"Hey, have you heard? Apparently, the previous champion of the youth division of the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition, who was supposed to have an exhibition match against Shrek Academy at the opening ceremony, got beaten by a bunch of eleven-year-old kids!"
"Yeah, and it took them only half a minute. According to the official inspection by Skysea City, each of them used less than ten percent of their Soul Power!"
"You're all way behind on the news! Those kids are students from Eastsea Academy in Eastsea City. They've already challenged Shrek Academy, and they even used the same declaration they made when they challenged the previous youth division champions of the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition!"
"Really? But that's Shrek Academy, the greatest academy under heaven! Are they seriously willing to wager their lives?"
"Brother Li Si, don't you think what they said was awesome? 'Ten percent of our Soul Power, half a quarter of an hour, defeat Shrek, or leave our heads behind!' At every Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition opening ceremony, we have to watch a bunch of young Shrek Academy students shit all over the heads of people from Skysea City. The wheel of fortune has to turn sometime—it's about time we in Skysea City got to hold our heads high for once, right?"
"Zhang San, watch your tongue! That's Shrek Academy you're talking about. Aren't you afraid that some Shrek Inspectorate will suddenly haul you away? Even if you're saying what we're all thinking, don't say it so loudly..."
After the official account of the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition posted a video of Lan Kai and the rest of Class Zero defeating the previous youth division champions in just half a minute while using only five percent of their Soul Power, Lan Kai and his classmates immediately became the talk of the competition.
Even when they went out to eat, they had to disguise themselves and avoid traveling together. Otherwise, crowds of people with all sorts of feelings about the matter would surround them, causing all kinds of trouble.
After all, Shrek Academy's standing on the continent had reached unprecedented heights. To some of Shrek's fanatical supporters, Lan Kai and the others' declaration was no different from pinning Shrek's honor to the ground and repeatedly slapping it.
As a result, plenty of Soul Masters wanted to track Lan Kai and the others down in person.
Lan Kai didn't know how the rest of Class Zero handled things, but he had already stuffed fifty-six Soul Masters who'd tried to pick a fight with him into trash cans all over Skysea City. Only four had sensed something was wrong, immediately sold out their companions, and run off, thus escaping the fate of being planted headfirst in a trash can.
Now, Lan Kai and Xie Xie had put on simple disguises and were on their way to a famous seafood restaurant in Skysea City. Every shop they passed was full of people discussing the incident, which left Xie Xie—who had been updating his record of humiliating defeats—feeling rather incredulous.
"Brother Kai, do you think we can really beat the people from Shrek Academy? It's the legendary Shrek Academy!"
Perhaps because he'd suffered too many humiliating defeats, Xie Xie's self-confidence had nearly been crushed. Even after hearing that plenty of people were willing to support Class Zero of Eastsea Academy in defeating Shrek Academy, he still doubted whether he could do it.
Even now, he instinctively turned to Lan Kai for help.
Lan Kai lifted a hand and nudged the brim of his hat down slightly. His current look, matching Kurenai Gai's, would definitely send Juggler's blood pressure soaring. If he practiced the harmonica until he got even better at it, he'd be even more likely to give Juggler nightmares.
"Xie Xie, you haven't eaten so many humble pies that you've actually broken your brain, have you?
"So what if it's Shrek Academy? Are you going to be scared just because of a name?
"Neither the strength of your Martial Soul nor the amount of your Soul Power can determine the outcome of a battle between Soul Masters on its own.
"If you think your Soul Power and Martial Soul are lacking, then you should figure out how to make up for it—whether by working hard to improve your cultivation or honing your combat skills.
"In short, since you've already decided to fight, don't go into battle thinking you can't win. At the very least, set yourself a goal, then work hard toward it.
"Come on, we'd better hurry. We've already taken a little detour. If we get there any later, you'll have to eat whatever Tang Wulin leaves behind."
Lan Kai patted Xie Xie on the shoulder and gave him a push from behind, then quickened his pace.
Before long, they reached the restaurant and joined the rest of Class Zero.
Naturally, Tang Wulin, the seasoned food lover, took charge of ordering. Once he learned that the Tianhai Alliance officials would cover all their food, clothing, and other expenses during the competition, he quickly ordered a huge variety of delicious dishes.
But as one platter after another was brought over by the waiters, a chubby boy suddenly appeared beside their table.
Although he was fat, he looked utterly haggard, as if his body had been hollowed out. He even had some very noticeable bruises, as though someone had beaten him up badly.
What puzzled them was that he was wearing green clothes. That color wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
He seemed to be absolutely starving. He'd followed the waiter over to the table piled highest with food—Lan Kai and the others' table—and stared fixedly at the dishes stacked in front of Tang Wulin, drool running uncontrollably from the corner of his mouth.
"Is that... the Shrek Academy uniform?"
Zhang Yangzi, whose eyesight was the sharpest, recognized the clothes the chubby boy was wearing at a glance, and his expression immediately turned serious.
But Lan Kai raised a hand, signaling Zhang Yangzi and the others not to panic.
"Relax. Just keep eating."
Although he'd never met this person, Lan Kai recognized him at a glance. This chubby boy had to be Xu Lizhi.
Lan Kai already had an idea why Xu Lizhi looked so miserable.
The Shrek Academy students who'd come with Xu Lizhi had probably already felt the pressure Lan Kai was putting on them—or, more precisely, the pressure the academy itself was putting on them.
Against people as brazen as Lan Kai and his companions, Xu Lizhi and the others had to use thunderous methods to defeat and humiliate them, thereby protecting Shrek Academy's honor and dignity.
So even though they'd been invited to Skysea City for an exhibition match, the Shrek Academy students had already begun training and competing against one another with ruthless intensity.
Xu Lizhi was having a particularly rough time. As a two-ring food-type Soul Master, he not only had to take part in combat training alongside everyone else, but his status as a food-type Soul Master couldn't stop him from getting beaten up, either.
Before long, he'd been reduced to this bedraggled state. He'd slipped away during a break to find something to eat and replenish his energy.
And his food-type Soul Master's ability to sense the flavors and nutrition in food had led him right to this place.
Seeing Lan Kai and the others happily enjoying their meal, along with Tang Wulin's gluttonous appearance, Xu Lizhi couldn't help swallowing hard.
"Boss, give me a table just like theirs, with the same portions!"
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