"The reason the number of people in the inner courtyard has always been so small is that some have successfully graduated, while others have died—dying on a special and glorious path," Beibei added.
"Beibei is right. The motto of the inner courtyard is that strength and responsibility go hand in hand, and the heart must be kind," Xuan Zi continued, gradually finding his rhythm without Xu Sanshi's interruptions and with Beibei's support.
There was a hint of sorrow in his voice as he spoke:
"Because of their sense of responsibility, some students in the inner courtyard have died for the ideals of the academy. They were all good children. Though they never truly graduated, their names will forever remain on the academy's roster."
Responsibility and ideals—these words still felt distant and unfamiliar to young men and women like Wang Dong'er.
Beibei: Thank you for the invitation. I'm here in the academy, handling internal matters.
Tang Ya: My ideal...
Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan: Such a distant concept...
Xu Sanshi: Turtle, is the pressure really that great? It seems that as a protector, I must step up and stay in the inner courtyard to protect Nannan!
He Caitou: Blood feud... we'll avenge it another day.
Huo Yuhao: I must hold it in, don't laugh. Why is this old guy so full of moral preaching...
Xuan Zi spoke in a deep voice: "Every year, many core disciples from the outer courtyard graduate, and many meet the assessment standards for the inner courtyard. Yet, only a few choose to join. This is because they feel they cannot bear the responsibility of the inner courtyard, and they leave after swearing to keep its secrets."
"The academy respects every student's choice, but I want to say this: those who understand the responsibility and still choose to join the inner courtyard are heroes—heroes of the entire continent!"
The word "heroes," when spoken by Xuan Zi, carried an inexplicable weight.
"From the moment you enter the reserve team, it means you've already taken a step into the inner courtyard. But because of this, I must confirm whether you are willing to take on the responsibility of the inner courtyard before I officially take you out of the academy."
"If you don't wish to, you can return to the outer courtyard now. You'll still study and graduate smoothly, and no one will blame you. Just swear to keep this secret..."
As Xuan Zi slowly recounted stories about the inner courtyard, the Shrek Supervisory Group, and the evil soul masters, the reserve team listened intently, their expressions shifting multiple times. They were immersed in the ten-thousand-year legacy and glorious duties of Shrek Academy.
After hearing Xuan Zi's passionate words, the inner courtyard disciples couldn't help but reveal a special gleam in their eyes—solemn and proud, just like Xuan Zi himself. At this moment, they all basked in the ten-thousand-year glory of Shrek together!
Well, except for one person who was pretending.
"Children, are you willing to join the Shrek Supervisory Group?" Xuan Zi roared.
He looked around, relieved to see that no one's eyes wavered.
"Yes!" The seven members of the reserve team responded in unison.
Their voices varied—some high-pitched, some calm, some resolute, and some decisive. Though none of them had personally experienced the so-called glory of the Shrek Supervisory Group, none hesitated.
Some wanted to follow in someone's footsteps, some were driven by a sense of justice, some were willing to take on the responsibility of eliminating evil and defending righteousness, some sought a happy future, and others wanted to secure their own development.
Though Xuan Zi didn't say it outright, they all understood that if anyone withdrew, the gates of Shrek Academy's inner courtyard would be forever closed to them.
Seeing the seven agree unanimously, Xuan Zi smiled—a genuine smile from the heart.
'They're all good kids! It's truly remarkable that they can make such a choice without hesitation. I believe that in the future, these reserve team members will truly feel the pride and glory of the Shrek Supervisory Group!'
Xuan Zi: This is definitely the best group of reserve team members I've ever led!
'What about me? No one told me these things before I joined the inner courtyard. All I got was a big, empty promise from Yan Shaozhe, with no mention of the dangers.'
I boarded the bus without any precautions—buying the ticket after getting on. Shrek, you're really something, forcing me into this! If I hadn't read the original novel, I might've been grateful.
Of course, I'm quite satisfied with the identity of a continental supervisor, though the rewards for missions could be better.' Huo Yuhao felt nothing but disgust for the inhumane evil soul masters.
If he had the ability, he would take action to maintain the peace and justice of Douluo Continent! It was his duty. However, if it endangered his life, he wouldn't be stubborn. Risking his life for Shrek's glory? Absolutely not!
…
After the lecture, seeing the seven reserve team members standing firm and unwavering, Xuan Zi nodded with satisfaction and began assigning tasks:
"Very good, I didn't make a mistake. There's another reason I told you all this—because you're about to face your first inspection mission. Wang Yan, distribute the Shrek Inspection Team's equipment. Xiao Tao, brief them on the mission."
The equipment Wang Yan handed out was a set of exquisitely crafted rings. The ring holders were made of silver-white metal, with an emerald gem the size of a fingernail embedded in them. On the ring's face was a lifelike engraving of the Shrek monster's head.
Ma Xiaotao explained, "This is the symbol of the Shrek Supervisory Group. You only need to drip a drop of your blood into it, and it will bind to you."
"You can identify each other through the Supervisor's Ring. The ring itself is also a storage soul tool. Take a look inside—it contains all the equipment you'll need, including clothes, masks, cloaks, distress flares, and other items exclusive to the Shrek Supervisory Group."
Then, Ma Xiaotao introduced the mission:
"The mission location is in the Mingdou Mountains, bordering the Star Luo Empire and the Sun-Moon Empire. Our goal is to eliminate a group of bandits called the Hand of Death, numbering around 300."
"According to intelligence, this group is insidious and cunning, committing all kinds of atrocities. When you encounter them, show no mercy—eliminate them all. Most of you have never killed before, so this will likely be a brand-new experience."
"Due to time constraints, we have only four days to complete the mission. Although the regular team will handle most of the work, you may also need to take action. However, it's said that the leader is an evil soul master known as the Death Messenger, with cultivation at the Soul King level, so the mission is no small task."
Wang Yan added with emphasis, "The soul skills of evil soul masters are strange and powerful. Many can fight beyond their level. Don't judge them solely by their soul power level. Even soul masters stronger than evil soul masters can fall into their traps and meet their end. So, everyone must remain vigilant."
Wang Yan's expression was grave, clearly showing his fear of evil soul masters.
Hearing his words, Chen Zifeng and other inner courtyard disciples who had faced evil soul masters before also looked grim. They knew firsthand how terrifying these foes could be.
Among Shrek's monitoring tasks, those involving evil soul masters were the least frequent but also the most dangerous.
Rarely did anyone take on such missions alone—most inner courtyard students would team up. Yet, even then, casualties were not uncommon. This was the horror of evil soul masters.
If battles between soul masters were a game of intelligence, then evil soul masters were the extreme outliers who defied all norms. Their strange and powerful soul skills were utterly unpredictable.
"We just need to be careful. Though evil soul masters' abilities are bizarre, they're still limited by their cultivation level," Dai Yuheng said dismissively.
As an inspector, Dai Yuheng had to complete thirty monitoring tasks to graduate from Shrek's inner courtyard. So far, he had completed twenty-eight. Along the way, he had killed rapists, corrupt officials, and saved enslaved children. The number of evil soul masters he had slain could be counted on one hand.
Moreover, the main focus of this mission was the bandits, with the evil soul master merely their leader. How strong could such an evil soul master be? This was the confidence of a Soul Emperor!
Huo Yuhao, however, remained calm. 'I hope you can handle the temporary strongest Soul King. Last month in the Star Dou Forest, I buried three evil soul masters at the Soul Douluo level. Am I proud? Not really. There are many heroes in this world, and I don't want to grow arrogant or impatient.'
The reserve team members felt the pressure after hearing this information.
Though they had never encountered an evil soul master before, the fact that Teacher Wang Yan and the inner courtyard students treated them with such caution meant they couldn't afford to be careless.
Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao, in particular, exchanged glances, their faces pale.
As early as when they heard the word "kill," their breathing had already quickened. Both were only twelve years old. They had never killed anyone—let alone a chicken.
Was this mission too heavy for them right from the start? They were only second-year students!
But it seemed that the monitoring tasks of the inner courtyard were voluntary. Was it too late to quit now?
At this moment, the team's anchor spoke up. Xuan Zi took a sip of wine and said heroically: "Children, don't be nervous. I specifically chose this mission. With the inner courtyard students here, the difficulty isn't high."
"It's a precious training opportunity for you. And this time, I'll be leading the team myself. A small-time evil soul master won't cause any major trouble."
His words immediately eased the tension. The anxious looks were replaced by excitement and an unprecedented sense of security.
In truth, this monitoring mission was also the final run-in before the competition.
Xuan Zi wanted to inspire the fighting spirit of the selected members through the blood of these bandits, deepen the team's cooperation through real combat, and let the reserve team experience bloodshed to temper their will. Killing three birds with one stone—perfect!
Xuan Zi nodded, "However, I won't intervene unless the mission becomes dangerous. Everything depends on you. Xiaotao, I leave it to you."
With that, Xuan Zi fell silent.
Ma Xiaotao took over as leader, "Before we set off, we've already informed the Star Luo Empire's garrison near the Mingdou Mountains. They'll provide us with necessary assistance. If there are no issues, we'll set off at full speed. For now, put away your Supervisor's Rings. You only need to wear them during missions."
Everyone confirmed they were ready.
Ma Xiaotao started making arrangements, "Time is limited. Those of you with lower cultivation levels might slow us down. If we continue at your pace, we'll miss our opportunity. So, I'll take Wang Dong'er. Xixi, you take Xiao Xiao."
Her arrangement was reasonable—the female regular team members would lead the two second-year female reserve team members. The other reserve team members, all at least Soul Sect level, didn't need assistance.
At this point, Huo Yuhao stepped forward and suggested, "Actually, Caitou's martial soul is a food system. With his help, we can save a lot of energy along the way."
Ma Xiaotao became curious and asked, "Caitou, what's your martial soul?"
He Caitou nodded, "It's a cigar."
"Then let's try it?" Ma Xiaotao urged.
He Caitou looked embarrassed, "Though my soul skills are useful, I'm afraid you might not be willing to use them."
Ma Xiaotao pressed further "Make the best use of it. Don't keep us in suspense—hurry up!"
He Caitou glanced around guiltily, "Promise you won't laugh."
Everyone nodded in unison.
"It's fine, we won't laugh at you." Huo Yuhao added under his breath, 'Unless we can't help it.'
He Caitou's face turned red. "I have a thick cigar."
Four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—lit up on his body. The first soul ring shone as a long, thick, black object appeared in his hand...
The surroundings fell silent.
He Caitou looked at the stunned expressions of everyone except Huo Yuhao and quickly emphasized: "Don't laugh! We agreed!"
But the students, having never seen such a sight, burst into laughter—even Wang Yan couldn't hold back.
Xuan Zi, however, looked intrigued.
He Caitou glared resentfully, "So, who wants to try my cigar?"
Everyone immediately declined.
'No, thanks. We're fine being a little tired.'
He Caitou shot a despairing look at Huo Yuhao, the instigator. 'Why did you have to bring this up? Now I have to use my soul skills!'
After Wang Yan stopped laughing, he asked, "Alright, though this soul skill is a bit... unique, don't laugh. Caitou, what's the use of your food-type martial soul?"
He Caitou snorted but said nothing.
Wang Yan, realizing he was at fault, took the lead and picked up the thick cigar.
"Let me try it myself."
…
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