Happy and Afraid

"Whoa!"

"Isn't this the Little Scoundrel and the Little Rabbit?"

Arriving at the testing grounds for the fourth stage, Li Xiaoyao spotted two acquaintances.

In an open area, Tang San and Xiao Wu were hiding under a tree to escape the sun.

Not far away, also under a large tree, the burly Zhao Wuji was sitting on a chair, dozing off.

"Hello!"

"Little San, Little Rabbit!"

"We meet again!"

Walking up to the tree, Li Xiaoyao greeted them with a beaming smile.

"Hm???"

"Li Xiaoyao?"

How is he here?

Li Xiaoyao's appearance left Tang San feeling puzzled.

Didn't Shrek Academy say before—

That they wouldn't recruit students who were over the age limit?

No matter how one looked at it, Li Xiaoyao was clearly past that age.

It was... quite confusing.

"Damn it! Li Xiaoyao, how are you here?"

Compared to the deep-thinking Tang San, Xiao Wu didn't hide her emotions at all. She immediately frowned, tapped her feet, and hopped right in front of Li Xiaoyao.

"Shrek Academy clearly—doesn't recruit students in your age group. Tell me, are you here to cause trouble?"

Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips, her crisp voice tinged with wariness.

Clearly, the incident three days ago at the Rose Hotel, where he had injured Tang San, was something Xiao Wu was still holding a grudge over.

"Tsk! You silly rabbit!"

Li Xiaoyao rolled his eyes.

And what was that about—not recruiting eighteen-year-old students?

"You, a hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit in human form, have the nerve to act young?"

"As if you're any younger yourself."

"Once we get to the Star Dou Great Forest, I'll kill you straight away to take your spirit ring and spirit bone."

"Brother Xiaoyao, do you two know each other?"

Ning Rongrong, standing nearby, felt curious.

She walked up in front of the group.

"Oh! Sister Rongrong!"

"These are the Tang San and Xiao Wu I was just telling you about!"

Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but sigh.

In just half an hour, Ning Rongrong had gone from calling him "Classmate Xiaoyao" to "Brother Xiaoyao," her enthusiasm becoming truly absurd.

He didn't doubt for a second that if Ning Rongrong knew his Soul Power Level and spirit ring configuration, this little girl would likely cast aside her remaining reserve in an instant, eager to offer herself up on the spot and give herself away tonight.

Seeing this large group of people with Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Wuji, who had been dozing in his chair, lunged forward in a single stride and began sniffing around in front of them.

"One at level twenty-six, one at level twenty-seven, and two at level twenty-nine—four Soul Grand Masters, not bad, not bad! It's rare to recruit four Little Monsters this year!"

"Hm?"

"How is there also a level forty-three Soul Ancestor?"

"Old Li, Mubai, who is this young brother?"

Zhao Wuji looked at Li Yusong and Dai Mubai beside him, his face full of confusion regarding Li Xiaoyao's arrival.

"Teacher Zhao, this is Li Xiaoyao."

"I told you about him three days ago!"

"I'm the one who invited him to visit our Shrek Academy."

Dai Mubai spoke up to resolve Zhao Wuji's confusion.

"What! Li Xiaoyao?"

Zhao Wuji was completely dumbfounded.

No way, buddy, are you guys for real?

Is there really a young man who has reached the four-ring Soul Ancestor realm?

And a soul ring configuration of three purple and one black?

Zhao Wuji looked directly at Li Yusong beside him to verify whether Dai Mubai was lying.

"Old Zhao, Mubai isn't lying!"

"This is Li Xiaoyao, Martial Soul Chronos, level 43 Soul Ancestor, with a soul ring configuration of three purple and one black!"

Li Yusong gave a helpless, bitter smile.

It wasn't just Zhao Wuji who found this hard to believe; even he, had he not seen Li Xiaoyao's soul ring level and configuration with his own eyes just moments ago, would likely have been just as skeptical as Zhao Wuji.

It was one thing for Li Xiaoyao to reach the level of a 43rd-rank Soul Ancestor at such a young age, but that soul ring configuration of three purple and one black—before today, let alone seeing it with their own eyes, they hadn't even heard of such a thing in all their years of living.

Looking across the entire Douluo Continent, Li Xiaoyao was a one-of-a-kind exception. Even the Titled Douluo would likely have their jaws drop if they saw his heaven-defying soul ring configuration.

The existence of Li Xiaoyao was essentially taking the knowledge of the "best soul ring configuration," which had been passed down for tens of thousands of years on the Douluo Continent, and grinding it into the dirt—and doing so repeatedly.

"Good heavens!"

"There really is such a heaven-defying monster?"

Zhao Wuji's face was full of excitement.

Whatever Li Xiaoyao's background or identity might be, it didn't matter.

A monster this heaven-defying must not be allowed to get away!

Zhao Wuji stared at Li Xiaoyao, his eyes gleaming.

"Kid Li, let's forget about all those enrollment rules!"

"As long as you're willing to join our Shrek Academy, we'll cover your food and lodging, you can use the academy's cultivation resources as you please, and you can even spar with us old folks every single day if you want. Just stay!"

Li Xiaoyao: "..."

Zhao Wuji's words made the corner of Li Xiaoyao's mouth twitch.

He opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, but stopped himself.

Cover food and lodging and provide free use of the academy's cultivation resources?

Cover food? Eat plain porridge?

Cover lodging? Live in those dilapidated, crumbling thatched huts?

The cultivation resources of Shrek Academy?

Are you referring to the Gold Soul Coins you've swindled out of people all these years?

"Teacher Zhao, thank you for the invitation!"

"I will stay at Shrek Academy for a few days to look around!"

"If it feels right, I will consider staying."

Li Xiaoyao did not reject Zhao Wuji's invitation.

He had come specifically for Xiao Wu, and until he found a safe opportunity to absorb the hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, he would never stray too far from his target.

Moreover, before he could absorb the spirit ring and reach the seventh-ring Spirit Saint realm, he needed a secluded environment to lie low. The obscure Shrek Academy was the perfect place to help him temporarily avoid the prying eyes of outside forces.

"Good, good, good! It's a deal, then!"

Zhao Wuji was in high spirits.

The fact that Li Xiaoyao hadn't refused outright meant there was a high chance he would stay. If he could keep him, why would Shrek Academy have to worry about not taking off in the future?

Besides, Dai Mubai had already spent quite a few Gold Soul Coins to host Li Xiaoyao, upgrading the academy's dorms and meals by several tiers.

The drafty, leaky grass huts had been replaced with small wooden cabins, the crude wooden beds swapped for cushioned ones, and even the usual watery porridge and pickles had been supplemented with plenty of meat, all for fear of slighting this future "big shot."

"Oh! Right, kid Li!"

"Why don't you participate in the fourth round of the entrance exam later as well?"

As soon as Zhao Wuji finished speaking, the expression on Dai Mubai's face changed drastically.

"Teacher Zhao, is that really a good idea?"

Dai Mubai felt both happy and terrified.

He was happy because—

He would have the chance to gain a powerful supporter in the future.

He was terrified because—

Damn it, he, Dai Mubai, was the examiner for the fourth round!

Even with just Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing teaming up, there was a possibility that even he could be defeated.

Now, adding Li Xiaoyao to the mix—this wasn't a test; it was clearly a setup for him to make a fool of himself!

Zhao Wuji's suggestion piqued Li Xiaoyao's interest.

He heard...