Shrek Academy's First Impressions and Mu En's Special Interest

"Don't write off Huo Yuhao like that. From what I've seen, his Body Martial Soul is very likely his eyes, with a mental attribute. His health suffered badly when he was young, which seriously affected his talent and cultivation speed. That's why he's having such a hard time."

Jiang Yu's words startled Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

"A mental-attribute Body Martial Soul—his eyes? Xiao Yu, are you sure you saw it right?" Ning Tian asked in a low voice.

Body Martial Souls were difficult to pass down reliably. They were among the few martial souls that could appear in anyone, though the chances were extremely low.

Whenever one appeared, the continent's powers fought to recruit its owner. The reason was simple: Body Martial Souls were extraordinarily powerful.

In an age when tool and beast martial souls were subject, to some degree, to suppression by superior martial souls, Body Martial Souls stood apart. Not only were they formidable in their own right, they feared no bloodline suppression from either type.

"I noticed it while I was chasing the Demon Lizard Dragon. I'm probably not wrong," Jiang Yu said with a nod.

Ning Tian looked thoughtful. "Xiao Yu, do you think we could..."

"No chance." Jiang Yu knew what she meant. "Huo Yuhao has joined the Tang Sect, and it looks like he's already cultivating its techniques. The Tang Sect may have fallen on hard times, but it would never allow a disciple to betray it. Tang Ya, a three-ring Soul Elder, isn't much to worry about. But Bei Bei—and the Body Sect, which keeps an eye on every Body Martial Soul owner—are another matter."

"What do you mean?" Ning Tian and Wu Feng asked curiously.

In their eyes, the overbearing Body Sect was certainly best left alone. But Bei Bei was only a teenager. His cultivation was impressive, and he surely had some backing, yet both girls came from distinguished families and were used to being around Jiang Yu, whose talent surpassed even that of ordinary prodigies. They saw nothing astonishing about Bei Bei.

Jiang Yu chuckled. "His martial soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, but Tang Ya said he grew up at Shrek Academy. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is far too domineering to let another power raise a child who inherited its martial soul."

"That tells us something. Bei Bei has the clan's blood, but his roots are in Shrek. And there's only one powerful Shrek figure from that clan we've ever heard of..."

As Jiang Yu trailed off, the quick-witted Ning Tian seemed to realize something. She let out an involuntary gasp, then hurriedly covered her mouth, profound shock filling her eyes.

"If that's true, Senior Tang Ya really did strike it lucky..."

Wu Feng listened to the two of them trade hints, utterly lost. Curiosity got the better of her, and she asked anxiously,

"What are you two talking about? Could someone please explain it to me? I really don't understand."

Jiang Yu and Ning Tian: "..."

"Children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking. If you don't understand, go play in the mud."

Jiang Yu's exasperated reply nearly made Wu Feng bristle and hiss at him right there in the street.

Ning Tian shot Jiang Yu a reproachful look.

Our Xiao Feng isn't that quick to begin with. Isn't it mean to keep her guessing?

In the end, Ning Tian explained it to Wu Feng, who finally understood.

Once she did, though, Wu Feng nearly bristled all over again.

"What? You're saying Bei Bei is Dragon God Douluo's descendant? How is that possible?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Jiang Yu and Ning Tian both reached out to cover Wu Feng's mouth.

Wu Feng made a couple of muffled protests before belatedly realizing they were standing in the street.

"Feng, if you speak without thinking again, I'll send you back to the sect."

Jiang Yu had warned Ning Tian to rein Wu Feng in before her loose tongue caused trouble. Ning Tian had taken the warning to heart and decided to make an impression on her now.

Sure enough, Wu Feng's eyes flew wide. She shook her head like a rattle, muffled protests pouring out without pause.

Only then did Ning Tian and Jiang Yu let go. The instant they did, Wu Feng clung tightly to Ning Tian's arm and wailed,

"Young Mistress, you can't send me away! How am I supposed to live without you, Young Mistress..."

"Then behave yourself and watch what you say. Do that, and I won't send you back," Ning Tian said sternly.

"I promise! I promise I'll watch what I say from now on," Wu Feng said hurriedly.

Ning Tian finally gave a reluctant nod.

Then she turned back to Jiang Yu and asked,

"Xiao Yu, should we go register now?"

Jiang Yu shook his head. "Let's find somewhere to eat first, then rest a while. The later we register, the better our chances of being assigned to the same class."

Ning Tian nodded. Wu Feng, thoroughly frightened by Ning Tian's threat, didn't dare object. Soon, the three vanished into the crowd.

It was not until evening that the three of them went to register.

The teacher handling registration looked at them in surprise as they filled out their forms. When Ning Tian produced a token bearing the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's emblem, the teacher even rose to his feet.

"You three are specially invited students, so you don't need to take the entrance assessment. Just leave your names and Soul Power Levels. Of course, the academy will keep that information strictly confidential. It will never be disclosed to outsiders."

After they submitted their information, the teacher told them that, because they had registered late, all three had been assigned to New Student Class Nine.

Ning Tian was delighted. Wu Feng was happy too, though a little disappointed.

Her hopes of having Ning Tian all to herself had fallen through yet again.

As they passed the ten statues by the school gate, they stopped for a while.

Wu Feng eagerly talked to Ning Tian about the statues of Ning Rongrong and Oscar, while Jiang Yu's gaze settled on the statue at the front.

"Tang San... He looks respectable enough, but what he's done is downright shabby."

After murmuring to himself, Jiang Yu continued on with the others. When they reached the dormitory building, he immediately noticed a frail old man reclining in a chair by the entrance.

The moment Jiang Yu looked his way, the old man seemed to sense it. He turned his head slightly and looked back.

Caught off guard, Jiang Yu met those dim, yellowed eyes.

For an instant, he felt as though the figure before him was not an old man, but a colossal dragon lying there.

Fortunately, his mental strength was formidable. He recovered after only a moment's daze.

Jiang Yu stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Ning Tian and Wu Feng, a step behind him, froze for a moment, then quickly followed suit.

They did not know why Jiang Yu was bowing to an old man guarding the entrance, but he never did anything without reason. As newcomers, they figured following his lead could not be wrong.

The old man's gaze passed over the three of them in turn, lingering longest on Jiang Yu. Then he slowly closed his eyes and said,

"Go on in. The new boys' dormitories are on the first floor. The girls' dormitories are on the fourth floor and above. Any boy who goes up there will be expelled."

The three acknowledged him and entered the building.

After they left, Mu En turned his head back toward the evening clouds on the horizon and murmured,

"There are talented students every year, but this year has more than usual... Not bad, not bad. Two of this year's newcomers are especially interesting."

"I wonder what that young man's martial soul is. It carries the unmistakable aura of the Light Dragon Clan, yet there seems to be a trace of spatial power mixed in. And his mental strength is remarkable... In all these years, aside from Di Tian, I believe this is the first time I've sensed the aura of a Superior Dragon in a human's dragon martial soul."

"There's much to look forward to. Much indeed..."

As Mu En felt the vitality surging through the new students around him, it was as though a pebble had dropped into the lake of his heart, still for decades. The disturbance was small, but at last, there were ripples.