"What do you three know about the selection trials in three days?" Lin Shuo asked the three of them as he arrived by Sea God Lake with his companions.
Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan both looked puzzled. Only Bei Bei remained calm.
Seeing their expressions, Lin Shuo gave a knowing smile.
"The selection trials in three days are to choose a reserve team for the Shrek Seven Devils to compete in the upcoming Soul Fighting Tournament for Senior Soul Master Academies across the Continent. I looked over the roster. There are twenty-eight people in total."
Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Xiao Xiao looked enlightened.
"I'm guessing the trials will be either a seven-on-seven team battle or a free-for-all. If it's a free-for-all, you should move toward us. We'll work together to eliminate everyone else. But be careful to protect yourselves and avoid getting knocked out." Lin Shuo turned to Bei Bei and the others.
Bei Bei smiled. "With your strength, Brother Lin, we'll be counting on you in three days." He'd seen Lin Shuo in action more than once, so he knew exactly how strong he was.
At that, Xu Sanshi's mouth twitched. Of the seven present, he was the only one Lin Shuo had ever taught a lesson. He knew Lin Shuo's strength better than anyone else there.
Jiang Nannan remained silent, only giving Lin Shuo a slight nod. Her usually cool eyes held a flicker of anticipation, so faint it was almost impossible to notice. The Shrek Seven Devils—every Shrek student carried that name as an honor carved into their bones.
"Shall we split up, then? If anything changes, we can talk later." There was no need to overthink the little contests of the outer court. In the face of an overwhelming gap in strength, any tactics were merely icing on the cake.
Bei Bei cupped his hands in farewell, then grabbed Xu Sanshi, who was still grinning foolishly at Jiang Nannan, and dragged him away. Acting like that in front of their juniors was too embarrassing. Jiang Nannan gave Lin Shuo and the others a slight nod before turning to leave, her ponytail tracing a clean arc through the night.
Only Lin Shuo, Wang Dong'er, Huo Yu'er, and Xiao Xiao remained by the lake. The lakeside breeze carried damp air toward them.
Wang Dong'er stretched. "It's finally settled! Starting today, I'm officially part of the Shrek Seven Devils' reserve team."
"You're only on the reserve team, not a starting member." Lin Shuo started toward the dining hall, his voice drifting back at an unhurried pace.
"The reserve team is still part of the Shrek Seven Devils!" Wang Dong'er pulled Huo Yu'er along and hurried after him. Then she suddenly remembered something and waved back at Xiao Xiao, who was still standing where she was. "Xiao Xiao, come on! Let's go to the dining hall together. It's so late, and we haven't eaten yet."
Xiao Xiao froze for a moment, then smiled and hurried after them. She walked beside Huo Yu'er, sneaking glances toward Lin Shuo every now and then. This was her first time eating with him. Although Wang Dong'er and Huo Yu'er were there too, just becoming part of this team and walking beside Lin Shuo was something she wouldn't have dared to dream of a few days ago.
Three days passed in a flash. As soon as class ended, Wang Yan asked the core disciples to stay behind, then led them to the Soul Fighting Zone.
As soon as they arrived, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan came into view. The core disciples stood behind their respective class teachers, waiting quietly.
A short while later, a disheveled old man appeared, a wine gourd in his left hand and a chicken leg in his right. He was none other than Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi.
"Little Wang, is everyone here?" Xuan Zi asked as he staggered drunkenly up to the students.
"Elder Xuan, all twenty-eight are here." Wang Yan stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Mm... Then head in." Xuan Zi swayed as he walked into the Soul Fighting Zone.
At the center of the zone, Xuan Zi spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "Listen up, you little brats. Your test is simple. Attack however you like; there are no rules. If you surrender or someone rescues you, you're out. The last seven standing win. When I say begin, you start."
The six others besides Lin Shuo were surprised. Lin Shuo had actually guessed it right. It really was a free-for-all.
Before the students had time to react, Xuan Zi suddenly bellowed, "Begin!"
The moment Xuan Zi finished speaking, he vanished. Only the twenty-eight core disciples of the outer court remained in the arena.
As soon as Xuan Zi disappeared, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan reacted at once and quickly ran toward Lin Shuo and the others.
"Focus fire on Lin Shuo first, or none of us will make it to the end!" Dai Huabin quickly shouted to everyone as he caught on.
The other students in Class One, Year Two hesitated when they heard him and didn't follow his suggestion. Lin Shuo had a lot of influence in their class. Besides, everyone knew how strong he was. Even if the entire second year attacked him together, they couldn't pose any threat.
The core disciples from the third and fourth years all looked toward Lin Shuo after hearing Dai Huabin's words. His name had long since spread throughout the outer court.
Far away, He Caitou hadn't teamed up with anyone. The moment Xuan Zi vanished, metal cannons sprang from his body, one after another. He didn't bother to check where anyone else was. He simply aimed his belly toward the crowd and opened fire.
Ning Tian met up with Wu Feng first. She'd originally planned to work with Lin Shuo, but then she saw a sight she would never forget.
When Lin Shuo saw the others gather around him, he stepped forward.
"Don't come up yet." Before anyone could react, he immediately activated Martial Soul Possession.
As the Seven-Colored Dragon King Martial Soul emerged, a deep dragon's roar sounded from within him. It seemed to cross endless stretches of time, echoing through the entire Soul Fighting Zone. The phantom of a giant dragon, its body covered in seven-colored scales, slowly took shape behind him. Seven hues of light intertwined and flowed, brilliant enough to make the onlookers avert their eyes. Four pitch-black Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings rose one by one from beneath his feet, revolving slowly around him.
The entire arena fell silent.
The core disciples who had been charging at Lin Shuo froze in place. Anyone with a Beast Martial Soul felt terror rising from the depths of their bloodline.
Wu Feng's Red Dragon Martial Soul let out a nearly mournful growl. Dai Huabin's legs locked in place. He tried to step forward, but couldn't move an inch.
Lin Shuo looked down on the others with disdain as the third Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.
The Seven-Colored Dragon King phantom behind Lin Shuo slowly raised its head, its dragon eyes silently turning with seven-colored light. The seven-colored scales covering Lin Shuo's body lit up one after another. Light spread from his shoulders to his fingertips, then flowed back from his fingertips to his chest, where it gathered into a blazing core of light, almost white-hot.
A terrifying dragon breath appeared above the Soul Fighting Platform. A torrent of three-colored light poured down through a rift.
Fire, ice, and wind intertwined, forming one devastating beam of light after another as they plunged straight down from the sky. These weren't merely three elements mixed together. They were pure energy, fused into one under the dominion of the dragon bloodline. Wherever the three-colored dragon breath passed, the Soul Fighting Platform's surface silently disintegrated, without even a wisp of smoke rising.