Chapter 82: The Gloom of Shrek

Chapter 82: The Gloom of Shrek

Early in the morning, Huo Yuhao dragged a bewildered Wang Dong to the hotel's rooftop terrace. There, besides Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, the other five members had already gathered.

"Caimei, does this thing even work? I can't see clearly!" Xu Sanshi complained while handling a square metal box, trying to view the Soul Battle Arena through it.

"It should work; theoretically, my soul guide telescope can see things clearly within five kilometers," He Caitou explained earnestly.

Bei Bei was also using one, intently watching the competition in the Soul Battle Arena. It was clear enough, just a bit inconvenient.

"You all knew?" Wang Dong was stunned.

"Yes, although Teacher Wang Yan is more professional in teaching, he clearly lacks skills in deception," Bei Bei said with a gentle smile, lifting his soul guide telescope.

"So you all knew that Teacher Wang Yan deliberately kept us from watching the matches, and I was the only one in the dark?" Wang Dong asked with a frown.

"Me too, I didn't know either. I was dragged up here by Nan Nan," Xiao Xiao raised her hand, sounding a bit embarrassed.

Huo Yuhao didn't say much, walked over to He Caitou, picked up a soul guide telescope, and started watching alongside Bei Bei.

"It doesn't matter if you can't figure it out; Huo Yuhao did, right? He would definitely bring you along," Bei Bei reassured.

Wang Dong rolled his eyes, feeling helpless.

The soul guide telescopes, crafted by He Caitou, were limited in number—only four were made, not enough for the seven reserve members, so they took turns watching the matches.

Until the afternoon's match between Di'ao Academy and Fancypants Advanced Soul Master Academy.

"What the—!"

"Damn!"

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, who were lying on the ground watching, suddenly jumped up, shock written all over their faces—even Bei Bei's usually calm demeanor was shaken.

Jiang Nannan and He Caitou also looked uneasy.

Only Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao were clueless, somewhat at a loss.

"What happened?" Huo Yuhao asked, puzzled.

"See for yourself." Bei Bei sighed and handed the soul guide telescope to Huo Yuhao.

Bewildered, Huo Yuhao took the telescope and looked towards the Soul Battle Arena. The entire arena was engulfed in lightning, instantly annihilating the seven members of the Fancypants team. As the lightning gradually faded, the figure who released it was revealed.

Du Qianjue!

"One, two… five… seven…!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed in shock.

"A Soul Saint! Are those hundred-thousand-year soul rings?!"

"What?!" Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's eyes widened in disbelief.

But by the time they got their hands on the telescope, Du Qianjue had already withdrawn his soul rings and stepped down from the arena.

"Why is there nothing?" Wang Dong frowned.

"He wiped them out in a second; why would he stay on the stage?" Xu Sanshi chuckled bitterly.

"That person… it seems he's the one Huo Yuhao mentioned, the one he met in the Star Dou Forest," Bei Bei mused, hand on his chin, frowning.

"Yes, that's him, I remember," Jiang Nannan confirmed.

"I didn't realize he was a Soul Saint."

"He's too strong. No wonder Teacher Wang didn't want us to watch the match. He was afraid it would crush our spirits!" Bei Bei rubbed his temples, clearly distressed.

Although they were reluctant to admit it, Wang Yan's approach wasn't entirely without reason. Before seeing the match, the reserve team members thought the strongest opponents they would face were merely Soul Kings, which was indeed true—until Di'ao Academy entered the scene. Du Qianjue's seven soul rings loomed like a mountain over them, casting a shadow on their hearts.

How could they fight this?

Even the main team members weren't confident about confronting Du Qianjue, let alone the seven reserve members, including Xiao Xiao, who was only a great Soul Master.

"I thought he might be strong, but not this strong," Huo Yuhao admitted with a wry smile.

"Alright, let's not get too discouraged," Bei Bei said after a pause, his gentle smile returning. "Don't worry too much. We, Shrek Academy, were last year's champions, and Di'ao Academy was one of the top four. According to the rules, we won't face them until the top sixteen."

"In a few days, Dai's and the others' injuries will have healed, and we'll also have Soul Kings and Emperors. We might not be unable to defeat Di'ao Academy! So our current goal is to keep our spirits up and fight to win, until our seniors are back in form!"

"If you're going to do it, I'll join you," Xu Sanshi said, looking deeply at Bei Bei.

"Get lost!" Bei Bei shuddered in disgust.

Nantong is really too frightening!

The others laughed at the pair's antics, even Jiang Nannan couldn't help but chuckle.

Regardless, under Bei Bei's encouragement and Xu Sanshi's comic relief, the reserve team members managed to regain some confidence.

However, the terrifying strength of Du Qianjue still weighed heavily on their minds, like a mountain pressing down on their hearts.