First Meeting with Tang San

The older teacher burst into hearty laughter.

"Monsters appear every year, but this year has more than ever. Good, good, good! Ning Tian, take all five of them to the fourth test."

He said "good" three times in a row, showing just how thrilled he was.

An eleven-year-old Level 46 Soul Ancestor, along with two people possessing Twin Martial Souls—this was unprecedented even in the entire admissions history of Shrek Academy.

"Yes." Ning Rongrong replied with a soft laugh. Her limpid eyes gave Wang Dong'er a complicated look before swiftly turning resolute.

She then turned and headed deeper into the academy.

Among the five candidates, Gu Yuan undoubtedly possessed the highest Soul Power.

Naturally, he drew the most attention.

Next came Wang Dong'er and the loli girl. Although their Soul Power was not high, they possessed Twin Martial Souls.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Zhuqing had instead become mere supporting characters.

The moment they left Shrek Plaza, Wang Dong'er could not help but let out a long breath. Still shaken, she glanced back in the direction from which she had come.

Though she did not know how her identity as a girl had been exposed, she had at least shaken off that madwoman who kept claiming random people as her daughters.

As though she had finally gathered her courage, the loli girl hurried to Gu Yuan's side and asked, "Hello, my name is Xiao Xiao. Can you tell me your name?"

"Gu Yuan." Gu Yuan answered with a light smile. He did not put on any aloof act, since he rather liked this little loli.

A faint blush rose on Xiao Xiao's pretty little face. "Gu Yuan, you're amazing. Your Soul Power is so much higher than ours. How exactly did you cultivate?"

She was still young, and her hazy interest in the opposite sex mainly came from appearance and strength.

In terms of looks, Gu Yuan was no inferior to Wang Dong'er, who was disguised as a boy, while his strength surpassed hers by miles.

Xiao Xiao found herself involuntarily drawn to Gu Yuan.

"Just luck," Gu Yuan said truthfully.

Xiao Xiao said, "That can't be achieved through luck alone. Look at me—we're about the same age, but I'm only Level 21. Even if you gave me another five years, I might not be able to catch up."

Her words successfully drew Wang Dong'er's attention as well. "Level 46? What kind of freak are you?"

Gu Yuan smiled faintly. "I'm merely an ordinary person who has weathered a little hardship."

"And Xiao Xiao, you needn't belittle yourself either. You and this little brother both possess Twin Martial Souls."

"Think about it—when you become Title Douluo in the future, and then fill your second martial soul with nine Soul Rings of over fifty thousand years each, or even nine Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings, how much will your strength soar?"

Upon hearing that, the two of them could not help imagining themselves becoming Title Douluo, attaching Soul Rings to their second martial souls, and standing surrounded by nine Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings.

The corners of their lips lifted slightly.

Watching Gu Yuan, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong'er chatting ahead of them, Dai Huabin snorted coldly and muttered under his breath.

"What are they acting so proud for? Do they really think Twin Martial Souls are that easy to cultivate? And Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts aren't cabbages. Absorbing nine of them? That's nothing but a fool's dream."

Zhu Zhuqing finally spoke. In the tone of an experienced elder, she lectured Dai Huabin.

"But at least he gave the best cultivation method for Twin Martial Souls, didn't he?"

"And his strength truly is the greatest among Shrek's freshmen in all of history."

"Dai Huabin, your talent is indeed impressive, but you must understand that there is always someone better, and a sky beyond every sky."

What Dai Huabin hated most was being lectured, especially by someone whose strength and talent were both inferior to his.

For a moment, an inexplicable fury surged in his heart.

Zhu Lu, you bitch. Aren't you only relying on your status as the Zhu Clan's legitimate daughter? If not for that, why would I ever have taken an interest in you?

Just wait. Once I inherit the position of White Tiger Duke, reclaim my ancestor's lands, and become the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire—

I'll make you regret what you did today.

Dai Huabin swore silently to himself.

Before long, Ning Rongrong led the group to their destination—the Spirit Fighting Arena of Shrek Academy.

"We're here."

Ning Rongrong came to a stop.

At that moment, there were only three people inside the Spirit Fighting Arena.

One was a middle-aged man around fifty years old, while the other two were a young man and woman who looked fourteen or fifteen.

Judging by the Elite Class uniforms they wore, their actual ages should have been younger.

Gu Yuan noticed that ever since their group entered the Spirit Fighting Arena, the girl had been staring at them.

More precisely, she had been staring at Wang Dong'er.

That caught his attention.

"Director Du Weilun, I've brought them for the fourth test."

"Ning Tian, since when did you enjoy joining in this sort of excitement? And you even brought Wu Feng along?"

As the dean of instruction for the Spirit Department of Shrek Academy's Outer Court, Du Weilun was exceedingly familiar with Ning Rongrong, a student of the Elite Class.

She was haughty and arrogant, looking down on almost everyone except herself.

Her unusual behavior today piqued his curiosity.

Ning Rongrong smiled faintly. "Wu Feng and I enrolled a year early. It's always good to observe more people our own age and understand the gap between us."

Du Weilun nodded approvingly. "In that case, let the assessment begin. Beibei, Tang Ya."

"Teacher." The young man and woman stepped forward.

Du Weilun said, "Since you volunteered to test the candidates, I'll leave it to you. Tang Ya will test the Soul Elders, while Beibei will test the Soul Grandmasters."

At this, he turned to Gu Yuan and the others. "As long as any of you can hold out against them for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, as I stipulated, you may enter the Elite Class directly and receive the treatment of a Core Disciple."

Hearing this, the two wasted no words and immediately released their martial souls.

"T-Tang Ya, martial soul Blue Silver Grass, Level 42 control-type battle Soul Ancestor."

Two yellow and two purple soul rings rose beneath Tang Ya's feet. She raised her right hand, and a jet-black Blue Silver Grass appeared in her palm.

However, when she stated her name, there was a clear trace of unease in her voice.

"Beibei, martial soul Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Level 37 assault-type battle Soul Elder."

At the same time, a dazzling ball of blue light flared from Beibei's forehead. The blue light immediately spread across his entire body, and strands of blue-purple lightning erupted like little snakes.

Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose beneath his feet.

Beibei's right arm then underwent draconic transformation, turning into a dragon claw wreathed in blue-purple lightning.

Du Weilun addressed the five candidates:

"My name is Du Weilun, dean of instruction for the Spirit Department of the Outer Court, an eight-ring Soul Douluo."

"These are Tang Ya and Beibei. They had been training outside until recently, and are now students of Shrek Academy's Outer Court Elite Class as well."

"As long as you can hold out against them for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, you may become members of Shrek Academy's Elite Class."

"Of course, considering the restraining relationships between Soul Masters' attributes, I will also take the circumstances into account, lest a pearl be left buried in dust."