Elder Xuan's voice grew colder and colder as he spoke. Through his words, these core disciples of the outer courtyard had, for the first time, glimpsed the true world of the inner courtyard.
But what they received wasn't hope — it was tragedy.
All their discontent instantly vanished. The eliminated core disciples lowered their heads one by one and walked out of the Duel Arena.
Everything Elder Xuan said today would be engraved deeply into their hearts — unforgettable for a lifetime.
To become strong, you must fight!
You must step on the fallen bodies of others, make them your stepping stones!
Only then can you ascend to that crownless throne!
The path of a powerhouse has always been cruel!
Wang Yan bowed respectfully toward Elder Xuan."Thank you for teaching these children such an important lesson."
Elder Xuan took a swig from his gourd and said faintly,"I merely stated a fact."
Now, only seven remained in the Duel Arena — Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Wu Feng, Zhu Lu, Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, and Ning Tian.
Elder Xuan slowly turned to face them.
"To honor the contributions of the first generation of Shrek's Seven Devils, the Academy selects a new generation every five years. They will represent the Academy in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament — formerly known as the Elite Tournament, but renamed due to the emergence of Soul Tools. This grand event carries a much deeper meaning now than it did ten thousand years ago."
"Back then, the Sun and Moon Empire was defeated by the three great empires of our original Douluo Continent working together. But even our side suffered heavy losses."
"For thousands of years, the Sun and Moon Empire has devoted itself to the development of Soul Tools, growing stronger and stronger. Meanwhile, the three original empires of the continent are still separate nations — disunited. Yet despite their strength, the Sun and Moon Empire has never dared to make a move. The reason is simple — they lack confidence."
"Because Shrek Academy is here. We are here. That's why they dare not act recklessly."
"This is no boast — the Sun and Moon Empire's first target in any bid for continental domination would not be Xingluo, Tianhun, or Douling, but us, Shrek Academy."
"Only we possess enough high-level strength to counter the top-tier soul engineers of the Sun and Moon Empire."
"They dare not test our strength through all-out war, so they probe us through other means. And the best way to probe is through the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. In this competition, our only true opponent is the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy."
"You all will serve as the reserve team for this tournament. It's a rare and precious opportunity — cherish it."
"And you, Huo Yuhao — you'll be the first alternate for the reserve team."
"If any official team member is missing, you'll be the first to step up!"
Elder Xuan's confidence in Huo Yuhao was absolute.
Huo Yuhao was the most dazzling prodigy in the entire Academy!
After being named to the Shrek Seven Devils Reserve Team, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and the others found their lives in the Academy becoming even richer and more intense. Besides their normal classes, they seized every spare moment to train.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Elder Xuan had already guided them twice in their cultivation. His teaching style could be summed up in two words — simple and brutal. Pure combat, no holding back.
Every time, the seven were divided into different combinations to spar against each other. Elder Xuan's only rule: no mercy.
With such a super powerhouse watching over them, there was no need to worry about safety. Under Elder Xuan's deliberate guidance, Huo Yuhao constantly switched teammates, adapting to new formations.
His growth was astonishingly fast.
At one point, Huo Yuhao could even fight all six others at once — and still hold the advantage.
That terrifying Dragon's Wrath even left Elder Xuan deeply impressed.
Preliminary estimates suggested it could instantly kill a Soul Sage!
The only pity was that Huo Yuhao could only unleash it once — it consumed all his soul power.
The most pleasant surprise, however, was Xiao Xiao. Her soul power had successfully broken through level 29, just one step away from hunting a soul beast to become a level-30 Soul Elder.
That day was another of Elder Xuan's instruction days. Whenever he taught, the seven would leave their regular classes and gather in the Assessment Area to await him — today was no exception.
However, when they arrived, they were surprised to see unfamiliar faces waiting there.
Seven students stood before them, each wearing blood-red uniforms — the color representing the Inner Courtyard.
Among them, Huo Yuhao recognized only one — Ma Xiaotao.
Today, Ma Xiaotao had her long hair tied neatly into a high ponytail, giving her a crisp, clean look. She also spotted Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao's lips immediately curved upward, revealing a playful smile.
Ma Xiaotao's face flushed red in embarrassment — she still remembered what had happened that day.
"You little brat… such a troublemaker," she muttered under her breath.
The other six students beside Ma Xiaotao were four men and two women, all seemingly around her age.
The red-clad Inner Courtyard — this was the true representation of Shrek Academy's greatest fighting force. They were the ones who upheld the title of Number One Academy on the Continent.
Elder Xuan nodded slightly."Everyone's here. Ten days from now, the new All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament will begin."
"I'm sure you've already guessed each other's identities. That's right — you are the main and reserve members for this competition. The new and old generations of Shrek's Seven Devils. I gathered you today for two reasons: one, to get acquainted, and two, to understand each other's abilities."
He then turned to Huo Yuhao and the others.
"Don't think you're going just to watch. On the contrary, unless something unexpected happens, most of you will take the stage. When our opponents aren't too strong, you'll be the ones competing — to conceal the true strength of our main team."
Huo Yuhao was stunned.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger?His favorite strategy!
Elder Xuan snorted coldly."Don't get too happy. You will be sent out to fight — but you're allowed to win, not to lose. If any of you dare to lose a match…"
He let out a cold chuckle."You know what'll happen. As long as I live, that person can forget about ever entering the Inner Courtyard. And one more thing — keep your attitudes straight. In this tournament, you're merely the subordinates of the main team. You'll follow orders completely. Understand?"
Listening to Elder Xuan's words, Huo Yuhao muttered inwardly,"So ruthless…"
...
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