Flender adjusted the cracked glasses on his nose. Seeing the disdain in Qian Mo's eyes, his old face reddened. He immediately straightened his back and assumed the air of a reclusive master.
"Qian Mo, you're being shallow." Flender pointed at the few ramshackle wooden houses that looked ready to collapse at any moment, his tone impassioned. "The reason Shrek can nurture monsters is precisely because of this hardship and simplicity! Only the harshest environment can forge an iron will. Fine clothes and rich food? That is a breeding ground for trash!"
Those words might have fooled children who had never seen the world. Anyone with eyes could tell that it was purely because they were poor.
Yet someone actually believed it.
Tang San had just been fed a sausage by Oscar, and his complexion had improved slightly. Covering his chest, he staggered over to Flender's side and nodded with firm eyes.
"The Dean is right." Tang San glanced at the well-dressed Qian Mo, a barely noticeable hint of superiority flashing through his eyes. "Cultivation is originally an act of defying the heavens. Indulging in comfort will only wear away one's fighting spirit. I think this place is excellent. This environment can constantly remind me not to slack off and not to forget where I came from."
His words both flattered the Dean and subtly stepped on Qian Mo, implying that Qian Mo was merely a spoiled rich second-generation heir relying on his family's resources.
Qian Mo could not help laughing as he looked at the master and disciple putting on this act together.
That smile was like watching two lunatics desperately trying to prove that shit actually tasted good.
"Very nicely said." Qian Mo applauded lightly. "But Tang San, because you're too poor, I decline to comment on your speech."
Tang San's expression stiffened. He had just wanted to retort, "Do not bully the poor youth."
But Qian Mo had already turned around and ignored him.
"Since the academy cannot provide decent accommodations, I'll bring my own."
Qian Mo raised a hand. The Auspicious Beast Qilin Skull at his brow lit up with a faint seven-colored glow. The god-tier Storage Ring on his index finger, personally forged by an offering of the Papal Palace, suddenly erupted with a heart-pounding spatial fluctuation.
"Come out, Cloud Top Heavenly Palace."
Qian Mo snapped his fingers.
"Rumble—!!!"
The ground shook violently.
Behind Shrek Academy, the small forest that had been overgrown with weeds and infested with insects seemed to be brutally pressed down by an invisible giant hand.
The earth churned, and trees toppled over.
Then, a colossal object descended out of thin air.
Golden light burst forth in countless rays, accompanied by streams of auspicious qi.
It was a luxurious palace covering a full five hundred square meters.
Its entire structure was built from smooth White Marble, while its roof was covered in Glazed Tiles forged from Pure Gold, reflecting enough light beneath the setting sun to blind a dog. Around the palace flowed its own Spirit Spring Water System. Fountains surged in response to Spirit Power Fluctuations, erecting an everlasting rainbow in the sky.
Even the walls surrounding the palace were cast from solid blocks of Deep Sea Silver.
"Boom!"
The palace landed, flattening the forest with perfect precision.
The originally dilapidated, rustic Shrek Village instantly became absurdly divided.
On the left were drafty thatched huts; on the right stood the palace-like Cloud Top Heavenly Palace.
It was like moving the Louvre into a slum.
Everyone froze.
The Big Sausage Oscar had just rubbed together dropped to the ground with a slap, becoming covered in dust.
"Th-This is something you carry around with you?" Ma Hongjun's mung bean eyes widened, drool running from the corner of the mouth. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to rush over, pry off a few gold bricks, and eat them.
Ning Rongrong was dumbfounded as well.
She was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, born with a golden spoon in her mouth and having seen countless treasures since childhood. But turning an entire palace into a Soul Tool and carrying it around like this...
"Even Grandpa wasn't this extravagant, was he?" Ning Rongrong murmured.
Dai Mubai stood at the back of the crowd, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
He looked at the Wooden House he was about to move into, whose door would not even shut properly, then at Qian Mo's palace that gave off a faint fragrance.
The self-esteem of a Star Luo Prince was ground beneath someone's feet and rubbed back and forth at that moment.
What royal identity? What domineering evil aura?
Before absolute Money Power, he was like a beggar.
"Let's go, wife." Qian Mo wrapped an arm around Zhu Zhuqing's Slender Waist and walked toward the white jade doors that opened automatically.
Inside the doors lay thick carpets made from Hundred Thousand Year Snow Silkworm Silk. Thousands of Night Pearls were embedded in the ceiling, their gentle light making the interior as bright as day. The air was filled with top-grade Spirit Concentrating Incense; even one breath could increase the speed of Soul Power cultivation.
Although Zhu Zhuqing had long been accustomed to Qian Mo's grand gestures, seeing the blank expressions on everyone's faces still gave her a sweet sense of vanity.
This was her man.
What he gave her would always be the best.
"Um... Brother Qian Mo!"
Ning Rongrong suddenly came back to her senses. Lifting her skirt, she rushed toward the palace entrance with a flattering smile. "It's so big inside. Can I go in and have a look? Or... it would be fine if I could stay for just one night! You know, I've never lived in a thatched hut before..."
She had it all planned out. As long as she could get inside, with her charm, would she still need to worry about winning over this golden son-in-law?
However.
"Buzz!"
Just as Ning Rongrong's toes were about to touch the white jade steps.
A golden barrier suddenly sprang up.
"Bang!"
It was as though Ning Rongrong had slammed into a Qi Wall. She was bounced two or three meters away and landed on her backside, the pain bringing tears to her eyes.
"Private territory. Unauthorized people are forbidden from entering."
Qian Mo did not even turn around as his cold voice drifted out.
The doors slowly closed.
They left only Ning Rongrong sitting on the ground, trembling with rage and pointing at the doors for a long time without being able to say a word.
"Hehe."
Zhu Zhuqing looked back at the frustrated Ning Rongrong, the corner of the mouth lifting slightly.
"You did that on purpose?" she asked quietly.
"Of course." Qian Mo pinched her cheek. "Only you can live here. Oh, right, the back garden is empty. You can fill it with the Nether Flowers you like. I've prepared the seeds for you already."
Zhu Zhuqing's heart trembled, and she took the initiative to hug his arm tightly.
Night fell.
Shrek Academy endured its most miserable night.
Inside the shabby Wooden House, Tang San and Xiao Wu sat on the hard wooden board bed.
The walls leaked wind, and the roof leaked light.
Worst of all, the mosquitoes here seemed mutated. They were frighteningly huge, and their buzzing sounded like bombers.
"Slap!"
Tang San crushed a mosquito with one palm, leaving a bloody mark on his face.
Through a wall crack, he looked toward the brightly lit Cloud Top Heavenly Palace opposite them, where faint, melodious music could even be heard.
There were no mosquitoes there, only temperature-controlled barriers and soft Big Beds.
"Xiao Wu, don't look over there." Tang San noticed Xiao Wu's envious gaze and spoke gravely. "People who rely on external objects are destined not to go far. Though our living conditions are poor, our hearts are steadfast. These insect bites are precisely a tempering of our bodies."
Xiao Wu shrank back, looking at the bed whose quilt was even moldy, and muttered softly, "But Brother... it's really itchy. And that bed over there looks so soft..."
Tang San was left speechless. He could only grit his teeth, turn away, and pull out the Dragon Whisker Needle from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.
By the moonlight, Tang San stared at the golden Hair Crystal in his hand, cold light flashing through his eyes.
"Just wait... tomorrow's combat class."
"I'll prove that Tang Sect Hidden Weapons are the strongest. Money, rank—before absolute technique, they are all illusions!"
Meanwhile, inside Cloud Top Heavenly Palace.
The long dining table was covered with delicacies.
Zhu Zhuqing had changed into loose, pale-purple Silk Pajamas. Her long hair fell casually over her shoulders, and the coldness she carried during the day had faded, leaving behind a lazy charm.
She curled up in Qian Mo's arms and allowed him to feed her a peeled grape.
Their auras intertwined.
With their bodies touching, the mysterious Qi Luck Sharing activated once more. Zhu Zhuqing could feel the Soul Power within her body bouncing joyfully. In the time it took to finish a meal, her cultivation had improved by another trace.
"So this is what it feels like to win while lying down?" Zhu Zhuqing whispered into his ear.
"This is nothing yet." Qian Mo gave a wicked smile, lifted her in his arms, and headed toward the big bed large enough to hold five people. "Tonight, we'll cultivate something else..."
The next morning.
"Clang—clang—clang—!"
The piercing Assembly Bell shattered the silence.
On the Sports Field.
Tang San emerged with huge dark circles beneath his eyes, his face covered in mosquito bites and his spirit utterly drained.
Dai Mubai looked even worse. He had been too angry to sleep the night before, and with his injuries not yet healed, he looked like a ghost drained of all Yang Energy.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun yawned endlessly as well.
Only Ning Rongrong was slightly better off. After all, she had brought a full bedding roll, though she still looked thoroughly displeased.
Just then.
The doors of Cloud Top Heavenly Palace slowly opened.
Qian Mo emerged holding Zhu Zhuqing's hand.
Both of them looked energetic and radiant.
Zhu Zhuqing in particular had fair skin tinged with rosy color, so supple it looked as though water could be squeezed from it. A captivating allure flowed through her brows and eyes, proof that she had been extremely well nourished by qi luck.
The sharp contrast dealt the Single Dogs present ten thousand points of critical damage.
Flender stood in the middle of the Sports Field. As he looked at the students, whose conditions were so drastically polarized, the corners of his mouth twitched.
He coughed and forcibly drew everyone's attention back.
"Alright, today is your first class."
Flender pointed at the lecherous-looking Oscar beside him.
"As monsters, you must first possess a good stomach and cast aside that needless dignity."
"Oscar, come out!"
"Today's task is simple—eat the sausages Oscar makes. One per person. If you do not finish, class will not end!"
Tang San looked at Oscar's thick beard and felt his stomach churn.
But he remembered last night's vow and his determination to prove himself.
"Isn't it just a sausage?" Tang San took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I'll go first!"
Qian Mo stood to one side, watching the scene with an amused smile at the corner of the mouth.
"What a fine show."
He even pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds from his Soul Tool and handed them to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Here, wife. Let's watch the monkey show."
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