"Thank you for the offer, but I refuse." Jing Chen shifted to the side, moving farther away from the three of them.
"Why?" Fan Yu froze, not expecting such a reaction from him.
The other two also frowned slightly. Did this child not know how formidable Shrek Academy was?
"No particular reason. I simply don't want to," Jing Chen said.
"You're in Shrek City, so you should know how formidable Shrek Academy is. It is the number one academy on the continent."
"In this world, absolutely no academy can surpass Shrek Academy in terms of teaching quality."
"Enrolling at Shrek would be an enormous benefit to you. This admission opportunity is also extremely rare, so you should think it through carefully."
"How about this? Go back and discuss it with your father. Tell him that Shrek Academy is willing to specially admit you."
"I believe that once he learns of this, he will certainly make the more sensible decision," Fan Yu said.
He merely assumed Jing Chen was too young and immature. It was normal for him to instinctively reject an invitation from strangers.
"I believe I made myself quite clear. Thank you for your kindness and appreciation, but I refuse your special admission."
"There is no need to discuss this with my father. I can make my own decisions, and I hope you will respect that."
"I truly do not want to say no again. If that happens, it will be awkward for both of us," Jing Chen said, his tone becoming firmer.
He found it deeply unpleasant when someone kept insisting after he had already clearly refused them.
"You brat, you really don't appreciate kindness. We saw that you had decent talent, which is why we were willing to offer you an opportunity that others could only beg for."
"But look at you. Not only are you ungrateful, you're impatiently refusing us here. You truly don't know what's good for you."
"Do you really think that having a little talent means you can be arrogant and look down on Shrek Academy?"
"Let me tell you, you are not qualified to do that now, and you still won't be qualified even after you grow stronger in the future."
"Shrek Academy never lacks geniuses. One more of you makes no difference, and one less of you makes no difference. Come or don't come, as you please."
One of the more hot-tempered teachers said angrily. Jing Chen's repeated refusals had made him very displeased.
It made it seem as though Shrek Academy were humbly begging him to join. It was utterly absurd.
They only said so much because they cherished talent. If he had not been a promising prospect, why would they waste their breath on him?
"Actually, it might be better if he doesn't join. After all, there are many geniuses in the academy. Once he joins, he might simply fade into obscurity among the crowd."
The other teacher spoke in a drawn-out tone, coordinating with the first teacher as they attempted to provoke him.
Children like this would get hot-blooded after only a little provocation and start shouting about proving themselves.
Jing Chen cursed them inwardly and did not respond, instead heading directly toward the stairs.
"This brat makes me want to beat him senseless. What is he being so arrogant about?" the hot-tempered teacher said, even more irritated.
"This child does indeed need some discipline. If that foul temper of his can be corrected, his future achievements will be very great," Fan Yu said, nodding in agreement.
"Let's return to the academy first and inform the Martial Soul Department about this thorny youngster. I believe Dean Yan will be very interested in him."
"With Dean Yan's methods, bringing this kid into the academy shouldn't be difficult," Fan Yu said with a smile.
The other two knew exactly which Dean Yan Fan Yu meant, and smiles appeared on their faces.
After leaving the teahouse, Jing Chen had Ma Ming return to the shop to work while he headed back to his residence, pondering matters along the way.
"My existence will probably reach Shrek Academy's upper ranks soon. That isn't a good thing."
Since he was staying in Shrek City, it was only natural that his talent would be discovered. He had anticipated something like what happened today.
He had also seriously considered the problems he might face once his talent was discovered.
The more favorable possibility was what had happened today: someone from Shrek Academy inviting him to join.
The worst possibility was that if he refused to join the academy, he would be regarded as a potential threat and possibly eliminated before he could grow.
He had previously considered suitable ways to deal with this, but those plans might no longer be appropriate.
That was because he had obtained a red Soul Ring representing the Hundred Thousand Year level. Such a Soul Ring was not easy to explain reasonably.
While this Soul Ring had given him powerful Soul Skills, it had also brought him trouble.
"I'll observe the situation first. If it really comes to it, I'll leave Shrek City for now," Jing Chen thought.
After returning home, Jing Chen entered the Time and Space Divine Tower to continue cultivating.
Now that his talent had been discovered, he was destined to be unable to live peacefully for some time.
At dusk, Ma Ming brought an elderly man to Jing Chen's door.
Fortunately, the old man had not directly released his Spiritual Power to investigate the conditions inside the house. Otherwise, something serious would have happened.
Upon hearing the knock, Jing Chen emerged from the Time and Space Divine Tower and opened the door, where he saw Ma Ming and an elderly man in white.
The old man had quite a bit of white hair, but his skin was in excellent condition, and he appeared vigorous and full of energy.
The moment Jing Chen saw the old man, he remained calm on the surface, but inwardly became highly alert. This person was not simple.
He could not sense this man's Soul Power fluctuations. It was not because the man was not a Soul Master, but because the gap in their strength was too great for him to perceive anything.
"You're Jing Chen, correct? Could you release your Martial Soul and let me have a look?" the old man asked with a smile.
He did not waste time on pleasantries and got straight to the point. This was precisely why he had come.
Regarding Soul Power Level, Fan Yu had not lied to him. This child truly was a level thirty-one Soul Elder, practically a super genius.
He was genuinely curious what kind of Martial Soul could grant a Soul Master such terrifying talent.
Jing Chen was not surprised that the other party knew his name. Ma Ming had brought him here; how could they not have spoken along the way?
"Sorry, I'm not an opera performer. I don't casually put on shows for people," Jing Chen said, shaking his head in refusal as he prepared to close the door.
One of the old man's hands, which had been behind his back, pressed against the door. With only a light press, Jing Chen could no longer move it at all.
"You are quite an interesting child. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Yan Shaozhe, and I am the current dean of Shrek Academy."
"I came this time primarily to conduct a simple assessment of you on the academy's behalf. Asking you to release your Martial Soul is one of the assessment's requirements."
"As long as you pass these assessments, you can become a member of Shrek Academy."
"The academy will grant you many preferential benefits, including but not limited to obtaining top-tier Soul Rings, being equipped with top-tier Spirit Bones, and receiving guidance from Titled Douluo."
"These are things other academies, and even sects, would struggle to provide you. Only Shrek Academy can accomplish them," Yan Shaozhe emphasized.
Jing Chen felt no ripples in his heart. Yi Yi could help him with Soul Rings, and he already possessed several Spirit Bones, all of them top-tier.
As for guidance from a Title Douluo, he had no need for it with the Method of Soul Master Cultivation.
The first chapter today. The new book is setting sail—please bookmark it and vote with recommendation tickets.
Sorry, I'm not feeling very well. There will only be one chapter today; there will be two tomorrow.
Before you continue