Perhaps... Shrek Needs a Defeat.
The following day, the Heaven Sea Alliance Tournament continued in full swing.
Shouts and cheers echoed throughout the various venues, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
However, although Huo Yuhao and his friends were sitting in the Preparation Area Eastsea Academy, their minds were clearly no longer on the match in front of them.
Their minds were filled with thoughts of the upcoming showdown with the Shrek Academy!
The afternoon matches had just begun when a white figure quietly returned to the Preparation Area.
Five pairs of eyes focused on him simultaneously, filled with undisguised anticipation.
Wu Changkong's expression remained cold and stern. He didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "The matter has been settled."
"On the evening of the Closing Ceremony of the competition, at the main arena of Heaven Sea Stadium."
"Eastsea Academy Class Zero, vs. Shrek Academy Youth Elite Team."
After a brief silence, the five students in Class Zero burst into an uncontrollable cheer!
All those previous plans and risks have finally paid off!
At this moment, even though they clearly knew that their opponent was Shrek Academy, the five members of Class Zero showed no fear in their eyes, but were instead filled with fighting spirit.
The cheers gradually subsided, and everyone calmed down.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao's gaze fell on Wu Changkong's face. He hesitated for a moment, but still asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
"Teacher... you also graduated from the Shrek Academy."
"Now, we're being asked to defeat Shrek's team, and in such a public match that will be watched by the entire Federation."
"Aren't you... worried that this will affect Shrek Academy's reputation?"
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan all raised their heads, looking at Wu Changkong with complicated expressions, as they also had the same question in their hearts.
When Wu Changkong heard this question, a rare and unfathomable look flashed across his icy blue eyes, which seemed to be forged from ten thousand years of ice.
He didn't answer immediately, but remained silent for a moment, as if he were organizing his thoughts or recalling some distant memory.
Then, he slowly spoke, "This match is yours."
His gaze swept over the five young faces in front of him one by one.
"Regardless of your identities, now that you've stepped onto that stage, everyone should have only one goal..."
That's winning!
Wu Changkong paused, his tone softening slightly. "In this world, the world of Soul Master, strength is paramount."
"On the ring, there are no favors, no connections, only strength and weakness."
"If you are stronger, then you win, it is only natural."
"Don't let irrelevant thoughts hold you back at such a young age, and don't think about 'showing mercy' or 'saving face'."
After saying this, Wu Changkong let out a long breath before continuing, "As for the Shrek Academy's reputation..."
"An academy with a history of 20,000 years cannot have its reputation so easily affected by the outcome of a trivial Exhibition Match. Just fight with all your might."
He only said that much aloud, but a whispered thought quietly echoed in his heart.
"Perhaps... Shrek Academy needs a decent defeat right now."
Meanwhile, in the VIP box number three on the upper level of Heaven Sea Stadium, with an excellent view.
All members of the Shrek Academy who came this time gathered here.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, you can overlook the various venues where intense matches are taking place below, and the Soul Guidance Screen in the private room can also broadcast images of the matches from various locations.
"On the night of the Heaven Sea Alliance Tournament Closing Ceremony, we will have a five-person team Exhibition Match against Class Zero of the Eastsea Academy."
Shen Yi's voice was calm, revealing little emotion, as he announced this additional "itinerary".
The private room was quiet for a moment.
The seven young members of the Shrek Academy had different expressions at this moment.
Some people raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of surprise, while others curled their lip in disapproval.
Many others remained expressionless, as if they had only heard an unimportant announcement.
But without a doubt, deep down, no one truly took "Eastsea Academy Class Zero" seriously.
Ye Xinglan frowned slightly. Yesterday, when Huo Yuhao's voice resounded throughout the stadium through the broadcast, openly challenging the Shrek Team, she understood the cause of this incident.
She still felt a pang of guilt because her words and actions had led to this situation.
Of course, this guilt wasn't directed at Huo Yuhao and the others, but rather at the fact that her actions had caused unnecessary "trouble" for the Shrek Academy, making her feel somewhat apologetic.
But then, that faint sense of guilt was replaced by an even stronger anger!
This anger stemmed from the overconfidence and arrogance of Class Zero, which she perceived as ignorant and overestimating their own abilities!
How dare a mere, obscure local academy's gifted youth program openly challenge Shrek?!
This is a blatant provocation and a blatant disregard for the honor of Shrek Academy!
What gives them the right?!
As the team leader, Yu Tianlong stood up. He was tall and handsome, with a calm demeanor and a hint of arrogance between his brows.
He looked at Shen Yi and asked, "Teacher Shen, that Class Zero is just a group of children with an average age of about ten. Why... did you agree to their challenge?"
Shen Yi's gaze swept over the seven team members present, and he explained calmly, "Yesterday, Class Zero's challenge declaration was broadcast throughout the entire stadium via the official broadcast."
"There were still a large number of spectators and participating teams present. If Shrek Academy did not accept the challenge, it would appear that we were afraid of the opponent, which would damage the academy's reputation."
Yu Tianlong nodded in understanding, but then said, "Teacher is right, but... if we're like this, having to accept every public challenge, wouldn't we be swamped with work?"
"Shrek's reputation is too great; there will always be people who want to climb over our name to get ahead."
Shen Yi's expression turned serious. She looked at Yu Tianlong and then at the other team members, her tone becoming more serious. "This time, the situation is slightly different."
"Class Zero's homeroom teacher, Wu Changkong, also comes from our Shrek Academy, and... he's an Inner Court disciple."
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across everyone's faces.
A teacher from Shrek Inner Court? That's certainly not something an ordinary local academy teacher can compare to.
Shen Yi continued, "Therefore, his students must not be viewed as ordinary ten-year-old Soul Master."
At this point, Shen Yi couldn't help but recall the scene of his meeting with Wu Changkong this morning.
Shen Yi understood Wu Changkong and knew that he was not someone who spoke without reason or allowed his students to act recklessly.
His acceptance of the challenge meant he had considerable confidence in his five children.
Thinking of this, Shen Yi couldn't help but put aside his casual attitude towards this Exhibition Match that hadn't even started yet, and instead took it more seriously.
Shrek's glory has been passed down for millennia, and so has its pride.
This pride makes them accustomed to looking down from a high place, and gives them an almost instinctive sense of superiority when facing most challenges.
Another team member, Qian Hongdu, said with a grin, "Don't worry, teacher! We'll handle this 'carefully' and definitely won't let the academy down!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi glanced at him indifferently.
Qian Hongdu's smile was relaxed and casual, but his eyes clearly showed little regard for the matter, more of a perfunctory attitude.
She sighed inwardly, knowing that these privileged individuals probably hadn't truly heeded her warning.
"Battles between Soul Master are not merely a head-on clash of Soul Power, Soul Skill, and Physical Strength."
Shen Yi's voice became clearer, carrying a warning tone. "It's also a battle of information, tactics, psychology, and on-the-spot adaptability. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."
"The members of Class Zero will participate in the Junior Group three-person team competition of this year's competition."
"You can pay attention to this and familiarize yourselves with the characteristics of your opponents' martial spirits and their fighting habits in advance. This will be helpful in preparing for the Exhibition Match at the Closing Ceremony."
"Yes, teacher! We understand."
The seven team members, led by Yu Tianlong, all nodded and agreed verbally, their attitude seemingly respectful.
However, Shen Yi keenly noticed the relaxed, even somewhat indifferent, expressions on their faces.
Shen Yi frowned even more, but these students were not her personally Personal Disciple. She was just a temporary team leader for this trip to Tianhai, not their homeroom teacher.
Some words, if spoken too harshly, may provoke a rebellious attitude or make her seem like she's making a mountain out of a molehill.
In the end, she simply gave them a deep look and said calmly, "Remember what I said, don't embarrass Shrek."