In order to protect the reputation of Chicken Drumstick Douluo, Xuan Zi, and to maintain the image of Shrek Academy, the academy's higher-ups, led by Yan Shaozhe, swiftly engaged in emergency public relations efforts to handle the earlier tragedy.
The Death God Emissary, who had originally been only a Soul King in cultivation, was portrayed as an evil soul master at the peak of Rank 89, just a step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.
The Hand of Death bandit group, which had been active in the Mingdou Mountain Range, was described as only a minor faction under this powerful evil soul master's command.
When Shrek Academy's students were tasked with eliminating the Hand of Death, they supposedly encountered this formidable Soul Douluo-level evil soul master.
However, due to the "outstanding teamwork" and "tremendous strength" of Shrek Academy's students, they miraculously managed to "resist the evil soul master's assault for a full three minutes."
Ultimately, four of Shrek Academy's seven official team members sacrificed themselves by detonating in a self-destructive attack to protect their comrades, leaving no trace of their remains—forever buried in the Mingdou Mountains.
Ma Xiaotao was missing, Dai Yueheng's legs were severed, and several of the reserve members were wounded. However, in keeping with Shrek Academy's principle of integrity and to honor the legacy passed down by their ancestors, they didn't abandon the competition. Instead, they sent their reserve team to continue!
How noble, how heroic, how righteous their image was!
Moreover, Dai Yueheng and other inner court disciples, including Huo Yuhao and Wang Yan, were issued a gag order by Shrek Academy, strictly forbidding them from revealing the truth.
Had the Body Sect not received news from Mu En, even Du Bushi would have remained in the dark.
Naturally, those who were silenced received compensation from Shrek Academy. Huo Yuhao, in particular, directly requested a spirit bone that was over 5,000 years old to use in alchemy.
The families of the fallen students, as well as Dai Yueheng, also received consolation from Shrek Academy.
However, Dai Yueheng was simultaneously warned by the academy. Being showcased as a hero who resisted an evil soul master was the best possible outcome for someone who would never again tread the path of a soul master.
At the very least, even if he couldn't join the military to fight for the Star Luo Empire as in the original story, the empire would undoubtedly still treat him well and offer him a respectable official position.
But if the truth were exposed, not only would Shrek Academy's reputation suffer, but Dai Yueheng himself would also be ruined.
As one of the team's captains, with the cultivation of a Soul Emperor, leading five Soul Kings and three Soul Ancestors, how could they nearly be annihilated by a Soul King? It was unthinkable.
For Dai Yueheng, this would mean total disgrace. This incident could even affect the White Tiger Duke's Mansion behind him, casting doubt among the citizens of the Star Luo Empire regarding Dai Hao's leadership, and tarnishing the White Tiger Clan's honor.
Weighing the pros and cons, Dai Yueheng naturally understood the gravity of the situation. So, even when facing the Star Luo Emperor, his own blood relative, he did not reveal a single shred of the truth.
"War is unpredictable. Such things are inevitable. But you've truly suffered. The White Tiger family has always been fierce and unyielding, it seems." Xu Jiawei patted Dai Yueheng on the back as he spoke.
"Yueheng, though you are unwell, you are still a member of Shrek. Now that Shrek Academy's opening battle is about to begin, I invite you to watch with me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Dai Yueheng nodded and looked toward the imperial city below. But suddenly, his eyes narrowed.
"What?! How is this possible?!"
"Uh... Shrek Academy is only sending one student to fight this time? And their identity is…" The announcer suddenly hesitated, then continued in a tone of disbelief.
"He is a dual-advanced student of both the Body Sect and Shrek Academy, named Huo Yuhao!"
Huo Yuhao, dressed in black combat gear, appeared at the entrance to the arena. His figure flickered as he seemed to transform into a stream of light, leaving a trail of afterimages behind him. His speed was so astonishing that it left the onlookers in awe. Such terrifying speed was almost on par with that of an agility-type Soul King at full strength. Could it be that he was an agility-type soul master?
But what did the announcer just say? The Body Sect? He was a dual student of both the Body Sect and Shrek Academy?
To the ordinary spectators, the term "Body Sect" might seem unfamiliar, and not many people knew about it. But for Xu Jiawei, Dai Yueheng, and the people from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, this information was overwhelming.
"He's a member of the Body Sect?!" A flash of terror appeared in Dai Yueheng's eyes.
The Body Sect's reputation for protecting its own was no secret to the major powers. That Huo Yuhao, whom Dai Huabin once tried to assassinate, turned out to be a member of the Body Sect, and that the White Tiger Duke's Mansion had escaped the Body Sect's revenge—wasn't that pure luck?
"Shrek Academy and the Body Sect... have joined forces?!" Xu Jiawei furrowed his brow slightly, but he couldn't figure out the connection.
The Body Sect and Shrek Academy had always been at odds. Why were they suddenly working together this time?
Was it all because of this boy named Huo Yuhao? If so, then his identity was worth investigating!
The people from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy weren't as shocked about Huo Yuhao's identity, as Meng Hongchen had already informed them that he was from the Body Sect.
What stunned them was that Shrek Academy had the audacity to send Huo Yuhao alone to fight. Wasn't that too bold?
No matter how gifted Huo Yuhao was, he was only eleven or twelve years old. Could he really defeat opponents nearly twenty years old? There was no room for failure in this elimination round!
Had all of Shrek Academy's main team members really died, leaving them to give up entirely?
"Meng, what was Huo Yuhao's cultivation when you last saw him?" Xiao Hongchen asked in confusion.
"We absorbed a spirit ring together. He was a Rank 20 Soul Grandmaster with one white and one black ring," Meng Hongchen replied.
"What?! One white and one black?!" Xiao Hongchen's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Meng, are you messing with your brother? Do you believe that?"
"Hmph, believe it or not, it's true!" Meng Hongchen stomped her foot in frustration, turning away from her foolish brother.
A trace of sadness flashed in Xiao Hongchen's eyes. Damn, he'd been rejected by his sister. For a sister-obsessed guy like him, it felt like needles piercing his heart.
Pain, so much pain!
"Fine, let's say he was a newly promoted Soul Grandmaster at that time. Even now, only a few months later, he can't be beyond Rank 26 or 27 at best." Xiao Hongchen calculated on his fingers.
"And they're sending a Rank 20-something Soul Grandmaster to face seven Soul Ancestors and Soul Elders? Has Shrek Academy gone mad?"
The students of the Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy, on the other hand, were terrified. They didn't know who Huo Yuhao was, but from the speed he just displayed, his cultivation was clearly extraordinary.
Shrek! The place of eternal honor, the sacred ground of soul masters! Those titles hung over them like three mountains, causing their legs to tremble.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly lifted, locking onto the students of Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy across from him.
A terrifying killing intent, as if drawn from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, emanated from his body. This dreadful aura engulfed his seven opponents like a blazing inferno, eliciting gasps of shock from the audience.