Applying for an Underage Refund

The boy's father stood there in a daze for a long while, seemingly not having expected this outcome.

Yet he could not really say anything. After all, if they strictly followed the rules, his son had indeed only just turned thirteen.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then could we get back our registration fee...?"

The old man waved a large hand. "Registration fees are nonrefundable once paid. Mubai, someone wants their registration fee back."

The latter part was directed at a youth standing behind him.

The youth behind the old man had blond hair and double pupils in his eyes. He was none other than Dai Mubai.

At the sound of the old man's voice, he sprang up abruptly. In a flash, he had already summoned his martial soul. "You want your money back? Fine. As long as you can beat me, take your registration fee back."

As he spoke, two yellow and one purple soul rings emerged, and the oppressive force of his soul power enveloped the father and son.

Feeling the pressure of a Soul Elder's power, the father and son's expressions changed drastically.

The father was merely an ordinary person, while his son was still young and not particularly strong. Even standing together, they could not withstand the soul power pressure Dai Mubai released.

The father's expression shifted several times before he ultimately led his son away.

Watching their retreating backs, Dai Mubai gave a disdainful snort. His martial soul slowly receded, and his wicked eyes swept coldly over the youths and parents farther back in line before he turned and sat down again.

Most of the students and parents who had come to register did not possess much formidable strength themselves.

Seeing Shrek Academy's overbearing attitude, some people decided it was better to avoid trouble and quietly left with their children.

However, about two-thirds of the registration line remained. After all, strength was revered in the world of soul masters. In order to give their children powerful teachers and classmates, quite a few people were still willing to endure a little unfairness.

The next youth in line stepped forward and obediently held out his hand before the old man. His mother hurriedly took out ten gold soul coins from her pocket and placed them into the wooden box beside them.

The old man reached out and squeezed his hand, then nodded. "Your age is suitable. Summon your martial soul."

The youth did as instructed and summoned his martial soul, along with a yellow century-old soul ring.

However, upon seeing the youth's plant martial soul and his single yellow soul ring, the old man could not help but sneer. "Unqualified. Leave."

This immediately raised doubts not only in the mother and son, but also among the others waiting behind them.

Looking at the slightly restless line, the old man snorted. "Shrek means monster. We do not need mediocrities; we only accept monsters. Only those under thirteen with soul power above rank twenty-one can be considered monsters."

As he spoke, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from him. Dense red light spread outward, enveloping the line before him. Six soul rings emerged, and the pressure immediately made everyone in the line tremble from head to toe.

"You came to register at Shrek Academy without even knowing what the word 'Shrek' in our academy's name means? How laughable. Anyone who does not meet the conditions I just stated, get the hell out of here at once!"

Under the pressure of a six-ring Soul Emperor, who could say anything? Even the parents and students who knew they did not meet the requirements left with trembling legs.

Seeing that such a long line before him had been intimidated by a single sentence, the old man finally withdrew his martial soul with satisfaction and sat back behind the table. "Next."

Clang.

The sound of ten gold soul coins falling into the wooden box rang out, and a delicate, fair hand extended before the old man.

The old man squeezed it twice, and the wrinkles on his face immediately deepened enough to crush flies. "You're this old and you still came to register? Were your ears deaf when I stated the conditions earlier?"

He flung away the hand he had been holding. "Get lost. Next!"

However, the person whose hand had been flung aside did not get angry. Instead, he asked, "Then can I have my registration fee refunded?"

The old man flew into a rage at once.

"Are you really deaf? Mubai, someone wants a refund!"

Dai Mubai jumped out as instructed, intending to summon his martial soul and intimidate everyone. However, when he saw the person before him clearly, he froze.

The young man standing before Dai Mubai was tall and slender, with fair skin. His handsome face even made Dai Mubai, who had always prided himself on being a dashing young gentleman, feel ashamed of himself.

He did not know this young man, but he recognized the boy and girl behind him. A few hours earlier, Dai Mubai had been fighting them over a hotel room in Soto City.

The young man was naturally Fang Yuan. He glanced at Dai Mubai, who had jumped out only to stop moving, then withdrew his gaze.

He then looked at the old man behind the table and spoke again. "I said, I want my registration fee back."

The old man finally opened his eyes fully. Cold light flickered in his gaze as he stared at the young man before him.

"I said, are you really deaf? Registration fees are nonrefundable once paid."

With that, his aura erupted again, and the pressure of a Soul Emperor completely descended upon the young man before him.

One white, one yellow, three purple, and one black. Six soul rings shone, and a staff covered in intricate patterns appeared in the old man's hand.

In his eyes, although the young man before him was far older than the enrollment limit, he was still fairly young.

Even judging him as the most exceptional genius, he could at most be a Soul Ancestor.

A Soul Ancestor dared to cause trouble at Shrek Academy? Was he really disregarding Li Yusong, a rank sixty-two Soul Emperor?

Yet in the face of the full pressure released by Li Yusong's soul power, Fang Yuan did not move in the slightest.

He raised one hand toward the wooden box on the table, seemingly intending to take out his ten gold soul coins.

"Brat, you're courting death!"

A fierce gleam burst from Li Yusong's eyes. The boy still dared to take the money right in front of him—he simply had no regard for him at all!

Several soul rings beneath his feet lit up, and the Dragon-Pattern Staff in his hand immediately thickened by a full circle as it smashed toward Fang Yuan with immense force.

The terrifying staff tore through the air as it swung toward Fang Yuan's head. If that blow landed solidly, the other man's head would undoubtedly burst like a watermelon.

Li Yusong did not hesitate in the slightest when he struck. He was not a bloodthirsty person, but if someone dared to disregard Shrek Academy's reputation, he did not mind making that person pay for his mistake with his life.

Those who did not dare to cause trouble were mediocrities. He was only a young man—killing him was no big deal.

Every teacher at Shrek Academy had come here to lie low after causing trouble. Which of them did not have a few lives on their hands?

Yet the expected sight of a bursting head did not occur.

Li Yusong only felt an overwhelming force suddenly travel through the tip of the Dragon-Pattern Staff in his hand.

The other end of the staff had been firmly caught in Fang Yuan's palm by a hand that seemed cast from bronze and forged from iron.

Meanwhile, Fang Yuan's other hand reached into the wooden box and took out exactly ten gold soul coins.