Pride and Glory Arrive, Crushing Brilliance Stuns All

The lingering effects of the gravity test had yet to dissipate, and the dust in the woods slowly settled.

Lin Chen stood still, his breathing steady. His Ink Shadow Spirit Cat martial soul had long since been retracted, leaving only a faint, ink-like trace of soul power flickering around him. In contrast, not far away, Tang San was as pale as paper, half-supported by Yu Xiaogang. The blood at the corner of his mouth had yet to dry, and his eyes churned with resentment and unwillingness. Both were new students, yet while Lin Chen had stood as steady as a mountain under six times gravity, Tang San had been crushed instantly. This gap was branded onto his heart like a hot iron.

Dai Mubai stood to the side, his gaze toward Lin Chen no longer holding the initial arrogance, but only gravity and recognition. As a fellow holder of a top-tier beast martial soul, he knew better than anyone the suppressive force of Zhao Wuji's six-fold gravity. Even for a level 30 Soul Ancestor, let alone a level 21 Soul Elder, remaining so composed was difficult. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing stood side by side; the former's lively eyes were filled with admiration, while the latter's cold gaze held a hint of genuine reliance.

"Follow me to see the Dean." Dai Mubai collected his thoughts, spoke in a low voice, and took the lead.

Passing through a small forest path, a simple yet sturdy triangular wooden building came into view—the main building of Shrek. Just as they reached the entrance, a gaze as sharp as an eagle's locked onto them. Immediately after, a slightly shrill yet majestic voice rang out: "Dai Mubai, are these the only ones this year?"

A man walked out from the house, dressed in a grey robe with a lean frame and sharp, eagle-like eyes. Six soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—circulated around him. He was the level 66 power-attack battle soul emperor and Dean of Shrek, Flender.

"Dean, the aptitude of this year's candidates varied, and only these three passed all the assessments." Dai Mubai bowed in salute.

Flender's gaze swept over the three, finally landing on Lin Chen with a look of scrutiny: "State your martial souls and levels."

"Xiao Wu, Soft Bone Rabbit, level 23 power-attack Soul Elder."

"Zhu Zhuqing, Hell Spirit Cat, level 22 agility-attack Soul Elder."

"Lin Chen, Ink Shadow Spirit Cat, level 21 agility-attack Soul Elder."

"Ink Shadow Spirit Cat?" A flash of surprise crossed Flender's eyes. "I have never seen such a martial soul; it seems even more mysterious than the Hell Spirit Cat." No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of spoiled footsteps approached from outside the courtyard, accompanied by undisguised disdain and complaints.

"What kind of dump is this? The road was hard enough to walk, and the environment is so poor—it's a hundred thousand miles worse than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

Everyone looked toward the sound to see a young girl in luxurious pink clothing walking over, surrounded by two servants. The girl had fair skin and a delicate face, with an innate arrogance between her brows. She was Ning Rongrong, the only daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master, Ning Fengzhi. With a pink hairband and exquisite glazed patterns embroidered on her skirt, she was surrounded by pure auxiliary soul power, yet she looked around with such disgust that it seemed as if everything here offended her eyes.

Ning Rongrong's gaze skipped over the others and landed on Dai Mubai, her tone haughty: "Are you the leader of Shrek? I am Ning Rongrong, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, level 22 auxiliary Soul Elder. From today on, I am joining this place, and everyone must listen to me, understand?"

As she spoke, a seven-colored light lit up in her palm, and a small, exquisite Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly emerged. Two yellow soul rings circled the tower, and the soul power fluctuations of a top-tier auxiliary martial soul spread out with unquestionable pride. In her view, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was the most supreme auxiliary martial soul on the continent, and as a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, her status was noble and her talent exceptional; it was only natural that she should be the core.

Dai Mubai frowned slightly. Hindered by the influence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he could not act and remained silent. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances, both seeing displeasure in the other's eyes. Yu Xiaogang was about to speak, but Ning Rongrong glanced at him dismissively. She didn't take these people seriously at all, and her gaze finally landed on Lin Chen. Seeing his simple attire and plain temperament, she was filled with contempt: "You're the new student who performed well in the test? Your strength is okay, but in front of me, you must be obedient. The auxiliary is the core of the team, understand?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene went quiet.

Everyone's eyes focused on Lin Chen, waiting to see how he would respond. Ning Rongrong's arrogance and sense of superiority were written all over her face, completely unaware of what kind of existence she was facing.

Lin Chen slowly raised his eyes, his expression calm and waveless, yet an invisible pressure quietly spread. He ignored Ning Rongrong's provocation and looked at Flender, his tone indifferent: "Dean, the assessment is passed; may I officially enroll?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Flender's eyes, followed by realization. A playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth, and he deliberately remained silent, wanting to see how Lin Chen would handle this spoiled daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Seeing this, Ning Rongrong assumed Lin Chen was afraid and became even more smug. She stepped forward, chin tilted up: "What? Too scared to speak? Let me tell you, in Shrek, with me here, it's not your turn to be presumptuous!"

"The auxiliary is the core?" Lin Chen finally spoke, his voice flat but carrying a cold, piercing power. "Without combat strength to protect you, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is nothing more than a trinket that shatters at a touch."

As the words fell, the ink-colored soul power around Lin Chen erupted!

No soul rings lit up, no soul skills were released; it was merely the soul power of a level 21 agility-attack Soul Elder, yet it carried a weight and sharpness far beyond his level, instantly sweeping across the courtyard. The auxiliary soul power released by Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, in the face of this ink-colored soul power, was like snow meeting a scorching sun—instantly crushed and dissipated!

"You..." Ning Rongrong's face changed drastically. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her palm shook violently, nearly vanishing entirely. She felt a powerful pressure pinning her down, her legs went weak against her will, and her haughty smile froze on her face, replaced by incredulous terror.

The two servants behind her immediately channeled their soul power to rush forward, wanting to protect their mistress. But they were only at the level of Soul Grand Masters; under the pressure of Lin Chen's soul power, they didn't even have the qualification to get close. Lin Chen's eyes didn't move, his soul power vibrated slightly, and two invisible forces shot out. The two servants were instantly sent flying, crashing heavily outside the courtyard, vomiting blood, and unable to climb back up.

"You are not qualified to be presumptuous in front of me." Lin Chen walked slowly toward Ning Rongrong. With every step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly. "The status of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is not your capital for arrogance. In Shrek, we only look at strength, not background."

Ning Rongrong was so frightened she retreated repeatedly, stumbled, and fell to the ground. Her usual pride and willfulness vanished, her eyes reddened, but she didn't dare to cry out. She had been pampered by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect since childhood, everyone had been obedient to her, and no one had ever dared to treat her like this, nor had she ever experienced the fear of being completely crushed.

Dai Mubai watched, dumbfounded, feeling secretly shocked: Lin Chen's strength was even more formidable than he had imagined. He dared to crush even the daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; such courage was unmatched in all of Shrek. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San looked even worse, especially Tang San. Looking at Lin Chen's back, jealousy and resentment almost overflowed—they were both geniuses, so why was Lin Chen so powerful while he could only be crushed?

Watching this scene, Flender was not angry; instead, he laughed out loud, his eyes full of appreciation: "Good! A fine example of strength being supreme! Lin Chen, your temperament and strength are excellent!" He then looked at the pale, fallen Ning Rongrong, his tone stern: "Ning Rongrong, Shrek is not the backyard of your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Here, arrogance and willfulness will only get you eliminated. If you want to stay, put away your young miss temper and follow the rules; if you want to leave, you can go now."

Ning Rongrong bit her lip, looking at Lin Chen's cold eyes and feeling Flender's majesty. She knew clearly that she had no choice. She was reluctant to give up Shrek's resources and even less willing to go back in such a disgraced state, so she could only suppress her grievance, lower her head, and say with a trembling voice: "I... I understand. I will follow the rules."

Lin Chen withdrew his soul power pressure, his expression indifferent, as if crushing Ning Rongrong just now was a trivial matter.

Flender nodded with satisfaction and immediately announced: "From today on, Lin Chen, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong are officially students of Shrek!"

As the words fell, Lin Chen nodded slightly, accepting it calmly. Xiao Wu beamed with joy, Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained indifferent, and only Ning Rongrong hung her head, hiding her unwillingness in her eyes, but she no longer dared to show the slightest defiance.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang was still unwilling to give up. He stepped forward and said stubbornly: "Flender, Tang San only made a momentary mistake. His talent is extremely high; I beg you to let him re-test!"

Flender's face darkened, his eyes cold: "Shrek's rules are never broken. The assessment is over; those who are eliminated are never admitted."

Lin Chen turned his head, his gaze falling faintly on Tang San. His tone was without a ripple, yet it carried an absolute sense of suppression: "If your strength is insufficient, you should be eliminated. Your talent is not worth mentioning in front of me."

Tang San shuddered, a mouthful of blood nearly spraying out again. He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his flesh, secretly swearing in his heart: The humiliation of today, he would return it a hundredfold in the future!

But Lin Chen no longer looked at him, his gaze fixed on the depths of Shrek. He knew this was just the beginning. Crushing Tang San, subduing the spoiled Ning Rongrong, and taking control of Shrek was merely the first step on his path to rising. The legend that belonged to him had only just begun.