Looking at Wang Dong'er's smiling face, Xu Xingyu instantly knew she hadn't forgiven him yet. She was clearly waiting for this chance to vent her frustration during their spar.
Xu Xingyu had no choice but to accept her challenge. After all, he admitted that this time he had been in the wrong, and letting her get some release wouldn't hurt. Besides, he was curious to see how much progress Wang Dong'er had made in these past months. Compared to the original timeline, she had improved by leaps and bounds.
If the current Wang Dong'er fought the original version of herself, Xu Xingyu was certain she would utterly dominate her past self. Back then, without family pressure, it was questionable whether she could even reach the rank of Great Spirit Master before the start of the Shrek Academy semester.
But now, inspired by Xu Xingyu's own brilliance and relentless drive, Wang Dong'er had abandoned her previous lax attitude toward cultivation. She practiced her spirit power daily, steadily building a solid foundation.
Her fundamentals were rock solid. Xu Xingyu was confident that with her talent and hard work, if she ascended to godhood one day, she would be no mere Level 2 Butterfly God—but at least a Level 1 God, or perhaps even higher.
This Wang Dong'er would never be the pawn of Tang San again. This time, her fate was truly her own.
After all, fledglings can't always rely on their parents' care. One day, they must spread their wings and soar into the vast heavens, creating their own destiny.
This thought filled Xu Xingyu with eager anticipation. Maybe someday, he could witness a truly heartwarming "father-daughter" scene. Only thing missing was a Signal Axe or Frostmourne.
After agreeing to the spar, the two headed outside their dormitory. After a thorough warm-up, the battle was set to begin.
Wang Dong'er immediately released her spirit beast. From her back unfolded a pair of stunning azure butterfly wings, accompanied by two spirit rings: one bright yellow marking a hundred years, the other a deep purple signaling a millennium.
Judging by the hues of these rings, her first ring already mixed with purple tones, and the second one nearing five thousand years. Xu Xingyu could feel the surging spirit power radiating from her, roughly at Spirit Master level 27.
Clearly, she had put in a lot of effort lately.
Her second ring belonged to a golden-scaled dragonfish, originally three thousand years old, now nearly five thousand years.
This indicated she hadn't just trained on her own but had also made use of the Spirit Tower's facilities to deepen her soul power cultivation — even managing to extend her first ring's age in the process.
Xu Xingyu felt pleased but also slightly wary. This Wang Dong'er was no pushover. To truly bring her down, he might need to unleash one or two soul skills.
And since this was meant to be a spar, it might even take more than that.
Xu Xingyu then awakened his first spirit beast: a dazzling Purple Microstar slowly ascending behind him. Three dark purple-black spirit rings materialized in the air.
Wang Dong'er's eyes darkened. A year ago, Xu Xingyu had spirit power at level 35, but now she could feel that he had definitely surpassed that, though still within the Soul Lord tier.
If he'd broken into Soul Master, she might have been at a loss.
Strategizing quickly, Wang Dong'er unleashed her first soul skill — Sidewing Slash.
Her butterfly wings transformed into two razor-sharp blades, slashing toward Xu Xingyu.
As she attacked, bubbles appeared, floating between them. These bubbles weren't physically harmful, only obscuring Xu Xingyu's vision slightly.
However, they contained a special spirit energy that disrupted his mental perception and spiritual detection.
Forced into defense, Xu Xingyu had to carefully counter the assault.
Of course, if he wished, a single punch could have shattered her attack — but this was his girlfriend showing her progress. Ending it too quickly would be harsh.
As Wang Dong'er swung her Sidewing Slash, Xu Xingyu noticed hints of a technique reminiscent of the Chaotic Wind Hammer — each slash accumulated power. Over time, it could inflict serious damage.
This technique was born during Wang Dong'er's relaxed moments. Xu Xingyu had once told her her moves were too predictable.
Determined to improve, she sought help from her father for combat training, eventually conceiving a variant of Sidewing Slash inspired by the Chaotic Wind Hammer.
Not wielding her Death God Haotian Hammer often, and lacking dual spirit beast skills, her first spirit beast—the Vast Sea Radiant God Butterfly—focused on powerful but short-lived attacks.
With persistent effort, she created a new soul skill before the semester started, naming it Butterfly Dance Over the Sky.
Coupling this with her spirit bubbles' foam allowed her to strike with surprise, catching foes off guard.
Yet, despite this, her hits on Xu Xingyu became fewer. The bubbles surrounding her didn't vanish, but no matter how she swung her wings, Xu Xingyu dodged as if he knew her moves beforehand.
Could this be his self-created technique Dragon Roaming Star Sea? No—she had seen him use that before. It manipulates spatial elements through unique steps, enabling almost unlimited teleportation.
Now, no spatial force ripples were detected, so how did Xu Xingyu evade so perfectly?
Unbeknownst to her, when her strength surged on her wings, the bubbles momentarily lost their disruptive effect during her motions.
Seizing this, Xu Xingyu combined mental detection with battle experience to anticipate her attacks.
Though Xu Xingyu admired her effort, he was a little disappointed. To him, her new soul skill wasn't extraordinary.
It shared the same flaw as the Chaotic Wind Hammer: once the opponent interrupts your rhythm, your footing collapses, and the technique becomes ineffective.
While Butterfly Dance Over the Sky was more mobile, it lacked the raw power of Chaotic Wind Hammer.
If mobility was the goal, better to learn Tang San's refined Chaotic Wind Dance—a highly mobile version enhanced by spirit bones enabling teleportation and flight.
Sensing Xu Xingyu's mild disappointment, Wang Dong'er bit her lip, aware that he could easily break her technique.
Even if her energy reached 9,981 (the legendary 9^4), it would only cause him mild trouble, not a real threat.
But surrendering so easily would cost her pride.
Seizing a momentary opening, she unleashed her second soul skill:
"Radiance of the Vast Sea!"
At once, her second spirit ring flared, and a dazzling blue-golden light erupted, sweeping out in all directions.
Xu Xingyu's eyes widened—he clearly sensed divine power in that radiance.
Watching from afar, the veteran Shrek elder Mu En's eyes popped wide.
"This… this is the Light of the Sea God!!! How is this possible?!"
Mu En's composed façade cracked for the first time in years.
He had merely come to observe these freshmen's childish sparring, never expecting to witness the Sea God's Light!
The Sea God's Light was a legendary skill exclusive to the Sea God—a divine aura that suppressed enemies while purifying all evil.
Besides the current Sea God, Tang San (still free in the divine realm), only the legendary High Priest of the Sea God and Mu En himself could wield it.
But Mu En could only activate it by relying on the ancient Vast Sea Crystal left by Tang San millennia ago.
That crystal still rested with Mu En, unused.
Therefore, the freshman before him should be incapable of wielding the Sea God's Light.
Yet as Mu En studied the aura, he could neither deny nor refute what he felt.
This was truly the Sea God's Light!
Could this freshman be a descendant of Tang San's ancestors?
The truth was close to Mu En's guess.
Wang Dong'er had awakened her Sea God bloodline with Xu Xingyu's help.
This granted her the ability to wield the Sea God's Light at will.
Though limited by cultivation level, it was the genuine power of the Sea God.
The attack now displayed was Wang Dong'er's fusion of Sea God's Light with her second soul skill — hence named Radiance of the Vast Sea.
With this technique, Wang Dong'er was confident even a Soul Lord caught off-guard would be injured.
But her opponent was no ordinary cultivator—he was Xu Xingyu.
Suddenly, Xu Xingyu's body was covered in multicolored dragon scales.
With a mighty dragon roar, the threatening Radiance of the Vast Sea was forcibly shattered.
Wang Dong'er's figure fell from the air, but Xu Xingyu caught her in a princely embrace before she hit the ground.
Opening her eyes, Wang Dong'er saw Xu Xingyu's teasing smile.
"Looks like little Dong'er's made great progress these years! But you're still a step behind me."
Xu Xingyu flicked his fingers to summon a tiny cosmos, symbolizing her shortcomings.
The cocky expression maddened Wang Dong'er, who pouted:
"I didn't lose! Put me down! We'll fight three hundred more rounds!"
Mu En, who had expected no greater shock than the freshman's Sea God Light, was slapped in the face again.
He could feel a divine aura from Xu Xingyu as well — an aura surpassing even Tang San's ancestors from millennia ago!
Most shocking was the dragon roar, which clearly suppressed Mu En's own Bright Ascending Dragon bloodline, almost forcing it into submission.
The astonishment these two freshmen brought was overwhelming.
If Shrek Academy focused on cultivating them, could the school once again produce gods like in ancient times?
Mu En left his recliner and headed toward Sea God Lake.
Meanwhile, Xu Xingyu and Wang Dong'er flirted shamelessly, causing many female onlookers to swoon.
Since Wang Dong'er still wore male disguise, the sight of a boy carrying another boy in a princess carry was particularly picturesque.
Just as they finished their playful banter and prepared to return to their dorms, a loud explosion interrupted them.
A figure was blasted out from the dormitory building—it was none other than Huo Yuhao!
He was injured, blood trickling from his mouth.
A voice sneered:
"You ready to submit, kid?"
Huo Yuhao lifted bloodshot eyes and stubbornly replied:
"Never!"
The voice replied scornfully:
"Not ready? Then I'll beat you until you are!"
The tall youth who had punched Huo Yuhao out appeared.
Their feud dated back to when they first met.
Huo Yuhao had just finished cleaning the dorm when the boy came by.
After confirming they were roommates, Huo Yuhao hoped to build a good relationship.
But the hulking youth bluntly demanded:
"Be my underling!"
Huo Yuhao, proud and unyielding, immediately refused.
What followed was a bitter argument.
The boy insulted Huo Yuhao's mother, snapping his patience.
Huo Yuhao attacked, but the boy merely raised a fist and sent him flying out of the dormitory.
Luckily the window was open and they were on the first floor, or Huo Yuhao might have been killed or crippled.
The boy looked down on the defiant Huo Yuhao:
"Pride is good, but without strength to back it up, you're just a fool rushing to his death."
He then unleashed his spirit beast, roaring in fury.
Muscles bulged and he transformed into an ape-like beast, charging to crush Huo Yuhao.
But just as his fist neared, another fist suddenly blocked it.
The boy flew back, while the other man remained still.
"Yuan En Tiandong, don't go too far!" Xu Xingyu's voice rang out.
"You! Xu Xingyu! This is between me and that kid! None of your business!"
"So this is the family teaching of the Yuan En clan? Bullying the weak to show your strength? I'll have to ask Yuan En Zhenkai how they raise their descendants."
"Shut up!"
The boy's temper flared, but recalling his defeat by Xu Xingyu a year ago, he swallowed his rage.
Though now a Soul Lord, he had no confidence to fight Xu Xingyu.
And since Xu Xingyu was theoretically his clan's superior, he had no choice but to leave.
Xu Xingyu was the one who stopped the youth's rampage.
He actually knew him.
This hulking youth was Yuan En Tiandong.
When Xu Xingyu visited the Star Luo branch of the Spirit Tower, he met Yuan En Tiandong, who had taken an interest in Wang Dong'er and began courting her.
But Wang Dong'er hated his brash and selfish personality, constantly dodging him.
Only after Xu Xingyu broke one of Yuan En Tiandong's hands did he give up his pursuit.
The Yuan En clan was an affiliated family of the Spirit Tower.
After some friendly negotiation, they punished Yuan En Tiandong by locking him away for a while.
Looking back, Xu Xingyu thought he had been too gentle.
People like Yuan En Tiandong, who prey on the weak, deserved to be crippled if not worse.