A Late System

In the underground secret chamber of the Sea God Pavilion, Yan Shaozhe, Dean of the Shrek Academy Martial Soul Department, was watching a private room. "Boom—" The door opened, and a young man walked out.

The youth had sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, his figure tall, straight, and well-proportioned. His silver-blue pupils gave him an otherworldly, almost demonic air.

"Senior Brother!" the youth called out.

"Did you succeed?" Yan Shaozhe had already guessed the result, but he still had to ask.

"I succeeded, though I still need to consolidate my cultivation before I can hunt for a soul ring." The sentence that spilled from the youth's lips made Yan Shaozhe gasp.

"Then let me congratulate you, Junior Brother, on ascending to Title Douluo. You should go consolidate your cultivation first, and think of a title for yourself while you're at it. I'm going to inform Teacher of this wonderful news."

Yan Shaozhe patted the youth on the shoulder. Beyond the initial shock, his eyes were now filled with excitement—a 22-year-old Title Douluo!

"Very well, Senior Brother, take your time."

After Yan Shaozhe left, the youth looked at the translucent panel before him, his eyes filled with confusion.

His name was Jiang Che, and he had accidentally transmigrated into this world of Douluo Continent 22 years ago.

His luck had been excellent; he was born right near Shrek Academy and was picked up by the contemporary Sea God Pavilion Master, Mu En. Mu En felt that their meeting was fated, so he brought him back to live on Sea God Island.

When Jiang Che first realized this was the Douluo Continent, he had been somewhat panicked, as he possessed no system or golden finger.

Fortunately, at the age of six, Jiang Che awakened the Ice Dragon King martial soul, which possessed the Ultimate Ice attribute, along with Innate Full Soul Power.

After the awakening was complete, Jiang Che finally set his heart at ease. With this talent, becoming a Title Douluo in the future would be no problem. Even without a golden finger, Jiang Che was confident he could live quite well.

However, Jiang Che had not expected his talent to be this formidable; he had reached level 90 at only 22 years old.

However... Jiang Che looked at the panel before him again.

[Detected that the host has reached 12 years of age. In this dangerous world, one must have a powerful backing to survive better.]

[Ding, the system has released a novice mission: It is currently the enrollment period for Shrek Academy. Shrek Academy is the top power on the current Douluo Continent. Joining Shrek Academy will not only provide guidance but also allow the host to lay low under the protection of the academy. Please proceed to the Shrek Academy enrollment point and join Shrek Academy.]

[Completing the novice mission will grant the reward of a second martial soul. Please complete this as soon as possible, host.]

Hmm... so this is my late-arriving system?

On the other side, Yan Shaozhe arrived at the bottom of the freshman dormitory building. "Teacher, Junior Brother has broken through to Title Douluo!"

Yan Shaozhe couldn't wait to share this good news with the elderly man before him.

The old man wore simple grey cloth robes. His facial wrinkles were deep, his eyes dim and yellow, and his eyelids drooped, giving him the appearance of someone nearing the end of his days.

The sunlight filtering through the buildings fell just right upon him, and he seemed quite comfortable in his half-reclining chair.

But when he heard Yan Shaozhe's words, his previously drooping eyelids suddenly snapped open. A flash of sharp light appeared in his eyes, and his entire aura suddenly became imposing.

This old man was none other than the man who shook the continent today: the Dragon God Douluo—Mu En.

"Good, very good! Hahaha!" Mu En laughed, laughing quite happily.

Previously, he had worried that after he passed, Shrek Academy would lack a Limit Douluo, and that Xuan Zi alone would struggle to hold the big picture together. But now, Mu En was relieved, for Shrek Academy had produced a 22-year-old Title Douluo; a future Limit Douluo was within reach.

"Shaozhe, let Little Che attend the Sea God Pavilion meetings from now on. It is time for him to be exposed to these things," Mu En sighed with emotion. He had not expected that an infant he had casually picked up 22 years ago would possess such powerful talent.

"Yes, Teacher. I will inform Junior Brother," Yan Shaozhe agreed.

"Also, what are your Junior Brother's plans for his ninth soul ring?" Mu En began to concern himself with Jiang Che's soul ring.

"This... Junior Brother hasn't decided yet. He said he needs to consolidate his cultivation first." Yan Shaozhe did not know what Jiang Che's plans were.

"Hmm... that is fine. The ninth soul ring is of great importance; one truly cannot be rash. We shall discuss it when the time comes."

Shrek Academy was built on the Lima Plain, covering an extremely vast area. It was a city in its own right, known as Shrek City.

On the Douluo Continent, Shrek City was one of the premier large cities, home to over two million people.

Shrek Academy held sole governing rights over this city and was not required to pay taxes to any nation.

Shrek Academy was not located in the center of Shrek City, but rather in the eastern part.

The south, west, and north gates of Shrek City were open for free passage; only the east gate was reserved exclusively for Shrek Academy.

Jiang Che had arrived outside the east gate. Do not underestimate this gate used only by Shrek Academy. At this moment, at least five thousand people were gathered outside it.

This was because it was currently the enrollment period for Shrek Academy.

Outside the east gate, the crowd surged, and the clamor was enough to overturn the heavens.

Young boys and girls, carrying their dreams, huddled together, each with eyes burning with intensity and nervousness. Parents gave repeated instructions on the side, and the soul power of the soul masters intertwined—though mostly messy and weak, it was full of vigorous vitality.

Various martial souls flickered in and out of sight, from docile beast martial souls to unremarkable tool martial souls. The fluctuations of soul power were uneven, and at a glance, the entire scene was filled with yearning and longing for Shrek Academy.

Jiang Che stood on the outermost edge of the crowd, his figure as straight as a pine. His silver-blue pupils were filled with indifference, completely out of place with the noisy atmosphere around him.

He was now a powerhouse at the Title Douluo level. His soul power was restrained to the extreme, emitting not a shred of pressure. He looked like an ordinary young man, and mixed among the dense crowd of freshman applicants, he did not attract anyone's attention.

He lowered his head to look at the translucent panel still floating before him. The system's prompt text remained clearly in his sight, the requirements of the novice mission written in plain detail, making him unable to help but chuckle.

Others transmigrated and were bound to a system from the start, rising smoothly all the way. He, on the other hand, had relied on his own Ultimate Ice martial soul and Innate Full Soul Power, grinding for sixteen years to force his way to Title Douluo, only for the system to arrive fashionably late and issue him a mission to return to Shrek to enroll as a freshman.

If his cheap Senior Brother Yan Shaozhe, or the various elders of the Sea God Pavilion, knew that he—a 22-year-old Title Douluo—was going to sneak into a pile of freshmen to apply for Shrek, their jaws would likely hit the floor.

Jiang Che shook his head gently, suppressing the absurdity in his heart. Although his current strength far exceeded that of a Shrek freshman, and even far exceeded most of the instructors in the academy, this late-arriving system was, after all, a stroke of fortune from his transmigration, and the reward of a second martial soul was extremely tempting.

Even as a Title Douluo, having an extra martial soul would cause his strength to skyrocket, giving him more confidence to break through to Limit Douluo or even higher levels in the future.