After Jing Shanshan finished speaking, he quietly waited for Yu Xiaogang's reaction.
"No..."
Yu Xiaogang said only that word, then shook his head, though the movement was noticeably smaller than before.
Jing Shanshan leaned back into his throne, watching Yu Xiaogang closely as his gaze grew unfocused and his convictions began to waver, then continued.
"You want those geniuses with outstanding Soul Power talent, the ones everyone cradles in their palms, to kneel before you one by one and respectfully call you Master."
Yu Xiaogang's breathing faltered for an instant, and he stopped muttering.
"When you teach them, you aren't after their success.
What you're after is that, once they succeed, no matter how far they go or how high they stand, when they turn back and see you, they'll still have to stand a rank beneath you, bow their heads, and call you, a worthless failure at Soul Power cultivation, Master!
The more talented the student and the greater their future achievements, the more satisfaction and pleasure that word 'Master' brings your heart!"
He paused briefly, then pierced that final layer of paper.
"When that time comes, when the world mentions you, Yu Xiaogang, they won't say, 'That trash with a Trash Martial Soul and half a level of innate Soul Power.' Instead, they'll say, 'No matter how impressive that genius is, doesn't he still have to call this man Teacher?'
Perhaps conversations like that between other people would make the pleasure hidden in your heart easier to satisfy?"
After Jing Shanshan finished speaking, he quietly watched Yu Xiaogang.
"No, it's not like that! It's not like that!"
Under Jing Shanshan's faint healing, Yu Xiaogang had regained enough strength to stand.
Those eyes of his, which had seemed full of wisdom at a glance, had long since become utterly clouded. Instinctively, he wanted to rush up to Jing Shanshan, grab his wrist, and prove and argue that he had no such perverse desires or pleasures!
"I hope the disciple you're so proud of can uphold your reputation as a theoretical grandmaster. Don't disappoint this king."
Jing Shanshan had no intention of wasting any more time on Yu Xiaogang. He summoned his Martial Soul, Vimana, sat down in its seat, and sped toward Shrek Academy, leaving Yu Xiaogang all alone where he stood.
As for the caravan, when they had seen Yu Xiaogang and Jing Shanshan babbling about things they couldn't understand, they had already labeled the pair as mentally unsound. Afraid of getting dragged into trouble, they had left long ago and vanished from sight.
Now, if Yu Xiaogang wanted to go to Shrek Academy, it looked as though he could only make his way there on foot.
After questioning Jing Shanshan and learning what he had just done, Qian Renxue felt only a wave of lingering fear.
In the time it took to say just a few sentences, he had talked someone into doubting himself.
As she saw it, Yu Xiaogang held a very important place in Tang San's heart, and his death would certainly affect Tang San to some extent!
Thus, in their plans, Yu Xiaogang would die sooner or later. The only question was when his death would yield the greatest value!
But if Yu Xiaogang changed under Jing Shanshan's influence, it was hard to imagine what sort of influence he would have on Tang San afterward...
Whether that influence would be good or bad...
For a moment, even Qian Renxue couldn't tell.
With the help of his Martial Soul, Vimana, Jing Shanshan reached Suotuo City without much effort.
After asking around, he quickly located Shrek Village. Following the flow of people, Jing Shanshan soon found Shrek Academy.
A wooden sign hung crookedly above Shrek Academy's gate, though the words "Shrek Academy" on it were written fairly neatly.
This academy was even more rundown than Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy. What was Yu Xiaogang coming here for?
And he was having Tang San come here too?
Through Jing Shanshan's vision, Qian Renxue saw its appearance as well.
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether this really was the original appearance of the academy that would one day nurture so many talents for the forces opposing Spirit Hall.
There was a table by the entrance, where a white-haired, white-bearded old man wearing reading glasses sat, currently collecting the so-called registration fee of ten Gold Soul Coins.
"Oh?"
Jing Shanshan let out an intrigued sound, his gaze falling on the white-bearded old man.
Soon, a group of people surged over, shouting noisily, their faces flushed red. One glance was enough to tell that they hadn't come for a friendly discussion. Before long, a dense crowd of spectators gathered around, Jing Shanshan among them.
"Shrek Academy! Come out and give us an explanation! Ten Gold Soul Coins! You made it sound so nice when you collected the registration fee, but then you wouldn't refund it when they failed the assessment! Everyone, tell us, is that reasonable?!"
A woman beside him chimed in shrilly.
"Exactly! My husband saved that money for more than half a year, and you sent us packing with a single 'unqualified,' without returning even one Gold Soul Coin! Where in the world does that make sense?!"
The crowd gathered ever more tightly, everyone talking over one another. Some slapped their thighs and cursed, while others pointed into the academy, looking ready to barge through the gate.
The white-bearded old man's expression darkened. With his hands behind his back, he walked at an unhurried pace and stopped before the villagers. He merely raised a hand and pressed lightly downward, and an invisible pressure crashed down.
The voices of those who had been shouting were forcibly caught in their throats. Their legs gave way, and they dropped to their knees with a thud, leaving only heavy gasps plainly laden with fear.
In the blink of an eye, the whole group that had been making a racket was pinned down, unable to move, their legs trembling like chaff in a sieve.
The white-bearded old man withdrew his hand and spoke slowly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.
"Shrek's rule is that registration fees aren't refunded if you fail the assessment. You didn't ask clearly when paying, and now you're blaming us? Do you think Shrek is easy to bully?"
He paused, then lifted his eyelids.
"Who else wants an explanation? Please stand up and speak."
The white-bearded old man soon noticed Jing Shanshan.
With everyone else kneeling, only one person remained standing, and a child who looked six years old at that. It was hard for him not to attract attention.
Since Jing Shanshan hadn't concealed his Soul Power fluctuations, the white-bearded old man could tell at a glance that his Soul Power Level was sixteen.
Was this a joke? At his age, surely it hadn't even been a year since he awakened his Martial Soul! Yet his Soul Power Level was already as high as sixteen?!
This child's talent was truly terrifying!
And he seemed completely unaffected by a Soul Emperor's pressure!
A promising seedling, definitely a promising little monster!
He wasn't twelve yet, but they could still admit him early, just like Fatty Ma, and bring him into Shrek Academy ahead of time!
The look in the white-bearded old man's eyes changed. His face, which had held a measure of scrutiny, immediately relaxed, and he approached Jing Shanshan warmly.
"Child? Are you here to register? Do you need someone to show you the way?"
Despite this obvious difference in treatment, those kneeling harbored not the slightest resentment now. They trembled, not daring to look in Jing Shanshan's direction.
Jing Shanshan took ten Gold Soul Coins straight out of the Gate of Babylon. Showing no sign of answering the white-bearded old man's questions, he looked ahead as though no one else existed.
"Lead the way."
The white-bearded old man didn't mind Jing Shanshan's attitude at all. He was so delighted that his beard almost curled upward!
What kind of day was this, for Shrek Academy to receive five Little Monsters!
"Lu Qibin, Lu Qibin! I've found a promising seedling! Take him straight to the fourth assessment!"
No matter how arrogant they were, after the fourth assessment, they would all recognize their own limits and obediently rein in their tempers!