"As long as he enters the Shrek Inner Court, he'll be living under all our noses. Surely the Evil Soul Master isn't foolish enough to walk straight into a trap?"
"Besides, if we keep the boy stuck in fifth year at the Shrek Outer Court for the rest of his life, he'll be able to cultivate his Soul Power, but he won't grow in any other way. You all know how simple that material is. Wouldn't a decision like that chill the boy's heart?"
"What if Yue Ling decides that Shrek's teachers no longer value him—that we're keeping him in the Shrek Outer Court merely because he's young and supposedly immature?"
"Even with Xuan Zi trying to smooth things over, how could he remain devoted to the academy? Once a rift opens in his heart, we won't just lose a monster who could reach Soul Emperor at fifteen. We'll shake every other student's trust in the academy."
"That would be the real loss.
"Right now, the enemy is hidden while we stand in the open. The Evil Soul Master inside the boy hasn't appeared in a long time, either. How dangerous he is remains open to debate."
The elders nodded. Qian Duoduo, seated at the end, looked as though understanding had suddenly dawned on him.
Elder Zhuang slowly raised a hand and swept his gaze over those present.
"Of course, Yue Ling is younger. Reaching the threshold of the Shrek Inner Court in his fourth year would break a precedent the academy has followed for years."
"But geniuses shouldn't be bound by rigid time limits. We aren't giving him the privilege of entering the Shrek Inner Court outright, only a chance to take the assessment."
Elder Zhuang spoke quietly, but every word rang clear. "We won't lower the bar by