The aftershocks of the gravity test had yet to fade, and dust slowly settled through the woods.
Lin Chen stood motionless, his breathing steady. His Ink Shadow Spirit Cat Martial Soul had already been withdrawn, leaving only a faint wisp of ink-colored Soul Power drifting around him. By contrast, Tang San stood some distance away, his face as pale as paper. Yu Xiaogang half-supported him, half-carried him, while blood still stained the corner of his mouth. Resentment and venom churned in his eyes. They were both new students, yet Lin Chen had stood firm beneath sixfold gravity while he had been crushed outright. The gap between them burned into his heart like a branding iron.
Dai Mubai stood to one side. The disdain he had initially felt toward Lin Chen was gone, replaced by solemn respect. As the bearer of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul himself, he knew all too well how oppressive Zhao Wuji's sixfold gravity was. Never mind a twenty-first-level Soul Elder—even a thirtieth-level Soul Ancestor would struggle to remain so composed. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing stood shoulder to shoulder. The former's lively eyes brimmed with admiration, while the latter's cool gaze held a little more genuine trust.
"Come with me. We're going to see the dean." Dai Mubai composed himself, spoke in a low voice, and led the way.
They followed a narrow path through the woods until a simple yet dignified, triangular wooden building came into view: Shrek's main building. As soon as they reached the courtyard gate, a sharp, eagle-like gaze fixed on them. Then a slightly shrill but authoritative voice rang out. "Dai Mubai, is this all we've got this year?"
A man stepped out of the building. He wore a gray robe and had a lean build and sharp, hawklike eyes. Six Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—circulated around him. He was none other than Flender, a sixty-sixth-level Battle Soul Emperor of the Power Attack System and the dean of Shrek.
"Dean, the applicants' aptitudes were all over the place this year. Only these three passed every test." Dai Mubai bowed in greeting.
Flender's gaze swept across the three of them before settling on Lin Chen. His eyes held a hint of scrutiny. "State your Martial Soul and level."
"Xiao Wu. Soft Bone Rabbit. Twenty-third-level Power Attack Soul Elder."
"Zhu Zhuqing. Hell Spirit Cat. Twenty-second-level Agility Attack Soul Elder."
"Lin Chen. Ink Shadow Spirit Cat. Twenty-first-level Agility Attack Soul Elder."
"Ink Shadow Spirit Cat?" Surprise flashed in Flender's eyes. "I've never seen a Martial Soul like that. It seems even more mysterious than the Hell Spirit Cat." As soon as he finished speaking, a girl's haughty footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by undisguised complaints and scorn.
"What a lousy place! The road's awful, and the surroundings are a mess. It's nowhere near as good as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Everyone turned toward the voice. A girl in a luxurious pink dress approached, flanked by two servants. She had fair skin and delicate features, with an innate arrogance between her brows. She was Ning Rongrong, the only daughter of Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. A pink ribbon adorned her hair, and intricate glazed patterns were embroidered along her skirt. Pure auxiliary Soul Power swirled around her, yet she surveyed the place with such distaste that it was as if everything here offended her eyes.
Ning Rongrong's gaze swept past everyone and landed on Dai Mubai. She spoke imperiously. "You're the one in charge at Shrek? I'm Ning Rongrong, and my Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. I'm a twenty-second-level Auxiliary Soul Elder. Starting today, I'm joining this place. From now on, everyone does what I say. Understood?"
As she spoke, seven-colored light gleamed in her palm, and a dainty Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly appeared. Two yellow Soul Rings circled its body, sending out the Soul Power fluctuations of a top-tier auxiliary Martial Soul, along with an unquestionable air of arrogance. In her eyes, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was the finest auxiliary Martial Soul on the entire continent. She came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, possessed noble status and outstanding talent, and naturally belonged at the center of everything.
Dai Mubai furrowed his brows. Wary of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's power, he couldn't afford to lash out, so he held his tongue. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a look, both of them displeased. Yu Xiaogang was just about to say something, but Ning Rongrong shot him a glance that silenced him. She didn't take any of them seriously. Her gaze finally settled on Lin Chen. Seeing his plain clothes and unassuming bearing, she immediately looked down on him. "You're the new student who did well in the tests? You've got some ability, but you'll still have to do as I say. Support is the core of a team. Understand?"
The moment those words left her mouth, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Everyone's eyes turned to Lin Chen, waiting to see how he would respond. Ning Rongrong's arrogance and sense of superiority were written all over her face. She had no idea what kind of person she was dealing with.
Lin Chen slowly raised his eyes. His expression remained calm, but an invisible pressure quietly spread from him. He ignored Ning Rongrong's provocation and looked at Flender instead, speaking in an even tone. "Dean, I've passed the tests. May I officially enroll?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Flender's eyes, then he understood. A playful smile curled across his lips. He deliberately said nothing, wanting to see how Lin Chen would handle the haughty young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong assumed Lin Chen was afraid and grew even more smug. She stepped forward, chin raised. "What? Afraid to speak? Let me tell you, at Shrek, you don't get to throw your weight around while I'm here!"
"Support is the core?" Lin Chen finally spoke. His voice was level, yet cut through the air with icy force. "Without fighters to protect you, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is nothing but a trinket that'll shatter at the slightest touch."
The instant his words fell, ink-colored Soul Power erupted around Lin Chen!
No Soul Ring lit up, and he released no Soul Skill. It was only the Soul Power of a twenty-first-level Agility Attack Soul Elder, yet it carried a weight and sharpness far beyond his level, sweeping across the entire courtyard. The auxiliary Soul Power pouring from Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda met it like snow beneath the blazing sun. It was crushed and scattered in an instant!
"You..." Ning Rongrong's expression changed dramatically. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her palm shook violently, on the verge of vanishing. A powerful pressure pinned her in place, and her legs began to buckle against her will. Her arrogant smile froze, replaced by disbelieving terror.
The two servants behind her immediately summoned their Soul Power and rushed forward to protect her. But they were only Soul Grandmasters. Under Lin Chen's Soul Power pressure, they couldn't even get close. He didn't so much as glance at them. A slight pulse of Soul Power sent two invisible bursts of force shooting out, hurling both servants through the courtyard gate. They hit the ground hard outside, spat blood, and couldn't get back up.
"You don't have what it takes to throw your weight around in front of me." Lin Chen walked toward Ning Rongrong, each step making the ground seem to tremble. "Being born into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't give you the right to be arrogant and domineering. At Shrek, only strength matters. Your background means nothing."
Ning Rongrong stumbled backward in terror. Her foot caught, and she fell straight to the ground. All her usual pride and temper vanished. Her eyes reddened, but she didn't dare cry. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had coddled her since childhood, and everyone had always indulged her. No one had ever dared treat her this way, and she had never felt the terror of being utterly crushed.
Dai Mubai stared in utter shock. He was secretly shaken: Lin Chen was even stronger than he'd imagined. He had dared to crush the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect without hesitation. No one else at Shrek had that kind of nerve. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San looked even more grim. Tang San in particular stared at Lin Chen's back, jealousy and venom practically spilling from his eyes. They were both geniuses, so why could Lin Chen be so domineering while he could only be crushed?
Watching all this, Flender didn't get angry. Instead, he burst into laughter, admiration filling his eyes. "Good! Now that's what I call putting strength first! Lin Chen, your character and ability are both exceptional!" Then he turned toward Ning Rongrong, who sat on the ground with a deathly pale face, and spoke sternly. "Ning Rongrong, Shrek isn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's private garden. Arrogance and spoiled behavior will only get you expelled here. If you want to stay, put away your young-lady attitude and follow the rules. If you want to leave, you can go right now."
Ning Rongrong bit her lip. She looked at Lin Chen's cold eyes and felt the weight of Flender's authority. She knew she had no choice. She couldn't bear to give up Shrek's resources, and she wasn't willing to slink back home in disgrace. All she could do was swallow her grievance, lower her head, and speak with a trembling voice. "I... I understand. I'll follow the rules."
Lin Chen withdrew the pressure of his Soul Power. His expression remained calm, as though crushing Ning Rongrong just now had been no more than a trivial matter.
Flender nodded in satisfaction and announced at once, "Starting today, Lin Chen, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong are officially students of Shrek!"
At his words, Lin Chen gave a slight nod and accepted without a fuss. Xiao Wu beamed with delight, and Zhu Zhuqing remained composed. Only Ning Rongrong kept her head bowed, resentment hidden in her eyes, no longer daring to defy anyone.
Yu Xiaogang still refused to give up. He stepped forward and said through gritted teeth, "Flender, Tang San only made a mistake this time. His talent is exceptional. Please let him take the test again!"
Flender's face darkened, his gaze turning cold. "Shrek's rules are never bent. The test is over. Anyone who fails is never admitted."
Lin Chen turned his head and let his gaze fall on Tang San. His voice held not a trace of emotion, yet carried the weight of absolute superiority. "If you aren't strong enough, you deserve to be eliminated. Your talent means nothing in front of me."
Tang San shuddered. Another mouthful of blood nearly surged out. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, silently swearing, I'll repay today's humiliation a hundredfold someday!
Lin Chen had already stopped looking at him. His gaze turned toward the depths of Shrek. He knew this was only the beginning. Crushing Tang San, taming the arrogant Ning Rongrong, and taking control of Shrek were no more than the first steps on his rise to power. His legend was only just beginning.
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