Sitting in the center was a tall young man dressed in blue. He had short black hair and a face that wasn't particularly handsome, with an expression that rarely changed, giving him a rather aloof and unapproachable demeanor.
Next to him was a girl with short, deep purple hair. She was leaning on his shoulder with a lazy expression. Her face was charming, though not overwhelmingly beautiful, and she exuded an aura of strength. Unusually, she had a pair of green eyes that added an air of mystery to her appearance.
"Yanzi, I heard that our Emperor Team is getting a new member, someone specifically appointed by the three deans. Apparently, this person was recommended by His Highness, the Crown Prince. Do you know who it is?" The speaker was a young man with golden hair and charming, flirtatious eyes. His handsome appearance gave him the air of a playboy.
As he spoke, he crossed one leg over the other and whistled at a female student passing by, causing her to blush and hurry away.
The purple-haired girl glanced at him with disdain and said, "How would I know? And you better put that leg down, or I'll poison you until you're crippled."
"No, no... I'll put it down, okay?" The golden-haired youth quickly lowered his leg with a bitter expression.
"Ha ha, Yuefeng chickened out!" A young man dressed in black sitting opposite him mocked. This young man also had golden hair and was almost as beautiful as a woman, clearly enjoying Yuefeng's predicament.
"What the hell, Baozi? You have a problem with me, don't you? Why don't you come and face me one-on-one," the handsome youth shouted angrily.
The black-clad youth scoffed, "I'm not that stupid. You're a flying spirit master, while I'm a ground spirit master. One-on-one, you'd clearly have the upper hand. If you're so great, why don't you challenge the captain? If you can last three minutes, I'll concede defeat."
"You..." The handsome youth was at a loss for words, knowing he couldn't beat the captain.
"Alright, everyone quiet down," the young man in blue finally spoke. "Bickering over something so trivial... With all that spare time, why not meditate and improve your spirit power? Take a lesson from the Shi brothers. They're the same age as you, yet their spirit power is one or two levels higher."
His words were quite authoritative. Upon hearing them, the two young men immediately ceased their argument.
The young man in blue continued, "However, hearing you talk about it does remind me. I saw the new student a week ago."
"How strong is he?" the purple-haired girl leaning against him asked curiously.
The young man in blue shook his head. "I couldn't tell. But he seems competent. When I walked by, I saw Xue Beng and his group of lackeys lying on the ground, writhing in pain."
"Pfft, that's nothing. Xue Beng's lackeys are pampered and have never fought a real battle. They probably forgot to use their martial spirits out of fear," the handsome youth sneered, clearly unimpressed with Xue Beng and his men.
"Perhaps. However, what truly caught my attention was something else." The blue-clad youth turned his gaze to another female member sitting in a corner of the pavilion. She wore black clothes and a veil covering her face. She had a slender figure, with long blue hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes, the same shade as her hair, betrayed no emotion. From her, one could sense only solitude and desolation.
"Lingling, the spirit tool that the new student had on his hand looked a lot like yours. If I hadn't just seen you recently, I would have thought he had stolen your spirit tool."
As he spoke, he glanced at the black-haired girl's left hand. Beneath her sleeve, a blue gem identical to the one in Lan Si's hand was embedded in her wristguard.
"What is his name?" a melodious voice asked. Ye Lingling's voice was beautiful, yet her tone was empty, carrying a hint of urgency.
These seven individuals were the members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's school team.
(PS: The battle between the Emperor Team and Shrek is scheduled to occur after Shrek undergoes Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's three-month special training, along with a month of group combat, so there are still about four months to go. Some team members' spirit power may be one level lower.)
Captain: Yu Tianheng, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Level 39 Assault System Battle Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Vice Captain: Dugu Yan, Martial Soul: Jade Phosphor Serpent, Level 38 Control System Battle Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Team Member: Shi Mo, Martial Soul: Black Turtle, Level 37 Defense System Battle Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Team Member: Shi Mo, Martial Soul: Black Turtle, Level 37 Defense System Battle Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Team Member: Yue Feng, Martial Soul: Wind Chime Bird, Level 36 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Team Member: Oslo, Martial Soul: Ghost Leopard, Level 35 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Team Member: Ye Lingling, Martial Soul: Nine Heart Begonia, Level 35 Support System Tool Soul Master. Spirit Rings: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Hearing Ye Lingling's words, the pavilion fell silent. Even Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers, who had been meditating earlier, turned to look at her in shock and disbelief.
This was the first time Ye Lingling had ever inquired about a male student. Normally, she barely spoke, even to the members of her own team.
"Lingling, is this new student a relative of yours?" Dugu Yan asked in disbelief.
Ye Lingling didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed on the two figures walking across the square.
Dugu Yan and the others followed her gaze and saw the team leader, Qin Ming, walking toward them with a young boy dressed in black.
The boy had clear, black eyes and messy black hair that somehow still looked tidy. His skin was fair, his body was well-proportioned, and his features were handsome yet masculine. He gave off a refreshing and striking impression.
Unlike Yue Feng and Oslo, the world of spirit masters, dominated by spirit power, was full of beautiful men and women, making people immune to appearances. But this boy had a special calmness. Even Dugu Yan, who was already in a relationship, couldn't help but take another glance at him.
"Teacher," the Emperor Team members stood up and greeted Qin Ming respectfully as he approached with the young boy.
"Everyone's here," Qin Ming said with a faint smile. "You've probably guessed why I called you here." He turned to introduce the young boy. "Let me introduce you. This is Lan Si, the newest member of the Emperor Team. Don't be fooled by his age; he's already a twelve-year-old Soul Elder."
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