Shrek

"Young master, your subordinate has returned." The guard bowed respectfully, then raised his head. When his gaze fell on Dai Youheng, a flicker of bewilderment crossed his eyes.

Strange. The young master actually looked completely unharmed. Had he only changed his clothes? Huang Heyun had gone to such lengths to bring a Soul Emperor here-surely it wasn't just to exchange a few words with the young master and get him dirty? That made no sense.

And the young master's bearing seemed somewhat different. He could not put his finger on exactly what had changed. It was only a feeling: a little less of his former timidity and restlessness, a little more composure and calm.

Seeing the guard report to him as naturally as ever, Dai Youheng understood. After devouring that sycophant, he had gained not only the other man's power and martial soul, but also the share of his presence that had been taken from him.

Now, in everyone's eyes, he was Dai Youheng. He would no longer be so easily overlooked.

He slowly rose, brushed some nonexistent dust from his clothes, and said evenly, "Good. Since you're back, let's set off as soon as possible. We've already lost so much time. If we don't get moving, we really might miss the first day of the academy's term."

His voice was calm and unruffled, carrying an air that brooked no argument. He seemed an entirely different person from the meek, flustered sycophant he had been before.

The guard's doubts deepened at those words. But he carefully studied Dai Youheng's face and confirmed beyond any doubt that this was his young master.

He could only attribute that strange feeling to the lingering fear from the attack his young master had just suffered-or perhaps the beating had knocked some sense into him? After all, a change in temperament was possible after such an experience.

Suppressing his doubts, he answered respectfully, "Yes, young master! The carriage has been destroyed. I'll go to a nearby town and find another means of transport."

"No need to bother." Dai Youheng waved a hand. "The next town is still far from here. Going there and back would waste too much time. You're fast enough; just take me along directly. Getting to Shrek as soon as possible is what matters."

The guard froze for a moment, then nodded. "You're right, young master. I failed to think it through."

Inwardly, however, he was even more astonished. This young master had always been particular about comfort and pomp, yet now he was actually proposing that they brave the wind and sleep beneath the open sky on their journey?

Dai Youheng said no more and gestured for the guard to lead the way.

The guard collected himself, let his martial soul possess him once again, and carefully took hold of Dai Youheng's arm. After all, a Soul Elder's speed was nowhere near that of a Soul King. Then he moved, turning into a streak of blue-green as he sped along the main road toward Shrek Academy.

Carried along by the Wind Wolf Soul King guard, Dai Youheng raced like the wind and lightning, finally arriving at his destination-Shrek City.

The towering city walls seemed to have stood there since time immemorial. Far taller and thicker than those of Star Luo Imperial City, they were covered in mottled scars left by the years and soul skills, silently recounting their long history and the fires of war they might have endured.

Carriages streamed through the city gates, and the crowds wove an unbroken tapestry. Soul Masters, merchants, travelers, and aspiring students arrived from every corner of the continent in an endless procession.

This was Shrek City, the undisputed foremost city on the Douluo Continent. Its fame and standing did not stem from the might of any empire, but rested entirely upon the academy at its center, with its ten-thousand-year legend-Shrek Academy.

Dai Youheng slowed his steps, his gaze sweeping over the magnificent city as information about it and the academy naturally surfaced in his mind.

Ten thousand years earlier, a Soul Saint named Flender had founded Shrek Academy.

Its original motto had been harsh and peculiar: "We accept only monsters, not ordinary people."

Who could have imagined that this little academy, initially unknown, would produce the generation of the "Shrek Seven Devils" led by Tang San? Every one of them had ultimately become a god, creating a legend unprecedented on the Douluo Continent and unlikely ever to be matched.

Because of them, Shrek Academy had risen in a single bound to become a sacred land in the hearts of the continent's Soul Masters.

After ten thousand years of inheritance, it had long held firm to the throne of the continent's foremost academy. It stood above worldly affairs and belonged to no nation, yet its influence was enough to make every imperial ruler wary while leaving them no choice but to treat it with courtesy.

The academy's dean held a position equal to that of an emperor.

More than four thousand years earlier, in the unparalleled war sparked by the collision of two continents, the Douluo Continent's forces had suffered defeat after defeat in the opening stages.

At that moment of peril, Shrek Academy's dean of that generation had stood upon the heights and issued a rallying cry. Drawing on unparalleled prestige, the dean had gathered nearly sixty Titled Douluo from across the continent and taken command of the armies in their hour of crisis, finally stemming the raging tide, crushing the Sun Moon Empire, and bringing about the unification of the two continents.

After that battle, no one could shake Shrek Academy's transcendent standing.

Yet ten thousand years of history and such lofty status had also brought new problems.

Every royal house, noble family, and major power on the continent racked their brains for ways to send their children to this "sacred land" to gild their credentials. However far above worldly affairs Shrek Academy stood, it could not completely disregard the wishes of the continent's entire upper class.

But how could the academy's founding principle-"accept only monsters"-be changed so easily?

Thus, an ingenious compromise had emerged: the establishment of an inner court and an outer court.

The outer court's admission requirements were relatively lenient. As long as an applicant's talent was not outrageously poor, and they could obtain a letter of recommendation from a noble, a renowned Soul Master, or an imperial official of city lord rank or higher, they could generally qualify for admission.

This gave the various powers across the continent some face, satisfying their wish to send their children to Shrek.

But its true core, the very essence of Shrek Academy, had always lain in the inner court.

The inner court stood on an island in the middle of the wondrous Sea God Lake at the heart of Shrek City. It was a gathering place for "monsters" in the truest sense.

The vast majority of the academy's finest resources, secret methods, and teaching expertise were devoted to the inner court. Only the outer court's most exceptional geniuses could earn special promotion into it, either by passing extraordinarily demanding assessments or by displaying such astonishing talent that the rules could be set aside.

We've already given you face. Whether your children can enter the true core and claim the real benefits depends on their own abilities.

This was Shrek Academy's unspoken declaration to the outside world.

Such a system suited the realities of this world quite well. It preserved the academy's transcendent standing and its principle of selecting the elite, while deftly balancing its relationships with the various powers.

"Young master, shall we go straight to the academy to register?" the Wind Wolf Soul King guard beside him asked quietly, interrupting his thoughts.

Dai Youheng withdrew his gaze and nodded. "Yes. Straight to the outer court's registration office."

The identity he had now assumed was still that of an outer court student.

As for the inner court, he did not actually share everyone else's eagerness to enter it. Apparently, outer court students could graduate at rank forty, and he was not far from that now. He would find an opportunity to leave Shrek.

He did not like this place.

Dai Youheng straightened his robes and strode toward the magnificent complex that represented one of the highest seats of learning for Soul Masters on the continent. A new stage lay just ahead.