Soul Power Tide Chamber

Li Changsheng followed behind the group, passing through the city gate to officially enter the Shrek Pre-Academy.

Although it looked deserted from the outside, the interior of the academy exuded a sense of tranquility and elegance everywhere.

The environment was exceptionally beautiful, with lush trees providing shade and winding paths crisscrossing the grounds. On both sides of the roads, various meticulously pruned plants were planted; the sheer variety was enough to leave even Li Changsheng dumbfounded.

For a moment, it felt as if he had arrived in a deep, botanical world.

They walked along the main road leading straight in from the gate.

A tall statue carved from granite blocked their view of the distance.

The statue depicted a middle-aged man with a dignified posture. Even through his stone eyes, one could sense an air of scholarly gentleness. He held a stone book in his hands, and on its surface, large characters were carved:

Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls!

Is this a statue of Yu Xiaogang?

Li Changsheng suddenly felt a sense of temporal displacement.

If a statue of Yu Xiaogang were erected at Shrek Academy, it would be understandable, but this Pre-Academy was only established a few thousand years ago. What was the intention behind erecting his statue here?

Moreover, looking to the side, he saw that along the long avenue, there was only this one statue of Yu Xiaogang.

Li Changsheng felt puzzled by this.

Li Xinshajing, who was leading the way, stopped when he reached the statue.

He turned around, scanned the group, and asked quite solemnly to everyone, including Li Changsheng: "Do you know who this statue depicts?"

A small child raised his hand and answered excitedly: "Yu Xiaogang. He is the teacher of the ancestor Tang San! He is the master who proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls for the martial soul world!"

As expected of someone from Spirit Soul City.

"I heard from my dad that Yu Xiaogang was very powerful. The Shrek Seven Devils he taught are all legendary figures." Li Zishuo stood to the side, clenching his small hands in excitement.

Li Changsheng nodded. Well, I suppose he was quite capable. He didn't offer any further comment.

Li Xinshajing nodded, though it was impossible to tell if he was satisfied or not. His entire demeanor remained icy and filled with a sense of oppression.

"That is correct, but not entirely. Do you know why we erected a statue of him in the Pre-Academy?"

This time, he didn't wait for an answer and continued:

"Because our teaching system at the Pre-Academy is entirely replicated from this Master Yu Xiaogang."

Is that all?

I thought there was some special reason.

Li Changsheng felt a sudden sense of boredom.

Li Xinshajing continued to speak for quite a while longer.

Li Changsheng suddenly realized that these people seemed to hold Yu Xiaogang in particularly high regard, even bordering on worship.

Perhaps, as Li Xinshajing said, replicating Yu Xiaogang's teaching system was what allowed them to reach such soul power levels at such a young age, which was why they were so reverent.

Li Changsheng curled his lip.

What was Yu Xiaogang's teaching method?

Punishment runs?

Team battles in the Soul Fighting Arena?

Participating in the Continental Soul Fighting Tournament?

In his memory, those were the things he recalled. Perhaps there were others, but Li Changsheng only relied on his limited memory. Of course, the tempering of one's character was paramount; that could not be denied. Yu Xiaogang had done well in that regard, and successfully cultivating Tang San, that Tang Sect "homebody," was certainly worthy of praise.

Soon, Li Xinshajing led them deeper into the academy.

Towering trees grew everywhere in the academy. At the same time, beside a path they passed, a dense, crisscrossing forest of unknown size appeared before their eyes. Around the entrance, there were many devices resembling soul tools acting as railings to block something.

Li Xinshajing, walking in front, spoke again.

He pointed to the forest, his tone grave:

"That is the Star Dou Great Forest Simulation Zone, built according to the terrain. It houses a large number of soul beasts, ranging from hundred-year to even thousand-year levels. That will also be the place where you enter for your freshman assessment."

A simulated Star Dou Great Forest?

Li Changsheng couldn't help but activate his Purple Demon Eye.

His gaze, sharp as a falcon's, pierced through.

He could vaguely sense many different soul power auras pulsing within the forest.

Some were circling in the trees.

Some were curled up in caves.

Some were growing on the ground.

Some were leaping through the dark, churning river water.

After passing this forest, under Li Xinshajing's guidance, they arrived near a cluster of teaching buildings.

There weren't many teaching buildings here, but there were many small courtyards built alongside them.

"The teaching building is for soul masters who wish to study soul tool knowledge. Our Shrek Pre-Academy has recruited instructors from the Sun Moon Empire to hold classes for students who want to learn."

"As for these small, independently partitioned courtyards, they are the classrooms where each class holds their lessons."

As they passed by, Li Changsheng was able to get a close look at the small courtyards.

They were very small, feeling as though they could only accommodate a few dozen people, but for a Pre-Academy class with only three students, this was already quite spacious.

They continued to head deeper inside.

At this moment, a small child walking near Centrifugal Killing Mirror spoke up and asked, "Senior, why haven't we seen any other seniors from the Pre-Academy?"

It was true; throughout their walk, aside from the few people they passed who were trimming flowers and grass, or the people dressed like teachers rushing by, there were simply no students to be seen.

The way to distinguish between the two was also very simple.

Only the students wore masks.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror did not turn his head, simply answering, "They have all gone out to cultivate with their teachers, or they have accepted some commission tasks from the residents of Two-Part City and are off completing them."

A teaching system based on practical application!

Through Centrifugal Killing Mirror's words, this could be inferred.

Soon after, they arrived at a massive building.

It was similar to the Sea God Awakening Hall, but it lacked that sense of holiness.

However, the moment he approached, Li Changsheng's keen perception picked up on something.

Such a powerful sense of oppression. What is inside this building?

Because he was at the end of the line, he was still a long distance from the building before him, yet even so, he could feel the powerful pressure constantly radiating from within.

For a fleeting moment, Li Changsheng was reminded of the soul bone essence core embedded in the eight-level soul tool arena at the Spirit Soul Grand Soul Fighting Arena.

Li Changsheng was merely surprised, but the other children were so intimidated that their faces turned deathly pale.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror did not stop and continued to walk forward.

Li Zishuo's footsteps were slightly heavy; he had originally been walking in front of Li Changsheng, but now he had fallen behind.

As they moved forward at a steady pace, in the blink of an eye, Li Changsheng had actually gone from the very back to the very front.

The other children moved as slowly as tortoises.

Li Changsheng's steps were light; the pressure seemed to dissipate bit by bit around him.

It appeared this was not the full extent of the pressure, but rather it had been adjusted to a level suitable for their age.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror stared at Li Changsheng with some surprise and asked tentatively, "Want to see the moon?"

He did not use Li Changsheng's name.

Li Changsheng nodded.

At the same time, Centrifugal Killing Mirror and the two silent figures beside him, Tearing Terror Claw and Iron Armor Linked Shield, also came to a halt.

Only Li Changsheng had kept up.

The other children had either stopped a few meters from the entrance or, like Li Zishuo, were lagging more than ten meters behind.

Centrifugal Killing Mirror spoke up: "This is the Soul Power Tide Chamber. Although you are all still young and have only just awakened your martial souls, you should know that a soul master's cultivation relies on meditation..."

Before his voice had even faded.

A burst of soul power suddenly erupted from Li Zishuo, who was lingering at the very back.

A flash of shock crossed Li Zishuo's pale little face, and then he shouted with great excitement, "I suddenly broke through?"

Centrifugal Killing Mirror glanced over and nodded. As if he had found a place to provide a brief introduction, he pointed at Li Zishuo, "Look, 'No Regrets in Moving' is the best interpretation of this. By meditating under this pressure, you can accelerate your cultivation speed. Take it one step at a time; when you are able to enter this hall, you will be at the peak of the Soul Master rank."

Afterward, without further explanation, he looked at Li Changsheng, "You, come in with us."

As his voice fell, he pushed open the hall doors. The pressure increased instantly, and some of the children who were still standing were immediately blown over by the hurricane-like force.

But Centrifugal Killing Mirror paid them no mind.

He had already made it clear enough; if they still didn't understand the need to cultivate quickly, then they might as well get lost.

When Li Changsheng officially stepped into the hall, he discovered that there were already quite a few children inside, similar in age to those outside.

Were these the children from other places that Exquisite Dice had mentioned earlier?

There weren't many, only about a dozen or so.

But as Li Changsheng took his next step into the hall, the Sign-in and Clock-in System, which had not sounded for a long time, suddenly chimed.

Sign-in location: Shrek Pre-Academy!
Sign-in result: Success.
Completion: 100%.
Reward: Stacked with the next sign-in. Rewards doubled. Mysterious reward added.
Next sign-in location: Shrek Academy. Time limit: Six years.