Chubby Xu Lizhi's appearance, followed by his quick friendship with Tang Wulin over their shared love of food, unfolded exactly as in the original story. Jing Shaoyu could only shake his head. He hadn't brought any snacks himself, and the rest of Class Zero weren't exactly carrying extras either. So, the duty of appeasing the hungry soul fell to Tang Wulin—a minor matter, really.
A young girl with a determined look soon found them, calling out, "Little Glutton, what are you doing here? All you do is eat, and it's almost our turn!" With a proud, cold gaze, she approached Xu Lizhi, giving the crowd a dismissive glance. Her name, as Jing Shaoyu recognized, was Ye Xinglan, another Shrek Academy prodigy.
Xu Lizhi reacted instantly, shrinking back like a mouse before a cat as he muttered, "Sister Xinglan, I'm sorry. I was just too hungry. You know I need to eat to keep my strength up."
"Let's go!" Ye Xinglan's gaze swept disdainfully over Tang Wulin as she turned to leave, saying, "Don't accept food from just anyone. Don't you know how dangerous people can be these days?"
As they departed, her gaze lingered briefly on Jing Shaoyu's group before she raised her chin, leading Xu Lizhi away.
Tang Wulin watched them leave with a pout, muttering, "Do I look like a bad guy?"
"Ha!" Xu Xiaoyan laughed, unable to resist.
Xie Xie patted Tang Wulin's shoulder in mock sympathy. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. It's just, you know, looks are out of our control."
Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue shared a quiet smile, though Jing Shaoyu was particularly amused. Ye Xinglan, with her Star God Sword—a rare and formidable martial soul sharing the same celestial attribute as Xu Xiaoyan's Star Staff, though hers was far more aggressive. The two shared a soul combination technique rather than a full fusion—an intriguing dynamic, reminding Jing Shaoyu of the original's peculiar mix of friendships and romances, often feeling as if they'd been forcibly paired.
The exhibition match finally began, with the reigning champions of the last youth team competition facing Shrek Academy's seven-person team. It was a stunningly one-sided spectacle, the alliance's team barely posing a challenge. Shrek's lead was a youth with a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, his ring configuration boasting two yellow, one purple, and one black. In a single, overwhelming assault, he crushed the alliance's team, finishing in under a minute.
Complete defeat.
Though the home team lost, the crowd roared with excitement. This was Shrek Academy—the Shrek Academy!
Xie Xie swallowed hard, eyes wide. "Is that… Shrek's strength? They're incredible!"
Tang Wulin nodded, "Yeah, really powerful! That lead guy doesn't look much older than us, but his burst power is terrifying. Their coordination is impressive, too. So, this is what Shrek Academy's students are like."
"They seem to have some special technique at work," Xu Xiaoyan observed astutely. "It looked like only three were fighting, but the others seemed to be feeding their power into that Soul Elder. Otherwise, he couldn't have single-handedly taken down three Soul Elders and four Soul Masters!"
Jing Shaoyu gave Xu Xiaoyan an approving nod before explaining, "Xiaoyan's right. That lead Soul Elder is from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, one of the most explosive martial souls out there. But even with a powerful enhancement from soul bone skills, he couldn't unleash such force alone.
One of their teammates wields a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—a unique talent that allows them to combine their allies' power and focus it on a single person."
Hearing Jing Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan's analysis, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie relaxed slightly, their initial awe replaced with thoughtful expressions.
"Nothing to fuss over," Gu Yue said coolly, a hint of pride in her gaze. "When we reach their age, we'll be even stronger!"
Jing Shaoyu nodded confidently. "Exactly."
"Being stronger than them won't be hard," came a cold voice. Startled, the group looked over to find Wu Zhangkong seated beside them. He continued in his usual calm, detached manner, "They're just outer court students of Shrek Academy—hardly worth concern."
His words captured their full attention. While it was widely known that Shrek Academy had an inner and outer court, seeing these powerful youths as merely outer court students was still astounding.
"The outer court's best candidates don't enter the inner court until sixteen," Wu Zhangkong explained. "The oldest among them is likely only fifteen. None of these seven are inner court disciples."
"Interesting…" Jing Shaoyu muttered, considering the talent involved. The inner court held an elite beyond even these prodigies.
Wu Zhangkong added, "Those students who are fourteen or fifteen are less relevant to your path. Pay closer attention to those two younger students—about your age. The fact that they're already representing Shrek means their potential is extraordinary, likely pre-selected for the inner court.
They… are your…"
Wu Zhangkong paused briefly before finishing, "Strongest competition in the future."
Xu Xiaoyan, taken aback, asked, "But, Teacher Wu, why would we need to compete with them?"
Wu Zhangkong looked at her. "My goal isn't just to prepare you for Shrek Academy. It's to prepare you for Shrek Academy's inner court."
"Wha-?" Tang Wulin and Xie Xie gaped. They'd only just learned that Wu Zhangkong intended them for the inner court, not just Shrek's general admission.
Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue remained composed. Gu Yue was indifferent to Shrek itself; her only concern was staying by Jing Shaoyu's side. Jing Shaoyu, on the other hand, felt that entering Shrek without reaching the inner court would be a waste.
Wu Zhangkong observed their reactions with a slight nod, stating, "Considering this now is premature. First, focus on getting into Shrek. The path ahead remains long. The draw is complete; the competition starts tomorrow."
The tournament schedule allowed for a convenient separation between soul master and auxiliary competitions. The auxiliary contests, including the design, fabrication, repair, and forging categories, took place from 6 to 9 each morning.
Soul master matches started at 8 a.m. and ran until 9 p.m. Individual matches occupied the morning, with team events in the afternoon, beginning with three-person, followed by five-person, and finally seven-person matches.
Within Class Zero, Jing Shaoyu and Tang Wulin had the busiest schedules, competing all day. After morning auxiliary events, they would participate in individual matches, followed by team events. Gu Yue and Xie Xie had a lighter schedule, focused on the individual and team matches, while Xu Xiaoyan only needed to prepare for the five-person team event.
Wu Zhangkong instructed them to return to the hotel and prepare, disappearing soon after.
Xie Xie sighed, muttering, "Teacher Wu really knows how to disappear on us, doesn't he?"
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