Chapter 43: Attempt
Yu Xiaogang left quickly, and Shi Yi didn't rush to share the news with the two.
It wasn't until lunchtime, when the two paused their training, that Shi Yi slowly shared the news.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shi Yi in confusion and asked, "Don't you think team spirit fighting isn't very effective?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Yi pulled the stack of materials Yu Xiaogang had given him from his spirit guide and casually handed them over.
"Well, it's not like there's no benefit at all. If it's a rubbish team, there's no point in going. But such an opponent is still worth a try. After all, despite being older than you, they're also top-tier talents. If you can defeat them, it will boost your confidence. You'll be more motivated to complete the rest of your training, and it'll be a boost to your training."
"Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus..." Zhu Zhuqing muttered in surprise, looking at Yu Tianheng's information.
"This team is indeed quite good. All of them are Soul Masters. Aren't you afraid of destroying their confidence?" Zhao Wuji smiled.
"Is the person Zhuqing is facing a perfect match for this team? I feel like this team is tailor-made for Zhuqing. They're also the academy's ace team, and they have a Ghost Leopard Spirit Master of similar character, who happens to be older. If he had a spirit fusion technique with simulated properties, it would be even stronger. For her, this is just a test run, a chance to test the waters with Dai Mubai. If they can't even get past this, how can they expect to defeat the Xingluo Royal Academy?" Shi Yi chuckled.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's expression instantly grew serious as she looked at the information in her hand.
"Or maybe I shouldn't go. You can go with Zhuqing," Ning Rongrong said, her eyes twinkling.
After a month of spending time together, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had become close, and Ning Rongrong had long been impressed by the spirit Zhu Zhuqing exuded during training.
People often seek what they lack the most. Friends, willpower, and focus—these were all things Ning Rongrong lacked, and Zhu Zhuqing perfectly embodied them. This was also the reason for the drastic change in Ning Rongrong's training attitude.
Shi Yi smiled faintly. He naturally understood Ning Rongrong's intention. Ning Rongrong's refusal to participate in the team spirit battle was clearly intended to allow him to step up and help Zhu Zhuqing achieve victory.
"When Zhuqing faces those problems in the future, even you, the eldest daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, may not be able to help her. As an ordinary spirit master, I can't intervene. I can help temporarily, not forever," Shi Yi said calmly.
"But..." Ning Rongrong looked at Shi Yi, unsure what to say.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ning Rongrong and whispered, "Rongrong, he's right. If there really was another way, I wouldn't have come to Shrek in the first place."
"Let her try. Maybe with you as the eldest daughter, Zhuqing will win. If Zhuqing can't solve those problems in the future, you, the eldest daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, can just act like a spoiled child to your two grandfathers. Your grandfather, Bone Douluo, is known as the most secretive of the Titled Douluo. It's easy for him to save someone without anyone noticing," Shi Yi chuckled.
"Yeah, why didn't I think of that?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up when she heard that. Shi Yi was right. As long as she wanted to, saving Zhu Zhuqing would be just like acting like a spoiled child to her grandfather.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ning Rongrong with a complicated expression. Indeed, after hearing Shi Yi's words, she couldn't help but feel at ease. This matter concerned her life and destiny. In the eyes of some people, it was sometimes so simple. But if she really chose to do this, then what was the point of her own efforts?
When Zhu Zhuqing was about to decline, Shi Yi smiled and said to Zhu Zhuqing at the look on her face that wasn't right, "Do you feel a big gap in your heart? I thought so when Rongrong offered me two hundred thousand gold soul coins to buy a few words from me, but this is the reality.
Don't be happy too soon. Even if Rongrong can get someone to rescue you, you still need your own efforts to gain true freedom. A living person has disappeared, and it's a Netherworld Spirit Cat.
Xingluo will track him down to the end. You should know that every family values their own martial spirit. No family will allow their martial spirit to flow out. The stronger you become, the more determined they will be to hunt you down, until you are so strong that they can't afford the price."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shi Yi, and recalled the hunt when he first came to Tiandou. He regained his cold expression and said lightly, "I know this better than you."
"What are you afraid of? At worst, let Zhuqing join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect." Ning Rongrong said simply.
Shi Yi smiled and said, "You think too simply. If Zhu Qing joins the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, it will be a real big trouble. First of all, Xing Luo will think that the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect intends to use its power to control Xing Luo. It is too easy to support another White Tiger as a puppet with the power of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.
Secondly, Tian Dou, a close partner of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, will think that the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect is colluding with Xing Luo, and thus alienate or even guard against the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.
Even if you are the eldest daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect and the future Sect Master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, the best you can do is to save Zhu Qinghou will temporarily provide Zhu Qing with a safe training environment so she can continue her efforts.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded at this. Raised amidst the intrigues of her childhood, she was far more mature than Ning Rongrong. She looked at Ning Rongrong with gratitude in her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Rongrong, but I still hope to change this myself."
Ning Rongrong, upon hearing this, nodded earnestly at Zhu Zhuqing. She now understood her determination, but as a friend, she would still do her best to help Zhu Zhuqing in this crucial moment.
Shi Yi chuckled at Ning Rongrong and said, "If your teacher is in danger in the future, remember to come and help."
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes at Shi Yi and said, "Get out of the way! What danger can a lousy teacher like you face?"
Shi Yi smiled and said, "Who knows? A talent like me is always in high demand. What if someone wants to destroy me if they can't get me?"
"Bah!" Ning Rongrong spat, wanting to retort, but after thinking it over, it seemed quite true, and she couldn't find any reason to refute.
Shi Yi is very talented. It is only a matter of time before he cultivates to the level of a Titled Douluo. His martial soul is even more special. If we simply equate a Titled Douluo with a 100,000-year-old soul beast, then the future Xiao Yi will obviously be able to unleash the combat power of a 100,000-year-old soul beast. In addition, he has rich theoretical knowledge, his teaching is also passable, and his cooking is so delicious. Besides being a money-grubber and nagging, some people...
Ning Rongrong thought about this and shook her head, thinking to herself: "Ning Rongrong, Ning Rongrong, you are the eldest daughter of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the first genius of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in a hundred years. What are you thinking?"
"Do you think what I said is right?" Shi Yi looked at Ning Rongrong, and when Ning Rongrong saw that she was at a loss for words for a long time, he chuckled and said.
"Get lost! What are you right about?" Ning Rongrong glared at Shi Yi.
Seeing this, Shi Yi smiled and stopped teasing Ning Rongrong. He said to the two, "Then let's go after dinner. You can have a good rest this afternoon. Usually, these team spirit battles start in the evening."
A hint of anticipation flashed in the eyes of the two.
"Are you really not going to participate?" Ning Rongrong looked at Shi Yi in confusion.
"Do I really need to participate? Xiao Yi's physique, with its massive tonnage, can unleash power several times greater than mine. Even a typical thousand-year-old soul beast can only boast that much power. Wouldn't it be bullying for me to go to the Soul Fighting Arena? What's the point of just slapping Xiao Yi? Besides, with a rich woman like you, why would I bother making money? I can just collect your tuition," Shi Yi said nonchalantly.
"..." Ning Rongrong glared at Shi Yi, but she couldn't do anything about him.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shi Yi after hearing this. She understood Xiao Yi's strength, but what she was more curious about was Shi Yi's personal abilities. She had always followed Shi Yi's training, but she could never see his personal limits.
With this in mind, Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Zhao Wuji, who was standing nearby, and pointed at Shi Yi, asking, "Teacher Zhao, what do you think his current level is?"
Zhao Wuji, reclining in his rocking chair after dinner, slowly opened his eyes and said, "This kid? With his spirit, that turtle you encountered back in the Star Dou Great Forest shouldn't be his match now."
Ning Rongrong, upon hearing this, couldn't help but look surprised, curling her lips in disbelief. "Is it really that exaggerated?"
"This kid is a classic Extreme Stream player. You know, single-attribute, four-lineage, right? This kid is no different from that old ape. Combined with the uniqueness of his spirit, he shouldn't have any trouble taking on that turtle two-on-one. After all, he's just a defensive spirit master, not very powerful. Speaking of which, I once beat up that old ape's brother, and he's been hounded by him ever since." Zhao Wuji couldn't help but grumble, looking at Shi Yi.
Remembering the almost shameless defense of the Power Clan in the original novel, Shi Yi secretly gave Zhao Wuji a thumbs-up.
After dinner, Shi Yi found a villager to pack up, and the three of them set off with Zhao Wuji.
Soon, Zhao Wuji led them to a hotel near the Soto Grand Fighting Arena, where Shi Yi saw the others he hadn't seen for a long time.
"Long time no see, Xiao San," Shi Yi chuckled.
Tang San nodded and said, "Long time no see, Senior Brother."
Ning Rongrong couldn't help but roll her eyes at Shi Yi as she watched the two exchange greetings. After all those days of training together, she'd learned that Shi Yi, the Senior Brother, wasn't particularly fond of her Junior Brother.
But what puzzled Ning Rongrong was why Shi Yi maintained this superficially harmonious relationship.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't dwell on this. From her understanding of Shi Yi during their training, she felt that everything he did had a deeper purpose.
"Little Oscar," Shi Yi even said hello to Oscar. As for the others, he didn't even seem to bother to spare a glance.
Oscar saw a flicker of envy in Shi Yi's eyes, and nodded slightly, "Xiao Yi."
Xiao Wu looked at Shi Yi but said nothing. She had a strange feeling. From the first time she met him, Shi Yi had always given her an extremely unpleasant impression. She felt as if Shi Yi's gaze always held a hint of something else. For a moment, she even thought Shi Yi knew her true identity, but that was unlikely.
At this moment, a figure slowly approached Zhu Zhuqing and softly said, "Zhuqing, you're here."
Dai Mubai's tone was gentle, seemingly free of his usual impatience. His clean, well-dressed attire exuded the fragrance of oranges, evidently a sign of meticulous preparation.
Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained stoic. She stared at Dai Mubai expressionlessly, saying nothing. She simply sat down casually with Ning Rongrong not far away.
Dai Mubai clenched his fist beneath his sleeve, then slowly unclenched it.
Yu Xiaogang, the team leader, sighed inwardly. He could clearly sense the shift in the atmosphere. Shi Yi's arrival seemed to have taken a subtle turn for the better.
Everyone sat in the same room, each with their own thoughts. Seeing no one spoke, Shi Yi yawned and said to Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, I'm full and a little sleepy. You can discuss the tactics with them. I'll get a room and get some sleep. Just call me when it's time."
Yu Xiaogang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. Shi Yi then slowly left.
As night fell, the Soto Grand Soul Fighting Arena, located in the bustling heart of Soto City, was once again ablaze with lights. Spectators arrived from all directions to watch the soul fighting. From time to time, luxurious carriages, escorted by escorts, could be seen entering the arena through the VIP entrance.
These were all members of the nobility or powerful families. The soul fighting that caught their eye naturally had to be held in the center of the Soto Grand Soul Fighting Arena. As Shi Yi had said, team soul fighting was merely entertainment for the nobles.
It was the end of the month, and it was also the weekend, making the Soto Grand Soul Fighting Arena a prime spot for the Soto people to relax. Not only can you watch exciting spirit fighting competitions here, but you can also try your luck with a small bet and follow your favorite spirit master's competition.
After Yu Xiaogang finished arranging registration and other matters, Shi Yi joined Yu Xiaogang in the VIP room, along with the Shrek teachers, to watch the competition.
"Hey, teachers, long time no see," Shi Yi said, smiling and greeting the Shrek teachers.
The Shrek teachers all nodded in response.
Flanders, looking at Yu Xiaogang with a worried look on his face, said, "Xiaogang, they haven't even practiced team spirit fighting before, and putting them up against such an opponent right out of the gate. Losing isn't a big deal, but I'm afraid it'll dampen their spirits."
Yu Xiaogang said calmly, "If you want to win, just send Xiaoyi out. Winning isn't the goal; what you learn is what matters. If you retreat in the face of difficulties, you'll never become a truly powerful warrior."
"Who am I doing this to? I won't do something so offensive," Shi Yi said, rolling his eyes at Yu Xiaogang.
Zhao Wuji, standing by, fanned the flames, gloating, "Hasn't your reputation offended enough? I've seen you peek at training quite a bit, and you're not allowed to join in?"
"That's peeking? I'm just observing their progress as a teacher," Shi Yi said righteously.
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened, and he coughed awkwardly, saying calmly, "Just watch the game."
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(End of Chapter)