"Very good!" Elder Xuan was extremely pleased with the decisiveness shown by the Reserve team and said, "You're probably wondering, if our inner courtyard has fewer than a hundred people, and the continent is so vast, with so many vicious incidents happening, how do we monitor everything?"
"Then let me tell you—no matter the country, even the most powerful Sun Moon Empire, they all hold our Shrek Inspection Corps in the highest regard. Currently, we may have only about a hundred disciples in the academy, but the number of outer courtyard graduates from Shrek Academy has reached nearly twenty thousand. Among them, close to a thousand were once Inspectors and graduated after completing their missions successfully. These people, along with their families, are all part of our strength!"
"Yes, we inner courtyard disciples often suffer injuries and casualties, but I dare say this—every single soul master who walks out of the Shrek inner courtyard is an elite of the world."
"Moreover, our academy has the best team of teachers in the entire continent. Any teacher who remains at the academy is also a member of the Inspection Corps."
"Every inner courtyard disciple is an Inspector, and they must complete thirty inspection missions to graduate. These missions are not only a test of strength but also a trial of the heart. At Shrek, we don't just raise the strong—we cultivate those willing to uphold peace and stability across the continent!"
Elder Xuan's pride was evident as he spoke. The seven members of the Reserve team all looked firm and resolute, without a hint of doubt in their eyes. Their attitude greatly satisfied him.
Now it was time for an inner courtyard disciple to speak from experience. This task fell to Dai Yueheng. He stepped forward proudly and said, "Junior brothers and sisters, as a member of the Inspection Corps, I want to tell you this—being a Shrek Inspector is the greatest honor many of our senior graduates have known in their lifetime."
"Even after graduation, many of them continue to carry out the duties of an Inspector. To the wicked, we are the blade of judgment. To the bullied and oppressed, we are a beacon of salvation."
"Countless people across the continent have received help from Inspectors. Helping them refines our hearts and tempers our will."
"I'm honored to have completed twenty-eight inspection missions so far. In these tasks, I've slain bandits who raped and plundered, executed corrupt officials who took lives without remorse, and rescued women and children from slavery and trafficking."
"The inner courtyard's motto is: With strength comes responsibility. Let kindness walk hand in hand with the soul. Let us encourage one another."
"Those who help others will be helped in turn. Those who love others will be loved in return!"
When Dai Yueheng finished, his face glowed with pride and honor. This emotional spirit also moved Ma Xiaotao and the others—including Zhu Ziyang. Though Zhu Ziyang had many grievances about the academy's current state and certain practices, he couldn't deny that it truly upheld the responsibilities of the strong.
Perhaps, this was why the Spirit Hall had once risen to power and controlled the continent for thousands of years.
But in Zhu Ziyang's eyes, Shrek Academy should do even better. It shouldn't become a blade used by certain people to eliminate dissidents. For instance, the so-called corrupt official Dai Yueheng mentioned—whether he was truly corrupt or not was uncertain. But what was certain was that he had been a political rival of the White Tiger Duke.
This, Zhu Ziyang believed, was something that needed to change in the future. The Shrek Inspection Corps needed a more refined structure and a better vetting process for its members!
Elder Xuan was clearly satisfied with Dai Yueheng's speech. He nodded and said, "Now, I need an answer from all of you—will you join, or will you withdraw?"
"We will Join!" Seven voices rang out in unison. In that moment, the seven Reserve team members seemed spiritually united.
"Hahaha, not bad! Not bad at all!" Elder Xuan let out a hearty laugh. "Very good. I didn't misjudge you. Not one of you is a coward. There's another reason why I've told you all this now—you're about to face your very first inspection mission. Wang Yan, explain the situation. Xiaotao, distribute the Shrek Inspector equipment."
Ma Xiaotao took out seven Inspector rings and handed them to Huo Yuhao and the others.
Wang Yan stepped forward and explained their mission. "This inspection task was arranged on short notice, because the academy received a request for assistance from the Star Luo Empire's military. Our mission is to eliminate a group of bandits hiding in the Mingdou Mountain Range. These bandits are extremely brutal—they've repeatedly robbed and massacred passing merchant convoys, and even slaughtered border villages of the Star Luo Empire on multiple occasions."
"The leader of the bandits is an evil soul master. The group includes several fallen soul masters and is suspected to have backing from the Sun Moon Empire's military."
"These bandits are very cautious. After every attack, they immediately retreat into the Mingdou Mountains. And since the range is a restricted military zone, the Star Luo Empire's army can't act directly. That's why they turned to us, the Shrek Inspection Corps, for help."
"The group calls themselves the Death's Hand. Their leader, the evil soul master, refers to himself as the Death God Envoy. His methods are extraordinarily brazen."
"Death God Envoy?" When Zhu Ziyang heard this, his expression turned strange. What a coincidence. Didn't this line up perfectly with the first trial of the Death God? He wasn't sure how powerful this Death God Envoy was, but for the Star Luo military to ask for help, he must be quite formidable. He turned to Wang Yan and asked, "Do we have any specific intel on this Death God Envoy?"
"None." Wang Yan shook his head. "These bandits only appeared recently, and because the request came directly from the Star Luo military, the academy's intelligence department didn't have enough time to gather detailed information."
"So apart from their name, we know nothing?" Ma Xiaotao's expression darkened. She gave Wang Yan a sharp look of dissatisfaction.
"Not entirely," Wang Yan quickly clarified upon seeing her look. "We'll be heading first to the Star Luo Empire's Western Army camp. They'll provide us with detailed intel on the Death's Hand and the Death God Envoy."
"Got it!" Ma Xiaotao nodded with satisfaction. Then she turned her eyes to the Reserve team members. "This mission will be led by us from the main team. You will assist from the rear. If there are no issues, we'll pick up the pace. Time is tight. The three of you with lower cultivation levels are too slow. Ziyang, you take Huo Yuhao. Dai Yueheng, you take Wang Dong. I'll take Xiao Xiao. Any objections?"
"I do!" Wang Dong suddenly shouted. "I want to go with Sister Xiaotao! You're the one I admire most. Can you take me instead?"
Ma Xiaotao blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Fine, I'll take Wang Dong. Xiao Xiao will go with Nannan. Dai Yueheng, you lead the way—your family's based in the Western Army anyway."
"Alright!" Dai Yueheng shrugged and agreed.
"Let's go!" Ma Xiaotao said. She supported Wang Dong by his underarm and shot into the sky at high speed.
Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan did the same, each taking Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao and accelerating forward. Behind them, Gongyang Mo, Chen Zifeng, and Ling Luocheng moved steadily. He Caitou, thanks to his soul tools, actually kept pace with Ling Luocheng. Tang Ya and Beibei followed next—not agility-type soul masters, but with the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track from Tang Sect, their speed wasn't slow. Naturally, the slowest was Xu Sanshi—after all, defense-type soul masters were never known for speed.
"Brother Ziyang, you and Sister Xiaotao seem pretty close, huh?" Along the way, Huo Yuhao suddenly asked.
"Yeah, kind of." At that moment, Zhu Ziyang was deep in thought about the mission. The target, the evil soul master who called himself the Death God Envoy, had to be powerful—otherwise, the Star Luo Empire wouldn't have asked Shrek for help. If this guy was stronger than a Soul Emperor, then Zhu Ziyang had to land the finishing blow himself—that way, he could complete the first trial of the Death God. He was completely lost in thought until he heard Huo Yuhao calling out, then ended his musing and replied, "Why? You need her help with something?"
Seeing the shy look on Huo Yuhao's face, Zhu Ziyang immediately understood and smiled. "Tell me. If it's not a big deal, I can put in a word for you."
"Really? That's great!" Huo Yuhao said excitedly. "It's like this—at the Treasure Appreciation Auction, I got a piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue. I want to ask Sister Xiaotao to help me refine it."
"Ten-thousand-year whale glue?" Zhu Ziyang's expression cleared with realization. "That's not difficult for Sister Xiaotao to handle. I'll talk to her for you."
"Really? Thank you, Brother Ziyang!" Huo Yuhao grinned with joy.
(End of Chapter)
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