Illusory Tricks? Disguised Soul Rings?

The next morning.

Outside Suotuo City's south gate, a long line had formed before a dilapidated little village.

By the time Ning Ze arrived with Ning Rongrong, Tang San, and Xiao Wu, the line had already curved around.

Several logs formed a crude broken gate at the village entrance, with a green sign hanging above it that looked exactly like a monster's head.

Ning Rongrong wrinkled her nose. "Ning Ze, are you sure this is Shrek Academy? What a godforsaken place! Even the side courtyard where the cleaning aunties of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect live is ten thousand times grander than this!"

Ning Ze smiled and rubbed her head. "You can't judge people by appearances. Some masters simply like hiding outside the bustle of the city."

Only then did Ning Rongrong put away her disgust, beaming as she nuzzled into his palm.

A battered wooden table was missing one leg. Behind it sat an old man in a faded long robe, his face weathered by time.

He was Li Yusong, Shrek's admissions teacher.

Li Yusong leaned back in his chair and tapped the table.

"The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins, nonrefundable. Shrek only accepts monsters under thirteen with Soul Power above rank twenty. We do not accept trash."

The requirements were harsh, but some people still clung to wishful thinking.

A plump middle-aged woman dragged her thirteen-year-old son to the table and began making a scene.

"Why won't you let us pass?! My son is an outstanding graduate of a junior academy! This is a scam! Give us our money back!"

"Rules are rules. No refunds for those who fail to qualify." Li Yusong did not even raise his eyelids.

"No! If you don't return the money today, I'll smash this lousy stall of yours!"

The people waiting behind them began to stir.

A blond figure strode out from the village. "You want to cause trouble? Ask whether this young master agrees first!"

Boom!

A tiger's roar rang out.

The sinister light in Dai Mubai's eyes surged as the pressure of his Soul Power silenced the entire crowd.

The woman's face went pale. She shrank her neck and dragged her son into the crowd before fleeing.

The others who had wanted refunds also shut their mouths.

Dai Mubai swept his gaze around, then it landed on Ning Ze and Ning Rongrong. The ferocity on his face vanished, replaced by a smile as he approached. "Brother Tang San, Brother Ning Ze, Miss Rongrong! Little Sister Xiao Wu! You came at just the right time. Go register."

With Dai Mubai leading the way, they arrived at Li Yusong's table.

Tang San went first.

Li Yusong pinched his wrist. "Bone age, twelve. Qualified. Release your martial soul."

Blue Silver Grass appeared, and two yellow Soul Rings rose—rank twenty-nine.

Xiao Wu followed. Twelve years old, also rank twenty-nine.

"Two monsters. Qualified. Go in." Li Yusong stroked his beard, looking thoroughly pleased.

Ning Rongrong had long since grown impatient.

The moment Tang San and Xiao Wu passed, she darted forward. She could not even be bothered to wait for the bone-age test and directly raised her right hand.

Bzzz—!

Seven-colored treasure light shot into the sky, and a crystalline seven-colored pagoda floated above her palm.

Two yellow Soul Rings quietly pulsed beneath her feet.

"This... this is?!"

Li Yusong shot to his feet, his eyes wide as saucers. "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?! The number one support-system martial soul in the world?!"

Ning Rongrong lifted her chin and planted her hands on her hips. "Well, old man? Does this young lady count as a monster? I can go in now, right?"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

Li Yusong nodded repeatedly and hurriedly handed Ning Rongrong a pass token.

Dai Mubai stared at the seven-colored pagoda, his gaze gradually turning vacant.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The richest sect in the world.

If he married this woman, what support would he lack in his bid for the Star Luo Empire's throne?

He licked his lips, unable to suppress the greed in his eyes.

Before Dai Mubai could recover, Ning Ze had already stepped before Li Yusong.

"Sir, it's my turn."

He held out his wrist.

Li Yusong felt the bones in his wrist. "Bone age, twelve and a half. Qualified. Release your martial soul."

"Alright."

With a thought from Ning Ze, his dormant martial soul awakened.

Bzzz—!

A cluster of pinkish-golden light blossomed in his palm, sacred and pure, yet carrying an indescribable allure.

The glow gathered and formed into the phantom image of a glowing heart.

A faint fragrance rippled through the air.

"What kind of martial soul is this? A heart?"

Li Yusong had lived for decades, yet he had never seen such a martial soul. He stood frozen in place.

Before he could make sense of it, movement had already appeared beneath Ning Ze's feet.

Two deep purple halos rose from beneath his feet, violet-gold radiance flowing across his white robes.

First Soul Ring—purple.

Second Soul Ring—purple.

Both were Millennium Soul Rings.

The village entrance fell so silent that the wind could be heard.

"Pur... purple?!"

Li Yusong gripped the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His old face flushed red, and even his voice cracked.

"How is that possible?! The absorption limit for the first Soul Ring is four hundred and twenty-three years, and the limit for the second is seven hundred and sixty-four years! Both of yours are millennium rings?!"

Over a hundred people around them sucked in cold breaths.

"A monster... this is the real fucking monster, isn't it?!"

"His first two Soul Rings are purple?! Am I dreaming?"

Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes lit up on their own as he clenched his fists.

"The first Soul Ring was already a millennium ring... Does that mean Teacher's theory of martial soul cores has been completely invalidated? How did he do it?"

Xiao Wu clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling.

"Wow... Brother Ning Ze is amazing..."

Ning Rongrong puffed out her chest and wrapped an arm around Ning Ze's.

"Hmph! My Ning Ze is a one-of-a-kind genius on the continent! Old man, a monster this great should be admitted directly, right?"

Everyone waited for Li Yusong to let him pass.

Yet he stared at those two purple Soul Rings, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. Finally, before everyone's eyes, he shook his head. "No."

The smile on Ning Rongrong's face froze. "What do you mean, old man?! Two Millennium Soul Rings and you still say no? Does this lousy academy even know how to recognize talent?!"

Ning Ze was also stunned, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Two Millennium Soul Rings were right in front of him, and that still did not make him a monster?

When had the threshold become this high?

Li Yusong coughed dryly and stood with his hands behind his back. "Two Millennium Soul Rings are indeed unprecedented."

"In tens of thousands of years of Douluo Continent's history, nothing like this has ever happened. It completely defies the common sense of Soul Masters."

"To prevent someone from using illusory tricks or a special martial soul to disguise the age of their Soul Rings and deceive the academy, the rules require us to conduct an additional test of your true combat strength."

That explanation was so high-sounding it could have been served as a meal.

Ning Ze nearly laughed out loud.

Illusory tricks?

Disguised Soul Rings?

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the faint sneer Dai Mubai had failed to hide.

He understood.

There had been no such scene in the original story.

At last night's rooftop banquet, Dai Mubai had been completely overshadowed by him. Coupled with how clingy Ning Rongrong had been, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger had probably ground his teeth to dust with jealousy.

After returning to the academy, he had whispered into Li Yusong's ear and set up this hurdle of "testing combat strength"—a perfectly legitimate excuse to beat Ning Ze up in front of Ning Rongrong and recover his lost face.

Ning Ze was not angry. Instead, he grew interested.

You want to use me as a stepping stone to establish your authority?

Young Master Dai, you've chosen a narrow road.

"The academy's concerns are entirely reasonable." Ning Ze nodded with a smile.

"May I ask how you intend to test me, sir?"

Li Yusong turned to Dai Mubai. "Mubai, you are an older student. You will make the move and test Little Friend Ning Ze's strength."

"Yes, Teacher Li!"