Oscar knew perfectly well that if Lan Minghua hadn't been lying about wanting to take him as a disciple, then his chance to change his fate was right in front of him.
"Teacher Zhao, I'll head out first!"
Without giving Zhao Wuji a chance to speak, he kicked off with both legs and sped away on his three-wheeled wind.
On the ground, Ma Hongjun woke up after eating the sausage, while Dai Mubai was still unconscious.
Maybe he was thick-skinned and tough, so the attack hadn't hurt him as much.
The moment Ma Hongjun saw Zhao Wuji, he clung to his leg and wailed.
"Teacher Zhao, you have to stand up for me. Some stinking beggar just tried to kill me!"
"You have to kill him for me. We can't let Shrek lose face!"
Zhao Wuji sneered. Ma Hongjun hadn't mentioned a single thing he'd done.
If Lan Minghua had wanted to kill him, he'd already be dead.
Still, Zhao Wuji didn't want students and teachers at odds, so he reminded Ma Hongjun, "Enough. Do you really think I don't know who started this?"
Ma Hongjun's face stiffened. He hadn't expected Zhao Wuji to see through his little scheme.
"He's a new teacher Flender hired, and he's no weaker than I am. If you want to pick a fight, go do it yourself. Don't use me as your weapon." After scolding him, Zhao Wuji left without looking back.
He'd made plenty of enemies when he was young, and by now he'd learned how the world worked.
Was he out of his mind to offend someone as strong as himself for Ma Hongjun's sake?
Watching Zhao Wuji's retreating figure, a glint of murderous intent flashed deep in Ma Hongjun's eyes.
He helped the dazed Dai Mubai up and returned to the dormitory.
Lan Minghua arrived at the house Zhao Wuji had mentioned and casually pushed open the door.
There was nothing special about it. If he had to describe it in one word, it was neat.
"Flender put some thought into this. At least this house is better than the students' dormitory."
Flender knew how to handle people, at least.
Lan Minghua sat down in a chair and fell into thought. He'd forgotten to ask Zhao Wuji when Shrek would be accepting new students.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
He'd only just sat down when someone knocked on the door. A voice followed right after.
"Mister, do you need a disciple? I'm here to become your student!"
Lan Minghua didn't know what Zhao Wuji had told Oscar, but he could guess.
Oscar had definitely learned about his strength.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come over so quickly.
That was just how things were.
"Come on in, handsome."
As soon as he spoke, the door swung open.
Oscar slid to his knees in front of Lan Minghua and bowed deeply.
"Master, please accept this disciple's bow!"
Lan Minghua didn't agree right away. Instead, he asked, "Handsome, why do you want to become my disciple now?"
Oscar didn't hide anything. Respectfully, he replied, "Because you're strong. Teacher Zhao said you're no weaker than the dean. And you said you could make me as strong as an Assault System Soul Master, so I want to become your disciple."
He was straightforward, with no beating around the bush.
Lan Minghua was pleased with Oscar's answer. There was nothing insincere about it.
"One last question. When is Shrek holding its admissions this year?"
Oscar wondered why Lan Minghua was asking, but answered honestly all the same. "Admissions are tomorrow. Teacher Li is in charge."
"I see." Lan Minghua pondered for a moment, then said, "Get up. From this moment on, you're my disciple, Lan Minghua's."
"Thank you, Master!"
The moment Lan Minghua accepted Oscar as his disciple, the system's voice rang in his mind.
[Beep. Disciple accepted successfully.] [Master Teacher title unlocked successfully.] [First disciple: Oscar.] [Soul Power: Level 29.] [System Talent Score: 95.] [Master Teacher Points: 900.] [Ways to earn Master Teacher Points: 1. Accept a disciple with a System Talent Score of at least 80. Each disciple with a score of 80 earns 800 Master Teacher Points. 2. Teach a disciple a cultivation technique. Once the disciple has mastered it and grown stronger, Master Teacher Points may be awarded at the system's discretion.]
Lan Minghua raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the system to round down instead of rounding to the nearest whole number.
If it had rounded up, accepting Oscar as his disciple would have earned him 1,000 Master Teacher Points.
Oscar rubbed his hands together and grinned ingratiatingly. "Um, Master, shouldn't you teach me something now?"
Lan Minghua took out those few manuals again and held them out to him. "These are all my Self-Created Soul Skills. Pick one."
"Master, I want this one, Indestructible Vajra Body!"
"Handsome, you've got guts! Indestructible Vajra Body is hard to master. You're in for a rough time."
Lan Minghua's tone turned teasing, and Oscar couldn't help shivering at his words.
"Ha!"
"What are you laughing at? Your physique is way too weak. You can't compare to those Assault System Soul Masters at all."
Lan Minghua looked Oscar up and down, his eyes showing a trace of disdain for his physique.
As a Support System Soul Master, Oscar had always been pampered.
Aside from running, he hardly ever did any other training to strengthen his body.
Most of Flender's training for Oscar had been about escaping and staying alive.
Aside from being pretty fast, he wasn't much different from other Support System Soul Masters. He was still a weakling.
Oscar was at a loss for words. Everything Lan Minghua said was true.
But deep down, he wanted to grow stronger. He didn't want to stay behind his companions forever.
"Then, Master, what do I have to do to become as strong as an Assault System Soul Master?"
Lan Minghua tossed Indestructible Vajra Body to Oscar. "Open it and take a look. The path to becoming stronger is right there."
Without hesitation, Oscar opened Indestructible Vajra Body and began reading.
In an instant, a flood of information poured into his mind. The methods for cultivating Indestructible Vajra Body flashed through his thoughts one by one.
As he turned the pages, the contents of Indestructible Vajra Body quickly disappeared.
Each manual was recorded using the Heavenly Script, and each one could only be learned by a single person.
If anyone else wanted to learn it, Lan Minghua would have to write it all over again himself.
Those who learned the manuals committed them to muscle memory and couldn't explain them in words.
Even if someone searched their soul, they still wouldn't learn what the manuals contained.
That was why Lan Minghua felt safe giving the manuals to his disciples. He didn't have to worry that they'd reveal the contents without his permission.
One should never intend to harm others, but one must always guard against them. No one could guarantee they'd never be betrayed.
Oscar only snapped out of his absorption once he'd reached the last page.
"What an amazing Self-Created Soul Skill! Once I master it, my defense might be even stronger than Teacher Zhao's." Oscar was incredibly excited.
"How is it? Impressive, right?"
"Impressive? It's incredible! Master, you're simply a miracle worker! You actually created such a powerful Soul Skill. It's even stronger than one granted by a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."
Seeing how excited he was, Lan Minghua brought him back down to earth. "Your physique is too weak right now. You don't even meet the most basic requirements for cultivating Indestructible Vajra Body."
Oscar's face fell. "Master, then how do I start cultivating?"
Lan Minghua stroked his chin and thought for a long while before saying, "It's getting late. Go back for now. I'll tell you how to cultivate tomorrow."
Without giving Oscar a chance to ask anything, he gave him a gentle push out the door, then closed it behind him.
Oscar stared at the closed door and bowed deeply before finally leaving, reluctant to go.
After sensing that Oscar had left, Lan Minghua set about making Soul Tools.
"My Divine Machine Hundred Refinements has reached perfection. Making a Gravity Sensing Bracelet and a Gluttonous Pouch should take about an hour."
The Gravity Sensing Bracelet would strengthen Oscar's physique, so he wouldn't have to foolishly run around with a rock on his back.
Before you continue