Lin Shuo stood at the center of the Soul Fighting Platform, the seven-colored halo around him not yet fully faded.
The furrow carved by the three-colored dragon's breath beneath his feet still radiated warped waves of heat and bitter cold intertwined. The platform's surface looked as though an invisible giant claw had torn a savage wound into it.
The twenty-one core disciples Xuan Zi had rescued from the dragon's breath attack were now slumped in the stands, their faces deathly pale and their eyes unfocused, as if they had just clawed their way back from the gates of hell.
Lin Shuo withdrew his Martial Soul, and the sea of seven-colored light rolled back into his body like a receding tide. Four pitch-black Soul Rings sank one by one beneath his feet. He slipped his hands back into his pockets and turned to walk over to his teammates, his steps so casual it was as if he had just gone for a stroll.
Xuan Zi stood on the high platform. At some point, the chicken leg had fallen from his hand, and his wine gourd lay tilted to one side. Liquor dripped from his beard, but he seemed not to notice. His usually bleary, drunken eyes were now fixed on the slender young figure on the Soul Fighting Platform.
An attack like that was already far beyond the limits of a Soul Ancestor.
"After ten thousand years, is Shrek going to nurture another god among its students?" Xuan Zi murmured, his voice so low that only he could hear it.
On the platform, Bei Bei slowly looked away from the furrow in the ground. For the first time, undisguised shock appeared on his gentle, jade-like face. He had always known Lin Shuo was strong, but he had never imagined he was this strong. Even if Bei Bei had only been caught in the edge of that attack, he feared he would have died on the spot.
Xu Sanshi stood beside Bei Bei, grateful that he hadn't kept provoking Lin Shuo after his legs had been frozen back then. Picking a fight with a menace like that—you could die without even knowing how.
"Bei Bei," Xu Sanshi said, his voice so uncharacteristically calm it barely sounded like him, "I've made up my mind."
"Made up your mind about what?"
"From now on, Lin Shuo is my big brother. I'll be nothing but loyal to him!"
Bei Bei's mouth twitched. At a time like this, Xu Sanshi could still come out with such nonsense.
Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan stood frozen in place. Of everyone there, only the two of them had the poorest grasp of Lin Shuo's strength.
Xiao Xiao stole a glance at Lin Shuo. A blush she hadn't even noticed crept across her delicate, gentle face.
Wang Dong'er's powder-blue ponytail swayed softly behind her. She looked at the shocking furrow in the ground, then at Lin Shuo's calm, unruffled back, and remembered how confidently she had challenged him at the start of term, completely unaware of her own limitations. Had the gap between their strength really grown this wide?
Only Huo Yu'er remained calm. She had seen the sight of the hundred-thousand-year Immortal Herbs submitting to Lin Shuo at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Compared with that, what lay before her now seemed rather tame.
Xuan Zi got to his feet with a wavering motion. He raised his wine gourd for a gulp, wiped his mouth, and became once more the same disheveled, drunken old man. But his voice was a little clearer than before.
"Those who've been eliminated can go back. The seven on the platform, stay."
The twenty-one in the stands gradually emerged from their terror of death, and some of the students began to look disgruntled. They accepted that they couldn't beat Lin Shuo, but the other six on the platform had just gotten lucky!
A few students who understood what had happened left at once, but most stayed where they were, turning their eyes toward Xuan Zi.
Xuan Zi snorted, his face betraying not the slightest embarrassment. "Not satisfied? You couldn't even withstand a single strike from a second-year core disciple. I hope that next time, you'll have the strength to stay up there, instead of looking for excuses after you lose."
"Remember, before the assessment, you were all on the same starting line. Yet some of you stayed up there, while others were eliminated. This free-for-all tested your overall abilities. Why did they get help from others, while you didn't?"
"Free-for-alls like this happen all the time in the inner courtyard. If you can't even handle that, what right do you have to become inner-courtyard disciples? Do you know the direst situation inner-courtyard disciples have faced? Twelve inner-courtyard disciples were separated from their teachers and forced to face a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. Only four survived. Don't think that studying at the academy means everything will be fine. If you want to become truly strong, you must be prepared to face the threat of death at any moment—even within the academy."
At that, the corner of Lin Shuo's mouth twitched. Don't ask how they got separated, and don't ask where the threat to their lives came from.
Only Xuan Zi and the seven students remained in the Soul Fighting Arena. After telling them they had become the reserve team for the Shrek Team, Xuan Zi instructed them to train with him one day each week.
After dismissing them, Xuan Zi hurried away. With Lin Shuo this powerful, he had to tell Mu En about it.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Xuan Zi divided the other six into different groups for practical combat training. As for Lin Shuo, Xuan Zi placed no restrictions on him at all. After all, even all six other reserve team members together couldn't withstand a single move from Lin Shuo.
The seven reserve team members returned to the assessment area. This time, besides Xuan Zi, there were also seven inner-courtyard disciples in blood-red uniforms.
The one leading them was a woman with red hair and a curvaceous figure. The moment she saw the seven reserve team members, she greeted Huo Yu'er. Her eyes, however, stayed fixed on Lin Shuo, and she looked eager to test herself against him.
"Everyone's here. In ten days, the new Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament begins. You should all know one another's identities by now. I've brought you together today so you can get familiar with each other's abilities."
Xuan Zi paused, then continued, "The starting lineup isn't set in stone. If the reserve team puts on a dazzling performance, you can absolutely replace a starting team member. And of course, in the official matches, the reserve team will have a chance to take the field whenever the opponent isn't too strong."
Hearing they might get a chance to compete, the other reserve team members were both surprised and delighted. They hadn't expected they might get to represent the academy in a match!
"Alright, introduce yourselves and get acquainted."
After the seven reserve team members had introduced themselves, the seven inner-courtyard disciples all looked toward Lin Shuo. His name was renowned not only throughout the outer courtyard, but in the inner courtyard as well. The seven knew that Xuan Zi's words had been aimed at them: if any of them performed poorly, Lin Shuo would take their place.
The first starting team member to step forward was Ma Xiaotao. Although Lin Shuo hadn't helped her suppress her Evil Fire, after Huo Yu'er awakened her Second Martial Soul, Yan Shaozhe had still sent Ma Xiaotao to seek Huo Yu'er's help in suppressing it.
"Inner courtyard, Ma Xiaotao. Rank 67 Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor. Martial Soul: Evil Fire Phoenix."
After Ma Xiaotao, a tall male student stepped forward. Huo Yu'er's expression shifted slightly when she saw him. Lin Shuo noticed and gently took her hand.
"Inner courtyard, Dai Yueheng. Rank 64 Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor."
He was the White Tiger Duke's eldest legitimate son, and Dai Huabin's older brother.