After the first match ended, the group from Shrek Academy left Star Luo Plaza without delay, but the shock they left behind continued to reverberate through the crowd.
"Who was that boy? Why have I never heard his name before? Investigate! Find out who he is and where he comes from, at any cost!" Xu Jiawei had watched the members of Shrek Academy walk away until they disappeared from view. Only then did he turn to the Prime Minister beside him and bark his order.
"Yes!" the Prime Minister immediately responded, fully understanding the emperor's agitation.
Shrek Academy's swift departure had caused the entire tournament to pause for several minutes. Their exit took everyone's focus with them, and a feverish excitement was slowly spreading through the crowd.
This was Shrek Academy — the number one academy on the continent, a presence so godlike that even their casual exit could steal all the attention. This was their strength.
But no one felt the weight of that pressure more than the students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Each of them wore a dark expression. Even the usually prideful Xiao Hongchen looked like he'd swallowed bitter medicine, fists clenched tightly.
Their instructors, Elder Ma and the other lead teacher, were both frowning. Though they were equally shocked, they had noticed that something didn't add up. They were unwilling to believe what they saw was real. Instead, they preferred to think Shrek Academy had used some sort of trick.
After exchanging a glance, they made their decision — to activate their undercover agents and uncover the boy's true identity. As for the girl, they didn't find her strange. She was strong, yes, but still within a range they could accept.
——
In the conference room of Shrek Academy's suite at the Star Emperor Hotel, spirits were high following their advance to the second stage.
"First off, congratulations! We've successfully reached the second round. You can all take the next two days to rest and recover," Wang Yan said with a smile.
"Yay!" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya cheered, and the others followed with cheerful smiles.
"Not much else to say," Wang Yan added. "Once the second stage begins, we'll get into tactical planning. For now, meeting adjourned."
"I'm heading back to recover. Hopefully I'll be ready to fight in the second stage," said Ma Xiaotao as she stood up.
"Sister Xiaotao, no need to rush. With all of us here, it's fine even if you don't go up next round," said Zhu Ziyang.
"Bullshit! I'm here to compete, not to be a spectator!" Ma Xiaotao shot back with a laugh. "Alright, you lot carry on. I'm heading back to my room."
With Ma Xiaotao gone, Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and the seven reserve team members remained. Since they were all around the same age, the atmosphere naturally turned more relaxed and casual.
"Ah, we finally made it through the elimination round. I've been worried sick these past few days," said Xiao Xiao, the youngest girl in the team, her youthful face lighting up with a genuine smile.
"Exactly! If we hadn't even made it into the official tournament, we would've gone down in history as Shrek Academy's greatest disgrace," Wang Dong agreed. "Since its founding, the worst Shrek's ever placed is second, right?"
"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, I'm disappointed in you two! How can you have so little faith in our Nannan?" Tang Ya teased, hugging Jiang Nannan's arm with a mischievous smile. "That flying kick of hers today was so cool! If Nannan were a guy, I'd totally fall for her!"
"Oh? So this wife of the sect master is mine now, huh?" Jiang Nannan laughed as she pulled her arm free and wrapped it around Tang Ya's waist, giggling gleefully.
"Ugh, I guess I'll have to learn some kind of flying kick soul skill then, or I might lose our Tang Sect's sect master to someone else," Beibei said solemnly, his tone full of mock concern.
"I agree with Senior Brother Beibei," Huo Yuhao added with a grin.
"Oh, so you all think I'm that unreliable?" Tang Ya cried in mock outrage, glaring at them.
What came next broke her even more — aside from Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou, every single person in the room nodded in agreement.
"It's over, it's over! Nannan, what do we do? Beibei's taken over the sect! Our Tang Sect has been hijacked by a power-hungry minister!" Tang Ya wailed, hugging Jiang Nannan and pretending to sob.
"Teacher Tang Ya, how about you just hand over the sect master title to Senior Brother Beibei and become the Supreme Sect Master instead? Leave the burden of rebuilding Tang Sect to me, Yuhao, and Wang Dong! Hoo hoo!" Xiao Xiao chimed in with a playful smirk, flexing her skinny arms like a strongman. Her cute act sent everyone into laughter.
Xu Sanshi and He Caitou, ever the troublemakers, even started chanting, "It's cold — time to wear more layers!" clearly mocking Beibei as the 'usurper.' The entire conference room filled with cheerful energy.
After their fun, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Back in his own room, Zhu Ziyang didn't immediately go to bed. Instead, he sat at the bedside, deep in thought.
"That place... I hope it has what I'm looking for," he murmured, eyes glowing with something unreadable.
——
Time flew by. On the evening of the third day of the tournament, Wang Yan called another strategy meeting.
"Good news first — Elder Lin is on his way. Thanks to treatment from the inner courtyard elders, Gongyang Mo and Ling Luocheng have mostly recovered. They should be able to join us soon," Wang Yan announced with a smile.
"That's great news!" the group responded, visibly relieved.
"But," Wang Yan's tone turned serious, "the bad news is that our opponents this year are all very strong. Our old rivals, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, took ten minutes to beat their first opponents. Other teams who advanced also fought brutal battles. So the overall level this year is not to be underestimated."
"Xiaotao, how's your condition?"
"I'm fully recovered. I'm ready to fight!" Ma Xiaotao declared, brimming with energy.
"That's great! With three of our core combatants ready, forming tactics will be much easier." Wang Yan's eyes then turned to the seven reserve members. "Don't get complacent. Until Gongyang Mo and Ling Luocheng arrive, you'll still be going up. No wishful thinking!"
"Yes!" Beibei and the others immediately responded with seriousness.
"For better planning, I'll need detailed information about your martial souls and soul skills — Beibei, Tang Ya, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou. The more specific, the better," Wang Yan instructed.
None of the four held anything back. They shared their full soul skill data without hesitation — after all, everyone present was a teammate, someone they could trust with their backs.
What surprised everyone most was He Caitou. He had always seemed quiet and unremarkable, but it turned out he was a food-type soul master — and his soul power had already reached Rank 44. At his age, that level meant his innate soul power had to be at least Rank 7 or higher. Given the rarity of food-type soul masters, he was no less talented than Ma Xiaotao had been before her martial soul evolved.
But what caught Zhu Ziyang's attention was He Caitou's martial soul — a cigar. It was a rare martial soul that originated in the Sun Moon Empire. Even in that nation, it was considered extraordinarily unique.
Could He Caitou possess blood from the Sun Moon Empire?
That would certainly explain his exceptional talent for soul tools.
(End of Chapter)
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