A Name Made in the Outer Court

On the other side of the arena, Bei Bei looked down at his right hand.

Several blue-violet scales had shattered and fallen from his thick dragon claw, and a gash split one of his knuckles. He quietly channeled his Soul Power to stop the bleeding, then released his Martial Soul Possession. His arm returned to normal.

"That Body Martial Soul of yours packs a punch, junior." Bei Bei raised his head, sounding entirely unruffled. "I lost this one."

Gu Mingyuan released his Golden Jade Body. The flowing gold patterns on his skin faded away, and he cupped his hands. "I only caught you off guard. I got lucky. If you'd been ready, I would've lost."

Xu Sanshi leaped onto the arena and raised his right hand. "Gu Mingyuan of the first year wins!"

After a brief silence, the freshmen watching below erupted in cheers. A first-year student had beaten one of the Outer Court's stars head-on. Students never tired of an underdog victory.

At the front of the crowd, Zhou Sichen stared at Gu Mingyuan, who stood onstage without so much as a flushed face or a labored breath. His eyes shone as though he were looking at a mountain of gold. He clenched his fist and resolved to stick close to Gu Mingyuan in the dorm from now on.

The next instant, he slapped his thigh in frustration.

"Damn it! Seventeen-to-one odds! Why didn't I dare bet a few hundred more gold coins?"

Meanwhile, outside the Training Ground...

A young woman in a pale moon-white robe stood behind the crown of a tall tree. A breeze lifted her long black hair. Her gaze lingered on the arena, resting on Bei Bei most of the time.

Only after a long while did she turn her eyes to Gu Mingyuan.

"A mutated Body Martial Soul, and a Soul Skill that stores up power when he takes a beating...

"He's remarkably patient," the young woman murmured.

She watched Tang Ya rush onto the stage with concern written across her face and ask Bei Bei about his injuries. The young woman's eyes dimmed. She did not linger. With a barely audible sigh, she turned, slipped into the shade of the trees, and left alone.

Onstage, Gu Mingyuan politely declined the students who wanted to get to know him, saying he was exhausted. He hurried down from the arena. Zhou Sichen immediately joined him, and the two walked side by side toward the cafeteria.

In the crowd, Huo Yuhao silently watched Gu Mingyuan walk away and clenched his fists.

They both had Body Martial Souls, yet Gu Mingyuan had dazzled the entire school while Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes had barely helped him survive an encounter with a Wind Baboon. Envy mingled with a trace of self-doubt in his heart.

As if sensing his low spirits, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke in his spiritual sea. "Don't worry, Yuhao. Once you reach level twenty, I'll help you get an unbeatable second martial soul. Then you'll be a one-in-ten-thousand genius on this continent too!"

Yu Xiaogang immediately chimed in. "Exactly! With this master personally planning your cultivation, you're guaranteed to thrive at Shrek Academy. Even becoming a god someday isn't out of the question!"

Hearing their promises in his mind, Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and pushed down the envy in his eyes.

That's right. I have a Million-Year Soul Beast and the God-Teacher helping me. As long as I'm willing to work hard, I'll grow stronger. And I'll avenge my mother with my own hands!

Beside the arena, the crowd gradually dispersed. Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Xu Sanshi walked down the steps together.

"Bei Bei, what was it like fighting him?" Tang Ya glanced back in the direction Gu Mingyuan had gone. "Were the Tang Sect techniques he used really different?"

Bei Bei nodded, his expression turning grave. "They were. The techniques were profound, and his martial soul is powerful too."

He turned to Xu Sanshi and said half-jokingly, "You saw his defense. Against someone at the same level, my Thunderous Might couldn't even scratch his skin. Give him time, and you might lose your spot as the Outer Court's top defender."

Xu Sanshi laughed it off. "How old is he? By the time he's grown into his strength, I'll already be in the Inner Court. As long as I move up fast enough and stay older than him, a newcomer's pressure will never catch me."

Bei Bei had no answer for such shameless complacency. He shook his head.

Tang Ya asked, "That last punch was ridiculously powerful. Can his second Soul Skill store up strength?"

Bei Bei thought for a moment. "I think it absorbs damage and converts it into explosive power. But he's about to take the freshman assessment, so I'd call that a little trump card of his. It wouldn't have been right for me to point it out in front of everyone."

Xu Sanshi snorted. "With that many people watching, even a fool could tell roughly what his Soul Skill does. What good did keeping quiet do?"

Bei Bei smiled. "None, really. But I wasn't going to be the one responsible for giving away his trump card."

The next day, classes officially began in Shrek Academy's Outer Court.

Perhaps because of the butterfly effect, Zhou Sichen, who should have been assigned to Class Ten, ended up in Freshman Class Nine this time, alongside Gu Mingyuan.

The Class Nine classroom was spacious and bright. Nearly a hundred freshmen took their seats in order.

After Gu Mingyuan defeated Bei Bei, one of the Outer Court's stars, in front of everyone the day before, his name had become known throughout the first year and even the entire Outer Court. Unsurprisingly, as soon as their homeroom teacher Mu Jin entered, he named Gu Mingyuan the temporary class monitor of Class Nine.

There were no complicated theory lessons on the first day of school. Instead, they went straight into grueling physical training.

Running lap after lap around the field in heavy iron vests left the freshmen groaning. But with his Golden Jade Body, Gu Mingyuan barely considered the weight a warm-up. He finished the entire run without even getting winded.

That performance won over the proud troublemakers in his class.

Night fell.

After the day's training, Gu Mingyuan washed up and sat cross-legged on his bed. Zhou Sichen, in the bed opposite, had gone straight to sleep without dinner. His snores were already loud enough to shake the room.

Late that night, Gu Mingyuan was practicing the Mysterious Heaven Skill in the dorm.

Suddenly, a purplish-black skull mark near his heart flickered.

According to the original owner's memories, this was the brand the Holy Spirit Cult used to contact its undercover agents!

The Soul Emperor assigned to escort him was dead, but another contact had clearly activated the brand.

The next moment, a cold voice sounded in his mind.

"Tomorrow, three quarters into the You Hour. South City Spring Return Pharmacy."

"Come alone. Arrive late, and you will be deemed a traitor to the cult."

A purplish-black glint flashed through his mind, as though it meant to give Gu Mingyuan a taste of pain first.

Gu Mingyuan's eyes flew open. The glint tried to burst outward, but the stream of gray energy in his mind absorbed it completely.

The next instant, the gray energy awakened. "A soul-based technique, but an extremely crude one."

Gu Mingyuan froze, then realized: It's Electrolux!