Shrek Academy

Outside the gates of Shrek Academy.

Rather than a gate, it looked more like the entrance to a dilapidated village.

A rotten wooden sign bearing the words "Shrek Academy" hung from a tree, swaying in the wind as though it might fall at any moment and hit someone.

A long line stretched out before the registration desk, with countless parents bringing their children here in hopes of gaining admission.

"Registration fee: ten Gold Soul Coins. Put them in the box."

The elderly man in charge of registration sat lazily behind the table without even lifting his eyelids.

A young boy eagerly paid the fee and held out his hand.

The old man pinched his bones to assess his age, then had him release his Martial Spirit before waving him away.

"Unqualified. Next."

"What? Unqualified? Then my ten Gold Soul Coins..."

"Once registration has been completed, fees will not be refunded." The old man's tone was firm.

"You're scamming us! Give the money back! Otherwise, I'm not leaving!"

The parent immediately grew anxious and began shouting. Those ten Gold Soul Coins were hard-earned money, saved up over a long time by living frugally.

He had thought that after paying, his child would at least have somewhere to study.

Yet they wanted to send his child away with a single sentence: unqualified. How could he accept that?

"Someone causing trouble?"

Dai Mubai leaped down from a tree. A cold gleam flashed through his Evil Eye, and the aura of a level thirty-seven Soul Elder erupted instantly, sending the parent flying.

"Want your money back? Beat me, and you can have it."

The student's father lay on the ground clutching his chest in agony, feeling as though his internal organs had been displaced.

In front of his child, he forced himself to suppress the urge to vomit blood.

The student hurriedly helped his father up.

"Father, are you all right?"

Then he turned and glared furiously at Dai Mubai.

"You've gone too far."

Dai Mubai rubbed his fists together, utterly unconcerned.

"The strong should ruthlessly humiliate the weak. If you don't accept it, come beat me."

Seeing the terrifying Soul Elder, the crowd that had been ready to cause trouble fell silent at once.

These were the rules of Shrek Academy.

The bigger your fist, the more right you had.

The student could only use his frail body to support his father, who could barely walk.

Seeing this, Ye Liuyun recalled some things.

Scamming registration fees, bullying others with power, that nonsense about those afraid of causing trouble being mediocre...

He seemed to remember that, in order to test their strength, Shrek Academy's students had attacked a female Spirit King in the city.

That female Spirit King had held back everywhere, afraid of hurting children.

Yet every one of the Shrek Seven Devils had attacked without mercy.

After the city guards arrived, Tang San had played innocent, saying that a group of children like them could never possibly harm a Spirit King.

The city guards found that reasonable and took the female Spirit King away for punishment.

How utterly innocent she had been.

And trash like them had actually become the final victors.

The heavens truly were unjust.

But Ye Liuyun also knew that he was alone and still in a weakened state. He could not change this twisted world.

Besides, he was lazy. He did not want to touch anything troublesome.

Ye Liuyun stepped forward, clearly leaving the registration line.

Still, beating Dai Mubai up would not be much trouble.

With an annoyed expression, Ye Liuyun twisted his wrist and glared at Dai Mubai.

"The bigger your fist, the more right you have?"

"Then return the money to that father and son."

Because there were so many people in line, Dai Mubai only heard the voice and did not notice who had spoken. He instinctively snapped back.

"Why should I?"

Ye Liuyun sneered.

"Because I'm about to beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you."

The commotion immediately drew the attention of many people. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing both looked over.

Dai Mubai also noticed Ye Liuyun at this point, and his expression darkened.

This was a monster.

But he was not afraid. He had the White Tiger Martial Spirit. Would he fear a useless Martial Spirit like Blue Silver Grass?

Tang San and Xiao Wu hurriedly stopped Ye Liuyun.

"We came here to register. It wouldn't be appropriate to make trouble now."

The old man at the registration desk was not angry at someone daring to cause trouble.

Instead, he found Dai Mubai's attitude very strange.

After all, Dai Mubai was a lawless fellow who did not even fully respect the academy's teachers.

Yet after being spoken to like that, he had not flown into a rage and immediately attacked.

Something unusual was definitely going on. The old man took out ten Gold Soul Coins and tossed them out, then slapped the table and made the final decision.

"This time, the registration fee will be returned. But there will be no refunds after this. Anyone registering should take note."

The father and son picked up the ten Gold Soul Coins from the ground and hurriedly thanked Ye Liuyun.

This money was no small amount. If it had been lost just like that, they would have been heartbroken for a long time.

The old man then looked at Ye Liuyun and threatened him.

"It's good for young people to have some temper."

"But if you fight here, not only will you fail to register, plenty of ordinary parents bringing their children here will also be caught up in it. Are you sure you want to fight?"

"The fourth test will let you fight openly and properly."

Ye Liuyun looked at the many children and parents around him who were watching from the sidelines.

Many of those parents were ordinary people. Their children had only awakened weak Martial Spirits by chance, and they had come here to try their luck.

They had spared no expense, spending their entire savings just to register.

But he knew Shrek Academy would never accept them. It only wanted to scam them out of the registration fee.

"Those under thirteen need Soul Power above level twenty-five, and they must have two Spirit Rings that start at the hundred-year level. You won't pass, so don't waste your registration fees."

"Even if you pass the first test, you won't pass the ones afterward."

Upon hearing that, many parents silently left with their children. The registration fee alone could support them for a long time.

Some parents still refused to give up, seeking only a chance to defy fate.

The line continued to move forward slowly, and the elimination rate was astonishingly high.

Countless children left with their heads lowered in disappointment.

Until it was Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ye Liuyun's turn.

"We're together."

Tang San stepped forward and tossed the Gold Soul Coins he had prepared into the box.

The old man pinched Tang San's hand bones, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

"You practice martial arts?"

"Let me see your legs."

Tang San had not expected the old man to truly have some skill. He raised one leg.

The old man pinched Tang San's leg bones.

"Bone age twelve. Qualified."

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

Tang San nodded. He raised his right hand, and his Blue Silver Grass Martial Spirit appeared. Two yellow Spirit Rings pulsed beneath his feet.

"A level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster!"

The old man abruptly sat upright, his previously drowsy eyes widening instantly.

The crowd also erupted in an uproar.

"My god! Level twenty-nine at twelve years old? Is he even human?"

"And with the optimal Spirit Ring configuration? What great clan did this kid come from?"

Even Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, who stood farther back in the line, could not help taking another look at Tang San.

Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes shifted as she thought to herself.

He can cultivate a useless Martial Spirit like Blue Silver Grass to this extent. He's interesting. If I can recruit him into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect...

Zhu Zhuqing merely shot him a cold glance, though her eyes held an additional trace of approval: a strong person.

The old man was so excited that even his beard trembled.

Though he did not know how a useless Martial Spirit like Blue Silver Grass had been cultivated to this extent.

As long as someone was a monster, they were bound to have something extraordinary about them.

"Good! Good! What a little monster! You've passed. Go wait over there."

Tang San withdrew his Martial Spirit, a confident smile on his face.

Xiao Wu stepped forward, held out her hand, and revealed her Martial Spirit.

The old man excitedly clutched his heart.

"Another twelve-year-old, level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, with the optimal Spirit Ring configuration."

The crowd stirred, all eager to witness what a true genius looked like, as if they were seeing an idol.

Next came Ye Liuyun.

The old man complained with some dissatisfaction.

"Kid, because of you, we collected far fewer registration fees. How do you think we should settle this?"

Because of the disgusting things Shrek Academy and Dai Mubai had done, Ye Liuyun's anger was already nearing its limit.

Even knowing that the old man before him was a Spirit Emperor, he still replied unhappily.

"Oh? Do you want to fight?"

The old man laughed loudly.

"Kid, you've got guts."

"I'd like to see what your talent is like."

"If you're just trash, don't blame me for being rude."