Zhu Zhuqing's Shock! Ning Rongrong's Martial Soul Mutation!

Gu Qing understood every detail of the original story. He knew perfectly well that the Shrek Monster Academy later praised by the outside world was nothing but an empty name, a rotten place that ruined talented students.

Yu Xiaogang's so-called Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls sounded logical and grand, but they were rigid and stereotyped, riddled with flaws—nothing but outdated nonsense!

Combined with Shrek's inflexible, conservative, and utterly uninspired cultivation methods, which merely forced a single rigid template onto every Martial Soul, they could only grind promising talents into mediocre nobodies.

Take the two geniuses about to enroll before him.

Zhu Zhuqing was naturally suited to the extreme-speed agility attack path. The Hell Spirit Cat's gifts were meant for solitary assassination and surprise attacks, crushing everything with speed and instantly killing opponents with explosive bursts of power.

Yet in Yu Xiaogang's hands, she had been reduced from beginning to end to an accessory for Dai Mubai's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, with every tactic designed around the Hell White Tiger.

Her speed advantage and independent combat ability had been completely wasted. She clearly had the chance to become the continent's greatest assassin, yet in the end, she could only serve as a supporting damage dealer.

Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was already the continent's number one support Martial Soul, yet Yu Xiaogang would only teach her the most basic enhancements. He had never deeply explored the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's potential, much less taught her any means of self-preservation.

As a result, she lacked even the most basic ability to escape in the early stages. Once separated from her teammates, she could only be slaughtered at others' mercy. Despite possessing a top-tier support Martial Soul, she lived as dead weight who could only hide behind others.

Two peerless geniuses who should have shone in their own ways were instead destined to be completely delayed and have their potential stifled by a backward, pedantic set of theories.

Gu Qing sneered inwardly, his resolve incomparably firm.

Since he now possessed the strength to rewrite fate, then this Shrek Academy that ruined its students had no reason to exist.

Today, I, Gu Qing, will take this place for myself, abolish Shrek, and establish an entirely new academy.

He would also keep Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others working for him, and make Yu Xiaogang completely lose his dignity in exchange for Gu Qing's help evolving his Martial Soul.

He would personally polish every genius and forge a true holy ground capable of cultivating Soul Saints—and even Titled Douluo—in batches!

"Brother Gu, let's go in already! I've long wanted to see whether this Shrek that only accepts monsters is really worthy of its name!"

Tang San's eyes were filled with doubt as she quickly stepped forward and spoke.

"Yeah, yeah! Let's hurry inside and take the test. Let's see whether the students and teachers here can take even one move from us!"

Xiao Wu skipped over and affectionately linked her arm through Gu Qing's, her lively eyes brimming with curiosity.

Gu Qing gathered his thoughts, nodded lightly, and led the two girls through the gates of the dilapidated academy.

The academy grounds were bustling with noise. Young geniuses who had arrived from all over stood in orderly lines, waiting for the entrance examination.

Zhao Wuji, who was overseeing the tests, wore a rough, impatient expression. He looked down at the people in line and spoke in a loud, coarse voice.

"Next! I'll only say the rules once! If your Soul Power is below level twenty-one, get lost immediately! Shrek only accepts monsters, not mediocre trash!"

The harsh rules discouraged many youths with ordinary aptitude, and the atmosphere on the grounds grew increasingly tense.

At the edge of the crowd, two figures stood out in particular.

Zhu Zhuqing wore a fitted black outfit that highlighted her tall, slender figure and generous curves. Her cool, pale face was completely expressionless, but her eyes held a stubbornness and lonely courage far beyond her age.

She clenched the hand hidden in her sleeve. She had escaped from the Star Luo Empire, coming here only to grow stronger and break free from the fate imposed upon her.

Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, wore a magnificent white princess dress and casually played with a Jade Bone Fan. Her chin was slightly raised, her face full of the pride of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess.

She had secretly run away from home. She did not believe in the gimmick of "only accepting monsters" at all; she merely wanted to see whether this shabby academy had any genius worthy of her.

Soon, it was Tang San's turn.

She stepped forward steadily and gently placed her palm against the cold Soul Power testing crystal.

In an instant, dazzling azure Soul Power shot into the sky, illuminating the entire training ground.

The numbers on the crystal display rapidly climbed before finally stopping at 39!

The entire grounds fell silent at once. Every conversation and every sound abruptly ceased.

Everyone stared in stunned disbelief at the seemingly young girl standing before them, her posture straight and her physique taut and fit.

At only eleven or twelve years old, she was already a level thirty-nine Soul Elder! Such talent was monstrous!

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils suddenly contracted, and her breathing caught. She was eleven this year as well, yet her Soul Power was only level twenty-seven.

In the Star Luo Empire, she had already been one of the best among her peers. Yet this girl, who was about the same age as her, had Soul Power a full twelve levels higher!

The enormous gap did not discourage Zhu Zhuqing. Instead, it made the fire in her eyes burn even brighter.

That's right, she had come to the right place! There really was an opportunity here for her to grow stronger!!

How was that possible? How could an ordinary Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul possess level thirty-nine Soul Power?

Zhao Wuji, who had been wearing an impatient expression, suddenly sprang up from his seat. His pupils shrank, and all the disdain on his face transformed into utter shock.

Before everyone could recover from their astonishment, Xiao Wu smiled and stepped forward, placing her hand over the testing crystal.

An even more brilliant and blazing pink light erupted with a boom. The radiance soared into the heavens as Soul Power fluctuations swept across the entire grounds!

The numbers on the crystal stopped at 41!

A level forty-one Soul Ancestor!

Though she was similarly only twelve or thirteen years old, her Soul Power cultivation was actually a level above the previous girl's!

Zhao Wuji sucked in a breath, his body trembling slightly as his mind went blank. He nearly bit his own tongue.

What kind of day was this? Two monstrous young geniuses had appeared in succession!

Zhu Zhuqing's entire body shook, her delicate figure trembling slightly.

A Soul Ancestor! She was actually a Soul Ancestor!

A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor! In the Star Luo Empire, even the imperial family's greatest geniuses could not achieve such a feat!

She bit her lower lip tightly, her gaze becoming incomparably resolute. No matter the price, she had to stay and take as her master the person capable of teaching such monsters!

Finally, Gu Qing stepped forward at an unhurried pace. His bearing was calm and composed, carrying a steadiness utterly unfitting for his age, as he gently pressed his palm onto the testing crystal.

Warm, restrained white Soul Power slowly blossomed. The crystal's numbers gradually rose before steadily stopping at 39!

The second level thirty-nine Soul Elder!

Moreover, compared with the explosive Soul Power of Tang San and Xiao Wu, Gu Qing's aura was more condensed, profound, and weighty, like an ancient well whose depths could not be seen through.

Just as Gu Qing's Martial Soul aura spread out, Ning Rongrong's expression suddenly changed, and she abruptly clutched her chest.

Her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul began to grow faintly hot beyond her control, as though it were about to emerge from her body!

An instinctive resonance originating from her Martial Soul made her heartbeat suddenly quicken. She snapped her head up and stared fixedly at Gu Qing's back, her eyes filled with shock.

This was... Martial Soul Resonance?!

Only a top-tier Martial Soul of an even higher grade than the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda could trigger resonance of this degree! What exactly was his Martial Soul?!

Ning Rongrong suddenly recalled something her father, Ning Fengzhi, had once told her.

"Rongrong, though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is powerful, we do not have enough martial strength to protect ourselves. We have always been searching for a true peerless expert, someone who can lead the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect even further."

Looking at the mysterious youth before her, who was her age yet possessed such terrifying strength and could trigger resonance from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Rongrong's heart pounded wildly.

Could he... be the person her father had been searching for?