Four-Eyed Cat Owl

Hearing the voice, Oscar and Dai Mubai snapped back to their senses. Oscar exclaimed, "Holy shit, Qin, that's extravagant! You carry a whole building around with you? How much did that cost?"

Qin Muchu said casually, "Not much. Just a million Gold Soul Coins."

"A... a million?" This time, even Dai Mubai stared at Qin Muchu in shock. A million Gold Soul Coins was not much to the Star Luo Imperial Family, but it was hardly a sum princes like them could summon at will, let alone spend on a Soul Tool for comfort. He could not help wondering what power Qin Muchu came from. What kind of family could raise a monster with such formidable talent and wealth?

If someone like him could be of use to me...

The Dean's office.

Flender reclined comfortably in a rocking chair by the window, eyes half-closed as he basked in the sun. An empty teacup sat on the table beside him.

With a creak, the shabby door opened from outside, and a muscular giant walked in. It was Zhao Wuji.

Flender did not even lift his eyelids. "Wuji, you're here. Perfect timing—make your Dean a cup of tea." In the entire academy, Zhao Wuji was the only person who dared enter his office without knocking.

"Forget the tea. You won't die of thirst," Zhao Wuji said in a rush. "Have you forgotten what day it is?"

Flender shot him an annoyed look. "It's the day we recruit new students, isn't it? Handle it yourselves. Do you need to bother me over something so small? What, did we fail to recruit anyone again?"

Zhao Wuji burst out laughing. He picked up the teacup and poured himself some water. "I've got incredible news for you. Don't laugh yourself to death, you old rascal. We recruited two genuine monsters this time."

"Oh," Flender said, unmoved. "Two students? Not bad. That's about average."

"Two eleven-year-old Soul Ancestors," Zhao Wuji added, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Mmm, Soul Ancestors. That's certainly not... What? What did you say? Eleven-year-old what?" Flender jerked so hard that he tipped backward with his chair. Seemingly oblivious to the fall, he sprang up and seized Zhao Wuji by the arm.

Meeting Flender's urgent gaze, Zhao Wuji nodded firmly. "You heard me. Soul Ancestors. And from what I sensed, they weren't merely at level forty. They're at least level forty-five."

He recounted his earlier fight with Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu. Once Flender had heard the whole story, he could no longer hold back. He grabbed Zhao Wuji and headed for the door. "Quick, take me to them."

"Slow down, you old fool. I already had Mubai take them to the dormitories. You'll see them when classes start tomorrow. What's the rush?"

"What do you know? Take me to them."

Before long, Flender and Zhao Wuji reached the residential area. Sharp-eyed Flender immediately spotted a two-story house that looked utterly out of place among its surroundings. His eyes widened. "Since when has there been a house here?"

He had barely spoken when Dai Mubai and Oscar emerged from it. Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged puzzled looks, then walked over.

"Mubai, Oscar, what's with the house? Where are the new students?"

Dai Mubai and Oscar turned at the sound of his voice. Seeing Flender and Zhao Wuji, they greeted them respectfully. "Dean, Teacher Zhao. This house is Qin Muchu's house-type Soul Tool. He and Xiao Wu are inside."

"What? A Soul Tool like that exists? How have I never heard of one?" Flender studied the newly appeared house with curiosity.

Hearing the voices, Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu came out. They saw a man past fifty with small spectacles and a face full of whiskers peering curiously around the yard. They understood at once: this had to be the academy's Dean, Flender, the Four-Eyed Cat Owl.

"Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu greet the Dean and Teacher Zhao."

"Mm. You must be Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu. The school has vacant dormitories, so why did you set up a house here?" A glint of greed flashed through Flender's eyes.

Qin Muchu was amused. The Dean truly was obsessed with money. Still, a gentleman acquired wealth by honest means. Flender might love money, but the fact that he was a Soul Saint whose academy was on the verge of closing showed that he was an upright man.

"Dean, Xiao Wu and I aren't used to school dormitories. If we're uncomfortable, it will naturally affect our cultivation."

Qin Muchu had perfected the art of telling people what they wanted to hear. When he enrolled at Nuoding Academy, he had claimed that dormitories with poor conditions offered a better atmosphere for studying. Now that he was at Shrek, discomfort would apparently affect his cultivation.

Flender did not mind. He had only asked in passing. His main reason for coming was to see these two youngsters and confirm their levels.

"I hear you're both Four-Ring Soul Ancestors at eleven years old. Is that true?"

"Not quite." Xiao Wu wagged a finger. "To be precise, we broke through level forty when we were ten and a half. Muchu and I are both level forty-seven now."

New students across Douluo Continent enrolled at the beginning of each year, so another half year had passed between Xiao Wu and Qin Muchu reaching level forty and coming to Shrek.

Flender drew a sharp breath despite already knowing the news. Oscar, who had known nothing about it, stared at the pair in a daze. Good heavens. Qin isn't just knowledgeable—he's extraordinarily talented and strong, and he's rich too.

"Release your Martial Souls. Let me see them," Flender said eagerly.

Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu summoned their Martial Souls. Flender nodded as he watched. "Mm, good. You really are both Soul Ancestors. Hm?" When he saw Qin Muchu's Soul Ring Configuration, his brows drew together. "Why does your Martial Soul look like that? And why is your Soul Ring Configuration two white, one yellow, and one purple?"

Qin Muchu felt helpless. The ages of his first three Soul Rings were too high for his Soul Skill to simulate them properly. Against an opponent, that was fine; their underestimating him would work in his favor. But whenever someone close to him asked, he struggled to answer.

With Flender asking now, he could only make something up. "My Martial Soul is unusual. Its mutation failed, which is why it looks like this. But I've already found a way to achieve a Martial Soul Second Awakening. Once the opportunity comes, I can awaken it again. As for my Soul Rings, this is all my Martial Soul can bear for now. Their ages will increase after the awakening."

Flender nodded in understanding. Cases of Martial Soul Second Awakening were not rare on the continent, so it was only natural that Mutated Martial Souls he had never heard of existed. Since Qin Muchu had found a way to awaken his and it would not hinder his future progress, Flender had nothing more to say. He patted Qin Muchu on the shoulder. "Get some rest today. Be at the training ground at eight sharp tomorrow morning."