"Why!"
"Tell me why?!"
"It's one thing if my son didn't pass, but why won't you refund the money?"
The father of a twelve-year-old Soul Master spoke.
His son was already at rank nineteen and was around twelve years old. He had originally come to register, hoping to see whether this so-called Monster Academy could help his son grow stronger. He came from an ordinary family himself, and his son's martial soul had undergone a beneficial mutation, becoming a mid-grade martial soul capable of cultivation, so he hoped his child could attend an impressive school and bring honor to the family someday.
Yet, to his surprise, right after paying the registration fee, his son had failed the test, meaning he could not attend, and they would not refund the registration fee either. Wasn't that a joke? They wouldn't refund the registration fee even if someone failed the test, and he wouldn't be studying here, so on what grounds could they refuse a refund? Wasn't this simply forcing a sale?
"Aren't you afraid Spirit Hall will punish you for behaving like this? Your Shrek Academy refuses to refund registration fees to students who fail. Isn't that outright banditry?"
The father said this, and his words instantly angered the children from the other families who had failed as well. Their parents were also very unhappy. They had all failed, so they were equally dissatisfied with Shrek's banditry and began making a scene. The families who had yet to begin also started backing out and chose to leave. If they failed too, wouldn't that mean handing over ten Gold Soul Coins for nothing? Wasn't this banditry?
"Exactly! You must give us an explanation! We gave you money and paid the registration fee. If we don't pass, it should be refunded. That's the consensus among the continent's Soul Master academies, a principle everyone knows. Are you really going to act like bandits? Aren't you afraid we'll report you to Spirit Hall and have them judge you?"
Once these words were spoken, Li Yusong, who was in charge of the interviews, had nothing to fear.
"We at Shrek only accept monsters, not trash. Do you know what a Shrek is? A Shrek is a very peculiar Soul Beast among Soul Masters, but it's also a monster. Because it was too powerful, many people wanted to obtain its formidable Soul Ring, so it soon faced hunts and was ultimately driven to extinction."
"So you understand now, don't you? We at Shrek only accept the strong, not trash. What's more, we have Spirit Hall's youngest elder here at Shrek. Go ahead and report me if you've got the guts. I'm not worried at all."
After saying this, he first revealed his seven Soul Rings. After obtaining the cultivation method Yu Xiaogang had given him, although he kept feeling that something was not quite right with his body, his cultivation speed had indeed improved considerably, and he had reached rank seventy.
Having a Soul Saint-level Soul Master serve as the interviewer instantly made it more convincing.
In an instant, these people truly believed that an elder of Spirit Hall was a Shrek graduate, and they dared not say anything more. However, after those words were spoken, one of the people who had come for an interview began to have doubts.
Shrek Academy has Spirit Hall's youngest elder? If it's that impressive, why is Shrek Academy still only in Suotuo City, and why have I never heard Shrek's name before?
Besides, if it really has such an impressive graduate, Spirit Hall would surely be willing to invest in it. Why would it still be in such a remote village, with grounds that look very much like a poor village...
This person was the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong was unlike these families with little knowledge of the world. These families had essentially been able to come to a Soul Master academy because their children had awakened outstanding martial souls and received financial assistance from Spirit Hall. In reality, they were still very poor, so ten Gold Soul Coins mattered a great deal to them.
Their horizons were also very narrow. They had never encountered any top-level powers, had little knowledge, had never attended an academy, and had never studied. After all, on the Douluo Continent, only Soul Masters were qualified to receive an education.
Ning Rongrong was the future heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and she was also the most talented of the children of its sect master, Ning Fengzhi.
As such, she had broad horizons, had seen many novel things, and understood a great many matters. After hearing those words, she was very curious. If Spirit Hall really had such an impressive elder who was a Shrek graduate, the academy should have left this impoverished village behind long ago.
It would surely have received plenty of investment, wouldn't it? Besides, I should have heard of that elder, or my father would have told me about him. The problem is, I've never heard of an elder like that.
"Could he be lying? But the problem is, even an interviewing teacher is a Soul Saint, so surely it wouldn't be a fraud? Could it be that Spirit Hall thinks this involves some dark history, so they've concealed it?"
That was what Ning Rongrong thought, but just then, a burly man suddenly arrived. He looked very formidable, and his Soul Power Level was very high as well.
This person was Tai Tan. Tang San was beside him, though Tang San currently looked just as he had in the original story: rather ordinary, not particularly handsome, merely reasonably easy on the eyes.
The instant Ning Rongrong saw Tai Tan, she could tell that he was definitely a powerful Soul Master. Judging by those powerful muscles, the soul power he radiated, and his formidable presence, he was at least a Soul Douluo-level Expert. As the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had naturally met quite a few Soul Douluo-level Experts, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also had quite a few Soul Douluo elders.
"This bearded man probably isn't young, either. With those powerful muscles and that formidable presence, he must at least be a strength-type Soul Douluo expert."
"A Soul Douluo expert like him actually came to such a remote place. Could Shrek Academy really be a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons?"
"And there's a young fellow beside him, about my age. From the looks of it, he must also be coming to study at this academy and grow stronger. Does that mean this academy really has some impressive abilities?"
Ning Rongrong thought this, but she did not step forward to ask. She continued hiding in the crowd, observing in secret.
"So this is Shrek Academy. It looks like they'll all be coming when the time comes. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar should already be studying at this academy."
"Who's talking?" Ning Rongrong looked around, but no one nearby was speaking. Just as she was beginning to think she had imagined it, the voice came again.
"Before, Xiao Wu and I came to this academy together. Now Xiao Wu probably hasn't come here. After all, she and I have already separated. But Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong should both be coming when the time comes. It's all those two Titled Douluos' fault."
"??? Who's talking? Who's calling my name? I shouldn't have exposed my identity, should I?"
Before you continue