Douluo Continent: We agreed on a simulation, but they've come to life?

"There will be endless suffering in the future, so what exactly are you trying to say?" Lu Cheng said helplessly.

"..." Xuanzi's lips twitched, he glared at Lu Cheng, and his face showed some displeasure.

"You all voluntarily joined the Inspection Team, right?" Xuanzi looked around, his eyes gradually becoming serious. "Our Inspection Team has always taken it upon ourselves to eradicate evil spirit masters. Behind the entire inner courtyard, there are countless cenotaphs and tombstones, all of which are sacrifices made by our Shrek Academy disciples to fight the enemy. Choosing to join the Inspection Team means we are determined to fight evil spirit masters to the end. If you want to withdraw now... it's not too late. I will notify the academy to find a replacement."

Upon hearing this, many outer court disciples exchanged glances.

How noble is this tombstone?

Not necessarily.

After all, if you look closely at those so-called cenotaphs, they are all young disciples who died, and there are very few who are over forty years old, like the elders of the Sea God Pavilion.

It's obvious that this talent development mechanism has problems, big problems...

Just like in the movie next door, all those who died were brave and upright warriors who fought valiantly on the battlefield, while some cowardly and opportunistic individuals survived and occupied the core of power generation after generation.

This is also one of the reasons why Shrek Academy, this giant tree, has decayed.

The surviving elders are mostly people who are extremely good at hiding their true nature. They may not have much ability, but they are definitely good at playing dirty tricks, using political maneuvering to harm their own people.

Of course, there are a very few people whose birth charts are strong enough.

After all, Shrek Academy's idiotic talent selection method sends a group of greenhorn students to kill evil spirit masters without any special training. What's the difference between this and a suicide squad?

But everyone nodded.

Ultimately, appearances still matter.

"In that case, you are now members of the inspection team. Xiao Tao, distribute the inspection team tools."

Xuanzi revealed a smug smile.

Lu Cheng took the items, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness.

The complete set includes a cloak, armor, mask, and a rather outdated standard flare gun, and that's it... nothing else.

Well, this armor... it's useful, but not much.

It feels soft yet tough to the touch, probably made from the hide and flesh of a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast. But to be precise, this set of protective gear probably can't withstand the damage from a Soul Emperor, so it's somewhat... useless.

After all, if you really get hurt, relying on this thing to withstand the damage is probably a dead end.

So besides being a mask to look cool... what's the point of this thing?

"Then what about the salary of the inspection team? Or how much would it be per month if converted into cultivation resources?" Ning Tian sat with his legs crossed behind Lu Cheng, examining the mask in his hand and asking with some curiosity.

“…” Xuanzi paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

Clearly, in his eyes, Ning Tianxia's subconscious question was a provocation.

"No salary! Slaying evil spirit masters is the duty of the inspection team. Don't let this sacred duty be tainted by the stench of money, or defile the glory of the many students buried in Shrek's backyard."

Xuanzi said bluntly, "If you want a salary, then don't join the inspection team."

"Don't ask what Shrek Academy can offer you, think more about what you can offer Shrek Academy!!"

"..." Ning Tian shrank back with a hint of grievance, kneading the mask.

"Exterminating evil spirit masters is a dangerous job that puts your head on the line, so why can't you ask for a salary and cultivation resources? Besides, having more cultivation resources will help you complete the task of exterminating evil spirit masters better, won't it?" Lu Cheng said with a smile.

"You can't expect the horse to run without feeding it."

"Lu Cheng, what do you mean?" Xuanzi frowned, his eyes showing some displeasure. You still dare to jump out at a time like this? Do you really think I wouldn't dare to deal with you?

"What I mean is... I haven't seen you old guys from the Sea God Pavilion being very enthusiastic about eradicating evil spirit masters. What, is eradicating a few evil spirit masters when you were young considered a lifelong achievement? Now that you're sending these young disciples to risk their lives, you should think about how many evil spirit masters you killed today." Lu Cheng chuckled, his gaze calmly meeting Xuan Zi's, showing no sign of backing down.

"What's wrong, Elder Xuan? You can't answer a difficult question? Don't tell me that becoming an elder means you should enjoy life. Isn't Shrek Academy's so-called grand and righteous killing of evil soul masters just bullshit?"

"You Shrek Academy's true powerhouses don't step forward, allowing top-tier evil soul masters to roam freely, while sending some young disciples to wipe out small fry, even risking their lives. You know the inner courtyard's casualty rate far better than I do..."

"So, our so-called extermination of evil spirits is just a show for ghosts?"

"Or are you just fooling them?"

If the horse is not trained properly, if it is not fed to its full potential, if its cries cannot be understood, and if one stands before it with a whip and declares: "There are no horses in the world."

"..."

The scene suddenly fell silent.

The disciples from both the inner and outer academies stood frozen in place, not daring to utter a sound. Lu Cheng was the first person in recent years to dare to confront Elder Xuan so directly. Wasn't he afraid of being retaliated against when he returned to the inner academy?

Xuanzi's face was extremely gloomy.

He stared intently at Lu Cheng, his eyes filled with malice.

Don't fall into my hands.

If it weren't for Elder Mu's instructions before he left—that he must not antagonize this person on the journey and must try his best to build a good relationship with him—he would probably have already buried that little beast in the ground by now.

Hiss... I don't know why my eyes feel dry and hot.

Xuanzi indifferently shifted his gaze: "Hehe, since you have so many twisted theories, then I'll let you experience what an evil soul master is like. Don't be so scared that you wet your pants. Do you really think that being treated as a genius at Shrek Academy means you're just a gold nugget outside?"

Having said that, he waved his sleeve.

The figure slowly disappeared.

"Xiao Cheng, don't worry about it. Elder Xuan... he means well." Seeing that Ma Xiaotao remained unmoved, Dai Yueheng couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had to play the peacemaker.

"Hehe, let's keep going. If we go south to the Mingdou Mountains first and then return to the Xingluo Empire, the time will probably be very tight." Lu Cheng waved his hand with a smile, not caring at all.

"Um... Senior Lu Cheng, thank you very much."

Ning Tian quietly nestled on Lu Cheng's back, her fair face flushed. From her perspective, this was clearly Lu Cheng's way of "protecting his wife."

Then, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she gently pressed her red lips against Lu Cheng's face and gave him a light peck. But as soon as she finished kissing him, she noticed several pairs of eyes glancing over.

After that, it hid behind Lu Cheng, like an ostrich, and never showed its face again.

……

The outer perimeter of the Mingdou Mountains.

From the sky, numerous military tents crisscrossed and densely packed outside this mountain range, blocking any possibility of crossing over from the other side of the Mingdou Mountains and rushing into the northern continent.

This is the 100,000-strong army under Duke White Tiger stationed on the frontier of the Star Luo Empire.

Speaking of the army, it's quite interesting.

Lu Cheng stood tall in the sky, his gaze falling on the "ordinary" soldiers, who constituted the largest number in the entire army. These guys generally lacked soul power; although they had awakened martial souls, they mostly possessed tools like hoes, which only made them slightly stronger but did not cause any real harm.

But these guys can also cause real damage.

For example, by using sheer numbers and firing a barrage of arrows, they can even kill Soul Masters below the Soul King level. And when the numbers reach a certain level, they can even push an elite squad whose members are all at the Soul King level to the brink of defeat... That's right, Orange.

In the original work, when the Brilliant Grand Duke rebelled, the country was as backward as the empire of the original continent. The main force was still a mixture of Soul Masters and Soul Masters, and there were even tens of thousands of "ordinary soldiers" in the wings.

When a barrage of arrows is unleashed, it continuously depletes the soul power that soul masters waste on using defensive soul tools to save their lives...

This is truly a low-level martial arts world.

Lu Cheng's eyes glowed red, and his immense mental power precisely enveloped most of the camp, surveying the soldiers. Some were rubbing their bows and arrows, some were polishing their ordinary metal short weapons, some were whispering to each other, and others stood solemnly on guard.

The innermost tents were clearly better equipped, likely housing the White Tiger Duke's personal guards, numbering around a hundred, all at the Soul King level or above. They were also significantly more equipped with soul tools, including storage soul tools, flight soul tools, ranged and melee soul tools, and even healing items...

That's interesting.

After all, looking at the entire Star Luo Empire, the core army is still stuck in the old era, consisting of pure Soul Masters, while the Soul Guidance Equipment here is so... cutting-edge.

It is evident that the fight between Duke White Tiger and the Soul Master Corps stationed here by the Sun Moon Empire was not as fierce as rumored. In fact, it was quite likely that the two adversaries would engage in fierce battles during the day and meet at the battlefield at night to secretly trade weapons (soul tools).

"Junior Brother Lu Cheng, this is the army under my father's command. What do you think?"

Dai Yueheng's figure appeared beside him, looking at the scene below with a somewhat arrogant and smug look in his eyes.

"Not bad, well-equipped and well-trained..." Lu Cheng nodded slightly.

However, he didn't mention that having a large number of ordinary soldiers, no matter how well-trained or numerous, would be pointless even with a million-strong army. The real core strength... those hundred or so elite soldiers were still not enough. Otherwise, the entire battle line wouldn't have collapsed when the Sun Moon Empire got serious.

"Young Master!"

Clearly, the large camp had also noticed the sudden arrival of the Shrek Seven Devils and dispatched several White Tiger Guards to take flight and approach. The White Tiger Guards, who had been filled with murderous intent and intimidation, instantly calmed down upon seeing Dai Yueheng.

The elderly man with white hair at the head of the group, Durex, had an excited look in his eyes, which were also glistening with tears.

"You're finally back..."

"The commander-in-chief has been waiting in the tent for a long time. He said that when you come, he must bring your classmate to meet him."

"I understand, everyone, please proceed."

Dai Yueheng nodded slightly.

Inside the tent.

A tall, imposing middle-aged man with fierce eyes slowly stood up. His gaze swept over everyone else, but when he passed over Ma Xiaotao, his eyes narrowed slightly before finally settling on Lu Cheng.

"I suppose this must be young Brother Lu?"

"Marshal Dai." Lu Cheng's smile remained unwavering.

Their eyes met, and then Dai Hao smiled broadly, waving his hand with a rather bold air: "Today we've prepared a banquet, and we won't leave until we're drunk."

"We still have to go into the mountains to suppress bandits tomorrow, so I'd better not drink too much," Lu Cheng said with a light laugh.

Dai Hao's eyes widened in astonishment. After exchanging a few polite words, he gestured for Durex to lead the group away.

Only the father and son remained inside the tent.

Dai Hao's gaze was indifferent as he glanced lightly at Dai Yueheng, who was kneeling respectfully on the ground a few days ago: "I've read your letter from a few days ago... That kid is indeed a remarkable person. He remains calm in the face of both honor and disgrace, knows his limits, and possesses such talent yet is quite composed and reserved, neither arrogant nor impetuous..."

"Given time, they will surely stand at the pinnacle of this continent."

"But... is he really only thirteen years old?" Dai Hao frowned slightly and asked the most suspicious question.

“That should be correct; he has only been enrolled for two years.” Dai Yueheng’s expression was solemn.

“Tsk…” Dai Hao’s eyes flickered slightly.

"What a prodigy!"

"About your brother..."

Just as Dai Yueheng lowered his head, thinking that his father would scold him for not valuing family ties after he had beaten up Dai Huabin because he had offended Lu Cheng, the latter waved his hand.

"When you get back, give him a good beating too."