Flender and Yun Tian returned to Shrek as dusk had already fallen.
Ma Hongjun was the first to rush out. The moment he saw the irrepressible smile on Flender's face, he knew they had succeeded.
He shouted, "The dean is awesome!" then ran three laps around the field before Zhao Wuji smacked the back of his head and made him stop.
"Look at how little it takes to satisfy you." Zhao Wuji scolded him, though he could not hide his own smile either.
Flender pulled out the official approval document stamped with a steel seal and unfurled it before everyone.
The Balak Kingdom's official seal stood out sharply in the twilight. Written clearly beneath it were the words: "Shrek Academy is hereby approved as an official advanced Soul Master Academy within the Balak Kingdom."
"From today onward," Flender cleared his throat, his voice half a pitch higher than usual, "our Shrek is a properly licensed operation."
Cheers erupted across the field.
Xiao Wu jumped up and patted Tang San on the shoulder. Ning Rongrong's little fan fluttered furiously, Oscar stuffed a sausage into his mouth in celebration, and even Dai Mubai tugged up the corner of his mouth in a rare smile.
"However—" Flender carefully put away the approval document, then changed the subject. "Getting the license is only the first step. There are two more matters to handle."
First, the academy needed to recruit a second batch of students and build up its numbers.
Second, they were now qualified to participate in next year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Neither goal could be taken lightly.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The very next day, Flender took action.
He had Yun Tian draft an admissions notice. Its requirements were far more specific than Shrek's old, vague standard of "only