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After they were out of sight, the Shrek group approached. Flender glanced at Liu Erlong and asked, "How'd it go, Erlong?"
"I won't give up," Liu Erlong said, her jaw tight with determination.
Yu Xiaogang let out a heavy sigh. "Erlong, stop chasing him. He won't agree. I've known Ning Tian for a long time. He's proud and selfish to the bone. He would never lift a finger to clear my name."
Tang San nodded in agreement. "Teacher's right. He's rotten through and through. The first time we met, he had the nerve to grab Master Zhu Qing's backside and then pinned the blame on Teacher."
With that, Tang San launched into a long list of Ning Tian's misdeeds. By the end, the Shrek group was fully convinced, nodding along, except for Xiao Wu. She clenched her fists, filled with hatred for Tang San. 'That filthy jerk, talking trash about Little Six again. He's begging for trouble,' she thought.
…..
Meanwhile, Ning Tian and his team crossed a small hill and stepped onto a wide, open grassland. Rows of military tents stretched across the plain, arranged in a neat circle.
After showing their promotion round credentials, Ning Tian and his group were let inside. They were directed to a cluster of five barracks: Zhu Qing and Mona took one room, Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong shared another, the Shi brothers got their own, and Yu Feng and Huang Jia paired up in a fourth. Since Zhu Zhuqing was Ning Tian's official girlfriend, the two of them were assigned a room together. It was the finest of the lot, almost as luxurious as the Rose Hotel back in Suotuo City. The Heaven Dou Empire had clearly put some thought into it.
Once they stepped inside, Ning Tian shut the door and wrapped his arms around Zhu Zhuqing from behind. She felt the warmth of his presence, and her heart skipped a beat. A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she asked, "What are you doing?"
Ning Tian pressed his nose into her hair and took a deep breath. "I want to eat you," he said with a playful edge.
Ever since the duel between the two Nings, he'd grown hooked on moments like this. Ning Rongrong felt the same, slipping into his room nearly every night. His original plan had been to "devour" Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Qing, and Ye Lingling after the preliminaries wrapped up but Qian Renxue had destroyed that idea.
As he spoke, his hand slid under Zhu Zhuqing's collar. She put up a half-hearted struggle before closing her eyes, giving in.
Just then, a sharp knock echoed from the door. Ning Tian's mood soured instantly. 'Why now?' Zhu Zhuqing flinched and dove under the blankets in a panic.
"Who is it?" Ning Tian called out, his voice thick with irritation.
"Xiao Tian, Sect Leader Ning and the Crown Prince are here looking for you," came Zhu Qing's clear voice from outside. A moment later, she added, a little hesitant, "Did I interrupt something?"
"No, not at all," Ning Tian said quickly, rushing to open the door.
If it had been anyone else, he'd have been annoyed but Zhu Qing was one of the few exceptions.
She peeked inside, catching sight of Zhu Zhuqing bundled in the blankets and Ning Tian's messy clothes. It didn't take much to guess what had been happening. "Alright, Sect Leader Ning and the Crown Prince are waiting outside. Fix your clothes; I'll head back," she said, her face turning red as she hurried off.
Ning Tian chuckled to himself. Louise might act bold and flirty most of the time, but she was surprisingly shy when it came down to it.
After she left, he shut the door again and started smoothing out his clothes, trying to cool his racing pulse. He turned to Zhu Zhuqing and said, "Zhuqing, I'll step out for a bit. I'll be back soon."
"Mm," she replied softly.
Just as he reached for the door, she called out, "Ning Tian." He glanced back and saw her head peeking out from the blankets. "I'll wait for you," she said, her cheeks glowing pink, before ducking back under.
…..
The New Heaven Dou Battle Team's private compound had six barracks: five for sleeping and one set up as a tea room, doubling as a space for meetings or guests. It didn't take long for Ning Tian to spot Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue, who was disguised as Xue Qinghe.
Ning Fengzhi's aim was obvious, he wanted to pull Ning Tian closer to his side. He even hinted, in his subtle way, that he'd be fine with Ning Tian marrying both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
After a round of pointless small talk, the two made to leave. Then Qian Renxue's voice slipped into Ning Tian's mind through a soul power transmission. "Looks like Sect Leader Ning's ready to do anything to win you over, even let his daughter share you with another woman."
Was it just him, or did her tone carry a trace of bitterness? "His daughter's already mine. Why would I need his approval?" Ning Tian shot back silently, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"You—" Qian Renxue faltered, a flicker of annoyance breaking through her usual calm.
Ning Fengzhi seemed to notice something off and asked, "Qinghe, what's wrong?"
Ning Tian stepped in smoothly. "It's nothing. Brother Xue probably feels we've drifted apart lately. That's on me. Sorry, Brother Xue."
As he spoke, Ning Tian stepped forward and wrapped Qian Renxue in a tight bear hug right in front of Ning Fengzhi. With Ning Fengzhi's view blocked, Ning Tian's left hand patted her back while his right hand sneakily grabbed her butt. Even through the disguise of her Angel Armor Soul Bone, it felt surprisingly firm and springy, sending a thrill through Ning Tian.
"Am I right, Brother Xue?" he said with a grin, giving it another quick squeeze.
Inside, Qian Renxue was furious, her chest tightening as she realized Ning Tian had long known her true identity. But with Ning Fengzhi watching, she had no choice but to force a smile and play along. Seeing this display of "brotherly bond," Ning Fengzhi nodded with approval.
A short while later, they parted ways, and Ning Tian hurried back to his room. He released his Gold Devouring Insects to block out every bit of light, then slipped into bed beside Zhu Zhuqing. What followed was a heated, breathless moment, and at last, his desire was satisfied.
...
The next morning, after some "morning exercise" with Zhu Zhuqing, the pair joined the others in the tea room for breakfast. The Heaven Dou imperial staff had delivered a lavish breakfast, filled with rare and expensive ingredients. But the New Heaven Dou Battle Team's attention wasn't on the food, it was on the couple strolling arm in arm, especially Zhu Zhuqing.
She looked radiant, her skin glowing with a fresh smoothness, and she carried a new air of maturity, much like Ning Rongrong had after her own experiences. Ning Rongrong, catching the signs immediately, pulled Zhu Zhuqing aside for a quiet chat the moment they arrived.
After breakfast, the team made their way to the Royal Knights' Grand Arena, the venue for the promotion round. The arena had been reworked for the event, with a hundred-meter-wide stage set up in the center. With the New Heaven Dou Battle Team's addition, the original fifteen competing teams had become sixteen, set to face off in fifteen rounds of matches, eight per round.
To the north, a VIP stand faced south, doubling as the judges' area. Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Bishop Salas, and various nobles and faction leaders sat there. Outside the arena, the empire's elite knights lined the perimeter, ordered by the emperor to watch and draw inspiration from the young Spirit Masters' skills.
All sixteen teams would advance to the finals in Spirit city, no matter their results here. So, unlike team battles, the promotion round focused on individual strength. Each match was a one-on-one fight, with each team sending seven members. The first team to lose all seven would be declared the loser.
To Ning Tian, it was hardly worth his attention. Even the strongest opponents were just Spirit Ancestors. He could take most of them down with one swing of his sword. So, he handed the spotlight to Zhu Zhuqing, the Shi brothers, Yu Feng, and Huang Jia.
The first match pitted the New Heaven Dou Battle Team, representing Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's main squad, against a team from the Macedonian Kingdom. Zhu Zhuqing stepped up first and, to everyone's shock, took down all seven opponents in a row, including two Spirit Ancestors. She had won the match single-handedly.
The crowd fell silent, stunned. Even the Elemental Academies and the Shrek team, who'd fought alongside her in the preliminaries, hadn't expected this. This wasn't just a test of power, it was a grueling series of fights, demanding stamina as much as skill.
As Zhu Zhuqing walked back to her team's rest area, the Shrek team stared in disbelief. Tang San and Dai Mubai furrowed their brows, struggling to match this fierce Zhu Zhuqing with the one they'd known.
"She's gotten too strong. Boss Dai, can you handle her?" said Ma Hongjun, swallowing hard. Regret gnawed at him. 'If I'd stuck with Ning Tian instead of Tang San and Dai Mubai, maybe I'd be a Spirit Ancestor by now too.'
Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his voice bitter. "Her speed's sharp and her moves are quick. But she's an agility-attack Spirit Master, her power's limited. If I face that traitor, I'll make her regret everything she's done."
Even now, Dai Mubai refused to believe Zhu Zhuqing could beat him. Historically, when soul power levels were close, a Nether Spirit Cat had never outmatched a White Tiger. If it were otherwise, the imperial throne would belong to the Zhu family, not the Dai family. All he needed was to play defense, wear her down, and strike when the chance came.
…..
The second match featured the Shrek team. Despite qualifying as Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's second team, they still called themselves Shrek.
Their victory was no surprise.
Next came Blazing Academy in the third match, Kamikaze Academy in the fourth, Thunder Academy in the fifth, and Tianshui Academy in the sixth. Each secured a win without a hitch. All six teams from the Heaven Dou Empire's preliminaries had triumphed.
Emperor Xue Ye couldn't stop smiling. Representatives from other kingdoms chimed in with timely flattery. Only Bishop Salas looked sour, his mood worsening as Ning Fengzhi tossed a few sly remarks his way, making his teeth grind in frustration.
Ning Tian couldn't hear their exchange, but he could guess what was happening. He sighed inwardly, thinking, 'Ning Fengzhi, you old fox, you're really asking for trouble.'
Huo Wu was just as irritated. After her team's win, she locked eyes with Ning Tian and Tang San, pointing at them boldly with her finger. Tang San bristled at the challenge, but Ning Tian ignored her completely, which only made her angrier.
Then it was the Cryptid Academy's turn, led by Meng Yiran. Her sleek uniform hugged her frame, and she gripped her snake-headed staff with confidence. After absorbing the soul ring of a Phoenix Tail Crested Snake, her strength had jumped to a new level. With her third soul skill, Snake Wings, unlocking the speed of a thousand-year beast, she took down three opponents, including a Spirit Ancestor, despite not being a Spirit Ancestor herself.
As she stepped off the stage, she glanced at Ning Tian and Tang San, mimicking Huo Wu by pointing at them. But her expressions differed. Toward Ning Tian, it was a smirk. Toward Tang San, her face twisted with disgust, the memory of his humiliating moment in the Star Dou Forest still fresh in her mind.
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