A Wonderful Suggestion

"Headmaster Flander, why has our Shrek Academy fallen into such a rundown state?"

Ye Chen pointed at the academy gates and could not help asking curiously.

On the Douluo Continent, there probably wasn't an academy more dilapidated than this, right?

"Exactly, exactly! And they call this an Advanced Soul Master Academy? Even the Junior Soul Master Academy in Notting City is better than this!"

Xiao Wu said with an incredulous look on her face.

"Ahem, isn't it because I never accepted the Balak Kingdom's political subsidy funds?"

Flander said awkwardly.

"Headmaster Flander, you're a Seven Ring Soul Saint, aren't you? Can't you earn a little extra on the side?"

Ye Chen was rather speechless toward Flander's absolute refusal to adapt.

"Earn extra on the side?"

Flander was somewhat puzzled.

"It means robbing the rich to aid the poor! There are so many bad people on the continent. Taking a few Gold Soul Coins from them is called eliminating evil for the people!"

Put simply, it meant robbing criminals.

Since Xiao Wu was standing nearby, Ye Chen did not mention having Flander hunt soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest to sell for money.

"Huh? Why didn't I think of that?"

Flander's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this.

Although the continent was generally still at peace, professions like bandits had not vanished. Besides, Flander would not feel the slightest psychological burden about striking against such people, and he could even earn himself a good reputation!

As for running into someone truly formidable? That was impossible!

A Seven Ring Soul Saint was a fairly capable expert with no low status even in the Spirit Hall, where Titled Douluo were plentiful. He would not stoop so low as to make a living from murder and robbery.

"And also, Suotuo City is a major city, so there must be gangs in the city, right?

"You're a Soul Saint-level expert. Asking them to lend you some Gold Soul Coins and paying them back once you have money—isn't that perfectly reasonable?"

Not to mention a society like the Douluo Continent, which resembled ancient times—even in Ye Chen's previous life, such things existed in major cities.

And with Flander's strength, he counted as a top expert within Suotuo City. So what was wrong with borrowing a little money from those gangs?

As for when he would pay it back? He had borrowed the money with his own ability, so why should he repay it?! If they refused to lend it? Wipe them out!

"Mm, not bad, not bad~"

After hearing Ye Chen's suggestion, Flander hurriedly nodded in approval, clearly tempted.

Damn it, why hadn't I thought of this before?

Thinking of his Shrek Academy, which was on the verge of shutting down, and the several years of wages he still owed Zhao Wuji and the others, Flander could hardly wait to take action immediately.

But Ye Chen and Xiao Wu had only just arrived. As the headmaster, he could not very well abandon the two of them right away, so Flander decided to get them settled first.

Afterward, Flander led Ye Chen and Xiao Wu into Shrek Academy.

Shrek Academy was shabby on the outside, and it was just as shabby within.

Throughout the entire academy, Flander's headmaster's office was a wooden cabin, and the students' dormitories were wooden cabins as well. As for a teaching building? Shrek Academy had no such thing; its teaching was conducted out in the open.

However, in two respects, Shrek Academy could rival—or even surpass—Notting Academy.

The first was that Shrek Academy's grounds were no smaller than Notting Academy's.

After all, Shrek Academy was located in a small village, where land was cheap.

The other was that Shrek Academy's teachers were considerably stronger than those at Notting Academy. They were all at least Six-Ring Soul Emperors, and there were even three Soul Saints.

At Notting Academy, meanwhile, even the strongest person, the headmaster, was only a Four-Ring Soul Elder.

It was worth mentioning that among Shrek Academy's three Soul Saints was an exceptionally rare Food System Soul Saint.

But overall, compared to the renowned Advanced Soul Master Academies across the continent, Shrek Academy certainly could not measure up.

For example, both the Four Elements Academy and Heaven Dou Royal Academy had Eight Ring Soul Douluo overseeing them, along with quite a few Soul Saint-level teachers and huge numbers of students. In every respect, they could crush Shrek Academy.

Most importantly, Shrek Academy had no Simulated Cultivation Environment.

Building a simulated cultivation ground required no small amount of money, and Flander simply could not afford it.

However, Ye Chen planned to build a small-scale simulated cultivation ground within Shrek Academy himself.

His martial soul was the Bamboo Staff. If he planted a bamboo grove where he lived, it should be able to serve as a simulated cultivation ground.

As for Xiao Wu, her martial soul was the Soft Bone Rabbit, so her simulated environment would be grassland?

Well, perhaps planting a large amount of Blue Silver Grass in the bamboo grove would do?

Although simulated cultivation grounds were enormously expensive, that applied to large-scale grounds with multiple types of environments. Ye Chen only needed something that could assist his and Xiao Wu's cultivation, so the cost would not be nearly as high.

At the entrance to Flander's headmaster's "office," the three of them encountered a middle-aged man who was not very tall but was extremely sturdy.

This should be Zhao Wuji, right?

Looking at the burly middle-aged man before him, who stood around 1.7 meters tall, Ye Chen thought to himself.

Spirit Masters were generally taller than ordinary people because of their martial souls.

Logically speaking, Zhao Wuji's martial soul was the Vajra Bear, so he ought to have been a tall, burly musclehead. He had the muscles, sure—but why was his height so lacking?

If Zhao Wuji had been an ordinary person, standing around 1.7 meters tall would not have counted as short. But among Spirit Masters, 1.7 meters was indeed rather short.

Even among pretty girls, plenty stood over 1.7 meters tall.

Ye Chen and Xiao Wu were only eleven now, yet they were already nearly as tall as Zhao Wuji. By next year, might they surpass him in height?

"Flander, who are these two?"

Glancing at Ye Chen and Xiao Wu behind Flander, Zhao Wuji asked him.

"Haha, Old Zhao, these are two new students. Ye Chen, Xiao Wu, this is Zhao Wuji, the vice dean of Shrek Academy."

Flander introduced the three of them.

"Greetings, Teacher Zhao!"

"Mhm, hello. Flander, isn't it too early for admissions?"

Zhao Wuji nodded at the two of them before asking Flander.

"Old Zhao, I personally recruited them!"

Flander said proudly.

After all, Ye Chen and Xiao Wu were already Four-Ring Soul Elders at such a young age. Barring any surprises, becoming Titled Douluo in the future was practically guaranteed. When that time came, Shrek Academy would surely share in their glory.

Although Shrek Academy claimed that among its graduates was Spirit Hall's youngest elder, that was all just Flander bragging.

Spirit Hall elders started at the rank of Titled Douluo, while Shrek Academy had only been established for around twenty years. The students it accepted were all under twelve years old—how could any of them possibly have become Titled Douluo already?

However, Flander was confident that Ye Chen and Xiao Wu could definitely make his old brag come true.

They might not become elders of Spirit Hall in the future, but they would certainly become the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent!