Chen Xuan sighed, feeling that if he wasn't mistaken, it was his own fault that things had turned out this way.
In the original timeline, the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Netherworld White Tiger, wasn't completely restricted, and this situation didn't occur. It was clearly aimed at him.
If he was right, Yu Xiaogang's real intention was to sideline him. However, he couldn't be too obvious in front of the students. The best way to handle it was to come up with a reason to shift the focus elsewhere.
Chen Xuan had previously had conflicts with the Master.
If only he were suspended alone, no matter how good the reason, the students would connect the dots. However, by including Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, the attention could be diverted.
"I hope I'm overthinking this," Chen Xuan wished it were just his paranoia.
It seemed excessive for Yu Xiaogang to sideline him just because of their previous minor conflict.
Being over fifty years old, Yu Xiaogang shouldn't be this petty, right?
Chen Xuan was baffled, with many things not adding up. But reality was as it was, and there was no way to argue with it.
Could there be another reason?
Chen Xuan looked at Yu Xiaogang sitting on the sofa and then at Tang San, who was discussing tactics. Gradually, he began to connect the two.
Soon, a bold thought appeared in his mind.
Could it be that Yu Xiaogang wanted to cultivate Tang San into the most outstanding and brilliant member of Shrek Academy? To make him the most remarkable figure in the Heaven Dou Division, shining brightly, drawing all eyes, the best among the best, a genius among monsters?
Chen Xuan felt this was close to the truth, and perhaps this was indeed the case.
Currently, the only known fourth-ring spirit masters with ten-thousand-year rings on the continent were himself and Tang San. As long as he was sidelined, Tang San would be the only one with a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.
Apart from him, the only remaining competitive edge for Shrek was the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Netherworld White Tiger.
If both were lost, the competition would become Tang San's stage, with no rivals, gradually becoming the most outstanding and dazzling presence.
"If what I think is true, Yu Xiaogang, you're really unscrupulous," Chen Xuan felt the truth was nearly certain.
Yu Xiaogang had stayed at the twenty-ninth level for half his life, and his ten core theories on Martial Souls were ridiculed and belittled by the world as nonsense.
The Master saw himself as a learned scholar who valued his reputation and needed someone to prove his theories.
That person would be Tang San.
Only if Tang San shone on the stage, becoming the most outstanding and powerful among all the competitors, could his ten core theories be proven, earning the respect and admiration of the world and showing all those who mocked him that Yu Xiaogang was not a fool but a wise scholar.
Realizing this, Chen Xuan understood that staying at Shrek would probably mean he would have few opportunities to appear on stage.
"But where can I go now?"
At this moment, the Shrek Academy match began against their old rivals, the Canghui Academy.
Tang San and Dai Mubai walked out of the VIP room to participate in the competition.
Yu Xiaogang and Flandre also left for the stands to watch the match.
The lounge, which had been somewhat crowded, now became empty, leaving only Chen Xuan and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Ah, every time I see Dai Mubai and the others showing off on stage, I get so frustrated. Why doesn't the Master let me go on stage?" Ma Hongjun complained, lying on the sofa with a look of despair.
He had consumed the celestial herb and had all impurities of the Evil Fire Phoenix removed. He was now a top-level Martial Soul.
Ma Hongjun was very confident that if given the chance, he would undoubtedly dominate and defeat opponents effortlessly.
Ning Rongrong smiled and said, "Fatty, don't worry. You'll get your chance in the finals."
"Unfortunately, the finals will be closed-door, with almost no audience," Chen Xuan said, somewhat intentionally.
Now that he understood Yu Xiaogang's dark intentions, he couldn't help but wonder if the suspension of these two was really just to hide their strength.
The reappearance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda after hundreds of years on the continent would undoubtedly cause a stir if the world knew.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's Martial Soul, though very powerful, limits the soul master's highest soul power to the seventy-ninth level.
However, Ning Rongrong, the only current holder of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, might break the restrictions of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and advance to Soul Douluo or even Title Douluo.
And Ma Hongjun wasn't far behind, with his top-level Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
If the top Phoenix and Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared on the stage together, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass would be overshadowed by their brilliance.
"Ah?" Ning Rongrong blinked, puzzled, not understanding Chen Xuan's implied meaning.
Ma Hongjun, with his plump head and ears, also looked confused.
Zhu Zhuqing remained composed, gazing at Chen Xuan for a long time with eyes as bright as purple gems, deep and beautiful, as if seeing through his heart.
"If you don't understand, just consider that I didn't say anything," Chen Xuan said, waving his hand and preparing to leave.
It was enough to hint at things; there was no need to state them outright.
Ning Rongrong furrowed her brows, contemplating a certain possibility.
Ma Hongjun thought Chen Xuan was being cryptic and wondered why he spoke in such an indirect manner.
"I'm going back now. See you," Chen Xuan said without further explanation, heading for the door.
As he passed by Zhu Zhuqing, he whispered an apology.
Zhu Zhuqing's face was cold and beautiful, her eyes showing no sign of emotion.
Her demeanor was always aloof. Even if she heard Chen Xuan's inexplicable apology, she wouldn't respond.
Chen Xuan walked down the street, deep in thought about his future.
Yu Xiaogang held a high position at Shrek Academy, with significant power. Continuing there might lead to retaliation and exclusion.
Chen Xuan never expected that the minor conflict from the past would lead Yu Xiaogang, despite his age, to act childishly, playing mind games and scheming against him.
Shrek Academy was dominated by Yu Xiaogang's faction, with Liu Erlong as his lover and Flandre as his close friend.
In this realistic situation, Chen Xuan admitted that he couldn't compete with Yu Xiaogang, as Shrek was his domain.
"Where else can I go?"
He had considered leaving but was unsure of his next destination.
The Continental Soul Master Competition had begun, and new participants couldn't join. The list was already fixed.
Chen Xuan was in a dilemma, feeling stuck. If he wanted to participate in the competition, he would have to stay at Shrek, as joining another academy was no longer an option.
One reason he hadn't left was Xiao Wu.
Uh… and also, Zhang Zhu.
At Shrek Academy, Xiao Wu wouldn't be in danger. Chen Xuan needed to confirm how she was doing and whether she might become a mother.
After all, that night was intense and wild, and it was hard to say if she was affected.
If nothing unexpected happened, Chen Xuan could leave without worries.
If she had become a mother, Chen Xuan didn't know what to do.
"I'll wait for another month and a half," he finally decided.
Since Yu Xiaogang didn't want him to compete, he wouldn't force it, and he could use the extra time to study ninjutsu.
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Duolou: After taking advice, I became Supreme!
As the afternoon approached, the sun was high in the sky, and the air grew increasingly hot.
Chen Xuan returned to his residence, and without a word, he took Chen Yiyi to the backyard to start the day's training.
The routine was the same as usual: physical training and lightning tempering of the body.
Chen Yiyi felt like she was suffering terribly, her entire body aching every time. No matter how much she begged, pleaded, or spoke kindly, her older brother, like a demon, would not relent.
The pain and joy coexisted, and the results were evident. Her cells were exceptionally active, her energy levels were high, and her strength had increased significantly.
Chen Xuan took his sister out of the yard and to a nearby small forest.
He brought out a soul tool similar to a stopwatch, intending to measure Yiyi's progress over the past three days and check her speed.
With a whoosh, Chen Yiyi ran out, and the surrounding wind rustled, causing the weeds by the roadside to sway.
"Eleven seconds for a hundred meters?" Chen Xuan was somewhat surprised.
For an ordinary person, this might not be remarkable, but Chen Yiyi wasn't even a Soul Master yet, only slightly stronger than an ordinary person.
Moreover, she had been malnourished and weak since childhood, and had only recently started to supplement her nutrition and train.
Three days ago, Chen Xuan had timed her for the same distance, and it took her sixteen seconds. Now she had reduced it by five seconds, which was an impressive improvement.
Chen Yiyi was very happy when she saw the results. Her small face was beaming with joy; the hardships of the past three days had not been in vain.
"Brother, am I amazing or what?" She said proudly, running over quickly, lifting her snow-white neck, signaling Chen Xuan to praise her.
Chen Yiyi was extremely pleased, realizing that she too could become strong. Her eyes were no longer dim but filled with the brightness of the sun because she could finally catch up to her mother's footsteps.
In the past, she never dared to dream of this, only hoping to escape from the hellish environment of her uncle's house.
Chen Xuan patted her on the head, also happy for her.
"Keep it up, aim to achieve the goal I set for you within half a month." Time was short, and he hoped Yiyi could reach the thousand-year limit within a month.
As soon as she heard about more training, Chen Yiyi's round little face fell immediately, losing all its smile and looking desolate.
During this time, Chen Xuan had not been idle; he was either perfecting Chidori or developing lightning-based ninjutsu.
Due to his daily interaction with lightning, he noticed a significant change in his body. Compared to when he first arrived, his strength and speed had increased considerably.
He remembered that in Naruto, Sasuke, after training Chidori with Kakashi for a month, had a speed comparable to that of Lee Rock at the time.
Of course, talent played a role during this period.
Chen Xuan took a fruit and a herb, not believing his current talent was so poor, and wanted to see just how strong he had become.
He focused on a large tree ahead, with branches so dense that it required both arms to embrace it.
The tree was quite large, about fifty to sixty meters tall and weighed at least six to seven hundred pounds.
The trunk was thick and hard to grip, but Chen Xuan managed to hold it firmly and then heaved it up with great force. With a crack, the tree was uprooted and lifted off the ground.
He threw it with force; the tree, about forty to fifty meters long, fell to the ground with a loud bang, sending dust flying and causing a slight tremor.
Chen Xuan was momentarily stunned. To be able to uproot such a large tree without using his martial soul was impressive.
Now, his arm strength was comparable to that of a Soul Master with a martial soul.
Of course, he had used chakra during this process to achieve such an abnormal effect.
"Wow! Brother, you're amazing! You uprooted a whole tree!" Chen Yiyi exclaimed, clapping her hands and cheering from the side.
Chen Xuan did not stop and continued to test his speed.
He took out the timing soul tool and went to a straight dirt path to measure his speed.
With a swoosh, Chen Xuan dashed out and immediately felt the wind whistling by, with the trees on either side retreating rapidly.
"Six seconds?" Chen Xuan was astonished when he saw the result.
For a hundred meters, it only took six seconds, and this was without using his martial soul; the speed was astonishing.
He remained dazed for a long time.
Chen Yiyi was also astonished, staring blankly and taking a long time to recover.
Her current achievements seemed to pale in comparison to her brother's.
Chen Xuan estimated that his current speed was not much different from that of a speed-type Soul Master with a martial soul.
However, it was unfortunate that his martial soul was a space-type, which did not enhance the body in any way whether it was activated or not.
Normally, Soul Masters did not focus on physical enhancement; they improved their soul power, which in turn significantly boosted their speed, strength, hearing, vision, and various bodily functions.
Doing what Chen Xuan was doing was considered putting the cart before the horse and could be ranked among the top ten foolish actions on the continent.
Sometimes, he felt helpless, as his martial soul did not even provide a single soul skill, lacking any offensive capabilities, so he had to develop them himself.
Chen Xuan often wondered if his martial soul was really a top-tier one. Right now, it seemed more like a normal martial soul rather than a high-level one.
"Even if it's a top-tier auxiliary martial soul, it shouldn't be like this, right?" He complained, feeling quite frustrated, thinking that the system might be deceiving him.
Chen Xuan summoned his martial soul, which appeared as a pitch-black sphere, bottomless, and unable to penetrate under the light, as if it could swallow the sunlight. Everything was unknown, shrouded in mist.
Unfortunately, an iron chain was wrapped around it, and the martial soul was firmly locked. This was an anomaly that appeared after its evolution.
Whether it was good or bad, and what secrets it held, would be revealed once his cultivation level was high enough to break that chain.
Chen Xuan estimated that he originally needed to reach Soul Sage, but now the required soul ring age had increased to thirty-two thousand years, and the gap between them had reduced.
For the next five days, Chen Xuan stayed home, silently training and increasing his strength, engaging in various physical and reaction training from early morning to late evening.
Lightning was indeed effective, stimulating cells, clearing meridians, and making his vitality extremely active.
Time passed quickly, and almost ten days had gone by.
During these days, Chen Xuan had not left the Heaven Dou Academy, as he wasn't scheduled to participate. He made occasional trips to Shrek Academy to check on Xiao Wu's condition.
Finally, on this day, Chen Yiyi achieved the expected results even faster than anticipated.
Her strength, speed, hearing, vision, and reflexes had all seen tremendous breakthroughs, comparable to the level of a great Soul Master, not at all like a little girl without a martial soul.
Chen Yiyi's physique had also improved significantly. Her hundred-meter sprint had reached six seconds, and she could now lift several hundred pounds of rocks.
"Yiyi, you can stop now. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Star Dou Forest to obtain a soul ring," Chen Xuan said.
That day, he visited Shrek Academy and found Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong there.
From what he learned, Zhu Zhuqing had only participated in one match in the past half month, spending the rest of the time sitting on the sidelines without any opportunity to compete.
Chen Xuan sighed inwardly. The problem essentially stemmed from him, and he bore a significant responsibility for it.
So, he came with a sense of guilt, intending to make amends.
In fact, Chen Xuan had long wanted to do this, but he hadn't had the time before, as he was focused on teaching Chen Yiyi.
"Zhuqing, can you help me with something?" Chen Xuan approached Zhu Zhuqing with a sincere request.
He explained his purpose: he would be going to the Star Dou Forest the next day to help his younger sister obtain a soul ring and needed some assistance.
Chen Xuan's request was extremely sincere, hoping Zhu Zhuqing could help him, with a promise of generous compensation afterward.
"I might be unavailable. You should find someone else," Zhu Zhuqing replied.
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Duolou: After taking advice, I became Supreme!