Shrek Academy
In the headmaster's office of Shrek Academy, two middle-aged men sat together. One of them, wearing reading glasses, was Flander, known as "Cat-Eagle."
The other was Yu Xiaogang, with short cropped hair and a scruffy beard, giving him a somewhat unkempt appearance. He was nicknamed "Grandmaster," the renowned author of the Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls.
Creak!
At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and an irate woman stormed in. She grabbed Yu Xiaogang's teacup and downed it in one gulp.
"Those brats are driving me crazy! They're actually opposing my decision to hand the academy over to Boss Flander, insisting that I revert the name back to Blue Tyrant Academy. They're rebelling!"
She had long, jet-black hair, fair skin, large eyes, and a small nose, giving her a striking appearance that contrasted with her fiery personality.
This was Liu Erlong, the vice-principal of the academy.
Flander forced a few awkward chuckles, feeling a bit uneasy. He had inexplicably inherited this academy, and now he found himself in a difficult position, unable to support either side.
Unable to say much, he decided to change the subject, turning to Yu Xiaogang, who stood by the window, and asked, "Xiaogang, didn't you say you were going to introduce some people to us? Where are they?"
Yu Xiaogang, with his hands behind his back, walked over to the window. The bright sunlight bathed him as he tried to project an air of wisdom.
He responded calmly, "No rush. They should be here soon."
Liu Erlong was taken aback and puzzled, not knowing what Yu Xiaogang had planned.
Just as she was about to ask, footsteps echoed outside the door, and soon it opened to reveal five young individuals entering the room.
"Tyrone, Chen Xuan, why are you here?" Liu Erlong asked, confused.
Among the five were Tyrone, Chen Xuan, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, and the support Soul Master, Jiang Zhu.
"Grandmaster!" Tyrone greeted respectfully, holding his fists together in admiration for the teacher who had managed to train a genius like Tang San.
Chen Xuan nodded slightly in acknowledgment but remained much more subdued compared to Tyrone, showing little emotion.
To him, Yu Xiaogang was not someone he had much of a connection with, so there was no reason for any grand gesture.
Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, and Jiang Zhu exchanged glances but made no move, remaining indifferent.
There were often rumors circulating in the academy about Yu Xiaogang. Behind the image of a great teacher, many believed him to be a failure, unable to advance past the bottleneck of level twenty-nine for over twenty years. Only recently, thanks to a medicinal herb given to him by his disciple, Tang San, had he managed to break through to level thirty, becoming a Soul Elder. Such ineptitude did not inspire confidence.
As a result, many in the academy had a poor opinion of Yu Xiaogang, with some students even viewing him as a fraud.
While theories are important, practical power is what truly matters on the continent. Having theoretical knowledge without the strength to back it up is merely superficial.
Some even doubted whether Yu Xiaogang had truly developed his Ten Core Theories himself. How could someone who had never advanced past level twenty-nine possibly understand the insights of a Soul King, Soul Emperor, or even a Titled Douluo?
Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, and Jiang Zhu held a neutral stance toward the Grandmaster, neither admiring nor despising him.
Yu Xiaogang took note of the different attitudes displayed by the five students—Tyrone's respect, Chen Xuan's indifference, and the coldness of the remaining three.
He frowned slightly, sensitive to how others perceived him.
It was clear that some of these students did not hold him in high regard. He was aware that his reputation among the students was not great.
Yu Xiaogang felt a twinge of discomfort. These outsiders simply did not understand him. The Shrek Seven Devils he had trained were proof enough of his abilities.
However, Yu Xiaogang had always prided himself on being a gentleman, not one to make a fuss over such trivial matters.
"Ahem, please have a seat," Flander coughed lightly, breaking the awkward silence.
Tyrone found a sofa and sat down before speaking directly, "Grandmaster, why did you call us here?"
Jing Ling, Jiang Zhu, and Huang Yuan also looked on curiously. They had been training when they were suddenly summoned with the urgency of an important matter.
Yu Xiaogang, with his hands behind his back, slowly turned around and said, "You must have heard about this year's Continental Elite Soul Master Competition."
Tyrone, Jiang Zhu, and the others nodded; it was common knowledge throughout the academy.
Chen Xuan, however, closed his eyes to rest. He had been training intensely in physical techniques and soul power day and night. He was exhausted, having come to the office immediately after finishing his training without any rest.
"I've reviewed your records," Yu Xiaogang continued. "Tyrone and Chen Xuan, your soul power has reached level thirty-eight, and the others have also broken through to level thirty-five. So, you're all qualified to participate in this competition."
Upon hearing this, Tyrone and Jiang Zhu's eyes lit up, and the others became excited. Participating in the Continental Soul Master Competition was a dream for many.
Qin Ming, a former Shrek student, had missed out on the competition and regretted it for the rest of his life.
Yu Xiaogang scanned the group, satisfied with the excited reactions of four of them. But when his gaze fell on Chen Xuan, he frowned.
At that moment, Chen Xuan, who was resting, sensed the sudden silence in the room. He opened his eyes to find Yu Xiaogang's disheveled face staring intently at him.
"Chen Xuan, is there a problem?" Yu Xiaogang asked in a stern tone.
Chen Xuan glanced around at the others, quickly deducing that Yu Xiaogang was upset. But he didn't particularly care and replied casually, "Grandmaster, continue. I'm listening."
He found it amusing. Who didn't see through Yu Xiaogang's intentions? It was clear he wanted them to serve as Shrek's backup team.
The Continental Elite Competition attracted the most talented and powerful participants. Although the rules prohibited killing, injuries were inevitable.
The Shrek Seven Devils were undoubtedly gifted, but if one of them got injured and they were short on members, substitutes would be necessary.
Among all the students at Shrek Academy, Tyrone and Chen Xuan had the highest soul power that met the competition's requirements.
To be honest, being a backup for the Shrek team didn't offer many benefits. Instead, it was more of a burden, using them as pawns to conceal the true strength of the Seven Devils.
As Chen Xuan had expected, Yu Xiaogang asked the five of them to join the Shrek team as substitutes.
"Although your talents don't match those of Xiao San and the others, you're still considered geniuses among your peers and are qualified to be Shrek's substitutes," Yu Xiaogang stated bluntly.
Despite being stuck at level twenty-nine for decades, Yu Xiaogang had a broad perspective. These fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds were only close to level forty, which he considered mediocre talent.
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, the Shrek Seven Devils were the real geniuses. Letting Chen Xuan, Tyrone, and the others join was an honor in itself.
"Yes, Grandmaster."
Yu Xiaogang's authority in the academy was second only to Liu Erlong, so naturally, no one dared to refuse. Even as substitutes, Tyrone and Jing Ling were content, as the opportunity was rare.
Chen Xuan did not refuse either. Every coin has two sides; as long as he was cautious, he could navigate whatever happened next.
He had some plans in mind, intending to use Shrek's team to build his reputation.
In the future, when the Battle of Jialing Pass approached, he wanted to join either Heaven Dou or Spirit Hall, and by then, he would have enough qualifications.
Of course, it wasn't that Shrek was his only option; other academies could work too, though it would be more challenging. The most important thing was that, at this point in time, he was too lazy to go through the trouble of transferring.
"For now, I'll stay and see if the so-called Seven Devils are easy to get along with and how talented they really are," Chen Xuan mused.
The Continental Soul Master Competition was fast approaching, and he didn't have much time to join another academy. For now, being a substitute would suffice.
There was another reason: he wasn't well-known, and his martial soul was somewhat peculiar, so other academies might not even want him.
Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. "That's all for now. You can return. Tomorrow, follow me to the back mountain so I can introduce you to the Shrek Seven Devils."
"Alright, Grandmaster. We'll head back to train now," Tyrone said with a hearty laugh, scratching his head with a simple-minded smile.
Jing Ling and Jiang Zhu bowed slightly to the three teachers before leaving. Chen Xuan, however, did nothing, simply following them out.
This behavior didn't bother Liu Erlong and Flander, but for the proud Yu Xiaogang, it was very concerning. He was particularly sensitive to how others treated him, and a slight sense of dissatisfaction began to grow in his