At the entrance of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Jing Shaoyu and his group stood conspicuously on the street, drawing attention from passersby.
A gathering of handsome boys and beautiful girls naturally caught the eyes of anyone walking by. After all, appreciating beauty is human nature, and so is the love for spectacles.
"Follow me," Cai Yue'er said, noticing their conspicuousness. She led them to an inconspicuous corner by the street.
Jing Shaoyu, along with six others, and Shen Yi, all turned their attention to Cai Yue'er.
With a calm expression, Cai Yue'er instructed Shen Yi, "Teacher Shen, go and deliver the challenge letter to the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."
"Understood," Shen Yi nodded immediately and turned towards the academy, with the curious gazes of Jing Shaoyu and his companions following her steps.
"Listen carefully," Cai Yue'er's voice instantly drew their attention back. "You are representing Shrek Academy in challenging the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. This is a first in history, so you must win, no matter what! Remember, you carry the unblemished reputation of Shrek Academy, understood?"
"Understood!" The invisible pressure immediately weighed on their shoulders. Jing Shaoyu and his companions felt the gravity of their responsibility, their expressions serious as they responded in unison.
"Victory in this battle will secure you a spot in the selection for the new generation of the Seven Monsters in four years!" Cai Yue'er, satisfied, began to paint a brighter future. "Moreover, if all of you can enter the Inner Academy in four years, I can apply to the Sea God Pavilion to directly appoint you as the new Shrek Seven Monsters, bypassing the selection process!"
Her words excited Ye Xinglan, who aspired to be one of the Shrek Seven Monsters. The others also showed varying degrees of surprise and delight.
"But if you lose, and the undefeated legend of Shrek Academy ends with you, then you can imagine the consequences yourselves!" Cai Yue'er's ominous tone sent a chill down their spines.
"Alright, prepare yourselves now. If you have your uniforms, wear them," Cai Yue'er resumed her amiable expression. "Jing Shaoyu, your previous matches were splendid, so I hope this final one will end just as splendidly, understood?"
"Understood!" Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile.
He fully understood the implication of Cai Yue'er's words. As the first group from Shrek Academy to actively challenge the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, the best outcome would be to shatter the backbone of this generation of students from the Sun and Moon Academy, forever casting them in the shadow of this defeat.
Cai Yue'er felt pleased seeing Jing Shaoyu's confident smile.
This generation of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy had produced many geniuses, their top seven even nicknamed the Radiant Seven Stars, a clear attempt to rival Shrek Academy's Seven Monsters. Cai Yue'er scoffed at the notion—such a presumptuous attempt to challenge the Shrek Seven Monsters! Today, they would learn why Shrek Academy is the continent's premier institution!
Cai Yue'er had full confidence in Jing Shaoyu and his companions.
Soon, Shen Yi returned, nodding to Cai Yue'er, who then addressed Jing Shaoyu and his group, "Go ahead, don't worry about anything else. Just focus on the battle. We and the academy will handle everything else!"
"Yes!" Jing Shaoyu and his companions responded in unison, now dressed in Shrek Academy's iconic dark green uniforms. The unique style of their uniforms stood out sharply on the streets of Mingdu, drawing the attention of passersby.
Without further ado, Shen Yi led Jing Shaoyu and his group towards the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
The entrance of the academy was eerily quiet. A sullen middle-aged man stood there, his eyes flickering with coldness and disdain as he saw Shen Yi and the seven students behind her. "Follow me," he said curtly.
His attitude was poor, but Jing Shaoyu and his companions didn't mind. After all, the two institutions had never been friends, and a hostile attitude was expected, especially since they were here to challenge the academy. Though Shen Yi had delivered the challenge letter politely, it couldn't change the fact that this was a provocation.
Having their academy's entrance blocked and challenged, it was already gracious of the middle-aged man to speak to them civilly.
Entering the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, their first impression was that they had stepped into a large corporation rather than an academy. Everything was metallic and sleek, with a massive floating metal sphere in the spacious lobby, rotating slowly and emitting a soft glow that illuminated the entire hall.
The lobby was crowded with people of varying ages, most wearing the academy's white uniforms. Their gazes towards Jing Shaoyu and his companions were uniformly curious, mixed with exclusion, malice, and even a hint of hatred.
The feeling of being targeted by such hostile stares was uncomfortable, but Jing Shaoyu and his companions remained unperturbed as they followed the middle-aged man through the lobby, enduring the blatant hostility around them.
They passed through the lobby and entered a wide elevator. It ascended swiftly and smoothly, with minimal sensation of movement. The middle-aged man remained silent, and Jing Shaoyu and his companions also stayed quiet, exchanging glances to convey their feelings.
The elevator stopped at the sixteenth floor. The middle-aged man stepped out first, with Jing Shaoyu and his group following him into a conference room. "Sit," the man said coldly.
As the leading teacher, Shen Yi naturally sat across from the middle-aged man, with Jing Shaoyu and his companions seated on either side of her. Shen Yi looked at the man with a cool expression.
"Are these your students?" the middle-aged man glanced at Jing Shaoyu and his companions.
"Yes," Shen Yi replied. "My students are only fourteen years old. As long as your academy's participants are not older than twenty, we have no issue."
"Hmph!" The man's eyes flashed with anger. "Rest assured, the Sun and Moon Royal Academy will not take advantage of you. Our participants will not be older than fifteen! I just want to inform you of two things. Since you've chosen to challenge us at our doorstep, the rules will be set by us."
"Speak," Shen Yi calmly responded.
"First, this match will be watched by all our academy's students. Second, the match will be broadcast live on all major screens in Mingdu," the man stated.
"If you're not afraid of embarrassment, we are naturally happy to gain fame in Mingdu," Shen Yi chuckled, her confident demeanor irking the man.
"Heh," the man suppressed his anger, sneering, "We've already lost face. Of course, if you lose, it would be a way for us to regain some dignity!"
"Hmph," Shen Yi responded with a dismissive snort.
"Wait here," the man abruptly stood and left the room.
"Prepare yourselves. Later, teach the people of Sun and Moon Academy how to fight," Shen Yi instructed Jing Shaoyu and his companions.
Jing Shaoyu and the others nodded in silence, sitting cross-legged on the chairs, closing their eyes to rest and adjust their states, awaiting the upcoming battle.
Meanwhile, the entire Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was mobilizing for the impending match. Within less than an hour, all the promotional materials were prepared and spread throughout Mingdu, with the Sun and Moon Television announcing a live broadcast of the match to the entire continent.
Thus, a match named by Sun and Moon Television as the Peak Battle of Genius Young Soul Masters was rapidly disseminated across the alliance.
On the street, Cai Yue'er watched the large screen on the building before her, listening to the broadcast echoing through the streets. She narrowed her eyes slightly and murmured, "Such a grand effort, but alas, it will only serve to glorify Shrek Academy!"
In Mingdu, many first-year students had already arrived, and they naturally noticed the widespread publicity. It was hard to miss such extensive promotion by the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. They paused their activities, each finding a spot to watch the match on the large screens.
"Who is it? So bold as to directly challenge the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy?" Xie Xie asked in amazement, standing beside Tang Wulin, Xu Lizhi, Yang Nianxia, Xu Yu Cheng, Luo Guixing, and Zheng Yiran.
"Besides our class monitor, who else could it be?" Yang Nianxia replied.
"What should we do then?" Zheng Yiran looked at Tang Wulin in confusion.
"Well, there's more than one advanced Soul Master academy in Mingdu, right? Let's find another one," Tang Wulin said helplessly, scratching his head.
"It's all your fault. If you hadn't been so greedy and missed the bus, we would be the ones challenging the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy now!" Luo Guixing glared at Xu Lizhi, blaming him.
"I didn't mean to," Xu Lizhi said pitifully in a low voice.
"Alright, it's not entirely Xu Lizhi's fault. The main responsibility lies with me," Tang Wulin said solemnly. "Now, let's think about what to do for our final battle. Xu Yu Cheng, you're from Mingdu. Do you know of any other academies here?"
"Yes," Xu Yu Cheng said expressionlessly, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked at the distant screen. "Mingdu Advanced Soul Master Academy."
"Good, then let's head to Mingdu Advanced Soul Master Academy!" Tang Wulin decided immediately.
At the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, in an unnamed conference room.
Jing Shaoyu and his companions gradually ended their meditation, each reaching their peak condition. Jing Shaoyu's discomfort had completely vanished, and his Origin Elf Soul had adapted to the metallic environment.
Two hours had passed since they entered the academy, and it seemed they had been deliberately forgotten. Clearly, the academy intended to leave them waiting, both as a warning and to dull their spirits.
However, Jing Shaoyu and his companions' composure was not something such petty tactics could shake.
The middle-aged man reappeared, his expression still cold. "The match will take place in our academy's Grand Soul Duel Arena. Our students are ready. Do you need more preparation?"
Shen Yi remained silent, looking at Jing Shaoyu, who stood up and said, "Lead the way."
"Follow me," the man turned and led them into the elevator.
This time, they reached the thirty-sixth floor and then transferred to another elevator. This elevator was peculiar, moving horizontally first before descending, taking over two minutes to stop.
As the elevator doors opened, the scene before Jing Shaoyu and his companions surprised them, for the style had changed abruptly—from high-tech metallic to something resembling the Stone Age. They stepped out into a quaint room entirely constructed of stone.
This stone chamber was clearly not ordinary; Jing Shaoyu keenly sensed an odd energy within the stones, the fluctuation of a soul formation.
The middle-aged man continued forward, leading them through the stone chamber into a vast hall of about five hundred square meters, also built of stone. The ceiling was adorned with magnificent murals, but Jing Shaoyu only glanced at them before averting his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
The Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy must really admire Huo Yuhao, to record his time at the academy in murals. Truly, they are devoted fans.
On the other side of the stone hall were two stone doors forming a giant archway fifteen meters high and thirty meters wide—a scale that could accommodate some mechas.
"This is the waiting area for the Grand Soul Duel Arena. You'll be notified when it's time to enter the match," the middle-aged man pointed to some stone benches, indicating they could wait there. Then he turned to Shen Yi, "Please take your seat at the VIP stand."
"Alright," Shen Yi did not refuse, turning to Jing Shaoyu, "Shaoyu, just perform as usual, lest the match end too quickly."
"Understood," Jing Shaoyu responded with a serious expression, though he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Shen Yi never missed an opportunity to needle the opponent, and the middle-aged man's face was already darkening.
The man, expression stiff, led Shen Yi out through a side door. Shortly after, the previously faint noise from outside suddenly grew louder, the sound waves rolling in, startling Jing Shaoyu and his companions.
An impassioned voice resonated: "Shrek Academy has come to challenge us. Can we tolerate this? Students of the Sun and Moon Royal Academy, let us unite to cheer for our participants. Let's send Shrek Academy's people slinking back in defeat. Let's declare to the entire continent that we are the strongest academy, to defend the empire's dignity, to restore the glory of Sun and Moon!"
"Defeat Shrek, restore the glory of Sun and Moon!"
"Know your place, conquered subjects!"
"Overthrow the federation, rebuild the empire!"
"..."
They exchanged glances, expressions odd. Such inflammatory rhetoric could only be heard within the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. No wonder it was said to be the stronghold of the old guard, still clinging to the glory of Sun and Moon. Hadn't Xu Zihuang become Xu Tianran?
Ahem, digressing.
"This is their way of intimidating us," Gu Yue said coldly, her eyes narrowing.
"I've heard the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was the old power's stronghold, but I didn't expect it to be true!" Wu Siduo rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"They called us conquered subjects!" Xu Xiaoyan said excitedly, "But hasn't the Sun and Moon Empire also fallen? Aren't they insulting themselves?"
"Perhaps, in their hearts, the federation is still the Sun and Moon Federation," Na'er suggested.
"When is the match starting?" Ye Xinglan asked impatiently.
"They're so noisy," Mo Hentian complained.
"Alright, let's discuss our tactics," Jing Shaoyu said with a light laugh.
Hearing this, Gu Yue raised her hands, and a circle of icy blue light spread from her feet, gradually forming an ice dome that enveloped the seven of them. Inside the dome, specks of silver light flickered, hinting at the mysteries of space.
This was a protective barrier that could prevent internal sounds from leaking out.
Ten minutes later.
"The match is about to begin. Please prepare to enter," a cold voice came from outside the ice dome.
The dome quietly melted from the top, transforming from solid ice into intangible water elements. Such exquisite control made the middle-aged man's eyes flicker, and he couldn't help but take another look at Gu Yue.
The two massive stone doors of the hall slowly opened, and the sounds from outside became clearer, a wave of fervent atmosphere washing over them. Light also flooded into their vision, causing them to blink instinctively before following the middle-aged man out.
Jing Shaoyu walked ahead with calm composure, his steps leisurely. Behind him, Gu Yue, Na'er, Xu Xiaoyan, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, and Mo Hentian followed with light steps and serene demeanors.
Now, it was their time to perform.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/QueenTL
Thanks!