As soon as Mu En finished speaking, Elder Song stood up and said earnestly, "I believe this child is a Ferocious Beast in human form. Shrek must stay vigilant—we can't let what happened before happen again."
Xian Lin'er said, "I agree with Mother. It's impossible for a human to possess such terrifying power."
Mu En smiled at that. "I've examined him. His bloodline is innate; he isn't a Ferocious Beast in human form."
Elder Song and Xian Lin'er immediately deflated like punctured balls and plopped back into their seats.
The Soul Guidance Department was finished, and now the Martial Soul Department had gained another genius.
Yan Shaozhe, seated nearby, was practically over the moon. He raised both hands and called out, "Everyone, everyone, let me say a few words. Don't be so hard on this young genius. Having a student like him is an honor for our academy—and for the Martial Soul Department."
"It seems our Martial Soul Department is about to grow stronger again."
Xian Lin'er pursed her lips, unhappy, but didn't lose her temper on the spot.
At that moment, Mu En spoke again. "I have an idea. What do you all think?"
"Once the Freshman Assessment is over, I plan to bring him into the Inspection Corps and cultivate him as part of Shrek's foundation—a future successor to the master of Sea God's Pavilion. What do you think?"
At his words, the Elders all showed different expressions.
Xian Lin'er thought it was inappropriate and spoke up. "Elder Mu, shouldn't we observe him a little longer? What if he's a spy from the Sun Moon Empire? Our academy can't cultivate someone whose origins are unknown."
Yan Shaozhe chimed in, "That's right! We should keep an eye on him a little longer. Why not keep him here for now?"
Even though he desperately wanted the Martial Soul Department to produce a prodigy, he had to consider the academy's future.
If Gu Chen turned out to be a parasite, it would deal a devastating blow to the academy.
Mu En smiled faintly and asked, "Wasn't Shaozhe's background just as complicated?"
Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er fell silent at once.
That was true!
Whose background was simple? A genius's origins weren't always clear. As long as he wasn't malicious, that was what mattered.
The two of them said no more and agreed to Elder Mu's arrangement.
Elder Song then asked, "What's the child's temperament like?"
Mu En described him. "Arrogant! But what talented, capable person isn't arrogant? Wasn't I arrogant when I was young? That's a good thing."
Elder Song was left speechless by his answer.
Mu En hadn't called this meeting to discuss the matter with them at all. He'd simply called it to tell them what he had decided.
At this point, there was no changing his mind.
The Elders all agreed with Mu En's proposal. Even Xuan Zi, who had been silently eating chicken legs, expressed his approval of the genius.
Yan Shaozhe was wary, but even more delighted.
The Martial Soul Department had finally gained a peerless prodigy.
Mu En immediately ordered that resources be secretly funneled to Gu Chen. They were to give him resources even if he didn't need them, showing him the full strength of Shrek's resources. He also instructed everyone not to disturb Gu Chen and to treat him as they normally would.
After the meeting ended, Shrek was as peaceful as ever. It seemed Xu Sanshi's defeat had been nothing more than a minor incident.
Inside the Shrek dormitory.
After arriving at the dormitory, Gu Chen made his bed and planned to head to the cafeteria for a hearty meal, then get a good night's sleep.
What was that saying?
When you had enough strength and powerful backing, all rules were as good as nonexistent. Shrek Academy was no different.
To Gu Chen, this was just another dungeon on the road to growing stronger.
With the Dragon God Bloodline in his veins and the system protecting his path, he couldn't find a single reason to keep a low profile.
The mere dog leash and grand scheme of a God King were nothing worth mentioning.
"Boss Gu, wait for me!"
Just then, a chubby boy came running over from the doorway. It was Xie Huanyue.
After seeing Gu Chen's peerless might at the school gate, Xie Huanyue had resolved to follow him and become his underling.
To that end, he'd even used his family connections to transfer into Freshman Class Nine, where he'd be in the same class as Gu Chen.
With his hands behind his back, Gu Chen sighed. "Didn't I tell you? I don't need any underlings. You don't have to be one, either. Just treat me as a friend from now on. I may be a little arrogant, but you've been pretty good to me. I don't want to beat you up."
Xie Huanyue grinned and patted the Storage Soul Tool at his waist. He took out a piece of Millennium Whale Glue and declared, "My old man gave me this. I don't think I need it, so I'm offering it to you, big brother. Please let me become your underling."
"If you don't turn me away, big brother Gu, I, Yue, will swear allegiance to you. From this day on, I'll go through fire and water for you without hesitation."
He looked completely sincere, afraid Gu Chen wouldn't accept the gift.
Gu Chen smiled.
This chubby kid knew how to make himself useful. He'd even brought out Millennium Whale Glue.
So be it. He'd take on an underling.
Gu Chen immediately accepted the Whale Glue from Xie Huanyue and said coolly, "Ahem. Since you're so sincere, I can hardly refuse. You can follow me."
Xie Huanyue trembled with excitement.
Dad! I didn't let you down. I've found myself a future Ultimate Douluo!
"Alright, alright!"
Gu Chen put away the Whale Glue, then said with his hands behind his back, "Come eat with me at the cafeteria. Remember to pay. I didn't bring any money."
He'd meant to say he would treat Xie Huanyue, but then he realized the system really hadn't left him any money.
Xie Huanyue patted his chest and said seriously, "No problem. My family lacks everything except money. I'll treat you to the best-grade meal, big brother."
The two of them then headed to the cafeteria.
Along the way, they ran into quite a few freshmen, many of whom had already heard about Gu Chen.
The moment Gu Chen stepped into the cafeteria, he became a celebrity. Quite a few female students crowded around to cozy up to him.
It was only natural. Everyone wanted to befriend such a powerful student.
However, Gu Chen rejected all these plain-looking girls without mercy, intent on doing nothing but eating.
Everyone knew that Gu Chen possessed the noble Dragon God Bloodline.
Though dragons were lustful by nature, it depended on who they were dealing with. He firmly turned down female students who weren't attractive enough, lest he end up mired in trouble.
After eating, Gu Chen and Xie Huanyue went out to get acquainted with the freshman classes, then headed back to rest.
Early the next morning.
Gu Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, meditating and absorbing the energy of heaven and earth.
After arriving at Shrek Academy, Gu Chen could clearly feel that the energy of heaven and earth here was the purest and most abundant.
It was no wonder Shrek had stood for ten thousand years.
It was just a shame that the academy had gone a little mad by now.
After the old man Mu En died, it would probably only get worse.
Forget it. I shouldn't dwell on that. I need to get to class in Freshman Class Nine.
Then Gu Chen left the dormitory and headed for the freshman teaching building with Xie Huanyue.
By now, quite a few freshmen had gathered outside the building, all looking for their classes.
Gu Chen found a seat in Class Nine and sat down, immediately drawing plenty of attention.
The students in Freshman Class Nine had heard all about Gu Chen. His reputation thundered in their ears.
He'd knocked Xu Sanshi flat in just a few blows. Who hadn't heard of that?
Just then, a well-dressed young girl turned around and blinked at Gu Chen. "Hello, I'm Ning Tian. You're the senior Gu Chen, right?"
Gu Chen silently raised his chin. "That's me."
Ning Tian continued, "You were amazing yesterday. You actually beat Xu Sanshi. We'll be classmates from now on, so I hope we can learn from each other."
At that moment, Ning Tian's personal maid, Wu Feng, also came over and introduced herself to Gu Chen.
After a brief chat, they each returned to their seats to wait for class.
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