The next morning, Flender gathered the Shrek Seven Devils for their first lesson. However, the morning session was only targeted at Ning Rongrong and Oscar; the others would have their lessons in the evening.
The first lesson was simple: running laps. They were required to run twenty laps around the village. For auxiliary spirit masters, learning to escape was considered common sense.
However, the laps were quite long, and with the physical endurance of auxiliary soul masters, completing them was almost impossible. Oscar fared better because his sausages could replenish his stamina and spirit power.
But Ning Rongrong refused to eat the sausages, as she found the incantation Oscar used to create them too vulgar.
In truth, Flender hadn't expected Ning Rongrong to complete the task. He could tell she was a spoiled young lady from a wealthy family and specifically wanted to give her a hard time to curb her arrogance.
If Ning Rongrong gave up halfway, Flender had prepared a barrage of sarcastic remarks to humiliate her.
However, he underestimated Ning Rongrong this time. While she indeed couldn't complete the laps, she refused to give up halfway. Under Tian Lin's guidance, she had developed a belief: never give up until the very end.
"Sigh, Rongrong, this won't work. Why don't you eat one of my sausages? Otherwise, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to finish all the laps," Oscar said as he tried to persuade Ning Rongrong, who was drenched in sweat.
Ning Rongrong shot him a cold glance. "Don't call me 'Rongrong.' We're not that close. Just call me Ning. As for your sausage, keep it for yourself. I won't touch it."
"Don't be like that. We'll be spending the next few years together, so we should start getting to know each other better," Oscar said, using the shameless tactics he had learned from Dai Mubai to flirt.
Ning Rongrong immediately understood his intentions. This guy had a crush on her. At twelve years old, she had already developed faster than most girls her age due to being a soul master. She had grown into a graceful young lady, and such admiring gazes were something she had seen plenty of back in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. However, within the clan, everyone knew about Tian Lin's existence, so no one dared to openly flirt with her like this.
"Do you like me?" Ning Rongrong asked bluntly.
"Hehe, you noticed. To be honest, I've never seen a girl as beautiful as you before," Oscar admitted, blushing. Though he appeared mature, he was still a pure-hearted boy, unlike the experienced Dai Mubai or Ma Hongjun.
"Then I suggest you give up," Ning Rongrong replied decisively. "First, I already like someone else—my Sword Brother. Second, according to the rules of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the person I marry must be a battle soul master. So, there's no possibility between us."
Perhaps the original Ning Rongrong, with her mischievous personality, wouldn't have been so direct even if she didn't like Oscar. She might have found it amusing to keep teasing him. But the current Ning Rongrong, who had learned to respect others, wouldn't give him false hope.
Hearing this, Oscar froze in place. His goddess already had someone in her heart, and because he was also an auxiliary soul master, he didn't fit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's rules at all.
His sweet first love had shattered before it even began.
Ning Rongrong ignored him and continued running forward.
Meanwhile, not far from Suoto City, a young man arrived in the city—it was Tian Lin.
He had obtained the pills he needed from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan disciples. Coincidentally, Qin Ming was preparing to bring the Emperor Battle Team to the Suoto City Great Soul Arena for training, as in the original story. So, Tian Lin had come ahead of schedule to visit Ning Rongrong.
He was worried that Ning Rongrong might be bullied at Shrek Academy, especially by Dai Mubai. If Dai Mubai threatened her as in the original story, Tian Lin wouldn't hesitate to deal with him.
After asking for directions, Tian Lin headed straight for Shrek Academy.
At noon, Ning Rongrong and Oscar returned to the academy. Flender asked, "Did you both finish the laps?"
"Yes, we… we both finished!" Oscar replied. In truth, only he had finished the laps, but he lied to protect Ning Rongrong, fearing she would be punished. Even if she didn't like him, she was still his first crush.
"There's no need to cover for me," Ning Rongrong said directly. "Dean, the twenty laps were too long. I couldn't finish them. I ran out of stamina after the seventeenth lap."
"I see. Just work harder to make up for it in the future," Flender said, surprisingly without any blame, leaving Oscar puzzled.
"You're wondering why I'm not angry?" Flender said, noticing Oscar's confusion. He smiled and explained, "Honestly, I'm surprised myself. Rongrong, as a young lady from a wealthy family, I didn't expect you to have such determination. You only gave up after completely exhausting your stamina. A lack of stamina can be trained, but perseverance is key to becoming stronger. I'm very pleased. Why would I be angry?"
"This is what my Sword Brother taught me," Ning Rongrong replied proudly. "He said, 'You'll never know your limits unless you push yourself. Those who give up halfway will never find their limits. Only by finding your limits can you break through them and reach higher realms.'"
"Sword Brother again!" Tang San couldn't help but feel curious. Who exactly was this Sword Brother that Ning Rongrong kept mentioning? She had previously said that her deep soul power was thanks to his help. Now, she was quoting such profound wisdom from him. Tang San wanted to meet him.
"Sword Brother?" Flender seemed thoughtful. "Rongrong, are you talking about the number one genius of your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Sword Prince Tian Lin?"
Because Tian Lin had easily defeated the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall during a titled ceremony, his reputation had spread far and wide. Over the years, Chen Xin had occasionally taken Tian Lin out for training. Practicing the Seven Kill Sword required real-life combat experience, and many bandits, villains, and even dark spirit masters had fallen to Tian Lin's sword.
Thanks to his acts of justice, people gave him the title "Sword Prince," a name fitting for Chen Xin's disciple.
Ning Rongrong nodded. "Yes, that's my Sword Brother. When it comes to geniuses, no one in this world can compare to him."
Seeing Ning Rongrong's proud expression as she spoke of Tian Lin, Oscar felt a pang of bitterness. It was clear now: Ning Rongrong truly had someone in her heart, and it was no lie. Her heart was already full of someone else.
After the group dispersed, Oscar, still unwilling to give up, approached Flender. "Dean, I wanted to ask—is it true that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has a rule that their direct disciples can only marry battle soul masters?"
Flender, realizing Oscar had feelings for Ning Rongrong, sighed and said, "Yes, it's true. And honestly, I think it's a reasonable rule. Two auxiliary soul masters together would have no way to protect each other. Oscar, I hope your future partner is also a battle soul master. Rongrong isn't suitable for you."
"Besides, Ning Rongrong wasn't lying about Tian Lin. He's truly an extraordinary genius. He defeated the so-called Golden Generation of Spirit Hall without breaking a sweat. Competing with him would be nearly impossible."
"I understand. Thank you, Dean." Oscar left, utterly heartbroken, and returned to his room in despair.
Watching Oscar's dejected figure, Flender sighed. Matters of love were beyond his ability to solve. He could guide them in cultivation but had no answers for affairs of the heart. All he could do was hope Oscar would recover soon.