The graduation assessment at Nuoding Academy had just ended when Tang San clutched the letter of recommendation for Shrek Academy that Master Yu Xiaogang had given him. With Xiao Wu carrying her luggage beside him, he left the academy gates. Wang Hu and the other two waved them off at the entrance, while the travel rations Li Qing had stuffed into his hands were still warm. Yet Tang San did not linger. Following his teacher's instructions, they had to reach Shrek as soon as possible and avoid Spirit Hall patrols. Still, he had to control their pace and could not waste Soul Power needlessly.
"Tang San, are we taking the main road? I heard we have to pass through three towns to reach Shrek. Wouldn't the smaller paths be shorter?" Xiao Wu skipped along beside him, still holding Nuoding Academy's graduation badge in her hand.
Tang San shook his head and deliberately slowed down. "The main road is safer. It's easy to get lost on side paths, and if we get delayed and miss Shrek's entrance test, that'll be troublesome. We'll take it slowly and rest when we're tired. Don't rush too much—preserving Soul Power is more important." He quietly calculated the costs. A slower pace would reduce their consumption while letting them watch their surroundings and avoid running into unnecessary trouble.
Choosing a slow travel pace on the grounds of "avoiding getting lost and preserving Soul Power," Slacking Value +1. Current total: 41 points
After walking for most of the day, they reached the first town—Suotuo City—only when the sun had begun to set. Following a passerby's directions, they found an inn that looked clean, only to be told that it was fully booked. "Should we look somewhere else?" Xiao Wu asked anxiously, tugging Tang San toward the street.
They had just turned the corner when they saw the sign for the Rose Hotel beneath glowing red lanterns. Tang San's heart stirred. There had been a conflict at the Rose Hotel in the original story. They had to handle this carefully and could not provoke trouble themselves. He deliberately pulled Xiao Wu into a slower pace and only pushed open the door once they drew close. His gaze swiftly swept across the lobby. Several black-clad soul masters in the corner were watching the entrance, their martial souls faintly showing signs of being summoned.
"Are you two staying the night or having a meal?" the waiter asked as he approached, his tone carrying a hint of wariness.
"We're staying. Two adjoining rooms." Tang San deliberately lowered his voice to avoid drawing the attention of the men in black. But the moment he received the room keys, a brawny man with a face full of flesh blocked his way. "Kid, this hotel is Black Wind Gang territory. You pay protection money if you want to stay—ten Gold Soul Coins per person!"
Xiao Wu immediately clenched her fists, the phantom of her rabbit martial soul faintly appearing behind her. Tang San, however, pulled her back and deliberately put on a timid expression. "We're only students passing through. We didn't bring that many Gold Soul Coins. Could you make an exception?" He knew this was the Black Wind Gang from the original story. They were not particularly strong, but there was no need to waste Soul Power fighting. He would stabilize them first.
Feigning weakness to "avoid a pointless conflict" and avoiding the consumption of initiating combat, Slacking Value +1. Current total: 42 points
But the brute would not let it go. He reached for Tang San's collar. "No Gold Soul Coins, and you still dare stay at the Rose Hotel? Get the hell out!"
Just then, a middle-aged man in a blue robe walked over. With a light flick of the folding fan in his hand, he pushed the brute's arm aside. "Black Wind Gang scum, causing trouble on my turf? You've got some nerve."
Tang San was delighted. Headmaster Flender! He quickly pulled Xiao Wu back, deliberately acting as though they had been frightened so they would not be drawn into the clash. Flender drove off the Black Wind Gang members in just a few moves, then turned to Tang San. His gaze fell upon the recommendation letter in Tang San's hand. "Master Yu Xiaogang sent you two to Shrek?"
"Yes. We just graduated from Nuoding Academy and were on our way to enroll at Shrek." Tang San hurriedly handed over the letter, deliberately making his tone respectful and revealing none of his strength.
Flender took the letter and read it briefly before nodding. "Come with me. I've already booked rooms for you. We'll leave for Shrek early tomorrow morning." He led them upstairs and opened the doors to two adjoining rooms. "Get some proper rest tonight. Don't cause any more trouble. Suotuo City isn't peaceful."
Only after Flender left did Xiao Wu finally relax. "That uncle just now was Shrek's headmaster? He was amazing!"
"Yeah. If we follow him tomorrow, we'll reach Shrek." Tang San leaned against the door and opened the system panel—42 points of Slacking Value, still 8 points short of the next Soul Power Increase. Rather than meditate immediately, he deliberately sorted through his luggage and slowly made the bed. "We were tired from traveling today. We'll rest for a while before meditating. Otherwise, our Soul Power will recover too slowly."
Delaying meditation on the grounds of "prioritizing physical recovery" and avoiding excessive consumption, Slacking Value +1. Current total: 43 points
Early the next morning, Flender set out with Tang San and Xiao Wu. Along the way, he briefly explained Shrek's enrollment requirements. "Shrek only accepts monsters, not trash. The entrance test is strict, so you'd better be prepared."
Tang San deliberately acted nervous. "Headmaster, our Soul Power isn't very high. Can we pass the test?"
"Whether you pass depends on your own ability." Flender said nothing more and quickened his pace.
After walking for two hours, they finally saw a forest. Deep within it stood a shabby wooden house, with a wooden sign reading "Shrek Academy" hanging outside. Xiao Wu ran over excitedly, while Tang San followed behind at a leisurely pace. He deliberately adjusted his Soul Power, releasing only thirty percent. The test would consume Soul Power later, so he had to conserve it now.
The moment they reached the wooden house, an old man in a straw hat came forward. It was Zhao Wuji. "Flender, are these the students you brought back?" His eyes swept over Tang San and Xiao Wu with scrutiny.
"Test them first." Flender waved his hand and pointed to a crystal ball nearby. "First test: Soul Power!"
Tang San placed his hand on it and deliberately injected only thirty percent of his Soul Power. The crystal ball glowed with a faint blue light, barely reaching the standard for rank 12. Xiao Wu stepped forward as well. Her Soul Power was rank 13, slightly higher than Tang San's. Zhao Wuji frowned. "Your Soul Power is a little low. Second test: martial soul control!"
He pointed at several wooden stakes in the distance. "Use your martial soul to accurately bind the marked points on the stakes. Bind five within the time it takes three incense sticks to burn, and you pass."
Tang San summoned Blue Silver Grass and deliberately lowered the precision of his control. Every bind "just happened" to graze past a marked point, and he only barely bound three by the time the incense was nearly finished. "That level of control—didn't you train properly at Nuoding Academy?" Zhao Wuji asked with some dissatisfaction.
"Teacher, traveling exhausted us, and my Soul Power hasn't recovered yet. My control isn't very stable." Tang San hurriedly made an excuse to avoid further questioning.
Lowering control precision on the grounds that "travel consumption has not yet been recovered," avoiding excessive consumption, Slacking Value +1. Current total: 44 points
Zhao Wuji said nothing more and had Xiao Wu take the test. Xiao Wu's rabbit martial soul was nimble, and she quickly bound five marked points. The final test was practical combat, with Zhao Wuji himself as the opponent. As soon as he released his soul rings, Xiao Wu wanted to rush forward, but Tang San pulled her back. "Headmaster, our Soul Power is low. Could you ask Teacher Zhao to lower the intensity? Otherwise, our Soul Power will be depleted after just a few exchanges, and we won't be able to show our true level."
Flender nodded. "Zhao Wuji, don't bully the children. Use only thirty percent of your Soul Power."
Once the practical test began, Tang San only used Blue Silver Grass to lightly bind Zhao Wuji's hands and feet, never taking the initiative to attack, while Xiao Wu relied on her speed to dodge. The two worked together to stall for time and ultimately passed by "lasting a quarter of an hour without being knocked down."
"Barely qualified. Classes officially begin tomorrow." Zhao Wuji withdrew his soul rings and turned to enter the wooden house.
Tang San sighed in relief and followed Flender with Xiao Wu to arrange their dormitory. Along the way, Xiao Wu said excitedly, "Tang San, we finally made it into Shrek!"
"Yeah. We'll be studying here from now on." Tang San smiled, but he was quietly doing the math. They had accumulated 4 points of Slacking Value today, bringing them closer to the next Soul Power Increase. His days at Nuoding Academy were over. Shrek's "road to the peak of slacking" had only just begun.
Before you continue