What Xiao Tianyang didn't realize, however, was that a pair of eyes were fixed on him from the stands at this very moment.
And judging by the expression on that person's face, they weren't particularly pleased.
Had Xiao Tianyang been aware, he would have recognized this individual immediately— Qian Renxue.
After taking a moment to steady her emotions, Qian Renxue regained her usual composure and spoke calmly: "Is Xiao Tianyang from Shrek Academy also participating in the competition?"
The maid beside her promptly bowed and replied respectfully, "Your Highness, yes, he is."
"Aside from Tang San, how many substitutes are there on Shrek Academy's team?"
Qian Renxue was sharp—she subtly redirected the conversation to what truly occupied her thoughts.
The maid answered, "There are six in total: Xiao Tianyang, Huang Yuan, Tai Long, Jing Ling, Jiang Zhu, and Saber."
"I recognize the first few, but who is this 'Saber'? Why have I never heard of her before?" A faint trace of puzzlement crossed Qian Renxue's face.
The maid responded dutifully, "Your Highness, Saber hails from the southern regions. Rumor has it that she and the prodigy Xiao Tianyang were childhood sweethearts. They grew up together but were separated at the age of four."
"Afterward, Xiao Tianyang's parents went into the mountains to gather firewood and were killed. The two lost contact after that."
"However, Saber reappeared when Xiao Tianyang was enrolling at Shrek Academy. It seems she left her family after her parents perished in a shipwreck..."
As Qian Renxue's personal attendant, this maid was no ordinary servant.
In terms of combat strength, she might be unremarkable.
But when it came to intelligence-gathering and management, she was nothing short of a genius.
She had an uncanny ability to anticipate Qian Renxue's needs, gathering information even before being asked.
Qian Renxue greatly valued this perceptiveness.
The maid recounted nearly Xiao Tianyang's entire life story—though nothing involving deep secrets, of course.
After all, Xiao Tianyang had never spoken of such matters, not even to someone as close as Saber, let alone outsiders.
Moreover, the further he progressed, the more cautious he became.
Unless a Titled Douluo were to personally tail him, even a genius like Qian Renxue wouldn't be able to track his movements undetected.
Upon hearing all this, Qian Renxue fell silent for a long moment.
This was the first time she had truly learned about Xiao Tianyang's past.
Before, she hadn't cared—even after being repeatedly bested by him.
Qian Renxue was not one to harbor resentment or resort to underhanded tactics simply because she had been defeated.
In fact, she despised such behavior.
Later, as her attitude toward Xiao Tianyang shifted, she refrained from investigating him out of respect for their relationship.
She had hoped he would confide in her himself, rather than her having to dig into his past.
But now, hearing it from her maid, Qian Renxue felt an unexpected pang of discomfort.
She had always considered her own life tragic, yet she never imagined a genius like Xiao Tianyang had also endured such hardships.
And despite it all, he remained so optimistic and cheerful.
Compared to him, what did that say about herself?
This realization left her unsettled, even almost ashamed.
Of course, change wouldn't come overnight.
Even with a role model to emulate, growth was a gradual process.
Shaking off these thoughts, Qian Renxue swiftly refocused on another matter.
Her expression remained unreadable, but inwardly, she whispered: 'A childhood sweetheart…?'
…
Resting Area
Each academy had its designated area in the rest zone.
But while the other teams mingled freely—familiar with one another—Shrek Academy's members remained isolated, either chatting among themselves or meditating with closed eyes.
"Where's Tianyang? Why did he vanish the moment we arrived?" Ning Rongrong glanced around, frowning when she couldn't spot him.
Oscar added, "Not just him—Saber's missing too."
"Wait, did they slip off together again?"
Ning Rongrong shot to her feet, ready to search, but Tang San interjected calmly: "They were called away by the teachers. I don't know the details."
"Oh…" Reluctantly, Ning Rongrong sat back down.
But just then, a mocking voice cut through the air from nearby: "Has the bar for advanced soul master academies fallen so low? Even random stragglers can squeeze in now."
The Shrek team turned to see a group of students in ornate robes.
The moment their eyes met, the tension between them was palpable.
Naturally, none of the bystanders intervened—wherever there was conflict, spectators were never in short supply.
Ma Hongjun smirked and retorted loudly: "Ah, the world moves fast these days. Turning a dog into a man is hard, but watching a man turn into a dog? Happens in a blink!"
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hey, supervisors! Can't you hear the barking? Get this mutt out of here!"
The offending student's face darkened instantly. "You fat bastard! Who are you calling a dog?!"
Ma Hongjun ignored him, continuing his theatrics. Soon, the entire rest area was watching.
But before the argument could escalate, a sudden, heavy click of footsteps silenced the room.
An oppressive aura swept over them—like being stared down by a soul beast far beyond their level.
"This pressure…?!" Tang San's eyes snapped toward the entrance.
When he saw who it was, his pupils contracted in shock.
'It's Edward. The man who could rival Brother Tianyang himself.'
Oscar stammered, "H-How is he here?! Isn't Edward the dean's friend? Does this tournament have no age limit?!"
Dai Mubai growled, "Impossible. The Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament is the pinnacle of prestige—rules like that can't just change without notice!"
Tang San took a deep breath. "Then there's only one explanation."
The team spoke in unison: "Edward qualifies by age."
Ignoring the stares, Edward strode toward his designated spot without a word.
Behind him followed Saber, clad in armor beneath a black cloak, along with Fei Xue and Zhou Cheng—both masked.
Zhou Cheng, meanwhile, carried Xiao Tianyang's Cong Yunqie over his shoulder.
To Xiao Tianyang, the weapon was light as a feather. As for Zhou Cheng? It was an unbearable weight.
Originally, Xiao Tianyang never burdened others with his belongings—he could simply store the blade in his spirit tool and summon it when needed.
But Zhou Cheng had insisted, stubbornly demanding to carry it for him.
And now?
He was suffering under its weight, yet refusing to back down.
Xiao Tianyang could only sigh at his junior brother's stubbornness.
…
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