Exchange Match

Lin Shuo stood in the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, the seven-colored halo around him yet to dissipate.

The trench carved into the ground by the three-colored dragon breath was still emitting distorted waves of heat and extreme cold; the floor of the arena looked as if it had been torn open by the claws of an invisible giant, leaving behind a hideous wound.

The twenty-one core disciples who had been saved from the dragon breath by Xuan Zi were now slumped on the spectator stands, their faces deathly pale and their pupils unfocused, as if they had just clawed their way back from the gates of hell.

Lin Shuo retracted his martial soul, and the seven-colored light across the sky surged back into his body like a receding tide. Four pitch-black soul rings vanished into his feet one by one. He shoved his hands back into his pockets and turned to walk toward his teammates, his pace as casual as if he had just taken a stroll.

Xuan Zi stood on the high platform, his chicken leg having slipped from his hand at some point. His wine gourd tilted to one side, and droplets of liquor dripped down his beard, yet he remained completely unaware. Those typically bleary, turbid old eyes were now locked firmly onto the slender figure of the youth on the arena floor.

This kind of attack was far beyond the capabilities of a Soul Ancestor.

"After ten thousand years, is my Shrek Academy about to cultivate another god?" Xuan Zi muttered, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

On the stage, Bei Bei slowly withdrew his gaze from the trench in the ground, a look of undisguised shock appearing on his jade-like face for the first time. He had always considered Lin Shuo strong, but he had never imagined he would be this strong. Even if he had only been caught in the periphery of that attack, he feared he would have perished on the spot.

Xu Sanshi stood beside Bei Bei, feeling fortunate that he hadn't continued to provoke Lin Shuo back when his legs had been frozen. Provoking such a killing god—he wouldn't even know how he died when the time came.

"Bei Bei," Xu Sanshi's voice was unusually calm, so calm it didn't sound like him at all, "I've made a decision."

"Decided what?"

"From now on, Lin Shuo is my big brother. I have nothing but loyalty for him!"

Bei Bei's mouth twitched; even at a time like this, Xu Sanshi could still spout such nonsense.

Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan stood frozen in place. Of everyone present, they were the two who had the lowest estimation of Lin Shuo's true strength.

Xiao Xiao snuck a glance at Lin Shuo's figure. A blush she hadn't even noticed herself appeared on her delicate, gentle face.

Wang Dong'er's powder-blue ponytail swayed gently behind her. She looked at the shocking trench on the ground, then at Lin Shuo's calm and composed back, recalling the confidence she had felt when she had foolishly challenged Lin Shuo at the start of the school year. Was the gap between their strengths already this vast?

Only Huo Yu'er remained calm. She had witnessed the scene at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well where those hundred-thousand-year immortal herbs had bowed in submission to Lin Shuo. Compared to that, the scene before her was still somewhat minor.

Xuan Zi stood up from the high platform, swaying slightly. He raised his wine gourd for a gulp, wiped the corner of his mouth, and returned to his usual slovenly, drunken old man persona. However, his voice was a few degrees more sober than before.

"Those who were eliminated, return. The seven on the stage, stay."

The twenty-one students on the stands gradually emerged from the fear of death, and some began to show expressions of dissatisfaction. They accepted that they couldn't beat Lin Shuo, but the other six on the stage had simply been lucky!

A few students who understood the situation left on the spot, but the majority remained, their eyes fixed on Xuan Zi.

Xuan Zi snorted coldly, his face unchanging as he said, "Not convinced? You couldn't even withstand a single strike from a second-year core disciple. I hope that in the future, you rely on your own strength to stay on that stage, rather than looking for excuses after losing."

"You must know that before the assessment, you were all on the same starting line, yet some stayed and some were eliminated. This melee itself tested your comprehensive abilities. Why did they receive help from others while you did not?"

"This kind of melee happens often in the Inner Court. If you don't even have this capability, what right do you have to become Inner Court disciples? Do you know what kind of situation Inner Court disciples face at their most difficult moments? Twelve Inner Court disciples faced a hundred-thousand-year soul beast after being separated from their teachers. Only four survived. Do not think that studying at the academy means everything is safe. If you want to become true powerhouses, even within the school, you must have the awareness that you could face life-and-death crises at any moment."

Lin Shuo's mouth twitched upon hearing this; don't ask how they got separated, and don't ask how the life-and-death crisis came about.

Only Xuan Zi and the seven students remained in the Soul Fighting Arena. After informing them that they were the Shrek Academy reserve team, Xuan Zi required them to follow him for training one day every week.

After dismissing the group, Xuan Zi left in a hurried manner. With Lin Shuo possessing such formidable strength, he had to speak with Elder Mu about it.

Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. During these two weeks, Xuan Zi had the other six train in various combat combinations. As for Lin Shuo, Xuan Zi placed no restrictions on him at all. After all, even if the other six members of the reserve team attacked together, they couldn't withstand a single move from Lin Shuo.

The seven members of the reserve team arrived at the assessment area once more. This time, besides Elder Xuan, there were seven Inner Court disciples wearing blood-red uniforms.

The leader was a woman with red hair and a fiery figure. As soon as she saw the seven reserve members, she greeted Huo Yu'er, though her eyes remained fixed on Lin Shuo, revealing an eager, challenging look.

"Everyone is here. In ten days, the new Soul Fighting Tournament for the continent's high-level soul master academies will begin. You likely already know each other's identities. Today's meeting is to familiarize you with one another's abilities."

Xuan Zi paused, then continued, "This does not mean the starting lineup is fixed. As long as the reserve team performs brilliantly, they can absolutely replace the starting members. Of course, during the official tournament, if the opponent's strength is not high, the reserve team will also have plenty of opportunities to take the stage."

Hearing that they had a chance to compete, the rest of the reserve team was both surprised and delighted; they hadn't expected to have a chance to represent the academy!

"Alright, go ahead and introduce yourselves to get to know one another."

After the seven reserve members finished their introductions, the seven Inner Court disciples looked at Lin Shuo simultaneously. Lin Shuo's reputation had not only spread throughout the Outer Court but was also well-known in the Inner Court. The seven of them understood that Xuan Zi's words were a warning to them: if any of them performed poorly, they would be replaced by Lin Shuo.

The first to step out from the starting team was Ma Xiaotao. Although Lin Shuo had not helped her suppress her evil fire, after Huo Yu'er awakened her second martial soul, Yan Shaozhe had still sent Ma Xiaotao to find Huo Yu'er to suppress the flames.

"Inner Court, Ma Xiaotao. Level 67 Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor, martial soul Evil Fire Phoenix."

Following Ma Xiaotao was a tall male student. Upon seeing him, Huo Yu'er's expression shifted slightly. Seeing this, Lin Shuo gently took her hand.

"Inner Court, Dai Yueheng, Level 64 Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor."

He was the eldest legitimate son of Duke White Tiger and the older brother of Dai Huabin.