"Leave it to me?"
"Yes."
"But you're the team leader."
"Yes. So now I'm leaving it to you."
"Aren't you afraid that under my leadership, our academy won't even make it to the promotion round?" Ye Feng asked with a wry smile.
"I believe in your ability. No, I know your ability." Liu Erlong took Ye Feng's arm and smiled. "I heard from Boss Fu that when they were in Soto City, that guy didn't guide the students at all. It was all you. Because of your leadership, that guy didn't even have a chance to intervene. Ye Feng, you're the one I, Liu Erlong, have chosen, and I believe in you."
Ye Feng, you're the one I, Liu Erlong, have chosen.
That line made Ye Feng's heart tremble. He wasn't the only one who heard it—Tang San and the others did too. Her words were a double-edged blade. Not only was she saying she liked him and wanted to spend her life with him, but she also had full confidence in his ability to lead Shrek Academy's team in the competition.
At the same time, Liu Erlong's old obsession with Yu Xiaogang had completely soured into disgust. She didn't even want to say his name, referring to him only as "that person."
Liu Erlong had waited twenty damn years for Yu Xiaogang. She lived like a damn widow, wasting her youth from a vibrant young beauty to a mature, stunning woman. That's why she hated him. When the system transferred her love from Yu Xiaogang to Ye Feng, it was like Yu Xiaogang had become nothing to her. Just a waste of space.
Unlike Bibi Dong, who wanted to erase Yu Xiaogang from existence, Liu Erlong didn't even want to lay eyes on him. If she never saw him again, it'd be too soon.
"Alright," Ye Feng finally sighed, nodding helplessly. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then… what about the Grandmaster?"
"He has no place in this. He can stay at the academy like a good little teacher," Liu Erlong said flatly.
"Would he even be willing?" Ye Feng asked doubtfully.
The competition was Yu Xiaogang's whole damn pride. He needed it to prove himself. Ye Feng figured the man would fight tooth and nail to be part of it.
"He's not the dean or vice dean. Boss Fu won't have any objections to what I say. He'll have to accept it, whether he likes it or not," Liu Erlong replied. Clearly, she was done talking about Yu Xiaogang. Instead, she smirked and changed the subject. "Okay, let's move on."
Ding Dong!
Congratulations! You have replaced Yu Xiaogang in the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition. This has overturned the original storyline. Reward: 6 attribute points that can be distributed.
"Six?"
Ye Feng frowned. "System, Yu Xiaogang made a name for himself in the competition and got recognized by Emperor Xue Ye. That led him to train the Heaven Dou Empire's army, which helped delay the Spirit Empire's invasion in the future. That's a huge plot shift. Why am I only getting six attribute points?"
The system reports back to the host. Based on my calculations, there's a 99% chance Yu Xiaogang will seek another way to prove himself. His actions will likely still influence future events. According to my algorithm, the appropriate reward is six points.
"Find another way out?"
Ye Feng's eyes narrowed as he fell into deep thought. What the hell is that bastard gonna do now?
Before he could reach a conclusion, Liu Erlong tightened her grip on his arm and spoke softly.
"Ye Feng, everyone's waiting for you."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ye Feng turned to Tai Long, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu. He spoke calmly.
"You guys are substitutes, but your spirit power is still too low. If we want to win the championship, you need to at least reach the Spirit Sect level. Substitutes are still players—you have to be ready."
"…"
Tai Long, Jiang Zhu, and Jing Ling were stunned.
They weren't the only ones. Even Ma Hongjun raised an eyebrow before chuckling.
"Boss Ye, they're substitutes. It's normal if their spirit power isn't as high. They just need to train hard in the coming days."
Tai Long clenched his fists. He had already submitted to Ye Feng, so he swallowed his pride. Jiang Zhu, as a woman, naturally had a better tolerance for pressure.
Jing Ling, though? He wasn't having it.
The guy had always been second-in-command back at Lanba Academy, just below Tai Long. Now, he glared at Ma Hongjun with open hostility.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You looking down on me?"
Ma Hongjun scowled and was about to go off, but Oscar quickly grabbed his arm and gave him a warning look.
"Ye Feng," Liu Erlong called, worriedly watching the tense atmosphere.
A fight was about to break out.
Liu Erlong had just managed to keep things together. She didn't want Jing Ling, Tai Long, or Jiang Zhu storming off in anger. After all, they needed all eleven players for the tournament.
Ye Feng, on the other hand, remained as calm as ever.
"Jing Ling, you misunderstood," he said casually. "We're just stating facts. Self-awareness is a form of wisdom. Knowing your own limits isn't shameful. The reason I said those words… is because I have a gift for you all."
"A gift?"
"A gift?"
"A gift?!"
Tai Long, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu were all caught off guard.
Ye Feng nodded, tapping his spatial ring. With a flick of his fingers, three medicinal herbs floated in front of them.
"Earth Rock Vine, White Spirit, Hundred Life Grass."
Tang San's eyes widened, immediately recognizing them.
"What the hell are those?" Tai Long asked.
"Yeah, what's White Spirit?" Jing Ling added.
"And Hundred Life Grass?" Jiang Zhu was just as curious.
Tang San hesitated, glancing at Ye Feng. When he saw Ye Feng had no intention of explaining, he sighed and took the role himself.
"Earth Rock Vine—an advanced earth-attribute medicinal herb. After taking it, it strengthens the body, making it as tough as iron. White Spirit—an advanced herb that benefits spirit masters with skeletal or ghost-type martial spirits. Hundred Life Grass—an extremely rare herb that contains powerful life energy. It can ignore seasonal changes and is said to extend one's lifespan by a hundred years. For a healing-type spirit master… its effects are unknown, but they will be remarkable."
(End of Chapter)
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