"This class can't go on without Oscar. Tang San, go get Oscar..."
Before Flender could finish speaking, Oscar's excited voice rang out beside their ears.
"Dean!"
They turned to see Oscar hurrying over from the dormitories. There was no panic at being late on his face; instead, he was brimming with excitement.
Flender's expression darkened noticeably. He's late and still this excited? Has my authority become that weak? Just as he was about to scold Oscar, he heard Oscar say breathlessly,
"Dean! I... I broke through... Level 30!"
"Level 30? What Level 30... You mean Soul Power?!"
Flender did not understand at first, but then a flash of realization struck him. He stared at Oscar in astonishment.
And Flender was not the only one. Everyone else looked at Oscar in shock as well. Though Oscar was a little younger than Dai Mubai, he was already fourteen this year. And he was a Food System auxiliary Soul Master. This type of Soul Master had always found cultivation difficult, yet Oscar had actually broken through to Level 30?
"That's right! Dean, my Soul Power has broken through Level 30."
After catching his breath, Oscar's speech became smoother. He said with an excited expression,
"Good! Very good!" A smile appeared on Flender's face as he patted Oscar's shoulder. His eyes were filled with gratification, as well as a touch of emotion.
Everyone stepped forward to congratulate Oscar. Forget Food System Soul Masters—even for an ordinary Battle Soul Master, reaching Level 30 at fourteen was a terrifying achievement. Oscar's future was clearly limitless.
Although everyone present was highly talented, that did not stop them from congratulating him.
Only two people were exceptions. One was Zhu Zhuqing, who stood where she was with her head lowered, seemingly lost in thought. The other was Ning Rongrong. As she watched Oscar being surrounded by everyone, her gaze was far more complicated.
After the congratulations, Flender continued, "Perfect timing. Oscar is the main focus of today's class. The lesson is simple: every one of you must eat at least one sausage made by Oscar."
Oscar froze, then the smile on his face gradually turned lewd.
"What kind of class is this?!"
Seeing Oscar's lewd smile and recalling his Soul Incantation, Xiao Wu nearly broke out in goosebumps. She could not help crying out.
"This is adaptability training." Flender glanced at Xiao Wu before continuing.
"Let me ask you: which is more important, your life or... When your life is in danger, forget sausages—even rats, cockroaches, and earthworms, you will have to eat them."
By the end, all four girls had gone pale, their expressions turning ugly. Ning Rongrong and Hermione in particular already felt the urge to vomit.
Flender remained unmoved. He said flatly, "You are monsters, not ordinary people! If you cannot even endure this, you might as well leave the academy now. Oscar, begin!"
Oscar chuckled, his eyes indescribably lewd as two soul rings rose beneath his feet.
"I've got a big sausage."
"I've got a Small Sausage."
Once the two Soul Incantations were finished, two sausages of different flavors appeared in Oscar's hands. Their rich aroma instantly spread through the air.
But upon smelling that fragrance, the girls' expressions became even worse. The remaining two girls even felt like vomiting.
Oscar's face darkened. "Is it really that terrifying? Who wants to go first?"
Whoosh!
Zhao Xuan moved in an instant, snatching the two sausages from Oscar's hands and chomping them down.
The girls immediately turned their eyes toward Zhao Xuan, staring at him as though they had seen something terrifying.
Zhao Xuan remained unfazed, his expression perfectly normal. As he ate, he even commented, "Not bad. Very fragrant! The fat and lean meat are evenly balanced, rich without being greasy."
"See? I told you my sausages were great." Oscar instantly darted to Zhao Xuan's side, his eyes shining as he spoke excitedly, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
"Not bad. Give me two more!" Zhao Xuan licked his lips, looking as though he had not had enough, then spoke to Oscar.
Hermione quietly moved closer, tugged on Zhao Xuan's sleeve, and asked with wide eyes, "You... don't find it disgusting?"
Zhao Xuan paused. "Why would it be disgusting? It's just a Soul Incantation. There's nothing wrong with the food itself."
If something was disgusting, it could not be eaten. Compared to some bizarre foods from his previous life, those were what truly counted as disgusting.
For example, balut... balut... balut...
It was the first time Oscar had met someone who liked his martial soul. He nearly could not resist crying out to the heavens. At last, he had found someone who appreciated quality. Hearing Zhao Xuan ask for more, he hurriedly made two more sausages.
But while Zhao Xuan's hand was still in midair, a slender hand reached over and swiftly grabbed both sausages.
Zhao Xuan and Oscar froze. The others beside them froze as well. They looked over and discovered that Ning Rongrong had taken the sausages.
Ning Rongrong's expression was resolute, though hesitation lingered in her eyes. Seeing everyone looking at her, she shot Oscar a fierce glare, then made up her mind and bit down hard. She looked truly vicious.
Oscar's scalp went numb. He could not help making an unpleasant association.
Ning Rongrong initially wore an expression of someone prepared to die, but her expression slowly turned astonished. Oscar's martial soul had clearly surprised her.
Seeing this, Oscar began showing off again. He chuckled. "So? My martial soul is pretty good, right?"
Ning Rongrong glanced at him, then seemed to casually sweep her gaze over his lower body. A smile appeared on her face. "The feeling of biting one off in a single bite is really nice."
A chill ran through Oscar's entire body, and he shut his mouth again.
But after that little episode, the others felt far less disgust toward Oscar's Soul Incantation. Or rather, once someone had tried it, it no longer seemed so frightening.
One after another, everyone took sausages from Oscar. The girls were no exception, though their expressions were much fiercer, especially when they bit into them while glaring at Oscar.
Those vicious expressions made Oscar's hairs stand on end, and even the lewd smile on his face became forced.
After everyone had eaten, Oscar wiped away nonexistent sweat and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though all the strength had drained from his body.
"Mm."
Flender nodded. Today's lesson had gone very smoothly, which pleased him greatly.
He looked at the nine children before him. Every one of them possessed talent beyond the reach of ordinary people. He believed that once they grew, every one of them would become a powerful figure renowned across the continent. And they would be Shrek Academy's pride.
Flender took a deep breath, then declared loudly, "You all did very well!"
Everyone looked toward him.
Flender's gaze burned as he continued, "You must understand that the world of Soul Masters is neither ordinary nor peaceful. True Soul Masters face competition and even slaughter. When you encounter danger, if you care about meaningless things like a Soul Incantation, you will lose opportunities to grow stronger and, in turn, the strength to contend with others."
"Now, you have one day to return and rest. Tomorrow morning, Zhao Wuji will lead you to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain Oscar's third soul ring. Remember, this is not Oscar's matter alone. It is training for all of you! Until you encounter a thousand-year Spirit Beast, Zhao Wuji... and Zhao Xuan will not act. Everything will depend on yourselves."
Flender looked deeply at them, his eyes concealing profound expectations.
Grow quickly, little monsters. I look forward to your future.
Before you continue