Shen Feng was so sensible that Shen Rui and Ling Na both breathed a little easier.
Sometimes, having a son who was too exceptional could be a tremendous misfortune for an ordinary family like theirs.
As the saying went, a man was not guilty of a crime, but possessing a precious jade invited trouble. In the eyes of others, talent that stood above all others was itself a priceless piece of jade.
Just look at the Seven-Ring Soul Sage sitting beneath the big tree by the entrance, shamelessly refusing to leave.
"Xiao Feng, what do you think of that Soul Sage's proposal?"
Shen Rui hadn't wanted Shen Feng to attend that Shrek Academy either, but now that he and his wife had seen Shen Feng's talent, they weren't sure they could handle it.
Other academies were crowded and complicated, and Shen Feng's Innate Full Soul Power could easily attract unnecessary trouble.
Shrek Academy, however, had only six people in all, teachers and students combined.
What's more, there was another person with Innate Full Soul Power who could help cover for Shen Feng. As long as Shen Feng didn't use his Second Martial Soul in front of them, he would generally be quite safe.
Besides, the academy's strongest member was only a Seven-Ring Soul Sage. Even if something went wrong, Shen Rui and his wife could handle it.
As for keeping Shen Feng under their wing and teaching him by themselves, that simply wasn't realistic.
Shen Rui knew that none of the powerful people in this world had grown up sheltered by their predecessors.
Without weathering storms, all you could raise was something shiny on the outside and full of chaff within—something that would crumble at the first touch.
Shen Feng clearly understood this too. "I think going to Shrek Academy is fine, but we should set some conditions."
"After all, they're the ones asking me to enroll. It's not as if I have to go."
Shen Rui nodded. "We should certainly set conditions. Your mother and I wouldn't feel at ease letting you go alone."
"Right, Nana? How about we go with Xiao Feng to Shrek Academy?"
"With our abilities, we should be more than qualified to serve as guest instructors."
Ling Na's brows drew together slightly. She already had a poor impression of Shrek Academy and instinctively felt reluctant.
But for Shen Feng's sake, she suppressed her displeasure and nodded gently. "All right. I'll leave it up to you."
Once the Shen family had finished discussing things, they left the Spirit Hall. Flender immediately stood and came over to greet them.
"Have you two made up your minds? One-on-one instruction, excellent educational resources, and a peer with Innate Full Soul Power to grow alongside him."
"I think there's no academy in the world better suited to Xiao Feng's growth than ours."
Shen Rui stepped forward to face Flender and cupped his hands in a respectful salute. "Senior, we've discussed it. Xiao Feng can attend your Shrek Academy."
"However, we have a few small conditions."
Flender's brows furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected Shen Rui to have conditions after he had already made such a significant concession.
But giving up Shen Feng, a Battle Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power and even greater potential than Oscar, was out of the question.
After all, Shrek Academy desperately needed a peerless genius who could truly stand above all others and make its name known.
Oscar had Innate Full Soul Power too, but as a Food-Type Soul Master who needed Battle Soul Masters to protect him, he could never do that.
"Tell me your conditions." After thinking it over and weighing the pros and cons, Flender decided to hear Shen Rui out.
Shen Rui held up three fingers. "We don't have many conditions. Just three."
"First, my wife and I will go to Shrek Academy with Xiao Feng."
A gleam flashed in Flender's eyes. He hadn't expected such a good deal. Buy one, get two free?
He nodded without hesitation and readily agreed. "Of course. You're both very welcome."
Shen Rui nodded slightly and stated the second condition.
"Second, my wife and I will take part in Xiao Feng's education. And when it comes to the most important matter of his Soul Rings, our opinions must take priority."
Flender thought it over briefly, then nodded again. "That's not an unreasonable condition. I can agree to it."
Shen Rui continued. "Third, if Shrek Academy's instruction fails to help Xiao Feng grow properly, we have the right to leave at any time, and you won't stop us."
Flender's brows furrowed. He gritted his teeth and said, "All right. I can agree to that too."
"But I have a few conditions of my own. I need both of you to agree to them."
Shen Rui smiled faintly. "Please, go ahead, Senior."
Flender's expression turned serious, and his tone left no room for argument. "Our Shrek Academy is different from other Soul Master academies. We're a true Monster Academy, and we follow an elite education policy: quality over quantity."
"So our teaching principles differ greatly from those of other Soul Master academies. You may have your doubts, but you mustn't voice them in front of the students, especially not when questioning us in front of them."
"If there's something you don't understand, you can come talk to me privately. I'll give you a proper explanation myself."
"If you find our teaching principles too difficult to understand, or simply can't agree with them, you're free to leave at any time."
Flender had come around by now. Forcing a melon didn't make it sweet, and it could easily offend people too.
Rather than offend this family, whose potential was limitless, and make trouble for himself, he might as well give them every convenience he could. That would also let him demonstrate his sincerity.
Ling Na thought it over, then decided to ask about the question on her mind. "Senior, I already have something I'd like to ask you. Would that be all right?"
Flender nodded. "Go ahead."
Ling Na cupped her hands. "Four years ago, when my husband and I went to the Star Dou Forest to hunt Soul Beasts, we had a brief encounter with Qin Ming from your academy."
"There's no denying that Qin Ming is capable, and his Soul Power cultivation is on par with ours."
"But I'm very curious: why is his Fifth Soul Ring a purple Millennium Soul Ring?"
"By rights, his talent is excellent, and it wouldn't be impossible for him to break through to the Ninth-Ring Titled Douluo realm someday. So why hasn't he even reached the most basic optimal Soul Ring Configuration?"
At this, Flender laughed. "There's nothing strange about that."
"Do you know the maximum number of years' worth of Soul Rings that Soul Masters at each level can absorb?"
Shen Feng raised his hand. "I do."
"According to the Reference Catalog for Soul Master Soul Ring Absorption published by the Spirit Hall, the maximum age for a First Soul Ring is 400 to 450 years."
"The Second Soul Ring can be 750 to 800 years old."
"The Third Soul Ring can be 1,700 to 1,800 years old."
"The Fourth Soul Ring can be around 5,000 years old."
"The Fifth Soul Ring can be around 12,000 years old."
"The Sixth Soul Ring can be around 20,000 years old."
"The Seventh Soul Ring can be between 30,000 and 50,000 years old. This Soul Ring varies according to each Soul Master's attributes. Beast Martial Soul Power Attack System Soul Masters have the highest absorption limit, while Food-Type Soul Masters in the support system have the lowest."
"The Eighth Soul Ring is generally over 50,000 years old. But if a Soul Master encounters a Martial Soul that's an exceptionally good match, they may make a trade-off, resulting in a Soul Ring that's less than 50,000 years old."
"The most famous example is Tai Ta, the head of the Strength Clan. His Eighth Soul Ring came from a Qianjun Ant that was over 30,000 years old. It wasn't especially old, but it greatly increased his strength."
"Theoretically, a Soul Master's Ninth Soul Ring can be over 100,000 years old. But Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are rare and difficult to hunt, so hardly any Soul Masters in the world have a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring."
Shen Feng recited all he had learned over the years, explaining it fluently and giving examples from several angles.
Flender nodded with satisfaction. "Well said. And you even know about the exploits of some powerful people. It seems you've learned quite a lot for someone so young."
"But there's an even more precise version of what you just said. At our Shrek Academy, there's a book called Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. It contains a more detailed study of Martial Souls. Once you join Shrek Academy, you can read it carefully."
Shen Feng nodded and cupped his hands with a smile. "Of course, Senior. I've heard of that book for a long time, but I've never had the chance to read it."
Yu Xiaogang's greatest achievement? I really wonder what kind of nonsense is written in that book.
Seeing Shen Feng's modest manner, Flender felt even better.
What a well-spoken child. "Read it carefully"—such a modest way to put it. It was his good friend's magnum opus, after all. It certainly deserved a proper read.
Flender waved a hand, suppressing his pride. "It's good to be eager to learn. Once you get to Shrek Academy, you'll have plenty to study."
"Now I'll explain why Qin Ming's Fifth Soul Ring is only a purple, thousand-year Soul Ring."
"First, the graduation requirement at Shrek Academy is to reach the Soul Ancestor realm, level forty, before turning twenty."
"In other words, Qin Ming had already graduated from our academy when he obtained his Fifth Soul Ring. We teachers naturally wouldn't interfere too much in his life."
"Second, the thousand-year Soul Beast that gave Qin Ming his Fifth Soul Ring was a Fire-Attribute Wolf-Type Soul Beast on the verge of ten thousand years old. It wasn't far from the Fifth Soul Ring's maximum absorption limit of 12,000 years."
"The attributes were suitable, the type was an excellent match, and its age wasn't too far off. So Qin Ming didn't absorb the wrong Soul Ring."
"You're both Soul Masters, so you know how difficult it is for us to hunt Soul Beasts."
"Especially when it comes to the Fifth Soul Ring. Soul Beasts that are just over ten thousand years old but no older than twelve thousand, and that also suit the Soul Master perfectly, aren't easy to find."
"I imagine the two of you went to considerable trouble finding suitable Fifth Soul Rings, didn't you?"
Ling Na and Shen Rui looked at each other, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
It didn't seem that difficult. They paid for information, hunted for half a month. I remember they went out twice together when I was two, and each time they came back after about half a month.
Suddenly, Shen Feng's words brought the conversation to an abrupt halt.
Flender gave an awkward laugh. "W-well, our academy places a lot of importance on teaching students to be independent. Paying for information... Hahaha, you understand, right? Haha..."
Shen Rui and Ling Na couldn't figure out why Flender had suddenly become so flustered, but Shen Feng understood all too well.
Everyone knew that paying for information was convenient. But could Shrek Academy, with its poverty-stricken ways, afford it?
Was Qin Ming, fresh out of school and broke, supposed to pay? It wasn't as if he had taken part in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament like Shen Rui and Ling Na, where he could have won a substantial prize.
And Shen Rui often went out to hunt Soul Rings for others in exchange for commissions. Compared to Qin Ming, who had graduated from Shrek Academy, he had no idea how much wealthier Shen Rui was.
When you were poor, pride only made things harder. Unwilling to seek help from the great powers, Qin Ming had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill himself.
Perhaps that was exactly why Qin Ming later chose Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where he became a teacher.
"Senior, Senior."
Flender's awkward grin was truly unpleasant to look at. Shen Rui didn't want him spoiling his lovely wife's view, so he ignored Flender's unspoken difficulties and called out to him twice.
"Ah? Ah? What is it?" Flender snapped back to attention.
Shen Rui cleared his throat. "Senior, Xiao Feng is one of the few people in the world with Innate Full Soul Power. Ling Na and I don't want to delay his cultivation, so we'd like to help him obtain his First Soul Ring as soon as possible, so he can become a Soul Master and continue cultivating."
Flender looked at Shen Feng and nodded solemnly. "That's only right. Cultivation is fastest in the early stages, especially for someone with Innate Full Soul Power. A few short months could mean the difference of a level, so you can't afford to waste time."
"But have you two decided what kind of Soul Beast Xiao Feng should hunt? Would you like me to offer some suggestions?"
Ling Na nodded. "Don't worry, Senior. Xiao Feng inherited my Thunder Blade Martial Soul, though it underwent a slight, beneficial mutation."
"For his Soul Ring, any Soul Beast with lightning attributes, sharpness, or sturdiness will do."
"Thunder Sword Bamboo, Thunder-Roaring Wood, and Hundred-Thunder Thorn are our first choices among plant-type Soul Beasts. A lightning-attribute dragon-type Soul Beast is our second choice, and a lightning-attribute ferocious beast is our last."
Flender nodded slightly. "Those choices are reasonable. As for the age, I recommend no more than 423 years."
"That's the most precise limit for a First Soul Ring, calculated after years of painstaking research by a highly knowledgeable friend of mine."
Ling Na's brows furrowed. This Shrek Academy seemed even less reliable now.
When hunting Soul Beasts, Soul Masters could only make a rough estimate of their age based on their outward features.
Down to the exact year? Ha. Ling Na couldn't imagine how anyone had come up with that number.
"Mom." Shen Feng tugged at Ling Na's sleeve.
Ling Na turned to him. "What is it, Xiao Feng?"
Shen Feng spoke like a child. "Mom, don't you remember? I ate a Red Fruit when I was little. I think my body is strong enough to absorb a Soul Ring that's older."
"Red Fruit?" Ling Na looked confused. She genuinely didn't remember giving Shen Feng any Red Fruit.
"Da Feng, did you give Xiao Feng some kind of Red Fruit?"
Shen Rui's brows furrowed, then he suddenly recalled. "Right, back then I did pick a red Strange Fruit in the Star Dou Forest and give it to Xiao Feng."
"Now that Xiao Feng's Martial Soul has awakened, the fruit's medicinal effects may have been fully activated."
"We really should examine Xiao Feng carefully. He might actually be able to absorb a Soul Ring beyond the limit."
Before you continue