First Arrival at Shrek Academy

Shrek City, Shrek Academy.

As the continent's largest city and foremost academy, this was a place countless people yearned for.

Twenty thousand years ago, Shrek Academy had not been nearly this large. It was only after the Spirit Pagoda was founded, when Huo Yuhao, the Spirit Ice Douluo and first Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda, proposed expanding Shrek City, that it gradually reached its current scale as the continent's greatest city.

Over the past thirty thousand years, it had once stood at the center of the era's stage, giving it an exceptionally special status in the hearts of people across the three continents.

Even after the Sun Moon unification and the founding of the Federation, its status had remained unshaken.

Shrek Academy covered an enormous area. Within its grounds, it possessed highly independent autonomy, its own garrison forces, and the right to levy taxes.

Though called an academy, it was more like an independent city—or rather, "a state within a state."

And Shrek Academy's once-every-three-years freshman recruitment was undoubtedly the continent's most important event for young Soul Masters.

Simply being able to come to Shrek Academy for the entrance examination was already a source of pride for countless young Soul Masters. There was even a saying in the continent's Soul Master world.

Any Soul Master qualified to take Shrek Academy's examination, even if they failed, would be eagerly admitted without examination by other academies.

Those selected to participate in Shrek Academy's assessment were all elites among elites.

Yet among these elites, only a small fraction could pass the assessment and join Shrek Academy—and even then, only the Outer Court.

Shrek Academy recruited two hundred Outer Court students every three years. Of those two hundred spots, fifty were reserved for those who failed to apply to the Inner Court.

There were only fifty Inner Court application slots each intake. Naturally, getting in was best, but even if they failed, they could still join the Outer Court and retain the chance to take the Inner Court examination in the future.

Graduating from Shrek Academy's Outer Court already meant becoming one of the continent's top talents. Any organization or family would be willing to offer extraordinary terms to recruit them.

As for Shrek Academy's Inner Court, that was a special world. Few students who graduated from the Inner Court left Shrek Academy; most chose to remain in the Inner Court.

There was a saying in the education world: Inner Court disciples of Shrek Academy were certain to become Battle Armor Masters.

One had to know that every Battle Armor Master was a strategic asset within the Federation!

Of course, a very small number of Inner Court disciples chose to leave for one reason or another. Naturally, they were all super talents sought after by every faction.

At that moment, at Shrek City Station, pedestrians all turned their gazes toward the station entrance. A black-haired, black-eyed youth with delicate features was slowly walking forward, carrying a small suitcase.

Standing beneath the bright sunlight, the youth's jet-black hair fell smoothly and neatly beside his ears. His deep black eyes were like the most mysterious stars in the night sky, gleaming with a firm and clear light.

His face was sharply defined, his features strong yet not lacking in softness. Sunlight fell across his high nose bridge, outlining a perfect curve.

Put together, his features seemed like a masterpiece carefully sculpted by nature. His brows were like ink paintings, his eyes deep and bright, as though they concealed countless stars and seas. Beneath his high nose was a pair of elegantly shaped thin lips, slightly upturned in a confident, warm smile.

He wore a simple yet refined white shirt, its cuffs casually rolled up to reveal firm, powerful forearms. The collar hung slightly open, exposing his delicate collarbones.

He paired it with dark blue casual trousers, their creases perfectly straight and making him appear even taller and more slender.

He radiated an innate sense of righteousness, a temperament that seemed to come from within, like an invisible light that drew people in despite themselves.

Standing there, he was like a towering mountain, giving others a feeling of reliability and trustworthiness that made his presence impossible to ignore.

The crowd should have been streaming endlessly along, yet the youth's appearance brought it to a halt. Even those walking ahead of him unconsciously slowed down and glanced back at him from the corners of their eyes.

Everyone knew that if a man made the opposite sex think he was handsome, that was nothing remarkable.

But if a guy was so handsome that even other men thought he was handsome, that was true handsomeness.

The youth was named Wei Heng. Unlike the other examinees around him, he had arrived in Shrek City alone, without teachers or parents accompanying him.

"Finally here. There are still a few days before recruitment begins. I should find a hotel first."

Right, I need to report my progress to the original body.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Wei Heng immediately called out to the original body in his mind. The five clones could all directly connect to the Sea of Consciousness Space, so communicating with the other clones was possible as well—though whether they were free was another matter.

"..."

Fine. Since no one's around, I'll talk to them another day.

Knowing no one was there, Wei Heng was not disappointed. Instead, he smiled with a sunny, easygoing air.

However, the bright smile he revealed unintentionally left the girls around him staring in a daze.

"Click."

Wei Heng looked toward the sound of the camera, causing the girl who had secretly taken his picture to flush red. She hurriedly ran off and nearly bumped into someone.

Inside the hotel.

Wei Heng had just returned from registering at Shrek Academy. He was lying on the large bed in his room, and he had finally managed to contact the original body.

Original body, I've arrived at Shrek Academy. In a few days, I'll be taking Shrek's entrance examination.

Based on the timing, Tang Wulin should be attending an auction in two days. He'll obtain a spiritual item there and use it to break through the Golden Dragon King's second seal. Once I enter the academy, I'll gradually set the plan in motion.

Understood. Judge the intensity yourself and proceed step by step.

Liu Tianran's purpose in establishing Wei Heng's identity was for him to develop within Shrek Academy, striving to gain sufficient influence within the academy when Shrek Academy was rebuilt in the future, replace Tang Wulin, and become the helmsman of this colossal entity.

The reason it had ultimately reached the point in the original work where it was destroyed by others could be seen simply by looking at the outrageous things it had done. It had brought ruin upon itself.

Student trials involved stealing military secrets, it interfered with Federation politics, indulged teachers and students in provoking other forces without cause, and built itself into a state within a state.

With its defiant school rules passed down for twenty thousand years, its teachers and students were excessively arrogant and treated Federation law as though it did not exist. No country could tolerate it.

Honestly, in Liu Tianran's view, as long as Shrek Academy fulfilled its duty as an academy and did not excessively interfere in Federation military affairs or politics, no one would be determined to fight it to the death.

There was one more point: although Shrek Academy was nearing its doom within the Federation and had made countless enemies, one had to admit that its number of geniuses, channels for obtaining high-level resources, and network of connections were truly terrifying.

Moreover, the energy reserves in Dragon Valley and Demon Island were enough to make Liu Tianran covet them.