Shrek Academy Refuses to Admit Tang San!

Looking down from the plaque, there was an age-worn wooden table in the center of the village entrance, its surface polished by countless generations.

Behind the wooden table sat an old man in his sixties.

The old man looked ordinary enough that anyone unfamiliar with him might have taken him for the old gatekeeper.

Even so, more than a hundred people taking the entrance examination were still lined up ahead of them.

"This..."

Huo Feng pursed his lips. If he remembered correctly, this old man seemed to be a Soul Emperor in his sixties. "Are you sure this is Shrek Academy?"

Seeing such rudimentary enrollment conditions, Xiao Wu, standing behind Huo Feng, furrowed her delicate brows and could not help complaining.

Forget an intermediate Soul Master Academy—even Notting Junior Soul Master Academy was three or four times larger than this place.

This was no more than an ordinary little village.

Huo Feng curled his lip. He knew Shrek's conditions were extremely basic.

He just had not expected them to be this basic.

Honestly, even Holy Spirit Village was probably bigger than this.

But regardless of the conditions, he absolutely could not leave.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

If he did not enter Shrek Academy, how would he sacrifice the remaining four members of the Shrek Seven Devils?

How would he complete the main quest?

With that thought, he glanced at Xiao Wu and comforted her.

"We're already here. Let's take a look first."

"Whatever. I'll listen to you."

She shrugged casually and spoke without a care.

By now, she had almost completely begun obeying Huo Feng unconditionally.

"This is the Soul Master Academy that claims its graduates can become imperial viscounts?"

"Are they kidding? This place is way too run-down!"

"I think it's just false advertising to scam people. Anyone who believes it is getting played. We should leave early and find another place."

"Son, let's go. Soto Intermediate Soul Master Academy is better than this place."

"Exactly. Such a shabby academy charges ten Gold Soul Coins just to register? What shamelessness!"

Voices like these rose and fell throughout the crowd.

The line moved slowly, and coupled with the thoroughly unreliable appearance of the place...

After much consideration, some of those standing in the middle of the line chose to leave.

Not far ahead in the line stood a tall, burly man.

Because his massive build stood out so conspicuously among the crowd and blocked the view of those behind him, Huo Feng had noticed him from the start.

Just then, the burly man suddenly bent down and muttered something to his son.

Then the two of them left the line without looking back.

Once the burly man left, Huo Feng's field of vision immediately opened up considerably.

He had only been casually glancing around when, in the next instant, he spotted a somewhat familiar back among the crowd.

"Huh."

"Isn't that Tang San?"

Huo Feng could not help muttering to himself.

Not only was Tang San ahead of him in line, but he was also near the front.

Well, well. Huo Feng had run into Tang San on the street the day before yesterday. Hadn't his leg been badly lame then?

And yet he had come so early today?

Huo Feng did not believe that Tang San's injuries could have healed in merely two days.

At that moment, the line began moving forward.

Huo Feng deliberately kept his eyes fixed on Tang San.

Tang San took a step forward with his left leg, which seemed fairly normal.

Then his right foot followed, and he immediately limped.

"Hm?"

Seeing this, Huo Feng was even more puzzled. He's still limping? That makes sense. The question is, how did Tang San drag that lame leg here and end up ahead of us? Naturally, Huo Feng did not know that, afraid of missing Shrek Academy's entrance examination, Tang San had gotten up at four in the morning and started making his way here.

That was how he had managed to arrive at the normal time.

Looking at the mere four people remaining ahead of him, Tang San finally revealed a faint smile.

The sooner he passed the entrance examination, the sooner he could rest and recover from his injuries.

Very soon, all four people ahead completed their tests.

Just as Tang San had expected, none of them passed.

He could not help feeling a little impressed. The academy his teacher had recommended truly was extraordinary.

Although its conditions were somewhat rudimentary, its entrance examination was exceptionally strict.

Those four were fairly capable, yet they still could not stay. Clearly, this was not a place anyone could enter just because they wanted to.

"Next!"

"The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Just put them in the box beside you."

At that moment, the old man behind the table called out lazily.

Hearing him, Tang San hurried forward and took ten Gold Soul Coins from his bundle with a pained expression.

After carefully counting them twice, he reluctantly placed them into the wooden box beside him.

But on second thought, once he entered Shrek Academy to study, what were ten Gold Soul Coins worth? "Hold out one hand."

The old man spoke flatly.

Tang San hurriedly extended his hand before him.

Then his palm was lightly squeezed twice.

This was a method used to determine bone age.

"Your age is fine. Release your Soul Rings and martial soul."

The old man's expression remained calm.

Tang San nodded, then began circulating the Soul Power within his body.

An ordinary stalk of Blue Silver Grass grew from Tang San's right palm.

At the same time, one white and one yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet and spiraled upward.

Enhanced by the effects of the Soul Rings, the Blue Silver Grass changed from its original primitive state into dark-green, vine-like strands.

"Hm?"

"Is your martial soul really just Blue Silver Grass?"

The old man frowned slightly and looked at Tang San with some helplessness.

Tang San smiled faintly. You've clearly never seen Blue Silver Grass that can cultivate.

"Teacher, doesn't Shrek Academy only accept monsters? Do I count as a monster? I—"

"Sorry, you do not meet our admission standards!"

Tang San had only spoken halfway, full of confidence, when the old man suddenly interrupted him.

"W-What?"

Tang San froze where he stood, motionless as though he had turned to stone.

The old man's words were like a basin of cold water poured over his head.

The corners of his mouth twitched twice as he stiffly turned his neck toward the old man who had just spoken.

He could not understand why Shrek Academy had chosen such an old fellow to oversee the entrance examination. From the look of him, he was not even as spirited as Old Jack! "Leave quickly. Don't hold up the people behind you!"

The old man waved Tang San away impatiently.

Tang San immediately forced out a somewhat stiff smile and bowed respectfully.

"Teacher, could you have made a mistake? I—"

"Your martial soul is a typical useless martial soul. Although you have cultivated to Rank 20, your First Soul Ring is only an ordinary White Soul Ring."

"Furthermore, your body is far too weak to adapt to this academy's normal curriculum."

Tang San was interrupted again before he could finish.

"You may leave now!"

The old man once again told him to leave.

"Then return my registration fee!"

Tang San's face had turned livid and looked utterly unsightly.

He stared at the wooden box nearby, his teeth clenched tight.

Ten Gold Soul Coins were what he had earned only after three years of blacksmithing at the Blacksmith Shop.

Was he really supposed to give them away for nothing? "Hmph!"

The old man snorted.

His voice suddenly rose, and he said without the slightest courtesy.

"Once registered, fees will not be refunded!"