Admission Assessment

Another boy came up to the old man to register, accompanied by both his parents. His mother confidently placed ten Gold Coins into the wooden box, and the boy obediently held out his hand.

The old man squeezed his hand, glanced at the boy with his murky eyes, and said, "Exactly twelve years old. Release your martial soul and let me see it."

The boy nodded. Pale green Soul Power flowed out from his body, and a yellow hundred-year Soul Ring rose and fell around him.

The old man shook his head. "Unqualified. You may leave."

The boy's parents had been brimming with confidence, but when they heard the old man say their child had failed, their expressions immediately froze.

His mother could not help asking, "Why? My son is one of the best students at his Primary Academy.

Didn't you see that his Soul Ring is a hundred years old?

There aren't many soul masters with a hundred-year Soul Ring."

The old man said flatly, "A first Soul Ring that is a hundred years old is naturally quite good, but he is still an ordinary person."

The boy's father frowned. "I don't understand what you mean."

Growing somewhat impatient, the old man rose from behind the table and addressed not only the boy's parents before him, but also the people waiting in line behind them. "If you came to register at Shrek Academy, you should have understood the rules first.

Coming here without figuring them out is nothing more than throwing away your registration fee.

It is not too late to regret it now. Do you know what Shrek means in the name Shrek Academy?"

Most of the applicants looked utterly bewildered after hearing the old man's words.

The old man said coldly, "Shrek is a kind of monster, an exceptionally strange existence even among soul beasts.

The meaning of Shrek Academy is Monster Academy. In other words, we only accept monsters here, not ordinary people.

If you are over twelve years old or your Soul Power has not reached level twenty-one, then do not waste your time here."

Hearing this, Bai Ge realized that the claim that Shrek Academy scammed people out of registration fees was probably untenable.

These parents had likely heard that graduating from Shrek could earn one the title of viscount, then rushed over in a panic without even checking the admission requirements.

Over the years, Bai Ge had also conducted some research and comparisons.

Since there was no concept of self-created skills, soul masters without Soul Rings merely possessed Soul Power. They might not even be able to defeat a ten-year soul beast.

A one-ring soul master could barely fight a ten-year soul beast if armed with a blade.

A two-ring Soul Grandmaster could handle soul beasts that were one or two hundred years old.

A three-ring Soul Elder with a top-tier martial soul might be able to fight a soul beast with around a thousand years of cultivation.

A four-ring Soul Ancestor could deal with one that had several thousand years of cultivation.

After that, Soul Kings through Soul Douluo were basically on the same level as ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

Of course, that referred to ordinary soul beasts, not overpowered monsters among soul beasts like the Titan Giant Ape and the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

Then came Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, which generally corresponded to Titled Douluo.

If it were a Titan Giant Ape, even old Sword Douluo Chen Xin might not be able to gain the upper hand.

Of course, that was in the original story.

Now that Sword Douluo had learned the Ephemeral Sword Secret and Innate Formless Sword Qi, although his cultivation was still level ninety-seven, his swordsmanship had become increasingly unfathomable.

According to the old man's drunken confession last time, Bone Douluo now struggled even to receive one of his sword strikes and was completely suppressed.

That smug look of his was truly unbearable to watch.

In other words, Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings had become a paradox.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could basically slap a Soul Douluo to death with every hit.

But Titled Douluo already had all their Soul Rings.

Shrek Academy's advantage was that it had several top-tier Soul Saint experts to protect its students while they hunted Soul Rings, ensuring that they could obtain ten-thousand-year Soul Rings.

Take Heaven Dou Royal Academy, for example. It only accepted noble students. Although it had three Soul Douluo members of the Education Committee overseeing it, anyone could tell that aside from the few with the highest status, who could possibly invite them?

It could be said that Shrek was the strongest commoner academy.

Spirit Hall might be stronger, but it also had many more people. Could you guarantee that a Soul Saint or Soul Douluo-level teacher would tutor you one-on-one?

Dream on.

As far as Bai Ge knew, whenever a Soul Douluo taught a class, there were several hundred people in the classroom—more exaggerated than the professors' lectures at his university in his previous life.

As for Bai Ge himself, Qian Renxue had laid his foundation, and later he had relied on Sword Douluo.

By now, he had learned nearly everything they could teach him. From here on, he would have to rely on himself.

Later, when he obtained Soul Rings, he would only need to ask Sword Douluo for help. That was all.

At that moment, a familiar seven-colored treasure light drew Bai Ge's attention back.

A girl in a pale blue dress entered his field of vision.

Then the girl's familiar voice rang out. "Excuse me, have I passed?"

The surprise on the old man's face gradually faded. Frowning, he asked, "Do the adults in your family know you came here?"

The girl did not answer his question. She merely smiled. "They say education should make no distinctions. As long as I meet the academy's requirements, you have no reason to refuse me, do you?"

"Of course they know."

Bai Ge's voice sounded from behind Ning Rongrong.

"Brother Xiao Bai, why are you here?" Ning Rongrong was immensely surprised.

When they had first met, Ning Rongrong had followed Xue Qinghe—who was actually Qian Renxue—in calling him Xiao Bai.

But after Ning Rongrong had been won over by his fairy tales, as well as egg tarts, chocolate cupcakes, and other pastries, she obediently began calling him Brother Xiao Bai.

It was a little strange, but he got used to it.

Incidentally, Qian Renxue preferred vanilla and strawberry flavors.

Bai Ge reached out and rubbed Ning Rongrong's little head. "Come on, you didn't seriously think that the commotion of an auxiliary soul master climbing over a wall to run away could escape the notice of two Titled Douluo, did you?

I happened to be planning to attend school here too, so your Sword Grandfather asked me to look after you while I was at it."

Ning Rongrong's little face flushed bright red, and she was left speechless.

She was merely a little willful, but she was also exceptionally intelligent. She had only become carried away earlier, and now she understood.

Over the years she had spent with Bai Ge, under his influence, she was nowhere near as spoiled and unreasonable as she had been in the original story. She was only a little tsundere.

In truth, judging by their years together, Rongrong was indeed rather pampered, but that had much to do with her status.

With two Titled Douluo protecting her and granting her every wish as though she were their own granddaughter, no one on the entire Douluo Continent besides Qian Renxue received such treatment.

Not even an emperor could compare.

As for Dai Mubai, whose identity could be called a down-and-out prince at best and a stray dog being hunted down at worst, he truly had no right to act arrogant before Rongrong.

If Rongrong went back and complained that Dai Mubai had bullied her, Sword Douluo might remain somewhat calm, but Bone Douluo would definitely rush over and slap Dai Mubai to death.

And Bai Ge dared guarantee that the Star Luo royal family would not say a single word.

This world was cruel. The strong were revered, completely unlike Bai Ge's previous life, and some of its notions simply did not apply.