Led by Flender, the five of them reached the final trial without trouble.
As Tang San passed the second and third trials, he noticed how the people there seemed to want to say something, only to force themselves to hold their tongues.
"Dean Flender, don't we need to take those two earlier tests?"
"Your Soul Power has all exceeded rank twenty-five. Anyone who reaches above rank twenty-five before turning thirteen can skip the tests and proceed straight to the Fourth Trial."
Flender cleared up Tang San's confusion.
His own confusion, however, remained unresolved.
Tang San and Xiao Wu were both rank twenty-nine. He could sense that quite clearly.
The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was rank twenty-six.
The other girl was rank twenty-seven.
Yet Jin Jiuxiao, who had likewise come to Shrek on Yu Xiaogang's recommendation, was the one whose cultivation he could not see through at all.
According to Yu Xiaogang's letter, Jin Jiuxiao was even stronger than Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang had taken to heart Jin Jiuxiao's offhand remark back then that he was six and a half.
Flender pondered the reason.
Jin Jiuxiao is twelve and a half. His cultivation couldn't possibly be higher than mine.
Xiaogang wrote in his letter that Jin Jiuxiao came from a Secluded Family. It seems he has some treasure on him that conceals his aura.
Tsk, tsk... a Secluded Family, all right. They certainly spare no expense.
That was the only possibility Flender could think of.
An ordinary family could not produce a treasure capable of concealing someone's aura.
Let alone give it to a junior to use.
No wonder Xiaogang asked me to test Jin Jiuxiao's strength separately.
But was the truth really as Flender guessed?
Jin Jiuxiao had no item on him that concealed his aura at all.
Aside from his Storage Soul Tool, all he had was Di Tian's Reverse Scale, which he carried close to his body.
Di Tian's Reverse Scale had no ability to conceal his aura.
Jin Jiuxiao's Spiritual Power was already on the verge of breaking past the peak Soul Douluo level, while Flender's Spiritual Power matched his own cultivation, at the Soul Saint stage.
Someone with Soul Saint-level Spiritual Power wanted to probe the cultivation of someone whose Spiritual Power approached the peak Soul Douluo level?
Unless Jin Jiuxiao took the initiative to reveal his cultivation, Flender could stare his eyes out and still see nothing.
When the group reached another clearing, they saw a middle-aged man dozing in a chair.
Flender called out, "Old Zhao, get up. Time for the assessment."
"Let me introduce you. This is Teacher Zhao Wuji of our academy. He'll be conducting your Fourth Trial assessment."
"Meet the standard, and you can enroll."
"Fail to meet it, and you can go back where you came from."
Flender's words left no room for sentiment.
Combined with his status as a Soul Saint, they also stirred a sense of urgency in Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Hmm? Boss Fu?" Zhao Wuji sat up in his chair and swept a glance over the five behind Flender. "Whoa! So many Little Monsters this year?"
Only when Zhao Wuji stood up did Jin Jiuxiao discover...
This muscular, incredibly burly Zhao Wuji was so short.
He himself was now 175 centimeters tall, slightly taller than Tang San.
Tang San was currently 170 centimeters tall.
And this Zhao Wuji... was even a little shorter than Tang San...
Flender nodded. "All five are twelve-year-old Little Monsters whose Soul Power exceeds rank twenty-five."
Dai Mubai was originally supposed to be the examiner for this Fourth Trial.
But with a lineup like this, they were still going to have Dai Mubai test them?
Could Dai Mubai even manage the assessment?
They might as well have Zhao Wuji do it. He only needed to hold back a little and see what these five were made of.
Win or lose, Flender would accept all these monsters.
Zhao Wuji stretched his limbs and walked up to them. "Originally, the one you were supposed to face was Dai Mubai."
"But the dean has spoken, so I'll play with you a little."
"For this assessment, you'll work together to withstand my attacks for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
"As long as even one of you remains standing, all of you pass."
"I'll now give you one incense stick's worth of time to get to know one another and discuss your approach."
"Once that incense stick burns out, the assessment begins."
As Zhao Wuji said this, Dai Mubai happened to arrive at the entrance with Oscar.
"Wait! Dean, Teacher Zhao, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Flender glanced at Dai Mubai. "Four Battle Soul Masters and one support Soul Master. After a couple of rounds, your Soul Power would hit rock bottom."
"Old Zhao knows his limits, and I'll be watching too."
That left Dai Mubai with nothing to say.
Oscar sidled up to Dai Mubai and muttered quietly, "Boss Dai, do you think they can pass the assessment?"
Dai Mubai heaved a sigh. "It'll be hard."
"You five, come a little closer."
Seeing this, Flender and Zhao Wuji's lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement in their eyes.
They knew perfectly well what Dai Mubai was plotting.
But would telling them help? For a Soul Saint to fight a group of Soul Grandmasters, wouldn't it be as easy as taking something right into his hand?
Just then, Flender spoke. "Jin Jiuxiao."
"Hmm?" Jin Jiuxiao looked back. "What instructions do you have, Dean Flender?"
"You'll be assessed separately, but the assessment standard will be lower than for the others."
"Face Zhao Wuji with everything you have. Let me see your strength."
"If your strength meets the standard, you'll be considered to have passed."
Jin Jiuxiao's expression did not change. He merely asked in return, "So I just need to go all out, right?"
He had not expected a "asking for a beating" segment.
He had originally planned to make a token effort, give Zhao Wuji a few punches, and be done with it.
"Exactly."
As Flender's words fell, the others showed differing expressions.
Tang San and Xiao Wu wore traces of confusion.
Zhu Zhuqing's face remained cold, giving no hint of what she was thinking.
Dai Mubai and Oscar stared blankly at Jin Jiuxiao, their eyes wide and mouths open.
Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, was visibly dissatisfied. In her eyes, Dean Flender was clearly giving him special treatment. "Why does his assessment standard get lowered?"
The curve of Flender's lips grew wider. "Lowered? Mubai."
Dai Mubai motioned for the five to look over, a wry smile on his face. "You think Jin Jiuxiao's assessment has become easier? It's exactly the opposite. His assessment is harder than yours!"
"Why?" Ning Rongrong pressed in confusion. "Is he a Soul Emperor too?"
"Teacher Zhao isn't a Soul Emperor at all. He's a Soul Saint! His title is the Immovable Wisdom King."
"What?!" Hearing that title, Ning Rongrong recalled the information she had read back then. "He's Zhao Wuji, the Immovable Wisdom King?"
At first, she had never considered that possibility at all.
In her eyes, having a Soul Saint like Flender as dean was already good enough for this shabby academy.
She had never expected there to be a second Soul Saint...
A trace of sympathy entered her gaze as she looked at Jin Jiuxiao.
"Do you have a grudge with the teachers at this Shrek Academy?" Ning Rongrong could not help asking.
"Not before this," Jin Jiuxiao answered truthfully. "You should worry about yourselves first."
But the future was harder to say.
Flender having him take the assessment alone was probably Yu Xiaogang's idea.
He wanted to probe just how far Jin Jiuxiao's strength had progressed.
After all... Tang San had always wanted another chance to reclaim his lost standing.
To prove his Tang Sect Secret Arts.