Lin Chen watched from the side and laughed.
Shrek Academy was just this way.
They completely lacked the ability to cultivate geniuses.
Even after geniuses displayed their own talents, they only received a second look because of their innate aptitude.
Take Huo Yuhao for example.
Later on, if he did not possess Twin Martial Souls, no matter how dazzling his performance was, so what?
In the eyes of Shrek, he was still just a dog by the side of the road.
If Tang Ya did not possess the ability to devour life to grow crazily strong, in the eyes of Shrek, she would also be a dog by the side of the road.
Yet now, Tang Ya had already earned the qualification to be vigorously nurtured by Shrek.
"Wow! Core Disciple treatment."
Lin Chen clapped his hands, his tone exaggerated.
"Truly such a grand gesture, truly worthy of Shrek. Shrek, well done."
Lin Chen smiled, then looked at Yan Shaozhe.
"This dean."
"Isn't your Shrek the number one academy under heaven?"
"Why weren't you able to discover Tang Ya's talent at the very beginning?"
"According to her normal progression, she should have been forced to withdraw next year."
"If not for this opportunity, you would never have valued her in this lifetime."
"Then can I understand it as Shrek Academy completely lacking the ability to unearth geniuses?"
"All you can do is wait for geniuses to become geniuses on their own, and then give them so-called Core Disciple treatment to shackle them to Shrek Academy?"
Lin Chen's voice was not loud, yet every word struck straight at the heart.
The entire hall fell into a dead silence.
As soon as Lin Chen spoke these words, not only Yan Shaozhe, but all the elders of Shrek Academy, including Mu En, all changed expression.
This brat was provoking the authority of Shrek.
Did he truly not know how the word death was written?
This was the territory of Shrek after all.
Yan Shaozhe's face was ashen, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white, and the Soul Power pressure from his body released involuntarily, pressing down until the air in the entire hall froze.
Several elders also wore unkind expressions, the gazes they cast toward Lin Chen carrying a hint of coldness.
Yet to be honest, Lin Chen was truly unafraid.
After all, forces like this that vaunted their own justice were the easiest to manipulate.
Because they cared most about their reputation and valued face above all else.
The more a force touted itself as righteous, fair, and great, the more it would not dare to make a move against a newly enrolled freshman in full view of the public.
"Our tests for students are multi-elemental, multi-faceted, and multi-layered."
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Tang Ya indeed never displayed corresponding talent before, so it was only normal that we failed to discover it."
"But now that she has, we can no longer let her drift."
"We must give her the best resources."
"She is already a Soul Emperor."
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
"As far as I know, reaching this level of cultivation at Shrek Academy allows one to enter the Inner Court, right?"
"You giving her the identity of a Core Disciple-isn't that humiliating her?"
"Tuition waiver, and enjoying high-tier meals in the cafeteria."
"Resources are prioritized for her, but the allocation is extremely vague; isn't it still just whatever you feel like giving?"
"The final point is the most ridiculous one."
"Ensuring her Soul Ring Configuration, but excluding a hundred-thousand-year one."
"So if her seventh soul ring can absorb a hundred-thousand-year one, you lot just won't let her acquire it, is that it?"
"Prioritizing the acquisition of soul rings for students can actually be used as a condition for being a Core Disciple."
"Does that mean your Shrek Academy doesn't help all students acquire soul rings?"
"After entering your academy, your academy enjoys the benefits brought to you by talented students, yet you don't want to grant them corresponding treatment."
"Only after becoming a Core Disciple can one have powerhouses escort them to acquire better soul rings."
"Then what did the students come to Shrek for?"
"What use are you?"
"You-"
As soon as Lin Chen said this, everyone grew furious.
Several elders slammed the table and stood up, glaring with wide eyes. Their soul power pressures were released simultaneously, and the air throughout the hall grew heavy.
Yet none of them could refute him.
After all, what Lin Chen said actually seemed to make some sense.
Their academy only recruited geniuses, but if they couldn't even match geniuses with the most suitable soul rings, that really was a bit unreasonable.
However, Yan Shaozhe's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Lin Chen, breathing heavily like an enraged ox.
"What do you understand?
You don't understand a damn thing!"
"If we go on a massive slaughter of Soul Beasts with powerful bloodlines or high cultivation in the Star Dou Great Forest, it will inevitably provoke a Beast Tide, and by then, the common people will suffer!"
Yan Shaozhe's voice was practically a roar, his chest rising and falling violently.
"Ah, I understand now."
Lin Chen smiled.
"So right now you are accommodating the Star Dou Great Forest, accommodating a bunch of beasts, is that it?"
"Can I understand it as Shrek Academy monopolizing all the geniuses across the entire continent?"
"Aside from the Sun Moon Empire, whether it's the Heavenly Soul Empire, the Dou Ling Empire, or the Star Luo Empire, from the imperial households down to commoners, as long as they are geniuses, they are all monopolized by Shrek."
"Even after gathering all the proud talents of the continent, you still cannot contend against the Star Dou Great Forest, is that so?"
"Because right now you completely represent all human Soul Masters, since you have monopolized every single genius among human Soul Masters."
"Then humanity has suffered a crushing defeat in the fight against soul beasts, hasn't it?"
"You can't even resist a soul beast Beast Tide."
"Then what face do you have left? What qualification do you have to monopolize all the geniuses? What qualification do you have to be the continent's number one academy?"
"Since you enjoy the sustenance of the entire continent and suck the blood of the entire continent, isn't resisting the Beast Tide the proper thing to do?"
"Why on earth shouldn't we go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts?"
"Why on earth should we foot the bill for your incompetence?"
"When my cultivation reaches the appropriate level, if I want to acquire a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, I have to look at the expression of the Star Dou Great Forest, simply because you lot at Shrek Academy are too useless to hold back a Beast Tide. Is that how it is?"
Lin Chen rattled off these words in one continuous stream.
He railed so fiercely that every single elder of Shrek Academy was left speechless.
Including Mu En.
His good temper completely dissipated as well, his brows locked tightly, his expression so gloomy water could practically drip from it.
Every single word Lin Chen spoke hit the bullseye; every single phrase struck right at their hearts, and they were unable to refute a single one.
Watching from the side, Huo Yuhao felt only that Lin Chen's combat power was simply too fierce.
To take on so many top-tier powerhouses alone without falling at a disadvantage in the slightest-too fierce.
As for Tang Ya, her adoration for Lin Chen reached its absolute peak.
Her eyes were filled with little stars as she watched Lin Chen's back, wishing she could stand on the spot and applaud in cheers.
Everyone else wore expressions of utter defeat.
They simply had no response to Lin Chen's questioning, because everything Lin Chen said was true.
They had monopolized all the geniuses of the continent, yet in the end they couldn't even contend against the Star Dou Great Forest.
On the contrary, they also restricted other forces on the continent, forbidding anyone from hunting the top bloodline soul beasts and powerful Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest precisely out of fear of provoking a Beast Tide.
Yan Shaozhe was naturally unwilling to be suppressed by Lin Chen.
At his advanced age, being lectured and manipulated by a little brat was simply too humiliating.
Before you continue