The Examination Begins

The boy's mother confidently placed ten Gold Coins into the wooden box.

"Hold out one hand."

The boy obediently held out his hand. Wang Xiaofeng gave it a squeeze, then discreetly sent a trace of Soul Power into the boy's right hand.

"Mm, twelve years old. Your age is suitable. Show me your martial soul."

The boy nodded. Pale green Soul Power emerged from his body, while one ten-year Soul Ring and one yellow Century Soul Ring rose and fell around him.

A martial soul appeared in the boy's right hand—a thick, long vine that coiled around his body.

"Pass." Wang Xiaofeng nodded. "Mubai, take him to the second round."

"Coming." Dai Mubai walked out from the academy and beckoned to the boy. "Follow me."

Once Dai Mubai led the boy away, Wang Xiaofeng said to the long line, "Next."

Most of those in line had clearly heard of Shrek Academy's admission rules. Thus, the next few boys and girls who signed up all had Soul Power above Rank 20 and possessed two Soul Rings.

"Next."

An exceptionally beautiful girl walked up to Wang Xiaofeng. She was alone, without her parents accompanying her.

Her simple white dress gave her a very clean impression. Her neat, ear-length short hair framed a figure about half a head shorter than Wang Xiaofeng.

Wang Xiaofeng helplessly glanced at Dai Mubai beside him, whose eyes were shining, and shook his head. What happened to being mature and steady?

"Pay up. Hold out your hand."

After the girl did as instructed, Wang Xiaofeng squeezed her fair, tender right hand and nodded. "Your bone age passes. Release your martial soul."

Brilliant seven-colored light immediately burst forth from the girl's body. Two Century Soul Rings curled around her, while a foot-tall seven-colored pagoda appeared in her right hand.

"This is... the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"

Wang Xiaofeng rose to his feet in surprise. Beside him, Dai Mubai quietly withdrew his lecherous gaze.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was one of the seven strongest sects openly recognized across the continent. Even Dai Mubai had no desire to provoke someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

What Wang Xiaofeng could not understand was that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had its own academy, one of the continent's finest. The sect's direct disciples all studied there, so why had she suddenly come to enroll in such a rundown academy?

"May I ask whether I've passed the preliminary test?" The girl's voice was soft and pleasant, carrying a bone-melting sweetness.

"Pass. Mubai, take her to the second round."

Wang Xiaofeng nodded helplessly. It would be better to leave this sort of troublesome matter to Zhao Wuji. For now, all he could do was let the girl in according to procedure.

Dai Mubai nodded, but as soon as he turned around, he spotted familiar faces. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he told the girl, "Wait here for a moment. There are two more people behind you who will also pass the first round. It'll save time if I bring you in together."

"Mm." The girl nodded and walked beneath the shade of a nearby tree.

After Wang Xiaofeng sent away several people trying to pass themselves off as qualified, a boy and a girl stepped forward. After placing their money into the box, they each held out their right hands.

Wang Xiaofeng looked up at the two before him. The boy looked rather ordinary, but somehow gave off an approachable feeling.

The girl was extremely cute and would certainly grow into a beauty capable of toppling nations. It was just a pity she seemed to have eaten too little papaya.

Wang Xiaofeng grasped both their wrists and silently sent in Soul Power.

"Hm? Have you cultivated some soul skill with your right hand?" Wang Xiaofeng released the girl's hand, then sent another trace of Soul Power into the boy's right hand with his left, yet he still could not sense the condition of his bones.

"That's right." The boy replied in surprise.

"Forget it. Raise your calf."

The boy placed his right leg on the table. Wang Xiaofeng squeezed his right calf. "All right, your bone age is suitable. Release your martial souls."

The boy and girl nodded. Blue and red light rose at the same time, and two Century Soul Rings emerged around each of them.

A small blade of grass appeared in the boy's right hand, while a pair of rabbit ears and a round rabbit tail appeared on the girl.

"Blue Silver Grass." Wang Xiaofeng gave him a deep look. "I didn't expect Blue Silver Grass to be cultivated this quickly."

If his senses were not wrong, their Soul Power fluctuations were already close to Rank 30.

Normally, someone with Blue Silver Grass as their martial soul could not possibly have innate Soul Power above Rank 3, let alone prepare to become a Soul Elder at such a young age like the boy before him.

"Doesn't your academy only accept monsters? Do we count as monsters?"

The boy had asked around on the way here and in Suotuo City about Shrek Academy. Having learned that Shrek's admission requirements were extremely strict, he had become quite curious about the academy.

"Looks like we'll have several new students this year." Wang Xiaofeng pointed at Dai Mubai, who was watching the excitement nearby. "Follow him to the next round."

"Tang San, I knew you'd come to Shrek." Dai Mubai happily came forward and patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Tang San!" Upon hearing that familiar name, Wang Xiaofeng merely looked at the boy's figure with mild surprise.

After all, so many years had passed. Wang Xiaofeng had long since stopped viewing this world as a novel.

Besides, Tang San had not even reached Rank 30 yet. There was really nothing that made Wang Xiaofeng think highly of him—unless he knew how many trump cards Tang San had up his sleeve.

As time passed, the line quietly dwindled to its end. Wang Xiaofeng still had some impression of the final girl to register, since she was one of the four people who could easily withstand his Soul Power pressure.

Wang Xiaofeng looked at the aloof girl before him. Though she possessed a bosom far too ample for her age, her entire body radiated an aura that kept strangers away, the kind of coldness that seeped into one's bones. Even Wang Xiaofeng found it a little unbearable.

"...Your bone age passes... Your martial soul is a cat. Fine, go in." Wang Xiaofeng nodded as he looked at the two Century Soul Rings floating around the aloof girl.

"Mubai, take her inside. There's finally no one left at my station. Now I can take a break."

Dai Mubai looked at the girl's martial soul with a complicated expression. As a symbolic martial soul of the Star Luo Empire, how could he possibly fail to recognize the Netherworld Spirit Cat?

"Follow me!" Dai Mubai beckoned to the girl and headed into the academy. The girl silently followed far behind him.

"I smell gossip." Wang Xiaofeng stroked his chin as he watched the two, who clearly had some sort of issue between them.

There was no one left at the entrance to register. Wang Xiaofeng looked at the sky and realized it was nearly noon.

"All right, I'll eat lunch first, then take a look at how the junior male and female students are doing in their examinations. Mubai probably hasn't beaten them too badly, right?"

As Wang Xiaofeng left, he put the table and chairs into his Soul Tool. They were academy property. If Flander discovered that he had lost them, he could make junk sound like antiques. There was no way he would let Wang Xiaofeng off without bleeding him dry.