After hearing Ning Tian's explanation, the expression on Wu Feng's face shifted ever so slightly.
Her beautiful eyes lit up. Not only did she feel no resistance, she even felt a hint of joy she hadn't noticed herself.
But she still grumbled aloud.
"What? A bet's a bet, but why'd you have to drag me into it?"
"Be your maid... wait on someone... I don't even know how to do that."
"It's only because it's you, Ning Tian, that I'm willing."
She grumbled as she scuffed the ground with her toe. Her expression was full of reluctance, and her lips stuck out far enough to hang an oil bottle from.
Ning Tian didn't notice anything unusual about Wu Feng.
Her mind was still full of regret over losing the bet.
And with her longing for Soul Spirits and Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skills, she had no spare attention to notice the subtle changes in Wu Feng's expression.
But Wu Yunshan and Ning Qingyun noticed.
Sitting in the stands, they saw the fleeting delight on Wu Feng's face as clear as day.
They exchanged a glance.
A meaningful smile spread across Wu Yunshan's weathered face, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
Ning Qingyun's lips curved up, too.
They could both see the happiness in each other's eyes.
But the girls were young and easily embarrassed. They weren't about to call them out.
Ning Qingyun rose, straightened her skirt, and walked over to Wu Feng and Ning Tian.
Looking at the two girls, she asked with a hint of deliberate innocence, "At this point, are you still going to refuse to join Spirit Transmission Academy?"
Wu Feng and Ning Tian turned to look at each other, then smiled awkwardly in unison.
"Of course not. We want to join Spirit Transmission Academy."
After saying that, they both grew visibly excited.
Wu Feng stepped closer, staring intently at Ning Qingyun.
"Sect Master, when can we get our Soul Spirits?"
Ning Tian immediately followed up.
"Exactly, Mother. How do you get a Soul Spirit?"
Their eyes sparkled with eagerness and anticipation.
Soul Spirits were simply too far beyond their understanding.
A Soul Beast's soul, with its own consciousness, capable of fighting independently.
For a pure support-type Martial Soul like the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, the existence of Soul Spirits was nothing short of revolutionary.
Faced with their questions, Ning Qingyun wore an awkward expression.
She didn't know, either.
She had only joined Spirit Transmission Academy a few days ago, and as its Sect Master, she had barely managed to land a teaching position.
She hadn't even figured out how Soul Spirits were obtained.
Ning Qingyun could only turn to Leng Yaozhu and Gu An for help.
Leng Yaozhu caught Ning Qingyun's gaze, then turned to look at Gu An.
Because she didn't know, either.
She had no idea how much World Origin it would take to bring the Spirit Pagoda from the Douluo Planet of Legend of the Dragon King into this era.
Gu An noticed all three of them looking at him.
He spread his hands. "You can get one when you absorb your next Soul Ring."
Wu Feng and Ning Tian both looked disappointed, but soon their expressions turned resolute.
Their next Soul Ring, then. They just had to train hard and break through sooner.
After saying that, Gu An changed the subject.
"But before that, I have a question. What's going on at Shrek Academy right now?"
"Have the freshman assessments started?"
Ning Tian blinked. A thought seemed to flash through her mind.
She had a vague idea why Gu An was asking.
Wu Feng, though, wasn't nearly as sharp. She had no idea what Gu An was getting at.
But after being beaten into submission, her attitude toward him had changed completely.
She dutifully explained, "The freshman assessments are about to begin."
"Before we left Shrek Academy, Teacher Mu Jin specifically told us to hurry back and take part."
Gu An nodded when he heard that.
Now he knew what point in time it was.
Since Shrek Academy's freshman assessments were about to begin, wouldn't it be a shame not to get involved?
Back in his previous life, when he'd read the original story, he'd been utterly speechless at that old hag Zhou Yi's antics.
Xiao Xiao had Twin Martial Souls.
Her primary Martial Soul was the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, and her secondary one was the Nine-Phoenix Flute.
Just because of a freshman assessment, that old hag Zhou Yi made her support Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. She gave the first Soul Ring for Xiao Xiao's secondary Martial Soul, the Nine-Phoenix Flute, a hundred-year yellow ring.
Twin Martial Souls, and yet—
In the entire history of Douluo Continent, over tens of thousands of years, there probably hadn't been a single person whose secondary Martial Soul had a yellow first Soul Ring.
What a complete waste of talent.
And later, Xiao Xiao acted like a lovesick puppy, grateful to Zhou Yi, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong's protagonist crew, and utterly devoted to Shrek Academy.
The classic case of being sold off and helping the seller count the money.
Gu An figured he could poach her.
Of course, if Xiao Xiao had already been completely brainwashed by Shrek, that Religious Academy, and didn't want to go with him, he couldn't be bothered to waste more effort.
A brainwashed lovesick puppy wasn't worth the trouble.
Once the Spirit Pagoda was summoned to Spirit Transmission Academy, the Shrek Seven Devils from the Douluo Planet of Legend of the Dragon King would make their entrance, too.
Then, when the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition came around—
Shrek would fight Shrek.
Let's see who the hell was the real Shrek.
Gu An didn't have any particular fondness for the name Shrek itself.
He just wanted to indulge his mischievous streak.
Using that name to get under Shrek Academy's skin was all.
Just thinking about it was fun.
Leng Yaozhu looked at the thoughtful expression on Gu An's face and asked, "Xiao An, are you planning to go to Shrek during the freshman assessments?"
Gu An returned to the present and nodded.
"That's right."
"The best stepping stone for making a name for our Spirit Transmission Academy is Shrek Academy."
Besides, he needed World Origin.
If he wanted the consciousness of Douluo Planet to awaken and to obtain something valuable from the Douluo Planet of Legend of the Dragon King, he had to acquire this world's World Origin.
And the way to obtain World Origin was to suppress the Children of Fate and seize the world's fortune.
What was better for obtaining World Origin than crushing the protagonist crew?
Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan exchanged a glance.
Both their faces filled with shock.
A stepping stone.
Shrek Academy.
They understood each word on its own, but they couldn't make sense of the two together.
Ning Qingyun's expression turned hesitant. Her lips parted, pressed together again, then parted once more.
After dithering for a while, she finally spoke.
"Shrek Academy is incredibly powerful."
"Your Excellency, by yourself..."
She didn't finish, but everyone present knew what Ning Qingyun meant.
Leng Yaozhu was indeed powerful: a Level 99 Limit Douluo with six black and three red Soul Rings.
But Shrek Academy was no pushover, either.
A Limit Douluo stood guard there as well.
Could Leng Yaozhu really keep Gu An safe all by herself?
Hearing Ning Qingyun's concern, Leng Yaozhu smiled calmly.
"With my strength as a Level 99 Limit Douluo, I can protect Xiao An, no matter what."
Ning Qingyun bit her lip, then voiced the greatest worry in her heart.
"But Shrek Academy also has Dragon God Douluo Mu En."
"No one knows whether he's dead or not."
"He's a Limit Douluo, too."