The Wager! Tang San vs. Dai Mubai?

If she could follow him, the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—and her own future—would surely become completely different!!!

The entire venue fell utterly silent!

Zhao Wuji stood frozen in place, his eyes wide, his whole body stiff. His rough, massive hand hung in midair as he completely lost the ability to speak.

Three twelve- or thirteen-year-old youths—two level 39 Soul Elders and one level 41 Soul Ancestor!

These were no ordinary applicants here to enroll. They were clearly three peerless prodigies who had come specifically to overturn Shrek's understanding of the world!

Gu Qing slowly withdrew his hand. His deep gaze casually swept over the end of the crowd, meeting Zhu Zhuqing's fiery, resolute eyes and Ning Rongrong's gaze, filled with shock and anticipation.

The two future top geniuses had arrived as expected.

A cold smile curled across Gu Qing's lips.

Good. Everyone was here.

Zhao Wuji stood dumbfounded for a full half minute before suddenly jolting back to his senses. The rough impatience on his face had long been replaced by an incomparably ingratiating smile. Rubbing his callused hands together, he hurried toward the three of them, his waist unconsciously bent halfway over.

"Three young friends! Heaven-gifted geniuses! Absolute once-in-ten-thousand-years geniuses!"

"You've passed, completely passed! From today onward, you'll be core disciples of our Shrek Academy!"

"All cultivation resources will be supplied to you first, and tuition will be waived! No, no, no—the academy will give you monthly stipends! You can have as much as you want!"

He had lived for most of his life, yet he had never seen such monstrous talents. Forget three of them—even one would have been enough for him to worship like an ancestor.

As long as he could keep these three children, Shrek would surely soar to great heights in the future!

"Wait."

Gu Qing raised a hand, cutting Zhao Wuji off.

Zhao Wuji frowned and looked at this youth whose presence utterly mismatched his age.

Gu Qing's gaze swept over the dilapidated training ground, the mottled courtyard walls, and the few teachers staring in shock. He said calmly, "Did I say I was joining?"

The entire venue fell silent again.

Zhao Wuji's expression darkened. "Brat, what do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Gu Qing withdrew his hand and stood with his hands behind his back.

"We came here today for testing, not enrollment. If you want us to join Shrek, you first need to see whether you're qualified."

Zhao Wuji clenched his fists as fluctuations of Soul Power faintly spread from his body.

A twelve-year-old child dared to say something like that in front of him. If he had not personally seen the test results just now, Zhao Wuji would have slapped him away already.

"Then what do you want?"

The corners of Gu Qing's lips rose slightly. "How about a wager?"

"Your academy can send anyone you like. As long as someone can defeat either of the two younger sisters beside me, we'll join Shrek. But if you can't win..."

Gu Qing paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of every Shrek teacher and student present.

"Then this Shrek Academy has no reason to exist!"

The moment those words fell, the training ground erupted. The applicants waiting in line began discussing among themselves. Some gasped, some shook their heads and called him ignorant of his own limits, while others watched with bright eyes, eager for a show.

Before Zhao Wuji could flare up, a voice came from the other end of the training ground.

"What arrogant words."

Gu Qing turned to look.

Flender, Yu Xiaogang, Li Yusong, Lu Qibin, and the other Shrek teachers were walking over from the direction of the teaching building.

Several students followed behind them. At the front was a tall young man with shoulder-length blond hair and mismatched pupils—Dai Mubai.

Someone had already secretly run off to notify Flender when Gu Qing's group displayed their Soul Power.

Now, the entire Shrek Academy had assembled. Clearly, they had come for these three "monsters" challenging their school.

Yu Xiaogang walked beside Flender, his gaze falling on Gu Qing and Tang San. His brows furrowed slightly. These two children... looked somewhat familiar, but he could not recall where he had seen them.

It was not Yu Xiaogang's fault for being old and slow-witted!

Five years ago, after being publicly humiliated by two six-year-olds outside Nuoding Academy, he had turned and left immediately. He had not remembered their appearances at all.

Moreover, five years of Whale Dragon body tempering had completely changed Gu Jie's height and build. Tang San had also grown from the skinny little girl she once was into a tall, well-proportioned young woman with toned muscles.

Yu Xiaogang only felt that they looked vaguely familiar, but he simply could not connect them to those children.

Flender pushed up his glasses, looked at Gu Jie's group of three, then at the numbers that had yet to fade from the testing crystal. The corner of his mouth twitched.

One level 39, one level 41—a twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor. He had never seen anyone so young in his entire life?!

If he could recruit these three into the academy, Shrek's reputation would explode. But if they lost, then in front of all these applicants, Shrek would lose all face.

"What? Too afraid to accept?"

Gu Qing spoke calmly, his tone carrying undisguised mockery. "I thought Shrek Academy, which only accepts monsters, was something special. Turns out you're afraid of even a level 39 and a level 41."

How could Zhao Wuji's fiery temper endure that? He was about to charge forward when Flender grabbed him.

Flender's face was dark as he remained silent for a long while.

A level 41 Soul Ancestor—Dai Mubai, Shrek's strongest student, was only a level 37 Soul Elder. He could not possibly win. And the level 39 girl did not look easy to deal with either.

No matter how he looked at this wager, they would be at a disadvantage!

Seeing that they had not answered for so long, Gu Qing could only give them some hope. He then said teasingly,

"Although our Soul Power is slightly higher, the Martial Souls of my two younger sisters aren't particularly powerful."

"Not powerful Martial Souls?" Flender was taken aback.

"That's right."

Gu Qing lifted his chin and pointed at Tang San and Xiao Wu. "Tang San's Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, a universally acknowledged trash Martial Soul. Xiao Wu's Martial Soul is a Soft Bone Rabbit. That doesn't sound very impressive either, does it?"

"Two girls whose Martial Souls do not even meet the most basic standards of quality, and your Shrek still doesn't dare accept?"

The moment those words fell, the entire venue erupted.

"Blue Silver Grass? Soft Bone Rabbit? Did I hear that right?"

"A trash Martial Soul cultivated to level 39 Soul Elder? Level 41 Soul Ancestor? How is that possible!"

"Didn't Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang say that trash Martial Souls could never break through level thirty?"

Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned the color of liver.

The first point of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, the theory he was proudest of, was that Martial Soul quality determined a Soul Master's upper limit!

A trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass could never break through level thirty in its entire lifetime! Yet the girl before him was actually a level 39 Soul Elder! This was practically a vicious slap across his face in front of everyone!

Zhao Wuji was stunned at first, then nearly laughed aloud.

He had been so shocked by the level 39 and level 41 figures that he had not bothered asking what their Martial Souls were. Now that he heard one was Blue Silver Grass and the other a Soft Bone Rabbit, the arrogance he had suppressed rose right back up.

Just as Zhao Wuji was about to agree, Dai Mubai's voice rang out from the field.

"Arrogant!"

Dai Mubai could no longer hold back. He suddenly leaped forward, his evil eyes blazing with rage. "I'll fight her! I want to see just how powerful a trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass can be!"

He was the leader among Shrek's students, a level 37 Soul Elder with the top-tier beast Martial Soul, White Tiger. How could he fear a girl of roughly the same level, especially one with a trash Martial Soul!

Flender and Yu Xiaogang exchanged a glance, both seeing the temptation in each other's eyes.

Dai Mubai was level 37 while the other side was level 39—a difference of only two levels. Furthermore, she had the trash Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, while Dai Mubai possessed the top-tier beast Martial Soul White Tiger. Their chances of winning were enormous!

"Fine! We accept!" Flender immediately said.

"The first match: Dai Mubai versus this young lady with the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul!"