There was even a hunched figure in a black robe, his face obscured by a wide hood so no one could make it out clearly.
Judging by his bent back, he was definitely over sixty.
He had no children or grandchildren with him, either. He stood alone at the very edge of the crowd, quietly waiting.
"You can see it now, right? These people aren't here to apply for admission at all. They're here because of the final question in the rules."
"See that old man outside the crowd? He's nearly at death's door, yet he still came all this way to wait. Why? For the once-a-year chance to get the Grandmaster's guidance and improve his strength."
After hearing the middle-aged man's explanation, the person who had wanted to complain stood dumbfounded. The turmoil in his heart was beyond words.
He could only lower his head, lead his child to one side, and wait quietly. He didn't dare make another scene.
Meanwhile, a golden-haired boy with double pupils in the crowd wore an enigmatic smile.
"Shrek Academy? I hope it'll give me a little fun."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three clangs rang out from the village entrance to Shrek Academy. The crowd that had just heard the middle-aged man's explanation instantly grew restless.
The quick-witted had already darted over to the seven tables and chairs and begun forming a long line.
Those who didn't know what was going on saw everyone else lining up and naturally followed suit.
Before long, seven long lines had formed.
Just then, Flender walked out of Shrek Academy at the head of the group, his clothes immaculate. The other six teachers, including Shen Rui and Ling Na, followed behind him.
Shen Feng carried a bronze gong, while Oscar followed with an Amplifying Soul Tool.
Flender and the other six took their seats at the tables, while Shen Feng and Oscar stood at either end.
Shen Feng struck the gong, and Oscar raised the Amplifying Soul Tool and shouted, "Everyone, please be quiet."
"Before Shrek Academy begins admissions, I'll read out our admission rules."
"First, we won't accept anyone over thirteen whose Soul Power is below level twenty-one."
"Second, we won't accept anyone whose first two Soul Rings aren't Hundred-Year Soul Rings, or whose first two Soul Skills are poorly matched."
"Third, the application fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Once paid, it won't be refunded. However, anyone who isn't admitted may ask a teacher one question about cultivating as a Soul Master."
"If anyone objects to any of these three rules, please leave of your own accord. We're not responsible for answering idiots' questions."
As he spoke, Soul Power surged through Oscar. He punched the person-high boulder beside him, and it split with a crack.
"If you stay, don't say you weren't warned if you cause trouble!"
A ten-year-old child who hadn't even revealed his Soul Ring had shattered a person-high boulder with one punch. The display was naturally intimidating.
If the child was this strong, what about the seven teachers sitting there?
Yet the middle-aged people at the front of the lines didn't seem afraid of Oscar at all.
Some even started teasing him and commenting on his performance.
"The young sir's gotten stronger again."
"Exactly. This time, the stone he broke with his bare hands was bigger. I remember that last year he only broke one half his height."
"That's nothing. I remember the first time I came, three years ago. The young sir only split a piece of wood."
"That rate of progress is downright terrifying!"
"Tsk, tsk. The big shot who can teach such a prodigy only charges ten Gold Soul Coins for one question. That's a real bargain."
"Indeed, indeed. I didn't travel over a thousand li through mountains and rivers for nothing. I definitely came to the right place this time."
"..."
Seeing Oscar's display, the people in line beamed with delight and chattered among themselves. Most said they were glad they had come.
Flender was delighted too. To him, all those enthusiastic people discussing the school were walking bags of money.
He couldn't help glancing toward Shen Feng. This was all thanks to him.
Three years ago, when Shen Feng first came to Shrek Academy, he heard they were about to hold admissions and proposed this new approach.
It allowed Shrek Academy to recruit students, build a good reputation, and earn a tidy sum of money—all by the book.
After all, the old admissions scheme, full of scams and strong-arm tactics, had been disastrous for Shrek Academy's reputation.
His whole family was at the academy now. For the sake of his own reputation, Shen Feng couldn't let Shrek Academy carry on with such absurd practices.
Fortunately, the new admissions method worked well. Once Flender realized it could also bring in money fairly and reasonably, he supported it even more.
What was more, once word spread that a big shot at Shrek Academy would answer questions for just ten Gold Soul Coins, unaffiliated Soul Masters lacking a proper legacy flocked there.
Some even settled down after getting their questions answered, hoping to stay closer to the big shots. Maybe one day they'd earn a big shot's favor and rise to prominence.
In three years, the village where Shrek Academy stood had grown to more than twice its original size.
As more and more unaffiliated Soul Masters gathered there, the place had turned into something like the marketplace for unaffiliated cultivators from the cultivation novels Shen Feng had read in his previous life.
Shrek Academy was the leader of this gradually emerging marketplace—and the one really running it behind the scenes.
That was also why the City Lord's Mansion of Suotuo City and Spirit Hall in Suotuo City were willing to vouch for the academy and clear its name.
The academy's hidden influence had become impossible to underestimate, and it was growing at an alarming rate.
If things continued like this, it probably wouldn't be long before the major powers took notice.
But that was a matter for later. Development never went smoothly.
As the saying went, soldiers would be met by generals, and water would be met by earth. If it came to a fight, they'd fight. What was there to be afraid of?
"Ahem."
Seeing the crowd grow rowdier, Flender immediately circulated his Soul Power and cleared his throat twice, bringing the situation under control.
"Everyone, since you're all so enthusiastic, I hereby announce that Shrek Academy's third admissions ceremony begins now!"
"Wonderful!!!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!!
After three consecutive clangs of the gong, Oscar raised the Amplifying Soul Tool and shouted, "The paid Q&A—ah, I mean, the admissions ceremony—is officially underway!"
The black-robed old man had been the fastest earlier and now stood at the front of the line at Shen Rui's table.
His hood concealed his face, and Shen Rui couldn't see him clearly.
But Shen Rui wasn't curious by nature. In a big forest, there were all kinds of birds—let alone some rat who kept his head and face hidden.
"You're too old to enroll. The Q&A costs ten Gold Soul Coins. Just put them in the wooden box beside you."
Clink, clink.
The black-robed elder dropped a handful of Gold Soul Coins into the wooden box for application fees.
Then he lifted one corner of his hood, revealing a face that looked to be in his forties.
Shen Rui knew him. He was Fels, the deputy City Lord of Suotuo City, a true high-ranking official, second only to the City Lord and above countless others.
"Well, this is a rare guest. What brings you to our place, Mr. Fels?"
"Is there something you'd like to ask?"
Fels shook his head. "Mad Fist Shen Rui, I know who you are."
"I'm not here to ask a question. I came specifically to find you."
Shen Rui paused. "You came to find me? What for?"
Fels's expression grew solemn as he transmitted his voice directly into Shen Rui's ear. "Soul Ring hunting. A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
Shen Rui furrowed his brows. Before he came to Shrek Academy, he had indeed taken jobs helping people hunt Soul Rings.
But after arriving at Shrek Academy, he hadn't trusted the people there at first, so he and Ling Na had stayed by Shen Feng's side without leaving him for a moment.
Later, once they'd spent some time together and built a basic level of trust, Shen Rui had gotten busy competing with Zhao Wuji over cultivation. Before long, he'd stopped taking jobs to help people hunt Soul Rings.
After all, he wasn't short of money.
Now the deputy City Lord of Suotuo City was asking him to take up the old trade again—and to hunt a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, at that. He really didn't want to go.
Hunting a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could very well yield a Soul Bone. If one appeared, there was a risk that someone might covet it and resort to murder and robbery.
That was why Soul Masters generally didn't hire strangers to hunt Soul Rings of ten thousand years or more. The risk was too great.
"For a Soul Beast under twenty thousand years old, the deposit is one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. After that, each person gets a thousand Gold Soul Coins per day. You can bring up to five people with you."
"I know you used to do this kind of work. That's a fair price."
When he finished, Fels took an envelope out of his Soul Tool and placed it on the table in front of Shen Rui. "I'm in no hurry. Get in touch once you've made up your mind."
With that, Fels said no more. He turned and left the line, heading toward Suotuo City.
After Fels left, Shen Rui's brow furrowed as his thoughts churned.
It was true that Fels was offering a lot of Gold Soul Coins. On the Douluo Continent, one Gold Soul Coin could be exchanged for a full ten thousand Copper Soul Coins.
Gold Soul Coins were also the highest-value currency recognized throughout the continent by both empires.
One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins could be exchanged for a full one billion Copper Soul Coins.
That was as much as a small or medium-sized city of fifty thousand people, along with all the villages under its jurisdiction, paid in taxes over an entire year.
Even Suotuo City, an important city in the kingdom, collected only five million Gold Soul Coins in taxes per year. Most of that went toward supporting the army, leaving little in hand.
One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins in cash—a fortune that large was only the deposit.
Hunting a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring would take ten days to half a month. Add the daily fees, and that would mean tens of thousands more Gold Soul Coins.
A fortune of over a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was undeniably tempting to Shen Rui.
And with that huge sum behind him, he could also start putting into action the idea he and Shen Feng had discussed earlier.
"Hey, examiner. Hey, hey! What are you thinking about? Are you still doing admissions or not?"
The sudden voice in his ear snapped Shen Rui back to his senses.
"Ah, sorry. We're recruiting. Of course we're recruiting."
He looked up and recognized the person. Shen Rui's brow furrowed.
The boy was around twelve or thirteen and about 1.7 meters tall. He wore fine white clothes embroidered with gold and had striking features. His long, straight golden hair fell loosely down his back, making him look especially unruly.
His most striking feature was his eyes. Each had double pupils, and the deep blue irises gleamed with a sharp, cold light.
Wherever his gaze fell, a chill sank into people's hearts. He seemed like a savage predator that could devour anything, with an arrogant air that suggested he alone ruled the world.
Shen Rui disliked that look.
Clink, clink.
The sound of Gold Soul Coins falling into the wooden box brought Shen Rui back to himself. "Hold out one hand."
The golden-haired boy shrugged and casually extended his hand toward Shen Rui.
Shen Rui squeezed his arm twice. "You're under thirteen. You pass."
"Release your Martial Soul and let me have a look."
The golden-haired boy gave a smug, wicked smile. Soul Power surged within him, and a brilliant pale light suddenly burst from his body.
"Roar!"
A tiger's roar rang out. The golden-haired boy's bones cracked as his muscles swelled, his chest growing especially broad and firm as it strained against his clothes.
Every muscle became clearly defined beneath his clothes, and even the air around him seemed to grow restless.
His golden hair turned black and white in an instant. White made up most of it, but a few black strands stood out clearly.
Four faint markings appeared on his forehead: three horizontal lines crossed by a vertical one, forming the character for "king."
Before you continue