Douro Continent

Chapter 170 The Master is a Devil (Part 2)

Dai Mubai said, "Oscar and the other two haven't gotten up yet. They look exhausted. Let's go back to cultivate. Who knows what kind of grueling training the master will give us tomorrow?"

Tang San nodded and was about to clean up his dishes when Xiao Wu stopped him.

"Let's go, washing dishes and cleaning pots isn't something you men should do. Leave it to us."

Tang San smiled slightly, patted Xiao Wu's head, and turned to walk outside.

Dai Mubai's gaze fell on Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing hadn't finished eating yet, but she freed one hand to stack the utensils Dai Mubai had used earlier. She didn't say anything, but her actions proved her meaning.

Dai Mubai was overjoyed. He knew Zhu Zhuqing was shy, so he didn't say anything and hurriedly followed Tang San outside.

As the two reached the cafeteria entrance, Xiao Wu's voice came from behind, "Washing pots and pans isn't something you men should do, but you can empty those big buckets of water. Remember to get up early tomorrow morning to help us."

Tang San stumbled, nearly tripping over the threshold. Turning to look at Xiao Wu, he saw a sly smile on her face as she waved at him.

Nothing happened that night. When Tang San regained consciousness, it was already dawn, and his biological clock woke him up as usual. He had entered a deep meditative state during his cultivation last night, feeling completely immersed in the ocean of internal energy of the Xuan Tian Gong. He didn't even know when Oscar got up to eat.

He had already cleaned his water bucket before practicing last night. The dormitory was empty at this time, and Oscar was also practicing on his bed. His water bucket had also been cleaned by himself.

He quietly went out to cultivate his Purple Demon Eye and have breakfast. After finishing all this, Tang San knocked on Xiao Wu's door. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were already up and went to eat. Tang San helped them finish handling the heavy water buckets.

As the familiar bell rang, the Shrek Seven Devils arrived at the playground almost immediately.

The master was already standing in the center of the playground, waiting for them. Looking at the master's calm yet stiff face, everyone except Tang San felt a little nervous, even a little afraid.

"Very good. You all arrived quickly today." The master nodded, his gaze habitually sweeping across everyone's faces. "I am very satisfied with your actions yesterday. Although some of you did not complete the punishment, what pleases me is that I saw in you the spirit of never abandoning or giving up. As partners, how can we entrust our backs to each other with peace of mind? It requires trust. You all did very well; your mutual trust allowed you to better complete yesterday's test."

"Before today's lesson begins, Tang San, go and finish the punishment you received yesterday."

"Yes." Tang San replied and turned to run out of the academy.

"Little San, I'll go with you. We agreed on that yesterday." Xiao Wu skipped and hopped after him.

Ning Rongrong suddenly said, "Let's go too. Aren't we a team?"

Oscar stretched his arms. "It'll be good to warm up. We're not being punished this time, we're just running alongside each other, so we don't have to carry any weights anyway."

The fat man said with a worried look, "Looks like I really need to lose weight. Do you know how hard it was for me to gain this much weight?"

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had already run out. "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and catch up."

What a perfect team! The master stared in astonishment at the departing boys, a sudden surge of emotion welling up within him. Only four words flashed through his mind: prodigies. Although these seven children hadn't spent less than a month together, their actions at this moment revealed a friendship that would last a lifetime.

Clenching his fists, the master secretly resolved to do everything in his power to nurture these children well.

It was from this day that the Master made the Shrek Seven Devils fully understand the meaning of the word "devil".

What happens when a monster encounters a devil?

The master's training for them was simple: one to two hours of sparring every day. The sparring situations were different each day, with the two sides being randomly paired. Sometimes it was one-on-one, sometimes one-on-two, sometimes two-on-two, and even three-on-three or three-on-four matches.

Every day, the battle masters will make some special requests, such as what kind of soul skills are allowed, what are not allowed, and what restrictions apply.

After the combat training, physical training would begin. Just like the first day, the use of soul power was strictly prohibited during physical training. It also had to be completed by all seven members together. The masters employed countless methods for physical training. The simplest was weighted running. There were also various other methods, such as weighted mountain climbing. But regardless of the method, the goal was to push the Shrek Seven Devils to their physical limits. After a while, they had all become accustomed to waking up every night in barrels of medicinal liquid.

Although the grueling training was arduous, the master was never stingy in one aspect: in terms of food, he varied the dishes to satisfy everyone's appetites to the greatest extent possible.

Due to the intense training, three months passed, and Ma Hongjun, perhaps due to the excessive depletion of his inner fire during the grueling training, was unable to even once travel to Soto City to resolve the problem of his uncontrollable inner fire. Meanwhile, the forge Tang San had purchased from the blacksmith had already arrived, but he hadn't had time to forge hidden weapons. Even the first batch of parts already completed at the blacksmith hadn't been assembled yet.

Tang San, Oscar, and Xiao Wu officially registered as Soul Masters in Soto City. To avoid causing a stir, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had them wear specially made masks when they went to register. Although this aroused some suspicion, it was not uncommon for Soul Masters to conceal their appearance, and they successfully received their subsidies.

Three months of grueling training didn't significantly improve the Shrek Seven Devils' soul power; only Ma Hongjun's soul power increased by one level. However, these three months of extreme physical training brought about a tremendous change in their physical attributes.

Now, when Tang San and Dai Mubai run with the same weight as on the first day, the weight they carry exceeds fifty kilograms, yet they still manage to do so with ease. Keep in mind, this is an extremely impressive figure without using soul power.

Everyone's physical condition has greatly improved, and with a lot of exercise and sufficient nutrition, the first thing that is reflected is in their physique.

Dai Mubai had clearly become stronger, and his evil eyes now held a more imposing light. He looked like a tiger descending from the mountain, exuding explosive power.

Oscar's transformation was even more noticeable; he had lost a significant amount of weight, but judging solely by his appearance, no one would guess he was a support-type Soul Master. His robust physique rivaled that of most battle-type Soul Masters. Of course, his voice remained as soft and gentle as ever, and his large beard and captivating eyes were largely unchanged.

Tang San's appearance changed very little; his looks remained ordinary, but he seemed more reserved. His physique wasn't particularly robust; he had simply grown a little taller. He appeared to be a very ordinary young man—the kind you wouldn't notice in a crowd. Surprisingly, Tang San's soul power had reached level thirty-two. This wasn't due to the three months of special training, but rather from the Human-Faced Demon Spider soul ring he had previously acquired. Perhaps because of breaking through his limits, the pain inflicted by the Human-Faced Demon Spider soul ring was immense, but the benefits were equally significant. Besides the soul ring and soul bone, his soul power had also directly increased to level thirty-two, making others extremely envious. Of course, envy aside, none of them dared to absorb a soul ring of a higher level like Tang San.

Ma Hongjun had lost a significant amount of weight, no longer appearing so bulky. Although still plump, he exuded a powerful aura. His soul power had increased to level twenty-eight, and he was striding confidently towards level thirty. The changes in his body made him look much sharper and more muscular.

Xiao Wu is still the same as before. Among everyone, she has changed the least in appearance. Her skin hasn't even gotten tanned, and she always looks happy and lively.

However, during daily battles, she also caused everyone a lot of trouble. Her third soul skill, teleportation, was unpredictable and even caused Dai Mubai and Tang San considerable losses.

Fortunately, her teleportation distance can now only be maintained at five meters.

Nevertheless, when combined with the waist bow and charm skills, the three soul skills can exert a terrifying effect in close combat.

Compared to when Ning Rongrong first arrived at the academy, while her arrogance hadn't completely disappeared, it was significantly less. A touch of spiritedness had appeared in her eyes, and her more reserved temperament made her even more enigmatic.

This rekindled Oscar's hopes, who had previously given up on pursuing her. Of course, for the past three months, even if Oscar had the desire to pursue her, he lacked the energy to do so.

As for Zhu Zhuqing, it must be said that her perseverance is no less than that of men. She never complained during the three months of grueling training. Not only did she grit her teeth and persevere, but she even took the initiative to ask for an increase in intensity.

She had lost a lot of weight, but as an agility-type Soul Master, her speed had also increased significantly with her improved physical strength.

The three-month grueling training finally ended yesterday, and the master gave our Shrek Seven Devils a seven-day break to allow them to adjust on their own.

(End of this chapter)