Flender

"Bullshit! Your martial soul is a grass chicken. Mine is a phoenix.

Even if all my elders' martial souls were chickens, mine is still a phoenix.

Haven't you heard that even a humble nest can produce a golden phoenix?"

Ma Hongjun said irritably.

Dai Mubai's smile did not fade. "A phoenix, fine. Let's call it a phoenix, then.

Tang San, Fatty's martial soul is very strange. The Dean said it's a mutated martial soul."

"A mutated martial soul? What two martial souls mutated to create it?"

Tang San pressed.

He had heard Grandmaster speak at length about mutated martial souls.

Once a martial soul mutated, there were only two possible outcomes. One was that it became exceptionally powerful; the other was that it was weakened.

Grandmaster himself had suffered greatly because of a martial soul mutation.

And Ma Hongjun's martial soul clearly belonged to the beneficial kind of mutation.

Dai Mubai said, "Not even Ma Hongjun himself probably knows.

In his village, everyone's martial souls were basically a kind of domestic fowl with no offensive power.

No one knew what happened, but when it came to him, his martial soul mutated, giving him the innate ability to wield flames.

Fatty didn't enroll here on his own. Three years ago, the Dean discovered him in his village and brought him back."

"Because of his martial soul mutation, Fatty gained formidable fire abilities. This fire is also extremely strange—it's not only incredibly hot, but highly adhesive and difficult to extinguish.

The Dean said that after his martial soul mutated, he really might have become a phoenix.

However, his martial soul also has a huge flaw. While the mutation gave him powerful Soul Power, it also affected his body to a certain degree.

Ma Hongjun hurriedly added, "When the Evil Fire rises, I can't suppress it!"

Bai Ge's mouth twitched wildly. A phoenix was a divine beast of heaven and earth, and this guy, who had utterly no moral integrity left, had the nerve to call himself one?

Xiao Wu spat with a flushed face. "Pervert."

"And this Miss Cui Hua is Fatty's legitimate girlfriend. There was no coercion involved. I can vouch for Fatty on that." Dai Mubai's expression turned serious.

Tang San nodded, then asked, "Then what about cultivation now?"

Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai exchanged glances, then chuckled. "Well... it's not like only a girlfriend can solve the Evil Fire problem. Isn't there also that place..."

Xiao Wu asked Tang San in confusion, "What place?"

Tang San stammered, not knowing how to explain it.

Sure enough, Tang San, this ancient tech nerd, really was conservative.

But then again, brothels had clearly been legal in ancient times, so how could Tang San be this innocent?

With the misunderstanding cleared up, Dai Mubai introduced everyone, and they could be considered acquainted through a fight.

Then Dai Mubai brought Bai Ge and the others to the cafeteria.

Dai Mubai suggested, "We'll be together for a long time in the future, so there's no need to be too formal with how we address each other.

Including the four of you newcomers, there are only eight people in the academy altogether.

Little Ao and Fatty both call me Boss Dai, since I'm a little older than them.

You can just call me Mu Bai. Call Ma Hongjun Fatty directly. As for Oscar, you can call him Little Ao or Uncle Great Sausage.

Tang San, Bai Ge, how about everyone calls you Little San and Xiao Bai from now on?"

Tang San nodded, indicating that he had no objections.

Bai Ge did not mind either.

Before Dai Mubai could get to her, Ning Rongrong said brightly, "Just call me Rongrong. That's what my family and friends call me."

Her smile never left her face. With that simple sentence, she invisibly closed the distance between herself and everyone else.

As for Xiao Wu, there was naturally no need to change how they addressed her.

However, when Dai Mubai's gaze fell upon Zhu Zhuqing, she stood up. "I'm full."

With that, she turned and walked out.

Bai Ge glanced at Dai Mubai. "Being a playboy feels good for a while, but winning your wife back is a crematorium."

Dai Mubai looked like he wanted to cry. "Brother, that cut deep."

After a while, everyone finished breakfast, and a series of clang-clang-clang sounds came from outside.

"Quick, let's go. That's the bell calling us together." Dai Mubai stood up.

When everyone arrived at the training ground, Oscar was already there. Having shaved his beard, he looked as transformed as a streamer from Bai Ge's previous life after putting on makeup.

Dai Mubai arrived with Zhu Zhuqing as well. Zhu Zhuqing was clearly keeping a certain distance from him, while Dai Mubai's expression was equally unpleasant.

Oscar gloated, "Looks like Boss Dai has hit another wall.

His foolproof tricks for picking up girls are going to fall flat this time."

While they were talking, a middle-aged man walked over from the other side of the training ground.

Tang San and Xiao Wu were both visibly stunned when they saw him. The newcomer looked to be around fifty years old, with a sturdy build and a remarkably distinctive face.

His chin protruded slightly, his cheekbones were broad, his face was flat, and he had a somewhat hooked nose.

If they absolutely had to compare him to something, his face looked a little like the sole of a shoe.

Though his eyes were closed, he still gave off a somewhat cunning impression.

He wore a pair of black-framed crystal glasses, with stiff, square frames.

Xiao Wu said in surprise, "Isn't that the shady merchant uncle?"

Oscar said in astonishment, "What shady merchant uncle?

This is our esteemed Dean, the founder of Shrek Academy, the Four-Eyed Cat Owl—Flender, a level seventy-eight Soul Sage.

He's even stronger than Teacher Zhao. And he possesses a flying beast martial soul. Fatty is his personal disciple."

Xiao Wu muttered, "Good, he's only level seventy-eight.

I never expected that classic line, 'We only accept monsters, not ordinary people,' to have come from him."

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San. "Little San, do you think that shady merchant uncle will remember us?"

Tang San smiled bitterly. "It's only been two days. He probably hasn't forgotten.

But since he's the Dean, he shouldn't hold your offense against you."

Oscar chuckled quietly. "Then you're wrong.

Our Dean Flender is famous for holding grudges.

Of course, his greatest strength is that he's fiercely protective of his own."

Flender, who was walking over, suddenly cast his gaze in their direction. It happened to settle on Oscar, and a hint of amusement flashed through his eyes.

Oscar's face fell. "Oh no, he might have heard what I said. I'm done for."

Flender walked up to the eight students and stopped.

His distinctive hoarse voice, carrying a hint of magnetism, rang out. "This year is very good. We have five more little monsters.

I, Flender, Dean of Shrek Academy, welcome you on behalf of the academy.

Later, each of you is to pay one hundred Gold Coins to Teacher Li, who handles the finances.

Also, Mu Bai—"

"Dean." Dai Mubai stepped forward. He seemed to hold Flender in great respect, even with a trace of admiration.

Flender said, "Later, tell them the academy rules.

Then go back and rest. Restore yourselves to your best condition as much as possible.

The first class today will begin tonight.

Oscar and Ning Rongrong are exceptions. You two, come with me."