Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Shrek Academy (史莱克学院) |
| Alias(es) | Shrek |
| Affiliation | Governed by the Sea God Pavilion; historically allied with the Tang Sect and Spirit Pagoda |
| Occupation/Role | Elite soul master academy and a major Federation power centered in Shrek City |
| Status | Active; led by Cao Xin through the Sea God Pavilion during Yun Ming’s absence 72 75 |
| First Appearance | 8 |
Governance and Structure
| Division / Body | Function and known details |
|---|---|
| Sea God Pavilion | Shrek’s highest governing authority. Yun Ming appointed eleven-year-old Cao Xin as acting Pavilion Master before leaving the academy; Elders were assigned to routine affairs, while Zhuo Shi was designated as Cao Xin’s advisor on major decisions 72. |
| Outer Court | Uses a class-based teaching system. Its graduation requirement is four Soul Rings 18 53. |
| Inner Court | Uses a master-disciple system tailored to individual aptitude rather than standard classes. Inner Court graduation requires six Soul Rings, and its security is described as highly restrictive to outsiders 18 53. |
| Elders | Inner Court members who reach the Nine-Ring Titled Douluo realm become academy Elders rather than continuing field missions 24 43. |
| Shrek Inspection Corps | A force composed of Inner Court students ranging from Four-Ring Soul Ancestors to Eight-Ring Soul Douluos, nominally deployed against Evil Soul Masters 24 43. |
| Shrek City military | The academy maintains an army of 30,000 troops, including 5,000 Mecha Masters organized into five Mecha divisions—the maximum force permitted by the Federation 113. |
Background and History
Shrek Academy was one of the three major powers supporting the human soul master world alongside the Tang Sect and Spirit Pagoda. Its cooperation with both organizations endured for more than ten thousand years, but Long Yeyue’s unprovoked slap of Spirit Pagoda master Qian Gu Dieting shattered Shrek’s alliance with the Spirit Pagoda. The Tang Sect became the remaining bridge between the two estranged powers 8 10.
The academy’s prestige rests on a long-standing reputation as the continent’s foremost soul master institution. Its Inner Court is presented as a gathering place for elite talents, while Shrek City and Sea God Island serve as the academy’s political, military, and cultivation center 15 18 70.
During Cao Xin’s early conflict with Shrek, an Inner Court teacher attempted to force Ye Xinglan to apologize to Xu Lizhi and later attacked Cao Xin with lethal intent. Zang Xin killed the teacher, prompting Elder Cai Yue’er to pursue retaliation in Shrek’s name 18 20 21.
Cai Yue’er subsequently ordered the Shrek Inspection Corps to assassinate Cao Xin and fabricate evidence connecting him to Evil Soul Masters. The operation failed, exposing the Corps’ willingness to conduct covert killings for powerful academy figures 25 28. Cai Yue’er was later killed after escalating the conflict with Cao Xin, while Yun Ming chose not to retaliate against the Tang Sect because Shrek could not afford another major political confrontation 31 34.
Despite Cao Xin’s involvement in the deaths of several Shrek-affiliated figures, Yun Ming later invited him to join the academy. Cao Xin accepted, and Yun Ming soon transferred the Sea God Pavilion’s authority to him before leaving Shrek to pursue battle outside the academy 70 72.
Institutional Culture
Shrek’s culture is repeatedly portrayed as heavily shaped by status, obedience, institutional pride, and an expectation that its students must win.
- An Inner Court teacher threatened Ye Xinglan with removal from Shrek unless she accommodated Xu Lizhi, treating Xu Lizhi’s potential as a Food-type Soul Master as more important than her refusal and personal boundaries 18.
- Cao Xin criticizes Shrek’s historical conduct, citing exploitative admissions practices, reliance on Heaven Dou Academy’s resources, Xuan Zi’s treatment of Huo Yuhao, and repeated student casualties on Inspection Corps missions 18.
- Cai Yue’er successfully swayed hesitant Elders by invoking Shrek’s “ten thousand years of glory.” Cao Xin calls this reflexive defense of the academy’s reputation the “Glory Parasite” 31.
- Shrek’s school motto is stated as: “Mediocre are those who dare not court trouble” 70.
- After Xie Xie’s defeat by Long Yue, Cao Xin identifies Shrek’s fixation on victory as harmful to students’ state of mind and resolves to reform the academy from top to bottom 95 96.
Campus and Defenses
- Sea God Pavilion — Shrek’s central leadership body, located on Sea God Island 72 73.
- Golden Ancient Tree — Regarded as the foundation of Shrek’s long legacy. During Cao Xin’s confrontation with Cai Yue’er, Elders believed the tree’s blessing had aided his sword strike 33.
- Sea God Lake — A prominent landmark around which academy grounds and Sea God Island are situated 71.
- Missile defense — Shrek City possesses a missile-defense system, though enemy infiltrators were able to position more than one hundred Fixed Soul Guidance Shells over the inner city before the attack was detected 113.
- Elder response force — When the night raid began, Shrek’s Elders and Inner Court combatants launched into the air to intercept the incoming shells 114.
Major Arcs
| Arc | Chapters | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conflict over Ye Xinglan | 18–21 | An Inner Court teacher’s coercion of Ye Xinglan leads to his death at Zang Xin’s hands and a direct confrontation between Shrek and the Tang Sect. |
| Inspection Corps assassination attempt | 24–34 | Cai Yue’er orders the Inspection Corps to kill Cao Xin under a false Evil Soul Master charge. The plot fails, Cai Yue’er dies, and Yun Ming prevents Shrek from escalating against the Tang Sect 25 28 34. |
| Skysea exhibition defeat | 57–61 | Shrek’s seven-person team is publicly defeated by Cao Xin in a single attack. The loss ends the academy’s long undefeated competitive reputation and causes Federation-wide controversy 59 60. |
| Retaliation against the Skysea team | 64 | Cao Xin intercepts the defeated Shrek students and Shen Yi in a peach-blossom grove, declaring that he prefers to “pull out weeds by the roots” 64. |
| Cao Xin joins Shrek | 70–72 | Yun Ming invites Cao Xin into the academy, then appoints him acting Sea God Pavilion Master at age eleven 70 72. |
| Holy Spirit Cult infiltration | 73–75 | Hundreds of Evil Soul Masters infiltrate Shrek City after Yun Ming’s departure. Cao Xin destroys the invading force and remotely kills the Demigod Dark Blood Demon 73 75. |
| Reformist leadership | 95–96 | Cao Xin rejects Shrek’s obsession with victory and declares his intention to purge outdated elements and remake the academy 95 96. |
| War God Hall dispute | 110–113 | Chen Xinjie and Guan Yue confront Cao Xin over Long Yeyue’s death; both are killed. The War God Hall and Spirit Pagoda bring the dispute before the Federal Parliament 110 112 113. |
| Night Raid on Shrek City | 113–114 | More than one hundred Fixed Soul Guidance Shells descend over Shrek City after political tensions intensify, forcing the academy’s Elders into an emergency aerial defense 113 114. |
Relationships
- Tang Sect — A historic ally for more than ten thousand years. The Tang Sect became Shrek’s principal link to the Spirit Pagoda after the latter alliance collapsed 10.
- Spirit Pagoda — Former long-term ally; relations reached a freezing point after Long Yeyue slapped Qian Gu Dieting. Shrek later suffered financially from losing Spirit Pagoda privileges and resources 8 10 34.
- Yun Ming — Former Sea God Pavilion Master who sought reconciliation with Cao Xin, invited him into Shrek, and entrusted him with the Pavilion Master’s authority 70 72.
- Cao Xin — Current reformist leader through the Sea God Pavilion. His earlier conflicts with Shrek killed or removed several entrenched figures, while his later leadership seeks to reshape its culture 70 95 96.
- Long Yeyue — Former Supreme Elder whose actions damaged Shrek’s external alliances and contributed to its internal instability; she was dead by the time Cao Xin joined the academy 8 70.
- Cai Yue’er — Former Elder and one of the “Shrek Twin Moons.” Her assassination order against Cao Xin triggered the crisis that ended in her death 21 25 34.
- War God Hall — Became an open political opponent after the deaths of Hall Master Chen Xinjie and Vice Hall Master Guan Yue at Shrek 110 112 113.
- Holy Spirit Cult — Exploited Shrek’s internal decay and attempted a mass infiltration of Shrek City after Yun Ming left 73 75.
- Monster Academy — A competitive rival descended from Shrek’s lineage; tournament matches between their students carry institutional and political significance 94.