radicalducati Chapter 105:
Chapter 105:
Even at this very moment, a voice deep within them is telling them:
Even now, Yu Chen might not be without a fighting chance against that Shrek Academy boy with a ten-thousand-year soul ring!
Moreover, they themselves are full of fighting spirit and confidence:
At the age of fourteen or fifteen, they reached that level. Our Class Zero can definitely do it too!
It seems... Shrek Academy is not so far out of reach or invincible?
On the competition stage, the referee in charge of the match was also surprised by how things had turned out, and his expression was somewhat blank.
After all, the Tianhai Alliance's intention in adopting cross-age challenges was to avoid losing too badly and thus save face.
Before the referee could announce the result, the Shrek Academy boy bowed to the audience and then led his team off the stage.
"Tsk,"
Watching the Shrek Academy players leave so gracefully, Xie Xie couldn't help but launch into his signature commentary.
"It seems that it's not just Ye Xinglan who was arrogant just now; this is Shrek Academy's 'traditional skill,' with everyone from top to bottom being so 'unrestrained and carefree.'"
"!!!"
Tang Wulin immediately feigned great shock, exaggeratedly covering Xie Xie's mouth, looking around nervously, and whispering:
"Xie Xie! Be careful what you say! Be careful what you say! You can't say things that are detrimental to... well, detrimental to 'unity'! I didn't hear anything just now! What about you guys?"
He looked at Yu Chen and Gu Yue, winking at them.
His comical demeanor successfully broke the heavy atmosphere created by Shrek Academy's immense strength.
Yu Chen shook his head helplessly, Gu Yue's lips curled up slightly, and Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The gloom that had been hanging over them due to the difference in strength dissipated considerably.
……
Meanwhile, in the rest area behind the stands, Wu Changkong was standing side by side with a woman, taking in all the actions of Yu Chen and the others.
The woman appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with exceptionally beautiful features. She had long, unusual white hair cascading down her back, and her dark green eyes seemed to radiate a vibrant life force.
Her long white hair and Wu Changkong's white clothes complemented each other perfectly.
She is Shen Yi, the teacher leading the Shrek Academy team this time, and also Wu Changkong's junior sister.
Wu Changkong and Shen Yi witnessed almost the entire conflict between Class Zero and Ye Xinglan, and also saw how quickly everyone was able to calm themselves down after seeing Shrek Academy's terrifying combat power.
Shen Yi turned to look at his senior brother, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, with a strange expression and a hint of teasing in his tone:
"Should I say that they are truly worthy of being your students? Each and every one of them is... well, quite 'unique'. They have no shortage of arrogance and pride, and they don't even seem to have the same sense of awe that ordinary people have towards Shrek Academy."
Wu Changkong's eyes remained fixed on the ground below, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Back then... I never taught them to be so 'ignorant'."
These words sound like a rebuke, but those who know him might be able to detect a very faint hint of... indulgence?
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Yi suddenly continued to sow discord among Wu Changkong's eyes:
"Judging from your student's swift defeat of Ye Xinglan just now, his actual combat strength is probably already capable of going toe-to-toe with the team leader, especially considering the significant age difference..."
"Senior, it seems your teaching abilities have surpassed your teacher's, and even some of the old fogies in the academy?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Changkong slowly shook his head, his voice calm and unwavering:
"Strength is never simply defined by age; everything is subject to change. Yu Chen's talent and potential far exceed those of ordinary people. All I can do is guide him slightly on his path and prevent him from going astray. Compared to the academy's systematic and massive training system, I am still far from sufficient."
He paused, a hint of reminiscence seeming to flicker deep in his eyes, but he quickly regained his clarity:
"Besides, I've long since stopped worrying about temporary wins and losses."
"The purpose of bringing them to this competition was not merely to compete for a ranking or to determine who was better."
"For these children, seeing a wider world and facing stronger opponents, even if they stumble and fall and get hurt, as long as their spirit doesn't break, it may not be a bad experience for their growth."
Shen Yi looked at Wu Changkong's profile, which was still cold and stern but seemed to have gained something, and sighed inwardly.
The once sharp-tongued, cold-blooded youth who only cared about swords and victory has... become quite different now.
.........
"snort!"
Back to Yu Chen's side.
A cold snort, clearly carrying emotion, suddenly rang out not far from Yu Chen and the others.
The voice was deliberately lowered, but the dissatisfaction and provocation could still be heard.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Ye Xinglan had returned at some point.
She changed into a well-tailored, dark green outfit specially made for Shrek Academy, crossed her arms, and stood a few steps away, trying to adopt a superior posture.
Her eyes tried hard to convey fierceness and defiance, but upon closer inspection, one could detect a subtle hint of guilt and... a stubbornness hidden deep within her blue eyes.
Behind her, Xu Lizhi's round figure looked somewhat at a loss.
He hunched his shoulders, his eyes darting back and forth between Yu Chen and Ye Xinglan, his face etched with the awkwardness of "I don't want to be here."
He cautiously tugged at Ye Xinglan's sleeve, pleading in an almost whispered voice:
"Sister Xinglan, how about... we go back to the rest room first? We just finished a match and need to recover our soul power... Besides, Teacher Shen might be looking for us..."
He was genuinely scared.
The thunderous methods and the chilling sense of oppression that Yu Chen had used before were still vivid in my mind.
He was afraid that if Ye Xinglan continued to "hold her own" like this, she would end up in an even more embarrassing situation.
Ye Xinglan abruptly shook off Xu Lizhi's hand, her face slightly flushed from the emotional excitement and exhaustion of the match.
During this time, she became angrier and angrier, but strangely, her fear of Yu Chen not only did not decrease, but became clearer.
This "fear" made her feel incredibly ashamed—how could a Shrek Academy student be afraid before even fighting? It was a disgrace to Shrek's honor!
As a student of Shrek Academy, if you don't even have the courage to face your opponent head-on, then you're truly doomed.
She straightened her back forcefully, her gaze passing over Tang Wulin and the others, and fixed intently on Yu Chen in the center of the crowd.
At this moment, Yu Chen was talking to Gu Yue with an indifferent expression, completely ignoring her. It was this neglect that made Ye Xinglan feel a strange panic, as if she was less than dust in his eyes.
"Why are you afraid to face me?"
Ye Xinglan gritted her teeth, and to bolster her courage, she deliberately raised her voice, forcing herself to remain calm as she spoke:
"I'll see just how strong you really are then! All you talk is empty words; nobody's going to put up with you in the ring!"
This statement was less of a provocation and more of a way for her to encourage herself.
However, she was met with silence.
Tang Wulin frowned, about to step forward to argue, but Xie Xie grabbed him.
"Wu Lin, don't go."
Xie Xie shook his head at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Look at Ye Xinglan, she's clearly feeling guilty and is deliberately trying to get attention. Why bother arguing with a cat that's about to explode?"
Xu Xiaoyan stuck out her tongue and whispered behind Tang Wulin:
"That woman looks fierce, but her hands are shaking..."
"You, you all..."
Ye Xinglan wanted to continue arguing, but Yu Chen's next words completely broke her down.
"You just won a trivial game, and you've already forgotten the lesson you learned?"
Yu Chen didn't even look at her directly, only giving her a contemptuous glance, his tone as calm as if stating a fact.
These words, though spoken lightly, felt like a slap across Ye Xinglan's face.
Ye Xinglan's face flushed red instantly, a mixture of shame and indignation.
She was about to retort that she had beaten a strong team from the Tianhai Alliance and that she was very strong.
But as she tried to speak, looking into Yu Chen's eyes, which seemed to see right through people, an invisible pressure rose from the bottom of her heart again, making her throat tighten and unable to utter a single word.
Just then, a gentle yet authoritative female voice suddenly rang out.
"Xinglan, come back."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman with a noble demeanor and extremely beautiful appearance who had appeared not far away at some point.
It was Shen Yi, the teacher leading the team from Shrek Academy.
Beside Shen Yi, Wu Changkong, dressed in white with an icy expression, had appeared out of nowhere.
This scene startled everyone in Class Zero.
"Teacher Wu? I knew you used to be from Shrek Academy, but what a coincidence that you'd run into someone you know here!"
Xie Xie, being quick-witted, blurted out the question.
Wu Changkong ignored Xie Xie, only giving him a cold glance, his eyes seeming to say:
Mind your own business.
Shen Yi's gaze lingered on Wu Changkong for a moment, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
"It seems he's not alone now."
She then turned to Ye Xinglan, feeling somewhat helpless. Ye Xinglan was very talented, but her serious nature and her fanatical worship of Shrek Academy had given her a lot of headaches.
Shen Yi calmed himself down and said in a composed tone:
"There's nothing to be proud of just winning a regular season game. Besides, there are always people better than you, so never be arrogant."
"But teacher, they..." Ye Xinglan wanted to argue.
"No buts."
Shen Yi shook his head, turning his gaze to Yu Chen, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry and seriousness.
"In the world of Soul Masters, strength is paramount, and your current state is already beneath you. If you lack even this much self-control and continue to fuss over such trivial matters, then you truly do not deserve the name of Shrek Academy."
After saying that, Shen Yi stopped looking at Ye Xinglan's unconvinced expression, nodded to Wu Changkong in the distance, and then turned around and left with Xu Lizhi.
"I will be participating in the individual competition and the three-person team competition next. If you are not satisfied, then let's see who is better."
Before Ye Xinglan could reply, Yu Chen led the others away, leaving her standing there in a daze.
"Teacher Shen, is Xinglan really alright? Should we go and comfort her?"
Xu Lizhi and Shen Yi, who had just left, had seen everyone's actions from a distance.
"No need. Xinglan is too stubborn and arrogant. She's used to everything going smoothly. If she can overcome these setbacks on her own, it will greatly benefit her future cultivation."
……
the other side,
"I'm glad you weren't discouraged," Wu Changkong's voice came, startling the group.
Xie Xie, in particular, touched his heart and said:
"Teacher Wu, I almost forgot about you because you hadn't said anything. You suddenly opened your mouth and you almost scared me to death."
"Teacher Wu, do you think those people will discourage us?"
"I did have that idea at first, but it turns out I was wrong; I underestimated you."
Wu Changkong frankly expressed his thoughts.
"However, you must not be too arrogant because of this. Those people are just students from the outer court of Shrek Academy. Only those two two-ring Soul Masters are the seeds for the inner court of Shrek Academy."
The outer courtyard?
That incredibly powerful student is just from the outer academy, while that mentally unstable Ye Xinglan is actually a promising student from the inner academy. Is this the kind of strength gained by trading one's brains?
"Well, those two are quite good in the inner academy, but they're still far from being the top geniuses."
Seeing the strange expressions on their faces, Wu Changkong coughed lightly to bring them back to their senses and slowly spoke.
"And my expectation for you is to enter Shrek Academy's inner courtyard and fulfill the dream that I was unable to complete."
At this point, Wu Changkong's eyes were filled with complex emotions, and his expression was somewhat downcast.
Wu Changkong returned to the group and said a few words of encouragement, hoping that they would strive to enter Shrek Academy and fulfill his unfulfilled wish.
Then Wu Changkong told the group about tomorrow's competition, but he didn't tell them who their opponents would be in the draw.
Both individual and team competitions use an elimination format in the first round. Losing means being eliminated.
Both competitions will be held tomorrow, including the first round of the blacksmith competition.
Therefore, Yu Chen and Tang Wulin need to participate in three competitions at the same time.
Fortunately, the competition times were staggered and did not overlap; otherwise, it would have been really difficult to choose.
Wu Changkong didn't offer them any analysis or guidance; he simply told them to return to the hotel and prepare for the competition before leaving.
"Teacher Wu is such an irresponsible man!" Xie Xie couldn't help but mutter.
Gu Yue glanced at him. "Why didn't you say anything in front of him?"
Xu Xiaoyan was even more direct, "I'll tell Teacher Wu that you talked badly about him!"
Xie Xie retorted angrily, "How have I offended you? Am I your class enemy?"
Xu Xiaoyan hid behind Tang Wulin and giggled, "Who told you not to be as handsome as Teacher Wu, Brother Chen, and Wulin?"
As Xu Xiaoyan spoke, she counted on her fingers one by one, finally fixing her gaze on Xie Xie with a rather meaningful look...
Xie Xie scoffed dismissively, "My handsomeness will be understood by others in the future; you just don't get it."
"Let's go back. There's no point in getting guidance from Teacher Wu now."
"In the individual competition tomorrow morning, we can only rely on ourselves. Everyone should do their best. As for the team competition in the afternoon, we'll see how we perform then and then formulate a strategy."
Yu Chen said to the group, "You all put in a lot of sweat and effort in your cultivation. Keep up the good state and do your best tomorrow."