Shrek Academy

Xiao Wu objected to Tang San emptying his money pouch to buy something that did not look like much.

She bitterly cursed the antique shop owner as a profiteer.

Tang San wanted to buy that crystal being sold as an antique and extract materials from it for making hidden weapons.

No matter how much it cost, Tang San was willing to pay.

However, the antique shop owner was a profiteer. Seeing that Tang San absolutely had to have it, he promptly raised the price.

At first, he asked Tang San for one hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Tang San gritted his teeth and paid.

Then the price went up by another hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Tang San even took out the money Xiao Wu had left with him and scraped together two hundred Gold Soul Coins.

The antique shop owner pushed his luck and raised the price to five hundred Gold Soul Coins.

He even allowed Tang San to pay two hundred Gold Soul Coins first, then pay the rest in installments each month, with a little extra interest.

He truly deserved the title of profiteer Xiao Wu had given him!

Tang San wanted to buy it, but he did not want to be taken for a fool.

At Xiao Wu's urging, they decided to leave.

Just then, the antique shop owner noticed Tang San's belt. It was a gift from Grandmaster—on the surface, it was a belt, but it was actually a storage Soul Tool.

The antique shop owner was Grandmaster's friend.

Recognizing that Tang San was connected to Grandmaster, he wanted to give Tang San the antique he had bought.

However, Tang San did not take it for free and still left behind two hundred Gold Soul Coins.

After returning to the hotel, Tang San summoned his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, in front of Xiao Wu. He used the Clear Sky Hammer to smash the "antique" he had bought and extracted the materials for making hidden weapons.

Tang San called these materials Hair Crystal.

It mainly referred to golden hair-like strands formed inside natural crystals. Since they resembled the crystal's hair, they were called Hair Crystal.

After Soul Power was infused into Hair Crystal, it could turn into an extremely fine golden thread: the Dragon Beard Needle, ranked eighth among Tang Sect hidden weapons.

The Sky Screen showed how Tang San extracted Hair Crystal from the crystal and demonstrated how to use it.

Once Soul Power was infused into Hair Crystal, it immediately became a golden thread as thin as a hair. Once it shot into a human body, it could not be removed without special methods.

Such a vicious "weapon" naturally drew the attention of forces across the continent.

Never mind whether the weapon was vicious or not. As long as it was powerful, that was enough.

When the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect saw the Sky Screen's introduction to "Hair Crystal," they were all excited.

The Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had earned the sect a great deal of money.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's title as the wealthiest on the continent also relied entirely on the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce.

The Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce had a wide range of businesses, including quite a few gemstone minerals.

Perhaps there were already plenty of crystals containing "Hair Crystal" in the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce's warehouses.

With an order from the Old Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they immediately began gathering all kinds of crystals, preparing to extract "Hair Crystal" and study how to use it so they could protect the sect's auxiliary Soul Masters.

Since ancient times, auxiliary Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent had been weak and lacked combat ability, requiring protection from their teammates.

It was rather miraculous that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could become one of the Upper Three Sects, considering it was made up of auxiliary Soul Masters without combat ability.

Now, as long as they acquired "Hair Crystal" and developed a way to use it, the auxiliary Soul Masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would no longer be useless Soul Masters with no combat ability.

"The future landscape is about to change..." Ning Fengzhi's lips curled upward, excitement appearing on his face.

Every auxiliary Soul Master harbored fantasies of battle in their heart.

Ning Fengzhi was no exception.

Unfortunately, he had been born with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul and could not become a battle Soul Master.

Now that he had an opportunity to fight, he naturally would not miss it.

Besides the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... every major force on the continent began gathering crystals that might contain "Hair Crystal."

For a time, the price of crystals soared, and even the prices of all kinds of gemstones rose considerably.

The next day.

Tang San and Xiao Wu left the Rose Hotel and went to register at Shrek Academy.

During the days they had spent playing in Suotuo City, Tang San and Xiao Wu had also asked around about the location of Shrek Academy.

Thus, as soon as dawn broke, they checked out and headed straight for Shrek Academy.

"Third Brother, how much longer until we get there?" Xiao Wu had grown tired of walking.

Shrek Academy was outside Suotuo City.

After leaving Suotuo City and walking for over an hour, Xiao Wu truly had no patience left.

"Soon. Don't worry, Xiao Wu," Tang San said.

"I don't care. I'm not walking anymore. Third Brother, carry me!" Xiao Wu wanted to slack off.

Tang San could do nothing about Xiao Wu, so he had no choice but to carry her to Shrek Academy.

Xiao Wu was naturally happy now that she did not have to walk.

Tang San was not angry either.

Laughing and chatting, the two arrived at Shrek Academy and saw the long line of applicants.

"Are you kidding me? This is the legendary Shrek Academy that only accepts monsters?"

"I heard that after graduating, you can become a viscount..."

"That's what the people from Spirit Hall said!"

"Can such a rundown academy really be reliable?"

"This probably isn't the actual academy. It's just a place to test us."

Most of those in line were parents accompanying their children. Only Xiao Wu, Tang San, and a few others had come alone to register.

They discussed the rumors they had heard from who knew where.

The moment they saw how shabby Shrek Academy was, their hearts sank.

Still, with the mindset that they had already come all this way, they did not intend to leave immediately and decided to stay and try.

Xiao Wu leaned close to Tang San's ear. "Third Brother, is this really the Shrek Academy Grandmaster mentioned? Could we have come to the wrong place?"

Tang San was not entirely sure either. He hesitated before saying, "Let's line up and see."

Xiao Wu said gloomily, "The conditions here don't look as good as those intermediate Soul Master Academies that offered to admit us for free."

Tang San gave a wry smile and comforted her. "Xiao Wu, I think Grandmaster must have his reasons for recommending Shrek Academy to us. I believe Grandmaster would never harm me."

Xiao Wu gloomily turned her head away and stopped looking at Tang San.

She was angry.

Tang San could tell that Xiao Wu was angry too, but it was not a good time to comfort her, so he could only wait.

Meanwhile.

The long line slowly moved forward.

Some students paid the ten Gold Soul Coin registration fee and then underwent the teacher's assessment.

First, their bones were examined to confirm their age.

Shrek Academy only accepted genius Soul Masters under the age of twelve.

If they were over the age limit, even by only a year, Shrek Academy would not accept them.

This applicant was twelve and a half years old, only half a year over the limit.

But Shrek Academy's teacher was far too rigid and refused to accept this overage student.

The student's parents begged desperately, but they could not change the admissions teacher's mind. They then wanted their registration fee back, but the admissions teacher refused.

When the student's parents were about to make trouble, the admissions teacher immediately called Dai Mubai over.

Dai Mubai displayed his martial soul and scared off the parents demanding their registration fee back.

"Third Brother, look, it's that annoying bastard!" Xiao Wu recognized Dai Mubai and hurriedly said to Tang San.

Tang San looked toward Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai noticed Tang San and gave him a slight nod.

Once the troublemakers left, registration continued.

This time, the student met the age requirement, but his strength did not. He was only level 13.

After the student was rejected, his parents were displeased and directly questioned, "Why can't my child enroll?"

The admissions teacher calmly said, "Our Shrek Academy only accepts monsters.

Couldn't you have properly looked into our admissions requirements before coming?

First, applicants must not be over twelve years old. Second, their strength must be above level 21.

If your children do not meet these two requirements, you may leave now."

The admissions teacher finally displayed his martial soul, along with six soul rings. He was actually a Soul Emperor!

Quite a few parents decisively left with their children.

But many parents remained, seemingly believing that their children could join Shrek Academy.

Holy Spirit Village.

Villager A: "This Shrek Academy is supposed to be better than intermediate Soul Master Academies? It looks pretty ordinary to me. It's nothing but a scam academy!"

Villager B: "Exactly. It's purely a money-making scam. The registration fee alone is ten Gold Soul Coins. How much can they swindle in a year?"

Villager C: "Reaching above level 21 by the age of twelve? Such outrageous admissions requirements clearly mean they don't want anyone to pass."

Lin Xianyu heard the villagers' discussion and merely found it rather boring, unable to stop herself from yawning.

Today's viewing time had been maxed out, and the plot had entered accelerated mode.

Five years had passed in a jump from Nuoding City to Suotuo City.

Now Tang San and Xiao Wu had arrived at Shrek Academy in Suotuo City. Next, the Shrek Seven Devils would appear one by one. She wondered what everyone would think after seeing these so-called "monsters."

It was only because this was several decades before the plot began. Otherwise, when the plot actually began, the spectacle would be far greater than it was now.

A beautiful young girl paid the registration fee and then extended her hand.

After examining her bones and seeing the martial soul she displayed, the admissions teacher showed a surprised expression. "Did your family agree to you coming here?"

A cunning gleam flashed through the girl's eyes as she smiled. "Don't you say that all are welcome to learn? As long as I meet the requirements, you have no reason to refuse me, do you?"

"Good. Mubai, take her inside." The admissions teacher waved at Dai Mubai.

Tang San and Xiao Wu went over to pay the registration fee, then underwent the bone examination to test their age, followed by a test of their Soul Power.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi saw the girl appear on the Sky Screen, then looked at the girl before him, feeling as though his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Could she be my daughter?" Madam Ning asked in surprise.

The Sky Screen was showing the future decades later, so anything could happen.

She had never expected to see her daughter...

"If she really is our daughter, why did she run off alone to a scam academy like Shrek?" Ning Fengzhi frowned.

"She is my daughter, but not necessarily yours," Madam Ning reminded him.

"..."

Ning Fengzhi was speechless, not knowing what to say.

Yet just by looking at the girl on the Sky Screen, he could still see the strengths that she had inherited from both of them in her features.

Tang San and Xiao Wu passed the test.

The admissions teacher was surprised by Tang San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul.

A useless martial soul could actually cultivate this quickly?

Tang San saw that confusion in the admissions teacher's eyes.

He nearly proudly declared that he had cultivated so quickly thanks to Grandmaster's help, but he held himself back in the end.

Dai Mubai led Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the girl who had passed the earlier test into Shrek Academy.

He brought them to the place where the second test measured their Soul Power, then left.

There had already been some students who had paid the registration fee and met both the age and strength requirements, forming a short line.

Tang San and Xiao Wu went to line up.

Just then, an uncle selling sausages pushed over a small cart.

Tang San went over and bought two sausages. He was about to bring them back to eat with Xiao Wu when Dai Mubai stopped him.

He made the sausage-selling uncle "make" another sausage.

After personally witnessing how the sausage came into being, Tang San felt sick and never wanted to eat sausage again.

Dai Mubai chased away the sausage-selling uncle, then brought over the students who had passed the first round of assessment.

Seeing Tang San and Xiao Wu waiting in line.

He thought for a moment and decided to take them directly to the fourth test.

This caused dissatisfaction among the students waiting in line.

Dai Mubai said bluntly, "If you are also above level 25, you can skip the second and third tests and proceed directly to the fourth."

As soon as he said this, the students in line were shocked.

They did not believe Tang San and Xiao Wu possessed strength above level 25.

Tang San took the initiative to test his Soul Power. He was level 29.

Xiao Wu tested her Soul Power as well. She was also level 29.

The beautiful girl who had arrived before Tang San tested her Soul Power too in order to skip the second and third assessments. She was level 26.

There was also the girl in black leather clothing whom Dai Mubai had brought over later. She was level 27.

After seeing the strength of Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the two girls, all the students in line were so shocked that they could not speak.

They had thought reaching above level 21 by the age of twelve already made them exceptionally gifted monsters. Who knew there would be people even more monstrous than them?

Dai Mubai led the four students who had skipped the second and third assessments straight to the fourth test.

On the way to the fourth test, he introduced Shrek Academy to Tang San and the others.

After hearing Dai Mubai's introduction, the people of the Douluo Continent became even more convinced that Shrek Academy was a scam academy.

It had been established for so many years, yet had only accepted around forty students, and fewer than ten had graduated.

The key point was that the academy was located in a village and did not even have any decent cultivation facilities.

Now there were only three students left, and Shrek Academy had to rely on donations from their families just to stay afloat...

They claimed they only recruited monsters?

It was clearly a scam academy. Saying they recruited monsters was nothing more than an excuse to swindle registration fees.

Ten Gold Soul Coins per person, and if you failed the assessment, they would not even refund the registration fee.

The registration line at Shrek Academy had apparently stretched into a long queue. Who knew how many registration fees they had scammed? In any case, it would not have been a small sum.

Shrek Academy had probably survived by cheating students out of their registration fees.

Now that the Sky Screen had exposed Shrek Academy, this scam academy would not exist decades from now.

The Sky Screen had really done a great deed.