[Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: @everyone, the next round of revelations is about to begin.]
[Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: But this time, things are going to be a little different...]
As soon as Ye Qiong sent his message, the group chat instantly sprang to life.
[First Cute Bunny: Is there new gossip?]
[Pagoda Suppresses River Demon: Hurry, hurry! I've got my sunflower seeds ready!]
[I Am Not Yanzi: Selling seats and drinks in the front row. Anyone interested, give me a ping.]
Inside a luxurious room at the Rose Hotel.
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing sat together, looking at the messages on the Soul Tool screen with anticipation on their faces.
Tang San had gone out, saying he needed to buy a few things. That had given the three of them a chance to be alone together.
[Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: This time, I'm not revealing anything about the group members. Let's try something different.]
[Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: Lately, some glimpses of the future have appeared in my "dreams"—they're about a very interesting "genius" and an even more interesting "Monster Academy." I think they're worth learning from, so I thought I'd share them for everyone's consideration.]
Glimpses of the future?
Hearing this, everyone grew even more interested.
[Begonia Blossoms: The future? You can see into the future?]
[6G Sky Wing: Hmph. Just trying to sound mysterious.]
Qian Renxue was still in her usual spectator's mood.
[Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero: Whether I'm just trying to sound mysterious or not, you'll see for yourselves.]
Ye Qiong smiled and spent some Emotion Points to upload the edited video to the group.
[Ping! Group Owner "Galaxy Baseball Bat Hero" uploaded the video file The "Monster" Examination at Monster Academy]
The video began.
The camera first showed the gate of a village, where a signboard bore the words "Shrek Academy." The whole place looked dilapidated, worse even than an ordinary village.
[Pagoda Suppresses River Demon: Pfft, that's an academy? Are you sure it isn't just some village?]
[Begonia Blossoms: It really does look like a village.]
Ning Rongrong was the first to blurt out a comment.
[I Am Not Swallow: I'm dying. The place looks so shabby.]
In the video, a rather lazy-looking old man coolly announced the rules to the hundred or so people lined up to register.
"Shrek is a school for monsters. We only accept monsters, not ordinary people. If you're over thirteen, or your Soul Power is below level twenty-one, you can leave."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man suddenly released the pressure of a Soul Emperor. Six Soul Rings lit up at once, intimidating everyone present.
Most of the parents whose children didn't meet the requirements had no choice but to leave with them in disappointment. In the blink of an eye, the crowd of over a hundred had dwindled to little more than a dozen.
[Most Beautiful Pope: Only accepting monsters? Hmph. It's just an excuse for being unable to teach. They can't cultivate talent systematically, so they can only be "genius fruit-pickers," claiming their students' innate talent as the result of their own teaching.]
Bibi Dong had hit the nail on the head.
[6G Sky Wing: Exactly. Real education turns mediocre students into geniuses; it doesn't sit around waiting for geniuses to show up. An academy like this has a narrow outlook.]
[Everyone: +1]
Over the past two days, the atmosphere in the group had eased considerably. Bibi Dong had followed Ning Rongrong's example and sent out several big red envelopes, successfully winning over the others in the group. Qian Renxue, of course, had done no less.
The two of them now held equal sway in the group.
(120 Emotion Points from Most Beautiful Pope's scorn)
(100 Emotion Points from 6G Sky Wing's disdain)
In the video, the candidates who had passed the first round moved on to the second.
The scene changed, and a bearded young man appeared, pushing a cart and selling sausages. He had a pair of captivating peach-blossom eyes and was enthusiastically hawking his wares.
"Fresh sausages for sale! Oscar Brand Sausage, delicious and sweet!"
A refined-looking young man walked over. It was Tang San.
"Sorry to trouble you, could I have two, uncle?"
"What did you just call me? I'm only fourteen!" Oscar instantly bristled.
Next came the classic "I Have a Big Sausage" Soul Spell scene.
When Tang San saw Oscar summon a sausage with his Soul Skill, he froze on the spot and hurriedly handed it back.
[First Cute Bunny: Hahahaha! I'm dying! What a weird Soul Spell!]
[Pagoda Suppresses River Demon: I can't take it anymore, my stomach hurts. Is this guy here for laughs?]
[I Am Not Swallow: Who would dare eat those sausages? That Soul Spell is so weird it kills your appetite.]
The girls in the group laughed merrily.
The video continued.
Dai Mubai led Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing to the fourth round. Since their Soul Power was above level twenty-five, they had skipped the second and third rounds.
A middle-aged man as broad as an iron tower appeared on screen. He was Shrek Academy's vice dean, Zhao Wuji, a level seventy-six Battle Soul Saint.
Looking at the four "Little Monsters" before him, Zhao Wuji got a sudden itch to fight and decided to test them himself.
"The rules are simple. All four of you will work together and hold out against me for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. As long as one of you lasts until the end, all of you pass."
With that, he lit an incense stick and gave the four time to discuss their tactics.
The camera turned to Tang San, who quickly began assigning roles.
"Rongrong will provide support. Xiao Wu will take the lead in attacking. I'll control Teacher Zhao, restrict his movements, and support Xiao Wu. Zhuqing will use her speed to harass him from the flank."
Clear tactics, with everyone assigned a role.
[Most Beautiful Pope: Oh? This is interesting. He wants to use a control-type Soul Master to restrain a power-attack Soul Saint? How naive.]
Bibi Dong's lips curved into an amused smile.
[Most Beautiful Pope: In the face of an overwhelming difference in rank, all those fancy tactics are futile. This boy named Tang San is being far too presumptuous.]
The fight began.
Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda activated first, sending out two beams of light that boosted everyone's strength and speed.
Zhao Wuji was only surprised for a moment. Then he slammed both fists into the ground and unleashed a Soul Skill.
Tang San reacted quickly, using Blue Silver Grass to pull himself and Ning Rongrong into the air and dodge the shockwave.
Riding the force of Tang San's palm, Xiao Wu shot toward Zhao Wuji like an arrow.
[Most Beautiful Pope: Good timing, but the attack is too one-dimensional. Against a defensive Soul Saint, that level of physical attack is no different from a tickle.]
Sure enough, Xiao Wu's attack had no effect on Zhao Wuji.
Next, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass lashed out, binding Zhao Wuji's limbs and attempting to paralyze him with poison.
Zhu Zhuqing also attacked from the flank with Nether Hundred Claws, striking at Zhao Wuji's back.
The three of them worked together with remarkable precision.
[Most Beautiful Pope: Their execution is passable, but their core strategy is wrong. He's trying to find an opening by harassing Zhao Wuji from multiple directions, but he's overlooking his opponent's Soul Skill.]
"Roar!"
Zhao Wuji let out a furious roar and activated his first Soul Skill, Immovable Wisdom King Body. Golden light burst forth.
Zhu Zhuqing was flung away at once and knocked unconscious on the spot.
Xiao Wu and Tang San were caught in the blast as well. Xiao Wu spat blood, and Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was shattered completely.
[6G Sky Wing: Pathetic.]
[Heavenly King Covers Earth Fox: Teacher's right. In the face of absolute strength, these little tricks are useless.]
(120 Emotion Points from Most Beautiful Pope's contempt)
Zhao Wuji's second Soul Skill, Vajra Palm, followed right after, slamming toward Tang San.
At the critical moment, Xiao Wu activated her second Soul Skill, Charm, briefly affecting Zhao Wuji.
But it lasted only an instant. Zhao Wuji broke free and struck back with his palm, knocking Xiao Wu unconscious as well.
[First Cute Bunny: Ah!]
In the room, Xiao Wu saw her counterpart in the video get hurt and instinctively cried out in alarm.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also stared tensely at the screen.
Seeing Xiao Wu injured, Tang San in the video instantly turned icy-eyed.
He handed Xiao Wu over to Ning Rongrong and walked alone toward Zhao Wuji.
"I'd like to have a serious match with you. Let's start the clock again. If I can last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, let all four of us enroll."
[Pagoda Suppresses River Demon: Whoa, what's he going to do? Challenge a Soul Saint by himself?]
[No Petting Cats: He's crazy.]
[Most Beautiful Pope: Oh? Is he finally going to show what he can really do...?]
Before you continue