The office of the Martial Soul Department's dean.
A white-haired, middle-aged man sat at his desk, working through documents.
His narrow eyes scrutinized every word of the budget report. Then he picked up his pen and began crossing out all the large amounts.
"Hmph, the Soul Tool Department wants an increased budget? What use do a bunch of Soul Masters who rely on external tools have for so much money?"
Yan Shaozhe was about to cross out all the remaining amounts too, but remembering his teacher Mu En's instructions to develop the Soul Tool Department, he left a little more untouched.
"I'll just give the Soul Tool Department one percent of the Martial Soul Department's budget."
"Knock, knock, knock."
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
A Shrek student wearing an upper-year uniform entered the office.
"Dean Yan, sorry for the trouble, but we still need your guidance on class assignments for three new students."
"Oh? Are they promising talents?"
"One is a Tang Sect special admissions student with only rank 11 soul power, another is a Soul Grandmaster with rank 21 soul power who enrolled normally, and the last..."
"Out, out, out! Didn't I tell you? Just toss people like that to Zhou Yi for her to wreak havoc on. Don't bother me with such trivial matters."
Yan Shaozhe looked impatient. Bothering him over something this minor-did they think he had nothing whatsoever to do?
"But, sir, I saw those two get into a confrontation with a Soul Grandmaster with a Red Dragon martial soul at admissions. I was curious and eavesdropped on their conversation. That Soul Grandmaster was restrained from a distance by the rank 11 Tang Sect special admissions student."
"And the young master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was very respectful toward that Soul Master with Blue Silver Grass."
"Oh?"
Yan Shaozhe grew a little curious.
"The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has always competed with the academy for talented students. Anyone who catches their eye should have decent aptitude."
"And restraining someone from a distance-was that the Tang Sect special admissions student's doing? Did you ask what her martial soul was?"
"Spirit Eyes."
A spiritual-type body martial soul!
Delight appeared on Yan Shaozhe's face. The academy had done too little research into body martial souls. Having one would let them better research how to deal with the Body Sect.
"Then it seems these children really can't be left in Zhou Yi's class for her to wreak havoc on. Put them in..."
"It's just that the Spirit Eyes special admissions student's first soul ring is white, and the Soul Master the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect took an interest in has Blue Silver Grass as his martial soul."
"A ten-year soul ring? Then she's already ruined. We at Shrek can't afford the embarrassment of nurturing a body martial soul with a ten-year soul ring."
"And what roadside nobody with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul is this? The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect really must be in decline, recruiting even trash martial souls like that."
"Assign them all to Class One."
Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened at once. How did trash like this have the nerve to bother him?
"There's also another student with them..."
"How good could a Soul Master hanging around them possibly be? I doubt their cultivation even exceeds rank 21."
"Yes..."
"Go, go, get out. Decide trivial matters like this yourself next time. Don't bother me."
The freshman registration area.
"Sorry for the wait. Unfortunately, all three of you were assigned to Class One."
The upperclassman from freshman registration ran back and spoke to Lu Yu and the others.
"From the sound of it, Class One is a bad class?"
Lu Yu did not particularly care. According to his information, Shrek did not distribute resources during the first three months anyway. Only after the Freshman Assessment, when core disciple positions were awarded, could students receive the academy's investment of resources.
Even if he was assigned to a bad class now because of his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, surely they couldn't refuse him a core disciple position after he won the Freshman Assessment.
"Ah, Class One! That's that old hag Zhou Yi's class!"
Tang Ya, beside them, cried out.
"What, is it some kind of hellish training class? Don't worry. Yutong and I aren't afraid of hardship."
Lu Yu spoke. What a joke-he was all about strength. How could a little pain block his path to becoming stronger?
"I'm not afraid of hardship either." The petite Xiao Xiao raised her hand too.
"If it were just hellish training, that would be fine." Tang Ya's expression turned strange. "The problem is, that old hag's hellish training is nothing but running. She also loves obedience tests. The moment anyone talks back, she expels them."
"Because of that strange temper, she's already been transferred from the upper years to the first year."
"Huh? Why doesn't Shrek fire someone like that?" Lu Yu's scalp prickled at what he heard. "Don't tell me she has connections."
"She really does. I heard her husband is the Soul Tool Department's deputy dean. In short, you're in for it."
Tang Ya patted Lu Yu's shoulder. "Don't worry. Worst case, in three years I'll use the Tang Sect's special admissions slots to stuff you all back in, one by one."
"I appreciate the thought. If I get expelled, I'll just head off to Star Luo Royal Academy. Shrek isn't worth me shamelessly crawling back like a dog."
Lu Yu spoke irritably.
Star Luo Royal Academy! A trace of worry appeared on Huo Yutong's face.
Star Luo City is too close to the Duke's Mansion. If that hag finds out, will it cause trouble for Master?
No, I have to do well. I can't drag Master down.
"You've been assigned to Room 108, and you two have been assigned to Room 404. Here are your keys."
After taking the keys from admissions, Lu Yu and the others passed through the teaching building and reached a dormitory building whose first floor featured four colors: white, yellow, purple, and black.
At the dormitory entrance sat a white-haired old man who looked as though his total health had been over 8,000 and only 100 remained.
He lay in a reclining chair, half dead.
Lu Yu glanced at his martial soul and sucked in a cold breath.
His martial soul was a gigantic golden dragon radiating light.
Holy crap, isn't that Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Golden Sacred Dragon?
Whoa, that's ridiculous. Even the Douluo Continent has a hidden master sweeping the grounds.
Only after thinking for a while did Lu Yu recall the name of the person before him.
Isn't this Dragon God Douluo Mu En? Didn't they say he'd already kicked the bucket? Rumors really do lead people astray.
"Hello, Grandpa. We're new students here to enroll." Huo Yutong obediently stepped forward and handed over her badge.
Lu Yu also dutifully led Xiao Xiao in bowing to Mu En.
"Senior, you must be the renowned Dragon God Douluo. I've long admired your name."
Mu En raised his head and glanced at Tang Ya behind them. Tang Ya shook her head like a rattle drum. "I didn't say anything. He figured it out himself."
"To think an old fossil like me could still be recognized. Well, tell me what questions you need a little guidance on."
Mu En stroked his beard and spoke with a smile.
"I just wanted to ask your opinion on soul ring configuration, Senior. Let's take power attack system beast martial souls, your greatest specialty, as an example."
"Soul ring configuration? You certainly have a surprising focus, little fellow."
Mu En pondered for a while before speaking.
"When I was young, I thought powerful soul skills were the best choice. But when I reached the pinnacle, many of the attack soul skills I'd chosen early on were no longer useful. When facing a formidable foe, my soul skills left me one move short."
"In my view, the best soul ring configuration for the power attack system is none other than the White Tiger Martial Soul of the Star Luo Empire's White Tiger Duke. The three enhancement soul skills, White Tiger Protection Barrier, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, and White Tiger Demon God Transformation, are truly enviable."
"Unfortunately, most martial souls struggle to obtain predetermined enhancement soul skills. They can only rely on luck to find similar soul beasts."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior." Lu Yu nodded. It seemed the continent's peak fighters followed two approaches to allocating their points: assorted attack soul skills, or a mixture of attack and enhancement soul skills. Now he knew how to allocate his points to counter them in the future.
After bidding Mu En farewell, the four entered the dormitory building.
Lu Yu headed into Room 108. Before he even entered, he saw a blue figure standing arrogantly in the doorway.
"You're my roommate, right? Starting today, this dorm has five rules."
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