Shrek Academy

The two chatted and laughed as they crossed the campus, soon reaching the rear garden.

Dugu Yan was crouching beside a flower bed, practicing her Soul Power control. Seeing them approach, she quickly stopped cultivating and stood up, dusted off her hands, and smiled sweetly. "Master, Mistress!"

Yu Xiaogang smiled and nodded. "Yanyan, your mistress and I are going on a long trip. We may be away for some time."

"Stay at the academy and cultivate diligently while we're gone. If anything comes up, go to your grandfather or Teacher Yin Shu."

Dugu Yan froze for a moment. "Huh? Master, how long will you be gone?"

"It's hard to say."

"But it shouldn't be too long. Work hard on your cultivation. We'll be checking your progress when we get back."

"Yes, Master!"

Dugu Yan immediately straightened her back and nodded earnestly.

"I'll definitely work hard!"

Liu Erlong also came over and patted the girl's shoulder. "Be good. I'll bring you a present when we return."

Dugu Yan grinned. "Thank you, Mistress!"

Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong gave her a few more reminders before turning toward the academy gates.

The next day, outside Suotuo City.

A field of rapeseed flowers spread into a golden sea beneath the sunlight. A dirt road wound through the fields, stretching into the distance.

A few birds occasionally swept across the sky. All around, it was so quiet that only the rustling of wind through the flowers remained.

"Where exactly is Shrek Academy? The address Teacher gave us wasn't very clear."

Xiao Wu shaded her eyes with one hand, squinting into the distance.

"It's so far~ I'm so tired~"

Hearing this, Tang San replied without looking back, "Are you in any position to say that?"

"I was saying it for you."

The view pulled back to reveal Xiao Wu lying on Tang San's back, her arms draped loosely over his shoulders and her chin resting on his shoulder, looking perfectly at ease.

Tang San really did dote on her. He had carried her all the way here from Suotuo City.

"Brother, look up ahead!"

Xiao Wu suddenly pointed forward.

"There's a village!"

Tang San looked in the direction she was pointing. There was indeed a small village ahead, with a few sparse rows of houses and dusty gray courtyard walls. No matter how he looked at it, it hardly seemed like the site of a proper academy.

"No way. This... shabby little village?"

Xiao Wu jumped off his back and stood there, looking it over.

"Did Teacher make a mistake? Forget comparing it to Blue Tyrant Academy. It's not even as good as Nuoding Academy."

Tang San was a little uncertain too, but this was the spot marked on the map. "This should be it. Let's go take a look."

They followed the dirt road and gradually heard a clamor of voices up ahead.

A crowd had gathered outside Shrek Academy's gates, where a middle-aged man, his face flushed red, was arguing with an old man at the entrance.

"What? He doesn't qualify? My son was a top student at his junior Soul Master Academy! What gives you the right to say he doesn't qualify? Scammers! Give us our money back!"

The old man sat in a rocking chair without even lifting his eyelids. "I already told you. The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins, and once you've registered, there are no refunds. Next."

"What?! That's ten Gold Soul Coins! You're far too crooked!"

The old man tilted his head and called through the gates, "Mubai, come handle this."

"All right."

Dai Mubai walked out through the gates with his arms folded, looking down at the man. "Want your registration fee back? Sure. Beat me, and you'll get a full refund."

As he finished speaking, three Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple! A three-ring Soul Elder!

The man stared at his Soul Ring Configuration and opened his mouth, but forcibly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, his face turning blue with frustration. In the end, he could only awkwardly take his son and leave.

Only then did the old man rise from his rocking chair. He cleared his throat and swept his gaze over the crowd. "I'll explain our academy's rules once more, so none of you waste your money. A shrek is a kind of monster, an extremely peculiar existence even among Soul Beasts. The meaning behind our Shrek Academy's name is Monster Academy. Remember, we only accept monsters, not ordinary people."

"The entrance exam has four rounds. If you're over thirteen or your Soul Power Level hasn't reached twenty-one or higher, don't waste your time."

A low murmur immediately rose from the crowd, and several people who had hoped to try their luck quietly withdrew.

A middle-aged man muttered, "With these lousy rules, only a ghost would come."

He had already known Shrek Academy's rules and had merely wanted to try his luck.

Just as his words fell, two voices rang out together from outside the crowd.

"We'd like to register."

Everyone turned toward the voices and saw a blue-haired boy and a girl with a scorpion-tail braid step forward side by side.

Tang San took a cloth pouch out of Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges and placed it on the table. "Grandpa, here's our registration fee. Twenty Gold Soul Coins in total."

The moment Dai Mubai saw Tang San, his eyes lit up, and he discreetly gave him a thumbs-up.

Tang San saw him too and smiled with a slight nod.

The old man said nothing more. He first motioned for the two to extend their hands, then quickly checked Xiao Wu's bone age. "Your age qualifies."

When it was Tang San's turn, the old man suddenly frowned. "Have you practiced some kind of Soul Skill on your hands?"

"Yes."

"Raise your leg."

The old man felt the bones in his lower leg, a trace of surprise appearing in his eyes.

"Not bad. Your leg muscles are extremely tough, and your bone age qualifies. Now release your Soul Rings."

Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged smiles.

The next instant, four Soul Rings rose simultaneously from beneath each of their feet.

Yellow, purple, purple, black!

Yellow, purple, purple, black!

Their Soul Ring Configurations were identical, each set of four rings rich in color and shimmering with light.

The old man's pupils abruptly contracted, and he nearly lost his balance and toppled over. "Soul Ancestors? Two of them? Twelve-year-old Soul Ancestors, and those Soul Ring Configurations..."

Being a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor was already outrageous enough. A thousand-year Second Soul Ring and a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring were even more unheard of.

The old man opened his mouth, but for a long while, he simply could not get a word out.

Tang San looked at the old man and asked politely with a smile, "Teacher, do we count as monsters?"

The old man fell silent for two seconds, then burst into laughter. "You do! Of course you do! Two incredible Little Monsters, at that! Go on in. You can skip straight to the fourth round."

"Thank you, Grandpa~"

Xiao Wu called out sweetly.

Dai Mubai had already strode over and slung an arm around Tang San's shoulders. "Hahahaha! I knew we'd see each other again! Come on, I'll take you to the next examination area."

As Dai Mubai led him forward with an arm around him, Tang San looked back and nodded to the old man.

The old man waved and watched the three walk away before sitting down again, clicking his tongue in wonder. "I've really had my eyes opened today. I've never heard of a twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor anywhere on the continent, have I? And today, two showed up one after another."

"All right, next!"

The next person to step forward was a pink-haired girl.

"Summon your Martial Soul."

The old man spoke.

The girl nodded and raised her hand. Two Yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet.

The old man raised an eyebrow and studied her carefully. "Does your family know you've come here?"

The girl smiled sweetly. "This has nothing to do with my family. As long as I meet the requirements, that's enough, isn't it?"

The old man sighed helplessly and gestured toward the courtyard with his chin. "Go in. Follow those people from just now."

"Thank you, Teacher~"

The girl smiled and skipped through the courtyard gates.

"Another Little Monster. Why are there so many Little Monsters this year?"