Beibei

Noticing the pained look on Yan Shaozhe's face, Feng Tianyu couldn't help wanting to laugh.

As the owner of a Bright Phoenix Martial Soul, Yan Shaozhe was still painfully short-sighted. With his talent, once his strength improved, he would bring Shrek Academy returns ten or even a hundred times greater.

But Yan Shaozhe always seemed so stingy. Did everyone become this miserly after becoming a dean?

He was practically cut from the same cloth as Flender a thousand years ago.

At least Mu En knew what he was doing and was willing to invest in Feng Tianyu.

It was true that Mu En had only been willing to invest because Feng Tianyu was talented, but one should judge by actions, not intentions. Even for the sake of all that Whale Rubber, Feng Tianyu felt grateful to Mu En.

Feng Tianyu sincerely expressed his thanks:

"Thank you, Elder Mu, and thank you to the academy for nurturing me."

Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched. He thanked Elder Mu and the academy, but not him. He opened his mouth, then finally said only:

"Mm. Let's go eat."

A little while later, Yan Shaozhe brought Feng Tianyu to the cafeteria. The dining hall was empty, without a single table or chair in sight. There was no one eating; the others probably hadn't finished class yet.

There was only a sink along one side for washing hands and dishes. Inside were the serving windows, eight in all, each with its prices clearly marked. They offered different dishes, and the prices rose from right to left.

Feng Tianyu's mouth twitched. Unless you experienced Shrek Academy's harsh conditions firsthand, it was hard to imagine that this was the continent's top academy.

Even any of the junior Soul Master Academies from a thousand years ago had better conditions than Shrek Academy.

Feng Tianyu thought of a popular meme from his past life: "Punish you by making you fight four hundred people for one toilet at Shrek Academy."

It was meant to mock Shrek Academy's harsh conditions!

Feng Tianyu had his own theory about it. Tang Jia San Shao had probably come from an academy like this, where there were no tables or chairs to eat at and you had to fight hundreds of people for a toilet.

He'd never seen much of the world before making it big, and that came through in his writing in vivid detail.

Feng Tianyu felt a pang of emotion. Most authors were broke; there were very few rich ones. They described poverty in painstaking detail because they really were penniless, while wealth got only a passing mention because they'd never been rich.

From Feng Tianyu's expression, Yan Shaozhe could more or less guess what he was thinking. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and explained:

"Tianyu, don't be put off by the cafeteria's poor conditions. There aren't even tables and chairs. The academy arranged it this way on purpose, to temper the willpower of new students like you."

"Our Shrek Academy is very practical. We despise the extravagance and decadence of those so-called noble academies. We believe that students can only realize their potential under harsh conditions."

"The Outer Court's conditions are like this. Once you go to the Inner Court, you'll see that the academy has a deep foundation after all."

As he spoke, Yan Shaozhe handed Feng Tianyu a badge shaped like a dark green monster:

"Keep this badge with you from now on. It's the symbol of an Outer Court Core Disciple. Go get us two portions of food. Show the cafeteria staff your badge, and you'll be able to eat the academy's premium nutrition meals for free."

Feng Tianyu took the badge and nodded:

"Okay, Dean."

He ran to the serving window on the far left and showed them the badge. It really did come in handy. Just as Feng Tianyu had asked, the cafeteria worker gave him two portions of the premium nutrition meal.

Feng Tianyu carried the two trays back to Yan Shaozhe. Just as Yan Shaozhe reached out to take one, Feng Tianyu handed it to Grey Wolf instead.

Yan Shaozhe froze, withdrew his hand, and awkwardly rubbed his nose again:

"Tianyu, I told you to get two portions so you could get one for me. Why did you give one to your Martial Soul? Can a Martial Soul even eat?"

Only then did Feng Tianyu realize what he'd done.

"Dean, you need to eat too? I didn't think of that. I thought you wanted two portions for me and Grey Wolf."

"Yes, Grey Wolf needs to eat too. Eating can reduce the amount of Soul Power Grey Wolf consumes from me."

Yan Shaozhe was astonished. An externalized Martial Soul could reduce its consumption of its host's Soul Power by eating food? That was a research topic with considerable value.

Then he watched Feng Tianyu and Grey Wolf walk to a corner, squat down, and start shoveling food from their trays into their mouths. Boy and wolf alike dug in with gusto.

Yan Shaozhe felt rather glum.

"I really can't bring myself to like this kid. Kids are the worst!"

Although Yan Shaozhe was a Rank 95 Super Douluo and could go a long time without eating, it seemed a little rude to come to the cafeteria and just stand around watching.

So he went to the serving window for a meal of his own. Like Feng Tianyu and Grey Wolf, he found a corner, squatted down, and started eating.

That was Shrek Academy for you. Even a Rank 95 Super Douluo, the head of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, had to squat in a corner to eat in the cafeteria, all to hone his outstanding character through hardship.

Grey Wolf was eating so messily that grease covered his mouth, his eyes shining. He looked as though he'd chew up and swallow even the bones.

"Delicious... So delicious... And after eating this meat... I feel all warm inside."

Feng Tianyu felt the same. A current of heat seemed to flow through his body, nourishing his flesh, bones, and organs. The improvement wasn't obvious, but it was certainly good for his body.

"When I got the food, the lady at the counter told me that today's dishes were century-old Scale Dragon Pig stew and a stir-fry of century-old Crimson Flame Mad Bull. They're made from the finest parts of Soul Beasts that are over a hundred years old, and they're extremely good for the body."

Boy and wolf both ate with gusto. Once they'd had their fill, their bellies were round, and the warmth inside them lingered. They felt that if they started cultivating right then, they would get twice the result with half the effort.

After washing their trays and returning them to their proper place, Feng Tianyu and Grey Wolf went back to Yan Shaozhe.

Yan Shaozhe had nearly finished eating, too. He elegantly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, then glanced at the boy and wolf.

"Let's go to the dormitory. It's just ahead of the cafeteria. Turn the corner after you leave, and you'll be there."

Under Yan Shaozhe's guidance, Feng Tianyu and Grey Wolf arrived at Shrek Academy's dormitory: a six-story Tube Building housing nearly three thousand students, from first to sixth grade.

Looking at the shabby Tube Building, Feng Tianyu wore an expression of pure misery. He wanted to live in his own big villa outside the academy, not fight four hundred people for one toilet. It wasn't that he couldn't endure hardship, but this was just too much.

"Dean, could I commute instead? I don't really want to live at school!"

Yan Shaozhe clearly knew what the dormitory was like. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, but he put on a stern, righteous expression.

"No! Shrek Academy follows a semi-military management system. All students must live on campus. As long as you're inside the academy, we have to guarantee your safety."

"Don't let the shabby Tube Building fool you. This is absolutely the safest place on Douluo Continent. The dorm supervisor guarding it is my teacher, Dragon God Douluo Mu En."

"Not even a Titled Douluo or a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast could break into the Tube Building and harm you."

Feng Tianyu grumbled inwardly: So the academy guaranteed its students' safety inside the academy, but didn't guarantee their safety outside it?

As he recalled, in the original story, whenever Xuan Zi led a team to hunt Soul Beasts, something went wrong. Every time, a pile of elite students ended up dead.

Yan Shaozhe pulled out a ring of keys and put them in Feng Tianyu's hand.

"Your dorm is Room 316. The fourth floor and above are the girls' dormitories. Under no circumstances are boys allowed above the third floor."

"Go back to your dorm and get some rest. Classes start properly tomorrow. Have your roommate show you where Grade 1 Class 1 is."

Holding the keys, Feng Tianyu breathed in and out, over and over. Once he'd steeled himself, he strode toward the Tube Building with the air of a martyr. From now on, he'd have to fight four hundred people for one toilet.

At the dormitory entrance, Feng Tianyu spotted Mu En in gray robes, reclining in a rocking chair. He stepped forward to greet him:

"Elder Mu!"

Mu En opened his eyes to a narrow slit and smiled.

"Ah, Tianyu. Go get settled in first. I picked out a roommate for you. If there's anything you don't understand, ask him."

Feng Tianyu was curious. He wondered who Mu En had specially chosen to be his roommate.

Then he entered the Tube Building and went up the stairs to the third floor, where he found Room 316. The door wasn't locked; it was ajar, so he pushed it open and went inside.

A warm voice came from within:

"You must be my roommate?"

"Hello, my name is Beibei!"