The Women: Another Classic Shrek

As for geniuses in other places, I actually have a ranking in my mind, but I won't go into it now.

After all, the characters I know have more screen time in the original work, while some characters with less screen time are actually very talented.

However, because they were short or minor characters, I didn't remember them, so my ranking is a bit unfair.

Let me see if we can add a sorting function to the Diary Copy.

When I settle the diary rewards later, I'll ask about the Diary Copy to see if I can collect information on the geniuses of the continent with a single click.

As usual, if we don't have any material, we'll look for it on Shrek or Tang San.

Let's find it in Shrek today.

When Shrek Academy is mentioned, people immediately think of it as a place that "only accepts monsters, not ordinary people." It is a pure land in the hearts of Soul Master on the continent, a symbol of neutrality and justice, and the only holy place in a chaotic world that is not tainted by worldly affairs.

Is that really the case? Peel back the glamorous facade touted by countless people, and the filth and power struggles beneath are no less than those in the courts of the Star Luo Empire and Heaven Soul Empire, perhaps even deeper, and chillingly so.

Let's start with the most famous one. "Don't look at background, just look at talent."

This might fool a child who has just awakened their Martial Soul, but if you really look into it, Shrek's admissions process always contains an unseen, controllable standard.

[Firstly, any geniuses sent by sects and aristocratic families will be accepted as long as their backgrounds do not infringe upon Shrek's core interests and their talents meet the requirements.]

The purpose of bringing them in was not for fairness, but to establish relationships with the major sects and the Imperial Family family.

After graduation, these disciples returned to their respective homes, some becoming sect elders and others high-ranking officials in the empire. Each of them carried the title of "Shrek graduate," thus becoming Shrek's spies and network of contacts planted in various forces.

Which of the top sects hasn't sent disciples to Shrek? It's ostensibly for exchange and learning, but in reality, it's an exchange of benefits.

You give me preferential treatment in return, and I'll pave the way for your children's future. It's a win-win situation, so why not?

As for geniuses from commoner backgrounds? Those are Shrek's true "progenitor reserves".

Having no one to rely on, no background, and no foundation, once they enter Shrek, all the cultivation techniques, Soul Ring, and resources are provided by the academy, so naturally they will be wholeheartedly loyal.

Do you think all ordinary geniuses have this opportunity? You're wrong.

Those who are unruly, have their own ideas, and refuse to obey will be eliminated in the preliminary test, no matter how amazing their Martial Soul or how outstanding their Soul Power is.

They can easily dismiss it with some random excuse like "bad character" or "improper conduct."

Shrek Academy never sought "the most talented person," but rather "the genius most capable of serving the academy." No matter how sharp a knife is, if it's uncontrollable, it's less reliable than a dull one.

Shrek City, restaurant.

Xiao Xiao's eyes were filled with astonishment. She had gone to great lengths to get into Shrek, only to find that the assessment was rigorous and fair.

I was able to stay on entirely because of my talent and hard work; I never imagined that behind the impressive admission criteria, there was this other consideration.

"How so..."

She subconsciously thought of a talented boy from her class.

The boy's Martial Soul was Beast Martial Soul, and his Mysterious Heaven Soul Power was at level seven. He performed well in the practical assessment, but he had a very fiery temper and refused to accept the assessment teacher's arrangements. As a result, he was inexplicably eliminated after the preliminary test.

At the time, everyone thought he was disrespectful to his teachers and had a bad temper, but now, looking back, it all seems rather strange.

"Could it be... that he's not bad-tempered, but rather that he's difficult to control?"

Wang Dong'er's face instantly scrunched up, and she immediately retorted with furrowed brows, "Impossible! Shrek isn't like that! When I enrolled, no one asked about my background; the assessment was entirely based on ability!"

But she stopped mid-sentence.

She is the young master of the Clear Sky Sect. I used to think that she was talented enough, so she could cook so easily.

But now, after Lin Ye's words, he felt inexplicably flustered.

Could it be... that her success isn't solely due to talent?

Let's discuss the distinction between the Outer Court and Inner Court.

The world believes that the Inner Court is a paradise for geniuses, a place where glory is earned through hard work and skill.

In reality, the Outer Court is a giant sieve, and also Shrek's "money bag."

Those who can enter the Outer Court are either wealthy young men or members of a collateral branch of a sect who have some talent but are not good enough for the Inner Court, or ordinary students who are just there to make up the numbers.

With exorbitant tuition fees, the need to purchase cultivation resources independently, and the need to find ways to obtain Soul Ring on their own, Shrek Academy could support most of the Inner Court solely through the tuition fees, sponsorship fees, and venue usage fees from the Outer Court.

The Outer Court students' desperate attempts to squeeze into the Inner Court served as a convenient "reference point" for the Inner Court disciples, making the Inner Court geniuses seem even more unattainable, and thus polishing Shrek's prestigious reputation ever brighter.

However, most of the spots in the Inner Court had already been reserved internally.

The remaining three or five spots are for ordinary people to compete for: the descendants of the Sea God Pavilion's high-ranking members, the seeds sent by various sects, and the commoner direct descendants who have long been targeted.

Even if you get into the Inner Court, things won't be all smooth sailing; resource allocation will still be hierarchical.

Core Disciple receive top-tier cultivation techniques, are led by Super Douluo- level teachers to hunt for Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, and have their own exclusive training grounds.

As for ordinary Inner Court disciples, they are only slightly stronger than Outer Court disciples. To put it bluntly, they serve as sparring partners and supporting roles for the Core Disciple, making those geniuses shine even brighter.

What's even more interesting is that Shrek Academy keeps saying "protecting Soul Beast and prohibiting indiscriminate killing," but the most core hunting areas of the Star Dou Forest, where the Soul Beast levels are most stable, have long been turned into Shrek Academy's own backyard.

Inner Court disciples can freely enter the Soul Hunting, with elders providing protection.

Soul Master from outside who dares to approach is considered to have "trespassed into forbidden territory."

To put it bluntly, they monopolized the highest quality Soul Ring resources, ensuring that outside Soul Master were perpetually lacking in resources, always feeling that Shrek was unattainable, and always desperately trying to get in.

Zhang Lexuan's expression became very complicated. Others might not know, but she certainly did.

As the top student in the Inner Court, she naturally knew that the allocation of resources in the Inner Court was biased. At first, she thought it was based on talent and strength.

But looking back now, which of those disciples who made it into the core ranks didn't have Sea God Pavilion elder standing behind them, or some kind of kinship with a top-tier sect?

The number of Core Disciple truly came from humble backgrounds could be counted on one hand.

She herself was an orphan, adopted by the Sea God Pavilion at a young age. She seemed to be a model of a commoner's rise to success, but from childhood to adulthood, all the education she received was "loyalty to Shrek" and "the interests of the academy above all else".

Her cultivation technique was given to her by the academy, her Soul Ring was found by the academy, and her life was saved by the academy. It is only natural that she should go through fire and water for the academy.

However, she may know all this, but she won't stop it, because she is also one of the beneficiaries.

Although she was an orphan, she had Mu En, the Sea God Pavilion Master, behind her.