Douluo: Starting by Crafting a Gun Chapter 13

There was even a hunched figure wearing a black robe, their face obscured by a wide hood, making it difficult to see them clearly.

But judging by their curved back, this person was definitely over sixty years old.

Furthermore, there were no descendants following by their side; they simply stood alone on the outermost edge of the crowd, waiting quietly.

"You see it now, don't you? Everyone isn't here to enroll at all, but is aiming for the last rule."

"See that old man outside the crowd? He's practically got one foot in the grave, yet he's still waiting here. What for? It's all for this once-a-year chance to have a master answer their questions, hoping to take their strength to the next level."

After hearing the middle-aged man's explanation, the person who had previously wanted to file a complaint stood frozen on the spot, the complexity of their emotions impossible to put into words.

They had no choice but to lower their head, take their child, and walk to the side to wait quietly, no longer daring to clamor recklessly.

At the same time, a youth with blonde hair and double pupils in the crowd revealed a mysterious smile.

"Shrek Academy? I hope you can bring me some amusement."

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Three strikes of a gong rang out, and the crowd at the entrance of Shrek Academy, having just heard the middle-aged man's explanation, instantly erupted into a commotion.

The quick-witted had already dashed toward the seven tables and chairs, beginning to form long lines.

Those who were confused, seeing everyone else lining up, naturally followed the herd and joined the queues.

Soon, seven long lines had been formed.

At this moment, Flender led the way out of Shrek Academy with his clothes neat and tidy, followed by six other teachers, including Shen Rui and Ling Na.

Shen Feng held the gong, while Oscar followed closely behind, holding a sound-amplifying Soul Tool.

Flender and the other six took their seats at the tables one by one, while Shen Feng and Oscar stood at either end.

Shen Feng struck the gong, and Oscar raised the sound-amplifying Soul Tool and shouted, "Everyone, please be quiet."

"Before the Shrek Academy enrollment begins, I want to read out our Shrek Academy enrollment rules."

"First, those over thirteen years of age with a soul power below level twenty-one will not be accepted."

"Second, those whose first two soul rings are not century-level, or whose first two soul skills are poorly matched, will not be accepted."

"Third, the registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Once paid, it is non-refundable, but those who are not admitted may ask the recruiting teacher one question regarding soul master cultivation."

"If you have any objections to the above three points, please leave on your own; we are not responsible for answering idiots."

As he spoke, Oscar's soul power surged, and he punched a man-sized boulder nearby, which shattered at the impact.

"If you stay, don't say you weren't warned if you cause trouble!!"

For a ten-year-old child to shatter a man-sized boulder without even revealing their soul rings, the deterrent effect was naturally immense.

If a child had such strength, what about the seven teachers sitting in the chairs?

However, the middle-aged men standing at the front of the lines didn't seem afraid of Oscar at all.

Some even began to critique and tease Oscar.

"The little gentleman's strength has improved significantly again."

"Yes, yes, the stone he shattered with his bare hands this time is even bigger. I remember last year he only shattered a half-man-sized rock."

"That's nothing. I remember when I first came three years ago, the little gentleman only split wood."

"This speed of progress is simply terrifying!!"

"Tsk tsk, to think that for only ten Gold Soul Coins, one can ask a question to the big shots who could raise such a prodigy—it's a massive bargain."

"Indeed, indeed. It was worth climbing mountains and wading through rivers for over a thousand miles; coming here this time was truly the right choice."

"."

Seeing Oscar's performance, those in line were suddenly overjoyed, discussing among themselves, but most were saying that their trip had been worth it.

Of course, Flender was also overjoyed inside; in his eyes, these people discussing so fervently were all just money.

He couldn't help but glance in the direction of Shen Feng; this was all Shen Feng's credit.

When he arrived at Shrek Academy three years ago, Shen Feng had proposed this enrollment model upon learning that recruitment was about to begin.

It wouldn't hinder Shrek Academy's recruitment, it could spread a good reputation, and it could legally earn a sum of money.

After all, the previous enrollment model of Shrek Academy—full of scams, deception, and extortion—had really ruined their reputation.

Since his whole family was now at Shrek Academy, for the sake of his own reputation, Shen Feng couldn't let Shrek Academy continue to be so absurd.

Fortunately, this new enrollment model was quite good, and Flender became even more supportive once he realized it could earn money in a reasonable and legal way.

Not only that, but after the news spread that one could have their questions answered by big shots at Shrek Academy for ten Gold Soul Coins, rogue soul masters lacking inheritance flocked here.

Some even settled down after getting their questions answered, just to be closer to the big shots, hoping to one day gain their appreciation and soar to success.

Over the past three years, the village where Shrek Academy was located had expanded by at least double its size.

As more and more rogue soul masters gathered, a market similar to the rogue cultivator markets in the cultivation novels of Shen Feng's past life had actually formed here.

And Shrek Academy was the leader of this gradually forming rogue market, as well as its actual manager in the shadows.

This was the real reason why the Suotuo City Lord's Mansion and the Suotuo City Martial Soul Hall were willing to endorse and legitimize them.

The hidden influence of Shrek Academy has truly become something that cannot be underestimated, and its momentum of expansion is still climbing sharply.

At this rate, I fear it won't be long before it attracts the attention of those major powers.

But those are concerns for another day; development is rarely ever smooth sailing.

As the saying goes, soldiers are met with shields and water with earth; at worst, we'll just have a fight. What is there to be afraid of?

"Ahem."

Seeing the scene gradually descending into chaos, Flender immediately channeled his soul power and coughed twice to regain control of the situation.

"Everyone, since you are all so enthusiastic, I now announce that the third enrollment ceremony of Shrek Academy begins now!"

"Yeah!!!"

The next moment, the crowd erupted into cheers in unison.

Clang, clang, clang!!!

After three consecutive strikes of the gong, Oscar raised his megaphone Soul Tool and shouted, "The paid Q&A session—ah, I mean, the enrollment ceremony—officially begins."

The old man in the black robe had been the fastest, standing directly at the front of the line at Shen Rui's table.

With a hood obscuring his face, Shen Rui couldn't see him clearly.

But he wasn't the type to be overly curious; in a forest this big, there are all sorts of birds, let alone a rat hiding his head and tail.

"You are long past the age for enrollment. The Q&A fee is ten Gold Soul Coins; just drop them into the wooden box beside you."

Clink, clatter.

A handful of Gold Soul Coins was dropped by the black-robed old man into the box used for collecting registration fees.

The old man then lifted a corner of his hood, revealing a face in his forties.

Shen Rui recognized this person; he was none other than Fels, the deputy city lord of Suotuo City, a high-ranking figure who was truly second only to one and above ten thousand.

"A rare guest. How does Mr. Fels have the time to visit us?"

"Are you here to inquire about something?"

Fels shook his head: "Mad Fist Shen Rui, I know you."

"I am not here to ask about anything, but specifically to find you."

Shen Rui was stunned: "Find me? What for?"

Fels looked solemn and transmitted his voice directly into Shen Rui's ears: "To hunt a soul beast, a ten-thousand-year soul ring!"

Shen Rui frowned slightly. Before coming to Shrek Academy, he had indeed taken on jobs helping others hunt soul rings.

But after arriving at Shrek Academy, due to his initial distrust of the people there, he and Ling Na had kept a constant watch over Shen Feng.

Later, after spending some time together and building basic trust, Shen Rui had been busy grinding his cultivation with Zhao Wuji, so he hadn't taken any soul-hunting jobs for a while.

After all, he wasn't exactly short on money.

Now that the deputy city lord of Suotuo City wanted him to return to his old trade—and for a ten-thousand-year soul ring at that—he really didn't want to go.

After all, hunting a ten-thousand-year soul beast could very well result in a soul bone. Once a soul bone appeared, there was a risk of someone being blinded by greed and resorting to murder to seize the treasure.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, soul masters in the world generally wouldn't hire someone they didn't know to help them hunt a soul beast of ten thousand years or more; the risk was too great.

"For a soul beast under twenty thousand years, the deposit is one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, followed by a hiring fee of one thousand Gold Soul Coins per person per day. You can bring up to five people of your choosing."

"I know you used to work in this line of business; this price is very fair."

With that said, Fels took an envelope out of his Soul Tool and placed it on the table in front of Shen Rui: "I'm not in a hurry. Contact me when you've made up your mind."

Having said his piece, Fels didn't say another word, turned around, left the line, and headed in the direction of Suotuo City.

After Fels left, Shen Rui furrowed his brows, his mind racing with thoughts.

Admittedly, the Gold Soul Coins Fels offered were truly a significant amount. On the Douluo Continent, one Gold Soul Coin could be exchanged for exactly ten thousand Copper Soul Coins.

Furthermore, the Gold Soul Coin was the highest currency recognized by the entire continent and both great empires.

And one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins could be exchanged for a full one billion Copper Soul Coins.

That was the annual tax revenue of a small-to-medium-sized city of fifty thousand people, including all the villages under its jurisdiction.

Even for a major kingdom city like Suotuo City, the annual tax revenue was only five million Gold Soul Coins, and after spending the majority of that to support the army, there wasn't actually much left over.

One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins in cash—such a massive fortune was merely the deposit.

If one added the hunt for the ten-thousand-year soul ring, which would take ten days to half a month, the total would come to several tens of thousands more Gold Soul Coins.

With a fortune of over one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, I must admit, Shen Rui was tempted.

Moreover, with the support of this huge sum of money, he could begin to implement the idea that Shen Feng had discussed with him earlier.

"Hey, examiner, hey, hey! What are you thinking about? Are you still enrolling people or not?"

The voice suddenly calling out by his ear jolted Shen Rui back to reality.

"Ah, my apologies. Enrolling, of course I'm enrolling."

He looked up, and upon seeing who it was, Shen Rui frowned slightly.

This was a half-grown boy, about twelve or thirteen years old and roughly 1.7 meters tall, dressed in white brocade with gold-embroidered edges. He had a striking appearance, with long, straight golden hair draped casually behind him, giving him an exceptionally unruly air.

What stood out most were his eyes; he possessed double pupils, deep blue in color, flashing with a sharp, icy, and ferocious light.

Wherever his gaze fell, a chilling sensation penetrated the heart, as if he were a vicious predator for whom all things were prey, projecting an overbearing sense of supremacy over the world.

Shen Rui did not particularly like this kind of look.

Clink, clank.

The sound of Gold Soul Coins falling into the wooden box brought Shen Rui back to his senses: "Extend one hand."

The golden-haired youth shrugged, stretching his hand out in front of Shen Rui without a care.

Shen Rui reached out and squeezed his arm twice: "Under thirteen years of age, qualified."

"Release your Martial Soul and let me see it."

The golden-haired youth gave a smug, wicked smile. As his soul power surged within him, a layer of intense, pale-white light suddenly erupted from his body.

"Roar~"

A fierce tiger's roar suddenly rang out. A series of cracking sounds erupted from the golden-haired youth's bones as his muscles suddenly expanded, his pectoral muscles becoming exceptionally firm and stretching his clothes taut.

Every muscle became clearly defined beneath his clothing, and even the air around him seemed to turn manic at this moment.

His head of golden hair instantly transformed into a mix of black and white, with white dominating, though a few strands of black hair remained strikingly visible.

Four faint lines appeared on his forehead—three horizontal and one vertical—forming the character for "King."