A blue-haired boy, his build sturdier than his peers and a gloomy aura between his brows, was none other than Tang San.
He stood in the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the campus of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy with a trace of unperceived arrogance on his face, as if sizing up future rivals.
A girl braiding a scorpion tail, slender in figure and pretty in face, was looking around in boredom—Xiao Wu.
She was still the same, her big eyes rolling around, filled with curiosity about everything around her.
There was also the chubby yet approachable fatty, who should be Ma Hongjun, the handsome-looking yet frivolous-eyed man who should be Oscar, and the cold-faced girl in black... The lineup of the Shrek Seven Monsters was already beginning to take shape.
At the very back of the procession, a middle-aged man in grey robes with a haggard face kept his head down, deep in thought.
Yu Xiaogang.
At this moment Flender was negotiating with Meng Shenji. He took off his sunglasses, revealing those shrewd eyes, his face bearing a smooth, merchant-like smile as he endlessly introduced the "glorious achievements" of Shrek Academy.
"Headmaster Meng, it is not I, Flender, boasting, but although our Shrek Academy is modest in scale, the students we nurture are one and all elites among elites." Flender reached out and pointed toward the students behind him,
"Just look at these children, which one of them is not gifted with extraordinary talent? Especially Tang San, along with Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, Oscar... They are all top-tier genius seeds!"
He paused, then pointed to several teachers beside him: "Moreover, the teaching staff of our Shrek Academy is by no means inferior either. Zhao Wuji, a level seventy-six Soul Sage, whose moniker of the Immovable Wisdom King you must surely have heard of. There is also Li Yusong, Lu Qibin, and Shao Xin, all powerhouses of Soul Emperor rank. Coupled with our grandmaster of theory, Yu Xiaogang—his great name must surely sound like thunder to Headmaster Meng?"
Yu Xiaogang timely stepped forward by half a step, nodding slightly with a reserved and proper expression on his face, as if waiting for his due praise.
Meng Shenji did not answer immediately, instead stroking his beard as his gaze slowly swept over the Shrek party.
Two Soul Sages, several Soul Emperors, and a grandmaster of theory, Yu Xiaogang—such a lineup of instructors was indeed not weak.
As for those students, he had just probed them with spiritual power, and indeed they were all fine seeds, especially that Tang San, who had reached level forty-four at age fourteen; even placed in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he was of the highest tier.
Yet the conditions Flender proposed made him somewhat hesitant.
"Headmaster Flender," Meng Shenji slowly began, "regarding your Shrek Academy wishing to merge into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, this old man has no principal objection. But those conditions you mentioned... retaining Shrek Academy's independent establishment, possessing the right to independent recruitment and instruction, and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy not interfering in your internal administrative affairs... isn't this going a bit too far?"
His gaze met Flender's directly, his tone turning stern:
"If you merge into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy yet remain exempt from the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, what kind of merger is this? When the time comes, we expend vast resources to nurture your students, only for you to pack up and leave at the phrase 'incompatible philosophies', wouldn't we simply be making wedding garments for someone else in vain?"
The smile on Flender's face stiffened slightly, but quickly returned to normal:
"Headmaster Meng worries too much. Since our Shrek Academy chooses to merge into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, we naturally come with sincerity. It is just that we are, after all, a mature academy with our own educational philosophy and teaching model; if we were to completely abandon our autonomy, how would that differ from ordinary teachers?"
"Then there is nothing to discuss." Meng Shenji shook his head, his tone resolute,
"The Heaven Dou Royal Academy has the rules of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Since you are to merge, you must abide by our rules and regulations. If Headmaster Flender insists on retaining complete autonomy, then please forgive this old man for being unable to agree."
The atmosphere became somewhat deadlocked for a moment.
At that very moment, Yu Xiaogang spoke up.
"Headmaster Meng, might I be permitted a few words?"
Meng Shenji glanced at him and nodded: "Grandmaster, please speak."
Yu Xiaogang took two steps forward, cleared his throat, and struck an inscrutable posture:
"Headmaster Meng, what you worry about is nothing more than the issue of resource investment versus return. On this point, I can give you a guarantee—the students of our Shrek Academy are absolute worthy recipients of any resources you invest."
He reached out to point at Tang San, his tone carrying undisguised pride:
"This is my disciple, Tang San. Age fourteen, level-forty-four Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass. Back at the Nuoding Academy, he already displayed astonishing talent. Under my guidance, in just a few short years, he grew from an ordinary boy into an outstanding Soul Ancestor."
Tang San cooperatively puffed out his chest, releasing his Soul Power. Four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—rose from beneath his feet, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight and drawing a wave of exclamations from the surrounding Heaven Dou Royal Academy students.
"A fourteen-year-old level-forty-four Soul Ancestor—this is a top-tier genius in any academy."
Yu Xiaogang continued, his tone carrying a trace of arrogance, "And such geniuses, our Shrek Academy has more than one. Dai Mubai is a level-forty-four Soul Ancestor... Xiao Wu, a level-forty-one Soul Ancestor, Ma Hongjun, a level-thirty-eight Soul Elder, Oscar, a level-thirty-eight Soul Elder... They were all nurtured by our Shrek Academy."
He paused, looking directly at Meng Shenji as his tone grew earnest:
"Headmaster Meng, our Shrek Academy merging into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is not to take advantage, but to give these children a better developmental platform. If you are willing to take us in, I guarantee that the achievements these children attain in the future will surely make the Heaven Dou Royal Academy proud."
Meng Shenji fell silent.
He had to admit that Yu Xiaogang's words truly moved him. A fourteen-year-old level-forty-four Soul Ancestor—such talent was indeed rare.
Moreover, judging by Yu Xiaogang's implication, Shrek Academy possessed several other students whose talents were equally outstanding. If these geniuses could be incorporated into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, it would undoubtedly be of immense help in elevating the academy's prestige and strength.
He pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "The Grandmaster's words, this old man will consider seriously. However, this matter is of great import, and this old man needs to discuss it with the other two education committee members before giving you a reply."
"Naturally." Flender said hastily, "Then we shall await the good news from the Education Committee in Heaven Dou City."
Meng Shenji nodded and turned to leave.
Watching Meng Shenji's receding figure, Flender let out a long sigh of relief, turned to look at Yu Xiaogang, and a smug smile appeared on his face:
"Grandmaster, you're still the resourceful one. A few words were all it took to sway that old fellow."
Yu Xiaogang smiled reservedly, though a flash of hard-to-conceal complacency crossed his eyes: "Theory is ultimately meant to be put into practice. The talent of Tang San and the rest is our best bargaining chip."
Tang San stood to the side, listening to his teacher's praise, a smile involuntarily tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Over these past years, he had been cultivating desperately. Ever since he was defeated by Xiao Lin at Nuoding Academy that day, he had harbored a surge of drive, swearing that he must surpass that fellow.
He got up to cultivate before dawn every day and practiced late into the night before resting. He worked this hard on one hand to become stronger, and on the other hand, to win Xiao Wu's approval.
He liked Xiao Wu, and had liked her from the very first moment he saw her.
Yet Xiao Wu always hovered around Xiao Lin, which made him feel quite uncomfortable in his heart. He felt that as long as he grew strong enough, Xiao Wu would see his worth and shift her gaze away from Xiao Lin.
As for Xiao Lin—a cold sneer surfaced at the corner of Tang San's mouth.
That fellow who refused to listen to his teacher's words and stubbornly insisted on taking some power-attack route, must probably be ruined by now, right?
Without a teacher's guidance or correct cultivation methods, no matter how good his talent was, he would only waste it in vain. He was probably still in some corner regretting not having listened to his teacher's words back then.
Before you continue