Inspection Corps Mission

Ever since Yan Jingzhe had explained the Soul Spirit Method to Electrolux, he had become a porter, constantly heading to the Great Star Dou Forest to capture Soul Beasts—some hundred-year, some thousand-year. And after the captured Soul Beasts had been studied, they were not wasted. Yan Jingzhe simply threw them into the beast arena to temper the new students. Thus, half a year passed in this back-and-forth routine before it finally stopped.

Of course, that was certainly not because the Soul Spirit Method had already been developed. After all, the time had been far too short.

The main reason was that Yan Jingzhe had recalled the major event that would soon involve Shrek Academy. That guy known as the "Strongest Soul King on the Surface" not only crippled Ma Xiaotao, one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, but had even managed to escape from Elder Xuan, a Rank 98 powerhouse? If Electrolux had not intervened in the original story, he might really have gotten away.

So, during the Sea God Pavilion meeting, when Mu En asked which elder was willing to attend this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, Yan Jingzhe volunteered.

The elders did not particularly care. Since someone was willing to go, they were too lazy to move themselves.

At Shrek's gates, on the day of departure.

There were fifteen people in total: the seven main team members, the reserve team, and the teacher leading them. Ma Xiaotao stood at the front, her fiery red hair stirring gently in the morning breeze. Her teammates stood behind her, all in high spirits. The reserve team stood farther back. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stood side by side, Xiao Xiao chattered beside them, while Bei Bei was saying something to Xu Sanshi.

When Yan Jingzhe emerged from the gates, everyone fell quiet for a moment.

He was not wearing his usual dark casual robes today. Instead, he wore a light golden combat outfit with tightened cuffs and a silver-gray belt around his waist. His silver-white hair was tied behind his head, making him look considerably sharper than usual.

"Dean Yan."

"Master."

Everyone greeted him respectfully.

"Mm, everyone's here." Yan Jingzhe swept his gaze over them from the steps.

"Everyone is present, Dean Yan," Ma Xiaotao replied. "Seven main team members, seven reserves, plus Teacher Wang Yan. No one is missing."

"Good. Xiaotao, you will lead this Inspection Corps mission. Unless your lives are in danger, I will not intervene," Yan Jingzhe said calmly. "Wang Yan, distribute the Shrek Inspection Corps equipment, as well as the defensive and flying Soul Guidance Devices. Explain them while you are at it."

"Yes, Dean Yan." Wang Yan agreed, taking out rings from his Storage Soul Guidance Device and handing one to each reserve team member.

"Everyone already understands the Inspection Corps equipment, so I'll focus on the Soul Guidance Devices and this mission."

"By the academy's requirements, students carrying out Inspection Corps missions must wear defensive Soul Guidance Devices from now on. You may choose not to use them, but you cannot go without them."

"This mission is to head to a mountain range on the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire. There is a group of Evil Soul Masters there, and our task is to eliminate them. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is drawing near, so we must complete this mission within three to four days. Understood?"

"Understood," everyone answered.

Yan Jingzhe nodded from the side. "Then let's go."

With that, he vanished from where he stood.

Seeing this, everyone quickly put on their flying Soul Guidance Devices.

At this point, the main team members took ropes from their Storage Soul Guidance Devices and tied them around the reserve team members.

The reserve team looked utterly baffled.

"Seniors, what are you doing?" Wang Dong asked in confusion.

"Your cultivation is still too low, so you cannot keep up with our speed. We'll use these ropes to link ourselves together, and the main team will take you reserves along. You could say this is a Shrek tradition." Ma Xiaotao smiled. "All right, let's set off. Our destination is the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire."

"Yes," everyone replied. All of them rose into the air and began flying rapidly forward.

After flying for more than two hours, the group stopped by the roadside for a rest. Yan Jingzhe did not descend. He remained in the sky, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, though the fingers of his right hand moved lightly within his sleeve.

But no one noticed.

He had left an extremely faint imprint of light soul power on every team member's shoulder.

The imprint was as thin as the shimmering film on a soap bubble. It clung between the fibers of their clothes and fused completely with their soul power fluctuations. Unless someone at the Titled Douluo level deliberately examined them, it would be impossible to detect.

By afternoon, the group entered the outskirts of the Ming Dou Mountain Range.

The terrain began to steepen, the path changing from dirt to loose stone, while the trees on both sides grew denser. There was far more moisture in the air, carrying the damp, earthy scent of soil.

Ma Xiaotao took the lead at the front of the group, wrapped in a layer of pale red flames that brightly illuminated the path ahead. She was highly vigilant, stopping to listen whenever they reached a bend before proceeding. The others spread out in a combat formation behind her, with the reserve team in the middle and the Shrek Seven Monsters guarding the outer perimeter.

Yan Jingzhe walked a hundred meters behind the group, like a shadow following them. He had suppressed his presence to the absolute minimum.

"People ahead." Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke, his voice extremely low, though golden light had already lit up within his Spirit Eyes. "Forty-five zhang away. Around fifteen people are lying in ambush on the rock walls to either side."

Ma Xiaotao did not slow, but the flames around her drew in slightly. "Positions?"

"Five in the middle section of the left rock wall, seven higher up on the right, and another three around the bend straight ahead." Huo Yuhao did not speak quickly, but every word was clear and precise.

Ma Xiaotao said softly, "Main team, prepare for battle. Teacher Wang Yan, you watch over the reserve team."

"Understood." Wang Yan responded immediately.

Lowering her body slightly, Ma Xiaotao was the first to dart forward. Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng moved on either side of her, while the other four Inner Court disciples acted swiftly as well, silently advancing in a tight formation.

Only several seconds after they left did Wang Yan wave his hand and lead the reserve team after them.

Ma Xiaotao and the others fought swiftly. After quickly dealing with the guards at the entrance, they charged directly inside. Even Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection could no longer detect them.

Wang Yan said in a low voice, "We're going down too. Reserve team, prepare for battle."

"Yes." No one dared to slack off. They immediately possessed their martial souls and stayed on guard.

At the cave entrance, five or six corpses already lay scattered across the ground. The dead had undoubtedly been confirmed as Evil Soul Masters. Ma Xiaotao and the others showed no mercy as they charged inside.

The terrain ahead suddenly opened up. The light of seven Soul Rings flashed as Ma Xiaotao possessed her Fire Phoenix martial soul. Blazing flames erupted wildly, and there was practically no one capable of withstanding even a single exchange. Evil Soul Master corpses lay scattered all around.

Indeed, after several months of arduous cultivation, Ma Xiaotao had finally broken through to seven rings and become a Soul Saint.

Combined with her evolved martial soul and her Ultimate Fire, she could practically take down any Evil Soul Master below five rings with a single kick.