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At this moment, Ye Wen's expression revealed a look of sudden realization. He had wondered how a single Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng—a plant that could only be considered half an immortal herb—could allow so many supporting characters around Tang San to reach Level 40 at their age. It turned out Tang San had mixed in some other potent ingredients.
To this, Ye Wen could only remark, 'This is truly Tang San.'
Not far away, the Crown Prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Weisi, wore a smug expression. Though they had lost the match, it was due to unforeseen circumstances and their teammates' lack of performance.
Initially, Dai Weisi had worried that losing the match might affect his chances of inheriting the throne. But now, he realized that not only had Dai Mubai squandered his own cultivation potential, but further investigation revealed that his younger brother had also lost track of his fiancée!
With these two negative factors combined, how could Dai Mubai possibly compete for the throne? He might as well prepare to be deposed!
Other students who had fought against Shrek now wore complex expressions. At first, they had accepted their defeat with humility, but now it seemed that their opponents had cheated to win. Worse still, they had sacrificed their future potential for a mere competition. Such recklessness was utterly foolish.
However, some astute individuals realized that it wasn't these people being stupid—they were completely used by Tang San. From this perspective, their situation was even more tragic. They had sacrificed themselves to pave the way for Tang San.
From this moment on, Tang San's reputation across the Douluo Continent began to take a turn for the worse.
Among these astute individuals was clearly Ning Fengzhi. He felt a wave of fear and regret for having supported Tang San.
The reason for his fear was that he had fortunately transferred Ning Rongrong to Ye Wen's side beforehand, sparing his precious daughter from harm.
As for his regret, it stemmed from his investment in Tang San through Ning Yuan.
In the eyes of outsiders, this act appeared to be openly siding with Tang San and the Three Great Sects. However, Tang San turned out to be just like those incompetent rats from the discarded Hao Tian Sect—utterly useless. This meant that Ning Fengzhi, the head of the renowned Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect known for its investments, had suffered reputational damage because of Tang San.
"I should never have let Tang Hao's Super Douluo status cloud my judgment and invest in Tang San. Now, the unity of the Three Great Sects has become a laughingstock."
However, Ning Fengzhi quickly steadied his thoughts. Satisfied, he glanced toward Ye Wen. In his view, Tang San's investment failure was inconsequential. A businessman without shame or scruples couldn't make money or endure in the long run.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue had already reached her decision.
It was undeniable that, even without Tang San's immortal herbs, the original Shrek Seven Monsters possessed remarkable natural talent. Reaching Soul Douluo would have been no problem for them, and with proper guidance, breaking through to Title Douluo wouldn't have been difficult either.
But that was in the past. After using drugs to artificially boost their cultivation at the cost of their future potential, the remaining members of the Shrek Seven Monsters were essentially ruined.
Not killing them outright on the spot was already Qian Renxue's greatest mercy. To expect the Spirit Hall to treat them now? That was pure fantasy!
Thus, Qian Renxue calmly stated:
"Principal Flender, this Pope sympathizes with the plight of your Shrek students. Unfortunately, you do not belong to the Spirit Hall, so I cannot use its resources to heal outsiders."
Flender, who had once managed to swindle over forty talented individuals into joining Shrek Academy, was no fool. He immediately caught the subtext in Qian Renxue's words and hastily replied:
"Your Holiness, rest assured. If the Spirit Hall can heal these students, I will personally ensure that all of them join the Spirit Hall! These students possess excellent talent and will undoubtedly become pillars of the Spirit Hall in the future."
Among the current Shrek students, aside from the former members of Lanba Academy, only Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun remained from the original Shrek group.
Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the members of Lanba Academy were easy to persuade. Being of commoner origin, joining the Spirit Hall would be a decent opportunity for them.
But Dai Mubai was different—he was the Crown Prince of the Star Luo Empire!
Therefore, Dai Weisi immediately stepped forward, bowing respectfully and saying:
"Your Holiness, we of the Star Luo Empire may not interfere with the other Shrek students, but Dai Mubai is a member of our imperial family. Please reconsider, Your Majesty."
Qian Renxue glanced at him briefly before waving her hand dismissively:
"This Pope has her own plans. You are in no position to give me orders."
Her words instantly gave everyone present the impression of Qian Renxue's overwhelming authority. Coupled with her earlier feat of shattering the heavens with a single strike, everyone solemnly awaited her next words.
Qian Renxue then turned her gaze back to Shrek's group and calmly stated:
"Principal Flender, your proposal is commendable, but I must decline."
"Why, Your Holiness?! These children truly are exceptional!" Flender exclaimed anxiously upon hearing this.
Qian Renxue, however, remained composed. She first pointed at Qin Ming and said:
"Principal Flender, you are indeed a good teacher. Unfortunately, the education system of Shrek produces arrogant and conceited individuals who look down on others. Such people are unsuitable for the Spirit Hall.
"For instance, Qin Ming, one of your former Shrek graduates from Suotuo City. According to my investigations, despite being nurtured by the Tian Dou Imperial Family, he abandoned the Tian Dou Imperial Academy in a fit of anger. This is an act of disloyalty.
"And disloyalty is something our kind of major power despises above all else."
After Qian Renxue's words, Qin Ming's face instantly turned ashen. While criticisms from others might not matter, when Bibi Dong—the most prestigious woman in the Douluo Continent—pointed out flaws in someone, those flaws would be endlessly magnified across the continent. From this point onward, regardless of what Qin Ming attempted to do, he would face constant criticism and exclusion. In essence, he had been blacklisted within the soul master community of the Douluo Continent, leading to social death.
What about Qin Ming's outstanding talent? Wasn't he the second-fastest genius in the entire Douluo Continent to break through to Soul Emperor?
Such talk might fool commoners, but none of the true major powers cared in the slightest.
After all, setting aside Tang Hao—the top genius of the Douluo Continent for now—how could Qin Ming, a commoner soul master with limited resources, compare to the elite talents cultivated by other major powers?
Moreover, forget about Qin Ming's pitiful soul ring configuration: two yellow, three purple, and one black. Even if he somehow became a Title Douluo, he would still rank among the lowest tier, with slim prospects. Anyone who truly considered Qin Ming a gem was simply naïve.
Flender grew even more anxious. Qin Ming was the pride of his years of hard work. If Bibi Dong's assessment were to stick, both Qin Ming and Shrek would be utterly destroyed!
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