Chapter 82: Qin Shuang

After Ning Fengzhi and Jian Douluo left, Yang Xiong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, his joy was a bit premature; that night, while Yang Xiong was meditating, someone suddenly appeared in the room—Jian Douluo—whose expression was as cold as frost, not seeming to bring any good news.

The next morning during class, everyone stared at Yang Xiong in surprise; he looked extremely miserable, limping slightly, his face bruised and swollen as if he had been beaten up.

However, this morning's training, besides the Shrek teachers and students, also had an extra girl present.

The girl was about 1.75 m tall, considerably taller than Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu; she had a curvy figure and very beautiful looks, and she seemed sturdier than Ning Rongrong, with a slightly mature‑woman vibe in her clothing.

Everyone found the girl oddly out of place; normally Shrek trains eight people, so why was there an extra peer?

Ning Rongrong was unusually delighted: "Shuang Shuang, why are you here?"

The previously expressionless girl brightened at Ning Rongrong: "Rong Rong, I'm also here to study at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Flanders cleared his throat: "At this morning's assembly we have two announcements. First, the three of us on the teaching committee have finalized things; we are now officially the Second Team of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, named the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Shrek Team. That means for the Advanced Soul Master Competition in a year and a half, we will have a Second Team slot to compete."

"You should know your opponents will be formidable, so you must train hard; no one may slack off."

The crowd cheered; as Soul Grandmasters everyone wants to shine, and the full name of the competition is the "Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition," a grand event covering the entire Douluo Continent. Basically all young elite Soul Grandmasters will take part, and good performance earns continent‑wide recognition.

Flanders continued: "Second, a normal Soul Master Competition requires seven starters and four substitutes. After our selection and recommendation, we have added one substitute. The same applies to your eight of you; normally there are seven main slots, so you must compete hard. If you're not strong enough, you may end up as substitutes."

The listeners were not discouraged; instead they each rolled up their sleeves, since everyone present had extremely high talent, worked hard, and were confident.

Flanders addressed the new girl: "Let me introduce her; this is our new substitute member, Qin Shuang. From now on we'll train together; I hope you all get along well."

"Qin Shuang, please introduce yourself as well."

Since the morning assembly, several boys have been staring unblinkingly at the new girl, mainly because she's extremely beautiful, especially with that mature‑woman aura, which is highly intimidating to these young boys.

Qin Shuang stepped forward: "Hello everyone, I'm Qin Shuang, twelve years old, Level 27 Strong‑Attack System Battle Soul Master, martial soul Vajra Bear."

Apart from Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, no one knew anything about Qin Shuang.

Actually Qin Shuang grew up in the same class as Ning Rongrong and Yang Xiong, and was the only student in the class with Innate Soul Power Level 7 at the time.

When she graduated, Qin Shuang's Soul Power Level had already peaked at Level 25, the highest among everyone except Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong.

Qin Shuang lost both parents early and was raised by the sect, training hard, and it was Yang Xiong's suggestion that Ning Fengzhi arrange her entry into Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Originally Ning Fengzhi did not intend to place Qin Shuang into Heaven Dou Royal Academy; a talent cultivated by the sect would surely become a pillar of the sect, so she was slated to study at the Seven Treasures Academy.

After Yang Xiong's suggestion, Ning Fengzhi finally agreed and personally approached Flanders; otherwise, from Flanders and others' perspective, they would never consent to inserting personnel arbitrarily.

On the Douluo Continent, the proportion of female Soul Grandmasters is much lower than males; highly talented female Soul Grandmasters are also very rare, especially for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, whose direct disciples must have battle Soul Master partners. Ning Fengzhi clearly places great importance on Qin Shuang.

In the eyes of teachers like Flanders, this Soul Master Competition is merely a trial for all students; compared with a real Advanced Soul Master Academy team, the Shrek group's combat power is decent but their Soul Power Levels are still too low.

They place more emphasis on the next Soul Master Competition, when everyone will be around twenty; with current talent and hard training, they should reach the Soul Ancestor realm, possibly producing several Soul Kings.

Qin Shuang is the same age as Ning Rongrong and Yang Xiong; given their talent and strength, they can definitely become a Soul Ancestor in the next competition, which is one reason Flanders and others agreed.

Flanders deliberately matched Qin Shuang against Zhu Zhuqing; although Qin Shuang eventually lost, her displayed strength drew attention.

【9】 The two, of similar age, fought back and forth for over ten minutes before Qin Shuang finally fell, showing that her loss was mainly due to lack of combat experience.

The two were similar in age, fought back and forth, and it took more than ten minutes before Qin Shuang finally lost; it's clear that Qin Shuang's defeat was mainly due to a lack of combat experience.

After morning training, Yang Xiong patted Oscar's shoulder: "Oscar, I've already gotten you a partner; it took me a lot of effort, now it's up to your own hard work."

Oscar instantly rejoiced: "Xiong Ge, I'll never disappoint you."

Yang Xiong felt helpless; although Qin Shuang is a classmate of Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, she is still an odd one out in the class.

Though she's a girl, her personality is very strong, usually as cold as frost; aside from Ning Rongrong she doesn't interact much, and many boys interested in her have been beaten up by her.

Unexpectedly, Heaven Dou Royal Academy had originally assigned Qin Shuang a dorm, but she moved straight into Ning Rongrong's small villa; every time Yang Xiong tries to have a private moment with Ning Rongrong, Qin Shuang's fierce gaze greets them.

Yang Xiong felt helpless again; after planning so much, how did he end up digging his own pit?

After pursuing Qin Shuang for several days, Oscar was beaten up by her and came to Yang Xiong to complain.

"Xiong Ge, isn't Qin Shuang a bit hard to handle? Apart from a few girls, she ignores us boys; she doesn't seem to be looking for a boyfriend."

Yang Xiong patted Oscar's shoulder: "Oscar, you're not young anymore; what kind of partner do you want in the future?"

Oscar thought carefully, a lewd glint in his eyes: "Xiong Ge, my standards aren't high; I just want someone a bit prettier."

Yang Ge (Yang Xiong) gave Oscar a sharp rebuke: "Look at your ambition; I've already gotten you this person. I hope you stay devoted. If you want an ordinary girlfriend, Heaven Dou Royal Academy has plenty. I heard Ma Hongjun is about to hook up with a beauty."

"But I think you should think long‑term. You're a Food System Soul Grandmaster; your girlfriend—or partner—should be a battle Soul Master, and must be very strong, otherwise whether you're out training or living, you'll need someone to protect you."

"The most important point is you should hope your future partner grows together with you. Qin Shuang has Innate Soul Power Level 7, a very good talent; with their talent they could cultivate to Soul Saint, even Soul Douluo, so you probably don't want a partner far weaker than you, right?"

Oscar hesitated before speaking: "But yesterday I talked with Qin Shuang, and Qin Shuang said they want to find a stronger boy in the future, at least someone who can surpass them."

Yang Xiong examined Oscar from head to toe, shaking his head: "Oscar, it seems you still lack training. Think about it: the stronger a girl is, the more she admires the strong, and if you want to pursue her, you must become stronger yourself."

Oscar was a bit puzzled: "But I'm just a Food System Soul Grandmaster, I have virtually no combat power; how can I compare with her?"

Yang Xiong's mouth twitched with a smile: "Actually I have a way to give you combat power, but it's still a bit early for you; when you reach the Five Rings or even Six Rings, I'll tell you then."

"But before that you must train hard, improve your Soul Power, and also strengthen your body."

"Also you should know I have a Self-Created Spirit Skill, Spiral Sphere; actually every Soul Grandmaster can use it, and if you become strong enough, I'll teach you this Self-Created Spirit Skill."

Oscar was a bit confused: "Xiong Ge, just teach me Spiral Sphere now, then I'll have combat power too."

Yang Xiong shook his head: "Spiral Sphere isn't that simple; it involves many details, especially a high demand on mental power, and you must cultivate other secret arts first. When you reach Soul Ancestor, then I can consider teaching you. Haven't you seen I haven't even taught Rong Rong yet?"

Oscar: ……

After Oscar left, Yang Xiong couldn't help but shake his head; he truly treats Oscar as a friend, otherwise he wouldn't consider so much for him, especially having gotten Qin Shuang into Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which shows both Ning Fengzhi and Jian Douluo were reluctant.

Actually among the Shrek group, Yang Xiong's best relationship is with Oscar; at any time, Yang Xiong, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong basically form a small circle.

Oscar not only has outstanding talent, he's also quite clever; many things become clear with just a hint, and most importantly his personality is good.

Originally Yang Xiong's personality is rather strong‑willed, with his own considerations in life and work, and he doesn't like mingling much, whereas Oscar is comparatively delicate; their personalities complement each other.

When Ning Rongrong learned that Yang Xiong could bring Qin Shuang over to introduce her to Oscar, Little Demon Girl almost knocked the wall down.

"Well done, Yang Xiong, daring to scheme against my good sister; don't you know Shuang Shuang is extremely strong‑willed, you're pushing her into a fire pit."

Yang Xiong laughed: "If Oscar weren't so outstanding, I'd be too lazy to do this nonsense. What do you think of Oscar?"

Ning Rongrong stroked her chin, thinking for a long time before speaking: "Uncle Sausage is great in many ways, but he's only a Food System Soul Grandmaster, and his soul skill and demeanor are overly lewd, especially the way he looks at pretty female students is too lewd."

Yang Xiong couldn't help pinching Ning Rongrong's little ear: "You've been with Oscar so long, don't you know his character? Whether talent, effort, or mindset, he's far stronger than those young sect disciples, not to mention his looks; he's a rare handsome man among Soul Grandmasters."

"Aren't you and Qin Shuang good friends? Then you should consider Qin Shuang even more; Oscar has a ninety‑percent chance of becoming a rare Food System Title Douluo in the future."

Ning Rongrong pursed her little mouth: "You overthink things; it always seems unfair to Frost, and it feels like Oscar and Frost have both fallen into your trap."

Yang Xiong thought for a long while before he couldn't help sighing: "A trap? Perhaps for them it is the best choice."

(End of chapter)