Early in the morning, before the alarm clock rang, Bai Yuan had already opened his eyes.
He lay on the unfamiliar bed, staring at the ceiling of the Shrek Academy dormitory, remained silent for a moment, and then sighed deeply.
8:00 AM, class begins.
Who came up with this idea?
He transmigrated to another world and was forced to live the life of a student, working from 8 am to who-knows-how-man.
He mentally cursed under his breath, then rolled over and got out of bed.
Washing up and changing clothes were done in one smooth motion.
Then he walked to the door of the next room and knocked three times forcefully.
"Junior sister, wake up! Class is in session!"
There was a rustling sound coming from inside, followed by Gu Yuena's indistinct mutterings, tinged with morning grumpiness.
"... knew."
Bai Yuan leaned against the door frame and waited for a while before the door was finally opened from the inside.
Gu Yuena stood at the door, her long silver hair still a little messy, her purple eyes half-open and half-closed, exuding a low-pressure aura that said, "I'm not awake yet, don't mess with me."
She walked out while inwardly condemning herself.
"Human life is worse than that of Soul Beast..."
Bai Yuan looked at her, so tired she could barely walk, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He reached out to straighten her collar and then gently smoothed down the stray silver hair sticking up on her head.
Gu Yuena squinted as he manipulated her, muttering something under her breath.
"... Shrek, the root of all evil."
The two walked through the dormitory area and into the Teaching Building.
The corridor was spacious and bright, and the classroom doors on both sides were half open, revealing that many students were already seated inside.
The walls are adorned with portraits of the Shrek Academy's distinguished alumni throughout history, as well as medals and banners displaying the academy's honors.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire Teaching Building in a warm glow.
Bai Yuan's gaze swept over the exquisite decorations and meticulous arrangements, and he couldn't help but sigh.
"It's really well done; no wonder it's the top academy on the mainland."
The Spirit Pagoda is more like a company, with different departments on each floor, and invisible ranks and interests separating people.
And Shrek.
At least on the surface, it resembles a real university.
Gu Yuena walked beside him, her eyes scanning the corridor.
She suddenly nudged Bai Yuan lightly with her elbow.
Bai Yuan turned his head to look at her.
"What's wrong?"
Gu Yuena tilted her chin forward, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Look over there.
Bai Yuan followed her gaze.
At the other end of the corridor, several students dressed in Shrek Academy uniforms were standing together.
One of them turned around, revealing a somewhat familiar face.
He had short, dark blue hair, sharply defined features, and a lingering melancholy in his eyes.
Oh, isn't this Yu Yuanheng?
"Isn't this the opponent we defeated in the last Heavenly Sea Grand Competition?"
Gu Yuena's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those people to hear.
Yu Yuanheng's body stiffened abruptly.
He turned his head and his gaze met Bai Yuan and Gu Yuena's.
"What's going on? Why are they here?!"
The people around him were also shocked; some gaped, while others instinctively took a half-step back.
Bai Yuan smiled as he watched Yu Yuanheng's face gradually turn from surprise to ashen, and nodded slightly at him.
Good morning.
Yu Yuanheng gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word.
"... morning."
"I've encountered a ghost!"
The air in the corridor seemed to freeze for a moment.
Yu Yuanheng stood frozen in place, his face barely managing a polite expression that was worse than crying, which lasted only a few seconds.
Bai Yuan smiled and nodded at him, then walked past him as if nothing had happened.
Gu Yuena followed beside him, her purple eyes lingering on Yu Yuanheng's face for a moment.
She smiled, a tiny smile playing on her lips, and walked past him.
The Shrek Academy students exchanged glances and whispered amongst themselves.
"How come you're in the same place? Could you be classmates?"
"How unlucky I am! Seeing him reminds me of the brutal beating I received from him..."
The person behind him patted him on the shoulder, offering words of comfort.
"It's alright, maybe it's not even from the same place?"
The man thought about it and agreed, letting out a long sigh.
Looking up, he realized that Bai Yuan and Gu Yuena were no longer in the corridor.
"Huh, they're gone?"
He looked around and confirmed that there were indeed only a few Shrek members left in the corridor.
"Finally, we've seen these two great-aunts off..."
He wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and his steps became lighter.
"Let's go, let's go, into the classroom."
Several people pushed open the classroom door.
Bai Yuan was sitting by the window, watching him with a smile.
The morning light streamed in through the window, casting a soft golden hue on the boy's profile.
That smile was as gentle as the warm spring sun.
A Samoyed with such an innocent smile!
But in that person's eyes, that smile was more terrifying than a demon.
Heaven!
It's him again!
Still laughing! That's a terrifying laugh!
He stood frozen at the classroom door, his legs feeling like lead, unable to move.
The student behind him gave him a push.
"What are you standing there for? Go inside..."
He mechanically moved to his seat, sat down, lowered his head, and dared not look in Bai Yuan's direction again.
Bai Yuan withdrew his gaze and glanced at Gu Yuena beside him.
Gu Yuena was also looking at him, her purple eyes filled with a hint of schadenfreude.
Bai Yuan's lips curled slightly, his gaze still fixed on Gu Yuena's face.
A clear voice came from outside the classroom, carrying a hint of urgency and helplessness.
"Sister Xinglan, wait for me! You haven't had breakfast yet!"
Before the words were finished, a tall, slender figure walked in through the back door of the classroom.
Ye Xinglan was wearing a dark green school uniform, with her long hair draped over her shoulders, and she was holding several books in her hands.
The moment she looked up, she bumped right into the dark figure by the window.
She paused slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
What's he doing here?
Images of the Heavenly Sea Grand Competition uncontrollably surfaced in my mind.
She still remembers that feeling of helplessness.
Ye Xinglan lowered her eyes and looked away.
He walked expressionlessly to the other side of the window and sat down, with most of the classroom between them.
Gu Yuena watched Ye Xinglan's actions, her purple eyes narrowing slightly.
Something's not right!
The way this woman is looking at Bai Yuan is very strange!
It was something more complex, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Gu Yuena frowned slightly.
It felt like something had gently scratched my heart.
"Oh? Brother Bai Yuan! You're here!"
Xu Lizhi poked his head in through the back door.
A surprised smile graced his chubby face.
He was also holding a steaming hot bun in his hand.
"Welcome to Shrek Academy!"
He strode into the classroom and sat down next to Bai Yuan.
Completely unaware of the several pairs of eyes behind him that seemed to want to pierce him like sieves.
The Shrek students looked at Xu Lizhi with disdain in their eyes.
Traitor, collaborator, Spirit Pagoda!
Xu Lizhi took a bite of the steamed bun and mentally scoffed.
A bunch of idiots!
A genius like Bai Yuan!
There's absolutely no problem maintaining a good relationship with him.
Bai Yuan looked at him and nodded.
Xu Lizhi grinned and sat down in the seat next to him.
Ye Xinglan glanced at the scene out of the corner of her eye, but remained silent.
She opened the book, her gaze falling on the pages, but she couldn't concentrate on a single word.
I feel strange, inexplicably irritable!
Shen Yi pushed open the door and entered.
She wore a dark green teacher's uniform, her long hair was tied up, and her face was aloof.
His gaze swept over every face in the classroom, finally lingering for a moment on the dark figure by the window.
"Let me introduce myself, my name is Shen Yi."
"Because of your special circumstances, I will take over this class."
The classroom fell silent.
Bai Yuan and Gu Yue were freshmen, and Shen Yi's gaze swept over them.
"Let me first tell you some basic knowledge for trainees."
She picked up a silver card from the podium and flipped it between her fingers.
"Each Shrek student has a student card, which contains various records of your personal information and stores your academy contribution points."
Within the academy, contribution points can be used for anything.
Within the legal limits, contribution points can do everything.
Bai Yuan's gaze fell on the silver card.
Shrek's contribution point system is essentially no different from the Spirit Pagoda's internal points system.
They are all tools to trap people.
Want to get stronger? Do missions.
Want to get resources? Earn contribution points.
Want to contribute points? Go work your ass off for the academy.
It's a vicious cycle, a web of intertwined interests.
This is one of the core methods by which Shrek maintains its vast system.
Shrek Academy is an open education.
Shen Yi put down the card and glanced around the classroom.
"Classes are held for half a day in the morning, and the afternoon and evening are free time."
Class will now officially begin.
The first lesson of the new semester: The glorious history of the Shrek Academy.
Bai Yuan's eyelid twitched.
Oh no, the brainwashing has begun!
From the legendary story of the Shrek Seven Devils to the glorious history of countless heroes emerging from Shrek over the past ten thousand years;
From the great achievements of Sea God Tang San, to the remarkable accomplishments of the successive Sea God Pavilion Master;
From the academy's heroic feats in turning the tide during numerous crises on the mainland, to its current glory and responsibility as the number one academy on the mainland.
This combination of punches was enough to overwhelm even the ordinary students.
Even the geniuses of the Spirit Pagoda would be thrilled to hear this.
Gu Yuena listened expressionlessly, her purple eyes lowered, her fingers tapping lightly on her knee twice.
In her eyes, Shrek's history was nothing more than a self-aggrandizing chronicle of humankind.
Those so-called "countless heroes" were nothing more than executioners who slaughtered their own kind in the eyes of the Soul Beast.
She lowered her eyes, suppressing the fleeting chill that crossed her gaze.
The other students in the classroom presented a completely different picture.
Some people's eyes grew brighter and brighter, some clenched their fists with excitement, and some were even so moved that their eyes reddened.
Bai Yuan looked at the faces that had been set ablaze and sighed silently in his heart.
Shrek's brainwashing skills are truly legendary.