Oscar, Zhao Wuji, and the Others!

Ma Hongjun's heart jolted.

Zhao Wuji.

Immovable Bright King Zhao Wuji.

In the original story, he was the Soul Saint whom Tang San had battered into a sorry state with hidden weapons, making him sound rather weak.

But in truth, Zhao Wuji's strength ranked among the very best of Soul Saints. He only seemed weak because he had run into Tang San with his cheats.

"Greetings, Teacher Zhao." Ma Hongjun bowed properly.

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily and slapped Ma Hongjun on the shoulder with his large hand, the force making him bare his teeth.

"Good lad, full of spirit! A disciple personally accepted by Headmaster Flender can't be bad. What Martial Soul do you have? What level was your Innate Soul Power?"

"Evil Fire Phoenix, level ten," Flender answered for Ma Hongjun.

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up.

"Level ten? Level ten right after awakening? Innate Full Soul Power?" His voice rose several notches, and the way he looked at Ma Hongjun immediately changed.

Ma Hongjun nodded.

"Well, damn!" Zhao Wuji grinned. "Headmaster Flender, your luck is incredible. You went out once and came back with a genius blessed with Innate Full Soul Power?"

Flender merely snorted noncommittally, though several traces of pride were clearly visible in his eyes.

At that moment, the children who had been training also stopped and looked over curiously.

The fair, clean-cut boy named Oscar came directly over. His eyes darted around as he inspected Ma Hongjun from head to toe.

"Headmaster, is he new here?" Oscar asked casually, as though they were already familiar.

"Mm." Flender glanced at him. "Oscar, this is Ma Hongjun. He'll be your classmate from now on. He's two years younger than you, so look after him more."

Oscar grinned and held out his hand.

"Hello, I'm Oscar. Food System Martial Soul, level eighteen."

Ma Hongjun shook his hand, feeling the warmth of Oscar's palm as he silently marveled.

Level eighteen at eight years old.

That level was not particularly outstanding among the Shrek Seven Devils, but considering that Oscar had a Food System Martial Soul and cultivated more slowly than Battle Soul Masters by nature, it was already quite impressive.

"Ma Hongjun. Evil Fire Phoenix, level ten," Ma Hongjun introduced himself.

Oscar's eyes immediately lit up.

"Evil Fire Phoenix? A mutated Martial Soul? That's amazing!"

He moved closer and lowered his voice. "Brother, does your Martial Soul really come with Evil Fire? Is it really uncomfortable?"

Ma Hongjun had not expected Oscar to be so direct. He froze for a moment, then nodded.

"A little."

Oscar wore an expression that said, I understand you, and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's fine. Once my Soul Power gets higher, I'll make you something good to eat. I guarantee it'll help ease it."

Warmth rose in Ma Hongjun's heart.

That was the Oscar from the original story. He looked sleazy and had a glib tongue, but he was kind-hearted and wholeheartedly devoted to his friends.

"Enough, stop chatting here."

Flender interrupted their exchange. "Zhao Wuji, call the other teachers over so the new student can meet them."

Zhao Wuji answered and turned toward the courtyard.

Before long, several middle-aged men approached from different directions and gathered in the courtyard.

Standing in the middle, Flender pointed at them and introduced them to Ma Hongjun one by one.

"This is Li Yusong, a six-ring Soul Emperor. His Martial Soul is the Dragon Pattern Staff. He is responsible for the academy's physical training and basic combat instruction."

Li Yusong was an elderly man with a hunched back, graying hair, and a stern face, though his eyes were especially sharp.

He gave Ma Hongjun a look and nodded slightly without speaking.

"This is Lu Qibin, a six-ring Soul Emperor. His Martial Soul is a chessboard. He is responsible for Soul Power control and tactical instruction."

Lu Qibin was in his early forties. He wore glasses and had a refined, scholarly air, looking like a schoolteacher.

He smiled at Ma Hongjun, his expression gentle.

"This is Shao Xin, a six-ring Soul Emperor. His Martial Soul is Candy Bean. He is responsible for instructing Food System students and arranging nutrition."

Shao Xin was a plump middle-aged man with a round face and large ears. His smile was amiable, and he looked like an easygoing fellow at first glance.

He looked Ma Hongjun up and down, then said with a smile, "A good prospect. Headmaster Flender has a good eye."

Ma Hongjun bowed and greeted each of them, his attitude respectful.

He knew that every one of the people before him would be a renowned figure anywhere on the continent.

Six-ring Soul Emperors could become elders even in Spirit Hall, yet they were willing to hole up in this shabby village as teachers.

That was Shrek.

Poor as dirt, yet with unfathomable foundations.

"Then there's me, the Four-Eyed Owl, a seven-ring Soul Saint."

Finally, Flender pointed at himself. His tone was calm, but there was a trace of pride in his words.

"You've met Zhao Wuji, another seven-ring Soul Saint. With our lineup, we're among the best on the continent."

Ma Hongjun nodded sincerely.

Two seven-ring Soul Saints and three six-ring Soul Emperors—many high-level Soul Master Academies on the continent could not compare to such a teaching staff!

Of course, he knew that Flender was tooting his own horn to some extent.

After all, Shrek Academy was so poor that its facilities were practically nonexistent. It did not even have proper training equipment and relied entirely on these teachers to keep up appearances.

"How many students does the academy currently have?" Ma Hongjun asked.

Flender's expression stiffened slightly.

"Currently..." He cleared his throat. "Currently, there is only Oscar."

Ma Hongjun: "..."

Only one person?

He knew Shrek Academy's admissions were strict, but it was still an "academy." Having only one student was far too ridiculous, wasn't it?

"Ahem." Flender coughed twice and explained, "Shrek's admission standard is—only monsters, no ordinary people. Those who meet the standard are one in ten thousand. I adopted Oscar when he was young. He has Innate Full Soul Power and a Food System Martial Soul, so he barely qualifies."

He paused and glanced at Ma Hongjun.

"You're the second."

Ma Hongjun fell silent.

Only monsters, no ordinary people.

He had heard those words in his previous life and thought they sounded imposing.

Only after experiencing it himself did he understand the hardship behind them.

The standards were too high. They simply could not recruit students.

No tuition meant no source of income.

Not to mention that none of these people went out to earn extra money.

With strength like theirs, money would never be a problem if they were willing to work outside.

But from another perspective, everyone who could enter Shrek truly was a monster.

Oscar was level eighteen at eight years old with a Food System Martial Soul. He was already a genius among geniuses.

As for himself, there was no need to mention it. Evil Fire Phoenix combined with Innate Full Soul Power would earn him special cultivation even in Spirit Hall.

"Other than Oscar, will there be more students in the future?" Ma Hongjun asked, though he already knew the answer.

"There will be." Flender's tone was resolute. "As long as I'm here, Shrek Academy will continue operating. One day, the strongest Soul Masters on the continent will emerge from this place."

Ma Hongjun looked into Flender's narrow eyes and saw an almost obsessive determination.

The Flender from the original story was harsh, stingy, and sharp-tongued, but his devotion to education and sense of responsibility toward his students surpassed that of many so-called masters.

"Teacher, I believe you," Ma Hongjun said seriously.