Ten-Thousand-Year Third Ring

Getting into Shrek Academy was not actually difficult. You only needed to possess fifteen levels of Soul Power before the age of twelve.

For an institution on Shrek Academy's level, such a requirement could not have been any simpler.

What was truly difficult were the later examinations, especially the Inner Court assessment.

Huo Yuhao only managed it with the help of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, Tang Ya, and the others. Otherwise, forget passing the assessment—he would not even have been able to enter Shrek Academy.

Three days later, led by Mother Jiang, Li Changsheng and Jiang Nannan arrived in East City, where Shrek Academy was recruiting students.

"Sister Nannan, once you get into Shrek Academy, don't embarrass yourself. Cultivate hard, and when I get in, I'll be counting on you!"

Looking at the dense crowd ahead, Li Changsheng felt his head ache.

Even Spirit Hall from ten thousand years ago could not compare to this scale.

It could not be helped. Spirit Hall's influence had been too scattered, spread across nearly the entire Douluo Continent.

Shrek Academy was different. They only had this one Shrek City, and their relatively easy admission requirements meant that every year, countless soul masters came here by reputation for the freshman assessment.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best. But don't expect too much from me either. Shrek Academy is known as the strongest force on the entire continent, so there must be plenty of people there stronger than me."

Jiang Nannan did not refuse, but she told Li Changsheng not to place all his hopes on her. After all, she had neither a background nor much strength to speak of. She could only take things one step at a time.

"I know that, of course."

Li Changsheng nodded, fully agreeing.

Although Jiang Nannan was indeed impressive in terms of martial soul quality and Innate Soul Power, the problem was that even among the Outer Court, let alone the Inner Court Disciples, many people could surpass her.

For example, Beibei, who had a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo backing him, and Xu Sanshi, a descendant of the Dou Ling Empire's royal family as well as the heir of the Xuanming Sect.

The martial souls they possessed could utterly crush Jiang Nannan's Soft Bone Rabbit.

"Alright, let's go."

With that, Mother Jiang led Jiang Nannan and Li Changsheng toward the registration area ahead.

A moment later, Jiang Nannan looked at the admission notice in her hand, her beautiful face filled with delight.

Her family's life was getting better and better.

Not only had her mother recovered her health, but she herself had also passed Shrek Academy's entrance examination. Good news had come one after another.

"Mom, Changsheng, I'll head in first," Jiang Nannan said.

"Mm-hm, go on. If anything happens, remember to tell me right away," Mother Jiang reminded her.

"Got it!"

After answering, Jiang Nannan walked inside with light steps under the watchful eyes of Li Changsheng and Mother Jiang.

The years turned into songs, and time passed like flowers. Before they knew it, countless seasons had gone by. It was now Li Changsheng's fifth year since arriving in Shrek City.

His Soul Power had now reached level thirty. With just one more soul ring, he would become a true Soul Elder.

It could not be helped. He currently had neither resources nor a background, so he could only cultivate quietly by himself.

Fortunately, Jiang Nannan would send back some cultivation resources every so often. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to raise his Soul Power to level thirty in such a short time.

One had to know that even Jiang Nannan, who had encountered no unexpected mishaps, was only a Soul Elder at this point.

"Changsheng, let's go."

Early that morning, Jiang Nannan returned from Shrek Academy.

Looking at the young man before her, who had grown increasingly handsome, a gentle smile filled her peerless face as she softly said, "Mom has already finished preparing outside."

In order to personally witness Li Changsheng obtain his Third Soul Ring, she had specifically requested leave from the academy. Once he acquired the soul ring, she intended to bring him straight into Shrek Academy so he could familiarize himself with everything there as soon as possible.

"Alright."

Li Changsheng nodded, then followed Jiang Nannan onto the carriage that had been waiting outside for a long time. They headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Although the Star Dou Great Forest was no longer as vast as it had been ten thousand years ago, the combat power it displayed was absurdly formidable.

If Di Tian and the others had awakened ten thousand years earlier, then forget Spirit Hall and the Upper Three Sects—even if the Two Great Empires and Sea God Island far out in the ocean were added, they would not have been able to withstand the soul beast race.

After all, back then, they had both strength and numbers.

The three set off in the morning and did not reach their destination until noon.

As they walked along the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, Jiang Nannan looked around and asked, "Mom, what kind of soul beast are you planning to hunt for Changsheng?"

"Just like before, naturally one with strong defensive abilities."

Facing her daughter's question, Mother Jiang replied, "Changsheng's Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda is the martial soul with the strongest defense I have ever seen. Even the Xuanming Turtle, renowned for its defense, cannot compare to it. Therefore, if we want it to become the strongest defense-type martial soul on the continent, we must choose soul beasts with matching attributes when obtaining soul rings."

That was right. The martial soul Li Changsheng had chosen to cultivate first was not the Heaven-Opening Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram, but the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda.

There was no other reason. The Taiji Diagram was stronger than the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, so it would be more useful for improving his strength later on.

"That may be true, but what about the cultivation age?" Jiang Nannan nodded thoughtfully, then raised a question that was currently of utmost importance.

That was, how many years of cultivation should Li Changsheng's Third Soul Ring possess?

Before this, his first and second soul rings had already been one thousand years and Three Thousand Years respectively. So unless something unexpected happened, his Third Soul Ring should begin at six thousand years.

"I think we can try ten thousand years."

There was no helping it. He had neither the money to buy Whale Rubber nor the strength to obtain Immortal Herbs from Sunset Forest, so he could only grit his teeth and push forward. He could not directly absorb a soul ring over ten thousand years old as his second soul ring.

Not even with the Taiji Diagram and Heaven and Earth Exquisite Mysterious Yellow Pagoda martial souls.

Before this, he had considered whether he should absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring as his second soul ring. After all, given the quality of the Taiji Diagram and the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, his Innate Soul Power should have started at level twenty.

However, Grand Pure Daoist Venerable had warned him that if he truly did so, his body would definitely be unable to bear it and would collapse.

That was why he had settled for the Three Thousand Years level instead.

In truth, Innate Full Soul Power and innate level twenty were vastly different. To be safe, he had ultimately abandoned that unrealistic idea.