Shrek City, East Gate.
Fourteen teenagers gathered together, and standing in front of them was a disheveled old man.
"Children, would you like to join the Shrek Academy Oversight Committee and share the mission of Shrek Academy?"
The old man's voice was loud and clear, and his tone was serious.
This person was none other than Xuanzi.
The boys and girls in front of him were the current Shrek Seven Devils and the reserve team for the next generation of Shrek Seven Devils.
"We are willing!"
As Xuanzi finished speaking, the seven people, led by Beibei, responded in unison.
Seeing this, Xuanzi was very pleased. He glanced at Beibei and the others, and finally his gaze fell on Huo Yuhao.
He never expected that this seemingly unremarkable child would actually possess a hidden twin martial soul.
Moreover, the second martial soul is the Ice Wolf, which possesses pseudo-ultimate ice attributes.
If properly nurtured in the future, he might just be able to advance to the level of true ultimate ice.
Thinking of this, Xuanzi's mood improved considerably.
Without further ado, he waved his hand and turned around, saying, "Alright, I'll give you little guys a surveillance mission: go and take care of the evil soul master strongholds in the Mingdou Mountains."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and walked forward.
Seeing this, Beibei and the others naturally had no questions and followed suit.
But among this group of spirited young men and women, Ling Luochen stood out as an oddball.
She always stayed quietly by herself in a corner, and might have said a few words during training in the past.
But for some reason, in the days leading up to her departure, she stopped communicating with anyone.
Ma Xiaotao and the others didn't ask any further questions, all feeling that Ling Luochen might have something he wasn't telling them.
And the facts proved them right.
Because the night before she left, Jiang Li talked to her for a few minutes.
From then on, Ling Luochen completely shut himself off.
My thoughts returned to the present.
At the east gate of Shrek City, Xuanzi stepped out first, followed closely by fourteen young figures.
The contemporary Shrek Seven Devils: Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Xixi, Yao Haoxuan, and Gongyang Mo.
In addition, the reserve team includes Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Ning Tian.
The group was imposing and attracted frequent glances from passersby, even as they walked down the street.
The Shrek Academy Inspection Team is a special team within the academy responsible for eliminating evil spirit masters across the continent and "protecting" the peace of the continent. Those who can join are the most outstanding young generation of Shrek Academy.
The group moved at a very fast pace, with Xuanzi at the very front. He didn't use any soul skills, but simply took steps, which forced the group of young men and women behind him to quicken their pace to keep up.
The group left Shrek City and sped towards the border of the Star Luo Empire.
The Mingdou Mountains are located at the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire. The terrain is treacherous and the forests are dense, making it an excellent hiding place for evil soul masters and a key area for the Shrek Academy's inspection team.
The atmosphere along the way was not particularly noisy.
Ma Xiaotao was dressed in a fiery red robe, with a faint aura of intense heat surrounding her. As the leader of the Seven Eccentrics of the present era, she showed no composure whatsoever.
Dai Yueheng, on the other hand, has sharp eyes and is always on guard against potential dangers. As a Soul Emperor-level expert, he is the main combat force in the team besides Xuanzi.
Xi Xi, Yao Haoxuan, and Gongyang Mo occasionally exchanged a few words, discussing their past experiences in carrying out surveillance missions and giving reminders to the reserve team members.
On the reserve team side, Bei Bei maintained a gentle yet rigorous demeanor, frequently reminding Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao, and others of important points.
Xu Sanshi remained carefree, but knowing the mission was imminent, he refrained from further frivolous behavior.
Jiang Nannan walked forward in silence, her eyes cold and aloof, never glancing to the side.
Huo Yuhao followed Wang Dong, seemingly calm, but a hint of caution was hidden in his eyes. He knew that his cultivation was still shallow and that this mission could not tolerate the slightest carelessness.
Wang Dong was dressed smartly, his eyes bright, full of anticipation and fighting spirit for the mission.
Xiao Xiao followed closely behind the group, clutching her soul tool in her hand, her expression serious.
Ning Qi was aloof and walked alone to one side, exuding an aura that made her difficult to approach.
Ling Luochen, however, remained at the very back of the group, keeping a distance from everyone else.
She wore a light blue dress, surrounded by a faint chill. Her delicate face was expressionless, her eyes vacant, as if everything around her was irrelevant.
Neither her teammates' conversations nor the scenery along the way could move her in the slightest.
Ma Xiaotao, who was at the front, turned around and glanced at Ling Luochen, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Dai Yueheng noticed her gaze, gently shook his head, indicating that the mission should be the priority at the moment, and Ling Luochen's personal matters could be addressed after the mission was completed.
The others also noticed Ling Luochen's unusual behavior, but they tacitly refrained from asking any further questions. Everyone had their own secrets, and all they could do was look after each other during the mission.
The group traveled at breakneck speed and, in less than two days, they had already entered the territory of the Star Luo Empire.
As they drew closer to the Mingdou Mountains, the surrounding forests grew denser and the air became more humid, with the faint roars of wild beasts echoing through the woods.
But just then, Xuanzi, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped, his nose twitched slightly, and his cloudy eyes lit up instantly.
He turned to look at the crowd behind him, his serious expression softening somewhat, and his tone becoming more casual.
"I have something to take care of first."
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting that Xuanzi would suddenly have something to do and leave just as they were about to arrive at the mission location.
Xuanzi touched his messy hair and his gaze fell on Wang Yan, the only teacher in the group.
Wang Yan's cultivation level was only at the Soul King level, which was not outstanding among the group of young Soul Masters. He always followed silently at the back of the group.
Upon noticing Xuanzi's gaze, he immediately stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "What instructions do you have, Elder Xuanzi?"
"You will lead the team for the rest of the journey," Xuanzi said with a wave of his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Take these little guys and continue towards the evil soul master stronghold in the Mingdou Mountains. I will come to find you there."
Everyone was taken aback by these words.
It's important to understand that the target of this mission is an evil soul master's stronghold. No one knows how many evil soul masters are in the stronghold or what their cultivation levels are. As the only titled Douluo in the team, Elder Xuan is everyone's greatest asset.
His sudden departure from the team, leaving the entire group to be led by Wang Yan, who is at the Soul King level, undoubtedly increases the risk of this mission.
"Elder Xuan, this…" Dai Yueheng stepped forward, wanting to persuade him.
After all, evil spirit masters are ruthless, and their strongholds are bound to be fraught with danger. Without a titled Douluo to guard them, the consequences would be unimaginable if the team encountered a powerful enemy.
Xuanzi waved his hand, interrupting him, a hint of certainty flashing in his cloudy eyes.
"It's alright, they're just a bunch of clowns. Even if I'm not here, you little guys are more than capable of handling them. If you really encounter any trouble you can't solve, just crush this."
As he spoke, Xuanzi took out more than a dozen black jade pendants from his bosom and handed them to Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Beibei respectively.
"This is a signal flare. If you crush it, I will sense it and arrive in a moment."
After speaking, Xuanzi said no more. His gaze swept over everyone, finally lingering on Ling Luochen for a moment, but he didn't say anything more before turning around and rushing towards the deep mountains and dense forests.
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