Prologue Ends, Heading to Suotuo City

People are fickle.

Ning Rongrong knew what she had been thinking while under control; at the time, she had considered accepting the condition of going to Heaven Dou Royal Academy—a form of soft control—just to break free from the stronger control she was under, but now, she simply didn't want to go.

She hated being arranged, especially when it came to long-term plans.

That was why she hated being controlled, and why she hated her father dictating the rhythm of her cultivation.

Having said those words, Ning Rongrong turned and left with great decisiveness.

Ning Fengzhi reached out a hand, intending to pull his daughter back, but in the end, he did not take any further action.

"Go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and try for your third soul ring..."

He finished the sentence he had left hanging.

Although Ning Fengzhi still wanted Ning Rongrong to go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy—after all, the resources there were excellent, there were many powerful soul masters, and most importantly, it would allow them to establish a connection with the Heaven Dou imperial family—he had no intention of forcing the issue today, out of consideration for his daughter.

He had commissioned Heaven Dou Royal Academy to help Ning Rongrong hunt for her third soul ring three days ago.

The moment he learned that Ning Rongrong had reached level 30, he had contacted Heaven Dou Royal Academy. They possessed the most advanced theories in the Heaven Dou Empire and would surely be able to provide Rongrong with a top-quality soul-power-type soul beast...

As for the theory that a martial soul could not break through level 30, he simply wasn't familiar with it.

"Sigh... did I do something wrong again?"

Ning Fengzhi looked up and let out a sigh.

"Then what about the soul beast at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

"Keep it reserved for Rongrong for now. If Rongrong ends up not needing it... give it to that person in the infirmary. She has a kind heart and provided us with key intelligence. Her relationship with Rongrong is quite good, isn't it? We can cultivate her to be Rongrong's guard later; her martial soul has decent offensive capabilities anyway."

"Rongrong did have some contact with her today, and their relationship is indeed quite good."

"Come to think of it, I was a bit impulsive when I held my Sword against her back then."

"Fengzhi, where will Rongrong go to school next, then?"

"There is no need to worry about that. I made a backup plan long ago and have been spreading information about other schools throughout the sect."

"Are you really that at ease letting Rongrong go out and venture on her own?"

Ning Fengzhi did not speak.

He was not at ease at all.

"Perhaps Rongrong can only truly mature once she is out in the world."

"Did I go a bit too far?"

Ning Rongrong walked back, talking to herself.

"Father still had more to say. Perhaps he didn't want me to go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to study, but something else entirely..."

As she spoke, she shook her head.

"Twelve years old is the age for school; there is no other possibility."

Several words and phrases suddenly surfaced in Ning Rongrong's mind, coalescing together.

Suotuo City, Shrek Academy.

"An academy that only accepts monsters and not ordinary people... that must be very interesting."

She sighed, and seeing that she had unknowingly reached the sect gates, she hailed a carriage.

"To Suotuo City."

Martial Soul Hall, Elder Hall.

The seven titled douluo elders, led by Qian Daoliu, gathered here, surrounding a cluster of black flames in the center.

"The evil soul master's conspiracy has been thwarted; that is undoubtedly good news."

"If a second Holy God were truly cultivated, the entire continent would be in peril."

"These scumbags, when did they even gather together? Back when the Holy God was still around, there wasn't a trace of them!"

"Who knows."

The elders discussed the latest incident involving the evil soul masters.

The black flame before them was a fragment of the Holy God. About three months ago, Martial Soul Hall, in alliance with the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, as well as the imperial families of the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire, had dispatched over a dozen titled douluo to suppress the scourge of the continent—the Holy God—and divide it into several soul fragments. The Holy God was evil, so its soul took the form of black flames.

The black flames were entrusted to different powerhouses to prevent any ambitious individual from obtaining all of them at once and resurrecting the Holy God.

Although the Holy Spirit Sect had been purged at the time, one could never be too careful; it was Qian Daoliu who had proposed dividing the black flames into several parts.

And the black flame before them was the portion allocated to Martial Soul Hall.

A hidden location in the Heaven Dou Empire.

A slender figure clad in black robes gazed at a cluster of black flames before them, listening to the report from the person behind them.

"Cult Master, the Saintess ceremony has been sabotaged."

"It is of no consequence; this remains within the script of the Holy God."

"Do you require us to overturn the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

"There is no need, nor could you... How is the preparation for the Saintess ceremony at the stronghold in Suotuo City coming along?"

"It is nearly complete."

The black-robed figure nodded.

Before him sat a balance scale, with a purple stone on the left and a single leaf on the right.

The weight of the leaf was clearly no match for the stone, and the scale remained tilted with the left side sunken low.

This scale had been retrieved from the cave stronghold before the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could arrive.

"The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins; just place them in that box."

Ning Rongrong had spent a long time scouting in Suotuo City until she finally located Shrek Academy and successfully arrived at the registration desk.

This registration site left her deeply disappointed.

It was an incredibly small village, and the plaque at the entrance made it clear that this was indeed Shrek Academy.

It was far more dilapidated than the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

As Ning Rongrong looked at the school emblem—a green humanoid monster head—she felt a wave of nausea.

If she hadn't left in such a hurry and weren't so concerned about saving face, she would have certainly turned back.

Since things have come to this, I might as well see what this academy is like, Ning Rongrong thought helplessly.

There were many people, with over a hundred standing in line ahead of her. Most were youths of similar age to her, accompanied by their parents.

Their thoughts seemed much the same as her own.

They had all come to investigate after hearing the gimmick that the academy only accepted monsters and that graduation guaranteed power, only to be met with profound disappointment.

The words she had just heard came from the old man behind the desk; he looked lazy, just like an ordinary villager.

Ten Gold Soul Coins were a mere drop in the bucket for Ning Rongrong, as she still had over thirty thousand in her spatial Soul Tool, but that was not necessarily the case for others.

Ning Rongrong watched as a boy ahead of her, who didn't meet the age requirement, had his father try to reclaim the registration fee, only to be refused and then berated for being a scammer.

"If you want the registration fee back, you can have it—beat me, and I will refund the full amount."

A handsome man with long golden hair appeared beside the old man, his tone tinged with helplessness.

His soul rings lit up around him: yellow, yellow, purple. He was actually a three-ringed Soul Elder.

Ning Rongrong couldn't help but compare the Donald she had met earlier to the man before her, deciding that the latter was slightly stronger.

Interesting. Ning Rongrong couldn't help but feel a spark of interest. This Shrek Academy seemed like it might actually bring her some surprises.

Under his pressure, many people left because they didn't meet the age requirements, and the line in front of her suddenly became much shorter.

Another youth stepped up, appearing quite confident, but he was quickly rejected as well.

The reason was that his soul power did not meet the standard; Shrek Academy only accepted students at level 21 or higher.

Then, Ning Rongrong saw six soul rings appear on the old man, emitting a terrifying pressure.

This naturally had no effect on Ning Rongrong; she lived with Title Douluo every day and had long since developed a resistance to such things.

She simply hadn't expected the old man before her to be a six-ringed Soul Emperor powerhouse.

Ning Rongrong felt more and more that this Shrek Academy had some substance to it.

After the old man displayed his strength and cleared away more people who didn't meet the requirements, only a dozen or so remained in the line.

And most of those people were directed by the old man to the second round.