Flender

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Flender (弗兰德)
Alias(es)	Shrek — his Great Soul Arena codename 98
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shrek Academy 21
Occupation/Role	Dean, instructor, and later Great Soul Arena competitor 21 48 98
Cultivation	Level 78 Spirit Saint, also called Soul Sage; possesses seven Spirit Rings 42 74 98
Combat Type	Agility-attack-type Spirit Master 74
Status	Alive; continues leading Shrek Academy after Yu Xiaogang and Tang San leave 98
First Appearance	Chapter 21 in the supplied passages 21

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 78 Spirit Saint	42	Established cultivation level; the supplied context does not show how he reached it. His seven Spirit Rings are later displayed in combat 74.
Soul Art cultivation; no new rank documented	63	Begins cultivating Ye Lin’s technique, improving Soul Power quality, recovery speed, and capacity. With her permission, he also teaches it to other academy instructors.

Background / History

Reunion with Yu Xiaogang

Flender and Yu Xiaogang are old friends who previously adventured together. When Yu Xiaogang arrives at Shrek Academy, Flender initially welcomes him and attempts to spare his pride over Tang San’s poor standing among the students 33 34.

Their reunion deteriorates when Yu Xiaogang asks to become a teacher. Flender refuses to bypass the recruitment process, citing responsibility toward the students and fairness to existing staff. The academy’s normal minimum requirement is six Spirit Rings, which Yu Xiaogang cannot meet 34.

Yu Xiaogang then invokes Tang Hao’s authority and presents a Pope Order. Flender compromises by allowing him to teach only Tang San, with no authority within the academy. He agrees not to interfere if another student voluntarily accepts Yu Xiaogang as a master, but refuses further concessions even at the risk of offending Tang Hao 35.

Failed Reconciliation

Despite their disagreements, Flender tries to repair the friendship by apologizing and taking Yu Xiaogang out for an evening. When he later finds Yu Xiaogang unconscious, he prioritizes helping him rather than pursuing Tang San, whom he spots fleeing the scene 41 42.

Flender returns Yu Xiaogang’s storage bracelet after recovering it from Tang San. Yu Xiaogang misinterprets the gesture as evidence that Flender orchestrated his troubles and publicly severs their friendship, leaving Flender bewildered 42.

The mistrust continues when Flender visits after hearing that Tang San returned with a knife embedded in his buttocks. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San conceal the injury because they believe Flender means them harm. Flender’s actual reason for visiting is to check Tang San’s condition; he withdraws when they insist that nothing is wrong 80 81.

Changes at Shrek Academy

After observing Ye Lin’s training methods, Flender recruits her as both a student and a teacher. He offers to supervise from the sidelines and correct any problems, then formally announces her appointment the following day 58 59.

He also adopts the Soul Art she provides and distributes it to Zhao Wuji and other teachers with her permission. When Ye Lin proposes obtaining her third Spirit Ring, he supports using the expedition as practical experience for the students 63.

Theft and Arena Debut

Yu Xiaogang and Tang San eventually enter Flender’s office to take the academy’s funds before leaving. Yu Xiaogang finds a storage bracelet in a drawer and estimates that it contains more than 9,500 Gold Soul Coins 95.

Flender blames himself for the loss, especially because much of the funding came from Ye Lin. He spends the night hoping his old friend will return the money before accepting that he has placed too much faith in their past relationship 98.

To replenish the academy’s funds, Flender registers at Soto Great Soul Arena under the codename Shrek, accompanied by Zhao Wuji as Gravity Bear. Each receives 1,000 Gold Soul Coins upon registration; a victory carries an additional 5,000. Both win their scheduled Soul Sage-level matches three days later 98.

Appearance

• Glasses: Regularly pushes them up while questioning students or addressing the academy. They are specifically described as having black crystal frames 21 59 95.
• Owl-like eyes: His eyes are described as “owl eyes,” with sufficiently sharp vision to identify Tang San fleeing below a third-story window 42.
• Arena disguise: Wears an ugly monster mask when competing as Shrek 98.

Personality

Flender is strict and willing to enforce severe punishments. He threatens to dismiss Ye Lin when she initially refuses his Spirit Ring instructions without a convincing explanation, punishes Ning Rongrong for lying about her running assignment, and publicly criticizes Tang San for lacking backbone in the arena 21 22.

His educational judgment favors demonstrated results over reputation. He challenges Yu Xiaogang’s comparisons by accounting for the students’ different innate Soul Power levels and Martial Souls, yet later hires the much lower-ranked Ye Lin after witnessing the effectiveness of her methods 34 58.

He is financially shrewd but willing to change his spending priorities. After recognizing the students’ nutritional needs, he orders better meals despite the academy’s poor finances. His lingering attachment to Yu Xiaogang also makes him vulnerable: even after their falling-out, he hopes the stolen funds will be returned and takes the loss personally 40 98.

Abilities & Skills

Agility-Attack Combat

Flender combines exceptional speed with enough physical strength to overwhelm dangerous Soul Beasts 74.

• Sends a Giant Stone Demon Ape flying through a thick tree with a single punch 74.
• Knocks a Golden Claw Bear down with a kick before it can escape 74.
• Performs both attacks without using a Spirit Ability, though his seven Spirit Rings and Martial Soul Possession are active 74.
• The beasts are thousand-year Soul Beasts whose high-grade bloodlines allow them to display ten-thousand-year-level strength 71.

Enhanced Observation

His keen eyesight supports both surveillance and combat assessment 42 53 74.

• Recognizes Tang San limping away from a building after Yu Xiaogang’s collapse 42.
• Detects that Ye Lin has suppressed herself to level 20 while fighting the Gray Bear Soul Master to gain experience rather than win immediately 53.
• Notices the fleeting ten-thousand-year aura during Ye Lin’s third Spirit Ring absorption, though he does not question her publicly 74.
• Cannot fully assess Ye Lin’s potential; her newly revealed Alpha Strike leaves him openly admitting that he cannot see through her 93.

Soul Art

Flender cultivates the technique supplied by Ye Lin and considers it effectively perfect after failing to improve it through his own modifications 63.

• Improves Soul Power quality proportionally, making its benefits greater at higher cultivation levels 63.
• Increases Soul Power recovery speed and total capacity 63.
• Shares it with fellow teachers only after obtaining Ye Lin’s permission 63.

Teaching and Tactical Analysis

Flender uses controlled sparring and arena matches to develop practical combat ability 40 46 47.

• Encourages combat within the academy provided it does not cause major injuries 40.
• Arranges Ye Lin’s one-against-six exercise, prohibiting her self-created Soul Skill and serious injuries to her opponents 47.
• Reviews students’ decisions after battle, praising Oscar and Ning Rongrong’s coordination while identifying Ma Hongjun’s failure to observe the enemy’s abilities 48.
• Correctly identifies Jiang Liu’s attack-focused Spirit Rings as a counter to Tang San’s vines 50.
• Encourages students to trust one another with hidden abilities while keeping those abilities concealed from outsiders 47.

Expedition Leadership and Soul Beast Knowledge

Flender adjusts expedition planning after learning how close Zhao Wuji’s first forest trip came to disaster 33.

• Identifies the Dragon and Snake Duo and warns that their Martial Soul Fusion Skill cannot be resisted by anyone below Titled Douluo 33.
• Calls for future expeditions to include himself and the academy’s other teachers 33.
• Orders support-type Spirit Masters to remain near a capable teacher and forbids unapproved attacks on Soul Beasts 71.
• Recognizes the Giant Stone Demon Ape and Golden Claw Bear immediately and assesses both as suitable third-ring candidates for Ye Lin 71.
• Guards Ye Lin during Spirit Ring absorption and advises her on the Golden Claw Bear’s soul bone 74 75 76.

Negotiation and Academy Finance

Flender negotiates commercial arrangements around Ye Lin’s arena popularity 54 57.

• Secures an additional 10 Gold Soul Coins per appearance, regardless of victory or defeat, for as long as the arena uses her image in promotions 54.
• Announces a 10,000-Gold-Soul-Coin endorsement deal, dividing it equally between Ye Lin and the academy 57.
• Accepts Ye Lin’s donation of most of her share and promises to record her contribution in Shrek Academy’s history 57.
• Requires students to contribute half of their daily arena victory rewards to the academy’s finance office 57.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Black crystal-framed glasses — his consistently described personal accessory 21 95.
• Storage Soul Tool — stores the funds Ye Lin returns to the academy 57.
• Soul Guidance Storage Bracelet — kept in his office cabinet; Yu Xiaogang takes it while stealing the academy’s funds 95.
• Ugly monster mask — conceals his identity during his Great Soul Arena appearances as Shrek 98.
• Ye Lin’s teaching materials — reviews them alongside his study of the Soul Art 63.

Relationships

• Ye Lin — student, later fellow teacher, and major financial contributor. He increasingly defers to her training expertise and supports her Spirit Ring hunts 57 58 63 70.
• Zhao Wuji — vice dean and trusted colleague. They coordinate student protection, lead separate forest search parties, and later enter the arena to earn money together 33 34 71 98.
• Yu Xiaogang — former adventuring companion whose demands, misunderstandings, and eventual theft destroy their friendship 34 35 42 98.
• Tang San — student whose conduct repeatedly draws punishment and criticism. Nevertheless, Flender intervenes when he is poisoned and checks reports of his injuries 22 44 46 81.
• Tang Hao — powerful figure whose reputation influences Flender’s decisions. Ye Lin falsely claims to be his disciple, while Yu Xiaogang invokes his authority to secure a limited teaching role 21 35.
• Ma Hongjun — student who addresses him as teacher; Flender critiques his combat mistakes and later questions whether he has been too lenient in training him and the other boys 40 48 58.
• Shao Xin — academy colleague and chef. Flender directs changes to the students’ meals and relies on his food-type support during expeditions 40 71.
• Manager Ao — arena business contact with whom he negotiates promotional compensation and discusses team-match participation 54 86.

Notable Decisions

• Tang San’s dormitory offense: Requires another 100 Gold Soul Coins as an expulsion-and-re-enrollment fee, then orders a day of running without food or Soul Power use 44.
• Cafeteria exclusion: Orders Shao Xin not to prepare meals for Tang San or Yu Xiaogang while improving food for the other students 40 45.
• Golden Claw Bear cub: Permits Ye Lin to raise it at the academy, but warns that he will kill or release it if it later threatens anyone’s safety 75.