Anthropomorphic

They both found it novel.

Neither of them had ever experienced anything like it before.

After arriving at Shrek Academy, they had immediately challenged for places as inner disciples—and succeeded.

When they reached the freshman assessment grounds, Ning Que used his powerful mental strength to find Ning Tian and her group with ease.

But when he saw Huo Yuhao beside Ning Tian's trio, along with a little girl and an exceptionally handsome boy, Ning Que knew Great God King Tang had been at work again.

They had already delayed their enrollment and managed to sign up for Mu Jin's class.

At the start of term, he had even checked for himself: Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were both attending Zhou Yi's class.

Now they had switched to Mu Jin's class. Who would believe there was nothing fishy about that?

"Sister Guyi, did you come to cheer me on?"

Seeing the two walking side by side, Ning Tian trotted over. As usual, she ignored Ning Que and went straight to Ye Guyi.

"Xiao Tian, I hear you're aiming for the championship. Are you absolutely sure you can win?"

Ye Guyi was very fond of her younger sister and naturally wanted to dote on her.

"Of course! The championship is ours."

"We have three Soul Elders!"

Ning Tian brimmed with pride and confidence.

She had been a little unruly and mischievous over the years, but she had never dared slack off in her cultivation.

After all, she had a strict older brother keeping her in line.

Wu Feng had also been led astray by Ning Que's training. She cultivated with almost frightening intensity, and though she had only recently obtained her Third Soul Ring, she was already a Soul Elder.

Jin Sheng had the highest cultivation of the three. His Soul Power had risen another level over the past three months; two more levels, and he would be able to obtain his Fourth Soul Ring.

A twelve-year-old Soul Elder was a remarkable talent even at Shrek Academy.

With strength like theirs, unless they ran into someone with an especially outrageous advantage, there was hardly anyone who could threaten their path to the championship.

Before long, it was Ning Tian's team's turn to compete.

To their surprise, their first opponents were Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and their teammate from the White Tiger Duke Mansion.

"Ning Tian. Martial Soul: Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Level 32 Support System Soul Elder."

"Jin Sheng. Martial Soul: Golden Crocodile. Level 38 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder!"

"Wu Feng. Martial Soul: Red Dragon. Level 31 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder!"

The three then revealed their Soul Rings.

Ning Tian's Soul Rings were perfectly ordinary: yellow, yellow, purple—the standard Soul Ring Configuration.

It was not that she had not wanted a thousand-year Second Soul Ring. Support System Soul Masters simply had frail bodies, and as a girl, she was naturally somewhat weaker still. Even after expending considerable resources, she had only managed to bring her Second Soul Ring to more than 960 years, infinitely close to a thousand.

Wu Feng's and Jin Sheng's Soul Rings, on the other hand, were yellow, purple, purple!

Jin Sheng's Third Soul Ring was an especially deep purple. One glance at its color made it clear this was no ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

"This..."

Arrogant as Dai Huabin was, the sight of their Martial Souls and Soul Ring Configurations told him these opponents would not be easy to defeat.

While his sister fought, Ning Que turned his attention to a match in another area.

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao faced two Soul Grandmasters and one Soul Master.

Opponents like those would be easy enough for Huo Yuhao's team to handle.

Naturally, Ning Que paid their match little attention.

Instead, his gaze lingered on Xiao Xiao.

"Only level 21?"

Sensing Xiao Xiao's Soul Power Level, Ning Que knew Uncle Dai Chengfeng had already approached her.

There were plenty of talented students among this year's freshmen, but very few they could recruit.

It was not that recruitment was impossible. Their origins and backgrounds simply ruled it out.

Only Xiao Xiao, Xie Huanyue, Zhou Sichen, and Cao Jinxuan had caught Ning Que's eye.

Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu, Cui Yajie, and the others fell well short by comparison.

He had left the task of recruiting Xie Huanyue to his sister, while Elder Dai Chengfeng had made a trip to see Xiao Xiao.

That genius with Twin Martial Souls had actually added a Soul Ring to her Martial Soul so early on. Ning Que could not make sense of it, and since he wanted to recruit her, he needed to stop her.

He valued Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan even more. One had the Treasure Tome Martial Soul, which could summon Soul Beasts he had hunted to fight for him; the other had the Time Fleeting Bell Martial Soul, which possessed the attribute of time.

He had entrusted recruiting those two to his fiancée. As the bearer of the Angel Martial Soul, she inspired a sense of warmth in others all too easily.

It would make winning them over much easier.

Before long, his sister's match ended. Even after Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they were no match for her team.

Jin Sheng in particular was not only diligent and talented in cultivation; his luck was heaven-defying too. He had even obtained a decent External Soul Bone along with his Third Soul Ring.

If it had not been incompatible with him, even Ning Que would have been tempted to snatch it.

Yet despite all his Soul Hunting, Ning Que had never found an External Soul Bone. He had not even seen what a Soul Bone looked like.

He was pouring so many resources into Jin Sheng to leave the sect a path forward. Of the three ten-thousand-year spiritual herbs they had cultivated, one was reserved for Jin Sheng.

If Ning Que succeeded, none of that would matter. If he failed, Jin Sheng and his sister would be the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's chance to rise again.

Just then, an outrageous tirade broke Ning Que's train of thought.

"Get lost! This is all because you didn't train hard enough. If you were a Soul Elder like me, our Martial Soul Fusion Skill would definitely have won."

Dai Huabin shoved Zhu Lu aside when she came to comfort him, then rounded on his teammate. "How did I end up choosing a teammate as stupid as you? You have no combat experience at all. You're like dead weight."

Ning Que was genuinely speechless at the sight.

Was this how the White Tiger Duke Mansion raised its children?

He and Dai Yueheng did not get along, but he had to admit that Dai Yueheng was a perfect heir.

He knew what he wanted, when to keep things hidden, and when to show his hand. He would even cast aside his pride to get what he sought.

But what did any of that have to do with Ning Que?

After watching the match, he took his sister and the others out for a good meal.

Over the next few days, besides his daily cultivation, he occasionally watched his sister's matches.

In the end, her team won the championship.

Thanks to Ning Que's guidance, his sister's team defeated Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's team, leaving them with second place.

During that time, Ning Que's Soul Power finally rose another level, reaching level 49.

He was just one step away from becoming a Soul King.

Better yet, Elder Lei and the others had successfully captured the Soul Beast they needed and brought it back.