The moon had barely climbed into the night sky when Flender's voice rang out across the Shrek Academy courtyard, sharp and commanding. The students had just finished their dinner, most still savoring the warmth of the meal, when the call came.
"All students, gather in front of the dorms. Now!"
The urgency in his tone had them scrambling. Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu, who looked equally surprised. They'd expected sparring in the field, maybe another harsh lecture—but this?
Within minutes, everyone had gathered. Flender stood before them with his usual inscrutable expression, hands behind his back, the moonlight casting sharp shadows across his robes.
"Tonight marks your first real combat training," he declared. "Follow me."
No further explanation. No questions allowed.
They set off on foot, following Flender through the forest path that led out of the academy grounds. The atmosphere was tense but filled with a strange excitement.
Oscar muttered while rubbing his thighs, "Ugh… my legs still haven't recovered from this morning…"
Dai Mubai, walking ahead, glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "You'll forget about the sore legs soon enough. We're heading to the Soto City Great Spirit Arena."
Several heads turned at that.
"Wait… the Spirit Arena?" Xiao Wu echoed, eyes narrowing in curiosity.
"That's right," Mubai nodded. "Real battles. Real opponents. You'll see what it means to fight outside of a training yard."
After half an hour of walking, the forest gave way to the lights of Soto City. The students' eyes widened as the massive structure of the Great Spirit Arena came into view. Towering like a coliseum from ancient times, it glowed under the city lights—buzzing with activity, vendors, and spirit masters of all ages moving in and out.
The air pulsed with energy and tension.
Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled. "So this is the place…"
Flender turned back to face them. "This is where many spirit masters earn their badges and make a name for themselves. It's also where you will prove yourselves. To graduate from Shrek Academy, reaching the Silver Spirit Badge is the minimum requirement."
He paused, letting the weight of those words settle in. "Tonight, most of you will begin that journey. After registering, you'll all start at the Iron Spirit Badge rank."
He turned to Dai Mubai. "Mubai, take them inside. Explain everything they need to know. I'll handle the arrangements."
"Yes, Headmaster."
The group followed Dai Mubai into the bustling interior of the arena. The inside was no less impressive—high ceilings, marble floors, and glowing spirit energy lanterns lighting the way. The front desk buzzed with activity as spirit masters queued to register for battles.
Dai Mubai led them to a quieter corner and began his explanation.
"The Great Spirit Arena operates on a badge system. There are eight ranks: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Amethyst, Sapphire, and Diamond."
"Only the third rank is required? That should be easy," Xiao Wu remarked, grinning.
Mubai let out a dry laugh. "Easy? I've got 29 wins and 27 losses. I only have 2 points and am still stuck in the Iron tier."
The new students blinked in surprise.
"But the gossip said that you're strong…" Ning Rongrong said, puzzled.
"I am. But here, matches are based on your cultivation realm. After I reached Soul Elder, I started facing even stronger opponents. Most of my losses happened then."
He gestured to Ma Hongjun, who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Fatty here has 21 wins and 12 losses. He's got 9 points—still Iron rank. Even if you fight lower-ranked opponents, the system's strict. Points come slowly unless you win consistently against higher-tier enemies."
He turned toward Li Wei, who had remained silent.
"Li Wei's an exception. He's a low-ranked Soul Ancestor now, but most of his wins came when he was still a Soul Elder. He's only ever lost once—right after his breakthrough. But once he stabilized, he hasn't lost again. Even when fighting higher realms, he overwhelms his opponents. Vice Principal Zhao Wuji had a headache dealing with him. He's the only one among us with a Golden Badge."
Even Tang San's eyebrows rose at that.
Mubai continued. "There are three types of matches: Normal Matches, Death Matches, and Gambling Matches. The last two involve your life or wealth, and are only for those confident enough to risk them. For now, you'll be doing only Normal Matches. One match per night."
"Each victory earns you points. You can choose between 1v1, 2v2, or Team Matches. Each category has its own badge rank."
The group nodded, absorbing the information.
"Alright," Dai Mubai clapped. "Time to register. For 1v1s, you'll use your real names."
They approached the front desk one by one. Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong were registered and handed their Iron Spirit Arena Identification Tokens.
Each token was etched with their name and starting rank.
Then came a question.
"Do any of you want to register for a 2v2 match as well?" Mubai asked.
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu. She grinned and nodded.
"We'll enter as a team," he said.
"Team name?" the clerk asked.
"San-Wu," Tang San replied.
They were handed a second pair of tokens for 2v2 matches—also starting at Iron rank.
As they finished the process, after something waiting a voice crackled over the arena's loudspeaker.
"Participant Xiao Wu, prepare for your match. Please report to 14th battle stage."
Xiao Wu blinked in surprise, then looked at Tang San with a grin.
"Guess I'm up first."
The others watched her with a mix of anticipation and unease. The real spirit battles had begun.
And there would be no turning back now.