That evening, Yan Qing quite naturally "ran into" Tang Wulin. After a brief exchange, the two headed toward the Soul Guidance Train platform.
Yan Qing knew this trip would definitely be safe.
As expected, at the station entrance, they found Wu Changkong, who had been waiting for quite some time, along with Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and the others.
Large numbers of Evil Soul Masters had appeared along the route from Heaven Dou City to Mingdu.
In response, the academy had sent teachers to ensure the final exams proceeded safely.
All students' solo activities were canceled, replaced with group challenges.
Wu Changkong would serve as their bodyguard on this trip, but would offer no additional assistance.
On the way to the next city, Wu Changkong took the opportunity to check the results of their first stop.
After watching Yan Qing's soul guidance recording, Wu Changkong's expression turned peculiar.
The Dark Bell in the footage was lifelike, her movements vicious beyond compare, making him question Yan Qing's identity for a moment.
Had he not seen Yan Qing's Martial Soul before, he really would have hauled him back for an examination.
The group teamed up for the remainder of their final exams.
Thanks to the Holy Spirit Cult, all Soul Guidance Train stations in Heaven Dou City had suspended operations.
The group could only rent a vehicle to continue their journey, and a new problem soon arose.
Yan Qing, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, Xu Xiaoyan, Xu Lizhi, and Ye Xinglan made seven people in total.
Only Xie Xie knew how to drive, and their six-seat soul guidance car meant someone always had to hang onto the vehicle.
Their original plan was to pick a random lucky soul outside the Spirit Pagoda, challenge them, fight a round, and run.
The Spirit Pagoda soon noticed these troublemakers.
Under orders from Heavenly Phoenix Douluo (Gu Yue's teacher), however, they could not send experts above Soul Emperor rank to intercept them.
But Yan Qing and the others did not have as smooth a time as in the original story. Their overcrowded vehicle blew up during a chase.
They nearly ended up locked away by the Spirit Pagoda, and Wu Changkong had to step in to clean up the mess.
Afterward, they were ordered to complete their final exams using a more respectable method.
They could only choose to challenge Soul Master Academies. Only there could they find enough Soul Masters who met the requirements in one go.
They were currently in Tian Ding City, whose most famous institution was Tian Ding Starry Sky Academy.
It was a very distinctive Soul Master Academy that admitted only flight-type Soul Masters.
The group arrived at the academy gates and held up two banners.
"We're from Shrek Academy, and we're here to challenge your school."
"If you're a bro, come fight me."
Watching from the shadows, Wu Changkong nearly blacked out.
The tactic certainly worked. A large crowd promptly flew out of Tian Ding Soul Master Academy.
Most had come to watch the excitement, though. Shrek's name carried weight, and they had virtually no rivals in challenges at the same level.
Soon, Tian Ding Starry Sky Academy's main gates opened, and several middle-aged people walked out. From the looks of them, they were the academy's decision-makers.
The middle-aged man leading them wore a stern expression.
"Are you really from Shrek? How can you prove it?"
Although nearly all of Yan Qing's identification had been confiscated, that did not stop him from giving a demonstration.
"Simple. Give me your hand."
Half-convinced, the middle-aged man took Yan Qing's outstretched hand.
Immediately afterward, he saw a string of white Soul Rings rise behind Yan Qing.
White rings?
Ten-year!
How could a Shrek student still have white Soul Rings!
His eyes soon widened, because the first Soul Rings Yan Qing had released remained suspended in the air, while more continued to rise.
A huge mass of Soul Rings filled the entire campus entrance.
There were a full nine hundred and ninety-nine white Soul Rings.
What was this thing!
Startled, the middle-aged man stepped back half a pace. Yan Qing took the opportunity to release his hand, then answered with a solemn expression.
"Shrek only accepts monsters, not ordinary people."
The middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead. A genuine monster. Now I have no choice but to believe him.
Although it was certainly an illusion, his spiritual power, which approached the Spirit Abyss Realm, had failed to detect anything amiss. Just how terrifying were these children's cultivation levels?
How the hell are we supposed to fight this? Won't they kick our students around like balls?
"Don't worry. We're all first-year students. Anyone from your academy under twenty can accept our challenge."
Noticing the middle-aged man's embarrassment, Yan Qing spoke at just the right moment.
The middle-aged man sighed in relief at those words. Apparently, it was merely an unusual Soul Skill. He had also noticed Yan Qing's handshake.
His Soul Skill surely required physical contact to be used. He would have to remind the students to watch out for that.
After confirming that Yan Qing and the others were all first-year students, Tian Ding Starry Sky Soul Master Academy accepted their challenge without hesitation.
Twenty-year-olds fighting thirteen-year-olds: losing would cost them nothing, while winning might make their names. No one would refuse.
"Boss, what tactics are we using later?"
In the waiting room, everyone looked toward Yan Qing.
"This challenge is a little unusual. All our opponents may be able to fly, so we need to be careful."
"Gu Yue, you and Xinglan will handle the ones with stronger aerial offensive capabilities. Your elements and starlight are very effective against airborne targets."
"Wulin will join me on the front line. Xu Lizhi just needs to make buns in the back, and Xie Xie will pick off anyone who falls out of the sky..."
Unexpectedly, Yan Qing would be taking the main tank role this time.
"Boss, what about me? You haven't given me an assignment yet."
Yan Qing turned to find Xu Xiaoyan blinking her sparkling eyes, gazing at him eagerly.
Yan Qing pondered for a moment, then looked up at the star-filled sky before speaking to Xu Xiaoyan in complete seriousness.
"I've read the night sky. A great opportunity awaits you today. Once we're inside, just meditate where you are."
Xu Xiaoyan nodded, only half understanding.
"Boss, you can even read the heavens? That's amazing."
The battle would take place on the Star Observation Platform, a sacred cultivation ground Tian Ding Starry Sky Soul Master Academy had built for its students.
Day or night, it could draw down starlight and bring them closer to outer space.
Tian Ding Starry Sky Academy sent out seven students, matching their numbers exactly.
They wore black embroidered robes, with the number of stars embroidered on their chests representing their Soul Power Levels.
The strongest among them had a full fifty stars, meeting Yan Qing and the others' exam requirements exactly.
They skipped the introductions and began the match immediately.
As expected, all seven opponents took to the air right from the start, and whether deliberately or otherwise, all avoided letting Yan Qing get close.
They had received word that Shrek's team leader possessed an extremely terrifying ability to transmit illusions through physical contact. If he got close, they would instantly lose their ability to fight.
They also discovered, to their surprise, that only five people from Shrek were fighting head-on.
One male student was crouching in the back, continuously pulling out... buns?
Another female student had actually sat down to meditate. What was going on?
Before they could think further, their gazes sharpened, for they saw Yan Qing rapidly approaching them with an unidentified, elongated weapon in hand.
Yan Qing was having a hard time keeping a straight face himself. Perhaps their initial meeting had given the person in charge of Tian Ding Soul Master Academy a few mistaken impressions.
As a result, his opponents looked at him as though he were a raging flood or a savage beast.
It really felt like a mop dipped in shit, upgraded into an imperial divine weapon.