The seven of them exchanged smiles, the same thought flashing through their minds—too easy. Just a bunch of rookies. Not even a challenge.
Elder Xuan landed back in the center of the Soul Dueling Zone and casually said,
"The seven of them stay. Everyone else can leave."
The eliminated students left without a word, but Dai Huabin protested loudly,
"Teacher, this isn't fair. They teamed up against us!"
Elder Xuan gave him a flat look and replied,
"Didn't you all plan to team up to eliminate them at the start? So now it's not okay when they work together? Or are you saying you're stronger than any of them?" He gestured toward Huo Yuhao and the others.
As soon as he said that, Dai Huabin had nothing left to say. Defeated, he slunk away. He was a four-ring Soul Ancestor, but clearly no match. Wang Qiu'er had wrecked him before. Even Wang Dong, the weakest of the group, had held his own against him back when he only had two rings. Now Wang Dong had three.
With the rest gone, only Huo Yuhao, his six teammates, Elder Xuan, and Wang Yan remained in the arena.
Elder Xuan slowly stepped forward and said,
"You've all heard the title 'Shrek's Seven Monsters', right? The statues of the first generation stand right at the academy gates. But do you know how that title came to be?"
The others certainly knew, but they also knew this old man had more to say, so they didn't interrupt.
Elder Xuan's voice grew heavy:
"Back in the day, the Golden Iron Triangle was led by the four-eyed owl Flender, who founded Shrek Academy. There were only a handful of teachers, and even fewer students. At the time, Principal Flender proudly declared: 'We only take monsters, not ordinary people.' But monsters were rare... until the first generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters appeared. That's when Shrek finally had a chance."
"There were a few reasons they were called the Seven Monsters. First, they were all genius-level monsters trained by Shrek. Second, because the entire academy back then only had the seven of them. But most importantly, it was because of the legendary Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."
"No one gave them a chance at the start of that tournament. Our academy was completely unknown. But the Seven Monsters fought their way up through sheer power and made it to the finals. Their final opponents were from the mighty Spirit Hall. Even though they were outclassed in overall strength, under the leadership of Grandmaster Tang San, they won through sheer grit. That victory laid the foundation for Shrek Academy to become the number one academy on the continent. The name of Shrek's Seven Monsters became legendary."
"To honor their contributions, every five years, our academy selects a new generation of Seven Monsters. These students represent the academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. The name of the tournament was changed from 'Elite Tournament' to 'Soul Dueling Tournament' because of the rise of soul tools. The meaning behind the tournament today is quite different from what it was a thousand years ago."
"Back then, the Sun Moon Empire was defeated by the three major empires of our original Douluo Continent. But our side suffered heavily as well. Over the millennia, the Sun Moon Empire has focused intensely on soul tool research, growing ever more powerful."
"The three original empires, being separate nations, lack unity. But the Sun Moon Empire hasn't dared to act rashly, mainly because... they lack confidence. Because we—Shrek Academy—are here. That alone keeps them in check."
"This isn't boasting. If the Sun Moon Empire wants to dominate the continent, their first target wouldn't be Star Luo, Heaven Dou, or Dou Ling. It would be us. Because only Shrek Academy has the power to unite the three nations against them. Only we have enough high-end force to match their top-tier soul engineers."
"They don't dare start a war to test our strength. So they test us through other means—like the Soul Dueling Tournament. That's why, in the upcoming tournament, our only real opponent is the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy."
Hearing that name, Xu Sanshi couldn't help blurting out,
"Elder Xuan, are you saying... we're going to participate in the Continental Soul Dueling Tournament?"
Elder Xuan snorted,
"Do you really think you're qualified just because I said it? The age requirement for the tournament is under twenty. You still meet the criteria for this cycle. But today's selection was for the reserve team. Every generation of reserves is picked before the current Seven Monsters head out to compete."
That's right! The age requirement for this core disciple selection suddenly made sense. It was to ensure that five years later, they'd still be under twenty and eligible for the next tournament.
Elder Xuan continued,
"You're chosen as the reserve team. Also, as substitutes for the main team. The chances of you being sent into battle are slim. But as substitutes, you earn the right to go along and observe the tournament."
"That experience will be incredibly valuable. But don't think today's test seals your fate. Over the next five years, you'll be constantly assessed. Only those who prove strong enough will represent the academy. There are many challenges ahead. So your first goal should be to enter the Inner Court."
"Shrek never claims to be righteous. But we have stopped the Sun Moon Empire from starting a war. We've kept the peace. Kids, you all have a chance to join the Inner Court. But know this—while the Inner Court maintains peace, it does so with blood. At any given time, there are rarely more than fifty students in the Inner Court."
Bebe and the others were shocked. They hadn't imagined that the prestigious Shrek Inner Court had so few students.
"Children, are you willing to follow in the footsteps of your predecessors and safeguard the peace of the continent?" At this point, Elder Xuan's eyes shone with true emotion and hope.
"We are!" Bebe, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong, and He Caitou shouted in unison, their faces flushed, eyes bright with excitement. Right now, they felt like heroes—ready to save the world, to steady a collapsing tower, to turn the tide.
(End of Chapter)