The five of them walked along the road for half an hour before finally reaching Shrek City's east gate. It was a sea of people, gathering geniuses from different forces across the continent.
Most of these people had come to register as first-year students at Shrek Academy. Most wore luxurious clothes, their backgrounds clearly either wealthy or noble, while a small number were commoners.
Shrek Academy required applicants to be under twelve years old and have reached rank 15 in cultivation. Besides these two mandatory conditions, they also needed a recommendation letter from a city lord.
Huo Tian raised a hand to stroke his chin as he gazed at the sea of people at the east gate. He felt that Shrek Academy's admission requirements set the threshold a little too high for commoners.
Huo Tian did not particularly agree with Shrek Academy's philosophy of accepting only monsters, not ordinary people. That philosophy had been passed down for ten thousand years. Changing it overnight was easier said than done.
A truly top-tier academy turned ordinary people into geniuses, rather than accepting only geniuses. What mattered was teaching everyone without discrimination.
The reason Shrek Academy's fame had endured for ten thousand years was entirely that so many geniuses had upheld its glory. In their eyes, Shrek's glory mattered more than their lives.
Huo Tian had once spoken privately with Mu En about whether Shrek Academy's admission requirements could be lowered. Unfortunately, although Mu En had ideas about it, the elders of the Sea God Pavilion all had objections.
Huo Tian's senior brother, Yan Shaozhe, was particularly adamant in his opposition. Huo Tian had also exchanged a few words with him privately, but Huo Tian currently had no actual authority and could not stand against Yan Shaozhe.
This time, Huo Tian had returned not only to reform Shrek, but also to promote Soul Tools. You could choose not to use Soul Tools, but you could not do without them.
"Brother Huo! We'll head back first. We still have to take the assessment to advance from third year to fourth year."
Bei Bei, standing beside Huo Tian, suddenly spoke. He took Tang Ya's fair hand, and the two stood close together.
After saying their goodbyes, Bei Bei and Tang Ya strode quickly toward Shrek Academy. Huo Tian nodded silently in acknowledgment.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya now counted as being on Huo Tian's side. He had to give them Martial Soul Evolution, which would also strengthen the Azure Cloud Sect.
Huo Tian planned to give them two Second-Tier Martial Soul Evolution Pills the next time they met. Whether the evolution succeeded would depend entirely on heaven's will.
"Master~, where are we going now?"
Huo Yutong stood quietly to one side. Her hand had remained entwined with Huo Tian's, never once letting go.
"Let's register you two first! Bai Qi, let's go!"
"Little Yutong, would you like to stay in the dorms, or live with your master?"
"I want to live with Master!"
Huo Yutong immediately puffed out her cheeks and stared at Huo Tian with her large, dewy eyes, answering without the slightest hesitation.
Huo Tian covered his face with one large hand. Why did he feel as though Huo Yutong could not leave him either, becoming clingier by the day?
Bai Qi stood silently to one side. He did not mind either way. Anywhere was the same, as long as he could improve his strength.
Huo Yutong smiled triumphantly beside them.
The three did not linger there and continued straight along the road. Huo Tian attracted plenty of attention along the way.
Huo Tian's handsome features left many passersby marveling. Besides him, Huo Yutong and Bai Qi also drew plenty of attention.
Some students' parents even used Soul Power to probe Huo Tian, only to find that the results were completely blank.
The three arrived at Shrek Academy's new student registration desk. Many long lines had already formed there, all filled with new students who had come to register.
"Look! What a distinguished-looking boy!"
"I'm going to fall completely..."
Quite a stir swept through the long lines. The students at the front all turned to look at the scene. Huo Tian had special privileges, so Huo Yutong and Bai Qi did not need to queue.
"Teacher Wang Yan!"
Huo Tian quietly approached a young man dressed in a Shrek teacher's uniform. The young man was sitting upright at a desk.
Hearing someone call him, Wang Yan turned his head in confusion. When he saw that it was Huo Tian, he immediately stood with a smile.
"Xiaotian! You're finally back!"
Wang Yan adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose and looked calmly at Huo Tian. He had not expected Huo Tian to return on the day the new students started school.
"Yes! Teacher Wang Yan, please register these two!"
Huo Tian pulled Huo Yutong and Bai Qi in front of him. Wang Yan immediately took out the student registration forms. He asked no further questions, merely standing quietly to one side.
After Huo Yutong and Bai Qi finished registering, Wang Yan put their information files away. Just as Huo Tian was about to leave,
"Xiaotian, help me register the new students. I have something to take care of."
Wang Yan seemed to be in a hurry. He tugged at the hem of Huo Tian's clothes, and Huo Tian nodded in response. Wang Yan immediately packed up his things and left the teaching building.
Huo Tian felt helpless, left with no choice but to work overtime. He sat upright at the teacher's desk, picked up a pen in his right hand, and spun it idly.
"Little Yutong! Go call the students outside in!"
"All right!"
Huo Yutong answered softly, then strode outside to tell the students to continue registering.
More and more students gathered outside, waiting for a long time. Huo Tian sat there until his legs went numb.
Just then, a commotion rose outside the teaching building, no smaller than the one Huo Tian had caused earlier. Huo Tian looked toward the office doorway in confusion.
A youth dressed in luxurious clothes arrived under Huo Yutong's guidance.
The youth had short pink hair and skin on his cheeks as white as tofu. His overall appearance was handsome and dashing.
Wang Dong approached the teacher's desk with his arms crossed over his chest and his head held high in pride. Huo Tian recognized him as Wang Dong the moment he saw him.
Huo Tian could think of no one else besides Wang Dong. He took out a registration form and laid it flat in front of him. Wang Dong immediately bent down and began filling it out.
Before long, Wang Dong had filled out the entire registration form in his hands. He pushed it toward Huo Tian.
With an interested expression, Huo Tian picked up the registration form and examined it carefully.
"Eleven years old, and already rank 21 in Soul Power. Not bad!"
"Your Martial Soul is the Light Goddess Butterfly? Doesn't that Martial Soul only appear in females?"
Holding the registration form, Huo Tian looked at Wang Dong with an inscrutable expression, tapping the desktop with his other hand.
Wang Dong looked stunned. He had not expected anyone to recognize the Light Goddess Butterfly, much less know so much about it.
"Who said the Light Goddess Butterfly has to appear in females? Why can't males have it?"
Wang Dong's face instantly flushed red. She turned her head aside, placing both hands behind her back and rubbing them together.
Seeing that his identity had been exposed, Wang Dong looked embarrassed. He truly wanted to find a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
Wang Dong looked mortified after being exposed.
[Ding!] [System mission: Host, please take Wang Dong as your disciple and have him join the Azure Cloud Sect!] [Wang Dong is the daughter of a God King and also possesses tremendous providence!]
The system panel popped up once again. Huo Tian stared at it speechlessly. This time, there did not seem to be a system reward either.