Backing him up!

The Soul King referee's voice rang out across the field. Silence had settled around the playground, and not a single discordant objection remained.

At that moment, every teacher and student had their eyes fixed on Jiang Dongjun.

Unrivaled!

The thought rose in every teacher's and student's heart at the sight of him, leaving a deep brand upon their minds.

They lived in a city named for monsters and dreamed of becoming monsters themselves. Today, they had seen a true monster!

But, speaking rationally, were those words too lavish a compliment for Jiang Dongjun?

Looking at his record, he had merely defeated a dozen or so One-Ring Soul Masters and five Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters in succession. It sounded like children playing house.

Thinking that way meant falling into a trap.

Why look only at the level of his opponents? Why not consider the age of the person who had achieved all this? And how old were his opponents?

How many Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent had yet to even figure out meditation at Jiang Dongjun's age?

Ten breaths passed quickly.

Just as the Soul King referee prepared to announce the final result, a burly figure abruptly appeared before him. A privately transmitted voice reached his ears, forcing the words already rising in his throat back down.

"I'll handle this. You're done here."

The newcomer appeared to be around fifty, tall and powerfully built, standing over seven feet tall. He looked like a bear where he stood, with white hair like steel needles and bronze skin that reflected a metallic sheen under the blazing afternoon sun.

Jiang Dongjun twitched his nose slightly. He caught the same metallic smell on the man as on his father, Jiang Ming, and began to suspect who he was.

A strength-type or defense-type Soul Master? A middle-aged man? A Soul Engineer?

Could he be Qian Duoduo, the vice dean of the Soul Tool Department?

Jiang Dongjun immediately shifted his gaze beyond the field and met his father Jiang Ming's eyes. Their exchanged glances conveyed a few brief pieces of information.

Dad had actually invited him?

Then he was most likely Qian Duoduo.

Jiang Dongjun also deduced the reason. Du Weilun had probably been unfriendly toward him, and his father had smelled trouble and gone to fetch reinforcements.

Dad, you're dependable!

Qian Duoduo... pity his misfortune, rage at his spinelessness.

A cuckold picking up someone else's castoff. If Huo Yuhao hadn't stirred things up, he probably would never have won her over, no matter how long he groveled.

Otherwise, there didn't seem to be much to criticize. Among internet users in my previous life, his reputation was fairly good.

As though sensing Jiang Dongjun's scrutiny, Qian Duoduo lowered his head to meet his eyes, nodded in greeting, and offered a friendly smile.

"Everyone, forgive my unannounced arrival. I witnessed a splendid match. To think that Shrek Academy's prospective students include such outstanding young Soul Masters as yourselves, and that you will bring another century of prosperity to Shrek Academy-it truly warms my heart!"

Creepy old guy, who are you? What's all this about warming your heart?

The teachers and students looked strangely at the man who had appeared out of nowhere.

They could guess that he was powerful, but did Shrek City lack powerful Soul Masters? Only an exceptional background or status merited special regard here.

As though hearing the thoughts of the teachers and students around the playground, Qian Duoduo continued with a smile:

"Oh, right. Let me introduce myself. My name is Qian Duoduo. I'm the vice dean of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department, and my title is 'Black Dragon.'

"Those of you Soul Masters and Soul Grandmasters who fought Jiang Dongjun, don't lose heart over a temporary defeat. You're very talented. You simply ran into someone even more talented!

"I promise you this: once you enroll at Shrek Academy, if you'd like to learn about Soul Tools, you may come to my office. I'd be delighted to speak with you heart to heart and help you plan your future paths as Soul Masters, or even Soul Engineers."

Boom!

The entire field erupted.

Once they heard who Qian Duoduo was, the atmosphere instantly became feverish.

A Titled Douluo! A monster standing at the summit of the Soul Master pyramid! They had actually been fortunate enough to see one today?!

And if they got into Shrek Academy, someone like him would be willing to speak with them individually? To offer them guidance?

What an honor! What an honor!

As for Soul Tools, they unconsciously overlooked that part.

"All right, everyone. Settle down."

The formidable presence of a Titled Douluo instantly calmed the restless crowd.

"I won't go back on my promise. There's no need to repeat it; just remember it."

"Let's return to the matter at hand. We shouldn't neglect today's star."

As he spoke, Qian Duoduo drew Jiang Dongjun over and pushed him in front of himself, returning him to the gaze of the academy's teachers and students.

"I'll ask once more: does any student here believe they can defeat Jiang Dongjun? If so, step forward and challenge him!"

"If not, in my capacity as Black Dragon Douluo and vice dean of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department, I shall officially name Jiang Dongjun the foremost Soul Master of Shrek City's Elementary Soul Master Academy, and establish the position of 'Academy-Wide Chief' in both name and substance. With this title newly created, Jiang Dongjun shall be the first to wear its crown!"

Previously, the academy had only chiefs for each year, while the chiefs of the fifth and sixth years were implicitly considered the academy-wide chiefs.

Today, under Qian Duoduo's initiative, the previously nonexistent title of "Academy-Wide Chief" had finally become real!

Loosely speaking, titles could be equated with fortune.

In his earlier special view, the fortune above the entire academy had already come under Jiang Dongjun's control, though it remained somewhat diffuse. Now, because of a single sentence from Qian Duoduo, it expanded slightly and grew more solid.

Through his resonance with the Light of Time and Space, Jiang Dongjun discovered the change and truly wanted to shout, "Old Qian, you're magnificent!"

Who the hell was Du Weilun? You should be the dean of this Elementary Soul Master Academy!

"Ten! Nine! Eight..."

Black Dragon Douluo personally counted down, leaving all the teachers and students who witnessed the scene feeling honored to share in it.

"Three! Two! One!"

The countdown ended, and the dust settled.

"I hereby declare Jiang Dongjun the chief of Shrek City's Elementary Soul Master Academy!"

"To commend Jiang Dongjun's valiant performance in this contest, I personally grant him eligibility for an interview with the inner court's Soul Tool Department at Shrek Academy. If he wishes, he can enter the inner court's Soul Tool Department right now to pursue further studies."

As Qian Duoduo's words fell, Jiang Dongjun discovered that the fortune gathered above the academy could now be harvested by the Light of Time and Space!

First came a substantial one-time harvest of fortune. The academy was also continuously producing more. As long as he remained a member of the academy and the chief who held all its student Soul Masters beneath him, he could keep harvesting it.

It was like successfully buying into a profitable business and collecting substantial dividends every year.

Moreover, this Elementary Soul Master Academy's fortune was extraordinarily abundant. Jiang Dongjun felt that his ongoing harvests could condense into a considerable quantity of soul liquid every month.

He would have to assess the exact amount carefully when he was alone.

Boom!

The entire field erupted again.

This time, everyone was green with envy over Jiang Dongjun's exemption from the inner court entrance examination.

The Soul Tool Department's inner court was still the inner court!

How many of them would never have a chance to enter it, even if they gained admission to Shrek Academy and completed their studies there?

Thus, an academy-wide contest that had come out of nowhere, yet was destined to have far-reaching consequences, drew to a close.

With Qian Duoduo's hand resting on Jiang Dongjun's shoulder, their figures vanished from the playground. When they reappeared, they were already on the dais, standing before Du Weilun.

"Director Du, your face is as dark as ever."

Qian Duoduo greeted him with a teasing smile, then pushed Jiang Dongjun from his side to stand in front of him.

"Well, Director Du? Is this child of our Soul Tool Department worthy of your discerning eye? I just heard that you forced him to demonstrate his Soul Power cultivation and promised him a gift if he won. You even claimed that this gift was the most precious thing to any Soul Master. So tell me, Director Du, did you prepare a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, or a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?"

Although the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department were at odds, how could Du Weilun dare bare his teeth at Qian Duoduo? He would have to call Yan Shaozhe over for that.

Du Weilun forced a smile onto his dark face and said sheepishly, "Dean Qian, surely you're joking? A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring or a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone? I couldn't produce either even if you beat me to death. Besides, this boy couldn't use them."

"Hmph. I'm not joking. I'm taking you seriously! And you, Du Weilun, were the one who got serious with a junior first. His spiritual power is exceptionally advanced-does that offend your eyes? Are you jealous? You even specifically barred him from using spiritual power in the contest. His parents are lecturers in the Soul Tool Department. You're slapping our entire department in the face!"

The terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo bent Du Weilun at the waist, and beads of sweat covered his face.

"Dean Qian, Dean Qian, please hear me out. There's been a misunderstanding. That boy's spiritual power is absurdly strong. It seems to have reached the level of a Soul King or Soul Emperor. I thought he was a spiritual-type Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had taken human form. That's why I kept targeting him. It was all a misunderstanding!"

The explanation only made Qian Duoduo angrier, and his mouth fired like a barrage of cannonballs.

"Bullshit! Didn't you read his records? He has a biological father and mother. He was born in Shrek City. Tell me how a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could have worked its way into that chain of events!

"No matter how you dress it up, you're still prejudiced against our Soul Tool Department. You're still looking at our teachers through tinted glasses!

"Listen here, Du. This isn't going to end easily today!

"Either honor your promise and hand over a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone as compensation, apologizing to this child and to my Soul Tool Department;

"Or I'll take this to the Sea God Pavilion. Don't forget which way the wind has been blowing in the academy lately. Want to bet whether I can shake you out of your seat as director of studies?"

What?! He was going to take it to the academy, too?

At those words, Du Weilun immediately panicked.

For some reason, the winds within the academy had all been blowing toward the Soul Tool Department these past few days. Policies benefiting it were being issued one after another. Even his boss, Yan Shaozhe, had gone into seclusion to avoid the storm.

What if he walked straight into the line of fire now?

Shrek Academy had no shortage of Soul Douluos, or even Titled Douluos. Plenty of people had their eyes on the seat beneath him.

Du Weilun plastered his face with smiles and hurriedly backed down.

"Dean Qian, Dean Qian, this truly was a misunderstanding. I really meant no hostility toward the Soul Tool Department. There's no need to trouble the venerable elders over such a minor matter."

He turned his palm, and a section of dark red arm bone appeared in his hand. Violent waves of heat made the surrounding air churn.

Supported by Soul Power, it floated over to Jiang Dongjun.

Du Weilun knew when to bend and when to stand tall. Adopting a thoroughly humble attitude, he apologized directly to Jiang Dongjun.

"Student Jiang, I'm truly sorry. I mistook you for a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and made a very unreasonable demand of you. The gift I originally intended to prepare was only a Thousand-Year Soul Bone. But after hearing Dean Qian's words, I've come to deeply understand my mistake, so I've replaced it with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone as compensation. Please accept it, Student Jiang, along with my apology."

Qian Duoduo examined the dark red Right Arm Bone, his brows visibly furrowing. After a brief hesitation, however, he said nothing more.

For a Soul Douluo, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone represented a substantial portion of his wealth.

Jiang Dongjun also examined the dark red Right Arm Bone delivered before him. It was clearly fire-aligned, with a violent, intensely aggressive aura. It seemed to contain an offensive Soul Bone Skill.

But...

As Jiang Dongjun assessed its completeness, he felt some disdain, though his expression remained unchanged and betrayed nothing.

This Right Arm Bone consisted only of the forearm, palm bones, and the first three finger bones. Much of it was missing.

In truth, without looking through tinted glasses, this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone had a suitable attribute and would have been sufficient for an ordinary Soul Master, even one with Title Douluo Potential.

For the moment, Jiang Dongjun couldn't tell whether Du Weilun was harboring malice and withholding a good Soul Bone, or whether he had deliberately found a suitable one as a sincere apology.

Qian Duoduo, however, assumed Jiang Dongjun's hesitation came from being intimidated by Du Weilun's status and not daring to accept it, so he spoke up.

"Boy, you've earned this. Take it."

"...Thank you for backing me up, Dean Qian. Thank you for your generous gift, Dean Du."

Jiang Dongjun accepted the Soul Bone and put it into his Storage Ring, but his reply sidestepped any mention of accepting the supposed apology.

Du Weilun didn't mind. In his view, now that Jiang Dongjun had accepted the Soul Bone, he had given Qian Duoduo a satisfactory answer, leaving him no reason to keep snapping at his heels.

With the way the wind had been blowing in the academy lately, he couldn't afford to be branded hostile toward the Soul Tool Department.

"This Soul Bone came from a ten-thousand-year Flame Lion King. Based on our estimates, the Soul Bone Skill within it might be Flame Clone Strike."

Jiang Dongjun nodded. Having finished his display of arrogance, he now played the taciturn boy and said nothing.

If no one had absorbed this Soul Bone before, their guesses about its Soul Bone Skill were worth hearing, but not believing completely.

They hadn't guessed the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone's skill correctly either... uh, wait. What if Tang San had cheated for his daughter and altered its Soul Bone Skill?

Still, Jiang Dongjun kept feeling that the Soul Bone he had just put away contained an offensive Soul Skill. Once he got home, a look under the Light of Time and Space would settle it.

He would examine the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone as well, lest God King Tang have laid a trap.

Du Weilun rubbed his hands together. "Dean Qian, if there's nothing else, shall I have Vice Dean Ji take him to collect his other reward?"

Hearing the summons, one of the three vice deans who had been playing dead on the sidelines came back to life.

Qian Duoduo looked down at Jiang Dongjun and asked with a smile, "Boy, would you like me to accompany you to the Elementary Soul Master Academy's treasury to pick out a nice treasure?"

Jiang Dongjun didn't believe a treasury that routinely supplied cultivation resources for One-Ring Soul Masters and Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters could contain anything particularly good.

He couldn't be bothered to look. With Qian Duoduo here, he would borrow the tiger's might like a fox and ask directly for the most expensive thing.

"Are there any low-age Soul Bones in the treasury? I'm very interested in Soul Tools, and I'd like to try making one out of a Soul Bone in the future. I couldn't bear to use a ten-thousand-year one. A younger one would be good for practice."

Vice Dean Ji's heart lurched, and he cast a covert glance at Du Weilun.

Qian Duoduo wasn't about to let them "exchange tender glances." He settled the matter directly. "Surely you have Soul Bones of a few hundred or a thousand-odd years? Are you keeping them to breed? Bring them out."

"Tell us. Which ones are left?" Du Weilun spoke up as well.

By this point, there were already a great many Soul Bones on the market. Shrek City was also the continent's most commercially prosperous city and frequently received low-age Soul Bones. Shrek Academy had no interest in them, so it distributed them to its subordinate affiliated academies as teaching subsidies.

Only then did Vice Dean Ji speak. "Dean Qian, Director Du, there are three Soul Bones left in the treasury: a three-hundred-year left leg bone, a seven-hundred-year left leg bone, and an eight-hundred-year skull bone."

Qian Duoduo made the decision for Jiang Dongjun outright.

"Give him the eight-hundred-year skull bone as his reward. His spiritual power is highly advanced. Paired with a Soul Tool made from a Head Soul Bone, it would be a perfect match."

"I'll follow Dean Qian's advice. I choose the skull bone."

With two Soul Bones in hand, Jiang Dongjun was returned to his parents by Qian Duoduo, then followed his father and mother home.

Not receiving an invitation to become Qian Duoduo's disciple left Jiang Dongjun with complicated feelings. He couldn't tell whether he was breathing a sigh of relief or feeling something else.

Still, it didn't matter anymore.

Once home, Jiang Dongjun retreated into the Soul Tool Workshop. It was time to tally his post-battle gains.

He had defeated sixteen One-Ring Soul Masters and five Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters in total. Conservatively speaking, each had innate Soul Power of level six or seven. Barring unforeseen mishaps, all had the makings of future Soul Saints or Soul Douluos.

A rare few, such as Bei Bei and Chen Zifeng, had Title Douluo Potential. Those two had dropped the most fortune, enough to condense two drops of soul liquid with a little left over.

Adding the fortune dropped by everyone else, he had just managed to condense six drops of soul liquid.

Fortunately, those weren't his only gains. The biggest haul was still to come.