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A few days later.
At the heart of Sea God Island stood a massive wooden house, built against the trunk of an enormous tree. This place was not only the core of Sea God Island but also the heart of Shrek Academy—indeed, the very center of Shrek City itself.
The interior of the wooden house was simply furnished. A long wooden table stretched across the room, with eight people seated on either side and one at the head, making nine in total.
Present were figures like Zhuo Shi, Zhen Hua, and Ya Li. Recently, a heinous incident had occurred—a brutal attack by evil soul masters. Zhen Hua, the Divine Craftsman and Tang Wulin's martial uncle, had been ambushed in Heaven Dou City.
It was clear that the evil soul masters aimed to weaken the entire soul master world. The Federation had already sent a formal request to Shrek Academy, asking for assistance in exterminating these malevolent forces.
This meeting was primarily focused on discussing countermeasures against the evil soul masters and formulating a comprehensive response plan. Additionally, there was brief mention of a year-long exchange opportunity to the Douluo Star Continent.
The number of participants and the selection of candidates would be decided by Cai Yue'er, the dean of the outer court.
---
"Tang Wulin, come here."
As soon as class ended, Shen Yi called him to her office.
"What's going on with you? The class leader shows up late—is this the example you're setting for the other students? And you were over an hour late. Explain yourself." Though not as strict as Wu Zhangkong, Shen Yi was far from lenient. Especially now, with Class One of the first grade performing exceptionally well, teachers and students from other grades were keeping a close eye on them.
Tang Wulin scratched his head. "I ran into evil soul masters. I almost didn't make it back." He didn't hold back, recounting everything that had happened during his trip to Heaven Dou City—including how Zhen Hua had personally escorted him back.
"The evil soul masters have grown this brazen?" Shen Yi's brows furrowed deeply, her expression darkening.
Tang Wulin quickly added, "Yes! They even dared to assassinate my martial uncle. They're clearly trying to weaken the soul master world. They must have some bigger scheme."
Shen Yi nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll let it slide this time. You can go now. The match against Class One of the third grade is in a few days. You'd better prepare well. Let me remind you—if you want to challenge Bai Xu, you must first defeat Class One of the third grade. According to the teachers' assessments, Bai Xu's strength surpasses even that of the third grade."
Tang Wulin's expression shifted. "Surpasses the third grade? But their class has two students with complete one-word battle armor!"
Shen Yi shook her head. "Bai Xu's greatest strength isn't his soul power level, nor is it his formidable physical prowess, which rivals yours… It's his spiritual power. To be honest, I don't think you can defeat the third grade, let alone Bai Xu."
As one of the instructors who had watched the recording of Bai Xu's final exam, Shen Yi knew full well that his spiritual assault could effortlessly obliterate the mental sea of a Soul King. His previous sparring matches within the academy had only been a result of him holding back.
That said, it was true that Bai Xu had never used his spiritual assault against Tang Wulin.
"What if we win?" Tang Wulin retorted, unwilling to back down.
"Dean Cai has already promised—if you defeat the third grade, the academy will provide the remaining materials you need for your one-word battle armor. If you defeat Bai Xu, the academy will supply all the materials for your two-word battle armor."
Tang Wulin's eyes lit up. "Really?"
---
Na'er sat on her bed, her brows tightly knit in worry as she lost herself in thought.
Gu Yue asked, "What's wrong? You look troubled."
"I've just been thinking… Big Brother has been training harder and harder lately, going into seclusion more frequently. All to win the sparring match against the third grade and the duel against Bai Xu."
As she spoke, Na'er glanced at Bai Xu, who was meditating across from her. His soul power had risen yet again—he was now at rank 47. Meanwhile, she was still stuck at rank 38. Even Xie Xie had broken through to four rings, while she lagged behind.
Na'er sighed. "With an ordinary martial soul and mediocre talent, it's impossible to keep up with all of you. Falling behind like this… it feels like being abandoned. It's unbearable. And my progress in my second profession is even slower. Without you and Big Brother, I might not even graduate from the outer court… But this experience has also made me more mature, more rational than before. It's allowed me to see things I never could have before."
"Do you regret it?" Bai Xu opened his eyes and asked.
"No, I don't."
---
The day of the match had finally arrived.
The combined forces of the first and second grades of Shrek Academy's outer court were challenging the third grade.
This competition had captured the attention of every student in the outer court.
Moreover, the winner of this match would face the man who stood at the pinnacle of their generation—Bai Xu. Rumor had it that even all the teachers acknowledged his strength and welcomed challengers to test him.
The students of Class One from the first and second grades arrived early, eager to witness a miracle. In contrast, the third-grade students appeared far more relaxed.
On the VIP platform, Cai Yue'er, the dean of the outer court, had arrived well in advance. Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li was also present, along with numerous outer court teachers. From the inner court, even the Scarlet Dragon Douluo and Blazing Dragon Doulro had come. Their primary purpose, of course, was to observe Tang Wulin.
The group of Titled Douluo was led by the Holy Spirit Douluo.
Bai Xu's expression remained unchanged. After exchanging a glance with Gu Yue, he sank back into contemplation. Cai Yue'er occasionally shot him a scrutinizing look, her displeasure evident.
The issue with Bai Xu wasn't his reclusiveness—Shrek had plenty of solitary students, and none were forced to change. No, Bai Xu's real problem was his attitude.
He took no pride in being part of Shrek Academy. To him, the academy's honor was worth less than a single coin, something he seemed ready to discard at any moment. Coupled with his extraordinary talent, if this mindset spread, it could fundamentally undermine Shrek's foundations.
What had sustained Shrek for twenty thousand years?
Precisely that sense of pride. Two millennia ago, the Thousand Hands Asura, Tang San. Ten millennia ago, the Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao. Weren't they all products of this legacy? They had risen in times of crisis, ascended to godhood, saved the world, and laid the foundation for Shrek's prosperity.
Without that conviction, no matter how talented he was, Shrek would never prioritize nurturing him.
And Bai Xu had even joined the Spirit Pagoda…
In recent years, the Spirit Pagoda had amassed immeasurable wealth and grown increasingly enigmatic. Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents swirled—no one knew where the coming storm would strike.
Dean Cai snorted coldly. "Kid, this trip to the Douluo Star Continent is your last chance. If you still refuse to change your ways, then leave after graduating from the outer court."
Those in power were often more tolerant of geniuses. Even after Wu Zhangkong's talk with him, Bai Xu had continued as he always had, showing no signs of change. Dean Cai was even willing to give him one more opportunity—sending him on the exchange to the Douluo Star Continent—though she would certainly arrange certain… interactions during the trip.
As for Bai Xu, his thoughts were elsewhere: "When should I leave?"