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At the end of the contestant passage, Ning Rongrong had been waiting for some time.
When she saw Ning Tianchen's figure, she bounced over excitedly, grabbed his arm, and said sweetly, " Big brother Tianchen is so amazing."
Ning Tianchen gently patted her forehead and asked softly, "You're still as mischievous as ever. By the way, how did your spirit battle with Zhu Zhuqing go?"
Ning Rongrong puffed out her chest proudly and replied, "We didn't lose at all. Our opponents were just like the 'melon rind' you described—completely useless. I supported Zhu Zhuqing…"
Her explanation was elaborate, but in summary, it boiled down to their opponents being too weak, and the match ended within a few moves.
The eight members of Shrek Academy were divided into four two-on-two spirit battle teams. Two teams had already triumphed. Of the remaining two teams, Tang San's group wouldn't lose, leaving only Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's team as the possible losers.
Before Ning Tianchen could think further, Ning Rongrong suddenly shouted loudly, "Oscar, you coward who fled mid-battle!"
Despite winning the match, Oscar's face showed little joy. Like a child who had done something wrong, he lowered his head and walked up to Ning Tianchen, ready to accept his scolding.
Ning Tianchen flicked Ning Rongrong's nose lightly. "Alright, Rongrong, I told Oscar to leave early."
If Oscar had stayed on the stage, he would have been injured for no reason. It was better for him to leave early and avoid unnecessary harm.
Hearing this explanation, Ning Rongrong finally let it go.
As for Oscar, he threw himself at Ning Tianchen in an emotional embrace, his voice trembling with gratitude. "Good brother, from now on, we'll be the closest of brothers. If I have even a bite to eat—"
Ning Tianchen's lips twitched. Oscar's actions were hard not to interpret in unintended ways.
"Stop right there. I'm not that desperate yet. And… let go of my hand."
…
After the spirit battles concluded, Flender called the eight of them to gather in a lounge area of the Great Spirit Arena.
Tang San and Xiao Wu were enthusiastically reviewing their spirit battle as they entered the room. Seeing everyone's expressions, Tang San smiled. "It seems everyone has won. Xiao Wu and I also won, so now we're just waiting for Big Brother Dai's group."
"Since you've won, sit down and rest first. Once everyone's here, I'll personally review the matches with you," Flender said calmly from the corner.
He had secretly observed all of tonight's spirit battles.
Tang San and Xiao Wu's two-on-two spirit battle was commendable, but it still fell short compared to Ning Tianchen's performance.
"What's wrong with Principal Flender?" Xiao Wu came to Ning Rongrong's side and whispered.
Flender's tone had been calm earlier, but his words seemed to carry traces of anger.
All six of their spirit battles had been won without any underhanded tactics. Could it be that he wasn't angry at them?
Tang San scanned the lounge and noticed that neither Dai Mubai nor Ma Hongjun was present.
Earlier, he had seen Dai Mubai in an unusual state. Could it be that during the battle, he accidentally killed his opponent?
As the leader of Shrek Academy, Tang San instinctively couldn't believe that Dai Mubai would lose.
Not long after, the door to the lounge was kicked open forcefully.
Thinking someone had come to cause trouble, the members of Shrek Academy glared sharply at the entrance.
The newcomers were none other than Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, returning from their spirit battle.
"Fatso, how many times have I told you not to follow me around and get in the way?! But you never listen!"
Dai Mubai looked disheveled, with multiple burn marks on his body. His voice was filled with rage, as if he wanted to tear Ma Hongjun apart.
Ma Hongjun followed silently behind, not daring to argue back.
Flender abruptly stood up, his expression darkening. "Mubai, is this how I taught you—to blame your teammates for your failure in a spirit battle?"
In his mind, Flender had once envisioned grouping the eight members of Shrek Academy differently.
He imagined pairing Dai Mubai with Ning Tianchen. Even against opponents with Spirit Fusion Techniques, as long as they coordinated properly, they wouldn't have pushed Ning Tianchen into such a difficult situation.
Setting aside the issue of grouping, since he hadn't interfered directly anyway.
But Ma Hongjun was his disciple. Even if they lost the spirit battle, it wasn't Dai Mubai's place to point fingers.
Ma Hongjun, finding support in Flender, immediately hid behind him, though he still didn't dare to look directly at Dai Mubai.
"Principal, you ask him yourself—what stupid thing did Ma Hongjun do during the spirit battle!" Dai Mubai was seething with anger.
Their opponents in the spirit battle were both thirty-third-level Soul Elders.
With his thirty-seventh-level soul power, Dai Mubai handled the fight effortlessly. However, Ma Hongjun refused to take the easy win and chose to attack proactively instead.
Unfortunately, their opponents were wind-attribute soul masters. Ma Hongjun's first soul skill, Phoenix Fire Line, was blown back by the fierce wind, and the flames even scorched Dai Mubai.
A promising situation was completely ruined.
Injured and mentally shaken, Dai Mubai repeatedly acted rashly in the subsequent battle, leading to their loss.
If one were to assign blame, both shared responsibility equally.
Ultimately, the root cause was their complete lack of coordination and communication during the battle, resulting in critical mistakes.
Flender didn't favor anyone, but Dai Mubai's behavior could influence the other students.
In the future, if Shrek students blamed their teammates for every failure in spirit battles, how could the team function effectively?
"Mubai, is this how you speak to your principal? Both parties share responsibility for losing the spirit battle—it's not about blaming your classmates like this!" Flender's tone carried a deep sense of disappointment.
Ning Rongrong shot him a disdainful look and whispered to Ning Tianchen, "Big brother Tianchen, this Dai Mubai is truly hopeless."
Ning Tianchen shrugged.
Dai Mubai was a complicated person. He was proud because of his White Tiger martial soul but also insecure due to his status as a prince.
It was only after obtaining the divine herb that his strength surpassed Dai Weisi's, allowing his life to proceed smoothly.
Without the divine herb's assistance, his future might have been spent cowering in the shadows.
Such a person held no value for recruitment, even if he was the second legitimate son of the Star Luo royal family.
"Mubai, say less. The principal is in a bad mood right now." For the sake of team unity, Tang San stepped in to remind him.
On one hand, Dai Mubai was a man of strong feelings and bold actions; on the other hand, he was timid and self-deprecating.
Tang San possessed hidden weapons and had already surpassed him in strength, so Dai Mubai naturally didn't dare to show any disrespect toward him.
Letting out a cold snort, Dai Mubai stormed out of the room.
"Mubai, when I return to the academy, if I don't see you there, starting tomorrow, you won't be a member of Shrek Academy!" Flender's tone carried a clear threat.
If students dared to disrespect the principal and set a precedent, would new students like Ning Tianchen still respect him as their principal?
In the end, Dai Mubai lacked the courage to leave entirely.
Though he was furious about Flender's perceived bias, after wandering around the city for a while, he eventually headed back toward Shrek Academy.
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