NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Reunion with Former Teammates
Chapter 110: Reunion with Former Teammates
"Third Brother, look! Isn't that Su Mo and Rongrong?"
"What are they doing up there?"
As Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were discussing the Shrek Team, Ma Hongjun, glancing around, suddenly spotted them sitting in the observation platform above. He shouted in surprise.
Although Su Mo and Ning Rongrong weren't prominently displayed on the central screen like Emperor Xue Ye and the other VIPs, anyone looking up could see their figures clearly on the observation platform.
Hearing Ma Hongjun's exclamation, Dai Mubai, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others also looked up, spotting Su Mo and Ning Rongrong.
When they realized that Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were sitting on the high observation platform, they were all taken aback.
"How did Rongrong and Su Mo get up there? Does that mean they aren't participating in the Soul Master Tournament this time?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, frowning.
Although Ning Rongrong had left the Shrek Team, Zhu Zhuqing didn't want to see her miss such a grand event.
The fact that Su Mo and Ning Rongrong were seated as spectators rather than competitors suggested they weren't participating in the tournament.
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's remark, Tang San and Ma Hongjun also realized this possibility, their hearts filled with questions.
"Could Su Mo and Rongrong really not be competing this time?" Ma Hongjun exclaimed.
"It's possible," Dai Mubai said with a smirk, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "Su Mo probably hasn't even reached level 30 yet. Without being a Soul Elder, he wouldn't qualify to participate. If Su Mo isn't competing, naturally Rongrong wouldn't either."
Dai Mubai had disliked Su Mo from the moment he joined Shrek Academy. When Su Mo later left the academy and took Ning Rongrong with him, Dai Mubai's resentment only deepened. Seeing Su Mo unable to compete now, he couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude.
"They must be Su Mo and Ning Rongrong, the ones you mentioned. As expected, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's little princess is impressive—she's even sitting next to the Crown Prince to watch the matches!"
"That Su Mo is lucky to have caught the attention of the sect's little princess!"
"Well, he is rather handsome and cheerful, isn't he?"
"…"
Apart from Dai Mubai, the four new Shrek Team members also noticed Su Mo and Ning Rongrong, their curiosity piqued.
These four, originally standout students from Blue Tyrant Academy, were later absorbed into the Shrek Team after the academy was rebranded.
They were Huang Yuan and Tai Long (both strong attack-type), Jing Ling (agility-type), and Jiang Zhu (healing support-type). All four were above level 35 and considerably strong, although slightly older than Tang San and the others. Compared to typical team members from other academies, however, they were about the same age.
"Let's not worry about them for now. We should head inside!"
"We can talk to them after the match!" Tang San suggested.
Tang San was indeed curious about Su Mo. He wanted to know if Su Mo truly mastered the secret of infusing soul tools with martial souls.
Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer had degraded in quality because of his own experiment. While he couldn't blame Su Mo, he suspected that Su Mo might have withheld crucial knowledge.
"Right, let's ask them later!" Ma Hongjun agreed enthusiastically.
"Sure, let's meet them after the match!" Dai Mubai chimed in with a smile, eager to see Su Mo's current state. He couldn't wait to witness Su Mo's supposed embarrassment at being unable to compete in the tournament.
Meanwhile, on the observation platform, Qian Renxue received the Shrek Team's information from her subordinate.
"Captain Dai Mubai, 17 years old, martial soul White Tiger, level 42 Battle Soul Master."
"Zhu Zhuqing, 14 years old, martial soul Ghost Civet, level 34 Battle Soul Master."
"White Tiger martial soul, surname Dai... Star Luo Empire's royal family and the Zhu Clan? Why are they in our Heaven Dou Empire?"
Qian Renxue quickly deduced Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's identities. However, even after identifying them as members of the Star Luo Empire, she decided not to act.
Although the two empires had their disputes, they were not at war. Acting rashly could provoke conflict between the two nations, something unfit for a crown prince to initiate.
Moreover, Qian Renxue was focused on her plan to usurp the throne, and stirring up a war would be counterproductive. Without Spirit Hall's interference, Heaven Dou Empire wasn't a match for Star Luo Empire.
Thus, Qian Renxue set aside her surprise and continued reviewing the team's information.
"Tang San, 14 years old, martial soul Blue Silver Grass, level 41 Battle Soul Master."
"This is unbelievable. Another prodigy on par with Su Mo and Junior Sister Rongrong…"
"And his martial soul is Blue Silver Grass? No wonder Shrek Academy dared to call itself a school for monsters. This Tang San is truly a monstrous genius…"
Qian Renxue was genuinely astonished after reading Tang San's details.
"Tang San is already a Soul Elder? That's amazing!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
Su Mo and Ning Rongrong had progressed rapidly thanks to their rare opportunities, but Tang San's achievements came entirely from his own cultivation.
"Tang San has innate full soul power, so it's not surprising he's improved so quickly," Su Mo commented, nodding in acknowledgment.
Su Mo wasn't particularly surprised by Tang San's progress. In the original story, Xiao Wu had reached level 40 shortly after the Soul Master Tournament began. Tang San, who had always been slightly faster than Xiao Wu, reaching the Soul Ancestor level at this time was perfectly logical.
In the original story, Tang San spent a lot of time crafting poisons after being captured by Dugu Bo, leaving little room for focused cultivation. However, with that incident avoided in this timeline and Xiao Wu's departure motivating him to train harder, his breakthrough felt natural.
"Ma Hongjun, 14 years old, martial soul Evil Fire Phoenix, level 36 Battle Soul Master."
"Oscar, 16 years old, martial soul Sausage, level 36 Food-Type Soul Master."
"These original Shrek Team members are indeed talented—a group of genuine prodigies," Qian Renxue remarked. "But this tournament is still too early for them. The next tournament will be their stage."
"Of course, no matter how strong they are, they're no match for you, Brother Su Mo, and Junior Sister Ning Rongrong."
"The next Soul Master Tournament will belong to you two!"
Qian Renxue continued reading the Shrek Team's information. While the academy had recruited some impressive geniuses, only Tang San truly caught her attention.
However, she didn't take Tang San seriously. As a commoner with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul, his cultivation speed, while remarkable, wasn't enough to pose a threat. Her focus remained on Su Mo and Ning Rongrong, whom she deemed worthy of nurturing.
Both Su Mo and Ning Rongrong now knew Tang San's current soul power level.
Ning Rongrong still found her former teammates impressive, especially Tang San.
Su Mo, however, felt that apart from Tang San, the others were merely ordinary geniuses—not as awe-inspiring as in the original story, where most of them had already reached the Soul Ancestor level.
"This isn't entirely my fault. I just returned them to what they were supposed to be," Su Mo thought, though a tinge of guilt lingered.
After all, it was his actions that had diverted the opportunities meant for them. But Su Mo couldn't ignore the existence of the immortal herbs, nor could he pass up the chance to claim them.
With all the teams now in the arena, the tournament began.
The preliminary matches followed a round-robin format: each team would face every other team once, with winners earning one point. The five teams with the highest points would advance from the Heaven Dou Empire's central division.
Platinum Bishop Salas of Spirit Hall handled the random assignment of numbers for the matches.
The first match was between the Shrek Team and the Heaven Dou Royal Team's second team.
As expected, the Shrek Team emerged victorious, though not with the instant domination seen in the original story. Still, their win shocked the audience, who had initially mocked them for their bizarre uniforms.
This victory marked the beginning of the Shrek Team's reputation in the tournament.
"They don't have a ten-thousand-year soul ring. Without the refinement of the Ice and Fire Immortal Herb, Tang San has honestly absorbed a thousand-year-level fourth soul ring," Su Mo observed as he watched the match.
Judging by its hue, the soul ring appeared to be around 7,000 years old—a clear attempt to exceed the theoretical limit of 5,000 years but still far from the 10,000-year soul ring Tang San had absorbed in the original story.
"This makes sense. Even pushing past the limit to 7,000 years is impressive without external help," Su Mo thought.
"Su Mo, Zhu Zhuqing and the others won their first match. Let's go congratulate them!" Ning Rongrong suggested after the Shrek Team's victory.
Su Mo agreed, and the two left the observation platform together.
Qian Renxue briefly considered joining them but ultimately decided against it. She felt that accompanying Su Mo and Ning Rongrong to meet their former teammates would give the Shrek Team undue attention.
While she recognized their talent, outstanding soul masters were far too common in her world to merit special interest.
"Zhuqing, Tang San, Fatty…"
Ning Rongrong called out as she and Su Mo approached the Shrek Team.
"Rongrong!"
"Su Mo!"
Zhu Zhuqing and the others turned and immediately recognized their former teammates.
"It's been a while, everyone!" Su Mo greeted them with a faint smile. "Congratulations on your first victory, Shrek Team!"
"Thanks, Su Mo! How have you and Rongrong been?" Tang San asked with a nod.
"We're doing well. You'll see for yourselves soon enough," Su Mo replied cryptically. "By the way, congratulations on becoming a Soul Ancestor, Tang San. As expected of someone with innate full soul power—it's an incredible achievement!"
"Thank you. I just want to gain the strength I need as quickly as possible," Tang San said, his mind flashing to Xiao Wu. He knew he still had a long way to go.
"Little San is truly impressive. We all admire him greatly!"
"Su Mo, what about you? What are your and Ning Rongrong's soul power levels now?"
"Seeing you two on the observation platform, I take it you're not competing in this tournament?"
Dai Mubai quickly interjected, a hint of provocation in his tone as he looked at Su Mo. To him, this was the perfect opportunity to probe and perhaps embarrass his old rival.
🌟 Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! 🌟
Hello, beloved readers and supporters!
I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:
📚 Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regular readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!
💬 Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.
👏 Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!
Patreon.com/anish_44
https://ko-fi.com/anish_44