Waiting Beside You, Ning An: I Don't Want to Wait

The Shrek examiner, who had originally stood calmly to one side and watched everything with cold indifference, suddenly trembled violently!

The laziness and apathy vanished completely from his face. His eyes flew wide open, and he could no longer maintain even a trace of composure as he shot up from his seat!

As a veteran teacher who had been responsible for testing new students' soul power for years, he had seen countless geniuses, prodigies, and children of great clans. But this one before him was clearly extraordinary.

He strode forward, his gaze locked onto the crystal ball blazing with golden light, while his hands instinctively supported its base.

The teacher's pupils shook violently. A monstrous wave rose in his heart as he muttered in utter disbelief:

"No... something's wrong!"

"This soul power... has absolutely reached the strength of Rank 30, perhaps even beyond!"

When ordinary Rank 30 Soul Venerables underwent testing, their light might be brilliant, but it lacked this heavy, solid sense of weight.

Logically, with such terrifying soul power, his cultivation should have already surpassed Rank 30 and firmly entered the ranks of Soul Venerables!

Yet when his eyes fixed on the numerical scale at the crystal ball's core, the shock in his gaze instantly turned into deep confusion.

The soul power value displayed clearly by the crystal ball had stopped at—Rank 28!

"Rank 28?!"

The examiner cried out involuntarily, his face full of astonishment.

After testing soul power at the entrance for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered something so bizarre!

Soul power strength comparable to a Soul Venerable, yet his soul power rank was only Rank 28?

After a brief stunned pause, a flash of insight struck the teacher's mind, and he instantly understood the key!

Every strand of this young man's soul power had been tempered to the absolute limit!

An ordinary Soul Master's soul power was mixed and loose. Rank 28 soul power was insubstantial and weak, barely sufficient.

But this young man's Rank 28 soul power was like the same container filled with more water. The degree of compression in his soul power far surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same rank!

He seemed only two ranks away from breaking through to Soul Venerable, but his actual combat strength had already far exceeded that of ordinary Soul Venerables. Even against an early Soul King, he might not necessarily lose.

"He's a genius—a little monster!"

The examiner stared blankly at the white-robed young man before him, who stood tall, gentle, and composed. His heart was filled with nothing but endless amazement and approval.

Suppressing the roiling waves in his heart, the examiner took a deep breath and raised his voice. Each word rang out forcefully across the bustling examination plaza!

"The test is over!"

"Candidate Ning An, soul power rank—Rank 28 Grand Soul Master!"

The moment those words fell!

All the watching candidates froze in place. The shock on their faces solidified completely, their minds went blank, and their blood surged wildly through their bodies!

Eleven years old!

Only eleven years old!

A Rank 28 Grand Soul Master, with a body that powerful too?

Compared to him, what were they?

Trash?

No, perhaps in his eyes, they did not even qualify as trash.

This was truly... heartbreaking.

Every doubt from before vanished at that moment, disappearing without a trace!

In its place came awe from the deepest depths of their hearts!

"I feel like I've wasted more than ten years of my life!"

"That's terrifying! Is this what a true favored child of heaven is like?"

Across the plaza, countless people muttered to themselves, their voices filled with shock.

Among the crowd, every young Soul Master who had considered himself a genius lowered his head in gloom. In an instant, the talent they had once been so proud of felt as tiny and insignificant as dust or ants!

Only after several full seconds did the uproar of discussion sweep across the plaza again. The way everyone looked at Ning An had completely changed.

It was awe toward an unrivaled prodigy, admiration for heaven-defying foundations, and even wariness toward an unknown powerhouse!

The examiner watched the uproar throughout the plaza without any surprise. He merely looked at Ning An with growing appreciation before speaking slowly in a booming voice:

"Under Shrek's entrance examination rules, candidates with soul power above Rank 25 are granted exceptional admission!"

"They may directly skip the second and third examinations!"

After a brief pause, he raised a hand and pointed toward the solemn, imposing arena platform at the far end of the plaza, his tone grave:

"You may proceed directly to the fourth test!"

"In the final examination, endure for the time it takes an incense stick to burn under the hands of an inner academy student, and you may officially enroll in Shrek!"

Exceptional treatment!

The treatment reserved for genuine top-tier geniuses!

Countless examinees preparing for the entrance exams looked on with envy burning in their eyes, yet not one of them dared harbor even the slightest jealousy or dissatisfaction.

Because this young man was entirely worthy of such privilege!

Hearing this, Ning An remained gentle and composed, without a trace of smugness or ostentation. He merely nodded lightly. "Thank you, Teacher."

With that, he turned and strode forward. His posture was straight as a pine, his white robes fluttering in the wind. Ignoring every gaze upon him, he headed directly toward Shrek's fourth-stage assessment arena.

Passing through the crowds and beyond the trial grounds of the earlier stages, a vast open-air arena paved with bluestone came into view.

This was the final stage of Shrek's entrance examination!

Compared to the noisy congestion of the previous stages, the area beside the fourth-stage arena was much quieter. Those who had made it all the way to the final stage were all outstanding geniuses selected from various regions.

At that moment, three young examinees stood silently in the waiting area beside the arena. Their auras were steady, their soul power restrained. Even the weakest among them possessed soul power at level twenty-one or twenty-two; all were exceptional among their peers.

At the very center of the arena stood a tall figure in azure robes, his hands clasped behind his back.

He looked no more than eighteen. Tall and slender, with sharp brows and a steady, domineering aura, he wore the exclusive uniform of Shrek's inner court. The overwhelming pressure of a level fifty-nine assault-type Battle Soul King lingered around him.

His features naturally carried the pride and coldness of an aristocratic prodigy, his presence intimidating.

He was none other than the guardian examiner for this year's fourth stage, the genius of the White Tiger Duke's Estate—Dai Yueheng!

Dai Yueheng's indifferent gaze swept over Ning An as he approached at an unhurried pace. Seeing the other boy's youthful face and slender frame, with not a hint of ostentation about him, a faint trace of disdain flashed through his eyes.

In his view, even someone granted special permission to advance directly to the fourth stage was still trash. Honestly, serving as an examiner and constantly having adults beat up children was truly boring.

His tone was flat, carrying the condescension of an inner court core genius as he spoke coolly.

"Newcomer, go wait in the waiting area."

"Once seven examinees have gathered, the final assessment will begin together."

A simple statement, yet it carried rules that brooked no argument, with extreme arrogance hidden beneath its calmness.

The three genius examinees waiting nearby were already accustomed to Dai Yueheng's manner. They lowered their heads and waited quietly, not daring to voice the slightest objection.

Before the absolute strength of a level fifty-nine Soul King, Great Soul Masters in their twenties had no right to resist at all. They could only obediently follow the arrangements.

However.

Faced with Dai Yueheng's indifferent command and condescending attitude, Ning An did not stop walking. His posture remained straight and composed.

Rather than heading toward the waiting area, he raised his eyes to meet Dai Yueheng's gaze at the center of the arena. A wild, sharp glint flashed through his dark eyes, and the corner of his lips curled in faint provocation.

His clear voice, bright yet forceful, rang distinctly throughout the arena.

"Sorry."

"I don't want to wait. What are you going to do about it?"