A Friendly Match with Shrek Academy!
Luo Yang grew interested.
Yuanen Yehui perked up too.
Everyone knew the name of Shrek Academy.
"To promote communication and friendly competition, the Spirit Pagoda and Shrek Academy hold a friendly match together every year. Each side sends a certain number of young students to participate."
Leng Yaozhu explained, but then she sighed softly, a trace of helplessness and frustration passing across her brow.
"However... in recent years, Shrek Academy has been the ultimate winner of almost every match."
"The young generation we've carefully cultivated at the Spirit Pagoda has instead become the best 'whetstone' and 'touchstone' for Shrek's students."
"Shrek's ten-thousand-year legacy, its teaching system, and its ability to gather the continent's top talents are, in the end... still a cut above the Spirit Pagoda's."
That was a fact, and a subtle ache in the hearts of the Spirit Pagoda's leaders.
The Spirit Pagoda might not be outmatched in terms of high-level combat strength, but when it came to nurturing the younger generation and overall heritage, it still fell short of Shrek, which had been established for ten thousand years.
"What's the final prize for the competition?" Luo Yang was more concerned about that.
Since it was an important annual event, the prize was bound to be generous.
At the mention of the prize, some of the gloom lifted from Leng Yaozhu's face, and a mysterious smile appeared.
"The winning students will earn the chance to enter a special secret realm for cultivation."
She lowered her voice a little.
"This secret realm is incredibly ancient. It's been around for at least twenty thousand years, and its environment is unique. Any Soul Master who enters, regardless of rank, can gain enormous benefits!"
"For Soul Masters at your stage, it's an excellent opportunity to strengthen your foundations, speed up your cultivation, and even trigger a transformation!"
A secret realm?! More than twenty thousand years old?!
Luo Yang's heart gave a sudden thump. A name nearly escaped his lips.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!
That's right! In the Douluo series, the most famous place that fit the descriptions of an "ancient secret realm," one that had "existed for over twenty thousand years" and offered "enormous benefits to Soul Masters of every rank," was—
The natural treasure basin formed by the fall of the two great Ice and Fire Dragon Kings: the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!
It was home to countless natural treasures and Immortal Herbs. It was a true sacred ground for cultivation!
If the prize really was a chance to enter the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well... then victory in this competition was his for the taking!
Whether to rapidly increase his own strength or to obtain the Immortal Herbs that might be found there, it was worth giving his all!
"Does this secret realm... have a lot of rare flowers and plants?" Luo Yang asked tentatively.
Leng Yaozhu gave him a slightly surprised look. She hadn't expected him to guess that, but she still nodded. "That's right. That's one of its wonders. So, are you interested now?"
"Of course!"
Luo Yang answered without hesitation.
"My junior sister and I will definitely win this friendly match for the Spirit Pagoda!"
Yuanen Yehui didn't know much about the secret realm, but seeing how seriously Luo Yang took it and hearing Leng Yaozhu's description had stirred her fighting spirit too.
She nodded firmly, her voice cool but resolute. "I'll give it my all."
"Good! That's the spirit!"
Leng Yaozhu looked at the two newly accepted disciples with satisfaction.
"Over the next few days, I'll personally draw up a special training plan for you and prepare you for the match! The little ones from Shrek Academy... This year, it's the Spirit Pagoda's turn to give you a little 'surprise'!"
At the same time, in the dean's office of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department Outer Court.
The office was spacious and bright, with portraits of Shrek's sages from past generations hanging on the walls.
At that moment, the dean of the Martial Soul Department Outer Court, a dignified old woman with a solemn expression, sat behind a broad desk, her gaze sweeping over the several boys and girls standing before her.
The children were young. The oldest looked no more than twelve or thirteen, and the youngest might have been only eight or nine, yet every one of them had a steady aura and bright eyes.
Clearly, they were elite students chosen after careful selection, the leading talents of this generation in Shrek Outer Court.
"In a few days, it'll be time for the annual friendly match against the Spirit Pagoda." Cai Yue'er's voice was calm and authoritative.
"You've been selected as the Academy's representatives after careful consideration. This match concerns not only your personal honor, but also Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year reputation."
"I want you to win cleanly and decisively! Show those people from the Spirit Pagoda once again who the true leader of Soul Master education on the continent is!"
"Don't worry, Elder Cai!" A tall, handsome blue-haired boy with a hint of arrogance between his brows immediately answered in a loud voice.
Yu Longheng, the successor of this generation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"They're just a bunch of young masters and young ladies from the Spirit Pagoda who've been propped up by resources. I'll show them what real combat is and teach them how to behave!"
Beside him, a girl in a luxurious pink dress chimed in with a giggle. She nudged the elbow of the cool-faced girl beside her, who had kept her eyes closed the whole time. "Exactly! Xing Lan, don't you agree? How could our Shrek possibly lose to the Spirit Pagoda?"
The girl called "Xing Lan" slowly opened her eyes. They were as cold and sharp as winter stars.
She gave the girl who'd spoken a blank look, said nothing, then closed her eyes again, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her. Only the sword remained in her heart.
Everyone was already used to her cold manner.
There was also a chubby boy who'd been quietly munching on a meat bun. Xu Lizhi looked up and chimed in with a naive question. "But... Elder Cai, what if... we lose?"
The office fell silent in an instant.
Yu Longheng glared at him in annoyance. "Xu Fatty! Could you stop jinxing us all the time? Why are you boosting the other side's morale and undermining ours?"
The girl in the pink dress chided him too. "Exactly! Lizhi, why are you always thinking about losing?"
Cai Yue'er looked at the gifted youngsters, each with a different personality, and smiled with satisfaction.
She had absolute confidence in Shrek's heritage and the strength of its students.
The Spirit Pagoda? The results of the recent matches said it all.
"All right. Confidence is good, but don't underestimate your opponents." Cai Yue'er gave them one last reminder. "Go and prepare properly. Get yourselves in shape. You're dismissed."
"Yes, Elder Cai!" they answered in unison, then left the dean's office.
As they walked back to their dorms, the youngsters continued discussing the match.
"The Spirit Pagoda has been our punching bag year after year. This time won't be any different." Yu Longheng was brimming with confidence. "I bet they can't even find a decent opponent."
Xu Lizhi took another bite of his bun and muttered under his breath, his words muffled. "But the books say that the overconfident are bound to lose... And what if the Spirit Pagoda really does have someone particularly strong this year..."
"Xu! Lizhi!" A vein jumped at Yu Longheng's temple. "Could you stop saying 'what if' all the time? Believe me, I'll toss you into Sea God Lake to clear your head!"
The angrier he got, the more he doubled down, thumping his chest as he made a bold declaration.
"I, Yu Longheng, am putting it right here today! If Shrek loses this friendly match, I'll... I'll drink all the water in Sea God Lake on the spot! Every last drop!"
Everyone: "..."
The girl in the pink dress held her forehead. "Longheng, that's a bit extreme..."
Ye Xinglan, who'd been silent the whole time, slightly opened her eyes and glanced at Yu Longheng.
Her look seemed to say: Idiot.
Xu Lizhi shrank his neck and didn't dare say anything else. He only muttered under his breath, "Sea God Lake is so huge... Could he really drink it all..."