554. Shoehorn Face

"That's enough!"

Ning Rongrong muttered disdainfully.

She spoke up, helping Flender and the others resolve their urgent predicament.

"My home is near Heaven Dou City. I’ve been to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy before when I went out to play."

"Rongrong?"

After having killed someone, Oscar seemed to have taken a step toward recovery.

Ning Rongrong glanced at him and continued speaking on her own,

"Our direct lineage trains within the sect, but some branch members do study at the Imperial Academy. Actually, Heaven Dou Imperial Academy isn’t inside the city but located outside of it."

"Haha..."

Hearing this, Flender suddenly felt a bit proud.

"Looks like the first dean of this academy and I had similar ideas."

"You were just broke," Yu Xiaogang bluntly shattered his sense of superiority.

"Enough talking, let’s get moving. The sooner we settle in, the sooner we can start training."

"You really love giving orders, don’t you?"

Flender muttered as he took off his glasses and wiped them.

Then, he called for everyone to continue on their journey.

Ning Rongrong’s steps were particularly light—she would soon see her fiancé again. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement.

The warm sun grew brighter.

Under Ning Rongrong’s lead, Tang San and the others finally arrived at their destination.

"Rongrong, are you sure this is the place?"

Flender looked up, his voice tinged with surprise.

Ning Rongrong nodded.

"As long as Heaven Dou Imperial Academy hasn’t moved, then this is it."

"But... this is a mountain!"

Ma Hongjun was utterly shocked.

"This mountain, along with that forest and lake, are all within the academy's domain."

"Damn!"

Ma Hongjun couldn't help but curse.

Yu Xiaogang quickly masked his surprise and glanced at the dumbfounded Flender.

With an air of composure, he remarked,

"Situated by mountains and water—indeed, a fine location."

The other teachers nodded in agreement, marveling at the scenery.

It was undeniably beautiful, especially as the golden sunlight bathed everything in a dreamlike glow, giving the place an otherworldly charm.

"But what’s the use of having money if you can't nurture true geniuses? It’s nothing compared to my Shrek Academy!"

Flender muttered begrudgingly.

Yu Xiaogang nodded in strong agreement.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances, both seeing the same speechlessness in each other’s eyes.

With their current level of talent...
Shrek Academy could never have cultivated them to this point.

"Alright, let's go up the mountain!"

"We’ll make it just in time for lunch—let’s see how the food here is."

Flender raised his arm enthusiastically and took the lead.

Yu Xiaogang followed closely behind.

"Flender, are you sure you’ve made the proper arrangements? This isn’t the kind of place you can just waltz into."

"Don’t worry! That kid can be trusted."

Flender reassured confidently.

But before they could take a few steps, trouble arrived.

"Halt! Who are you?"

A group of young spirit masters, around eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in pale yellow uniforms, blocked Tang San and the others' path.

Flender, a seasoned veteran, immediately understood the situation and how to handle it.

He pulled out a token as proof of their purpose.

"I'm here to see Qin Ming."

"Teacher Qin Ming?"

The young man looked startled.

Qin Ming’s talent was well-known within the academy, so they naturally couldn’t ignore the mention of his name.

Seeing the teacher's emblem in Flender’s hand, the youths were somewhat convinced.

"Then wait here. I’ll have someone fetch the teacher."

"No problem."

Flender exhaled in relief.

However, as he watched the pale-yellow-uniformed youth hurry away, his brows furrowed.

The strength of these students...
They seemed rather mediocre, nowhere near comparable to his little monsters.

But after the disdain came a secret delight.

This was a sure win!

Let those country bumpkins at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy see the real world—
Let them witness what a true genius really is!

—

Inside Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, in the exclusive training grounds of the Emperor Team.

Just as Qin Ming finished dismissing the team, a sparrow slowly descended from the sky.

"Teacher Qin Ming, there's a guy with a shoehorn face looking for you."

"Shoehorn face?"

Qin Ming was momentarily stunned but then chuckled helplessly, not taking offense.

He simply nodded at the student.

"I’ll head over right away."

—

"Big Sis Yan, what does a shoehorn face look like?"

Before the team fully dispersed, Yu Feng quietly asked.

"How would I know?"

Dugu Yan was just as curious, flashing a teasing smile at the delicate-looking boy beside her.

"By the way, Yu Feng, did you put on perfume again?"

"Sniff, gardenia scent."

"Ah! Stop it! Big Sis Yan, you're teasing me again!"

Yu Feng blushed and quickly backed away.

Oslo, standing nearby with his arms crossed, shuddered.

"Yu Feng, if you keep acting like this, I swear I’ll beat you up!"

"Pfft—hahaha!"

Dugu Yan giggled endlessly, hooking her arm around Ye Lingling’s as she laughed.

"Yu Feng, if you're so curious about what a shoehorn face looks like, why not just follow along and see for yourself? Coincidentally, Lingling and I are heading into the city for some shopping. You can help carry our stuff, and we’ll treat you to a meal."

"Alright!"

Yu Feng agreed without hesitation.

Shoehorn face? Whatever that was.

Big Sis Yan and Lingling never held back when it came to food. A single meal from them could probably cover his family's expenses for a whole month.

Their leftovers were even better than the best meals his family could afford.

"Then let’s just follow behind Teacher Qin Ming for now."

Dugu Yan smiled as she pulled Ye Lingling along, heading down the mountain.

Leaning closer to Ye Lingling’s ear, she whispered with concern,

"Lingling, should we order some foods that are good for pregnancy preparation later?"

"Yan, stop talking nonsense! It’s way too soon for that!"

Ye Lingling’s cheeks flushed red beneath her veil.

"Who knows? You and His Highness didn’t take any precautions, right?"

Dugu Yan’s tone carried both envy and anticipation.

If her best friend had a baby, she could play with it too, right?

"It... it’s only been a few times..."

Ye Lingling’s earlobes turned crimson.

To be honest, by the time things progressed, she always lost all sense of direction.

She couldn’t even remember the exact number of times.

"Big Sis Yan, Lingling, wait for me!"

Yu Feng kicked Oslo aside and spread his arms, gliding swiftly toward them as if skimming the ground.

Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan promptly fell silent.

—

"Vice Captain Yu, why aren’t you chasing after her this time?"

Oslo clutched his waist, grabbing Yu Tianheng’s shoulder.

"Yanyan said she already has someone she likes. She’s been admiring the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall. She plans to confess to him during the Spirit Master Tournament, and if she fails, only then will she consider me."

Yu Tianheng withdrew his gaze, his voice laced with bitterness and unwillingness.

"Hah? That explains it!"

Oslo was first surprised but then nodded in understanding.

He had heard of that ruthless guy before—the most monstrous genius in the entire Spirit Master world.

It was no wonder Yu Tianheng had given up on competing.

Being a backup plan made sense.

"Being defeated by someone I’ve never even seen before, without even having the will to resist... It’s frustrating."

Yu Tianheng clenched his fists, letting out a deep sigh.

The reason he had come here in the first place was because of the pressure he felt from Qian Renjue.

Or rather—

The one truly feeling the pressure...

Was the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!

"Look on the bright side. At least he’s not competing this time."

Oslo consoled him, though his eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"If I ever get the chance, I’d really love to see just how strong he is."

"Of course, as long as he’s not testing his strength on me."