In truth, it had already started earlier than that moment.
The instant Xuan Zi finally recognized Liu Yuan—and confirmed that the boy he had personally expelled from Shrek Academy was in fact the "peerless genius" he had later gone to such lengths to recruit—
Xuan Zi already knew he had been wrong.
But—
Xuan Zi was no ordinary man.
He was an elder of Shrek Academy, a member of the Sea God Pavilion, and a Level 98 Super Douluo.
A man who valued his reputation above all else, who cherished his honor even more than his own life, could never accept such a reality—
That he himself was a blind, foolish old man.
To swallow his pride and admit his mistake in public?
To lower his head and apologize to a junior he regarded as an ant?
To even admit that Shrek's educational philosophy might be flawed?
Absolutely impossible.
Even with the truth laid bare before his eyes, he would only choose selective blindness.
That was why, whenever Liu Yuan was involved, Xuan Zi seemed to fall into a state of extreme agitation.
Like a cat whose sore spot had been stepped on.
Like a clown whose lie had been exposed.
He desperately needed some other way to cover up his past mistakes—to prove that he was still right.
That was why he was so unhinged right now.
---
"Elder Xuan?"
Standing nearby, Ma Xiaotao sensed the violent and unstable fluctuations of soul power radiating from Xuan Zi. She leaned closer, her voice low with concern.
"Are you… alright?"
The other Inner Court disciples also cast worried glances in his direction.
Hearing Ma Xiaotao's voice, Xuan Zi shuddered. The crimson in his eyes faded slightly.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to look inscrutable, then waved his hand dismissively.
"It's nothing. What could possibly be wrong with this old man?"
"I just find it a bit of an eyesore to see some clowns jumping around on stage."
As he spoke, a glimmer flickered in his cloudy eyes, as if he had suddenly thought of something. His tone abruptly turned serious.
"Xiao Tao. Yueheng. Listen carefully."
"You all saw the Sun Moon Royal team's match just now. Those ignorant spectators were fooled by a couple of flashy soul-guided beams and actually cheered that loudly."
"This is nothing short of a provocation against Shrek Academy's honor!"
Xuan Zi snorted coldly, his voice carrying an unquestionable air of dominance.
"So I want you to do this: in your upcoming matches, don't rush to end things."
"Show your strength. Show your soul skills, your teamwork, the true style of Shrek Academy's elites!"
"Even if it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, make it spectacular!"
"Let the entire audience—let all the academies—see clearly who is truly number one on the continent, and what a real powerhouse looks like!"
Xuan Zi laid his intentions bare.
Since Liu Yuan won applause by being "fast," then Shrek would take it back by being "flashy."
Upon hearing his words, Ma Xiaotao's phoenix-like eyes instantly burned with excitement.
"No problem, Elder Xuan!"
She had always been fiery and straightforward—this kind of order suited her perfectly.
"It should've been done long ago! I'll let them know that in front of my Evil Fire, those soul tools are nothing but scrap metal!"
Dai Yueheng's lips curled into a proud smile as well.
"Rest assured, Elder Xuan. We'll show those bumpkins what real strength is."
For these Inner Court elites, hiding one's strength was something only the weak needed to do.
The strong were meant to shine.
---
However.
Just as everyone was fired up and ready to fight, a slightly weak yet rational voice spoke up at the worst possible moment.
"Um… Elder Xuan."
Standing at the back of the line, Huo Yuhao hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
"Isn't this… not a very good idea?"
Swish—
All eyes immediately turned toward him.
Under everyone's gaze, Huo Yuhao forced himself to continue.
"This is still the knockout stage, and there's a round-robin phase afterward."
"If we reveal all our soul skills and strength without reservation now, wouldn't that be exposing our trump cards too early…?"
"If the Sun Moon Royal team—or other strong teams—study us carefully, we might end up at a disadvantage later…"
Before he could finish—
"Shut up!"
Xuan Zi snapped his head around. The impatience and anger that had just subsided instantly surged back into his eyes.
He was already suffocating with frustration, and now this little Huo Yuhao dared to question his decision in public?
"Huo Yuhao, know your place!"
Xuan Zi pointed straight at Huo Yuhao's nose, scolding him mercilessly.
"You're just a reserve member! Who gave you the right to speak here?"
"I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! You think you're qualified to teach me how to fight a match?"
Spittle flew as he spoke, all the humiliation he had suffered at Liu Yuan's hands vented directly onto Huo Yuhao.
"Just do your job properly! Don't forget—I'm the one in charge here!"
Huo Yuhao's face turned deathly pale from the scolding. He lowered his head, gripping the hem of his clothes tightly with both hands.
He felt wronged. Angry. He knew very well that Xuan Zi's approach was a major strategic taboo.
But under Xuan Zi's overwhelming soul power and authority, he had no choice.
"…Yes, Elder Xuan. I understand."
---
On the other side.
Inside the rest area of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
The atmosphere was calm and relaxed.
After returning, Liu Yuan didn't join the others in celebration. Instead, he walked straight toward Jing Hongchen, who was seated toward the back.
"Dean, may I speak with you in private?"
"What is it, Xiaoyuan?" Jing Hongchen asked with a smile. "Does Grandpa need to help you with something?"
Liu Yuan glanced around, then lowered his voice.
"Do you have a long-distance, high-definition recording soul tool?"
"A recording soul tool?" Jing Hongchen paused, surprised. "Of course I do. But… what do you need it for?"
Liu Yuan shook his head slightly, a knowing smile appearing on his lips.
"To deal with Shrek."
"Shrek?" Jing Hongchen was even more puzzled.
Liu Yuan looked toward the distant arena, his voice calm and steady.
"Based on my understanding of that old man Xuan Zi…"
"We stole their spotlight in the opening match and took away the cheers. They definitely won't be able to tolerate that."
"That man is extremely proud and stubborn. To regain face and outdo us, they won't end their next match quickly and cleanly."
A glint of wisdom flashed in Liu Yuan's eyes.
"They'll showcase their core strength without restraint—maybe even exaggerate it—to draw attention and prove they're the 'number one on the continent.'"
He turned to Jing Hongchen and smiled.
"So I want you to take this chance to record everything in detail."
"We have a few days off. We can use that time at the hotel to thoroughly study Shrek."
"Then we'll design soul tools specifically tailored to counter their weaknesses."
After hearing this, Jing Hongchen's eyes widened. Then he slapped his thigh hard.
"Brilliant!"
He looked at Liu Yuan with unconcealed admiration.
"Alright! Leave it to me!"
Without hesitation, Jing Hongchen took out a sophisticated high-level recording soul tool from his storage soul tool and began adjusting it.
All that remained now was to wait.
---
Soon, several more matches came and went.
Though they were intense, the audience's reaction was lukewarm—Sun Moon Royal's opening performance had raised expectations too high.
Finally—
"Next match: Shrek Academy versus Yunluo Advanced Soul Master Academy!"
As the referee's voice rang out, the cheers in the stadium surged once more.
"Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!"
Amid the deafening roar, Ma Xiaotao led the Shrek team onto the arena, heads held high.
Just as Liu Yuan had predicted.
From the very start, Shrek showed absolutely no mercy.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng didn't bother probing at all. They immediately unleashed their most dazzling, soul-power-draining—but visually stunning—large-scale soul skills.
Fiery meteors and White Tiger light waves rained down mercilessly on their unfortunate opponents.
Not only that, the other team members also showed off freely. Even when the enemy was already completely helpless, they still added extra flashy soul skills, striking dramatic poses afterward.
The entire arena instantly turned into a personal exhibition for Shrek Academy.
The audience was ecstatic, cheers rising wave after wave.
Listening to the thunderous applause and watching his disciples display their "divine might," Xuan Zi finally smiled in satisfaction. He stroked his beard and nodded.
"That's right. This is the spirit of Shrek Academy."
---
What he didn't know—
Was that in a corner of Sun Moon Royal's rest area,
Jing Hongchen had already set up that high-level recording soul tool, its lens steadily fixed on the arena, capturing every single detail without missing a thing.
Watching the Shrek students unleash their soul skills without restraint through the device's image, Jing Hongchen couldn't help but shake his head. A mocking smile crept onto his lips.
"That idiot Xuan Zi… he really got played by Xiaoyuan."
"Good thing Xiaoyuan is on our side."
"Otherwise… just thinking about facing an opponent like that would send chills down my spine."