Shrek Academy Enrollment? Suppressing Tang San

Chapter 16: Shrek Academy Enrollment? Suppressing Tang San

The wilderness southwest of Suotuo City was thick with the scent of rotting leaves. At the end of a muddy path stood a crooked wooden hut, and the words "Shrek Academy" on its sign had been weathered down to mere outlines. The moment Lin Che stepped into the courtyard, a rough voice barked at him, "Stop! If you want to enter Shrek, you'll have to get past me, Zhao Wuji, first!"

The burly man leaped down from the roof, his bare arms covered in scars. Soul power fluctuations spread from him like muffled thunder—he was actually a Level Seventy-One Assault System Battle Soul Saint. His pupils contracted as he glanced at the purple soul ring around Lin Che's waist. "A Level Fifteen Soul Master with a thousand-year soul ring? Utter nonsense!"

"Teacher Zhao, Dean Flender set the rules. Soul ring age isn't the standard for judging someone." Familiar footsteps came from the academy gate. Master led Tang San through the fence, his gaze behind his lenses lingering on Lin Che's palm for a moment. Clearly, he was still investigating the whereabouts of the Universe Cauldron. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass trembled lightly inside his sleeve, as though the grass tips that had been cut off last time still ached faintly.

"Enough nonsense!" Zhao Wuji stomped hard, and a stone platform half a zhang high suddenly rose from the center of the courtyard. Dark golden patterns covered its surface. "This Hell Road test has three stages. Last through the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and you pass." The moment his words fell, the stone platform released a pale yellow glow, and the surrounding air instantly turned viscous—the first Gravity Field had been activated.

Three examinees were the first to step onto the platform. After only two steps, their legs gave out and they dropped to their knees, soul power leaking from their pores under the crushing gravity. Lin Che opened the enrollment guide in his embrace. A vermilion note was clearly written inside: "The Gravity Field's core lies where the patterns converge at the northeast corner. Sword qi can break it." He looked up at Tang San, who was operating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to steady himself, his Purple Demon Eyes fixed on the patterns of the stone platform.

"I'll go first." Lin Che lightly tapped off the ground and landed on the platform. Twice the gravity instantly pressed down on his shoulders, but the Azure Water Sword had already silently left its sheath. Azure sword qi streaked through the glow like a meteor, splitting precisely toward the patterns at the northeast corner—that was the Gravity Field's energy node. A crisp crack rang out, and the pale yellow glow abruptly dimmed. The Gravity Field actually collapsed outright.

"Outrageous! This is a test, not a demolition!" Zhao Wuji roared as he activated his soul power. The patterns on the platform lit up again, and this time the gravity directly climbed to three times its original strength, even pressing fine cracks into the ground. Lin Che merely scoffed, and a pale golden cauldron phantom quietly appeared in his left hand. "The second stage should be poison, right?"

Before his words had even faded, dark green poisonous mist suddenly poured out from around the stone platform. The weeds it touched instantly withered and blackened. The other examinees covered their mouths and noses as they retreated, while Tang San activated Blue Silver Grass to form a barrier in front of himself—this poison could erode soul power, precisely the attribute he feared most. Yet the Universe Cauldron in Lin Che's palm suddenly began to spin. Its pale golden glow drew the poisonous mist into the cauldron like a vortex, and the poison turned into white smoke and dispersed the instant it touched the cauldron.

[Universe Cauldron martial soul activated. Purifying Nether Vine poison ×100%, converting absorbed energy into soul power...]

As the System Prompt sounded, Lin Che had already ridden sword qi to the center of the stone platform. The Azure Water Sword drew an arc above his head. "The third stage, it's time to show yourself." Dozens of thorn-covered vines suddenly shot up from beneath the platform. They were the true body of the Nether Vine martial soul that had produced the poison, clearly controlled in secret by one of the teachers. Lin Che's sword momentum suddenly intensified. "Second Soul Skill: Azure Water Entanglement—Poison!"

Azure vines erupted with Light Purple Venom, instantly wrapping around the Nether Vine's roots. Mandala Snake venom spread along the vines, and in fewer than three breaths, corroded it until it lost all vitality. Zhao Wuji's eyes widened in shock. This was the three-stage trial he had carefully arranged, yet someone had easily broken it in the time it took to drink a cup of tea?

"Pass." A tall, thin man with a pipe in his mouth stepped out from the shadows of the wooden hut. It was Shrek Academy's dean, Flender. He stared at Lin Che's Dual Martial Souls and even forgot to light his pipe. "Kid, what's your name?"

"Lin Che." The moment he stepped down from the platform, Tang San stepped onto the Gravity Field. Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground, using its blades to share the burden of the gravity. His footsteps were steady, but it was clear that he was consuming a great deal of soul power. When faced with the poisonous mist, he poured the Mysterious Heaven Skill into the Blue Silver Grass to form a defense. Though it blocked the poison's erosion, his face turned pale—after all, the Yellow Crystal Beast soul ring had no detoxifying properties.

"The final round: a combat test!" Flender suddenly waved his hand, and the stone platform transformed into a smooth arena. "Two per team. The winner advances!" Before his words had even fallen, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass swept toward Lin Che. "I choose you." Purple Demon Eyes flickered in his gaze. Clearly, he was still nursing his anger over having his soul ring snatched away last time.

Lin Che raised a brow and leaped onto the arena, the Azure Water Sword angled toward the ground. "Perfect. I'll show you the gap between us."

"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Grass—Entanglement!" Tang San shouted. Black Blue Silver Grass coiled toward Lin Che's limbs like venomous snakes, its blades carrying a faint paralytic toxin. But Lin Che lightly spun on his feet, and azure sword qi erupted in an instant. "Azure Water Entanglement!" Five vines carrying even stronger soul power slammed into the Blue Silver Grass, not only severing it by force but also continuing on to coil around Tang San's wrist.

Tang San's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly operated the Mysterious Heaven Skill to break free, only to feel the soul power inside his body suddenly fall into disarray—Lin Che's Universe Cauldron had silently begun to operate in his left hand, its pale golden glow absorbing his soul power through the Azure Water Entanglement.

[Universe Cauldron absorbing target soul power... Progress 30%... Mysterious Heaven Skill body protection detected. Absorption interrupted.]

"Pfft!" Tang San was knocked three steps back, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He stared at Lin Che in disbelief. Lin Che's soul power was clearly only two levels higher than his, yet the power of his soul skills and his control over soul power far exceeded Tang San's.

"The test is over." Flender's voice broke the deadlock. He looked at the values on the record board. "Lin Che: cleared in one incense stick's time, 95% soul power retained, rating: Excellent+; Tang San: cleared in two incense sticks' time, 60% soul power retained, rating: Excellent." He deliberately paused here. "Lin Che is first. Tang San is second."

Tang San clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms. Second again. Suppressed by Lin Che again. He suddenly remembered Master saying that soul power was not the only standard, but at this moment, the gap in their strength was painfully glaring.

In the open space beside the arena, Jiang Zhu was busy tending to the injured. A yellow-haired youth clutched his chest and coughed, flame-like soul power running wild inside his body—it was Ma Hongjun, who possessed the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul and had suffered backlash from his martial soul in the Gravity Field. Beside him, a blue-haired young man looked pale, clearly exhausted from overexertion. Several steaming sausages lay beside him. He was Oscar, a Food System Soul Master.

"Let me try." Jiang Zhu raised the Healing Scepter above her head, and a silver-green halo spread outward. "First Soul Skill: Scar Healing Halo!" Golden light fell over the two men. The evil fire in Ma Hongjun's body immediately settled, while Oscar felt his soul power rapidly recovering.

"Thank you, miss!" Oscar hurriedly offered her a sausage. "This is a Recovery Sausage, just a small token of my gratitude."

Ma Hongjun scratched his head as he thanked her too. "Sorry for the trouble. Whenever my evil fire acts up, I can't control it."

Just as Jiang Zhu was about to respond, she heard a familiar spoiled voice. "Sister Jiang Zhu? What are you doing here?" A girl in a pink dress hurried over, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul glittering in her palm—it was Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Rongrong? You came to take the test too?" Jiang Zhu took her hand in surprise. The vine patterns on the Healing Scepter suddenly glowed with golden light, unexpectedly producing Soul Resonance with Ning Rongrong's glazed tile pagoda.

Ning Rongrong proudly raised her chin. "Of course. This princess has Innate Full Soul Power! But this academy is far too rundown..." Her tone shifted as she looked at Oscar and Ma Hongjun, who were recovering. "I heard Dean Flender say that the final secret realm test requires teams. You don't have enough Support Soul Masters, do you?"

Flender's eyes lit up, and he immediately walked over. "Little friend Rongrong is right! Shrek may be poor, but our students' talent is absolutely first-rate. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to provide resource support, we can form a temporary partnership—your Support martial soul can assist our students through the secret realm, and afterward, we will share the resources inside it."

Ning Rongrong's eyes shifted as she looked at Jiang Zhu. "Since Sister is here, I'll agree. But if you dare mistreat us, my father won't let you off!" She spoke harshly, but inwardly she was calculating—she had long heard of Flender's reputation. Any secret realm important enough for him to value could not be simple.

Flender laughed heartily. "Don't worry! I never mistreat my allies!"

At that moment, Lin Che walked over, and a system panel suddenly appeared.

[Side Quest triggered: Facilitate cooperation between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Shrek. Reward: Immortal Herb Coordinate Fragment ×1.]

He looked at Ning Rongrong, understanding flashing through his eyes—this proud little princess would become an important member of the Shrek Seven Monsters in the future.

Tang San walked over as well, with Master close behind him. Yu Xiaogang stared at Lin Che, his gaze behind his lenses growing more solemn. "Your Azure Water Entanglement not only has control abilities, but also carries poison. The Universe Cauldron can even absorb soul power... The combination of these two martial souls is practically the nemesis of Control System Soul Masters." He suddenly recalled records from ancient texts. A Thousand Years Ago, the bearer of the Universe Cauldron martial soul had been famous for devouring soul power.

Lin Che replied calmly, "They're only martial souls. Strength is what matters." He looked at Flender. "When does the final secret realm test begin?"

"At dawn tomorrow." Flender put away his pipe. "The secret realm contains spirit beast eggs and herbs we've collected, but there are also plenty of dangers. With the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the strength of you two, there shouldn't be much of a problem." As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Jiang Zhu's scepter. "This girl's healing martial soul is quite unusual. It may prove greatly useful in the secret realm."

As the sun set, Shrek Academy's wooden hut was dyed gold and red. Oscar prepared Recovery Sausages, Ma Hongjun adjusted his martial soul, Ning Rongrong pestered Jiang Zhu about her scepter's mutation, Tang San restored his soul power under Master's guidance, and Lin Che leaned beneath the Old Locust Tree, studying the enrollment guide. On the final page of the guide, a blurry pattern had been drawn in vermilion. It resembled an immortal herb—clearly, it was the immortal herb clue mentioned by the system.

High above distant Suotuo City, a black shadow silently swept past. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan looked toward Shrek, the corner of his mouth curling in a scoff. "His Majesty the Pope, Lin Che is indeed there. But the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is there too. Should we make a move first?"

Bibi Dong gave a light laugh from the other side of the Crystal Ball. "No rush. Let them go into the secret realm and die first. We'll simply reap the benefits. Remember, I want both the Universe Cauldron and the immortal herbs."