Book 10: Shrek’s Seven Monsters
Chapter 63.1: The Preparatory Team
After hearing the words 'Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy' Xu Sanshi blurted out, "Elder Xuan, are you saying that you'll let us participate in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament?"
Elder Xuan snorted. "Will you be able to win even if I let you go? The age limit for the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is twenty years. You have the qualifications to participate this time but today's qualification match was used to select a preparatory team. Our preparatory team has always been chosen before the Shrek's Seven Monsters go out to compete in the main competition."
Right! The main requirement for the qualification match held today was that participants needed to be under fifteen. They finally understood why this was the case now; the age requirement was there to ensure that they wouldn't turn twenty in five years, allowing them to participate in the next Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.
Elder Xuan said, "I've chosen you lot for two reasons. Firstly, to be the preparatory team, and secondly, to be the main team's substitutes. Realistically, there's an extremely miniscule chance of you actually going out to fight, but as substitutes, you will have the qualifications to watch the matches from the front row. This will be an extremely precious experience for you. However, this qualification match doesn't decide everything. You will be examined continuously over the next five years and will only be allowed to represent the school if you're strong enough. In the meantime, you'll have to go through many tests. Thus, if you want to truly represent the school, you have to first ensure that you can enter the inner courtyard."
Although Elder Xuan had given them many restrictions, the seven of them were still overjoyed. Representing Shrek Academy to go out and fight as the new generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters was undoubtedly the highest honor they could obtain in the academy!
Before today, none of them would've expected that this seemingly simple qualification match would be the deciding factor for such an important event.
Elder Xuan said, "The fact that you lot are the preparatory team is a secret within the academy. Hence you're not allowed to reveal it to anyone or else you'll be stripped of your privileges. From now on, you'll train with me once a week. We're still one month away from the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament so in the meantime I'll bring you along to train with the current Seven Monsters. I hope that you'll seize this precious opportunity to strengthen yourselves as much as possible. Okay, all of you can go now. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, you two stay behind for a minute."
"Yes." Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had excited looks in their eyes. After all, it was public knowledge that among these seven students, the ones who were most unconforming with the requirements needed to become a member of the Seven Monsters were the two of them and Xiao Xiao due to their young age. Even five years later they would only be seventeen years old. At the very most, they would've just entered the inner courtyard. Under the age of twenty, a difference of three years in cultivation was an enormous gap. However, Elder Xuan had already decided to temporarily allow them to enter the preparatory team. This meant that, at least for the time being, their position in the team was relatively stable and they could even receive personal pointers from Elder Xuan. From the terrifying amount of strength that he had released in mid-air, how could they not see how powerful this seemingly sloppy teacher was?
After Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the rest left, Elder Xuan waved towards Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who quickly ran up to him.
"Your performance today has stunned me. If I had to choose the most outstanding participants in today's match, I wouldn't choose Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, or He Caitou but the two of you. Your fusion skill is miraculous but it has a large drawback to it. It's extreme strength is limited by its glaring flaw, the fact that it can only attack in a straight line. If your opponents are able to dodge it in time, you'll have wasted an enormous amount of soul power for nothing. Because of that, however, you managed to give me an even bigger surprise. I care not about the strength of your skill, but rather, about the perfect timing you displayed. Tell me, was the fact that they were lined up together all due to luck or was it because everything was within your control? If it was in your control, how did you successfully coordinate it with your other teammates?"
Huo Yuhao wanted to be modest but Wang Dong spoke out, "Elder Xuan, he's the one who planned and controlled everything during the battle. Ask him." Wang Dong 'sold' Huo Yuhao out in a seemingly unloyal manner.
Elder Xuan lifted the disheveled hair in front of his forehead and revealed a pair of pitch-black eyes that were completely inconsistent with his age, "Tell me, Huo Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao was somewhat bashful. "It's nothing really, Elder Xuan. You'll understand everything once I let you try it out." With that, he released his Spiritual Detection Sharing and expanded its range out to the maximum limit.
Elder Xuan was slightly stunned when he initially received the spiritual undulations that Huo Yuhao had transmitted to him and instinctively resisted them, causing a large burst of spiritual force to block Huo Yuhao's skill. However, he quickly realised what Huo Yuhao was trying to do, and hence hurriedly controlled the spiritual power he'd instinctively released. It was only then that was he able to truly sense Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection.
Though Elder Xuan was already aware that Huo Yuhao was a spiritual-type soul master, he also knew that his first soul ring was only a ten year one. Because of this, he'd never paid much attention to him. It was only when Huo Yuhao obtained an Ultimate martial soul that he started to pay attention to him.
One of the most important reason why the second year core disciples had been allowed to participate in today's qualification match was because of Huo Yuhao, who possessed an Ultimate martial soul. A soul master who possessed an Ultimate martial soul couldn't be viewed on the same level as an ordinary soul master. After all, the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department had even caused a ruckus during the conference held within the Sea God's Pavilion for his sake. From that moment onwards, it was practically guaranteed that Huo Yuhao would have a place among the new generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters. He just didn't know it yet.
As an elder of the Martial Soul Department, Elder Xuan naturally wouldn't have an absolute trust in Huo Yuhao solely based on the conference held within the Sea God's Pavilion. This qualification match was a way for him to judge what level of strength the latter had reached with his current cultivation.
In reality, Elder Xuan had never expected that he would be able to see Huo Yuhao distinguish himself in this qualification match. After all, he could make this qualification match redundant with just one word.
However, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had given him an enormous surprise. When he personally experienced the vast area that the former's Spiritual Detection enveloped, he was stunned. A mere second year student from the outer courtyard had managed to stun him.
When he looked back at Huo Yuhao, Elder Xuan's gaze completely changed. His originally apathetic gaze had become fiery and passionate, while his previously sentimental gaze was now full of astonishment.