When the battle began, each combatant found their respective opponent, but this was all part of Tang San's plan. Unlike in the original timeline, the Emperor Team was taking the battle seriously because of Dugu Yan and Teacher Qin's constant reprimands. However, they weren't the only ones who had changed. Because of Lev's interference, the Shrek Seven Devils had all become more eager to train and grow stronger than they normally would have.
As the battle continued, a series of notifications continuously rang in Lev's head. Before long, he finally faced his opponent, only to find himself appearing directly in front of Dugu Yan, catching the woman completely off guard.
Dugu Yan quickly regained her composure and stared at the pair of eyes visible behind Lev's mask. For some reason, they felt strangely familiar to her. She couldn't explain why, but there was an inexplicable sense of recognition whenever she looked into them.
The two exchanged several spirit abilities as Lev continued observing Dugu Yan closely. Somehow, she seemed different from the person he remembered. There was something about her that didn't quite match his expectations.
'Could Dugu Bo have something to do with it? Now that I think about it, I might need him for my plans.'
A faint smile appeared beneath Lev's mask as he looked at Dugu Yan.
"How's your grandfather?"
Dugu Yan frowned upon hearing his question.
"How do you know about my grandpa?"
"Well, we happened to meet by chance in the past." Lev replied casually, his smile never fading.
Dugu Yan became even more suspicious. She couldn't understand why this mysterious person was speaking about her grandfather so casually. No matter how she looked at him, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the boy standing before her—aside from those strangely familiar eyes.
"Your grandfather might not have told you everything about me. So, let me show you instead."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lev activated a spirit ability.
"Jade Phosphor Serpent Body Enhancement."
The moment the ability was activated, Lev's body began to transform. His constitution changed, taking on the characteristics of a serpent. His two legs fused together, transforming into a long tail, while jade-colored armor spread across his body, covering him from head to toe.
This was the ability he had learned from Dugu Bo back then. He had specifically copied it for himself, knowing that it might prove useful one day.
And now, that day had finally come.
Dugu Yan was utterly shocked when she witnessed Lev's transformation with her own eyes. She watched as his body changed until he looked almost exactly like her grandfather.
Then, something suddenly clicked in her mind.
Those eyes.
That familiar feeling.
The memories she had heard from her grandfather.
'I-Is he the person Grandpa was talking about?'
Dugu Yan's eyes widened.
'I can't believe I would actually see him here... and like this.'
Without hesitation, Dugu Yan stopped fighting. Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, she lowered herself and knelt before Lev.
"Dugu Yan meets the Young Master."
The entire arena fell into a moment of silence.
Everyone was completely dumbfounded by Dugu Yan's sudden action. Teacher Qin and the other members of the Emperor Team stared at her as if they could no longer comprehend what was happening.
Even Tang San and the others were caught off guard by the sudden development.
However, they quickly realized that this was an opportunity.
Taking advantage of the Emperor Team's distraction, Tang San and the rest of the Shrek Seven Devils immediately launched their attacks.
The Emperor Team could no longer regain their focus. With their formation thrown into complete disarray and the Shrek Seven Devils working together seamlessly, they were quickly overwhelmed.
In the end, the Emperor Team was defeated.
Lev, meanwhile, was just as surprised by Dugu Yan's sudden actions. He had never expected her to kneel before him like this.
He could only smile wryly.
"Follow me."
Hearing Lev's command, Dugu Yan immediately stood up. Without waiting for anyone else, she followed after him, leaving both the Shrek Seven Devils and the Emperor Team completely stunned.
Meanwhile, the announcer finally seemed to recover from his shock. He awkwardly raised his voice and announced the result.
"S-Shrek Seven Devils win the fight!!!!"
The audience didn't know how to react at first.
The battle had ended in such a bizarre and unexpected manner that many of them were still trying to process what they had just witnessed.
But gradually, cheers and shouts began to fill the arena.
"Hahaha! What was that?!"
"The Shrek Seven Devils won!"
"Shrek Seven Devils!"
"Shrek Seven Devils!"
The strange conclusion only made the audience more excited, and soon, the entire arena was filled with cheers for the Shrek Seven Devils.
Yu Xiaogang and the others were equally surprised that they had won in such a peculiar manner. They could only exchange awkward smiles while staring toward the arena, their expressions filled with conflicting emotions.
None of them had expected the battle to end like this.
*****
Restaurant,
After leaving the Great Spirit Arena, Lev brought Dugu Yan to a fine restaurant where they could talk privately. The two sat across from each other, calmly eating as if they hadn't just participated in a fierce battle moments ago.
After a while, the atmosphere between them began to feel somewhat strange. Lev finally broke the silence and looked at Dugu Yan curiously.
"Strange. Did you already know about me beforehand?"
Dugu Yan, however, didn't answer.
Her eyes were completely focused on Lev's face.
She had seen his portrait several times before, but seeing him in the flesh was an entirely different experience. Perhaps it was because he had grown up now, becoming more mature and carrying himself differently from the person she remembered from those portraits.
"Dugu Yan."
Lev called her name again after noticing that she was still staring at him in a daze.
Hearing her name, Dugu Yan finally snapped out of her thoughts. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she hurriedly answered,
"My grandpa was doing well. He was always looking for the Young Master, hoping that he would eventually find you."
"Haha. You're completely not listening to what I asked."
Lev couldn't help but laugh at her response.
"Well, it doesn't really matter."
Although he didn't say it aloud, he was almost certain that Dugu Bo had something to do with the changes he was seeing in Dugu Yan. Whatever the old man had told her—or perhaps whatever influence he had on her—had clearly affected her attitude toward him.
Dugu Yan could only look at Lev with a slight blush on her face as the two continued their conversation while eating.
Not long after, another woman suddenly approached their table.
It was Zhu Zhuqing.
Lev had already told her earlier to follow them after she finished dealing with matters on her side. Upon arriving and seeing Lev sitting together with Dugu Yan, Zhu Zhuqing immediately sat beside him and gave Dugu Yan a somewhat fierce look.
Dugu Yan noticed her gaze and frowned in return.
She was equally curious about why this woman had come here and, more importantly, what exactly her relationship with Lev was.
"Yan Yan, this is Zhu Zhuqing, one of my lovers."
Lev casually introduced her.
Zhu Zhuqing's face immediately turned red.
She glanced at Lev shyly after hearing him openly refer to her as his lover in public. However, she quickly composed herself. She wasn't here to dwell on that.
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan felt something strange stir within her after hearing Lev's introduction.
She was very familiar with this feeling.
Jealousy.
She couldn't believe it.
Was she actually jealous of Zhu Zhuqing?
Dugu Yan didn't want to admit it, but after seeing Lev again and spending time with him, she realized that her feelings had already changed.
She had truly fallen in love with him at first sight.
Lev then began explaining everything to the two of them, especially to Zhu Zhuqing, who was hearing the entire story for the first time. He also took the opportunity to let the two women become acquainted with each other since there was a good chance they would be interacting much more from now on.
The conversation continued for quite some time.
Eventually, Lev glanced outside and realized how much time had passed.
"I think we've been out for quite a while now. How about we go back first and continue this conversation later?"
Lev stood up from his seat.
Although he wanted to hear more about Dugu Yan's story regarding her grandfather, he felt that there would be a better time and place for that conversation.
"Mmm."
Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan replied simultaneously.
At first, the two women were somewhat awkward around each other. However, after exchanging a few words, they gradually settled into a neutral relationship.
Neither of them tried to force themselves to become close. After all, they had only just met, and becoming too familiar with each other immediately would have felt rather strange.
*****
Great Spirit Arena,
After arriving at the waiting room where they had been instructed to gather, Lev, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dugu Yan were greeted by an unexpected sight.
Aside from Yu Xiaogang and the others, Teacher Qin and the entire Emperor Team were also present. Judging from their expressions and the way they were interacting, it seemed that the two groups had already become acquainted with each other.
The people inside the room also noticed Lev and the others as soon as they entered.
Tang San and the rest of the Shrek Seven Devils didn't react much to their arrival. The Emperor Team, however, had a completely different reaction.
Several of them immediately became displeased upon seeing Dugu Yan together with Lev, especially Yu Tianheng, who had always harbored feelings for her.
Ignoring their gazes, Lev, Zhu Zhuqing, and Dugu Yan simply found seats and settled down.
However, the moment they sat down, a question was immediately thrown at Dugu Yan.
"Yan Yan, do you perhaps know him?"
Teacher Qin asked curiously, his eyes shifting toward Lev.
He had already noticed that Lev was the reason behind the sudden change in Dugu Yan's behavior, which had ultimately contributed to the Emperor Team's defeat.
Teacher Qin's question immediately piqued everyone's interest.
Everyone turned toward Dugu Yan, waiting for her answer. They were all curious about what kind of relationship she had with Lev.
However, unlike the Emperor Team, Yu Xiaogang and the others had a different thought regarding the matter.
They remembered Lev mentioning that he had personally met the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.
Could this be related?
"When and how?"
Teacher Qin asked again when Dugu Yan remained silent.
Her silence only strengthened his suspicion. After all, this wasn't the Dugu Yan he had been teaching and observing for so many years. The normally proud and decisive young woman had suddenly knelt before Lev and willingly followed him without hesitation.
Yet Dugu Yan still remained silent.
Under the pressure of everyone's questioning gazes, she eventually looked toward Lev.
She didn't particularly mind telling them about her connection with him. However, because the matter involved Lev, she felt that she should ask for his permission first.
Lev simply shook his head.
Seeing this, Dugu Yan turned toward Teacher Qin and politely answered,
"I'm sorry, Teacher Qin, but I don't want to answer your question."
The room immediately fell silent.
Teacher Qin and the others exchanged glances.
Something was definitely amiss.
Their eyes eventually settled on Lev.
Whatever was happening, it was clearly related to him. But that only raised another question in everyone's minds.
How could he command the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo?
And why would Dugu Yan willingly obey him?
No one could figure it out.
Unable to obtain any more information, they eventually shifted their attention to other matters and continued their conversation.
However, another issue soon arose.
Teacher Qin eventually brought up the idea of having the Shrek students enroll in Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
The moment he mentioned it, Flender immediately rejected the proposal.
"No!"
Flender's voice was firm as he angrily argued against the idea.
The discussion quickly became heated, and it was only through Yu Xiaogang's strong persuasion that Flender eventually stopped resisting.
Yu Xiaogang explained that the Shrek students needed to enroll in an academy capable of providing them with better resources and an environment where they could become high-level Spirit Masters. More importantly, they needed such a place if they wanted to properly prepare themselves for the Annual Continental Spirit Tournament.
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's reasoning, Flender could only reluctantly accept.
He was clearly unwilling to let the students go, but he understood that this might be the best choice for their future.
Unable to hide his frustration, Flender eventually walked out of the room to calm himself down.
Seeing this, Tang San and the other Shrek students immediately followed after him to comfort their dean. They could understand how difficult it must have been for Flender to accept the idea of letting them leave.
Meanwhile, Teacher Qin also bade everyone farewell.
"I hope to see all of you at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
Yu Tianheng and the others expressed similar sentiments before leaving with Teacher Qin.
Dugu Yan, however, remained reluctant to leave.
She glanced at Lev before finally following after the Emperor Team.
"Don't worry. We'll meet again soon."
Lev reassured her.
"And when you see your grandfather, don't tell him about our meeting."
Dugu Yan nodded.
"Alright."
With one final glance at Lev, she finally left the room.
Lev watched her disappear from sight before silently turning his attention back toward the others.
After everyone had left, only Yu Xiaogang, Lev, and Zhu Zhuqing remained in the room, creating an awkward atmosphere between them.
The sudden offer of a master-disciple relationship a month ago now felt especially distant.
Seeing that everyone had gone their separate ways, Lev finally turned toward Yu Xiaogang.
"Grandmaster, I think it's finally time for us to say goodbye for real. We've already decided to leave the academy and journey on our own from now on."
Hearing those unexpected words, Yu Xiaogang was completely shocked.
He immediately stood up, staring at Lev and Zhu Zhuqing with knitted brows. For a moment, he couldn't even think of what to say. A part of him wondered whether they were simply joking.
"The academy can't make me or Zhu Zhuqing stronger. In fact, these past four months have felt like a waste of our potential. So, I've decided that we'll go our separate ways and live on our own from now on."
Lev continued, his tone calm and firm.
"I-If that's the only problem, y-you can come with us to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. You can enjoy better resources and facilities there."
Seeing that Lev was completely serious, Yu Xiaogang began to panic.
He knew just how important Lev was to the team.
Although hearing such blunt and honest words from Lev hurt him, that was no longer what mattered to him. Lev leaving the academy was an entirely different matter.
"It would be the same even if we went there."
Lev shook his head.
"It's not like I've learned much from being with Shrek anyway."
His words were blunt, but he wasn't saying them out of spite.
The truth was that the knowledge and training provided by the academy simply weren't enough to help him grow. The only real way for him to become stronger was to fight, kill more Spirit Beasts, and experience more of the outside world.
As for Zhu Zhuqing's growth, Lev had already thought of a way to help her.
After finishing his explanation, Lev stood up and looked toward Zhu Zhuqing.
She looked back at him with a gentle smile.
They had already discussed this beforehand, so she wasn't surprised by his decision.
"This won't be our last meeting, Grandmaster. If fate allows it, we may meet again someday in the future. But even I don't know what will happen when that time comes."
With those final words, Lev turned around and began walking toward the exit with Zhu Zhuqing.
Yu Xiaogang remained standing there, completely dumbfounded.
He stared at the doorway where the two had disappeared, his mind struggling to process everything that had happened today.
So many things had happened in such a short period of time.
The battle.
Dugu Yan.
The Emperor Team.
The decision to join Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
And now, Lev and Zhu Zhuqing leaving Shrek altogether.
Eventually, Yu Xiaogang slowly sat back down.
He remained silent as he stared into the distance, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
For the first time in a long while, he found himself wondering whether the path he had chosen for these children was truly the right one.
After a while, Flender and the others returned with smiles on their faces. However, the moment they entered the room, their expressions quickly changed.
The room was empty.
Only Yu Xiaogang remained, sitting alone with a solemn expression on his face.
"What happened? And where are they?"
Flender immediately asked.
His good mood disappeared the moment he saw Yu Xiaogang. He knew his old friend better than anyone, and the solemn expression on his face clearly told him that something had happened.
"They've already left. They said they hope to see us at their academy someday."
Yu Xiaogang replied solemnly.
Dai Mubai looked around the room in confusion.
"Where are Lev and Zhu Zhuqing?"
"They left."
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened slightly before he lowered his gaze and answered sadly.
"Hmm. Let's wait for them in Tang San's room tomorrow and then discuss when we'll head to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
Flender suggested, assuming that Lev and Zhu Zhuqing had simply left to get some rest. He sighed in relief, thinking that perhaps nothing serious had happened between them again.
Yu Xiaogang didn't respond.
Instead, he lowered his head.
"Is there a problem, Teacher?"
Tang San suddenly asked.
He could clearly sense that something was wrong with his master.
"Sadly, Lev and Zhu Zhuqing won't be coming back."
Yu Xiaogang finally spoke as he looked toward Flender.
"They bade farewell to me and said that they're going to go their own way from now on."
"W-What?!"
Flender and the others exclaimed simultaneously.
Seeing their shocked expressions, Yu Xiaogang proceeded to explain what Lev had told him earlier.
As they listened, the expressions of everyone in the room changed in different ways.
Flender looked genuinely saddened after learning that Lev and Zhu Zhuqing had truly left. Oscar and Ma Hongjun were similarly shocked and disappointed.
Ning Rongrong also felt sad about Zhu Zhuqing's departure, but she was particularly surprised that Zhu Zhuqing had actually chosen to follow Lev.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Zhao Wuji, however, wore complicated expressions.
Dai Mubai didn't particularly care about Lev leaving, but he was concerned that Zhu Zhuqing had actually chosen to follow him.
Tang San felt similarly conflicted about their sudden decision.
Zhao Wuji also frowned. Even after all this time, Lev remained a mystery to them, and there was still a small matter between them that had yet to be settled.
"After all these months... have we really just been holding Lev back?"
Flender sighed as he questioned himself.
He hadn't noticed it before, but Lev's words suggested otherwise.
"Let's not talk about them anymore. We should finally get some rest. Don't worry. I'll try to convince Lev tomorrow."
Yu Xiaogang eventually concluded after noticing how heavy the atmosphere had become.
"Everyone, dismissed."
With that, Tang San and the others left the room and headed back to their inn.
Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Zhao Wuji remained behind.
There were still things they needed to discuss regarding what had just happened.
"Xiaogang, didn't you want Lev to become your disciple?"
Flender suddenly asked.
Zhao Wuji listened carefully. This was the first time he had heard about this.
"Yes."
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"I asked him about it last month, but he directly rejected me. He said that he couldn't find his future in me."
His voice carried a hint of sadness as he clenched his fingers, recalling the conversation.
Flender and Zhao Wuji were completely stunned.
Neither of them had expected such an answer.
For a moment, the room became completely silent.
Eventually, they decided not to ask anything further. Continuing the conversation would only make Yu Xiaogang feel worse.
"Let's go back."
Flender finally said before walking toward the exit.
Zhao Wuji followed him without saying anything.
Yu Xiaogang remained in the room for a while longer.
He sat there silently, lost in his thoughts, before eventually standing up and following the two of them out.
*****
Rose Hotel,
After settling everything, Lev returned to his room with Tsunade and Zhu Zhuqing.
The three of them spent the rest of the night together, enjoying their final evening in Suotuo City before they would eventually go their separate ways.
'I thought they would come here and talk about it. I guess we really weren't that close.'
Lev couldn't help but think about the people they had left behind.
Anyways, this would be their last night together in this room, and Lev wanted to make sure it became a memory they would never forget.
The night continued until they were finally satisfied, spending their final hours together before preparing to leave the next morning.
**********
—The next morning—
Without even waiting for the sun to rise, Lev, Tsunade, and Zhu Zhuqing finally left the hotel.
By the time the city was beginning to wake, the three had already made their way outside Suotuo City.
Before leaving, they had naturally bid farewell to their acquaintances at the hotel. Lev promised that he would visit again someday and told them to live well and stay safe until then.
They had deliberately chosen to leave so early to avoid Yu Xiaogang and the others. Lev didn't want to be forced into another long conversation or have their plans delayed by their attempts to persuade him to stay.
With that, the three continued along the road toward their next destination.
However, they hadn't traveled for long when a carriage suddenly stopped in front of them.
Lev looked at the carriage cautiously.
He couldn't sense any malicious intent coming from it.
The three exchanged glances before deciding to wait and see what would happen.
Soon, an old man stepped out of the carriage.
He had silver hair neatly combed behind his head and a simple, unadorned appearance. His eyes were slightly narrowed, almost as if they were always half-closed. Yet there was something extraordinary about his every movement.
His gestures carried a strange sharpness, while his aura gave the impression of an unsheathed blade.
The old man first looked over the group before shifting his attention toward Lev.
His arrival wasn't a coincidence.
He had been waiting for this opportunity after being instructed to come here and observe Lev personally.
Lev, meanwhile, was surprised by the sudden appearance of the old man.
Although this was the first time he had seen him in person, Lev already had a fairly good idea of his identity from the smallest clue in his appearance.
"Boy, I am Chen Xin of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. I have no ill intentions toward you. However, I would like to borrow some of your time and invite you to visit our clan."
Chen Xin introduced himself while looking directly at Lev.
It wasn't really in his nature to show such respect toward someone so young. However, he had been specifically instructed to do so.
When dealing with this particular youth, they had to be careful.
"Junior greets Senior Sword Douluo. It is our pleasure to be invited by the famous Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan."
Lev politely returned the greeting.
Although he had no idea why Chen Xin had suddenly come looking for him, their destination was along the way.
And if he could get a free ride out of it, there was no reason to refuse.
Chen Xin stared intently at Lev.
What surprised him wasn't Lev's acceptance of the invitation.
It was the complete lack of fear or nervousness in the young man's expression.
Even after learning that the person standing before him was a Titled Douluo, Lev remained completely calm.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of apprehension.
Chen Xin's eyes narrowed slightly.
'As expected... there really is something special about this boy.'
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Without saying anything more, Chen Xin invited the three of them into the carriage.
Once they had settled inside, the carriage began moving toward the territory of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.
Lev leaned back comfortably as he watched the scenery pass by.
He still didn't know why the Sword Douluo had come looking for him.
But whatever the reason was, he would find out soon enough.