The Soul Power Tide Chamber

Li Changsheng followed behind the group. Passing through the city gate, he had officially entered Shrek Pre-Academy.

Though it looked deserted outside, the academy grounds exuded a tranquil, refined air.

The scenery was exceptionally beautiful, with lush trees shading the grounds and crisscrossing paths winding through the woods. Along both sides of the roads grew all kinds of carefully pruned plants. There were so many varieties that even Li Changsheng gaped in astonishment.

For a moment, it was as if he had entered a deep, lush world of plants.

They proceeded along the main road straight through the gate.

A towering statue carved from granite blocked their view farther down the road.

The statue depicted a middle-aged man with a dignified bearing. Even his stone-carved eyes seemed to convey a refined, easygoing air. He held a stone book in his hands, and several large characters were carved across its surface:

Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul!

"Is that a statue of Yu Xiaogang?"

Li Changsheng suddenly felt as though time and space had become jumbled.

It would have made sense to erect a statue of Yu Xiaogang at Shrek Academy. But this was Pre-Academy, established only a few thousand years ago. Why would they put up a statue of him here?

And when he turned his head to look, Yu Xiaogang was the only statue along the long road.

Li Changsheng couldn't help wondering about it.

When Li Xin Shajing, who was leading the way, reached the statue, he stopped.

Turning to face them, he looked over the group and asked in a rather solemn tone, "Do you know who this statue depicts?"

A child raised his hand and answered excitedly, "Yu Xiaogang. He was Ancestor Tang San's teacher! He was the Grandmaster who proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul theory!"

As expected of someone from Spirit Soul City.

"I heard from my father that Yu Xiaogang was incredible. The Shrek Seven Devils he taught were all legendary figures." Beside him, Li Zishuo clenched his small fists, just as excited.

Li Changsheng nodded. Well, he was pretty impressive, he supposed. He didn't comment further.

Li Xin Shajing nodded. It was hard to tell whether he was satisfied or not. His whole manner was icy, radiating a sense of oppression.

"That's right, but not the whole story. Do you know why we erected a statue of him at Pre-Academy?"

This time, he didn't wait for anyone to answer. He continued, "Because our teaching system at Pre-Academy is a complete replica of the system devised by Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang."

What? That was all?

He had thought there was some special reason.

Li Changsheng immediately lost interest.

Li Xin Shajing continued talking for quite a while. Li Changsheng suddenly realized that these people seemed to hold Yu Xiaogang in especially high regard. They even seemed to worship him.

Perhaps, just as Li Xin Shajing had said, they revered Yu Xiaogang because his teaching system had raised their Soul Power Levels to such heights at such a young age.

Li Changsheng pursed his lips.

What was Yu Xiaogang's teaching method?

Punishing them with runs?

Forming teams to fight in the Soul Fighting Arena?

Competing in the Continental Soul Fighting Tournament?

That was all he remembered. There might have been more, but Li Changsheng could only draw on his limited memories. Of course, tempering one's character was the most important thing, and there was no denying Yu Xiaogang had done well in that regard. He had successfully turned Tang San, that "shut-in" from the Tang Sect, into someone remarkable. That was worth a word of praise.

Soon, Li Xin Shajing led them farther into the academy.

Towering trees grew everywhere on the grounds. As they passed a path, a vast, densely tangled forest came into view. No one could tell how far it stretched. Around the entrance stood many devices resembling Soul Tools, set up as barriers to keep something inside.

Li Xin Shajing, walking ahead, spoke again.

He pointed toward the forest, his tone grave.

"That is a simulated section of the Star Dou Great Forest, built to match the terrain. It houses many Soul Beasts, some a hundred years old and others even a thousand. That is where you will go for your freshman assessment."

A simulation of the Star Dou Great Forest?

Li Changsheng couldn't help using his Purple Demon Eye.

His gaze, sharp as an eagle's, pierced into the woods.

He could vaguely sense many different Soul Power auras moving about inside.

Some circled around the trees.

Some curled up in caves.

Some were growing on the ground.

Some leaped through the river's surging currents.

After passing the forest, they followed Li Xin Shajing to an area near several teaching buildings.

There weren't many teaching buildings here, but plenty of small courtyards had been built beside them.

"The teaching buildings are for Soul Masters who want to study Soul Tools. We have instructors from the Sun Moon Empire who teach classes to any students interested in learning."

"These separate courtyards are the classrooms for each class."

As they passed, Li Changsheng got a close look at the courtyards.

They were small, just big enough for a few dozen people. But at Pre-Academy, where each class had only three students, they were more than spacious enough.

They continued farther in.

A child walking near Li Xin Shajing asked, "Senior, why haven't we seen any of the other students from Pre-Academy?"

Indeed, other than a few people trimming the plants along the way, they had only passed some figures who looked like teachers, hurrying by. There hadn't been a single student.

It was easy to tell the two groups apart.

Only the students wore masks.

Without turning around, Li Xin Shajing simply replied, "They've gone out to train with their teachers, or taken commissions from residents of Two-Part City and gone off to complete them."

A teaching system!

From Li Xin Shajing's words, they could tell what came next.

Soon, they arrived at a huge building.

It resembled the Sea God Awakening Hall, but lacked its sacred aura.

The moment they approached, however, Li Changsheng's keen senses picked something up.

"What a powerful pressure. What's inside this building?"

He was at the very back of the group, still some distance from the building, yet he could already feel the immense pressure continuously emanating from within.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of the essence core of a Soul Bone embedded in the Level Eight Soul Tool arena at the Spirit Soul Grand Soul Fighting Arena.

Li Changsheng was only surprised. The other children, however, were so intimidated that their faces turned deathly pale.

Li Xin Shajing didn't stop. He continued forward.

Li Zishuo's steps had grown heavy. He had been walking in front of Li Changsheng, but now he had fallen behind.

As they continued at a steady pace, Li Changsheng reached the front of the group in the blink of an eye, despite having started at the very back.

The other children moved as slowly as snails.

Li Changsheng walked with ease, and the pressure gradually faded around him.

It seemed the pressure hadn't been set to its full strength, but only adjusted to a level suitable for children their age.

Li Xin Shajing stared at Li Changsheng in surprise and tested him with a question. "Xiangjian Yueliang?"

He didn't call Li Changsheng by name.

Li Changsheng nodded.

At the same time, Li Xin Shajing and his two companions, who had remained silent all along—Tearing Terror Claw and Iron Armor Linked Shield—stopped as well.

Only Li Changsheng had caught up with them.

The others had either stopped a few meters from the entrance or, like Li Zishuo, lagged more than ten meters behind.

Li Xin Shajing explained, "This is the Soul Power Tide Chamber. Though you're all still young and have only just awakened your Martial Souls, you should know that Soul Masters cultivate through meditation..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden surge of Soul Power burst from Li Zishuo, who was at the very back.

A look of astonishment flashed across Li Zishuo's pale face. Then he cried out excitedly, "Did I just break through?"

Li Xin Shajing glanced at him and nodded. Perhaps because he had found a good example to explain things briefly, he pointed at Li Zishuo. "See? No Regrets in Moving is the perfect illustration. Meditating under this pressure can speed up your cultivation. Take it one step at a time. When you can enter this hall, you'll have reached the peak of Soul Scholar."

He didn't elaborate further. After glancing at Li Changsheng, he said, "Come inside with us."

With that, he pushed open the hall's doors. The pressure instantly intensified, and some of the children who had still been standing were blown over by the gale-like force.

But Li Xin Shajing didn't bother with them.

He had explained it clearly enough. If they still couldn't figure out that they needed to cultivate faster, they might as well get lost.

Only after Li Changsheng officially stepped inside the hall did he realize there were already quite a few children inside, all around the same age as those outside.

Perhaps they were the children from other places that Exquisite Dice had mentioned earlier?

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

But as Li Changsheng took another step into the hall, the Sign-in and Clock-in System, which hadn't made a sound in a long time, suddenly rang out.

"Sign-in location: Shrek Pre-Academy!"

"Sign-in result: Successful."

"Completion: 100%."

"Reward: Added to the next sign-in. Rewards doubled. Mysterious bonus reward added."

"Next sign-in location: Shrek Academy. Time limit: Six years."