The streets teemed with carriages and horses, crowds bustled to and fro, and the markets buzzed with life. It was no exaggeration to say that any brick falling from above would hit an expert Soul Master.
Unlike the four kingdoms of Douluo, Shrek City's prosperity had nothing to do with the rise and fall of empires. It stemmed instead from the magnificent complex standing at its very center-Shrek Academy.
Xiao Zi watched with detached eyes. As he drew closer, information about the academy and its history surfaced in his mind, piece by piece.
Ten thousand years ago, the merchant Flender had founded an academy named after the legendary Monster Shrek. It accepted only geniuses, with exceedingly low admission and graduation rates.
Fortunately, at the life-or-death juncture when it was about to close down, the people who would change its fate arrived-the Shrek Seven Devils, led by Tang San.
Tang San attained divinity and brought all his companions up to the heavens with him. Their tale became a beloved legend, praised by the world for ten thousand years.
As for Shrek Academy, which had trained the seven, the power of their fame and a helping hand from the gods above allowed it to weather every storm. It ultimately grew into a colossus towering above the empires, a veritable state within a state.
Every successive head of the academy held a position comparable to an emperor's, if not greater.
A collision of continental plates four thousand years ago brought an utterly unfamiliar yet institutionally mature Sun Moon Empire into the picture. Cultural differences soon erupted into brutal war. The Douluo Three Kingdoms, still in the Stone Age, were beaten into despair by the technologically advanced Sun Moon Empire, with annihilation looming before them.
At that critical moment, Shrek's head at the time raised his arm in a rallying cry and gathered sixty Titled Douluo from across the continent. In a single battle, they dealt the Sun Moon Empire a devastating blow, propping up the great edifice on the brink of collapse and allowing the name of Douluo to endure.
From then on, Shrek Academy truly took root in people's hearts, its prestige surpassing that of all four imperial families.
Faced with this threat, the various nations adopted countermeasures. In recent years, members of the imperial families had ceased to attend altogether, and most students entering the Outer Court were children of nobles. The White Tiger Dai Family, for instance, only sent its children there for further study because its ancestors had ties to Shrek.
Even so, entering the Inner Court remained as difficult as ascending to heaven. That mysterious area on Heart Lake Island was where Shrek's true foundations lay.
Vast resources, supreme cultivation methods, outstanding teachers-all converged there. Each year, fewer than one percent of the Outer Court's geniuses were permitted to advance and become Inner Court disciples.
On the surface, it appeared to be fair competition. In reality, only those who had participated knew how slim their chances were. Exceptional talent was no protective talisman; what mattered most was catching a teacher's eye.
No one had more right to speak on this than Dai Huabin. A legitimate son of the illustrious White Tiger Duke had actually been humiliated by Zhou Yi, a mere Outer Court teacher, and expelled in front of his entire class, without the slightest regard for the ties between the Dai Family and Shrek.
In a sense, Zhou Yi's behavior was a miniature reflection of Shrek itself. The imperial families knew exactly what was going on, and their growing distance from the academy was hardly without reason.
"Student Dai Huabin, did you use the Duke's Mansion's allotted place?"
A tall, black-haired beauty with a cool demeanor walked gracefully toward them. Although she appeared to be addressing Dai Huabin, she was watching Xiao Zi the entire time.
Dai Huabin recognized her and hurriedly answered, "Yes, Senior Ling Luochеn."
Prompted by him, Xiao Zi stepped forward of his own accord and replied with neither servility nor arrogance, "Hello, Senior Ling."
She had a favorable impression of this handsome young man with his outstanding bearing. In stark contrast to her distant manner toward Dai Huabin, a trace of warmth entered Ling Luochеn's voice. "According to academy regulations, we need to test you. Please come with me!"
"But..."
Dai Huabin wanted to refuse, but Xiao Zi stopped him with a look.
"That's only proper. Let's go!"
She had expected this to take some effort, yet it had gone so smoothly. A flicker of surprise crossed Ling Luochеn's beautiful eyes. She could not help regretting his circumstances: serving as a lackey to a spoiled brat like Dai Huabin, he was a bright pearl buried in dust.
"We're only recording your basic information. There's no need to be nervous."
Her favorable impression continued to grow. Ling Luochеn made a point of explaining, then rested a hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to follow her.
The gentle, unintentional touch brushed across his shoulder, sending a tingling current through him. Through the thin fabric of his clothes, he could feel the delicate skin of her palm. Xiao Zi gave nothing away, treating it as nothing more than a senior looking after her junior.
"How does it feel to have someone looking after you?" Qian Renxue suddenly asked from within his Sea of Consciousness.
"Pretty good?" Oblivious to the jealousy in her words, Xiao Zi answered honestly.
Qian Renxue said irritably, "Shrek called you away on your own. Aren't you worried at all?"
Xiao Zi smiled. "Maybe it's because of Dai Huabin, or perhaps my information is unclear. They're just calling me over to ask a few questions."
"You certainly take things in stride..."
While communicating with Qian Renxue in his Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Zi did not remain idle in the real world either. He chatted intermittently with Ling Luochеn, quietly gathering basic information about Shrek.
The academic affairs office.
Ling Luochеn knocked on the door. "Director Du, I've brought him."
The person inside looked up. "Come in!"
Ling Luochеn acknowledged him but did not enter. Instead, she stepped aside. "Junior, this is the director of academic affairs, Du Weilun. He'll be registering your information shortly. I still have matters to attend to in the Inner Court, so I'll be leaving first."
Xiao Zi gave a gentle smile, presenting himself as mild and courteous. "Take care, Senior."
Only after watching Ling Luochеn walk away did he enter the office. Compared with dealing with rough old men, he much preferred talking to beautiful senior girls.
Du Weilun said, "Please, have a seat."
Xiao Zi sat opposite him, then suddenly spoke first. "Sorry for the trouble of having the director of academic affairs interview me personally. It's an honor."
Shrewd as he was, Du Weilun caught the implication. "Please don't misunderstand. You were only called here to fill in your basic information. Once it's registered, you can leave."
Though he did not believe him, Xiao Zi remained modest. "Please go ahead."
Du Weilun asked, "What are your name, Martial Soul, and Soul Power level?"
"Xiao Zi, Golden Horned Beast, level twenty-six."
Xiao Zi opened his right hand, and his Martial Soul and Soul Rings quietly appeared.
"A Beast Martial Soul, a power attack system Battle Soul Master, Soul Rings... two purple?!"
Du Weilun's pen flew across the page, but when he saw those two deep-purple Soul Rings, he nearly dropped it in shock. Among students at the same level, even Wang Dong, who had the best Soul Rings, only had one yellow and one purple.
Xiao Zi feigned puzzlement. "Director, is there a problem?"
Du Weilun gave him a long, searching look, then changed the subject. "Your name is just Xiao Zi? Didn't you have your parents give you a proper name?"
Xiao Zi said, "I'm an orphan." Those few words brought the conversation to a dead end.
Du Weilun choked. "You must have a surname, at least? You need an official name to study at Shrek. Come up with a new one yourself!"
The commanding tone was deeply irritating. Xiao Zi looked at him coldly. "Li Lezi-your daddy."
Completely unaware that he had just been insulted, Du Weilun continued writing briskly, filling in the final blank in the name field before dismissing him.
As he closed the door, Xiao Zi deliberately made his presence less noticeable and heard Du Weilun mention a name...
Zhou Yi.