Shrek Academy's Move

Less than fifty li northwest of Suotuo City stood a village. From above, one could see that most of its wooden houses were enclosed by a ring of wooden fences, like an independent estate that barred outsiders from entering.

In the clearing at its center, two men sat facing opposite directions. One was broad-shouldered and powerfully built, his bare upper body wrapped in bloodstained bandages. The other was thickset, wearing a tall Chef's Hat.

"Zhao Ge, do you think Boss Flender can get the school operating permit from Spirit Hall this time?"

The fat man dressed like a chef asked the burly man beside him.

"Hmph! Those bastards from Spirit Hall are nothing but bullies who fear the strong. If you ask me, Flender probably won't get anywhere this time either. When dealing with those rigid fools, you need to use your fists!"

The burly man's reply made no effort to conceal his disdain for Spirit Hall. His clenched fist swung through the air a few times, but the movement was too forceful, tearing open wounds that had only recently healed. More red seeped into the bandages that were already half-dyed with blood.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" The man called Zhao Ge immediately grimaced in pain.

If Nuo Si had been here, he would have recognized this man at a glance as Zhao Wuji, the Immovable Bright King who had shaken the entire Spirit Master world a few months ago.

After personally killing the descendant of a high-ranking Spirit Hall official, he had defected from Spirit Hall. He later escaped the encirclement of sixteen Soul Emperors. Because of his astonishing defensive power, the Spirit Master world had given him the title Immovable Bright King.

At this moment, wanted notices for Zhao Wuji covered every street and alley in Suotuo City.

"Zhao Ge, your serious injuries haven't healed yet. Don't get angry!"

"It's fine! Shao Xin, give me a few Candy Beans." Zhao Ge waved a hand to indicate that it was nothing serious.

"Got it!" Shao Xin, the fat man, stepped forward. Two yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Ring appeared in sequence beneath his feet.

"I have a Healing Bean!" As he recited the Soul Incantation, the fourth purple Soul Ring beneath Shao Xin's feet erupted with dazzling purple light. Dozens of green Candy Beans appeared in his palm.

"Zhao Ge, here!" Shao Xin handed the dozens of green Candy Beans to Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji grabbed the Candy Beans with one hand and stuffed them into his mouth. He swallowed them all within moments. A ripple of Soul Power spread from his body, restoring some color to his pale face. He was visibly in much better condition.

"Shao Xin, just based on that alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call your Candy Bean Martial Soul the number one Food System Martial Soul on the entire continent."

"I thought this would leave me with severe lingering injuries. I would've been grateful just to survive. Luckily, I met you and Flender."

Shao Xin embarrassedly rubbed his head, which was as round as a ball. "There aren't many famous Food-type Soul Masters on the entire continent, after all."

"What I really wanted was to become a Battle Soul Master like you and Boss Flender, to clash head-on with enemies. Fighting is exhilarating! That feeling of holding power in your own hands instead of relying on others."

Zhao Wuji replied noncommittally, "A head-on clash means danger. The chances of being injured or killed increase tremendously. Aren't I proof of that?"

As the two spoke, a violent wave of Soul Power came from the skies in the direction of Suotuo City.

A streak of green light swept across the village sky and landed before them.

When the dust settled, Flender appeared before the two, his face dark and gloomy.

"Boss Flender, you're back!" Seeing that it was their leader, Shao Xin grinned and hurried over.

But when he noticed Flender's expression, he immediately stopped. "Boss? Don't tell me Spirit Hall still refused to let us open the school?"

"That's right. That old fossil Charlton is stubborn beyond reason."

"Hmph! I say the three of us should just storm the Martial Soul Main Hall, press our fists against that old man's face, and see if he dares refuse to approve our permit!" Zhao Wuji made a shocking suggestion, directly proposing violence as the solution.

A level fifty-eight Food System Artifact Soul King, along with a level sixty-four and a level sixty-eight War Soul Emperor, could indeed catch them off guard.

"Zhao Wuji! Absolutely not. Leaving aside the fact that you're injured, you've only just managed to escape Spirit Hall's attention. If you rashly show yourself, all three of us will be doomed beyond redemption."

Flender sighed and rejected Zhao Wuji's bold idea. Ever since the Golden Iron Triangle had disbanded, he had been in poor spirits.

The scene of Yu Luomian barging into Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong's wedding, forcibly taking Liu Erlong away, and cursing Yu Xiaogang as useless often resurfaced in his mind.

Although they had been caught in a love triangle, as the leader of the Iron Triangle, he had still blessed the two of them.

But he had never expected heaven to play such a cruel joke on them. Liu Erlong was Xiao Gang's cousin. Erlong had been taken away by Yu Luomian right at the wedding, while Xiao Gang, unable to bear the double blow to his dignity and emotions, had fled.

The Golden Iron Triangle, renowned across the continent, had disbanded in such a way.

Afterward, he traveled while working as a merchant. A few years ago, he met Shao Xin in Suotuo City. The two hit it off and became sworn brothers, and Flender began to consider settling down.

A few months ago, they had encountered Zhao Wuji, who had fled here. The three of them then banded together.

Opening an advanced Soul Master Academy had always been Flender's dream since his youth. More than that, he wanted to help his brother Yu Xiaogang prove that his theories were correct, that he was not useless!

But the reality was that he had none of the requirements needed to open an academy.

"Um... Boss Flender, I have an idea." Shao Xin spoke timidly from the side.

"Oh? Do you have a good solution?" Flender raised his head and stared intently at Shao Xin.

"Why do we need Spirit Hall's recognition at all?" Shao Xin clenched his fists, looking full of heroic determination.

"As long as we make Shrek Academy famous, people will come to our academy in an endless stream even without Spirit Hall's permit."

"Because we can use our strength to prove that Spirit Hall's so-called recognition is nothing but a lie!"

"Right, right, right! Spirit Hall has no right to confer honors on us!" Zhao Wuji chimed in from the side.

"Shao Xin, you've got some skill! To hell with Spirit Hall. Even without its recognition, we're still the strongest!" Zhao Wuji laughed loudly.

A sharp glint flashed through Flender's eyes. Right, to put it plainly, they could open the school privately first, then build their reputation through quality.

"Good idea. Shao Xin, you've got what it takes." Flender expressed his approval.

"But how are we supposed to make Shrek Academy famous?" When it came to managing an academy, Shao Xin was troubled again.

Flender's eyes rolled, and a wicked smile curled across his face. The three of them were grown men with neither experience running an academy nor experience teaching students.

But he, Flender, had business experience! Creating publicity stunts was what he did best.

He immediately picked up a wooden board.

"I remember that the Heaven Dou Empire has a policy for recruiting talent. Once you reach level forty, you can apply to kingdoms and duchies for a noble title, right?"

"That's right, but there's no fief. It's only an empty title." Zhao Wuji answered. No Soul Ancestor would care about such a hollow honor.

Flender said nothing more. He took out a pen and began writing on the wooden board.

Shrek Academy Enrollment Promotion!

1. Upon graduating from Shrek Academy, you can become an Imperial Viscount!

Shao Xin's jaw nearly dropped. The graduation requirement for ordinary advanced Soul Master Academies was level forty. At level forty, one could apply to the empire for a noble title, but a Soul Ancestor likely would not even spare such an empty title a glance.

Right, we can also borrow Spirit Hall's prestige. I remember Xiao Gang has an Elder Token given to him by Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, Bibi Dong. Since Shrek Academy uses Xiao Gang's theories, Xiao Gang can count as a member of Shrek Academy too, right?

2. The youngest Elder in Spirit Hall's history came from Shrek Academy!

"Boss Flender, you're incredible! Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, famed for its merchants across the world, probably can't match your talent for promotion."

"Naturally. Who do you think I, Flender, am?" Flender smugly brushed back his unruly bird's-nest hair, which had gone untended for far too long.

3. Unbeatable theory! Exclusive instruction from Yu Xiaogang, author of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul!

"Though Xiao Gang won't personally teach them, I've learned a few things from him over the years. That doesn't count as false advertising, does it?"

4. Teaching staff: a Soul Saint dean, plus several Soul Emperors!

Flender looked at the promotional content he had written and said with great satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad."

"Zhao Wuji, from now on, I'm the dean and you're the vice dean. If anything comes up, you handle it first."

"Remember to cover your face. Don't let anyone discover you're a wanted criminal."

"Got it. I've actually wanted to know what it feels like to teach students for a long time." Zhao Wuji wore a wicked smile. One look was enough to tell he was thinking of no good.

"Anyway, Shao Xin and I will break through to Soul Saint and Soul Emperor eventually. So there isn't anything wrong with what I wrote in the fourth point."

"But Boss, we made it sound so good, while this place is such a mess. Will anyone believe us?" Shao Xin looked around. All he saw was muddy ground and dilapidated wooden houses, and he could not help feeling uncertain.

"Shrek Academy only accepts geniuses! A greenhouse cannot produce true geniuses."

"These facilities are all deliberately arranged to cultivate the geniuses' spirit of enduring hardship."

"Put the spirit of enduring hardship into Shrek Academy's motto." Flender waved his hand grandly and added a few more strokes to the wooden board.

"But I heard that other advanced Soul Master Academies all have standard Mimicry Cultivation Environments." Shao Xin added from the side.

At this point, Zhao Wuji could no longer hold back. "Shao Xin, Shao Xin! That's typical Spirit Hall thinking! And I was praising you just now."

"You, me, and Flender—did any of us use Mimicry Cultivation Environments when we were young?"

"No."

"No."

"Exactly!" Zhao Wuji spread his hands. "We didn't have those conditions back then, yet haven't we cultivated to where we are today?"

"If they're geniuses, why would they need carriages? Since they're geniuses, of course they should cultivate by relying on themselves."

"Good! Zhao Ge's words make sense. I was being a little too delicate."

"Mm, Zhao Wuji has a point. We didn't have those conditions before either, yet we still cultivated to where we are now."

"Xiao Gang said that Spirit Masters must not rely too much on external things in cultivation." Flender pushed up his glasses with a finger and spoke with solemn seriousness.

"Hahaha, Flender, I'm becoming more and more interested in that brother of yours, Xiao Gang, whose theories are supposedly unbeatable."

"You'll have a chance to meet him later. For now, let's discuss the academy."

"Shao Xin, leave the academy's meals to you. Buy ingredients directly from Wild Chicken Village next door. No middlemen taking a cut. Simple farm food will do."

The three men exchanged opinions on the academy's operations and management, barely putting together a framework that could function.

"Boss Flender, our budget isn't enough. Wild Chicken Village urged us to pay the rent again yesterday."

At Shao Xin's words, Flender seemed to have cold water poured over him. When he had first negotiated with Wild Chicken Village, the rent had been ten Gold Soul Coins per month. Now he had delayed it until he owed several hundred Gold Soul Coins.

"No choice. Tell them to give us more time, then raise the tuition a little. Thirty Gold Soul Coins per student." Out of options, Flender could only target the students' tuition. He could not bear to touch the money in his own little treasury.

"We'll start enrollment in one week." Flender made the decision outright.

"Hopefully, we'll recruit a genius with better talent." Shao Xin clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Genius!" Flender seemed to remember something, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Boss Flender, what's wrong?"

"Flender, have you gone crazy from wanting a genius too badly?"

Flender's reaction gave the other two quite a fright.

"No, no, no. You don't know this, but I met a child at the Martial Soul Main Hall today."

"He was brought in by a Spirit Master from Spirit Hall who was responsible for awakening Martial Souls for commoners."

"You know that this is the time of year when Spirit Hall awakens Martial Souls specifically for commoners. What do you think was the reason that child was brought into Suotuo City's Martial Soul Main Hall at this time?"

Flender's eyes fixed on the two men before him.

"A genius!!" Shao Xin and Zhao Wuji blurted out in unison.

"That's right! Spirit Hall helps commoners awaken their Martial Souls every year to recruit talented geniuses without family backgrounds. That's why Spirit Hall has the most high-level Spirit Masters and Title Douluos on the entire continent!"

"I used a little Mental Power to investigate him. There was an extremely faint fluctuation of Soul Power in that child's body, roughly equivalent to a level eight Soul Scholar."

"Innate Level 8 Soul Power!!" Zhao Wuji and Shao Xin looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Flender and Zhao Wuji both had Innate Level 6 Soul Power, while Shao Xin had been slightly better off with Innate Level 7 Soul Power.

Only a handful of geniuses with Innate Level 8 Soul Power might appear across the entire continent each year, and that was including the Soul Master clans and sects.

As long as no accidents occurred and they cultivated step by step, a genius with Innate Level 8 Soul Power could almost certainly reach the Soul Saint realm. Reaching Soul Douluo was not impossible either.

"Flender, a genius like this appeared just as we opened Shrek Academy. This child is clearly fated to be with Shrek Academy!" Zhao Wuji said with a wicked grin.

"That's right. The key is that this child is only six years old. If we raise him from childhood, it will deepen his feelings for Shrek Academy. When he travels the continent later, he can promote us more too! Boss Flender, we have to get him!"

"That's right. Shao Xin makes sense. Feelings cultivated from childhood are completely different from those cultivated starting at age twelve." Flender strongly agreed with Shao Xin. He had no interest in ordinary six- or seven-year-old children, but geniuses were obviously an exception.

But then Flender developed a headache. The impression he had left on Qin Ming at the Martial Soul Main Hall today was not very good. He seemed to have been mistaken for a creepy old man.

Thinking about it, that made sense. A Soul Emperor grinning stupidly at a child all at once had been far too improper.

"Damn it! Why couldn't I hold myself back then?!" Flender cursed his self from a few hours earlier, wishing he could slap himself.

Still, he was completely confident that he could fool Qin Ming. As the sworn brother of the "Grandmaster" Yu Xiaogang, he had picked up a little of Yu Xiaogang's methods as well.

As long as he showed off his six Soul Rings and some Martial Soul knowledge, wouldn't fooling a child whose Martial Soul had only just awakened be as easy as taking candy from a baby?