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Though Wang Yan possessed genuine talent and knowledge, he was ultimately just an outer court teacher with only Soul King-level cultivation—roughly the same as the gathered students. As a result, the assembled students displayed clear signs of impatience on their faces.
Seeing this, Ye Wen, hidden in the shadows, shook his head.
These students couldn't even uphold the basic respect for teachers—a clear indication of how low their moral standards were.
So-called "justice upholders" without morality… it was almost laughable.
Wang Yan was simply born in the wrong era. If Yu Xiaogang had even half of Wang Yan's capabilities, he wouldn't have needed Tang San to make a name for himself.
Thinking about this, Ye Wen stroked his chin thoughtfully. After all, Wang Yan was one of the few wise individuals in this era.
"Should I poach him to be Little Yu'er's chief strategist?"
The thought flashed through his mind but was quickly dismissed.
This Wang Yan clearly had strong principles, and Shrek Academy hadn't yet fallen into complete decline. Moreover, Wang Yan hadn't experienced any major life-changing events that would drive him to switch allegiances. It was unlikely he'd leave his comfortable position—after all, there's no place like home, especially when that home is gilded.
Let things take their natural course~
At this moment, Wang Yan picked up a branch and began a lengthy explanation.
However, it was obvious that most of the students, like Ma Xiaotao, were little more than muscle-heads with poor academic aptitude. Their eyes clouded with confusion, they asked:
"Teacher Wang, what are you trying to say with all this?"
Wang Yan, who had been speaking enthusiastically just moments ago, suddenly looked like a chicken with its neck pinched, visibly uncomfortable.
But Wang Yan was well aware of his own limitations. The belief in strength above all else was deeply ingrained in every member of Shrek Academy. He couldn't afford to offend any of these students and could only reluctantly explain:
"What I've been saying is to inform you that our enemies are very likely evil soul masters. This also means we shouldn't be far from their location."
Ma Xiaotao nodded thoughtfully but soon furrowed her brow and asked:
"I agree with the first part of what you said, Teacher Wang, but why do you think we're close to the enemy?"
Returning to his area of expertise, Wang Yan resumed his unfinished lecture, explaining the rarity of the plant in question and deducing that the enemy must be camped nearby.
Although Wang Yan spoke at length about knowledge the students didn't fully grasp, they were nonetheless impressed. Their initial disdain for Wang Yan diminished slightly.
Ma Xiaotao, now fully trusting Wang Yan, asked: "Teacher Wang, what should we do now? Should we wait here for them to show up?"
Wang Yan shook his head and rejected the idea: "No, we need to take the initiative. Though it's already dark, normal people wouldn't act in the dark—and based on this line of thinking, neither would the enemy. If we carefully search for traces, we should be able to locate their exact position and catch them off guard."
By the end of his explanation, Wang Yan confidently clenched his fists, exuding an air of having everything under control.
But Ye Wen, still hidden in the shadows, wore the expression of someone watching a train wreck.
"What nonsense? I was just praising you for being fit to be a chief strategist, and you immediately stab me in the back with this reckless plan?
Alright, I hereby officially declare that Little Yu'er doesn't need your useless assistance in the future.
What kind of bizarre logic is this? You already know this is the enemy's base and a regular spot for gathering rare plants, which means the enemy must be more familiar with the area and has likely set up hidden sentries.
In this situation, wouldn't it make more sense to lie in wait? Once you spot someone passing by, quietly follow them and launch a surprise attack?
Ye Wen pondered. In the original storyline, it seemed they found the evil soul masters' base thanks to Huo Yuhao's cheat-like Spiritual Detection skill. But now, without Huo Yu'er, Shrek Academy lacked this advantage.
And yet, the usually wise Wang Yan proposed such a reckless plan.
Indeed, Shrek's arrogance ran deep in their bones.
Or perhaps…
Ye Wen glanced toward the nearby darkness, where Xuan Zi was gnawing on a chicken leg.
Tsk, did they really think having a Titled Douluo as backup meant they could do whatever they wanted?
If it were any other elder present, perhaps nothing would go wrong for the group. Unfortunately, they had encountered Xuan Zi, a notorious liability.
But what did any of this have to do with Ye Wen? For now, he simply wanted to sit back and enjoy the show—it wasn't yet time for him to intervene.
After finalizing the plan, the 14 team members led by Ma Xiaotao dispersed to search for traces of the evil soul masters.
Though Wang Yan's strategy left much to be desired, his intelligence analysis was correct—the evil soul masters' base was indeed just a few hundred meters away.
Though Shrek's students were all muscle-headed brains, they didn't foolishly charge in en masse. Instead, they quietly regrouped to discuss their next move.
Ma Xiaotao asked, "Teacher Wang, what should we do next?"
Wang Yan remained silent, frowning as he stared at the cave beneath the nearby slope.
Soul masters, especially those at the Soul King or Soul Emperor level, possessed immense destructive power with every movement. Fighting in the narrow confines of a cave would undoubtedly restrict their abilities.
Moreover, this was enemy territory.
"This is troublesome," Wang Yan muttered, his brows furrowing.
But soon, his expression relaxed.
Setting aside the outer court reserve members, the seven inner court students were elite members who had carried out dozens of Shrek Inspection Team missions.
"If the intelligence is accurate, then the inner court students' strength should suffice." Wang Yan nodded to himself, bolstered by confidence. His faith grew even stronger when he remembered Xuan Zi, who was secretly protecting the group.
Charging ahead was the only option!
"Xiaotao, I don't need to teach you how to handle this—you're all seasoned veterans." Wang Yan spoke earnestly.
The inner court students, led by Ma Xiaotao, nodded appreciatively. They were, after all, the true chosen ones of this continent.
"In a moment, you'll enter first to confirm the information we have on the enemy. If it checks out, engage them directly. Myself and the reserve team will stay outside to provide reinforcements. The main assault is up to you." Wang Yan declared gravely.
From the shadows, Ye Wen was utterly speechless. Despite the solemn tone, it all boiled down to brute force once again.
But ironically, this kind of plan suited Ma Xiaotao and her battle-crazed, muscle-headed comrades perfectly.
Though these students were all brawn and little brain, they still possessed basic combat discipline. Before entering the cave, they carefully checked their equipment.
However, Ye Wen couldn't help but wince at the sight of their gear, which was clearly just ordinary armor.
Indeed, ignorance and foolishness weren't obstacles to survival—arrogance was.
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