For some reason, the atmosphere on the street felt somewhat subdued, perhaps because the scene just now had left everyone feeling uneasy.
The sunset painted the sky with crimson hues, its fiery colors resembling the fiery clouds that had painted the horizon red.
Huo Yuhao looked up at the setting sun, as if to tell everyone that it was all over.
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er, unusually, did not argue, and even their tightly clasped hands did not loosen. They watched as Dai Huabin's body was cleaned up, and the gloom deep in their hearts was finally swept away.
Meng Hongchen glared at her older brother, her eyes filled with more annoyance than resentment.
Xiao Hongchen could only stand aside and laugh awkwardly.
Wu Feng and Ning Tian had no choice but to follow behind Huo Yuhao. Looking at Huo Yuhao's broad back, Wu Feng felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him once again.
Over the next few days, Huo Yuhao's mood was as gloomy and unpleasant as the weather.
The clouds in the sky weren't dark, but they wouldn't let the sun peek out; a gentle breeze brought a touch of morning coolness.
Huo Yuhao sat in the rest area, watching the lap race with a bored expression.
The Shrek Team's strength can be described as unstoppable, like gods and Buddhas slaying demons, moving through empty lands, with no team being their match.
As for those so-called participating academies, every Soul Skill they unleashed was full of flaws in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and he found it quite boring to watch.
Not far away, Meng Hongchen smiled gently and waved enthusiastically to Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement and sighed again.
These past few days, whenever she had a spare moment, Meng Hongchen would eagerly come over, which led to Xiao Hongchen, a guy with a sister complex, staring at her without any restraint.
This made him very uncomfortable, but Zhou Yi had been keeping a close eye on him these past few days, otherwise he would have definitely found a chance to leave long ago.
"One against seven, and yet another one against seven! Ling Luochеn has also accomplished this feat, making him one of only three people from the Shrek Academy to have achieved this feat so far."
"These three outstanding women are truly admirable; the rest of us men still have a long way to go."
The host continued to explain the situation of the match.
As the ice crystal in Ling Luochеn's hand flew into the air and suddenly exploded, snowflakes drifted across the competition venue, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the audience.
" Shrek! Shrek!"
As countless spectators watched Ling Luochеn gracefully walk off the competition field, the audience below the stage cheered loudly.
Some viewers have even given Ling Luochеn a nickname, based on the characteristics of his Martial Soul: Frost Sprite, Ling Luochеn.
Ling Luochеn didn't care about any of this. After high-fiving Ma Xiaotao in the audience, she quietly sat back down in the rest area with a sweet smile.
Today's lap race has already perfectly completed its mission, so there's nothing more to worry about.
Several male students from the inner court Dai Yueheng, didn't even have a chance to participate. They were either observing their opponents with Ning Tian and the others, or...
Hearing this and seeing Ling Luochеn leave the stage, some male students from certain academies lowered their heads in shame and indignation. However, when they thought that this was Shrek Academy, they felt a little better.
Zhou Yi stood at the front of the rest area, her pen writing furiously. After about five minutes, the pen stopped, and Zhou Yi ceased her writing.
After tapping the notebook a few times with her pen, Zhou Yi turned to the group and said, "That's enough. Everyone, get ready to go back and rest. The rest of the competition isn't very meaningful."
"Understood, Teacher Zhou."
Everyone nodded and stood up, slowly walking out of the competition venue amidst the shocked gazes of the other academies.
However, they quickly regained their composure. After all, this wasn't the first or second time Shrek Academy had left early, and in their eyes, Shrek was already the undisputed champion of this year's competition.
After all, a team consisting of one Soul Saint, three Soul Emperor, and three Soul King had virtually no chance of resistance.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Rest Area.
Ma Rulong watched Shrek leave, his eyes filled with resentment as he clenched his fists. " Shrek..."
Elder Ma puffed on his pipe intermittently, exhaled deeply, and said comfortingly, "Children, I've thought about it, and Xiao Hongchen is right. Years of failure have cast a shadow over our hearts that we can't shake off. We've always been living in Shrek's shadow."
Elder Ma paused, looked at the student beside him, and comforted him, "Just do your best, don't put pressure on yourself."
Xiao Hongchen, pulling Meng Hongchen who was about to leave, unusually agreed, saying, " Elder Ma is right. Shrek's strength is indeed not to be underestimated. Everyone should just do their best. When we get back, I will ask Grandpa for permission. We cannot let go of the opportunity to communicate with Shrek."
Looking at Xiao Hongchen, Elder Ma nodded with satisfaction. Since witnessing Shrek's strength, Xiao Hongchen had managed to stabilize his mindset in just a few days. This young man was destined for greatness.
But little did Elder Ma know that Xiao Hongchen's cultivation was only part of his plan. He wanted to communicate with Shrek because he also wanted to spend more time with Wang Dong'er. After these few days of interaction, Xiao Hongchen had already fallen for this unique girl.
Of course, Wang Dong'er is extremely beautiful, which is certainly a major reason.
If Xiao Hongchen knew what Jing Hongchen was thinking, he would definitely scold him severely and then question him.
"Is that what you call liking? You're just lusting after her body, you're despicable!"
However, at this moment, Xiao Hongchen still knew what was important. Even though he really wanted to see Wang Dong'er, the competition was the purpose of this trip. He suppressed his feelings and pulled Meng Hongchen back from leaving.
After all, it's essential to understand other opponents. Shrek's strength is undeniable, which makes him feel a great sense of crisis.
Star Emperor Hotel, Top Floor Conference Room.
Zhou Yi was on the Soul Guide Light Panel, sharing the information she had gathered that day with the students and using it to plan the next tactics.
Zhou Yi tapped the soul guide light panel behind her and instructed Ma Xiaotao, " Xiaotao, you are the captain. Anything can happen during a competition, so I hope that if things develop beyond what is expected, you can make the decisions of a captain."
"Of course, you also need to trust Dai Yueheng and your teammates. I believe the championship won't be too difficult for you."
Ma Xiaotao, unusually, did not object, but instead nodded seriously in agreement.
Yan Shaozhe, clutching his chest, sat in the main seat and smiled, " Zhou Yi, you did a great job. Keep it up, kids. I believe victory belongs to you."
After these days of rest, his body has almost recovered, and he only needs to rest for a while longer to fully recover.
Just then, there was a knock on the conference room door.
Zhou Yi frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Didn't we specifically instruct them not to come and bother us for the time being?"
A melodious female voice came from outside the door, replying, "You've misunderstood. I'm a staff member from the Starlight Auction House. I've come specifically to inquire about our distinguished guests. His Highness sincerely hopes that you will attend."
Starlight Auction House? Your Highness?
Zhou Yi was very puzzled. In the past few days, Shrek had basically only appeared at the competition venue and hotel, and had not had any contact with the so-called auction house. Why would they approach them?
Chen Zifeng looked at Zhou Yi questioningly, and after Zhou Yi nodded, Chen Zifeng walked to the door and opened it.
A woman in a long black dress stood outside the door. She looked to be in her late twenties, a time when a woman possesses mature charm yet retains a youthful spirit.
The woman immediately bowed gracefully to him, then quickly glanced around before respectfully bowing again to Huo Yuhao. Only then did she speak, "Your Excellency, distinguished guests, my name is Qing Ya. I apologize for disturbing you."
Zhou Yi immediately understood, roughly knowing who had invited them, and asked in a deep voice, "Was it Her Highness the Princess who invited us?"
Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, everyone's gaze turned to Huo Yuhao, who was sitting in the corner.
Qing Ya smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Yes, such top-tier auctions only happen once or twice a year. If you are all free tonight, you are welcome to attend. I believe there will be something of interest to you at tonight's auction."
She paused again, then looked at Huo Yuhao and said, "Her Highness the Princess also wishes to meet with all of you distinguished guests."
As she spoke, she took out a stack of invitations and placed them on the table. Then, with a smile, she bowed again and said, "I won't disturb you any longer. I apologize again." With that, she slowly backed away, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Yan Shaozhe reached out, and a beautifully crafted invitation card with gold lettering immediately appeared in his hand. He glanced at it, smiled at Huo Yuhao, and said, "Looks like we're also benefiting from Yuhao's influence."
He handed the invitation to Zhou Yi, saying, "I won't go and join the fun. My old bones should rest and recuperate."
A golden light flashed, Yan Shaozhe disappeared from the conference room.
Dai Yueheng picked up an invitation and looked at it, exclaiming in surprise, "A VIP room with private service! Normally, even Shrek would only have a high-level room. These VIP rooms are never open to the public."
Dai Yueheng affectionately put his arm around Huo Yuhao and joked, " Yuhao, I never thought I'd benefit from your success. Why don't you marry the princess soon? That would fulfill Father's great wish."
Huo Yuhao gave a stiff smile, looked at Xiao Xiao was standing silently not far away, and said helplessly, "There's no rush for this, is there?"
Zhou Yi coughed and instructed Wu Feng to distribute the invitations to everyone; there were exactly fourteen invitations excluding Yan Shaozhe's.
Zhou Yi turned off the light panel behind her, revealing a warm smile, and said, "In that case, let's relax tonight and see what this so-called top-tier auction is all about."
"Long live Teacher Zhou!"