"Let me go with you," Liu Erlong said hastily.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "I don't want Xiao Shen to suspect anything or be distracted. She needs to focus on cultivating with the others."
She nodded. "Alright."
Hugging her one last time, he set off for the palace. When he entered, Ning Fengzhi was speaking with Xue Beng.
"Your Majesty, Clan Leader Ning," he said as he bowed.
Ning Fengzhi turned around and smiled. "Grandmaster, what a pleasant surprise. What can we do for you?"
"I wonder if Clan Leader Ning has heard of a spirit master named Ru Zuanshi?"
One face paled while the other scrunched in confusion.
Ning Fengzhi stepped forward and replied, "Why do you ask?"
"I'm curious about her. I heard she was a legendary spirit master... a thirty something year old, level ninety nine Limit Douluo revered by those in Spirit Empire. Even Bibi Dong was amazed by her."
"Yes, apparently she was well hidden by Spirit Empire. After Bibi Dong began her war on the two empires, Ru Zuanshi suddenly emerged on the continent, already a limit Douluo. And so young. But after the Shrek Seven Devils killed Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, Ru Zuanshi disappeared. No one knows where she went," Ning Fengzhi sighed. "For such an amazing Limit Douluo to just disappear without another word... it's a bit like Tang Hao's case."
"Ru Zuanshi is dead," Yu Xiaogang said blandly.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes widened. "Grandmaster really is a Grandmaster. How do you know this?"
"She died five years ago. Before that, she was living in Vast Sea City."
"Vast Sea City... hmm, that makes sense. When she appeared on the continent, it was a huge shock to see that she had an ocean spirit and not a land one. But, Grandmaster, you must tell me. How do you know all of this?"
Xue Beng had been listening quietly before but now, having put all the pieces together, spoke up. "It's that little girl with that tyrannical spirit ring configuration, isn't it?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded. "That's right. Xiao Shen."
Ning Fengzhi's brows furrowed. "Little God? Who is this? A new student at Shrek Academy?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded. "She has a body spirit, mutated from her mother's Barreleye Fish spirit. Her name... is Ru Shenqi."
"Ru? It can't be the same, can it?"
"It is," Xue Beng answered. "That little girl came from Vast Sea City. She must be Ru Zuanshi's daughter."
"She said so herself," Yu Xiaogang added. "Clan Leader Ning, perhaps after the Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition, you can formally meet Xiao Shen. But until then, she must focus on cultivating. She's so close to advancing to a new level."
"What level? Grandmaster, I must admit, you have me quite intrigued by this little girl. How old did you say she was?"
Yu Xiaogang smirked. "I didn't."
Xue Beng answered, "She's only eleven."
"Eleven?! And she's competing in the Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition? She must truly be a little monster. Grandmaster, what's her rank?"
"Level fifty nine Spirit King."
"WHAT?!" Ning Fengzhi couldn't hide his shock. He nearly gaped at the reveal.
Xue Beng said, "Grandmaster doesn't lie. I've seen her spirit rings. She does indeed have five. Why do you think she was able to beat the Heavenly Septet Battle Team?"
"She and her team beat the Heavenly Septet Battle Team?!"
Yu Xiaogang nodded. "This time around, this group of children really are just too tyrannical. Perhaps, they're even stronger than the Shrek Seven Devils were at this time. And on average, they're younger too."
"Amazing. Truly amazing. I must stop by Shrek Academy to take a peek at these children."
"You're welcome any time, Clan Leader Ning. Oh also, is it possible that Ru Zuanshi could've made it to the God level?"
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"Maybe, why?"
"Xiao Shen is too powerful for being so young. I wonder if it has something to do with her mother. Perhaps Ru Zuanshi transferred some of her spirit power to her before her spirit had been awakened. Xiao Shen was born with full innate spirit power."
"It could be possible then."
"Thank you, Clan Leader Ning, You Majesty," Yu Xiaogang said and bowed.
Then, he took his leave. As he exited the palace grounds and entered Heaven Dou City, his mind began to wander.
What if Ru Zuanshi had given Xiao Shen some of her divine God power? But the question now is: what God seat did she take? And did she leave the God power to Xiao Shen, with it awakening only when she's strong enough to handle it? The protection from a mother's love is a very powerful thing. For her to even be able to absorb her rings... it must be from her mother's spirit power or something. That immortality stone can't be the only thing. Perhaps in the coming years, these secrets will come to light. It's just a pity that both Ru Zuanshi and Huo Wushuang are gone.
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Over the remaining months before the Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition began, the Shrek Seven Tyrants and their substitutes battled against Liu Erlong multiple times. They fought Flender and Zhao Wuji once before they vowed never again. Ming Yong and Xu Tian exchanged pointers. Shu Jiaxiang and Han Niansui did as well. Ru Shenqi and Gu Xingyun sparred with each other almost daily, though he always lost.
The other five Shrek Seven Tyrants cultivated hard and broke through to the fortieth rank. The Golden Iron Triangle took them to Sunset Forest, and all came back with new purple millennium year spirit rings.
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, they were down to the last two weeks before the day of the official commencement ceremony. It was also just this day that Ru Shenqi finally broke through to the sixtieth level. She darted out of her dorm room and went running to find Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong.
They were in Flender's office, discussing the lineup to submit to the competition.
"We want to have all ten on the roster. But for these beginning group battles, it'll have to depend on the other teams as to who we send on stage," Yu Xiaogang said.
The other two nodded in agreement.
"It'd be better if Gu Xingyun doesn't appear much either. With his spirit bone and Death God Domain, we don't want to reveal that too early," Flender added. "Perhaps he shouldn't appear until the ranking round. Fatty was like that, remember? We didn't show him until then."
"Xiaogang, Flender has a point," Liu Erlong cut in. "I think we should do it like that. Gong Xi can replace him in the preliminary round, just like Xu Tian will be replacing Xiao Shen. Han Niansui can be subbed in when necessary."
"That does sound like a good idea. Let's go with that then."
"Until the ceremony begins, we won't know who we fight against first," Flender muttered. "It's be so much easier on us if they'd tell us ahead of time."
"You lazy old timer!" Liu Erlong snapped.
"Erlong!" he protested.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head and sighed. "We will inevitably cross the School of Four Elements. Right now, they are our biggest threat in the preliminary round. That is, unless Tang Sect send spirit masters. Then... we'll have to worry about them as well."
"I can't even imagine we'd have spirit masters battling Xiao San's spirit masters. What a turnout this kid had!" Flender cried.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Liu Erlong called out, "Who is it?"
"Teachers, it's Xiao Shen."
"Come in."
She opened the door and entered. Grinning wide, Ru Shenqi announced, "Dean Flender, Vice Dean Liu, Grandmaster, have you ever heard of a twelve year old Spirit Emperor?"
Their eyes all widened. "You broke through?!"
She nodded. "This morning."
One figure stood up immediately. "I promised you that Flender, Wuji, and I would take you to Star Dou Great Forest for your sixth ring. I, Liu Erlong, never go back on my word. Let's go."
"Eh, Sister Erlong, say what?!"
"You lazy Owl! Get up. After we find Wuji, we're setting out for Star Dou Great Forest!"