But what did any of that have to do with Bei Bei?
He did not even know He Caitou, let alone have any connection with him.
Bei Bei was not the only one who thought that way. Xu Sanshi felt the same.
Jiang Nannan stood off to the side, her face expressionless.
For a moment, everyone except Huo Yuhao glanced at He Caitou, deliberately or otherwise, as though he were the one who ought to be kicked out.
He Caitou lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together, his thoughts unreadable.
Meanwhile, Xuan Zi's mind was racing. First, Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao absolutely could not be eliminated. Bei Bei was Mu En's great-great-grandson, and his talent and strength were beyond reproach. Huo Yuhao needed no explanation.
Next was Xu Sanshi, whose background was far from ordinary. He was the son of the current sect master of the Xuanming Sect. The academy bought Mystic Water Pills from the Xuanming Sect every year, so naturally, he could not be eliminated either.
And Xu Sanshi was pursuing Jiang Nannan. If she were eliminated, who knew whether Xu Sanshi would quit too...
Then came Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. The former shared a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Huo Yuhao and could not be eliminated. The latter had twin Martial Souls and specialized in the control system, which suited the team. She could not be eliminated either...
As for He Caitou, so what if he was a Soul Ancestor? So what if he was a Level 4 Soul Engineer?
Although the academy had stipulated that at least one student from the Soul Tool Department had to become one of the Shrek Seven Devils, Huo Yuhao was a core disciple of both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department, so naturally, he already filled that slot.
Besides, what did a Level 4 Soul Engineer amount to compared with the offensive power of Chen Tianyuan's ultimate lightning?
Of course, Xuan Zi would not name He Caitou outright and eliminate him. If he actually did that, he would likely provoke everyone's displeasure.
Watching the expressions and reactions of the seven people on the Soul Fighting Arena, Chen Tianyuan could vaguely guess what had happened.
He immediately said, "Xuan Zi, there's no need for this. I'm not interested in a spot among the Shrek Seven Devils."
"The new Seven Monsters have already been chosen. How could it be right to suddenly kick someone out?"
"Besides, if word of this got out, it wouldn't do anyone any good."
"Xuan Zi, surely you understand something so simple?"
Xuan Zi's expression darkened at those words. He had indeed handled this poorly, but a junior had actually lectured him in front of so many people. Where was he supposed to hide his face?
Xuan Zi snorted. "In that case, decide for yourselves."
With that, Xuan Zi withdrew to one side and drank sullenly.
Chen Tianyuan then looked at Wang Yan, who was still dumbfounded. He had never imagined that Chen Tianyuan would dare speak to Xuan Zi like that.
Chen Tianyuan said, "Teacher Wang, if I remember correctly, every academy gets slots for substitutes in the Soul Fighting Tournament, right?"
Hearing someone address him, Wang Yan came back to his senses.
He adjusted his glasses and said, "That's right. Besides the seven official competitors, every academy gets slots for substitutes."
"But most academies don't have any substitutes. Only prestigious schools like our Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Academy have them."
Chen Tianyuan nodded. "In that case, I'll compete as a substitute."
Everyone froze at his words. With Chen Tianyuan's strength, he could even replace a member of the main team, yet he was willing to settle for being a substitute.
Inside the Sea God Pavilion.
Mu En looked at Xuan Zi, exasperated at his failure to measure up. "You even managed to forget something this trivial?"
"Once I die, won't you run the entire academy into the ground?"
Xuan Zi kept his head lowered and said nothing, as though he had been wronged.
Seeing this, Mu En opened his mouth but said nothing. In the end, he let out a helpless sigh.
"Great Ancestor, what did you want to see me about?" Chen Tianyuan asked, looking at Mu En.
Mu En spoke slowly. "I called you here because there are two things I want to tell you."
Chen Tianyuan gave a sound of acknowledgment. "Go ahead, Great Ancestor."
Mu En sighed. "At a Sea God Pavilion Meeting several years ago, I named you the Next-Generation Sea God Pavilion Master Successor. I originally intended to tell you after the Soul Fighting Tournament."
Chen Tianyuan's eyes widened as he stared at Mu En in disbelief. "Great Ancestor, I haven't contributed anything to Shrek Academy. And besides..."
Mu En raised a hand to interrupt him. "Do you remember what I said before about how the academy could preserve its legacy for ten thousand years?"
Chen Tianyuan said, "I remember. By relying on one powerhouse after another who could hold an entire era beneath their might."
Mu En nodded. "Exactly. My era has long since passed. Next comes your era."
Chen Tianyuan said, "..."
Then Mu En spoke again. "The second matter concerns your betrothal."
"Huh?"
Hearing that, Chen Tianyuan was utterly bewildered. He even wondered whether he had misheard.
"Great Ancestor, how could I have a betrothal?"
"Besides, how old am I right now? Isn't it far too early to talk about this?"
Mu En, however, continued unhurriedly. "This goes back many years..."
After hearing Mu En's account, Chen Tianyuan was completely stunned. How had Zhang Lexuan's promise ended up being transferred to him?
That evening, several of them gathered for a barbecue on the Lakeside Path. Of course, Huo Yuhao was the only one doing the grilling.
He Caitou walked over and sat beside Chen Tianyuan. He was rather shy by nature and spoke softly.
"Senior Chen, whether you meant what you said today or were just putting on a show, I sincerely thank you."
The sincerity in He Caitou's eyes did not look like an act.
At Shrek Academy, everyone had to fight for their own resources. Although he was a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department, the resources he could obtain were still limited. Becoming one of the Shrek Seven Devils was different. Not only would his status rise, but he would also receive priority when the academy allocated resources...
Hearing He Caitou call him "senior" felt strange to Chen Tianyuan. He waved a hand and said, "You don't need to thank me. This was yours to begin with."
In Chen Tianyuan's eyes, the academy ought to be a place for fair competition, not connections.
With his status as Mu En's great-great-grandson, coupled with his twin Martial Souls and ultimate lightning, he could have swaggered through the academy unchecked if he wished. But he did not.
Even when Zhou Yi deliberately made things difficult for him when he first enrolled, he had not used his connections to retaliate against her. Everyone stood in a different position, and that changed the angle from which they viewed people and affairs.
Having the freshmen run a hundred laps certainly did not make Zhou Yi a good teacher, but she held nothing back for students who truly wanted to learn. Chen Tianyuan remembered a lower-year student named Song Qinghan. His talent as a Soul Master was nothing special, but he loved Soul Tools. Zhou Yi had observed him for a long time before finally giving him a special-admission slot. Otherwise, his talent would never have allowed him to pass the Freshman Assessment.
Zhang Lexuan had brought him back to Shrek Academy, and the academy had recognized his talent and nurtured him. Naturally, he stood on the academy's side. If none of that had happened, he probably would have frozen to death that sorrowful winter.
Chen Tianyuan sat beside the lake and reached out to stir the water. The setting sun spilled across its surface, shattering into countless fragments.
Shrek Academy might have a thousand faults, but in time, he would slowly set them right.
Before you continue