Star Luo City, Imperial Palace.
After hearing the Nether Duke's report, the Star Luo Emperor's eyes flickered slightly. His dignified face revealed no excess emotion.
"I already know about this. You don't need to intervene further. The younger generation must walk their own path. Wasn't it the same for us back then?" The Emperor's voice was calm and indifferent.
The Nether Duke bowed his head. "This minister understands. Everything shall follow Your Majesty's will."
The Emperor waved his hand. Watching as the Duke withdrew unhurriedly, the Emperor then beckoned toward the darkness.
A middle-aged man clad in tight black clothing emerged from the shadows and knelt before the throne.
"Your Majesty."
The Emperor glanced in the direction of Dai Mubai's former palace chambers before speaking faintly:
"Go once again to Shrek Academy. Although Mubai has left, he is still a son of the royal family. Do not let the imperial house lose face."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the man replied respectfully before disappearing back into the darkness.
Unknown Forest, beside a stream.
Although Oscar's cooking skills couldn't compare to Teacher Shao Xin's, his grilled fish still came out golden, fragrant, and delicious, leaving Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing eating happily with grease on their mouths.
As he ate, Oscar spoke to Zhu Zhuqing:
"This sudden escape from Star Luo City may have felt a bit rushed for you, but it was the capital—sometimes urgency leaves us no choice. From now on, if you need anything, just tell me."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded softly. "Thank you, senior. Being able to leave that place alive is already more than I could have hoped for."
Clearly, she had long harbored the thought of escaping the imperial capital. Now that Mubai had returned to take her away, it was the greatest surprise of her life.
Dai Mubai gently patted her small hand.
"Zhuqing, from this day on, I won't ever let you face things alone. No matter what difficulties lie ahead, I will stand in front of you without hesitation."
Hearing those words and seeing the sincerity on his handsome face, Zhu Zhuqing's heart was deeply moved.
She turned her hand over to grip his tightly.
"Mm. No matter what dangers await, I'll face them together with you."
Watching the two suddenly become so affectionate, Oscar's expression twitched.
"Cough, cough… You two may be lovers, but there are still two other people here. Save the deep gazes for when you're alone."
At that, Zhao Wuji laughed heartily—it didn't bother a fifty-year-old like him.
But Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing instantly let go of each other's hands, their faces flushing red as they lowered their heads and gnawed at their grilled fish.
Oscar smiled faintly at the sight. Young people still have such thin skin… If it were me and Dugu Yan, we'd probably kiss right in front of everyone just to prove the point.
Since the Star Luo Emperor had already given his word, no further pursuers came after Zhao Wuji's group. Half a month later, Zhao Wuji successfully led Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing back to Shrek Academy.
But five days earlier, while the main teachers were absent, the academy had already been visited. At the time, Lu Qibin and Li Yusong were the ones to receive the guest.
The visitor was a Contra from the Star Luo Empire. He directly stated his purpose, donated a sum of funds to the academy, explained a few matters regarding Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, and then departed swiftly.
In his hands, Lu Qibin held a gold soul coin card worth 100,000. He sighed helplessly—Shrek no longer truly lacked money, not with Shao Xin being a natural money-maker. But since the other side had gone out of their way to support them, Dean Flender would certainly not refuse.
After all, their investment in Dai Mubai had been significant already—just the whale gelatin alone was priceless.
When Zhao Wuji heard of this after returning, he also developed a deeper respect for the power behind Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. Cruel as the struggle for succession sounded, the elders had at least given the younger generation their own chance to fight for destiny.
Back at the academy, Dai Mubai introduced Zhu Zhuqing to Dugu Yan and Ma Hongjun.
Though Zhu Zhuqing carried an air of aloof elegance, when she saw Dugu Yan, her expression softened. After all, Shrek had very few female students—everyone else was male. Having another girl around brought her great comfort.
When she learned that Dugu Yan was Oscar's girlfriend and also highly talented, Zhu Zhuqing grew even more motivated. Facing pressure few outsiders could imagine, she needed that inspiration.
Dugu Yan, having already heard Dai Mubai's story, treated Zhu Zhuqing warmly. The two even moved into the same room together.
For Dugu Yan—who had few friends before meeting Oscar—this new companionship delighted her. Zhu Zhuqing, though shy, agreed as well; having another girl meant mutual support.
This arrangement, however, left Oscar and Dai Mubai a little frustrated. With their girlfriends living together, finding alone time became far trickier.
After the Zhu Zhuqing affair, Oscar returned fully to his original rigorous training state. He guided everyone in cultivation and learning.
Seeing his disciplined schedule and relentless work ethic, Zhu Zhuqing finally understood why Dai Mubai respected him so deeply. She, too, threw herself into training with renewed determination.
Oscar, recognizing the extraordinary compatibility between Dai Mubai's and Zhu Zhuqing's spirits, deliberately focused on helping them cultivate their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Though he himself had no such fusion skill, it was no secret in the soul master world. Having studied plenty of texts, Oscar had more than enough knowledge to guide them, and his modern mindset as a transmigrator gave him even more advanced insights than the so-called "Grandmaster."
At this time, Zhu Zhuqing was level 22. Her first two soul skills were the support-type Nether Thrust and attack-type Nether Hundred Claws. As an agility-attack type, her speed was outstanding, though her raw offensive power lagged behind power-attack types.
Oscar often reflected on how awkward agility-types were in tournament settings: unmatched on real battlefields—where stealth and assassination shine—but disadvantaged in confined arenas where hiding was impossible.
Still, with her fusion skill with Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing's weaknesses would eventually be offset.
Two months later, Oscar's soul power reached level 39, only one step from breaking into the Soul Ancestor realm. At his pace, he expected to advance within four months.
Dugu Yan and Ma Hongjun reached level 37, Dai Mubai 33, and Zhu Zhuqing 23—exactly ten levels apart.
Now, with about a year and a half left until Tang San's group arrived, they still had plenty of time to grow.
Meanwhile, Flender had also acquired his eighth soul ring, successfully becoming the second Contra of Shrek Academy.
His face was all smiles upon returning—stepping into the Contra realm meant officially entering the top tier of the continent. While Title Douluo stood at the very summit, their numbers were far too few. Contra-level powerhouses were the true pillars of the current age.
When Flender returned, the first thing he did was test Oscar—but he knew Oscar wouldn't disappoint. Even without strict supervision, Oscar constantly pushed himself forward.
With Zhu Zhuqing's addition, Shrek Academy grew more lively. Though the number of students still fell short of the number of teachers, it was at least a promising start.
Flender was especially delighted to learn that Star Luo had even sent over 100,000 gold soul coins. To break through to Contra and then immediately receive funding—it was double happiness. His tiny soul master shop could never earn that much in a lifetime.
Oscar occasionally browsed the shop himself, hoping to stumble upon treasures like Tang San's Dragon Beard Needle from the original story. But his luck never yielded anything comparable. Perhaps his interference with events had already changed the academy's economic situation.
After Flender's breakthrough, Zhao Wuji doubled down on training as well—he refused to lag.
Months passed, and through rigorous cultivation, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing finally succeeded in unleashing their Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Nether White Tiger.
Even as only a level-33 Soul Elder and a level-23 Grandmaster, their combined power could reach Soul Ancestor levels.
Now, if Dai Mubai fought Oscar using the Nether White Tiger, he would no longer be instantly flattened. At the very least, he could endure for a few minutes.
But even so, their newly formed fusion technique had many flaws, and Zhu Zhuqing's low cultivation limited its strength. They both understood that true power would only emerge at level 70 with the awakening of Martial Soul True Body.
At that stage, two Soul Sages could unleash a Nether White Tiger equal to a Title Douluo—and at the Title Douluo stage, they might even rival Super Douluo.
This overwhelming potential explained the iron-blooded character of the Star Luo Empire. With such a heritage, they could enforce their rule. If not for the existence of Spirit Hall standing between them and Heaven Dou, the Star Luo Empire could have already destroyed its rival.