First Encounter with Shrek

"Ding. Emergency mission: Sword Douluo's attack completed. Calculating rewards now."

"Ding. Detected that the host completed this mission to an exceptionally high standard. Reward quality upgraded."

"Ding. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the mission rewards: Soul Power Level +3, Green-quality Earth Dragon Dust Martial Soul Talent Grant Card ×1, Gold-quality Refined Five Unedged Sword Talent Effect Grant Card ×1."

"Use them directly." Lang Lei, carrying Griseo in his arms, paused for a moment before showing little reaction.

"Ding. Used."

Congratulations to the host. Your First Martial Soul has gained the talent effect: Soul Ring Control.

Talent: Soul Ring Control

Description: Low-key luxury with hidden depth? Playing the pig to eat the tiger? That's all in the past!

Effect: On yourself, you can freely alter the colors of your First Martial Soul's soul rings. On enemies, you can forcibly seal the opponent's first 3 soul rings (upgradeable). While soul rings are sealed, soul skills cannot be used.

Item: Indestructible Unedged Sword (Gold) (Refinement Tier Five)

Description: A young person's dream, the excitement of setting out on a journey—if these two precious qualities are not sharp enough, then make up for it with courage!

Talent Effect: Indestructible (Gold). A reflection of the host's heart, incapable of being destroyed by outside forces. Even if only a trace of courage remains in your heart, it shall remain indestructible. In desperate circumstances, grip it and carve open a path!

"So it's just giving me cheat codes..." Lang Lei was somewhat surprised. Though it was only a Green-quality talent, it was practically designed to counter Soul Masters!

It was probably rated Green precisely because it only countered Soul Masters, right? Even if it targeted the entire Soul Master population.

After all, most Soul Masters' skills came from soul rings. Soul Masters with Self-Created Soul Skills were few and far between. If their soul skills were sealed, they could probably only fight hand-to-hand or compare who had more Soul Power.

And when a Soul Master with soul skills faced one without them, calling it a complete stomp would not be an exaggeration.

By comparison, the ability to alter the colors of his own Martial Soul's soul rings seemed like an added bonus.

As for the Indestructible Unedged Sword...

It might come in handy someday. At the very least, it was a Gold item now, wasn't it?

"Brother Lang Lei, there's a village ahead."

Lang Lei looked over. That should be where Shrek was located.

There was actually a reason he had chosen to come to Shrek Academy today.

Besides wanting to slightly suppress the original petty protagonist, Tang San, Lang Lei also wanted to take a look at Ning Rongrong, the little witch spoiled by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The hardest thing to determine in achieving those two goals was timing. Either he dealt with both at once, or he could deal with neither. He could not exactly keep Griseo living in that shabby village forever, could he?

Though Griseo did not mind, he still wanted to give her the best.

Fortunately, the only benefit Dai Mubai had brought yesterday was allowing him to confirm the timing. Since Dai Mubai had not taken those twin beauties to the Rose Hotel in Suotuo City and had instead gone elsewhere, he had most likely met Tang San for the first time.

Moving things forward a little, Tang San and Xiao Wu's enrollment date became clear as well. It was most likely today.

After spotting the village and walking for a little longer, Lang Lei and Griseo arrived at Shrek Academy's admissions area.

Quite a few people had gathered at the village entrance. Most appeared to be eleven or twelve-year-old youths, though there were some older ones too. They were probably hoping to get lucky.

Most of them had parents accompanying them. A pair like Lang Lei and Griseo was rather rare.

Thanks to Lang Lei's looks and Griseo's cuteness, the two caused quite a stir as soon as they arrived. Lang Lei, however, was used to it and chatted with Griseo as if no one else existed.

Griseo, on the other hand, was still a little shy and buried her face in Lang Lei's chest.

Lang Lei looked ahead. A table had been placed at the village entrance, behind which sat an old man in his sixties. He should be Li Yusong, whose Martial Soul was the Dragon Patterned Staff. Not far from Li Yusong stood a wooden archway, from which hung a somewhat battered signboard carved with five simple words: Shrek Academy.

Yet despite its rundown state, quite a few students were still lined up in front of Lang Lei.

Lang Lei also saw someone lying atop a tree near the registration area. Unlike in the original story, this time it was a plump student lying there. It was undoubtedly Ma Hongjun.

Lang Lei even worried that Ma Hongjun might snap the branch he was lying on.

Likewise, Lang Lei found several other members of the protagonist group in the line. The original protagonist, the "pure and spotless" Young Master Tang San, and the "unknown offspring" rogue rabbit were naturally among them as well.

Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong stood slightly ahead of him, directly in front of Tang San, looking every bit like a dignified young lady. Not far behind her was Zhu Zhuqing, with only two people separating her from him and Griseo.

"Oh? Looks like we didn't come too late. We can actually witness the famous enrollment scene." Lang Lei watched Shrek Academy's so-called entrance test with a cold smile, but had no intention of stopping it.

At that moment, a young boy who did not look very old stepped up to the table to register.

Li Yusong said lazily, "The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Put them in that box."

The boy's accompanying father hurriedly took out ten Gold Soul Coins and placed them into the crude box nailed together from several wooden planks beside them.

"Hold out a hand," Li Yusong said again.

The boy obediently extended his hand before Li Yusong. Li Yusong squeezed it twice, shook his head at him, and said bluntly, "You don't meet the age requirement. You can leave. Of course, the registration fee is nonrefundable."

The boy froze and instinctively looked at his father.

The boy's father hurriedly explained, "Teacher, my son only turned thirteen not long ago. Do you think... perhaps you could make an exception?"

As he spoke, he discreetly took out several Silver Soul Coins.

Li Yusong became somewhat impatient.

"Don't hold up the people behind you who still need to be tested. Don't you know the rules of Soul Master Academies? We only accept children under thirteen, under thirteen! Anyone over thirteen will not be accepted! Leave now!"

The boy's father was still unwilling to give up. "Then our registration fee..."

Li Yusong said without the slightest courtesy, "Is something wrong with your ears? I already said it: once registered, there are no refunds!"

Having been cheated so openly by Shrek Academy, the boy's father could not help roaring in anger. "You're clearly scamming people out of money! Return our registration fee! Otherwise, we won't leave!

If we had known this so-called Shrek Academy was this shabby, we never would have come. Your school environment isn't even as good as the toilets at Suotuo Intermediate Academy!"

Li Yusong became somewhat angry. "Hongjun, someone wants their registration fee back. Deal with it."

Ma Hongjun jumped down from the tree, and the branch let out a tremendous crack. "Hehe, it's finally my turn to say this. You want your registration fee back? Fine. Beat me, and not a single coin will be withheld. You'll get it all back."

Dai Mubai should have been standing here originally, but due to his severe injuries, even though Flender had spent a fortune hiring a healing-type support Soul Master, Dai Mubai could not recover his mobility in such a short time. Worse still, his manhood and left eye could never be fully healed.

He had successfully become the "One-Eyed Eunuch Tiger."

Ma Hongjun immediately activated his Martial Soul. Two Hundred-Year Soul Rings rose and fell around him, and a terrifying pressure for ordinary people surged toward the boy's father.

As mentioned before, among Soul Masters, soul rings were always the greatest source of authority. Soul Ring Control's restraint against Soul Masters was reflected in this aspect as well.

Seeing the two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings around Ma Hongjun, the boy's father's expression changed drastically. Leaving behind only the words, "Call it our bad luck," he grabbed his son and quickly left.

After watching that scene, Lang Lei could not tell who was right or wrong for a moment. He could only look at his adorable Griseo to cleanse his eyes.

Once that farce ended, half the people waiting in line immediately left. No one wanted to waste money. Ten Gold Soul Coins were already a huge sum for an ordinary family.

What was more, Shrek Academy's appearance was truly hard to praise. It was dilapidated and did not look like a proper academy at all.

Just like the farce in the original story, Lang Lei boredly endured the devastation Griseo's little hands inflicted on his face without making any move to stop her.

Then a familiar voice came from ahead. It was Ning Rongrong's. He had seen Ning Rongrong a few times in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so he recognized her voice.

"They say education should be offered without discrimination. As long as I meet the academy's requirements, you have no reason to reject me, right?"

"..."

"So it's starting..." The corner of Lang Lei's mouth curled upward.

"Eeh~"

"Brother Lang Lei looks like a big bad wolf right now."

"Then you're a little wolf?"

"I'm not!"