News from Shrek Academy, Heading to the Competition
Xie Xie's hopeful question hung in the common room air, shimmering with naive ambition. Before Yao Xuan could formulate a measured response, Xu Xiaoyan let out a soft, almost pitying laugh. She shook her head, her twin ponytails swaying.
"Xie Xie, stop dreaming," she said, her tone not unkind, but brutally pragmatic. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, her bright eyes serious. "Winning our little junior group championship? In the grand scheme of things, it's a pebble dropped in the ocean compared to Shrek Academy. They operate on a completely different celestial plane."
She glanced around, noting their focused attention. "My family has told me stories. In Shrek Academy, becoming a one-word battle armor master is the baseline expectation, not the pinnacle. They have an Inner and Outer Academy system. The Inner Academy… its student body never exceeds a hundred. A hundred." She let that number resonate. "And from that hundred, over half will ascend to Soul Douluo. The proportion that reach Title Douluo isn't just 'not low'—it's staggering. Nearly half the Title Douluo on the continent trace their lineage back to Shrek's halls."
Tang Wulin's eyes were wide, his earlier thoughts of prize money momentarily eclipsed by this grander vista. "That's… unbelievable."
"It's the truth," Xu Xiaoyan affirmed. "That's why the Sun Moon Federation's Prime Minister visits Shrek City in person, twice a year. It's a power that exists alongside nations, not within them." She sighed, a hint of her own longing bleeding through her practical exposition. "Our Tianhai Alliance tournament seems huge to us, but on the continental stage? It's respectable, but not prestigious. Our eastern region is rich, but our Soul Masters aren't known as the strongest. To even flicker on Shrek's radar, we'd need to win the entire Federation Grand Tournament. Not just our age group, but the whole thing."
The room fell into a contemplative silence. The sheer scale of the institution they aspired to was both daunting and electrifying.
Yao Xuan watched the reactions: Xie Xie's deflation, Tang Wulin's ignited curiosity, Xu Xiaoyan's wistful resolve. Gu Yue, as always, was unreadable, but her gaze was distant, analyzing the new data points on the power structures of the human world.
He broke the silence, not with grand rhetoric, but with grounded action. He stepped into the center of their loose circle and extended his right hand, palm down. "Then we use this tournament as our first, real step. Not toward their notice, but toward our own growth. One step at a time. Let's do our best."
Gu Yue moved first. Without a word, she placed her slender hand over his, her touch cool and sure. Then, with a fluid motion that was both inclusive and subtly proprietary, she reached out with her other hand, taking Xu Xiaoyan's wrist and gently pulling it to stack atop their own. It was a silent invitation, a bridge between her closed world and the team's.
Tang Wulin grinned, adding his calloused, forge-roughened hand. Xie Xie, his momentary discouragement forgotten in the face of shared resolve, slapped his hand on top with a dramatic flourish.
"For Class Zero!" Xie Xie declared.
"For the first step," Yao Xuan corrected softly, and they all raised their joined hands as one.
The next morning buzzed with organized chaos at Donghai City's central square. A fleet of sleek, opulent soul-guided buses gleamed under the rising sun, their humming cores a low bass note beneath the chatter of hundreds of students, teachers, and officials.
Clad in the crisp, navy-and-white uniforms of Donghai Academy, Yao Xuan and his team stood out not for their size, but for their focused cohesion amidst the older, more boisterous advanced students. Wu Changkong and Principal Long Hengxu stood at their head, islands of calm authority.
Yao Xuan's eyes scanned the crowd, picking out familiar faces. There was Xu Xiaoyu, Xu Xiaoyan's brother, already tall and looking every bit the elite senior. Beside him was Liu Yuxin, the graceful student who had welcomed them a year ago. Both were part of the youth division contingent.
"Xiaoyan!" Xu Xiaoyu spotted his sister and weaved through the crowd, his expression a mix of affection and teasing skepticism. "Don't tell me the academy is making your special class come along just for a field trip to watch?"
Xu Xiaoyan planted her hands on her hips. "It's not watching, brother. We're competing. Our class is in the junior three-person team event." She paused, then added with a flash of defiance, "And our goal is to win."
Xu Xiaoyu blinked, then let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Win? With you kids? Come on, Xiaoyan, be serious. The competition's fierce. Don't get your hopes too high."
"We'll see whose hopes need adjusting," she fired back, sticking her tongue out at him. "You should worry about your own team not crashing out in the prelims again!"
After a few more minutes of sibling bickering, they returned to their respective groups.
The dynamic shifted again when a vibrant, energetic voice cut through the ambient noise. "Yao Xuan! Over here!"
Mu Xi, dressed in practical travel clothes, her eyes bright with excitement, bounded over. Before Yao Xuan could offer a greeting, Gu Yue, who had been standing quietly beside him holding his hand, took a half-step forward. Her grip on Yao Xuan's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly. Her violet eyes, usually so deep and still, fixed on Mu Xi with the unwavering intensity of a guardian dragon assessing a potential intruder.
"Who are you?" Gu Yue's voice was cool, a layer of frost over the simple question.
Mu Xi skidded to a halt, her cheerful momentum arrested by the sudden, palpable wall of vigilance. She looked from Gu Yue's protective stance to their linked hands, and her surprise melted into amused delight. "Wow! Yao Xuan, you're full of surprises! So young and you've already got such a… fierce girlfriend?"
Yao Xuan felt a flush of warmth, not from embarrassment, but from the sheer, unvarnished truth of the statement. He squeezed Gu Yue's hand back, a silent 'thank you' for her instinctual defense, and met Mu Xi's gaze squarely. "Senior Sister Mu Xi, this is Gu Yue. My partner." He emphasized the word, letting it carry the weight of their shared destiny. "Gu Yue, this is Senior Sister Mu Xi, my fellow apprentice in forging under Master Mu Chen."
Mu Xi's amusement softened into a warmer, more respectful smile. "Alright, alright. Kids these days." She shook her head, then her curiosity returned. "So you're really here to compete? The Soul Master tournament?"
"We are," Yao Xuan confirmed, his voice firming with pride as he glanced at his team. "Our entire class is participating in the junior team event."
"Just you five?" Mu Xi couldn't keep the surprise from her voice. She knew Yao Xuan was a forging prodigy, and Gu Yue seemed intense, but they were so young.
"Just us five," Yao Xuan said, and this time, it was Gu Yue who spoke, her voice clear and absolute, cutting through any lingering doubt.
"Our goal is the championship."
The declaration hung in the air between them, simple, audacious, and utterly sincere. Mu Xi looked from Yao Xuan's determined face to Gu Yue's unshakeable calm, and for the first time, she saw not just children, but contenders. Her teasing smile faded, replaced by a slow, impressed nod.
Just then, a sharp whistle blew. Wu Changkong's voice carried over the square. "Board! Team one, advanced division, buses one through five! Junior division, follow me!"
The moment broke. With a final, acknowledging look at Mu Xi, Yao Xuan turned, his hand still securely in Gu Yue's, and led Class Zero toward their future.