"Of course, becoming a member of the Shrek Supervisory Group also means facing the high probability of life-threatening danger." Sun He's tone shifted, and his expression grew serious.
"The methods of Evil Soul Masters are unpredictable. Although Shrek Academy always ensures that the Disciples' strength surpasses that of the Evil Soul Masters, many excellent Inner Courtyard Disciples have still sacrificed their lives to bizarre attacks."
"Furthermore, Shrek Supervisory Group members receive no additional compensation. You can still choose to refuse now; Shrek Academy will not make things difficult for you, nor will it revoke your Core Disciple treatment. However, you will have to leave Shrek Academy after graduating from the Outer Courtyard."
Although Sun He spoke of danger, Wang Nan knew that the world outside Shrek Academy was far more perilous than these dangers.
The Douluo Continent, after all, is a world where one can cultivate. Battles between Spirit Masters and Spirit Beasts, and Spirit Masters and other Spirit Masters, happen daily. For Spirit Masters without a background, even acquiring a spirit ring is an adventure where nine out of ten die.
Perhaps some Spirit Masters occasionally encounter fortuitous opportunities, but they do not know that the top resources have already been claimed by others.
On one hand, there was leaving the safety of Shrek Academy to contend with Spirit Masters across the entire Douluo Continent for those illusory opportunities. On the other hand, he could stay within Shrek and deal with a few Evil Soul Masters while enjoying the resources of the top Spirit Master Academy. Wang Nan naturally leaned toward staying at Shrek.
Moreover, for him, dealing with Evil Soul Masters was not necessarily a bad thing.
A Spirit Master's mental force would influence the future condensation of their soul core. However, on the Douluo Continent, most Spirit Masters' mental force could only grow naturally with their spirit power. Wang Nan didn't possess secret techniques like the Purple Demon Eye to enhance mental force, so he would eventually need to seek out Evil Soul Masters to improve his mental force.
Now, with Shrek Academy helping him gather information on Evil Soul Masters, and with Inner Courtyard Disciples assisting him in dealing with them, it was far more convenient than searching for them one by one.
"Teacher Sun, what do I need to do after joining the Shrek Supervisory Group?"
Sun He looked at Wang Nan, his expression returning to his usual friendly demeanor. "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, Shrek Academy doesn't want to lose any Inner Courtyard Disciple, so it won't assign you overly dangerous tasks."
"The entire Douluo Continent is under Shrek Academy's intelligence network. This information will be categorized by specialized Inner Courtyard Teachers based on the strength and scale of the Evil Soul Masters, and appropriate Inner Courtyard Disciples will be assigned to handle them."
"As for reserves like you, Shrek Academy won't assign you to complete tasks alone; you'll primarily assist other Inner Courtyard Disciples."
"Then I choose to join." Wang Nan nodded, making his decision.
"Good. I also have some things for you." Sun He took out a ring from his storage spirit tool. "This is the emblem of the Shrek Supervisory Group. You need to drip a drop of blood on it to activate it."
"It can be used for identification, and it's also a storage spirit tool. Inside, there are special uniforms, masks, and cloaks for the Supervisory Group, and most importantly, signal flares. If you encounter danger, release one, and nearby Shrek Disciples will rush to your aid immediately."
Wang Nan took the silver-white ring and dripped a drop of blood onto the emerald green gem on its surface. Instantly, a sense of connection with the ring surged through him, and he felt a faint Qi pointing towards Sun He in front of him.
"This ring is generally not carried outside of tasks. I just wanted you to understand its function. Now, put it away and listen to your first task."
"A task already?"
"Don't worry, if there were truly dangerous tasks, at the very least, we teachers would take the lead. This task is just to familiarize you with the process and understand how Shrek Supervisory Group members execute their tasks."
Sun He's expression turned slightly serious. He glanced at Wang Nan before continuing, "I don't know the specific details, but you should prepare two extra sets of clothes and some food. Gather at the Shrek Academy gate tomorrow morning. Someone will take you to complete the task."
Wang Nan put away the ring and returned to his dormitory, feeling that the peaceful life he had enjoyed last year was slipping away.
As he packed his luggage, Gongyang Mo entered the room. Like Wang Nan, he had passed the promotion assessment early, so today was also his holiday.
"You came at a good time. I have to go out tomorrow and might be gone for a few days."
"What a coincidence, I also have to go out recently," Gongyang Mo replied with a knowing look.
"You're leaving tomorrow too?"
Gongyang Mo nodded.
---
The night passed quickly. The next morning, Wang Nan and Gongyang Mo arrived at the Shrek Academy gate as agreed, surprised to see a large group of people gathered there. Among them was Yu Chenyu, from their grade. The others were unfamiliar, but judging by the color of their school uniforms, they were all third-year Disciples.
One person had golden hair that reached his shoulders and double pupils in his eyes. Although he didn't introduce himself, Wang Nan immediately recognized him.
"Are all the three-ring Core Disciples here?" A voice suddenly called out from the crowd.
Before anyone could spot the speaker, a strong smell of alcohol wafted through the air.
Everyone turned to look and saw an old man stumbling toward them. He was dressed in torn clothes, barefoot, and his hair was a mess. As he spoke, he burped loudly.
The person who arrived was Xuan Zi, a Level 98 Super Douluo.
"Not bad, three little guys from the second year." Xuan Zi took another swig of alcohol, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and continued, "Your first supervisory task will be led by me. Come, gather closer."
Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances but made no move.
Their situation was similar to Wang Nan's—almost all of them had been told that someone would lead them on their first task today, but no one had mentioned that it would be such a slovenly old man.
Seeing that the Disciples didn't move, Xuan Zi said no more. With a wave of his hand, the group felt a surge of spirit power envelop them. Their bodies lightened, and they floated into the air.
"You walk too slowly, hiccup~ I'll take you."
Immediately, the group saw the Shrek Academy gate getting further and further away.
Although protected by Xuan Zi's spirit power, no one was affected by the surrounding airflow, but the speed made the faces of several Disciples turn pale.
Two hours later, just as two of the Disciples were starting to look faint, Xuan Zi finally stopped. There were no trees around, just a barren plain. In the distance, a blurry dark shape that looked like a village could be seen.
"Alright, rest here for a while. Remember to fill your stomachs," Xuan Zi said, his voice laced with a hint of mystery.