Super Genius! Crushing Shrek? Is This Still East Sea?

"Xiao Xi?"

"What are you thinking about this time?"

Seeing Mu Xi's distracted expression, Zhen Hua immediately realized she had something else on her mind and asked.

"Ahem, it's nothing, Uncle."

"I was just thinking about when I could catch up to little brother Jiang Yan and become an amazing blacksmith."

Mu Xi paused, then smiled and shook her head. Her gaze swept over Jiang Yan before she gripped her forging hammer again and began hammering away.

It seemed she did not need to think that far ahead.

The future was built upon the present. If she wanted extraordinary accomplishments in the future, she still needed to keep working hard and moving forward!

"Not bad. Xiao Xi really is a diligent, hardworking girl. Well done. Xiao Yan, you should have that kind of perseverance too."

Zhen Hua nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile. As he spoke, he could not help glancing at Jiang Yan beside him.

What incredible talent.

A natural god of forging. If forging had not produced Jiang Yan, the ages would have been a long night. If he truly devoted himself wholeheartedly to forging, he would surely become a Divine Blacksmith before the age of twenty.

If I had that kind of talent too...

I'd have to forge twenty-three hours a day and just go through the motions for the remaining hour!

"And then become like Uncle Zhen."

"Having forging skills unmatched under heaven, yet being seen as a thorn in the eyes of even more people?"

Jiang Yan looked at him helplessly and said quietly.

As he thought this, the other man's information card instantly surfaced in his mind—

[Character Information Card · Zhen Hua]

[Martial Soul: Earthshaking Hammer. Innate Soul Power: Rank 8. Rank 94 Titled Douluo. Four-Word Battle Armor Master. Black mecha pilot. Rank 9 Divine Blacksmith. The only Divine Blacksmith of the current age. Creator of Four-Word Battle Armor.]

[Life Traits: Above-Average Talent (Purple), Peak of Profession (Black), Immense Strength (Purple), Passionate (Purple), Diligent (Purple), Lovestruck Fool (White)]

Setting aside that ever-present lovestruck-fool trait, Uncle Zhen was quite an interesting person as well.

His cultivation was not actually that bad, but he had been especially devoted to forging in his early years. It had affected the best years of his cultivation, leaving him stuck at Rank 95 and unable to advance any further.

"Hey, you brat—"

Sure enough, Zhen Hua's old face reddened upon hearing that.

Clearly, he knew very well that despite being a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, his cultivation had been raised purely through resources. Among the top powerhouses, he really was a freeloader.

Every time, evil soul masters made him their target. If not for the chef being around, he would have died a hundred times already.

"Xiao Yan is right. Zhen Hua, don't lead such a promising seedling astray. Haven't the lessons from the two of us been enough?"

"If you really lead the kid down the wrong path and the Spirit Pagoda finds out, I won't take your side."

At that moment, Mu Ye, who had been quietly watching, spoke up as well.

As close brothers, the two had much in common—such as their underwhelming cultivation.

Zhen Hua's talent was not outrageously monstrous, so it was understandable that he would never break through to Super Douluo. But Mu Ye was different.

Innate Full Soul Power and a fully awakened Body Martial Soul.

With such talent, and the support of the Body Sect—a first-rate power that, though now in decline, had once been glorious—reaching the Limit Douluo realm had not been impossible for him. Yet the things he loved had affected his cultivation.

Even though he was known as the strongest mecha pilot in the world and could still rank among the continent's top twenty with Four-Word Battle Armor and his mecha, he was ultimately not even a Super Douluo. There would always be regret in this life.

"Chef, I know what I'm doing."

"I was only saying it casually."

Seeing his old friend's reproachful expression, Zhen Hua hurriedly laughed it off.

"But Xiao Yan, it seemed that Miss Na'er had already awakened her Martial Soul. How is the little girl's talent?"

Zhen Hua suddenly thought of something. Gu Yuena had failed to awaken her Martial Soul at the age of six, but after awakening it through her family, what kind of talent did she possess?

"Na'er also has Innate Full Soul Power, and her Martial Soul is a dragon."

"She has even absorbed the inherited Soul Spirit brought by her family. Her future cultivation will be smooth sailing."

Jiang Yan smiled and did not hide anything.

Na'er's awakened Martial Soul was not something that could be kept secret anyway. And there was even less reason to hide it from Zhen Hua, who was close to him.

"An inherited Soul Spirit..."

"It seems Na'er's family truly is an ancient clan that has remained hidden from the world."

Mu Ye's face held a trace of astonishment. A top-tier dragon Martial Soul combined with an inherited Soul Spirit made her background obvious. Yet when he thought of the little girl's extraordinary bearing, he found himself unsurprised.

Xiao Yan and Na'er...

No matter how outrageous their origins were, he would not find it strange.

"Na'er indeed has the bearing of a powerhouse. I still remember when she accompanied Xiao Yan here to forge. She easily picked up the Thousand-Forged Heavy Silver Hammer. If you ask me..."

"Perhaps Na'er could learn forging too."

A gleam flashed through Zhen Hua's eyes as he finally revealed his true intentions.

"?"

"You want Na'er to forge?"

"Uncle Zhen, don't even think about it."

Jiang Yan froze, then looked sternly at Zhen Hua. His tone was unquestionable.

Old man, what did you mean by that? Na'er was such an adorable little girl, and he wanted to trick her into forging too!

He only forged because he was making use of his unmatched talent. But if it involved his own Na'er, he was unwilling.

"Hahaha..."

"I was only asking casually."

Zhen Hua had expected that response. He smiled and shook his head without saying anything further.

After all, Na'er was supposedly the child bride Jiang Yan had picked up.

Was he reluctant to let her suffer and toil?

What a little rascal Jiang Yan was.

"..."

Beside Jiang Yan, Mu Xi, who had been listening in all along, remained silent. Images of Na'er and Jiang Yan together kept surfacing in her mind, and she sighed inwardly again.

They really were childhood sweethearts who had grown up together.

And both possessed towering potential. In the future, they would probably become a celebrated couple!

As for herself, this so-called forging genius, perhaps reaching the top had always been nothing more than wishful thinking.

She inadvertently glanced at Jiang Yan beside her. Her feelings were complicated, and an inexplicable sourness rose in her heart before quietly fading away.

"..."

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

The day before school started, Jiang Yan and Gu Yuena went to Eastsea Academy. They had not come for anything else, but simply to collect their uniforms.

As for everything else...

Neither of them had chosen to live on campus, so all they needed to collect were their new uniforms and student cards.

Before long, inside the Eastsea Academy principal's office.

Jiang Yan and Gu Yuena knocked and entered. Besides Principal Yu Lian, there was also a middle-aged man in his forties inside the room.

Both wore smiles, and it was clear they had been eagerly awaiting Jiang Yan and Gu Yuena's arrival.

"Congratulations to Miss Gu on awakening her Martial Soul. From today onward, welcome to Eastsea Soul Master Academy as well."

Yu Lian spoke kindly. Looking at the two before him, his tone carried the same importance as always—or perhaps... loyalty.

Jiang Yan naturally deserved such treatment, and Na'er, as a top genius with Innate Full Soul Power, deserved it too.

The former was a super genius, and the latter was also a genius.

They were both the future of East Sea!

"You are too courteous, Principal."

Gu Yuena answered quietly. Her exquisite, peerlessly beautiful face carried a faint aura that kept strangers at bay as she spoke indifferently.

"Young Master Jiang, Miss Gu, this man beside me is Director Long Hengxu, the dean of the intermediate division."

"From now on, if either of you has any problems in the intermediate academy—whether in daily life or studies—you may seek him out."

At that moment, Yu Lian pointed at Long Hengxu beside him. The smile on his face did not fade as he continued.

"Greetings, Young Master Jiang. Greetings, Miss Gu. From today onward, I will be the dean in charge of you two."

Long Hengxu was equally courteous. The respect on his face was impossible to conceal. As he handed over the uniforms, he gave a slight bow.

"Then we'll thank Director Long in advance."

Jiang Yan and Gu Yuena exchanged a glance. Jiang Yan accepted two sets of intermediate division uniforms and student cards, then said with a smile.

During these three years at Eastsea Academy, he actually quite liked this place. If there was anything he disliked, perhaps...

It was only the teachers' attitudes.

They were far too respectful... Why did that make him feel like he could do anything he wanted?

"..."

"Young Master Jiang Yan, Miss Na'er, Xie Xie, Jin Xi, Yangzi, and, hmm, Wei Xiaofeng."

"Three with Innate Full Soul Power and three with Innate Rank 9 Soul Power. Every one of their futures is incomparably brilliant."

"I never imagined that one day, our Eastsea Academy would possess something of Shrek Academy's bearing."

Watching Jiang Yan and Gu Yuena leave, Yu Lian lowered his head with emotion and looked at the student roster for this year's first class of intermediate division freshmen, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

Five of them had come from the junior division. Over the past three years, he had watched those geniuses shine through their hard work.

And he had also seen the near future!

"Yes, Principal. They say Eastsea Academy has long remained at the bottom of the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament because of its lack of talent. But after this, our East Sea will surely become the foremost academy in the alliance!"

Long Hengxu was equally stirred. He could already seem to see them cutting down gods and Buddhas alike at the Skysea Grand Tournament.

The principal said they had some of Shrek Academy's bearing, but he did not think so. For one thing, East Sea's foundation was far inferior; for another...

Shrek Academy itself!

Did not have a genius like Young Master Jiang Yan either!

Having him study here was the greatest honor Eastsea Academy had received since its founding!

"Director Long is right. The Skysea Alliance championship will surely belong to Young Master Jiang Yan."

"Speaking of which, Teacher Wu, the instructor of Class One, came from that place. I wonder what he will think when he sees these students' files?"

Yu Lian's lips curled upward as he chuckled.

Would he...

Also be left numb with shock?

"..."

Not far away, inside a quiet office.

A blue-haired man stared at the form in his hand. His gaze was solemn and astonished, while disbelief appeared on his icy face.

"Eastsea Academy's new students...?"

"Where the hell have I been sent?"

"Is this still Eastsea Academy?"

He could not help saying as he looked at the information on the list.

His name was Wu Changkong. His Martial Soul was the Heavenly Frost Sword. He was twenty-seven years old, a Rank 69 assault-type Soul Emperor, and the disciple of Red Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi. Having grown up at Shrek Academy, he had seen countless geniuses since childhood.

But precisely because of that, he knew how unreasonable it was for these geniuses to appear in Eastsea City.

Especially...

That child named Jiang Yan!

"A graduate of East Sea Junior Academy, nine years old, a Rank 33 Soul Elder. Fine. But he defeated a Soul King as a Soul Grandmaster, his first Soul Skill is a semi-domain, and his spiritual power can even support a Thousand-Year Soul Spirit."

"Is this guy cheating?"

Wu Changkong's expression turned grave.

He had long heard of East Sea's strongest genius.

Only today did he realize...

How was this merely East Sea's strongest?

"Countless gifted people exist beneath heaven, but before Jiang Yan..."

"Who would dare call himself a genius?"

"..."

PS: This chapter is 3,300 words!

Jiang Yan: I will become a supremely benevolent and kind king. Serious