Xiao Xiao, why are you wasting your breath on him!

Madness!

Absolute madness!!

The moment Jiang Yang finished speaking, everyone present fell into a deathly silence.

Even Mu Jin was shocked by this so-called wager.

Whatever was bet would be paid out, and if Jiang Yang won, he wouldn't even take the items, but instead leave them for the class.

In doing so.

Not only could he ensure that everyone would take this practical training seriously, but he could also ignite the fighting spirit deep within their hearts.

Furthermore.

If Jiang Yang truly proved invincible and won a multitude of prizes for the class.

With these resources in hand, it was foreseeable that Mu Jin's future teaching work would see a qualitative improvement!

As the saying goes, heavy rewards attract brave men.

With tangible cultivation resources in sight, who would dare to slack off in their upcoming studies?

Since they had already managed to enter the outer courtyard of Shrek Academy, everyone's talent was more or less on par.

Although there were a few exceptional geniuses, they didn't exert much of an influence.

They simply occupied a few of the top spots.

However.

As ordinary geniuses, they hadn't come for those top spots; they only wanted to pass the assessments steadily and study in the outer courtyard of Shrek Academy.

What they ultimately sought was merely to break through to the four-ring Soul Ancestor realm before the age of sixteen and secure that impressive achievement.

Even if they fell slightly short, reaching the four-ring Soul Ancestor realm before twenty would be enough.

Who would dare to covet first place or even the top ten?

Those were things for the top-tier geniuses to think about, the kind of things only those on a higher level dared to dream of.

Precisely because of this, Jiang Yang's layout struck the exact weak point of the crowd.

The number of ordinary geniuses in the world was far greater than that of the top-tier ones.

And the backbone he needed to unify the Douluo Continent was exactly this group of ordinary geniuses.

"Hiss--!"

"Doesn't the Senior Brother's meaning imply that everyone, or rather every team, is about to engage in a high-stakes gamble?!"

"Then if I put up a ten-thousand-year Soul Bone and beat the Senior Brother, wouldn't I get a ten-thousand-year Soul Bone in return?!"

"Wake up! If you follow that logic, why don't you put up a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone and make the Senior Brother pay you a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?"

"Hahahahaha..."

When the crowd reached this point, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

No one thought Jiang Yang was a fool.

If they had initially doubted Jiang Yang's claim of not using his martial soul or soul skills, they took him seriously the moment he laid out the rules.

Importance aside, faced with such temptation, how many could truly resist?

As long as they defeated Jiang Yang, what they would gain was not just the reward of the wager.

There was also endless fame, and perhaps even the favor of the teachers, leading to support from the academy.

Clearly.

Among those present, there were few who could ignore the support of Shrek Academy.

"The teacher thinks this method is feasible!"

"But remember, friendship first, competition second. I'll say this upfront: honor your bets."

"Students who do not wish to participate in the competition may come to me now to register their withdrawal."

"However--"

"Once you have joined the competition, if you lose and try to go back on your word, you will be dealt with according to academy rules!"

"Do you all understand?!"

Seeing that everyone was eager to try but afraid to be the first to speak, Mu Jin spoke out loud.

"Understood!"

"Understood!!"

"..."

The crowd shouted in unison.

Soon, they began to discuss how to form teams and how to coordinate once they had joined forces.

Jiang Yang found himself with some free time.

He casually found a large tree, leaned back against it, and closed his eyes to rest, intending to adjust his state and continue his meditation during the hour or two they spent deliberating.

However.

Before he could even begin to regulate his breathing, two figures walked up before him.

Who else could it be but Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao?

"Senior Brother—"

"Jiang Yang!"

Upon reaching Jiang Yang's side, Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong called out to him almost simultaneously.

Jiang Yang opened his eyes, feeling quite helpless.

"Senior Brother, are you angry?"

Xiao Xiao seemed startled by Jiang Yang's gaze, a hint of trepidation creeping into her tone.

"He's not. You're overthinking it, Xiao Xiao; that's just how he is."

"He prefers to get straight to the point."

"Let's just get down to business."

Wang Dong's tone was very casual, as if she were an old friend who had known Jiang Yang for years, or perhaps a girlfriend introducing her boyfriend to others.

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao felt a twinge of jealousy, yet she truly hoped that what Wang Dong said was the truth.

"Actually, the reason we came to find you is that we want you to be our sparring partner."

Wang Dong said, laying her cards on the table.

"And what do you think I've been doing?"

Jiang Yang paused for a moment before replying.

"Actually... Senior Brother, Wang Dong and I wanted to ask you to spar with us alone."

Xiao Xiao said in a low voice.

She still felt it was a bit inappropriate, as they were essentially asking Jiang Yang to teach them in advance how to deal with him.

Especially with a wager on the line.

Therefore, she hadn't dared to come at first, but under Wang Dong's instigation, she had half-heartedly agreed.

"No time."

Jiang Yang refused without a second thought.

The reason he was willing to stay and play along with these people was primarily to lay the groundwork for recruiting members later on.

He was not here to waste his time aimlessly.

However.

As if she had expected this, Wang Dong immediately gave Xiao Xiao a look.

Xiao Xiao, looking slightly conflicted, said to Jiang Yang, "Senior Brother, I'm sorry!"

"Xiao Xiao, why are you wasting your breath on him!"

"First Soul Skill—"

"Wing Blade!"

With that, Wang Dong immediately released her Martial Soul and charged toward Jiang Yang, unleashing her soul skill.

"First Soul Skill—"

"Cauldron Suppression!"

Although Xiao Xiao was a step slower in her reaction, she quickly released her first soul skill as well.

As the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, which integrated control and defense, it still had its merits despite being only a yellow century-level soul skill.

In an instant.

Wang Dong's butterfly wings and the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, one in front and one behind, one left and one right, instantly sealed off Jiang Yang's space for evasion.

Although their coordination was slightly rushed, the momentum was astonishing, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present.

"What's going on?!"

"Everyone, look—"

"Holy crap, why are Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao fighting Senior Brother Jiang?"

"Wang Dong! Xiao Xiao! What are you doing!"

As the murmurs of the crowd rose, Mu Jin, who had already been keeping an eye on Jiang Yang's side, immediately turned her head and shouted a reprimand.

However.

It was clearly already too late.

At this moment, Wang Dong's Wing Blade had already reached Jiang Yang.

Yet.

Just as she was about to touch the hem of Jiang Yang's clothes and the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron was about to descend, Jiang Yang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. His eyes were calm and ripple-free. Without leaving the tree trunk, he performed two lightning-fast movements in the blink of an eye.