Shrek

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shrek Academy (史莱克)
Alias(es)	Shrek
Affiliation	Maintains a neutral, transcendent status independent of the three great empires 7
Occupation/Role	Soul Master academy; cultivates Outer and Inner Academy disciples, with Inner Academy students serving as Inspectors 78
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Shrek Academy has existed for over ten thousand years and is regarded as the continent's number-one academy. Its graduates are spread throughout the major empires and sects, forming influential networks that provide alumni with access to resources and connections beyond those available to ordinary nobles. 35

The academy's neutral standing has also made it politically sensitive. The three great empires tacitly restrict Shrek's growth because they view its cultivation of talent as potentially benefiting rival nations. These restrictions limit it to roughly one thousand admissions annually and require recommendation letters, making many entrants children of powerful or wealthy families. 7

Although Shrek places importance on recruiting commoners, its admissions constraints and limited capacity led to the establishment of the Outer and Inner Academies. The Inner Academy is the institution's core, receiving the greatest investment and producing the disciples considered Shrek's true students. 7

Campus and Facilities

Shrek City and Academy Grounds

• Shrek Academy occupies an immense area near the Star Dou Great Forest. 1 27
• More than half of Shrek City's land belongs to the academy; commercial tenants lease academy-owned property, making such contracts a major revenue source alongside taxes and self-operated industries. 46
• The academy typically has fewer than 5,000 students despite enrolling about 1,000 per year, as students are regularly eliminated or graduate. 7
• Its grounds have extensive greenery, including plant-integrated structures and temporary or semi-permanent plant buildings. 44

Inner Academy and Sea God Pavilion

The Inner Academy stands on an island in the center of Sea God Lake. Sea God Pavilion lies still deeper, on Sea God Island, and is centered around the Golden Ancient Tree. 4 109

• Golden Ancient Tree — A hundreds-of-meters-tall golden tree whose canopy covers nearly half the sky; the Sea God Pavilion is hollowed from its interior, and its wood is used throughout the building. 4 90
• Sea God Pavilion — A secluded, spiritually rich cultivation site and the seat of Shrek's senior leadership. 4 109
• Sea God Island — Filled with ancient trees, pavilions, rare plants, and herbs that form part of Shrek's foundation. 7 109
• The Inner Academy generally has fewer than 100 students, and often only 50–60 remain on campus after accounting for graduations and external missions. 7 78

Libraries

Both the Outer and Inner Academies maintain libraries. The Outer Academy library primarily contains introductory and general-knowledge works, including material on soul beasts, cultivation, history, geography, and combat-type weaknesses. 7

Access	Details
Outer Academy library, first floor	Students with a student card may borrow books for free. 8
Outer Academy library, second floor and above	Borrowing requires payment. 8
Inner Academy library	Accessible to Lu Ran through a special badge granted by Yan Shaozhe. 8

Combat and Training Facilities

• Soul Fighting Zone — A Martial Soul Department arena area for consensual public duels. Private fights and incitement are prohibited and may result in expulsion. Both combatants pay ten Gold Soul Coins for venue use, refereeing, rescue, and medical treatment; spectators pay one Silver Soul Coin. 22
• Beast Fighting Zone — A large-scale soul-beast training and assessment facility. Maintaining its soul beasts and safety systems consumes one-third of Shrek City's annual tax revenue. 63
• Beast Fighting Coliseum — A 10,000-seat arena used for examinations and, from fourth grade onward, weekly soul-beast combat training. 63
• Outer Academy plaza — A reinforced, over-300-meter-wide registration and lower-grade combat area. 32

Organization

Academy Departments

Department	Focus	Leadership
Martial Soul Department	Martial soul cultivation; historically prioritized over soul guidance development	Yan Shaozhe, Dean of the Martial Soul Department and of Shrek Academy 4
Soul Guidance Department	Soul tool education and research	Xian Lin'er, Dean of the Soul Guidance Department 4

The departments were long marked by rivalry, particularly between Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er. Though the Martial Soul Department taught basic soul-guidance theory, serious soul-tool study traditionally required entering the Soul Guidance Department. 3 36

Following internal reforms, the two departments were ordered to merge. All students were required to study soul-guidance knowledge, while the Soul Guidance Department also expanded martial-soul-related coursework. 163 168

Sea God Pavilion

Sea God Pavilion serves as Shrek's highest leadership body. Mu En, its Pavilion Master, held the academy's highest status and later resumed his role as Shrek's backbone after recovering from a long period of frailty. 3 111

• Mu En — Pavilion Master; directs institutional reforms and supports the integration of martial soul and soul guidance development. 110 163
• Yan Shaozhe — Academy and Martial Soul Department Dean. 4
• Xian Lin'er — Soul Guidance Department Dean. 4
• Xuan Zi — Deputy Commander of the Shrek Inspectorate. 78
• Elder Song — Senior elder and mother of Xian Lin'er. 3
• Gong Changwei — Elder associated with the Beast Fighting Zone. 161

Admissions and Education

Enrollment

Shrek's registration process has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years: applicants queue for soul-power and bone-age testing; qualified applicants enroll, while those who fail are rejected without exception. 32

Badges identify freshmen, Outer Academy students, and Inner Academy students. Student cards record a holder's name, age, soul power, and other information. 8

Outer Academy

The Outer Academy is highly competitive and serves as the first stage of formal enrollment.

• Freshman students face an assessment after three months; roughly half to two-thirds may be eliminated. 35
• Shrek operates on one eleven-month semester per year, followed by a twelfth-month break. Students must pass promotion examinations upon returning or be dismissed. 45
• Classes cover soul master fundamentals, martial soul theory, potential development, team coordination, tactics, and soul beast identification. 36
• Soul guidance courses include the origins, history, and types of soul tools. 36

Inner Academy

The Inner Academy is separated from the Outer Academy not merely by curriculum, but by responsibility. Its disciples must accept dangerous supervisory duties and are commonly deployed on external missions. 78

Though almost all Outer Academy students aspire to enter it, the Inner Academy has historically remained small because many students die in service. 78

Shrek Inspectorate

The Shrek Inspectorate is the academy's supervisory arm; the Inner Academy itself is also called the Inspectorate, and its students are called Inspectors. 78

Its duties include confronting Evil Soul Masters and intervening in cases that the great empires cannot or will not supervise, including wrongdoing by other Soul Masters and imperial officials. 78

The Inspectorate is intended to preserve order, but its broad authority and lack of sufficient supervision leave it vulnerable to flaws and abuse. Its missions also impose severe psychological strain on its members. 79

• Deputy Commander: Xuan Zi. 78
• Reserve Seven Monsters: Outstanding Outer Academy students may be chosen as the reserve team for the Shrek Seven Devils, placing them on the path toward Inner Academy duties. 77 78
• Risks: Inspector work has resulted in the deaths of many Inner Academy disciples over the academy's history. 78

Reputation and Influence

Shrek's badge is a recognized symbol of status within Shrek City. 33 The academy's graduates possess broad influence across nations and sects, while its reputation makes admission a major achievement for both nobles and commoners. 27 35

During the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament, Shrek was introduced as an academy with countless honors that had won nearly every championship. Public confidence in the institution remained strong even when its reserve team was forced to compete. 93

Lu Ran's reserve team ultimately won the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, restoring confidence among Shrek's elders and publicly demonstrating the academy's continued strength. 106 109

Reforms

Before Mu En's recovery, Shrek faced internal stagnation: Yan Shaozhe restricted Soul Guidance Department development, Xuan Zi struggled to manage the Inspectorate's broader responsibilities, and senior elders resisted institutional change. 110

Mu En identified Lu Ran as Shrek's future and planned to remove resistant elders while advancing the Soul Guidance Department. 110 The resulting reforms included:

• Merging the Martial Soul and Soul Guidance Departments. 163
• Requiring all students to study soul-guidance knowledge. 168
• Adding courses such as metal carving and soul-guidance formations beyond the former Soul Guidance Department. 168
• Expanding martial-soul-related courses within the Soul Guidance Department. 168
• Equipping teachers and students undertaking external travel with communication and defensive soul tools. 117