Entrance Examination

Another boy who had come to register stepped up before the old man. Both his parents had accompanied him. 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 emerged from his body, and a yellow century-old spirit ring rose and fell around him.

The old man shook his head. "Not qualified. You may leave."

The boy's parents had worn confident expressions, but when they heard the old man say their child was unqualified, their faces immediately froze.

His mother could not help asking, "Why? My son is a top student at his Junior Academy.

Didn't you see that his spirit ring is a hundred years old?

There aren't many soul masters with century-old spirit rings."

The old man said blandly, "A century-old first spirit ring is naturally quite good, but he is only 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. He addressed not only the boy's parents before him, but also the people waiting in line behind them. "If you have come to register at Shrek Academy, you should first understand the rules.

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 type 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 or above, then do not waste your time here."

Only then did Bai Ge realize that the claim that Shrek Academy scammed people out of registration fees was probably not very tenable.

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

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

Since there was no concept of self-created skills, soul masters without spirit rings had nothing but Soul Power. They might not even be able to defeat a ten-year soul beast.

A One Ring Soul Master, armed with a blade, could barely fight a ten-year soul beast.

A Two Ring Great Soul Master could deal with soul beasts one or two hundred years old.

A three-ringed 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-ringed Soul Ancestor could handle one with several thousand years of cultivation.

Then, from Soul King to Soul Douluo, they 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 get the better of it.

Of course, that was in the original story.

Now, Sword Douluo had learned the Ethereal Sword Secret and Innate Formless Sword Qi. Although his cultivation was still rank ninety-seven, his Sword Dao had become increasingly unfathomable.

According to the old man's drunken confession last time, Bone Douluo now struggled to receive even a single strike from him and was completely suppressed.

That smug look of his had been unbearable to watch.

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

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast could basically swat a Soul Douluo to death with one slap.

But Titled Douluo already had all their spirit rings.

Shrek Academy's advantage lay in having several top-tier Soul Saint experts to escort its students while they hunted spirit rings, ensuring that they could obtain ten-thousand-year spirit rings.

Take Heaven Dou Royal Academy as an example. They only accepted noble students. Although they had three Soul Douluo education committee members overseeing the academy, anyone could tell that, aside from the most distinguished few, who could possibly invite them to help?

It could be said that Shrek was the strongest academy for commoners.

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

Wishful thinking.

As far as Bai Ge knew, whenever a Soul Douluo taught a class, there were several hundred people in the entire classroom. It was even more exaggerated than the professor lectures from his previous life at university.

As for Bai Ge himself, Qian Renxue had laid his foundation, and afterward he had clung to Sword Douluo's thigh.

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

Later, when he acquired spirit 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.

The figure of a girl dressed in a pale blue gown entered his sight.

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

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

The girl did not answer his question. She merely smiled. "They say education makes no distinction between classes. As long as I meet the academy's requirements, you have no reason not to accept me, right?"

"Of course they know."

Bai Ge's voice sounded from behind Ning Rongrong.

"Brother Xiao Bai, why are you here?" Ning Rongrong was utterly astonished.

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

But later, after Ning Rongrong had been won over by his fairy tales and snacks such as egg tarts and Chocolate Small Cake, 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 flavor.

Bai Ge reached out and rubbed Ning Rongrong's little head. "Come on, you didn't really think that, as an auxiliary soul master, you could sneak over a wall and run away without the commotion alerting two Titled Douluo, did you?

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

Ning Rongrong's little face flushed bright red, and she stood there speechless.

She was merely a little willful, but she was also exceptionally intelligent. She had simply gotten carried away before, and now she understood.

Over the years she had spent with Bai Ge, she had been influenced by him and was nowhere near as unruly as she had been in the original story. She was only a little tsundere.

In truth, based on their years together, Rongrong was indeed rather spoiled, but that had much to do with her status.

With two Titled Douluo guarding her and granting her every wish as though she were their own granddaughter, no one in all of Douluo Continent besides Qian Renxue received such treatment.

Not even an emperor could compare.

As for Dai Mubai, whose identity could be described nicely as a fallen prince or less nicely as a homeless dog being hunted down, he truly had no right to act arrogantly before Rongrong.

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

And Bai Ge dared guarantee that the Star Luo Royal Family would not utter a single word of objection.

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