"Enrollment"

Long Yao's Cloud Light Wind Light leap was like a boulder tossed into a calm lake, instantly kicking up a thousand waves across the noisy square. His graceful figure and exquisite Movement Technique as he landed without a sound made the thousands of youths and maidens below, still troubled by the line, cry out in astonishment together, their eyes filled with shock and envy.

For Wang Dong, who was already flustered from seeing him again, the impact of this scene was undoubtedly huge. She watched helplessly as that Black-Clad Youth landed not far from her as casually as if he were strolling through a courtyard. That composure and ease formed an incredibly sharp contrast with the crowded, anxious surroundings, as if he and the rest of them did not belong to the same world at all.

"Yo, you're here to enroll too?"

A gentle voice sounded by her ear, neither too close nor too far, just at a distance where she could hear it clearly without feeling offended.

Wang Dong abruptly came back to her senses and found Long Yao standing sideways, greeting her, his face still wearing that smile that made her teeth itch a little, as if everything was under his control. Her Small Face flushed red with a whoosh, and her heartbeat inexplicably skipped half a beat. She wanted to pretend she had not heard him, but the other party's gaze seemed almost tangible, making it impossible for her to ignore. She could only turn her head even farther away and respond with a heavy "hmph," her Pink Blue short hair swinging out in a stubborn arc with the motion.

The danmu in the Livestream Room instantly exploded.

[Lust is the Primary Productive Force]: Here it comes! He's taking the initiative! The streamer is too good at this! That completely at-ease posture, that damned composure! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

[Keyboard Warrior Ninth-Rank Elder]: Jumping the wall, cutting the line, then going over to greet her—this mockery is maxed out! Look at that pink-haired kid's expression, he's about to explode from anger, hahahaha!

[Rich Women Love Me]: Aiya, this big sister loves how naughty the little Handsome Guy looks~ That's exactly how it should be. When dealing with this kind of tsundere Little One, you can't be too serious!

[Defeat the Hypocritical Tang San]: Well done! This is what the bearing of a Strong Person should be! Ignore the rules and go straight to the goal! Who knows how much stronger he is than Tang San, who talks about rules every day!

Long Yao seemed not to care at all about Wang Dong's attitude of keeping him a thousand miles away, nor did he pay any attention to the various complicated gazes cast at him from all around. He merely smiled, then walked unhurriedly toward the area responsible for New Student registration. There was a long line there, but he went straight to the very front of the line and, under the stares of a group of exam candidates who dared to be angry but dared not speak, lightly knocked on the table.

The one in charge of registration was a rather tired-looking middle-aged Teacher. He looked up at this Uninvited Guest, his brows tightly furrowing, just about to scold him for not understanding the rules, yet the instant he met Long Yao's Deep Eyes, he swallowed the words already at his lips. From this youth, he felt an indescribable aura. Although there was no Soul Power Fluctuation, that confidence made him not dare to underestimate him.

"Long Yao, sixteen Years Old, Level 24 Soul Grandmaster."

Long Yao's voice rang out calmly. He had not deliberately raised it, yet it clearly reached everyone nearby.

As soon as these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

"Sixteen? A Level 24 Soul Grandmaster? Is that for real?"

"At this age, with this cultivation, he can already be considered a genius, right?"

"No wonder he dares to be so arrogant. So he actually has real ability!"

That middle-aged Teacher was also stunned, then a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. He pointed at a Crystal Ball on the table and said in a businesslike tone, "Put your hand on it. Test your soul power."

Long Yao did as he said and gently covered the chilly Crystal Ball with his palm. At the instant his palm made contact with the Crystal Ball, the Vast Sea Ring on his Index Finger, the deep-blue gem on its surface, flashed with an almost imperceptible blue light finer than a strand of hair.

The next second, the inside of the Crystal Ball lit up! Soft white light rose from the bottom, swiftly climbing upward and stopping precisely at the scale mark Representing Level 24. The light was stable and clear, not a fraction more, not a fraction less.

"Hiss..." The sound of sharp inhales rang out all around once more. Facts spoke louder than words!

Even that experienced Teacher's eyes revealed a trace of approval. A sixteen-year-old Level 24 Soul Grandmaster might not count as Top-Tier in Shrek Academy's history, but he was definitely an outstanding talent qualified to enter the academy. He nodded, picked up his pen, quickly registered him in the roster, then handed over a wooden token carved with a number.

"Soul power verification passed. Take your number token and go to the Second Assessment Area."

And this scene also fell completely into Wang Dong's eyes not far away. Her beautiful Pink Blue Eyes were filled with intense confusion and puzzlement.

"Level 24? Only Level 24?" Her heart was filled with questions. "How is that possible... Yesterday, when he paid me back with the Candied Hawthorn, I clearly sensed a very special temperament from him. And that Movement Technique just now, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like something a mere Soul Grandmaster could do... Could my feeling have been wrong?"

This enormous sense of contrast made her curiosity toward Long Yao burn even more intensely in an instant, like flames fed with dry wood.

Just as her thoughts were running wild, Long Yao had already received his number token. He did not leave immediately. Instead, he turned around and glanced in Wang Dong's direction again.

"Then I'll go in first and take the second assessment, okay?"

He waved at her, his smile brilliant, as if they were old friends who had known each other for many years. Then he no longer lingered, turned around, and slowly walked toward the bustling Second Assessment Area.

"Who... who asked you to greet me!" Wang Dong was caught off guard by him, her Small Face flushing bright red. She could only Stomp Her Foot and complain angrily in a voice only she herself could hear, then also walked forward in a huff to line up for registration.

Shrek Academy's Second Assessment Area was an incomparably huge open-air plaza. The plaza had been divided into several dozen independent circular arenas, each presided over by a Teacher from Shrek Academy. The assessment content was very simple and also extremely direct—actual combat! Students would be randomly assigned to fight one-on-one. The winner advanced, the loser was eliminated.

Long Yao was in no hurry to find his own arena. Instead, he deliberately lined up at the end of one queue. This position was neither too far forward nor too far back; it allowed him to observe the others' battles while perfectly carrying out his plan—waiting for that Pink Blue-haired Little One to come over.

Sure enough, before long, Wang Dong, who had finished registering, also arrived at the Second Assessment Area. She spotted that black-clad figure who looked especially leisurely among the crowd almost at a glance. She bit her Lips, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through her eyes—defiance, curiosity, and also a hint of expectation that even she herself had not noticed. After hesitating for a moment, she finally stepped forward and walked straight to the line Long Yao was in, stopping a few people behind him.

That calm and composed posture, that greeting as familiar as if they were old friends, made Wang Dong, who stood in the line, feel uncomfortable all over. She could clearly feel countless gazes from all around—including those Young Girls in Love who had originally been secretly looking at her—now focusing in unison on her and that Black-Clad Youth, their eyes filled with probing and gossip. This made the Little Princess of the God Realm, who had always been the absolute focus and controlled the whole scene, experience for the first time what it meant to be "unable to help herself" and "watched by others."

Her Small Face was taut as she worked hard to maintain her haughty expression, deciding to respond to the other party's provocation with the most thorough disregard. She firmly locked her Line of Sight onto a nearby arena where a match was currently taking place, as if she had developed an extremely strong interest in that utterly ordinary battle, not even willing to spare the annoying guy behind her the slightest sidelong glance.

However, her pricked-up ears faithfully betrayed her. She clearly heard the unhurried Footsteps behind her, and heard the low murmurs from the surrounding crowd as they made way.

Then, Long Yao's gentle yet infuriating voice rang out beside her ear once again without warning, even closer than before.

"Come on, I at least paid you back with a Candied Hawthorn yesterday. Are you really going to be this cold to me?"

These words, carrying a trace of familiarity and innocent teasing, were like a feather, accurately brushing over Wang Dong's most sensitive nerve. Her body suddenly stiffened, and a wave of heat rushed from her neck straight to her forehead, dyeing even her fair Ear Root with a suspicious layer of pink.

This Bastard! How dare he! How dare he speak to her in that tone!

Wang Dong abruptly turned around, flames of offended anger burning in her Pink Blue Big Eyes. She was just about to open her mouth to scold him, only to find that Long Yao had left his line at some point and was now standing behind her, having joined this queue as well. His hands were leisurely folded behind his head, his body leaning back slightly, his whole person exuding a lazy air of indifference toward everything, as if his appearance here was only natural and right.

The surrounding whispers grew even louder.

"Oh My God, that Handsome Guy in black actually really went to hit on that iceberg little Handsome Guy!"

"He's so bold! That Pink Blue-haired one doesn't look easy to mess with..."

"Look, the iceberg little Handsome Guy's face is red from anger. There's going to be a show!"

Being watched by so many people, Wang Dong's pride made it impossible for her to erupt in public. She Took a Deep Breath, forcibly suppressed the anger in her heart, and lowered her voice until it was cold and hard. "Who's being cold to you? Besides, are you following me, or am I following you?"

She tried to use a question in return to seize back the initiative, but that slightly trembling voice exposed the unrest within her.

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never be defeated. Let's first see what other people's fighting styles are like." Long Yao seemed to have completely missed the Gunpowder Smell in her words. He merely pointed with his chin toward an arena ahead where a fierce battle was taking place, speaking in a relaxed tone.

In that arena, a sturdy Beast Martial Soul youth was locked in battle with an agile Weapon Martial Soul girl. The Beast Martial Soul youth's attacks were broad and forceful, each strike heavy and powerful, while the Weapon Martial Soul girl was like a butterfly flitting among flowers, constantly circling her opponent and searching for an opening.

Long Yao's explanation was perfectly reasonable, and in an instant, it blocked every follow-up challenge Wang Dong had prepared. That was right—observing one's opponent was something every Soul Master did before a fight. Strategically speaking, there was absolutely nothing to criticize about his behavior.

Wang Dong was left speechless by him. She could only bite her lower lip and turn her head back again. But huge waves surged through her heart. This guy... is he really only Level 24? Why can he always see through my thoughts so easily, and always defuse my attacks in the simplest way? Just who is he?

Just as her thoughts were in turmoil, that voice that drove her mad rang out once more. This time, the question was even more direct.

"What's your name? I'm Long Yao," Long Yao asked Wang Dong with a smile.

The question came like a straight punch, striking without any flourish. Tell him? Wouldn't that mean she had admitted defeat? Refuse to tell him? That would make her seem petty, as if she were afraid of him.

Wang Dong felt as if her brain was about to tie itself into knots. She had never met anyone this difficult to deal with! In the past, those children of the Divine Realm who tried to get close to her were either scared off by her family background, or left speechless after just a few retorts from her. But this Long Yao before her was like an unfathomable fog. Neither persuasion nor force worked on him, and yet he always managed to step precisely on the spot that made her most uncomfortable.

"Why should I tell you!" she blurted out almost instinctively, her voice rising a little from shame and annoyance. After saying it, even she froze. That reaction was exactly like a little girl throwing a tantrum. Where was even the slightest dignity of a Divine Realm princess?

She shut her mouth in vexation and refused to say another word, simply turning her back to Long Yao. The taut line of her shoulders expressed her feelings of "I'm very angry, don't talk to me anymore" with perfect clarity.

And the instant Long Yao said his own name, a will even colder and sharper than last night's stabbed viciously toward his Sea of Consciousness like an invisible ice spike! This was no longer simple surveillance and warning. It carried a trace of undisguised Killing Intent!

[Warning: Target Person "Tang San" Divine Sense has activated high-level hostile lock-on! Assessing Threat Level... High!]

Long Yao's hands were clasped behind his head, and his fingers curled imperceptibly. He could clearly feel that the thread of will from the distant Divine Realm had already regarded him as a "source of danger" that had to be eliminated.

The smile on his face did not change, but deep in his eyes, a cold gleam flashed, carrying a hint of excitement.

"Next! Number 88, Number 121, onto the stage!" Not far away, the resonant voice of the teacher in charge of the assessment broke the subtle standoff in this area.

The real show had only just begun.

Time: Douluo Calendar Year 2030 Season: Autumn Next morning, 8:25

Location: Shrek Academy, Second Assessment Area

Audience: 32,677

Equipment: Vast Sea Ring

Items: Silver Soul Coin x8, Copper Spirit Coin x90

First Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear [Traits: Armor Breaking, Soul Devouring, Penetration]

Second Martial Soul: Chaos Holy Dragon (Hidden) [Traits: Strength, Time, Space]

Soul Power: Level 45 (Soul Ancestor) [Status: Shielded by Vast Sea Ring, external perception is Level 24]

Soul Rings: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Soul Ring (Yellow Hundred-Year), Second Soul Ring (Purple Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black Ten-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Black Ten-Thousand-Year)

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Soul Ring (Black Thirteen-Thousand-Year), Second Soul Ring (Black Twenty-Eight-Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black Forty-Six-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Rose Gold Hundred-Thousand-Year)

Soul Skills: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Soul Skill: Swift Shadow Stab, Second Soul Skill: Whirlwind Spear, Third Soul Skill: Armor Breaking Spiral, Fourth Spirit Skill: Thousand Spirit Spear Rain

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Soul Skill: Star Ring, Second Soul Skill: Holy Dragon Claw, Third Spirit Skill: Void Claw, Fourth Spirit Skill: Time and Space Roar

Soul Bones: None

Soul Spirit: None

Reward Stash: [Million-Year Spirit Beast Inverse Scale] [Hallucinatory Perfume]