Just as Zhao Wuji announced that Gu Han and the other three had passed the entrance test, the commotion at the academy gate drew everyone's attention.
Flender had appeared at the edge of the grounds at some point. He pushed up his glasses, exchanged a glance with Zhao Wuji, and then the two of them headed for the gate together.
Seeing this, Gu Han and the others followed, curious to see who was making such a racket outside the academy.
They had just reached the academy gate when
Li Yusong was standing there, looking helpless as he blocked a disheveled, wild-eyed middle-aged man. Nobody knew who the man was, and they assumed he was just a vagrant.
He was clutching a blue-clad boy behind him.
"Let me in! Flender! Flender, come out here!" the frantic middle-aged man roared toward the inside.
"Xiaogang, is that you?" Flender looked at the man and called out, sounding uncertain.
Hearing his voice, Yu Xiaogang looked over. The moment he spotted Flender coming out, he wrenched free of Li Yusong, rushed over, and grabbed Flender by the collar.
"Flender, why won't you accept my disciple? He's a genius! His Blue Silver Grass isn't a Trash Martial Soul at all!"
Flender looked at his old friend, who seemed almost completely insane, and disbelief flashed across his face.
As Flender remembered him, Yu Xiaogang was supposed to be even-tempered and not one to lose his temper easily. What on earth had gotten into him today?
"Xiaogang, calm down."
Flender held him by the shoulders. "Look at yourself. There are so many students here. Don't you care at all about how you look?"
"There's nothing wrong with me! I'm perfectly calm!"
"Do even you think I've gone mad? Don't you know what kind of person I am? I'm telling you, I'm not crazy!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes were bloodshot, and he shouted at Flender in a shrill voice.
"There must be something wrong with your test crystal. Tang San was clearly a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster before."
"Or... or someone's behind this. He must have a grudge against Tang San."
As he spoke, his gaze instinctively swept over Gu Han and the others, who had just come out. But under the effects of the Thousand-Change Mask, Yu Xiaogang didn't recognize Gu Han or Xiao Wu.
Flender's brows knitted together. He looked at Li Yusong, who explained helplessly:
"Dean, I tested him myself. His bone age is appropriate, but his Soul Power really is only at level twenty. However..." Li Yusong suddenly changed tack and continued:
"When I first tested him, Tang San really was a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster. But a while later, his Second Soul Ring suddenly disappeared, and then his Soul Power was level twenty."
"That's strange. Could he have been disguising his Soul Power?" Flender had actually thought the test crystal might be the problem.
Flender looked at Tang San, standing behind Yu Xiaogang. But Tang San didn't seem devastated by the loss of his Soul Ring. He looked as if he was thinking about something instead.
Flender knew Yu Xiaogang very well. If Tang San wasn't accepted now, this sudden blow might be enough to break him completely.
"Xiaogang," Flender said, his tone softening.
"For your sake, I'll let him enroll."
"But Shrek only accepts monsters. If he still can't prove that he can become one, don't blame me for making him leave."
Hearing that Flender was willing to accept Tang San, Yu Xiaogang calmed down a little, but he still muttered stubbornly:
"Tang San will prove that he's a monster. And I'll prove that my theories are absolutely right. I'll prove it to them!"
The commotion died down for the time being. Tang San was allowed to enroll, and Yu Xiaogang had Flender arrange a place for him to rest.
Watching this, Gu Han felt nothing.
Yu Xiaogang's theories, which he had spent his whole life researching, had become a part of him. No one could easily change that.
Gu Han took Xiao Wu with him to wander around Shrek Academy and get familiar with the surroundings.
But they hadn't gone far when a leering voice rang out.
"Hey, are you new students? What a pretty girl."
A chubby young man in red came over, rubbing his hands. It was Ma Hongjun, and his beady eyes kept roving over Xiao Wu with ill intent. His eyes were bloodshot, as if his Evil Fire had affected him.
Xiao Wu frowned at the sight and hid behind Gu Han.
"Get lost." Gu Han's gaze turned cold.
Ma Hongjun didn't care in the slightest. He chuckled and said:
"I'm only looking out for you. Here at Shrek Academy, you've got me to protect you. Nobody would dare bully you."
Before Ma Hongjun could finish speaking, Gu Han was already moving.
He didn't even use a Soul Skill. He simply stepped forward and drove a punch, imbued with Soul King-level power, straight into Ma Hongjun's stomach.
"Thud!"
Ma Hongjun let out a howl. He flew backward like a red ball and slammed into the ground, even smashing a large crater into it.
"You dare hit me?!"
Ma Hongjun scrambled to his feet, shocked and furious. With his Evil Fire raging in his heart, his Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and purple-red flames surged up around him.
Two Yellow Soul Rings lit up. "Second Soul Skill!"
He opened his mouth, ready to unleash his Phoenix Fire Line and burn Gu Han, who stood some distance away.
But Gu Han was even faster.
The Heavenly Frost Sword appeared in his hand. He didn't light up a single Soul Ring, relying only on the Ultimate Ice attribute inherent to his Martial Soul as he swung the sword.
A razor-sharp blade of icy energy slashed into Ma Hongjun.
"Shhh!"
The moment that scorching Evil Fire Phoenix flame touched the chill of the Heavenly Frost Sword, it seemed to meet its natural nemesis. A harsh hiss rang out as the flames quickly died away.
Even the flames covering Ma Hongjun couldn't withstand the sword energy. A layer of frost instantly coated his body.
His Evil Fire was forcibly suppressed, and he shivered so hard his teeth chattered. Even if he'd had the chance, he couldn't have summoned the will to fight back.
"If you ever harass her again, I'll cripple you."
Gu Han sheathed his sword. His tone was calm but threatening, as if he truly would cripple Ma Hongjun if he didn't listen.
Seeing Gu Han's gaze and the icy aura radiating from his long sword, Ma Hongjun nodded repeatedly in fright, then scrambled away.
Xiao Wu watched Gu Han, her eyes full of warmth and trust. She trusted him even more now.
Just then, a keen aura suddenly locked onto Gu Han.
It was immense, but unlike the hostility he'd sensed before.
Gu Han sensed it and looked up toward a direction outside the academy.
He knew Sword Douluo Chen Xin had come looking for him.
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