The soul device array before them was the most intricate and massive one Gu You had ever seen. Unlike the small arrays inscribed into battle armor, the formations on the Starlight Platform were numerous, densely woven, and exceptionally refined—complex yet harmonious across a vast area.
As he silently observed and sensed everything around him, a group of people approached from a short distance away.
The students of the Tending Starry Sky Soul Master Academy wore black uniforms, with embroidered star-shaped insignias on their chests.
Silver stars represented soul power. Each star denoted one level of soul power, and when someone reached the Soul King level, silver stars would transform into golden ones.
Thus, to judge the strength of a student here, one only needed to count the stars on their chest.
The six students who appeared now all bore silver stars—flashing silver glints on their chests. Four men, two women. As soon as they entered, they turned curious eyes to Gu You and his team. They all appeared between eighteen to twenty years of age. With just a glance, Gu You could easily gauge their strength.
To him, they were mere ants below the Soul King level.
The strongest among them had only forty-six silver stars. The rest also exceeded forty, meeting Gu Yue's team's target range for their challenge.
But what about the Soul Saint? Where was the promised Soul Saint opponent?
Gu You glanced at Li Zhilong.
Li Zhilong smiled slightly and stood in front of the six students. Suddenly, golden light flared on his chest. Behind him, dozens of stars appeared in a brilliant shimmer.
Gu You silently counted—eighty-six!
As expected of a graduate from Shrek Academy. Even if he hadn't entered the inner court, out in the world, he was without a doubt a formidable powerhouse.
Everyone was startled by this sight but chose not to speak.
"I'll introduce them briefly. That tall one—he's the captain, Xiao Tiantian, a power-control type battle soul master. And this one here..."
Li Zhilong gave a simple introduction of the team.
"And as for me—I'm Li Zhilong. You can call me Uncle Li. My martial soul is Star Dust, and I'm an eighty-sixth rank power-type battle soul master."
Eighty-six!
The six Shrek Academy students all turned to look at Gu You. That was a full sixteen levels above him!
"Gu You. Seventieth rank battle soul master. Pleased to learn from you," Gu You cupped his fists with both hands, his expression calm.
The students from Tending Starry Sky Academy looked shocked. Frankly, they found it hard to believe. Gu You looked far too young—judging by his height, he might not even be eighteen yet.
A Soul Saint below eighteen? That wasn't just rare—it was nearly unheard of.
After introductions, Gu You couldn't help but note that the opposing team had multiple control-type soul masters.
Given that Tending Starry Sky specialized in flying-type martial souls, control-types seemed unexpected. This match definitely wouldn't be easy.
Gu You frowned for the first time in a while.
What worried him most was Li Zhilong. A Soul Saint-level opponent—especially a control-type—could turn the tide in a moment with just one decisive blow.
"Now that introductions are done, our instructors in charge of the Starlight Platform are in position. The barrier will be activated shortly. Remember, this is a friendly match—stop before injury," said Li Zhilong with a warm smile.
He took pride in having graduated from Shrek Academy. But today, that pride deepened. To see such young talents from his alma mater achieve Soul Saint level—his heart was at ease.
Shrek Academy truly continued to advance.
Both sides began to withdraw, widening the distance as required. According to the rules, a minimum of one hundred meters had to be maintained before a battle started.
As they moved back, Gu You's eyes grew sharper.
This fight would truly test his strength—it would be comparable to an actual battlefield. A Soul Douluo trained at Shrek, even one who didn't make it to the inner court, was far stronger than a typical opponent of similar rank.
And Li Zhilong was undoubtedly a battle armor master. By now, he might even have forged one or two pieces of three-word armor.
They arranged into a triangular formation. Tang Wulin took the front. Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan followed. Gu You stood at the center. Behind were Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xu Lizhi.
Their opponents, however, remained in a straight line, not bothering to form any formation.
"Prepare!" the referee shouted loudly.
A buzzing hum erupted. The entire Starlight Platform's walls lit up. Glowing patterns danced across their surfaces, forming brilliant runes that stretched skyward. Beams of light rose into the sky, converging at a point, then erupted in a column of golden brilliance.
This Starlight Platform...
Gu You's mind stirred. He could feel something resonating within him, something drawn by the energies of the platform.
In the next moment, the sky dimmed. The golden radiance vanished. Where daylight once reigned, a vast night sky now stretched, filled with countless shimmering stars. Pure and unusual energy bathed the entire platform like starlight raining from above.
Everyone could see it clearly. A faint golden aura enveloped the six students from Tending Starry Sky. Their aura grew slightly stronger. Though subtle, it was an undeniable battlefield advantage.
"Hm?" a surprised sound came from behind.
Following the voice, everyone turned toward the source—what they saw left them speechless.
A dazzling golden light burst from behind Xu Xiaoyan. The golden mist surged upward like fog, obscuring her face from view.
"This feeling... it's so strange," Xu Xiaoyan murmured. Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with excitement.
Far off, Li Zhilong looked stunned. He was the most familiar with the Starlight Platform. Here, students could absorb starlight to temper their bodies—but only if they had flying-type martial souls. The Starlight Platform was the core of Tending Starry Sky Academy.
Within its range, soul power received a natural boost, and recovery rates were much higher than outside.
But that Shrek girl—what was going on with her?
Could it be… her martial soul?
Different students had varying compatibility with starlight energy. The stronger the affinity, the more visible the starlight effect. Most students didn't show anything outward. A faint golden mist was already considered impressive. But now Xu Xiaoyan's light had become nearly tangible.
Even Li Zhilong, who had seen so many gifted students, couldn't figure it out for a moment.
"Begin!"
The referee responded quickly. The declaration caught many off guard.
From the Shrek side, three figures shot forward like lightning, leaving afterimages in their wake.
(End of Chapter)
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