"Then, thank you very much!"
Zhao Wuji clasped his hands in polite thanks after hearing the staff member's explanation.
"No need to be so formal, Teacher!"
The staffer smiled courteously, gesturing toward the resting area lined with empty seats.
"These seats aren't assigned. You and your students may sit wherever you like. When the opening ceremony begins, someone will come to escort you inside."
"Got it."
After exchanging farewells, Zhao Wuji led the group toward an empty row of seats, casually settling in.
"Ugh! These clothes look good, sure, but they're choking me!"
Sitting down, Zhao Wuji immediately loosened the button at his collar, muttering with some discomfort.
Still, when he recalled how he looked in the mirror before leaving—
He couldn't help but feel satisfied.
As the saying goes:
"Clothes make the man; saddle makes the horse."
He had always found the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy instructor uniform a bit tight.
And since the academy didn't require staff or students to wear uniforms inside the campus, Zhao Wuji had never worn one until now.
But today, for the opening ceremony, it was mandatory to wear official attire for the sake of formality and decorum.
This was his first time—an old brute like him—wearing something so fine.
And he had to admit…
Tight or not, he looked damn good.
Even Zhao Wuji was briefly mesmerized by his own charm.
"Holy crap! Which academy is that? That uniform is hideous!"
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed nearby.
Curious, Ye Yu turned toward the commotion.
At the entrance of the resting area—
A group of young men and women entered, all wearing uniforms in a repulsive, muddy green color.
They were followed by a middle-aged man in the same ugly uniform, with a long, narrow face, hooked nose, and thick-rimmed black crystal glasses.
Next came another middle-aged man—this one in a black academic robe, crew-cut hair, a stubbled chin, and an emotionless face.
Lastly, there was a tall, curvy, and strikingly mature woman with a confident air, dressed in a tight dark-blue gown, long black hair cascading behind her.
Oh, and one more—an admittedly handsome young man, also clad in that god-awful uniform.
It was Flender, Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, Qin Ming, Yu Tianheng, Tang San, and the rest of the Shrek Academy group.
As a transmigrator, Ye Yu of course knew—
In the original Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament,
Shrek Academy's shit-green uniforms were a running joke.
But back when he read the novel,
he could never quite picture just how bad it looked.
Now, seeing it in person—
Ye Yu's lips twitched uncontrollably.
He could hardly keep a straight face.
Because truly—
The Shrek uniform's color was something else.
A sickly mix of green and yellow, murky and dull, with none of the vibrance a proper uniform should have.
It instantly brought to mind rotting vegetation, sewage, or literal excrement.
It was outright visual pollution.
Calling it "shit-green" was no exaggeration.
The academy crest embroidered on the chest made it worse—
A green monster with trumpet-shaped ears, looking both goofy and unsettling.
On the back?
A huge line of bold text:
"Now Accepting Sponsorship Ads!"
No wonder they got laughed at.
Even Qin Ming, Yu Tianheng, and Tang San knew how embarrassing it was.
As they entered the rest area, they lowered their heads, clearly hoping no one would see their faces.
But alas—
Zhao Wuji, Ye Yu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and the others were seated right near the entrance.
They saw everything immediately.
And in contrast—
Zhao Wuji and his group looked dashing in their regal Heaven Dou Imperial Academy uniforms.
This side-by-side comparison brought one saying to mind:
"Running into someone you know isn't scary—it's only awkward if you're the ugly one."
When Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar spotted Zhao Wuji, Ye Yu, and the others—
Their eyes filled with envy.
They, too, longed for such elegant attire.
Yu Tianheng, glancing at Dugu Yan and the refined-looking Ye Yu,
then at his own shitty-green uniform,
couldn't help but smile bitterly.
As for Qin Ming, his gaze lingered wistfully on Shi Mo, Shi Mo, and Yufeng.
He had thought they'd miss him too…
But after just one glance, they all turned their eyes away.
Maybe at first, they had looked up to him—after all, he was the second-youngest Spirit Emperor on the continent.
But after a year of intense training under Zhao Wuji,
they realized Qin Ming was all title, no substance.
Just like Shrek Academy itself—flashy on the outside, empty on the inside.
He hadn't brought them any meaningful help in their cultivation.
Now?
They barely even thought about him.
Seeing this, Qin Ming felt an unexpected sting of heartbreak and disappointment.
Flender, too, glanced at Zhao Wuji—
Then quickly turned his head away, pretending not to notice him.
He led the Shrek group deeper into the rest area, trying to find a row of seats as far from Zhao Wuji as possible.
Zhao Wuji snorted in disdain.
Flender was as petty and stingy as ever.
They were already in the Heaven Dou Imperial Capital, attending the most prestigious tournament on the continent—
and the man still couldn't bring himself to buy decent uniforms for Mubai, Hongjun, or Oscar?
These shit-green rags must've cost less than a single gold spirit coin.
Did he feel no shame?
Meanwhile, Ye Yu lounged back in his seat, arms crossed.
He chatted idly with the four girls around him, occasionally scanning the surroundings.
Across the rest area—
All five of the Elemental Academy teams had already arrived.
The most eye-catching among them, undoubtedly, was the Tianshui Academy (Skywater Academy) team.
All female. All gorgeous.
And in the capital, they were famous for forming a dance group called the Sugar Water Group, regularly performing and drawing large crowds of fans.
Aside from them—
The second most striking group was the Elephant Armored Team.
Every member was over two meters tall, brawny and towering, with thick limbs bulging with muscle.
Their arms alone were as big as an average man's thighs.
Each one looked like a walking wall of flesh.
Pure muscle monsters.
Then there were the Thunderclap Team, Blazing Fire Team, and Godwind Team.
Among the Blazing Fire and Godwind teams were some of Ye Yu's old acquaintances—
Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian.
Suddenly, a commotion rippled through the rest area.
Ye Yu turned his head—
Only to see Tang San and the Shrek group in the middle of a heated argument
with a team dressed in elegant pale-blue uniforms, their shoulders embroidered with green circular emblems, within which were two large characters:
Cang Hui. (Blue Sunshine Academy)