Shrek Academy, Dean's Office.
"Sigh, Fatty and Xiaogang went to Spirit Hall and never came back. Now, among the little monsters, only Dai Mubai and Oscar are left. Relying on just the two of them, I'm afraid it will be difficult to even pass the preliminaries," Flander said with a worried expression.
With the tournament imminent, Shrek Academy had inherited the qualification to participate from Blue Tyrant Academy (after Liu Erlong graciously handed it over), so naturally, they needed to form a team of at least seven people.
Although gathering seven people was not difficult given the student body, the original students of Blue Tyrant Academy didn't include any particularly outstanding geniuses, and the team formed on the spot lacked deep teamwork with the Original Shrek Duo.
Even without considering these factors, Dai Mubai alone as the main attacker was obviously not enough to carry the entire team, and it would be difficult to stand out in the brutally competitive Heaven Dou City preliminaries.
In addition, although Oscar has cultivated to level thirty-five, his third soul skill can only be used under specific circumstances, otherwise it will only harm himself and others.
Seeing Flander's exhausted appearance, Zhao Wuji, who was standing to the side, spoke up.
"Boss, I think there are still a few strong students in the academy from the Blue Tyrant batch. Add Mubai and Xiao Ao, and we might be able to compete with other advanced academies if we strategize well."
Hearing Zhao Wuji's words, Flander perked up a bit.
After all, this was the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, held only once every five years, and Shrek Academy absolutely couldn't miss it if they wanted to build a reputation.
Back then, he had to leave his hometown for the future of his little monsters. Now, although he had brought Shrek Academy to prominence by securing a new campus, only two of the original "Shrek Five Devils" remained. Truly, life was unpredictable.
Thinking back, it was Yu Xiaogang who had encouraged him to come to Heaven Dou City, but that guy himself took his disciples to Spirit Hall to enjoy themselves and vanished.
"Dean, in my opinion, this year's tournament should be about participation and experience, not about winning or losing."
After a pause, Qin Ming turned to Dai Mubai and Oscar, continuing, "After all, Mubai and Oscar are still young. They can definitely participate in the next competition in five years. By then, Shrek Academy will surely make it to the finals."
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up, and he immediately chimed in, "Boss, Qin Ming is right! In five years, Mubai will definitely be able to cultivate to at least the Soul King level, and then almost no one will be his match."
Hearing this, a glint of hope flashed in Flander's eyes, but it quickly died down.
He looked up at Dai Mubai, a hint of pity and sympathy in his eyes.
He had heard of the Star Luo Royal Family's cruel competition methods. As the third prince, Dai Mubai would most likely have failed in the competition for the throne by then; how could he possibly participate in the next Soul Master Competition in five years? He might not even be alive.
At this moment, Dai Mubai's face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water, and his clenched fists revealed his inner turmoil.
Although he had already cultivated to the Soul Ancestor level, he was far behind his elder brother, Davis, and the age difference made him avoid the direct competition for the throne for now.
More than half a year ago, if he had successfully become a disciple of that Super Douluo, Xiong Jun, he would still have had a chance to contend with his elder brother.
However, since that Super Douluo left to chase a target, he had never returned to Shrek Academy, and he had even left Dai Mubai with a body full of injuries before leaving.
After a while, Dai Mubai stepped forward, his eyes flashing with a do-or-die determination. He said in a heavy tone, "Even if I have to fight with everything I have, I will lead the team to the finals this time!"
This Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was his only chance to prove himself. If he could lead the team to the finals and gain attention, he might still have the qualifications to recruit support and compete with Davis.
Realizing that his deadline was approaching, Dai Mubai began to regret neglecting his cultivation in the past for playboy antics. If he had devoted himself to cultivation like Tang San, he would now have at least Level 45 soul power and wouldn't be so desperate.
Two Days Later.
The preliminary rounds began as scheduled.
The preliminary rounds were divided into multiple regions across the continent. Lin Mu participated in the opening ceremony of the Heaven Dou City region as a guest of honor, and the competition venue was the magnificent Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
That morning, Lin Mu arrived at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena alone. Since it was still early, the opening ceremony had not yet started.
Suddenly, a gentle voice came from not far away.
"Brother Lin, Father is waiting for you in the VIP section. Come with me quickly."
The person who came was Xue Qinghe (Qian Renxue). He walked toward Lin Mu, grabbed his hand, and pulled him inside without saying a word.
"Your Highness, men shouldn't touch each other like this in public. We should keep our distance."
Before he finished speaking, Lin Mu broke free from Xue Qinghe's hand.
Although he knew that Xue Qinghe was Qian Renxue in disguise and had been intimate with her many times, it didn't mean he wanted to be too close to her while she was in her male disguise. It felt weird.
At this moment, Xue Qinghe realized that she was still in disguise and it was indeed not appropriate for her to be too clingy with Lin Mu in public.
Even so, a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes.
'This guy is so cold to me today. We were at the peak of passion just last night, and the next day he's treating me like a stranger?'
So, she secretly made up her mind that next time she would make Lin Mu pay the price in the bedroom.
"Lead the way quickly!"
Urged by Lin Mu, Xue Qinghe finally snapped out of her daze, gave Lin Mu a reproachful glare that looked odd on a man's face, and turned to walk inside.
Lin Mu simply shrugged and followed closely behind.
Led by Xue Qinghe, the two quickly arrived at the main arena, which had enough seats to accommodate 80,000 spectators.
Passing through a dedicated VIP passage, they finally reached the Imperial Box.
At a glance, Lin Mu immediately spotted several familiar faces: Ning Fengzhi, Prince Xue Xing, and the Three Educational Board Members.
The next moment, Lin Mu's gaze shifted to the elderly man in the center of the first row.
Dressed in a golden-red robe and wearing a golden diamond crown, his face was as round as the moon. He appeared slightly older than Prince Xue Xing, and there was a resemblance in their features. However, in terms of temperament and regal bearing, Prince Xue Xing was far inferior to this man.
Without a doubt, this elderly man was Emperor Xue Ye!
"Father, this is Lin Mu, the leader of the Royal Fighting Team, and also my close friend."
Xue Qinghe stepped forward and bowed to Emperor Xue Ye, her tone filled with pride, as if she had already brought Lin Mu under her wing.
Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye immediately stood up from his seat, a rare honor, and solemnly said, "Teacher Lin Mu, as the most outstanding young powerhouse on the entire continent, your participation in this opening ceremony will surely inspire the contestants of all the teams."
"Your Majesty flatters me."
Faced with Emperor Xue Ye's high praise, Lin Mu remained unmoved, his face calm and composed.
Seeing Lin Mu's indifferent reaction, a hint of helplessness flashed in Emperor Xue Ye's eyes. He shifted his gaze to Xue Qinghe beside him and instructed:
"Qinghe, during this competition, your main responsibility is to accompany Teacher Lin Mu and try your best to fulfill all his reasonable requests."
"Yes, Father!"
Xue Qinghe quickly bowed in agreement, a sly glint in her eyes. 'If Emperor Xue Ye believes that only I can win over Lin Mu, he will surely pass the throne to me to secure that alliance.'
At that time, she would conquer the Heaven Dou Empire without losing a single soldier.