"Rank twenty-eight? He beat Tang San and Xiao Wu, both rank twenty-nine, two against one?" Flender raised an eyebrow, finally showing some interest. "Tang San is that man's son. This kid has a few tricks."
"Yes, his combat instincts really are absurdly strong." Zhao Wuji rubbed his face. "Still, it's good for those two youngsters to learn a lesson, so things don't keep going too smoothly for them."
Flender leaned back in his chair, thought for a while, then slowly shook his head. "Rank twenty-eight, with such a talent for combat-he's probably already a middle-aged man. We only take monsters at Shrek Academy. Let that Cola fellow break through rank thirty first."
"Are you really not considering taking him in? What if he's only eleven or twelve?" Zhao Wuji rather admired this sort of practical combat talent, and a hint of reluctance crept into his voice.
"You know Shrek's rules. Only those under fifteen with Soul Power at rank thirty qualify to enter the academy. However monstrous his fighting ability, we can't break the rules." Flender's tone was calm, but he left little room for argument. "If we make an exception for him, how will outsiders see us? What will the students in the academy think? Soul Power is the foundation. However flashy your talent, in the end, your rank has to do the talking."
Zhao Wuji did not argue further. He merely nodded silently, accepting those words.
A burly figure in black crouched in the shadows of the mountain behind Shrek Academy, occasionally raising the wine flask in his hand to his lips and drinking in silence. His deep eyes remained fixed on Tang San's distant figure without blinking.
Only when he saw that child finally pull himself out of his slump, sit cross-legged, and enter meditation did the