A Familiar Yet Unfamiliar Shrek City

"Shrek City is even more luxurious than I imagined." Xue Ningbing could hardly believe the flourishing Shrek City before her.

"Of course. After all, this is the city exclusive to Shrek Academy, the number one academy on the continent." Whether in expression or tone, Beibei's words carried a measure of pride and arrogance.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar Shrek City before him, Huo Yuhao did not know what to say.

Shrek Academy had been built upon the Lima Plains, and its grounds covered an extremely vast area.

Because this place belonged to Shrek Academy while also being a city, it was called Shrek City.

Shrek Academy was not located in the center of Shrek City, but had been established in its eastern district.

Shrek City's transportation network extended in all directions. It had four city gates, positioned in the east, west, south, and north.

Of these four gates, only the East City Gate belonged exclusively to Shrek Academy, while the south, west, and north gates served the rest of the continent.

Huo Yuhao and Xue Ningbing followed Tang Ya and Beibei to Shrek's East City Gate.

Over a dozen second- and third-year students from Shrek Academy's Outer Court stood guard there. Their main task was to check whether new first-year students had recommendation letters from city lords, preventing anyone from slipping in under false pretenses.

Huo Yuhao remembered them. The first time he had come to Shrek with Beibei and Tang Ya, Beibei had said something to them. He seemed to recall hearing that he was to register with Beibei and Tang Ya.

After Beibei explained the situation, those dozen or so senior students looked at Huo Yuhao and Xue Ningbing with strange expressions.

A third-year senior who was about as tall as Beibei said to him somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Senior Beibei. It's not that we don't want to help you, but those two children are neither specially admitted students of your Tang Sect nor do they have recommendation letters from city lords. We really can't let them in."

"These are Shrek's rules. If the two of them truly are as powerful as you say, then please seek out Director Du. Only if Director Du agrees to let them in will we have the authority to do so."

Beibei had wanted to use some of his connections to get Huo Yuhao and Xue Ningbing into Shrek, since that would also repay the favor they owed Tang Ya.

But he had not expected to fail. Still, Beibei understood, and their tone had already been quite gentle. Their words also carried more than a few hints.

They were only students and had no authority to admit students without recommendation letters from city lords. Letting such students in would be equivalent to violating academy rules, and they could very well risk expulsion.

Knowing this clearly, Beibei did not press the matter further.

Beibei said gently, "It's fine, I understand. We're all students. Why make things difficult for fellow students?"

The third-year senior said, "Thank you for your understanding, Senior Beibei. But how about this? We brothers can lend a hand and use our group to bring out this little brother's strength. That might attract Director Du's attention more effectively."

"That would also make it easier for this little brother to enter the academy."

"It's just that we old seniors would have to play the role of some 'bad guys.'"

Beibei asked in slight surprise, "But would they agree?"

The third-year senior said, "That depends on Senior Beibei's sincerity."

Beibei gritted his teeth slightly. "For the next half year, I'll cover all of your meals at the Shrek cafeteria."

It could be said that, in order to repay Tang Ya's favor, he was going all out.

"Alright! Thank you for your support, Senior Beibei. Go tell the junior brother first. I'll inform the others."

Beibei nodded and returned to Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao, and Xue Ningbing.

After hearing Beibei's explanation, Xue Ningbing was the first to say speechlessly, "Um, Beibei, I know you want to repay the favor as soon as possible, but wasn't that a little unnecessary?"

"Sister Ningbing, don't worry about that. Let me show off my strength first, then?" Huo Yuhao did not want to make things too difficult for Beibei.

After all, when he had joined the Tang Sect in his previous life as an ignorant young boy, Beibei and Tang Ya had truly helped him a great deal. It was also because of them that he had been able to enter Shrek Academy and become the Emotion God.

The starting point of his previous life had been when he left the White Tiger Duke Mansion and joined the Tang Sect. If the Tang Sect's founder had not been Tang San, perhaps he would still have chosen to join the Tang Sect.

But unfortunately, there were not so many what-ifs in this world.

Following Beibei's instructions, Huo Yuhao walked over to the senior students.

The third-year senior said, "Little brother, take out your recommendation letter and let us see it."

"I don't have a recommendation letter from a city lord." The moment they heard that Huo Yuhao did not have one, the senior students who had been smiling kindly completely changed their attitudes.

The other students spoke in harsh tones. "Get lost, get lost, get lost! What are you doing coming to Shrek without a recommendation letter from a city lord? If you don't have one, then don't waste everyone's time."

Passersby who sensed that something was happening immediately gathered around, eager to watch the spectacle.

Knowing that they were putting on an act, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. Then, three purple soul rings appeared beneath his feet.

Upon seeing the three soul rings Huo Yuhao revealed, the crowd of onlookers immediately became excited.

Seeing the three purple soul rings, the gossiping spectators' jaws dropped.

"No way, this has to be fake, right?"

"How could someone have three thousand-year soul rings?"

"This guy is cheating, isn't he?"

The surrounding spectators all stared at Huo Yuhao in disbelief, discussing whether the three purple soul rings on his body were real.

Even the dozen or so second- and third-year seniors showed shocked expressions upon seeing Huo Yuhao's soul rings.

"A few of you, go to Director Du's office and bring him here." Just from the three purple soul rings on Huo Yuhao's body, the most knowledgeable senior could already more or less determine that Huo Yuhao could remain even without a recommendation letter from a city lord. However, this was still far from enough, since some soul skills could imitate appearances.

But aside from that senior, the other students were simply astonished by Huo Yuhao's soul rings.

"No way, are all new students this monstrous now? Those are the optimal soul ring configuration."

"Across the entire Continent of Douluo, there really hasn't been anyone with their first three soul rings all being purple."

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "Do I qualify to enter Shrek now?"

The senior steadied his emotions and said, "In our eyes, you do qualify. But Director Du still has to make the decision."

"After all, with our experience, we can't determine whether those three purple soul rings are real. Who knows whether your soul rings contain soul skills capable of imitation?"