Ning Rongrong covered her mouth, unable to suppress her laughter.
The group finally managed to leave the dining hall and walked along a wooded path in Shrek Academy.
Just then, a clanging bell abruptly rang out across the entire academy.
Dai Mubai's expression changed, and he hurriedly urged everyone on. "That's the assembly bell! Hurry up, everyone!"
Ma Hongjun said casually, "No need to guess. The dean must be collecting tuition."
Xiao Wu leaned close to Tang San and asked curiously in a low voice, "Brother, what do you think our first lesson will be?"
Oscar tilted his head and whispered, "Our dean has plenty of little faults. He holds grudges, loves money, and is stingy..."
"Oh?"
"But his greatest strength is that he looks out for his own."
At some point, Flender had appeared in front of them. His gaze settled on Oscar, a faint, ambiguous smile on his face. "Oscar, you certainly know me well."
Cold sweat instantly poured down Oscar's body. The smile froze on his face, and his entire body went rigid with fright.
"D-Dean, when did you get here?"
Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, the same thought rising in both their minds.
It's that crooked merchant!
Flender surveyed the new students, his expression turning serious again as he spoke loudly. "Welcome to Shrek Academy, everyone. I am your dean, Flender. Go to Teacher Li in finance later and pay your tuition of one hundred gold coins! Dismissed. Your first lesson begins this evening."
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
As everyone dispersed, Oscar heaved a great sigh of relief, inwardly rejoicing that the dean had not taken issue with him speaking ill of him behind his back just now.
"Oscar, go do some physical training. Run twenty fast laps around the village. You may use your martial soul. Finish before lunch, or you won't be eating."
Oscar's eyes went wide, his face filled with horror. "Huh! Dean, are you trying to kill me?"
"Support-type soul masters have no direct combat ability. Tell me, how do you keep yourself alive on the battlefield?"
"Hide behind our companions and use terrain and buildings to avoid danger."
Flender nodded. "Correct! Running away is a fundamental skill. A support-type soul master who can't run away isn't a good soul master. At a critical moment, being able to take one more step can keep you alive."
Standing farther back, Tang San listened to this and silently agreed. That does make sense.
"Ning Rongrong, you go too."
"Huh? I have to run too?"
Flender did not answer. Seeing this, Oscar hurriedly pulled Ning Rongrong along and ran outside.
After the two left, Flender's gaze settled on Tang San and Xiao Wu, his tone softening somewhat. "Is your teacher doing well these days?"
Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance. They had already figured things out.
Before they came, they had heard Yu Xiaogang speak about his days in the Golden Iron Triangle, telling stories of traveling the continent with Flender and Liu Erlong when they were young.
Back then, Yu Xiaogang had often teased Boss Fu for being greedy and stingy. Tang San and Xiao Wu had not quite understood, but now they finally had a firsthand impression.
Tang San smiled and bowed. "Teacher is doing very well."
Flender stroked the beard on his chin, looking somewhat gratified. "We exchanged letters before. I heard he and Sister Erlong got back together. Heh, that stubborn mule finally wised up."
The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched, but he could hardly say anything. After all, this was his teacher's close friend; as a disciple, it was not his place to take up that remark.
Looking at the two before him, Flender could not help feeling moved.
Xiaogang really does have a knack for training disciples. Tang San and Xiao Wu are both twelve-year-old Soul Ancestors. If there were only one, it could be called luck, but with two, that's nothing but genuine ability.
Just having a thousand-year second soul ring and a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring alone is unheard of across the entire continent.
Credit where it's due. That's Xiaogang for you.
"All right."
Flender gathered his thoughts.
"Since he sent you here, devote yourselves to your cultivation at Shrek Academy from now on. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Dai Mubai, or come straight to me."
"Yes, Dean."
The two answered together.
Flender gave a few more instructions about the evening assembly, then turned and left with his hands behind his back.
Tang San and Xiao Wu remained where they were, watching his retreating figure. Only then did Xiao Wu lean closer and mutter quietly, "Brother, do you think Teacher got fleeced every day back when he traveled with our teacher's wife and this Dean Flender?"
Her question caught Tang San off guard. He considered his teacher's temperament, then recalled how Flender had just behaved. "Hard to say. But Teacher is so clever that if anyone got fleeced, it was probably the dean."
Dai Mubai walked over, slung an arm around Tang San's shoulders, and teased, "Your teacher knows the dean? Tsk, tsk. Our dean hardly ever looks like that. He's usually so stern with us, but he was especially pleasant to you two today."
Tang San smiled and explained, "Teacher and the dean traveled together when they were young. They're very close friends."
"So that's it."
Dai Mubai stroked his chin thoughtfully, then changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, what's your teacher's name? If he could train you two to this level, he must be someone famous on the continent, right?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun also gathered around.
They had already witnessed Tang San and Xiao Wu's strength yesterday: two twelve-year-old Four-Ring Soul Ancestors, with thousand-year second soul rings and ten-thousand-year fourth soul rings, who could even use self-created soul skills to hold their own against the Soul Saint Zhao Wuji.
Such a feat would absolutely be the stuff of legends in the outside world.
They were intensely curious about the teacher who could nurture two such extraordinary geniuses.
Tang San smiled. "Our teacher's name is Yu Xiaogang."
"Yu Xiaogang?"
Dai Mubai raised an eyebrow.
"Is that Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang?"
"That's right."
Tang San had barely finished when Oscar could not resist interjecting, "I've heard of him! Isn't that Grandmaster always researching martial soul theory? The New Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, and something about the Development and Prospects of Soul Tools... I've read about them in books!"
Dai Mubai also rubbed his chin. "So it's Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. I've heard of him too. Everyone says he's a master of theory. I didn't expect him to be so good at teaching disciples as well."
Yu Xiaogang did indeed have quite a reputation now.
For one thing, he possessed extensive knowledge of soul master theory and had published many theories offering unique insights in earlier years, earning considerable renown in academic circles. For another, Spirit Hall's publicity also played a part. After all, Yu Xiaogang was an honorary elder of Spirit Hall. Although only a small number of people knew this, Spirit Hall was indeed actively helping him promote those theories.
Thus, any faction with some depth to its foundations had more or less heard the name "Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang."
Xiao Wu giggled and said proudly, "Teacher is amazing! He taught us all our self-created soul skills!"
Dai Mubai paused, recalling the moves Tang San and Xiao Wu had used during Zhao Wuji's test yesterday.
That instantaneous movement footwork called "Shave," and Tang San's "Paper Arts," which let him drift about like a sheet of paper within Gravity Squeeze.
So all those powerful self-created soul skills were created by Yu Xiaogang?
Dai Mubai could not help being shaken.
With those self-created soul skills, two Four-Ring Soul Ancestors had actually managed to hold their own against the level seventy-six Soul Saint Zhao Wuji. Even if Zhao Wuji had not used his full strength, it was still enough to strain belief.
" Hiss..."
"Is your teacher still taking disciples?"
Before you continue