Before long, another piece of news detonated like a blockbuster bomb in the Outer Court.
Shrek Academy's reserve team selection for the Continental Soul Master Tournament had officially begun.
There were only seven places, but the selection covered the entire Outer Court.
The moment the news spread, the atmosphere throughout the Outer Court visibly changed.
Two students approaching each other in the corridor might have exchanged nods yesterday, but today, their eyes held a measure of wariness the moment their gazes met.
When eating in the cafeteria, even an extra glance from someone at the next table felt like they were sizing up one's strength.
The entire Outer Court fell into a peculiar atmosphere: everyone looked like an enemy, and everyone made you want to draw your blade.
"Draw your blade. Just you and me."
No one knew who had started saying it, but within half a day, the line had spread throughout the Outer Court.
On the day of the selection, everyone who had signed up was summoned to the largest training ground in the Outer Court.
The grounds were spacious enough for several hundred people to stand at once, with flooring made of special soul guidance alloy and eight thick stone pillars standing around the perimeter.
Sunlight poured down from overhead, bathing the entire grounds in dazzling light.
Everyone stood in twos and threes along the edges, quietly discussing the selection rules and their potential opponents.
Just then, a tiny figure suddenly appeared in the very center of the arena.
A little girl with twin ponytails, looking no more than twelve or thirteen, stood in the middle of the arena with a skewer of candied hawthorns in her hand.
Her appearance came without warning, as though she had materialized out of thin air, leaving everyone at the sidelines