"Who is she!!!"
The two shouted in unison.
Their sharp voices echoed through the room.
When Xu Cheng turned his head again, Elder Kong's tall figure had already disappeared without a trace, making Xu Cheng involuntarily twitch the corner of his mouth.
He had asked Wang Dong'er to follow Elder Kong to study soul devices, but hadn't expected that she would return without a word — and that the two would bump into each other like this.
Wait, no! Why should he be afraid?
Thinking of this, Xu Cheng raised an eyebrow and looked at Wang Dong'er, who was puffing her cheeks angrily, and at Wang Qiu'er, who stood with her arms crossed, an indifferent look on her face. The latter even pressed her arms together a bit more, making her already full figure even more pronounced — seemingly as a deliberate provocation.
Just like in the original story, these two were destined to be bickering rivals — they could never meet peacefully.
"You two, what do you want from me?" Xu Cheng decided to go on the offensive first.
"Master!" Wang Qiu'er choked slightly, clearly not expecting Xu Cheng to feign ignorance. The girl stomped her foot angrily and said.
"You are... Wang Dong?" Xu Cheng glanced at the teenager and feigned surprise.
"Yes, but more accurately, it's Wang Dong'er." Wang Dong'er quickly calmed down, a blush flashing across her pretty face. This was the first time she had revealed her true appearance. It was Elder Kong who had pointed out her real gender in one sentence, because after all, the Radiant Butterfly Goddess was a female martial soul — not exactly something that could be easily hidden.
So she simply decided not to pretend anymore and had happily followed Elder Kong to meet Xu Cheng.
Only to be completely dumbfounded upon arrival.
Sitting in Xu Cheng's office was a tall, curvy beauty, also with long blue hair and blue eyes. Although their features were different, the newcomer was clearly more stunning — after all, a few years older, her beauty had fully bloomed. She was casually eating sunflower seeds and drinking tea from a cup Xu Cheng had used.
If it had been any other girl, Wang Dong'er wouldn't have felt so defeated.
After all, she had her own strengths.
But facing this one...
"Let me introduce — this is Wang Qiu'er." Xu Cheng stroked his chin. "If I'm not wrong, you two are essentially... 'biological' sisters without blood ties."
Although the Silver Dragon King had crushed the 'soul fragment,' it had been in the Divine Beast's body for a long time, especially hidden deep in the soul using divine means. A small amount had inevitably fused. The Silver Dragon King knew this — that's why she had been so furious when extracting the fragment.
Xu Cheng had been puzzled at first: why did the Divine Beast still look like Wang Qiu'er after the fragment was removed?
But recently, while checking her physical condition, he noticed something unusual.
When the soul fragment was placed inside her, the Divine Beast was already "tainted." After all, in Tang San's grand thousand-year plan, the Divine Beast's role was to seduce the Son of Destiny — to fill the gap in Tang Wutong's absence during the time at Clear Sky Sect — and eventually sacrifice herself, completing the final piece needed to rebuild the "Daughter of the God King."
From the beginning, the Divine Beast had been deeply bound to the "Daughter of the God King" (through a fragment of soul), but she was still merely a container — destined to be discarded after her last bit of value was squeezed out.
To be honest, even now, Xu Cheng still suspected that Xiao Qi might actually be Tang Wutong...
After all, Tang San was the true Master of Patchworks — by now, even he himself probably couldn't clearly explain it.
"You mean... we share the same origin?" Wang Dong'er's beautiful eyes widened.
Though she was furious, she couldn't deny sensing a strange feeling of familiarity from Wang Qiu'er — as if they were twin sisters.
"That's right," Xu Cheng said, resting his chin on his hand, studying the two of them.
Both were soul fragments — one with a larger portion, one smaller.
Yet both had vivid and independent personalities.
If you tried to fuse them together... the host's system would definitely crash.
"So, the root of all this is... that god Tang San?" Wang Qiu'er, usually bold and carefree, now had a grave expression.
"Everything was orchestrated by him. As for the exact goal... I don't know," Xu Cheng shrugged.
It wasn't the right time to reveal everything yet.
Though he'd love to see a dramatic "Father-Daughter Love and Betrayal" scenario, it would be too heavy a psychological burden for these two — it might even hinder their future cultivation.
Was the God King truly a loving husband and father? Unlikely.
Even Tang Wutong might have only been another one of his tools...
"So in short... you two are comrades in misfortune," Xu Cheng leaned back tactically.
"If I get the chance, I will kill him," a flash of coldness crossed Wang Qiu'er's eyes.
The battle will of the Golden Dragon burned brightly.
Wang Dong'er glanced sideways at Wang Qiu'er, her gaze complicated. From initial hostility to now, her attitude had already softened — an inexplicable sense of intimacy and reliance had sprouted, though she couldn't lower her pride to admit it.
"Hmph, I'll kill him before you do!" she said, unwilling to be outdone.
"Enough talk, I'm going to train," Wang Qiu'er said coolly. As if finding new motivation, she shot a glance at Wang Dong'er, then strode toward the arena with her long legs.
"Want to go watch?" Xu Cheng grinned as the beautiful figure disappeared into the distance.
"Who wants to watch her train..." Wang Dong'er pouted.
...
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion shook the air.
Wang Qiu'er stood proudly, holding her Golden Dragon Spear.
Behind her, a massive crater had formed — and within it lay a Shrek Academy exchange student, completely immobilized.
A peak Soul Emperor, just one step away from breaking through to Soul Sage, had been utterly crushed by Wang Qiu'er — without even a chance to resist. The entire arena erupted.
Countless Sun Moon Empire students cheered Wang Qiu'er's name.
Strong, beautiful, terrifying — and most importantly, one of their own. Wang Qiu'er had already built a huge fan base in Mingde Hall, becoming one of the most popular figures there.
"So strong? What a female tyrannosaurus..." Xu Sanshi shrank his neck in fear.
The Shrek exchange students often challenged Mingde Hall students in the arena, using provocations to spark duels.
Because top students like Xu Cheng, Nana, Meng Hongchen were always busy, and others like Ma Rulong and Ji Juechen had gone to Shrek Academy on exchange, these inner court students — the best of Shrek's younger generation — had the upper hand.
The dueling scene was much like Ji Juechen's situation at Shrek: the locals fought indignantly, only to be beaten brutally, which further fueled their frustration.
Thus, today, seeing one of these seemingly "invincible" students crushed so thoroughly, the Sun Moon students' pent-up frustration finally erupted in wild cheers.
Xu Cheng smacked his lips, watching Wang Qiu'er standing proudly on stage, provocatively beckoning at the Shrek students to come at her.
He couldn't help but sigh lightly:
"No hard work and sweat at all — it's all damn stats!"
With her Golden Dragon Martial Soul, even sleeping would make her stronger — strength, speed, critical hits, all maxed out by default. Top-tier resistance to both physical and magical damage too.
A true six-sided warrior. How was anyone supposed to fight that?
Looking at the Shrek students, who were now doubting their entire existence, Xu Cheng shook his head slightly.
He always felt that in the original story, Wang Qiu'er's strength had been mysteriously suppressed a lot...
Wang Dong'er, standing off to the side, remained silent.She quietly watched Wang Qiu'er showcasing her might on stage, her delicate face turning a little pale.
Poor girl, she's scared stiff.
Xu Cheng shook his head helplessly.
However, thinking of how, in the original story, the grown-up Wang Dong'er, relying on her two top-tier martial souls, also shone brilliantly on the battlefield, he gently patted the young girl's head and comforted her:"Don't worry. In four or five years, during the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament in Mingdu, you too will show your brilliance. Don't underestimate yourself — you're not inferior to anyone."
"Mm!" Wang Dong'er took a deep breath.
"Ahem, Teacher, I didn't expect to find you here." Ning Tian squeezed her way through the crowd, gracefully standing beside them, and greeted them with a cheerful smile.
"It's Ning Tian, huh..." Xu Cheng smiled.
Since the agreement between Mingdetang and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was reached last time, the first batch of goods had been delivered within half a month. While the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was shocked by Mingdetang's terrifying efficiency, they also quickly signed a series of long-term cooperation agreements.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was swimming in wealth — they had everything except ways to spend their money. Now that they had found a channel to boost their overall strength, they naturally wouldn't let it slip away easily. Especially since they had already placed their bet by relocating their entire clan, which was a clear sign of their sincerity.
Speaking of which…
Xu Cheng hesitated a little.
He studied Ning Tian.
In the original story, she was a supporting character with a noticeable presence. Among the countless geniuses at Shrek Academy, her strength was top-tier. To reach the Soul Elder realm at thirteen years old, especially with a top-tier "support" martial soul (which made cultivation inherently harder), Xu Cheng felt that she was not one bit inferior to Ning Rongrong of the past.
It was purely because the main character group later became so overwhelmingly strong that this girl's existence was overshadowed.
Back then, even though Ning Rongrong became a god partly thanks to Oscar's help, her own talent was undeniable.
Maybe I should give her a hand?This little girl, though shrewd, was simply a product of her large clan's environment — her character itself was fine.
Besides, it would cost him nothing, and it would allow him to further deepen ties with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan…
"Xiaotian, what's your current level?" Xu Cheng suddenly asked.
"Ah, I'm at level 34 right now. I should be able to break through to level 35 next month," Ning Tian replied truthfully, though a bit puzzled.
"Level 35 at thirteen?" Xu Cheng nodded thoughtfully.
In the original story, when she had just entered Shrek Academy — around twelve years old — she had already reached Soul Elder rank. Her talent was undoubtedly outstanding.
But perhaps to limit the main character group (and prevent them from having too much power), only two of them ultimately ascended to godhood, with the others staying behind. Ning Tian, being a side character, had even less chance.
Otherwise, with her talent, as long as she could break through the constraints of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, she definitely had the potential to become a god…
"I can offer you a chance. Are you interested?" Xu Cheng said with a smile.
"You mean…" Ning Tian was both delighted and cautious.
Anything Xu Cheng offered wouldn't be something trivial. But she also feared that whatever price came with it might be more than she — or even the entire Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan — could afford.
"You're aware of how your clan once ascended to godhood, right?"
"Of course. It was by consuming a celestial herb, allowing the martial soul to evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. But because no bloodline was left behind, that glory became just a fleeting moment," Ning Tian said bitterly.
She hadn't dared even imagine anything in that direction.
After all, the celestial herbs were as mysterious as the gods themselves!If there had been even the slightest lead, the ancestors of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would have found it ages ago.
Other ways to evolve the martial soul were even more remote — otherwise, in tens of thousands of years, there wouldn't have been just a single success story.
"Would you be willing to try it?" Xu Cheng asked via voice transmission.
Ning Tian was stunned for a moment, then her beautiful eyes widened sharply.
She looked at Xu Cheng, her throat bobbing nervously.
The temptation was simply too great — so great that no matter the cost, no matter what she had to sacrifice, she would accept it without hesitation. The clan would absolutely support her too.
"You mean…"
"Just answer yes or no," Xu Cheng said lightly. "Of course, I'm only giving you a chance, not guaranteeing you'll succeed."
"Even if it were a one-in-a-thousand, or one-in-a-million chance, even if it meant my own destruction, Ning Tian would still be willing! For the family, for the eternal prosperity of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan — my death would be worthwhile!" The girl's expression was firm, her voice not loud, but extremely weighty.
"Good. I'll give you three days to prepare — get yourself into the best possible state. Also, go back and discuss it with your clan elders. This road is destined to be dangerous. Once chosen, there's no turning back. I'll send you the location after three days." Xu Cheng nodded slightly.
He was intentionally exaggerating the danger to test her resolve.
After all, anything gained without difficulty tends to feel cheap…
"Yes!"
Ning Tian's determined expression did not fade.
Xu Cheng admired her. Compared to Ning Rongrong, this little girl was leagues ahead.
Her willpower was exceptionally strong, she had no trace of a spoiled princess' airs, and every decision she made was for the sake of her clan's rise — even at the cost of her own life.
If it were Ning Rongrong in her place, she would probably have been frantically waving her hands, refusing outright...
As they talked,Xu Cheng turned his gaze back toward the stage.
After the Soul Emperor from Shrek Academy was defeated, a Soul Sage had stepped up. Relying on his Martial Soul True Body, he managed to battle Wang Qiu'er to a draw, and the match finally concluded.
As for Shrek's Inner Court disciples like Zhang Lexuan — they were team leaders and wouldn't personally appear on stage.
However, something else caught Xu Cheng's attention.
In the crowd, he spotted a familiar figure.
Half of this person's body was covered in metal, and even his fingers were sharply angular like metal blades — not gloves, but actual metal body parts. Holding a long sword, he was arguing fiercely with a group of Shrek students.
The reason for the quarrel was clear at a glance.
Chen Zifeng, a former Shrek student, was now appearing as a member of the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Academy.
Was it the loss of morality, or the corruption of human nature?In any case, the Shrek students were all verbally condemning him, filled with anger.
Chen Zifeng only sneered in response and pulled out his trump card — Xuanzi's backing — instantly silencing the Shrek students.
Some looked regretful, some looked furious, some simply looked helpless.
But the atmosphere grew quiet.
At some point, Ma Xiaotao, cloaked in black robes, also appeared at the edge of the arena. She exchanged a glance with Xu Cheng — a silent greeting — before quietly sipping a drink, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched everything unfold.
"There's no going back now..."
Chen Zifeng glanced complicatedly at his former Inner Court comrades.
"Next time we meet, we'll be enemies."