant ape.
However, the Titan Giant Ape sniffed the air and suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar. In an instant, dust, debris, and flying grass obscured everyone's vision.
Seizing the moment, the ape moved with surprising agility—grabbing Xiao Wu in one hand.
Then, to her shock, it reached out and seized Lin Dongyao as well.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 290 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 20 power stones I will publish the next chapter.