Six Years Later

Time passed quickly.

It passed so quickly that Meow Meow had only taken a few naps, and the Blue Silver Grass in Notting City had already cycled through several generations.

At the very beginning, the Martial Soul Hall Holy Fire Primary Academy in Notting City was merely a pilot project.

A small courtyard.

A few classrooms.

A handful of textbooks.

And a group of commoner children who barely understood the basics of cultivation.

No one expected that, six years later, this tiny school would actually become a renowned place for commoner Soul Master enlightenment in Fasnuo Province.

Of course, the most famous thing wasn't the school itself.

It was the patch of Blue Silver Grass at the entrance.

When many children arrived at the school for the first time, they would be led by their teachers to the grass patch.

The teacher would tell them:

"Look, this is just the most ordinary Blue Silver Grass."

"It is very weak."

"But it can sense life soul power, alert one to soul power fluctuations, and help plant-type Soul Masters understand their own martial souls."

"Therefore, being weak does not mean being useless."

This sentence was later carved onto the entrance of the school.

It became the favorite phrase for the Notting City Branch Hall to teach new students.

When Meow Meow first saw that wooden plaque, he was quite satisfied.

Until he discovered that another line of small text had been carved next to it.

[As said by Lord Holy Cat.]

Meow Meow stared at that line of text for a long time.

"When did this Meow ever say that?"

Su Yuntao stood to the side at the time, head bowed, not daring to speak.

The Branch Hall Master also dared not speak.

In the end, it was Bibi Dong who flipped through the records and said indifferently:

"The meaning is about the same."

Meow Meow: "..."

Fine.

If Lord Holy Cat said it, then he said it.

At least it sounded quite imposing.

Over these six years, Notting Academy had also changed quite a bit.

Tang San had transformed from that child who had just enrolled into the most famous Work-Study Student in Notting Academy.

Blue Silver Grass, first soul skill: Entanglement.

His crowd control was steady, his judgment was quick, and his strikes were well-measured.

He no longer just listened to the theories of the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster still taught him.

But the Public Lectures at the Martial Soul Hall School, the basic textbooks, the soul-hunting records, and the advanced materials occasionally sent from Martial Soul City, had also been influencing him.

Tang San rarely believed in just one person.

He was accustomed to comparing.

If the Grandmaster said one thing, he would listen.

If the Martial Soul Hall textbooks wrote another, he would also read them.

If there was a conflict between the two, he would test it himself.

This made the Grandmaster very uncomfortable at first.

But later, he slowly accepted it.

Because Tang San was indeed growing up very well.

Even steadier than he had originally imagined.

It was just that whenever Tang San brought a Martial Soul Hall textbook to ask him:

"Grandmaster, this is not quite the same as what you said."

Grandmaster would fall silent for a moment.

Then, he would begin to reorganize his theories.

In a sense, Martial Soul Hall had not suppressed Grandmaster.

On the contrary, they had forced him to become even more diligent.

Meow Meow's evaluation of this was simple.

"Isn't this quite good?"

"Theories should only become more accurate as they are revised."

"One cannot rely on a single genius disciple to save face."

When Bibi Dong heard these words, she said nothing.

She merely had someone compile a record of the lectures Yu Xiaogang had given publicly over the years.

When Meow Meow found out, he nearly laughed himself awake on his meditation cushion.

Though Her Excellency the Pope said nothing, she still held a grudge in her heart.

But that was only natural.

Meow Meow held grudges, too.

As for Xiao Wu, she had changed quite a bit as well.

At the beginning, she had been very wary of Martial Soul Hall.

Especially whenever she saw a deacon of Martial Soul Hall, she would instinctively dodge away.

Yet, after six years, her attitude toward the Notting City Martial Soul Hall Branch had become much more complex.

This was because that school truly taught many commoner children.

It was also because the school offered a course called Soul Beast Habits and Coexistence.

This course did not teach children how to hunt soul beasts.

Instead, it taught them how to distinguish the behaviors of soul beasts.

What constituted a warning.

What constituted an expulsion.

What constituted protecting their young.

What constituted a genuine attack.

Once, while Xiao Wu sat in the back row listening to Su Yuntao explain that "one should not approach a soul beast when it is protecting its young," she suddenly lowered her head.

Tang San glanced at her.

"Xiao Wu?"

"I'm fine."

Xiao Wu shook her head.

She had simply been reminded of her mother.

After that day, Xiao Wu never again said things like "everyone in Martial Soul Hall is the same."

Of course, she still would not fully trust Martial Soul Hall.

Meow Meow felt this was perfectly normal.

For a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, being vigilant was never wrong.

If she had truly let her guard down because of a few classes, that would have been dangerous.

Over these six years, Martial Soul City had not been idle either.

The Holy Fire School of Martial Soul Hall had expanded from pilot programs around Martial Soul City to several important cities.

The Soul Pact system had still not been made public.

However, the experiments with low-level Soul Pacts were becoming increasingly stable.

The first Soul Pact Soul Master, Lin An, had now become a teaching assistant at the Holy Fire School.

His Green Wood Mouse had also grown from a Hundred-Year Soul Beast to a level approaching a thousand years.

Even more absurdly, the Green Wood Mouse could now listen to lectures.

It could even nod.

Yue Guan, who had witnessed this scene for the first time, stood outside the classroom in silence for a long while.

Then, he went back and wrote a report.

The report began with:

[Soul Pact soul beasts possess basic learning capabilities; it is recommended to incorporate them into the school management system.]

When Meow Meow saw this sentence, he was very happy.

"Look, Meow Meow said that spirit beasts can go to school too."

Bibi Dong asked him:

"Does that Green Wood Mouse's enrollment count as a Spirit Master student or a spirit beast student?"

Meow Meow fell silent.

That was a good question.

In the end, Holy Fire School specifically opened a new category.

Pact Spirit Student.

The first officially registered Pact Spirit Student was that very Green Wood Mouse.

On the day the Green Wood Mouse registered, Lin An was so happy his eyes turned red.

The Green Wood Mouse was happy too.

It took a bite out of its registration tag.

When Meow Meow heard about this, he immediately added a school rule.

Pact Spirit Students are forbidden from gnawing on their enrollment tags.

After reading the new school rule, Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time.

She felt that Martial Soul Hall was becoming a very strange place.

But this strangeness was not bad.

The Golden Generation was also growing.

Hu Liena's Heart Shadow Dreamscape was becoming increasingly mature.

Her Charm was no longer just about making people lose focus; it could now find the flaws in an opponent's heart.

Xie Yue's Moon Phase Blade Intent had taken its initial form.

His Moon Blade was steadier than before, and its trajectory was much harder to predict.

Yan had changed the most.

He still had a fiery temper.

But he no longer just set things on fire blindly.

His Earth Fire Insight had finally allowed him to touch upon the other side of his Flame Lord martial soul.

His fire now carried the heavy, crushing weight of magma.

Even his defense was significantly stronger than in the past.

Of course, he still couldn't escape giving lectures.

Over the past six years, Meow Meow had arranged for Yan to go to various places to lecture on Soul Master Ethics and Martial Soul Hall Statutes nineteen times in total.

By the end, he could recite them by heart.

Once, Hu Liena asked him:

"Do you still want to switch classes now?"

Yan was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:

"No more switching."

"Why?"

"I want to see who dares to bully commoners in the statutes class I teach."

Hu Liena's eyes curved into crescents as she laughed on the spot.

Xie Yue also offered a rare smile.

When Meow Meow heard about it, he was very satisfied.

That was the spirit.

A Flame Lord could also be a moral education teacher.

As time moved forward, Notting Academy finally reached graduation season.

Tang San was twelve years old.

Xiao Wu was also twelve.

The two were no longer the little children who had just enrolled.

Wang Sheng had graduated a year earlier and gone to a Martial Soul Hall Branch in a nearby city to serve as a low-level guard.

Before leaving, he had specifically returned to the school to attend one statutes lecture.

After listening, he patted his chest and said:

"In the future, I will never bully ordinary people."

Su Yuntao was very gratified.

Meow Meow felt quite gratified as well.

Although Wang Sheng was not a main character, seeing such a minor figure turn over a new leaf still gave him a sense of accomplishment.

The night before graduation.

Tang San sat on the steps outside Dorm Seven, holding a letter in his hand.

It contained advice from Grandmaster.

The letter mentioned a specific place.

Suotuo City.

Shrek Academy.

Xiao Wu hopped over from the side and plopped down next to him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Tang San handed the letter to her.

"Teacher suggests I go to this academy."

Xiao Wu took it and glanced over it.

"Shrek Academy?"

"Sounds a bit strange."

Tang San nodded.

"I haven't heard of it either."

Xiao Wu asked, "So, are you going?"

Tang San did not answer immediately.

If this were six years ago, he might have followed Grandmaster's arrangements without hesitation.

But now, he was accustomed to checking the information first.

"I plan to go to the Martial Soul Hall Branch to ask around."

Xiao Wu blinked.

"Ask the Martial Soul Hall?"

"Yes."

Tang San put the letter away.

"Since I'm going to Suotuo City, I should at least know what academies and factions are there."

"If Shrek Academy is truly good, then of course I can go."

"But if it just has a strange reputation, then I'll have to think it over."

Xiao Wu rested her chin on her hand.

"You really are cautious."

Tang San smiled.

"I'm used to it."

The next day.

Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived at the Notting City Martial Soul Hall Branch.

Seeing the two of them, Su Yuntao felt a touch of sentimentality.

Back then, one was a Blue Silver Grass with Innate Full Soul Power.

The other was a little girl with a Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul and incomplete records.

In the blink of an eye, six years had passed, and they were both about to graduate.

"Suotuo City?"

After hearing Tang San's question, Su Yuntao took out a map.

"Suotuo City belongs to the Bala Kingdom."

"There are indeed several soul master academies there."

"The most famous one is the Suotuo Intermediate Soul Master Academy."

"As for Shrek Academy..."

Su Yuntao paused for a moment.

Tang San asked, "Is there a problem?"

Su Yuntao thought for a moment and said:

"The registration records are incomplete."

"The academy is very small in scale, and its enrollment standards are rather peculiar."

"It has been reported multiple times for high fees and unclear enrollment criteria."

Xiao Wu frowned the moment she heard this.

"That doesn't sound like a proper academy."

Tang San did not jump to conclusions immediately.

"Are there any powerhouses there?"

Su Yuntao flipped through the records.

"The dean, Flender, possesses the Four-Eyed Cat Eagle martial soul and is a Soul Saint."

"There are a few other teachers as well, and their strength is not weak."

Tang San nodded.

"That means they still have a foundation."

Su Yuntao said, "Having a foundation doesn't mean there aren't problems."

"Tang San, both you and Xiao Wu are registered outstanding commoner soul masters from the Notting City academy."

"According to Martial Soul Hall subsidy regulations, if you attend a legitimate intermediate soul master academy, you can apply for a portion of financial aid."

"However, whether Shrek Academy meets the criteria for these subsidies still requires verification."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up when she heard this.

"There's a subsidy?"

Su Yuntao nodded.

"Yes."

"But it requires the academy to have clear accounts and prohibits the arbitrary collection of tuition fees."

Xiao Wu immediately slapped the table.

"Then we must investigate it even more!"

Tang San looked at the documents in his hands, his mind filled with contemplation.

Grandmaster recommended Shrek, which meant there must be something special about it.

Yet, the Martial Soul Hall's records clearly showed that this academy did indeed have issues.

He could not just listen to one side.

"Many thanks, Deacon Su."

Tang San put away the documents.

"We will go and take a look."

Su Yuntao reminded them:

"If you encounter any arbitrary fees, remember to keep the receipts."

Xiao Wu nodded vigorously.

"I can do that!"

Tang San: "..."

He suddenly felt that Xiao Wu seemed more interested in this matter than in the academy itself.

Far away in Martial Soul City, Meow Meow almost laughed out loud upon seeing this.

"It's coming."

"The Shrek arbitrary fee plot line has been laid in advance."

Bibi Dong sat nearby, looking at the Shrek file on the screen.

"Is this the place you mentioned where the Protagonist Group will eventually gather?"

"Yes."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Shrek Academy."

"The Monster Academy."

Bibi Dong said indifferently, "Unclear fees, questionable qualifications, and a remote location."

"You call this an academy?"

Meow Meow blinked.

"Their slogan is quite loud."

"They only accept monsters, not ordinary people."

Bibi Dong glanced at him.

"Martial Soul Hall should not be encouraging this kind of academy."

"I think so too."

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"So, have the Suotuo City Branch prepare."

Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow.

"You want to seal them off?"

"No rush."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Audit the accounts first."

"If they are teaching students properly, then let them teach."

"If they are overcharging, bullying commoners, or using the name of 'monsters' to fool people, then handle it according to the rules."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly.

This was very Martial Soul Hall.

And very Meow Meow.

Don't fight first.

Keep a ledger first.

Once the accounts are clear, then fight.

"Also."

Meow Meow's eyes narrowed slightly.

"For Suotuo City, have Hu Liena and the others prepare as well."

Bibi Dong asked, "The Golden Generation?"

"Mm."

"Tang San and Xiao Wu are going to Suotuo."

"That group from Shrek is almost assembled, too."

"Since the Protagonist Group is about to make their entrance, Martial Soul Hall cannot just sit idle."

Although Bibi Dong did not understand what "Protagonist Group" meant, she roughly grasped Meow Meow's intent.

She looked out the window.

"You want the younger generation of Martial Soul Hall to meet them ahead of schedule."

"Not just meet."

Meow Meow smiled.

"It's an exchange."

"A friendly exchange."

Bibi Dong looked at his expression.

"Are you sure it will be friendly?"

"Very friendly."

Meow Meow lowered his head to lick his paw.

"As long as they don't act out of line."

At the same time.

Outside Notting City, Tang San and Xiao Wu packed their bags and set off on the road to Suotuo City.

Tang San carried the Grandmaster's recommendation letter.

Xiao Wu carried the Subsidy Application Form provided by the Martial Soul Hall School.

There was also a small slip of paper that read, "If you encounter unfair charges, you may file a complaint with the Suotuo City Martial Soul Hall Branch."

Xiao Wu tucked that slip of paper away very carefully.

"Tang San."

"Hm?"

"If that Shrek place tries to overcharge me, can I report them?"

Tang San was silent for a moment.

"Let's see the situation first."

Xiao Wu huffed.

"I don't have any money anyway."

Tang San smiled.

In the distance, the sun shone brightly in the direction of Suotuo City.

And near that city, a dilapidated academy that claimed to only accept monsters had no idea what kind of students were about to arrive.

Even less did they know that the cat from Martial Soul Hall had already opened the ledger.