Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Flender (弗兰德) |
| Alias(es) | Flander — alternate spelling used in the Chapter 3 title 3 |
| Gender | Male 3 |
| Age | Middle-aged; exact age unspecified 3 |
| Affiliation | Shrek Academy 8 11 15 |
| Occupation/Role | Academy headmaster; tournament team organizer and training referee 3 11 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 3 3 |
Appearance
- Build and features: Burly, with a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and messy hair 3.
- Clothing: First appears in a black Soul Master uniform washed pale with age; later wears a long robe 3 8.
Personality
Flender is blunt and attentive to money. When Yu Xiaogang arrives with prospective students, his first demand is repayment of twenty Gold Soul Coins borrowed three years earlier. His enthusiasm for admitting Lin Yuan grows when the boy agrees to pay tuition, although he also accepts an unconventional arrangement for managing the academy’s lake 3.
His skepticism does not prevent him from recognizing talent. He initially suspects Lin Yuan’s fishing-rod Martial Soul is a joke, but welcomes him after hearing about his growth from zero innate Soul Power to level six. He also encourages Tang San to learn by accompanying Lin Yuan rather than merely attending classes 3.
Flender often answers criticism with defensive humor. He calls Shrek’s broken walls “open-style teaching” and its neglected scrap metal “teaching equipment.” Despite this bluster, he follows his students’ development closely, celebrates their tournament victories, and urges them to take care of themselves during their five-year separation 8 9 11 13 15.
History
Recruitment and the Lake Agreement
Yu Xiaogang brings Tang San and Lin Yuan to Flender’s struggling academy. Flender verifies Tang San’s Innate Full Soul Power and is astonished by Lin Yuan’s claim that fishing raised his Soul Power from zero to level six immediately after awakening 3.
The academy charges five Gold Soul Coins annually, including a room but not meals. Lin Yuan agrees to pay on the condition that he manage its lake, supply fish to the cafeteria, and decide what happens to his catches. Flender accepts, while warning him not to “fish my academy out of existence” 3.
Lin Yuan’s cooking exposes the academy’s poor food provision: its cook left three years earlier, and the dining hall has served only porridge since. Flender objects when Lin Yuan and Grandmaster arrange fishing lessons without consulting him, but drops the objection when Lin Yuan points out that he wants to eat their fish 4.
The Lake Mystery
When Lin Yuan asks about the lake’s depth and unusual Soul Beasts, Flender becomes guarded and admits that he does not know what lies below. He later comes to the shore carrying a long bamboo pole when Lin Yuan hooks an unidentified creature that refuses to move 6 7.
Flender questions Grandmaster’s suggestion that the creature is testing a human’s patience. The possibility that it is a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast makes him concerned rather than eager to pursue the catch 7.
Shrek Academy and the Elite Tournament
At Shrek, Flender defends the academy’s crumbling walls and neglected equipment as part of its approach to training “monsters.” Watching Lin Yuan outmaneuver the level-76 Zhao Wuji, he admits that he has never seen such a fighting style and asks Grandmaster whether the boy could win the Elite Tournament 8 9.
Flender selects the seven-person tournament team and referees its drill against Zhao Wuji 11:
- Dai Mubai
- Tang San
- Lin Yuan
- Xiao Wu
- Zhu Zhuqing
- Oscar
- Ning Rongrong
Before the Skywater Academy match, he warns that Shui Bing’er is level 36 and asks Lin Yuan for a strategy. Although he cautions Lin Yuan against mischief, he later celebrates the effectiveness of his tactics. Shrek’s victory over Spirit Hall Academy leaves Flender openly delighted 12 13.
Xiao Wu’s Exposure and the Five-Year Separation
Flender is shocked when Bibi Dong identifies Xiao Wu as a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. He and Grandmaster rush forward when Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo move to seize her, but cannot get close under the two Titled Douluo’s pressure 14.
After Tang Hao takes Tang San and Xiao Wu away, Flender gathers the remaining students with Tang Hao’s letter. He tells them to follow their own paths and return to Shrek in five years, expecting each to have become twice as strong 15.
Relationships
- Yu Xiaogang / Grandmaster — Familiar colleague and debtor. They exchange blunt remarks and repeatedly discuss Lin Yuan’s Martial Soul, combat methods, and potential 3 4 9 11.
- Lin Yuan — Student whose unusual cultivation challenges Flender’s expectations. Their relationship combines negotiated privileges, financial complaints, and increasing confidence in Lin Yuan’s tactical value 3 5 9 12.
- Tang San — Student whose Innate Full Soul Power immediately impresses him. Flender encourages Tang San to gain practical experience alongside Lin Yuan 3.
- Zhao Wuji — Fellow academy instructor who acts as the opposing fighter while Flender referees team training 11.
- Xiao Wu — Student whose hidden Soul Beast identity shocks him; he attempts to intervene when Spirit Hall orders her capture 14.
Notable Quotes
“Don't fish my academy out of existence.” 3
“Go on. Following that kid will teach you more than sitting in class.” 3
“Enough. Take care of yourselves. When I see you in five years, I expect every one of you to be twice as strong as you are now.” 15