Chapter 310: Awe-Inspiring! 

Monster Academy's match was scheduled before Shrek Academy's, and soon it was their turn to take the stage.

Among the seven students who stepped onto the platform, Long Yue was not present. He stood steadily below the stage like an immovable pillar, his presence causing the aura of the seven on stage to surge dramatically.

It was a completely one-sided match. The Monster Academy team and their opponents were not on the same level at all. In just one exchange, the opposing team was utterly crushed, unable to put up any resistance.

Jing Shaoyu and his six companions watched the match from start to finish.

"Five Soul Kings and one Soul Grandmaster—they're really strong!" Mo Hentian exclaimed with admiration.

"Well, they are an academy modeled after ours, so it makes sense they'd have students of this caliber," Ye Xinglan said, her expression serious. "Objectively speaking, all of them have the qualifications to enter the Inner Academy."

"True," Na'er mused, her eyes thoughtful. "Even that Dai Yuner displayed talent surpassing the vast majority of students in our Outer Academy."

Though Dai Yuner was only a four-ringed Soul Grandmaster, she was around the same age as them—about fifteen years old—yet her Soul Ring configuration was astonishingly three purple and one black. Judging by the current quality of first-year students at Shrek Academy, apart from the seven of them, no one could match Dai Yuner.

Aside from Dai Yuner, the other six Soul Kings also had impressive Soul Ring configurations. Though three of them had all-purple rings, this wasn't an issue for geniuses like them. It was understandable—they likely did so to reduce the burden on their mental power.

The remaining three had a mix of purple and black rings, and relatively speaking, these three were even stronger.

Add to that Long Yue, who hadn't taken the stage but was the team's leader, and this Monster Academy team was truly formidable. Could Shrek Academy currently field a team of the same age that could rival them?

Jing Shaoyu was skeptical.

"What is Shrek Academy's motto?" A cold voice suddenly spoke beside them.

They turned to see Wu Zhangkong, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, standing behind them with a solemn expression as he spoke to himself.

"It is to create miracles!"

They exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat speechless.

"Teacher Wu, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? It's so awkward," Xu Xiaoyan said.

"Uh—" Wu Zhangkong's expression froze, his dignified demeanor cracking slightly, but he still tried to maintain it. "I'm encouraging you. Can't you tell?"

"Why?" Wu Siduo asked. "Do you think we'd be intimidated by Monster Academy's strength and become afraid?"

Jing Shaoyu looked at the flustered Wu Zhangkong and smiled. "Teacher Wu, you're worrying too much! Although Monster Academy's average Soul Power level is higher than ours, strength isn't determined by Soul Power alone. Their Soul Ring configurations are clearly inferior to ours, so without actually fighting them, it's hard to say who's stronger overall."

"...It seems I overthought it," Wu Zhangkong conceded.

He said no more, simply standing there with his eyes closed, seemingly at rest. Yet inwardly, he was far from calm. His attention remained fixed on Long Yue, from whom he sensed an aura akin to that of a Ferocious Beast. To his shock, Wu Zhangkong realized that in a one-on-one fight, he might not have the confidence to defeat this young man!

Wu Zhangkong suddenly became aware that he had truly been idle for too long. Now, even when facing a junior, he found himself hesitating.

Jing Shaoyu paid no mind to Wu Zhangkong, merely watching the arena with a faint smile.

At that moment, the Monster Academy team, clad in red combat attire, returned from the arena to the waiting area. Surrounded by numerous competitors, they strode straight through the waiting zone. Long Yue still led the group, and as soon as he entered, his gaze locked onto Jing Shaoyu. A smile appeared on his resolute face, brimming with fervent battle intent.

Dai Yuner walked beside Long Yue as usual, perhaps emboldened by his presence. She seemed particularly arrogant, even going so far as to make a provocative gesture toward Jing Shaoyu.

Jing Shaoyu chose to ignore her, nodding slightly at Long Yue instead.

The Monster Academy team soon dispersed into smaller groups after leaving the waiting area. Dai Yuner tugged Long Yue toward the VIP seating, intending to stay and watch Jing Shaoyu's match. Though she had specifically reviewed the records of his individual matches, the footage showed nothing but white mist, leaving her still clueless about his Martial Soul and true strength.

The VIP section had seats reserved for the Monster Academy team. By the time Dai Yuner and Long Yue arrived, Dai Yueyan and a handsome, mild-mannered young man named Su Mu were already seated there.

"Fourth Brother, Brother Su Mu, you're so quick!" Dai Yuner chirped playfully as she took a seat beside Dai Yueyan, grinning.

"Brother Long, you've arrived," Dai Yueyan greeted, nodding at Dai Yuner before addressing Long Yue.

"Yuner wanted to watch the match, and I'm also quite interested in that Jing Shaoyu, so we came together," Long Yue explained.

"Brother Long, what do you make of Jing Shaoyu's strength?" Dai Yueyan asked, his thoughts drifting to the extraordinarily handsome youth.

"I can't see through him, but he's at least a Soul King!" Long Yue's eyes flashed with a hint of madness. "I can't wait to fight him. I have a feeling he'll give me the thrill I've been craving!"

Hearing this, Dai Yueyan and Su Mu exchanged glances, their bodies involuntarily trembling before they both shook their heads. They couldn't afford to dwell on it—both had once been Long Yue's opponents, and regrettably, neither had managed to satisfy his thirst for battle.

"Look, Jing Shaoyu and his team are taking the stage!" Dai Yuner suddenly exclaimed excitedly.

Her shout not only drew the attention of Long Yue, Dai Yueyan, and Su Mu to the arena below but also caused others in the VIP section to look over, including Star Luo Emperor Dai Tianling and the high-ranking officials of Monster Academy beside him.

This was the first time the Shrek Academy team had appeared on the Star Luo Continent, and naturally, no one wanted to miss it.

In the Star Luo Grand Stadium, five team battle platforms were arranged in a row. On the central platform stood Jing Shaoyu and his six teammates, dressed in Shrek Academy's deep green uniforms, facing off against a team clad in yellow combat attire.

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With the referee's command, Jing Shaoyu and his six teammates instantly erupted with tremendous energy and momentum. In the blink of an eye, only seven people remained on the stage.

The match ended as soon as it began—so quickly that the referee hadn't even landed yet.

By the time the audience realized what had happened, Jing Shaoyu had already led his team off the stage and into the waiting area.

"Big Brother Long, did you see that clearly?" Dai Yuner asked dazedly from the VIP seats.

"Yes," Long Yue nodded, his expression grave but his eyes burning with increasing fervor. "I wasn't mistaken—a Soul King!"

"Which academy were they from? How could they be so useless? Couldn't they have lasted a bit longer? How infuriating!" Dai Yuner snapped after regaining her composure. "Fourth Brother, shut that academy down! They're an embarrassment to our empire!"

"Yuner, don't be unreasonable!" Dai Yueyan couldn't possibly agree. Frowning, he said, "It's not that they were weak—it's that the Shrek team was too strong!"

"What's so strong about them? Just one Soul King!" Dai Yuner stubbornly retorted. "They're far inferior to us!"

"Twenty-nine ten-thousand-year Soul Rings... My heavens, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it," Su Mu exclaimed in awe.

"Six Soul Grandmasters and one Soul King—the strength of these Shrek students truly shouldn't be underestimated!" Dai Tianling, seated at the center of the VIP area, also marveled. "Each of them has a full set of ten-thousand-year Soul Rings. Individually, it might not seem like much, but together, it's truly spectacular. I'm beginning to understand why people on the Douluo Continent favor team battles so much."

"Your Majesty, while full ten-thousand-year Soul Rings may be astonishing, overall strength is what truly matters," an elder beside him remarked. "The existence of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda and Soul Spirits has significantly reduced the impact of Soul Rings on a Soul Master's power. If we wished, our academy could achieve the same.

I suspect they obtained their full ten-thousand-year Soul Rings through the Spirit Ascension Platform of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, given the close relationship between the Pagoda and Shrek Academy."

"While that may be true, we must still take them seriously," Dai Tianling nodded in agreement. "One match doesn't prove anything. We must carefully observe every subsequent match of these Shrek students—they will undoubtedly be Monster Academy's strongest opponents."

"As you command, Your Majesty," the elder bowed.