The match between the Shrek Seven and the Radiant Seven has concluded, but the ripples caused by this competition are far from over.
In a certain location in Mingdu, Tang Wulin, Luo Guixing, and the other five, who had just finished their final assessment battle, gathered in front of a large screen to watch the match. Their intention was to gauge the gap between themselves and Jing Shaoyu, but what they witnessed left them utterly shocked.
They never expected that Jing Shaoyu actually possessed Twin Martial Souls, and that his second Martial Soul had four 100,000-year Soul Rings, which completely shattered any last remnants of their delusions.
"Is this the gap? Heh!" Luo Guixing let out a bitter laugh.
"It seems we're destined to live in his shadow," Xu Yu Cheng said, somewhat self-defeated.
Tang Wulin's eyes were filled with complex emotions, but compared to Luo Guixing and Xu Yu Cheng's despair, he still harbored a hint of defiance. So what if he had red Soul Rings? He possessed golden Soul Rings! Once all his seals were lifted, who was to say who was stronger or weaker? Tang Wulin thought to himself.
"The students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy actually have two Martial Soul Fusion Skills!" As the match progressed, Zheng Yiran exclaimed in surprise, her face showing a hint of relief. "If we had faced them, perhaps..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood her meaning, and a silence fell over them.
"Wait, the class leader and Ye Xinglan actually have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill? Didn't he have a fusion with Gu Yue? How can he also fuse with Ye Xinglan?" Yang Nianxia exclaimed.
Seeing the Valkyrie on the screen, the seven were momentarily stunned. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie exchanged glances, both seeing the bitter smile in each other's eyes. They weren't surprised by this; after all, Jing Shaoyu had already demonstrated Martial Soul Fusion Skills with both Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan, so it wasn't particularly strange for him to have another with Ye Xinglan.
Xu Lizhi gazed at the enlarged image of Ye Xinglan as the Valkyrie, a look of daze flashing across his face, his expression becoming much more despondent. Sister Xinglan was already this close to Jing Shaoyu? But Jing Shaoyu clearly had other girls; why was he still attracting Sister Xinglan? What if he bullied her? Xu Lizhi's heart was filled with various entanglements and struggles.
"They're really strong!" The seven of them reached a conclusion as the match ended.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Mingdu, Jing Shaoyu and the others, along with Shen Yi, exited the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
It was clear that the academy lacked the courage to detain them or to engage in any underhanded tactics, so they could only politely escort them out.
As they stepped out of the academy's gates, they were immediately startled by the scene outside. The entrance was surrounded by a throng of people, and the already poor air quality in Mingdu felt even more suffocating and nauseating.
The recently concluded match had been broadcasted on all the large screens throughout Mingdu, so even those who were busy witnessed this duel between what could be considered the strongest young Soul Masters in the Federation. As soon as the match ended, some reporters who had received news in advance, along with people near the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, blocked the entrance, eager to catch a glimpse of the seven young men and women from Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy and Shrek City could be considered a media black zone; aside from the most authoritative outlet, no other media, newspapers, or magazines were allowed to report on matters related to Shrek Academy. Thus, in the eyes of the Federation's populace, Shrek Academy and Shrek City were shrouded in mystery.
Everyone had heard of Shrek Academy, but very few had actually experienced it. The real Shrek Academy might be completely different from what most people imagined.
This was actually intentional by the Federation; after all, Shrek Academy's reputation was too resounding. If they were allowed to control media narratives, who could imagine the extent of their influence? The central government dared not even think about it!
The Federation's higher-ups had already witnessed the allure of Shrek Academy without any promotional means, so they were keen to avoid the academy having its own voice.
Jing Shaoyu frowned as he looked at the frenzied crowd around him, wanting to use his Martial Soul to escape with everyone. However, as the capital of the Federation, Mingdu prohibited the use of Martial Souls and Soul Skills in public places.
Although he had legal immunity as a student of Shrek Academy, he still wanted to be a law-abiding citizen.
Just as Jing Shaoyu and the others were feeling a bit of a headache, suddenly, a beam of light descended from the sky, scattering the gathered crowd. A streamlined, extended luxury car swooped down from above and landed steadily in front of them.
As they were puzzled, the car door opened, and a calm voice came from inside, "Get in."
It was Cai Yue'er! The group immediately recognized her voice and wasted no time squeezing into the car. As the last one, Shen Yi, got in, the door closed instantly, and the flying car accelerated sharply, flames shooting from its rear as it sped away.
At the same time that Jing Shaoyu and his group left the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy in the flying car, in a high-level conference room within the academy, the higher-ups were holding a meeting.
"Let's hear your thoughts on today's match," the elder sitting at the center of the Soul Duel arena's podium said with a gloomy expression.
"What else is there to say?" A middle-aged man sitting to the elder's right sighed and said, "We were simply outclassed."
"Hmph!" The elder snorted coldly, "Am I unable to see that? What I want is your specific opinions, not your complaints!"
The middle-aged man trembled, his expression fearful, and immediately replied, "Yes. The opponent's Martial Souls and personal strength are superior to ours, so our defeat was not due to luck or any other factors, but an inevitable outcome."
"Not to mention that boy named Jing Shaoyu; the other six members of their team should not be underestimated." The middle-aged man sitting to the elder's left, who was the referee for the match, had observed Jing Shaoyu and his team most closely, so his words drew the attention of others.
"Be specific," the elder said.
"Among their six students, there is the top-tier Weapon Soul, the Star God Sword, and the Twin Martial Souls of the White Tiger and Nether Spirit Cat. These three Martial Souls are renowned powerful Martial Souls on the continent. Although our academy also has top-tier Weapon Souls like the Heavenly Tiger Axe and Heavenly Tiger Shield, they still pale in comparison," the middle-aged man explained. "In terms of Martial Souls, only Long Chen's Holy Dragon Martial Soul, Xue Liushuang's Ice Soul Sword Martial Soul, and the young lady's Moon Martial Soul can compare. But that Jing Shaoyu's spear Martial Soul is beyond my understanding."
"I just asked Long Chen," another middle-aged man said. "Long Chen said that when he faced Jing Shaoyu, he felt no desire to resist at all. His Martial Soul was resisting something intensely, and he had to expend tremendous mental effort just to exert a fraction of his usual strength."
"That Jing Shaoyu should be Yun Ming's disciple," the referee middle-aged man immediately stated. "His spear technique is 90% similar to Yun Ming's, the only difference being that he lacks Yun Ming's carefree style."
"Yun Ming!" Upon hearing Yun Ming's name, a glint of light flashed in the elder's eyes, and he murmured.
"So we can confirm one thing: that Jing Shaoyu's black spear Martial Soul is likely a super Martial Soul of equal quality to the Qingtian Spear, possessing some special ability that can influence Long Chen's Martial Soul."
"This must be a conspiracy; Shrek Academy must have known about our Radiant Seven and came to provoke us!"
"Heh, even if it is a conspiracy, so what? Losing is losing; we were simply outclassed. At worst, we can learn from our shame, strengthen ourselves, and fight back!" The first middle-aged man said.
"We must find a way to investigate Jing Shaoyu's information. Knowing ourselves and our enemies will ensure we are victorious in every battle! Our defeat this time was largely due to a lack of intelligence."
"Exactly! Not just Jing Shaoyu, but the others should not be underestimated either. That Mo Hentian has a very domineering hammer-type Weapon Soul; I suspect it is the Clear Sky Hammer. That Wu Siduo possesses a self-fusion Martial Soul Skill, which was not mentioned on the Young Genius List. The strength of that Ye Xinglan is even above Liu Shuang; she is clearly just a Soul Venerable, yet she can match Liu Shuang, a Soul Grandmaster. Her Star God Sword technique has already reached a high level; given time, she will definitely become a significant threat to us!"
"Also, that girl holding the silver spear, named Jing Na'er, is clearly Jing Shaoyu's sister. She might also be Yun Ming's disciple. The other two girls hiding in the back are definitely not weak either!"
"So, even in one-on-one comparisons, our seven students are clearly weaker than theirs! Immediately organize a special team to study this match; I need the most detailed data analysis. Additionally, establish a special department to fully investigate the information on these seven individuals!" the elder concluded.
"Yes!"
The flying car sped through the skies of Mingdu. Inside, Cai Yue'er rarely praised Jing Shaoyu and the others.
"You all performed beautifully; the academy is very satisfied with your performance," Cai Yue'er said with a smile. "To be precise, I am very satisfied with your performance, so you will qualify as candidates for the Shrek Seven Monsters four years from now. Whether I can submit that application to the Sea God Pavilion will depend on your future performance."
Upon hearing this, before the others could respond, Shen Yi excitedly said, "Shaoyu, you all should thank Elder Cai!"
"Thank you, Elder Cai," the seven finally said.
"No need; this is an opportunity you earned for yourselves," Cai Yue'er waved her hand and then looked at Jing Shaoyu. "Jing Shaoyu, why didn't you directly eliminate Long Chen? He clearly wasn't your match."
"A one-hit kill might create a strong visual impact and shock, but that is only temporary," Jing Shaoyu explained upon hearing Cai Yue'er's question. "I wanted him to truly feel the gap between us, so that an indelible shadow would remain in his heart."
"I see." Cai Yue'er nodded and said, "That is indeed true; an all-encompassing crushing defeat is the most despairing."
As she spoke, a meaningful smile appeared on Cai Yue'er's face. The Radiant Seven, heh, now she wanted to see if the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy could maintain such a strategy. If they remained stubborn, she would truly admire them.
"Elder Cai, how are we getting back to the academy? Are we taking this flying car?" Xu Xiaoyan curiously surveyed the vehicle and asked Cai Yue'er.
"You are still in the assessment period, so of course, you need to find your own way back!" Cai Yue'er said seriously. "This flying car is borrowed from the Tang Sect; it was only to pick you up from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and it needs to be returned later."
"Ah! Is that so? Alright!" Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed, somewhat disappointed. Wu Siduo and Mo Hentian, who were also very interested in the flying car, showed disappointed expressions as well.
"Alright, I was just joking," Cai Yue'er said with a smile upon seeing their reactions. "This flying car is actually my personal vehicle, not borrowed from the Tang Sect. You just maintained the academy's dignity in Mingdu; how could I let you return to the academy on your own? That would make the academy seem too unkind."
"Hooray, long live Elder Cai!" Xu Xiaoyan immediately cheered.
Cai Yue'er smiled kindly and patted the driver's seat, saying, "Teacher Wu, let's return to the academy."
"Yes."
Only then did they realize that the driver was actually Wu Zhangkong. He hadn't spoken a word since they got in, leading them to think he was just an ordinary driver.
Jing Shaoyu felt a bit strange; if Wu Zhangkong was driving here, then what about Tang Wulin and the others? Logically, he should have been with Tang Wulin's group, right?
The flying car sped towards Shrek Academy, and the impact of the match between Jing Shaoyu and the Radiant Seven spread beyond Mingdu to other places.
In Shrek City, at the headquarters of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, on the top floor.
The head of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, Qian Gu Dongfeng, listened to his subordinate's report in silence, waving his hand for the person to leave.
Qian Gu Dongfeng looked at the materials sent by his subordinate, his expression emotionless, but one hand had already clenched into a fist. He stood up and walked to the window, his deep gaze penetrating through the glass towards the direction of Shrek Academy.
"Heh heh," he let out a cold laugh, "Is he so unforgettable to you? Even such a genius is willingly given to him?"
He raised his hand, revealing a photo of Jing Shaoyu taken during the match at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, looking at Jing Shaoyu holding the spear, Qian Gu Dongfeng's expression turned cold and sinister.
"The Angel of Prayer and the Qingtian Spear, tsk tsk, what a perfect match."
As his words fell, a gentle breeze stirred, and in the next moment, Qian Gu Dongfeng vanished from his office.
In the office, Leng Yaozhu felt something and looked up, gazing out the window with a puzzled expression, murmuring, "Qian Gu Dongfeng? Where is he going?"
She was curious but did not foolishly follow him. As the Limit Douluo and the head of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, Leng Yaozhu had no reason to track him.
After all, no one would expect that the head of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, one of the absolute leaders of the righteous path in the Soul Master world, would collude with evil Soul Masters.
Everything was proceeding according to the predetermined fate.