Douluo: Peerless Beastmaster King
Chapter 144 - 145 – Main Team Meets the Reserves

Chapter 144: Chapter 145 – Main Team Meets the Reserves

The Six-Winged Angel radiated divine brilliance, wielding the Angelic Holy Sword as she danced alone in the room. Each movement became more fluid and refined, while the light, sacred aura reached its peak.

After a long while, the glow of the Six-Winged Angel began to shimmer and split, slowly resolving into two figures holding hands as they gently descended to the floor.

Ye Guyi’s face was rosy, her divine aura now deeper and more profound. With a gentle smile, she looked at Zhou Sichen and said,

"The feeling of the Six-Winged Angel is truly wonderful. If my eighth and ninth soul rings were both 100,000-year ones, my martial soul could definitely complete its evolution!"

Zhou Sichen smiled slightly.

"Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out for you. Once you reach Rank 80, I’ll take you to the Icefire Yin-Yang Well. There are 100,000-year soul rings suitable for you there."

Ye Guyi hesitated.

"You mean that Blazing Delicate Apricot you mentioned? But... will it agree?"

Zhou Sichen’s smile carried a touch of confidence.

"It will."

The two continued chatting as they left the training hall together.

Time passed quickly—half a month flew by. During this time, Elder Xuan had been training the reserve team members every week.

Today was another one of Elder Xuan’s instructional days.

Whenever this happened, the seven members—Cao Jinxuan, Long Xiangyue, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou, and Wang Dong—would pause their classwork and gather at the assessment zone, waiting for Elder Xuan’s guidance.

Elder Xuan was already waiting for them when they arrived.

But this time, there were seven additional people present.

These seven wore blood-red uniforms—emblems of the Inner Court. Embroidered on their chests was the adorable emblem of "Shrek."

Red uniforms—Inner Court.

These were the elite students who represented the peak of Shrek Academy’s combat power. They were the ones who upheld the Academy’s glory as the number one academy on the continent.

Among them, the Shrek Seven Devils of every generation were always the most outstanding—geniuses among geniuses.

Noticing the tall, striking figure at the head of the "five girls and two boys," Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong all lit up.

"Senior Zhou?"

They had only known Zhou Sichen as a gifted senior from the Inner Court. They hadn’t expected him to actually be one of the current generation’s Shrek Seven Devils.

And judging from the team’s formation, it seemed Zhou Sichen might not just be a regular member—he was very likely the captain of this generation’s Seven Devils.

Their guess was based on their own team’s lineup.

When the seven of them had first stood out, Elder Xuan’s first requirement was for them to return and select a captain and vice-captain.

After competing amongst themselves, Cao Jinxuan, with his unmatched control skills and powerful soul tools, had claimed the position of captain.

Bei Bei had fallen slightly short and became the vice-captain.

But none of them had any objections to the results. It had been a fair competition.

They all understood: even though they were currently only the reserve team, if they stayed united and continued improving after entering the Inner Court, they could one day become the official Shrek Battle Team—and the new generation of Shrek Seven Devils!

Thus, for now, Captain Cao Jinxuan stood at the center, with Vice-Captain Bei Bei to his left.

Similarly, Zhou Sichen stood at the center of the seven in red behind Elder Xuan, flanked by his teammates in a formal arrangement, their expressions solemn.

Wang Dong, though surprised, also felt a hint of pride—she had already guessed Zhou Sichen was part of the Seven Devils.

What she hadn’t expected... was that this guy might actually be the captain.

As for the others, they weren’t all that surprised by Zhou Sichen’s presence. Not only Cao Jinxuan, Long Xiangyue, and Bei Bei, but even He Caitou had heard some inside information.

Cao Jinxuan remained composed as he led the seven reserve team members to stand before Elder Xuan, bowing respectfully.

"Elder Xuan."

Elder Xuan nodded.

"Everyone’s here."

"There are ten days left before the start of the new Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. I’m sure you can guess each other’s identities by now."

He said calmly,

"You fourteen are the main and reserve members representing Shrek Academy this time—and for now, the provisional new and old generations of the Shrek Seven Devils."

Upon hearing the words Shrek Seven Devils, even the usually clownish Xu Sanshi immediately became serious.

But none of them let the title go to their heads—because Elder Xuan had said "provisional."

He looked toward the seven reserve members.

"Do you know why you’re only the provisional Shrek Seven Devils?"

As captain, Cao Jinxuan stepped forward to answer:

"Because we’re still just the reserve team. To officially become part of the Seven Devils, we must enter the Inner Court like our senior brothers and sisters, pass all the trials, and stand firm in our position with strength."

Elder Xuan smiled slightly.

"Good. It seems you’re self-aware."

After a brief admonishment, he continued without wasting time:

"The purpose of today’s meeting is twofold: to let you become familiar with one another, and to give you a sense of each other’s capabilities."

"Some of you already know a few of the current Seven Devils behind me—some of you even share close ties with them. But don’t think that will earn you friendly smiles."

"If you don’t meet the standard, they won’t even spare you a glance. Only true geniuses have the right to bond with other geniuses. Understand?"

The seven reserve members felt the pressure settle in, but none objected. They simply replied quietly:

"Understood!"

Elder Xuan went on,

"Though you’ll all have opportunities to fight in the tournament, don’t get too excited."

"It’s inevitable that you’ll be sent out—but I permit victory only, not defeat. If anyone loses a match... hmph, you know the consequences."

"As long as I’m alive, that person can forget about ever entering the Inner Court. And all of you—get your mindsets straight. In this tournament, you are subordinates to the main team. You will follow orders—clear?"

"Yes!" the seven responded in unison.

Given their age and cultivation levels, just being allowed to act as backup for the main team was already a huge honor.

Not to mention the chance to actually fight—what an invaluable experience. The Academy was clearly preparing them to become the next generation of Shrek Seven Devils five years from now.

Elder Xuan nodded.

"Good. Introduce yourselves—let’s get to know each other. Reserve team, go first."

With that, he stepped aside, revealing the seven official team members. The two groups stood about five meters apart, facing each other.

Cao Jinxuan took the lead:

"Cao Jinxuan, acting reserve team captain. Second year, Outer Court. Martial Soul: Time Echo Bell. Rank 43, Control-type."

Next to him on the left, Bei Bei introduced himself:

"Bei Bei, acting reserve vice-captain. Fifth year, Outer Court. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Rank 42, Power Attack-type."

To Cao Jinxuan’s right:

"Long Xiangyue, reserve team member. Second year, Outer Court. Martial Soul: Dragonbone Shuriken. Rank 42, Agility Attack-type."

Then came Xu Sanshi:

"Xu Sanshi, reserve team member. Fifth year, Outer Court. Martial Soul: Xuanming Turtle. Rank 43, Defense-type."

Next was He Caitou:

"He Caitou, reserve team member. Fourth year, Outer Court. Soul Tool Division. Rank 4 Soul Engineer."

As a student of the Soul Tool Division, he naturally introduced himself by his Soul Engineer rank rather than cultivation or martial soul.

Then came Jiang Nannan:

"Jiang Nannan, reserve team member. Fifth year, Outer Court. Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit. Rank 41, Agility Attack-type."

Jiang Nannan was currently the only female on the reserve team—making her the team’s sweetheart. Though her figure had yet to fully develop, her beauty was already top-tier. No wonder Xu Sanshi had earned his reputation as a notorious simp across the Outer Court.

Upon seeing her, Gongyang Mo’s eyes lit up.

"Another top-tier beauty on par with Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao..."

Although there was only one girl among the reserves, her beauty was enough to soothe his wounded heart.

After all, the girls on his own team didn’t seem to like him much—but this new junior didn’t know his reputation yet. There might still be hope to get close to her.

Of course, if he knew that these junior students already considered him to be a senior sister, his mental state might shatter once again.

It was just that his martial soul was too beautiful, which made him appear delicate and androgynous—naturally beautiful. How could that possibly be his fault?

Wang Dong was the seventh to introduce herself:

"Wang Dong, reserve team member, second-year student. Martial soul: Goddess of Light Butterfly. Rank 31, Power Attack System."

Once all seven reserve team members had finished introducing themselves, Gongyang Mo, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luocheng all showed a flicker of surprise in their eyes.

Among these seven reserve team members, three of them were only second-year students? Given their age, that would make them only around twelve or thirteen?

A Soul Elder at twelve or thirteen was already understandable—but a Soul Ancestor?! What kind of monsters were these?!

Not all of them were like Zhou Sicheng, constantly coming and going from the outer courtyard, so they weren’t familiar with the so-called Twin Stars of the Outer Court.

Looking at the high-spirited Cao Jinxuan, Dai Yueheng had an illusion for a moment—this reserve team captain actually looked quite a bit like his own captain!

He couldn’t help but glance back and forth between Zhou Sicheng and Cao Jinxuan. Whether in demeanor or aura, the resemblance was uncanny.

He wasn’t aware of their relationship, so his shock was understandable.

A strange feeling welled up in his heart—could this reserve team captain one day become the next Zhou Sicheng?

A twelve- or thirteen-year-old Soul Ancestor... that kind of talent was simply unimaginable.

Elder Xuan took in everyone’s expressions with a glance, nodded slightly, and gestured toward the inner courtyard with a smile. "Your turn."

From the inner courtyard, Zhou Sicheng was the first to speak.

"Zhou Sicheng, Shrek Battle Team captain. Martial soul: Holy Bright Dragon. Rank 55, Power Attack System."

As soon as Zhou Sicheng finished speaking, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong froze.

They didn’t know much about Zhou Sicheng, and thus weren’t aware of his martial soul or rank.

Huo Yuhao had never told Wang Dong because academy rules stated that all of Zhou Sicheng’s information was classified and could not be disclosed to anyone.

So even though Wang Dong had shared a dorm room with him for over a year, she knew next to nothing about him.

The same went for Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan.

He Caitou knew about Zhou Sicheng’s martial soul only because he had "defected" to Zhou Sicheng’s side, and they had made a special agreement...

So when the three of them heard Zhou Sicheng’s martial soul just now, they were stunned on the spot.

How could they not know what the Holy Bright Dragon represented?

Currently, there was only one Holy Bright Dragon on the entire continent, and it reigned supreme, becoming the stuff of legends.

And they all knew who that person was.

But now, a second Holy Bright Dragon had appeared before them?

Why was Zhou Sicheng’s surname Zhou?

Xu Sanshi and Wang Dong suddenly remembered something else. It was said that Mu En’s lineage traced back ten thousand years to the Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang. Because of this, children in the bloodline often took their mother’s surname...

Xu Sanshi’s eyes widened as he stared at Zhou Sicheng, seemingly putting all the pieces together at once.

No wonder Zhou Sicheng got along so well with Bei Bei. No wonder he would often drop by the outer courtyard just to check in on him.

So that’s how it was...

With this realization, he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Bei Bei.

Bei Bei noticed the look and was immediately speechless—but since this matter was considered top secret, he couldn’t say a word about it.

As for why Zhou Sicheng publicly revealed his Holy Bright Dragon martial soul, it had been decided after consultation with Elder Mu. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they chose to keep everything hidden.

Those who knew were under a gag order. Those who didn’t simply wouldn’t find out—for now.

Wang Dong snapped out of her daze after a few seconds. Looking at Zhou Sicheng’s gentle smile, her heart began to stir with new thoughts.

She never would have imagined... that Zhou Sicheng was actually a descendant of that person.

She had heard her First and Second Fathers mention him before. On the entire Douluo Continent, only a handful of people could move the hearts of those two supreme experts—and the one from Shrek was among them.

Before anyone could process this further, Ye Guyi stepped forward and introduced herself:

"Ye Guyi, vice-captain of the Shrek Battle Team. Martial soul: Holy Angel. Rank 75, Power Attack System."

As soon as she spoke, everyone except Cao Jinxuan, Long Xiangyue, and Bei Bei (who had already been shocked once) all widened their eyes in disbelief. Their jaws practically dropped wide enough to fit an egg.

Xu Sanshi stared blankly at the stunningly beautiful senior sister with a divine aura, utterly shocked.

Unlike Ma Xiaotao, Ye Guyi had climbed from the outer courtyard step by step into the inner courtyard, eventually becoming Elder Mu’s disciple.

This angelic figure was someone Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei had watched grow stronger and stronger—she was practically their role model.

But had it only been a few years?

Even with the most optimistic assumptions, reaching the high ranks of Soul King should’ve been impressive enough.

And yet here she was, Rank 75—a Soul Saint!

Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan could only gape at her in disbelief. What on earth was going on in this world?

How did she reach Soul Saint already? Had they been training the wrong way, or had the world simply gone mad?

More importantly—if Ye Guyi was already a Rank 75 Soul Saint, why was Zhou Sicheng, who was only Rank 55, the captain?

Was this year’s Shrek captain chosen by looks and physique instead of strength?

Elder Xuan stood quietly to the side, observing the stunned expressions of the reserve team members, a smile playing on his face.

Looking back, his initial surprise was nothing compared to these kids losing all control over their facial expressions.

It seemed he, this old man, was the only serious one left around here.

No one paid any mind to their shock as Ma Xiaotao stepped up and introduced herself next:

"Ma Xiaotao, member of the Shrek Battle Team. Martial soul: Fire Phoenix. Rank 72, Power Attack System."

As soon as she finished, the mouths that Xu Sanshi and the others had just barely managed to close fell open even wider.

"?!"

Another Soul Saint?!

The competition only allowed participants under the age of twenty—yet Shrek now had two under-twenty Soul Saints?!

Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue both stared at Ma Xiaotao in disbelief. No wonder their captain had said the inner courtyard was teeming with geniuses.

They had thought only Sister Guyi was a Soul Saint. But now, another one?

Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan all wore nearly identical expressions. Bei Bei might’ve looked a little more composed—after all, he knew the inside story.

Xu Sanshi looked at Ma Xiaotao the same way he had at Ye Guyi.

Others might not recognize Ma Xiaotao, but he sure did. Back then, he had been tormented endlessly by this fiery maniac.

How had it only been a little over a year since he last saw her, and she was already a Soul Saint?

And when she mentioned her martial soul just now, Xu Sanshi was completely dumbfounded. The Evil Fire... had been resolved?

Could resolving the Evil Fire really have led to such rapid breakthroughs? She was already a Soul Saint?!

As the daughter of a God King, Wang Dong was even more shocked. Hearing about Zhou Sicheng’s martial soul had certainly stunned her a little, but his rank was only 55.

So she had thought—even Shrek might not be that special after all.

But now? With two Soul Saints over Rank 70 stepping forward, she was utterly shaken.

What shocked her even more, however, was that Zhou Sicheng—despite being only Rank 55—was still the captain.

Even with the Holy Bright Dragon, how could he surpass two Soul Saints to claim the position of leader?

It was simply too unbelievable.

****

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