Grilled Fish and Shrek Academy (Part 2)

The dark sky turned deep blue. In the distant east, a sliver of dawn gradually emerged, as though faint purple qi had flashed across the horizon. Bei Bei, who was responsible for everyone's safety during the latter half of the night, hurriedly rose and woke Huo Yuhao, who had become somewhat absorbed in his first attempt at circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

At the same time, Tang Ya, who had been sleeping in a completely unladylike pose, seemed as though someone had suddenly pressed an early-morning alarm. She instantly sprang to her feet and shot to Bei Bei's side like a phantom.

The three sat cross-legged facing east, their attention fully focused. They inhaled lightly and slowly, their eyes fixed tightly on that flickering trace of purple.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya each exhaled a ribbon-like stream of white air. After several breaths, it gradually dispersed. Huo Yuhao had only just learned the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and his strength could not compare to theirs. He could only feel that his Spirit Eyes martial soul was being nourished by a gentle, strange power, with an effect better than a whole night of past cultivation.

Ling Bai, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng each awoke from sleep or meditation and turned to look at the three Tang Sect members immersed in cultivation. A trace of curiosity appeared in Ning Tian's composed azure eyes as she asked with interest,

"Is that a Tang Sect secret art?"

Ling Bai nodded slightly. "Purple Demon Eyes—a secret art Tang Sect disciples use to cultivate their spiritual power and eyesight with the Eastern Purple Qi."

"Pretty interesting."

The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect did not lack secret arts for cultivating spiritual power, so Ning Tian's assessment of the Purple Demon Eyes stopped at simply finding it somewhat interesting.

Once the three Tang Sect members finished cultivating, the group continued toward Shrek Academy.

Their planned route had to bypass the Star Dou Great Forest. Since they had to accommodate Huo Yuhao's feeble stamina, the six of them traveled rather slowly. It took them a full three days before they finally caught sight of Shrek Academy's outline.

After following the main road out of a forest, they saw towering city walls stretching across the distant plain. Compared to the academy they had imagined, Shrek was more like a city.

Shrek City stood upon the Lima Plain and covered an extremely vast area. It was one of the largest cities on the Douluo Continent, with a permanent population of over two million. Its scale far surpassed Nine Treasures City under the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and only the capitals of the four great empires could compare.

Shrek Academy was not located in the center of Shrek City, but in its eastern district, faintly forming a standoff against the Star Dou Great Forest. If the Star Dou Great Forest were ever to launch a Beast Tide, Shrek Academy would become the continent's first line of defense, preventing the soul beast army from charging into the continent and causing countless deaths and injuries.

The three gates on Shrek City's west, south, and north sides were open for anyone to enter and leave freely. Only the eastern side belonged exclusively to Shrek Academy. It was now Shrek's annual enrollment season, and the East Gate was exceptionally noisy.

More than five thousand people had gathered outside the East City Gate, their voices creating a deafening clamor. Having caught wind of the occasion early, countless vendors had set up stalls around the gate. The area outside the city was likely even livelier than the city itself.

More than a dozen youths in yellow school uniforms stood guard at the gate. They were second- and third-year Shrek students. Relying on the fame of the Twin Stars, Bei Bei simply showed his face and led everyone past the queue.

Feeling the strange gazes gathering on them, Tang Ya touched her face and asked in confusion,

"What's with these students? Why do they keep looking at us? Bei Bei, hurry and check whether I forgot to wash my face this morning!"

Bei Bei smiled, then stretched out his wicked hands and kneaded Tang Ya's smooth, fair, pretty face several times. Internally, he lavishly praised the incredible feel of his girlfriend's cheeks as he said with a grin,

"It has nothing to do with you. It's mainly because of them..."

Bei Bei gestured with his chin toward Ling Bai and Ning Tian, who were attentively admiring the scenery beside them. Tang Ya turned her head, took one look, and immediately understood.

With flawless looks bestowed by their genes, combined with the noble bearing shaped by their privileged upbringing, these two were simply unfair. One charmed men, the other charmed women; wherever they went, people turned their heads.

Within five minutes, Tang Ya spotted eight people so busy staring at the opposite sex that they nearly walked into pillars. Among them were quite a few freshmen wearing white uniforms. Their youthful faces visibly reddened, making Tang Ya shake her head with a sigh.

Youth really was wonderful. Such innocent young lads!

Bei Bei and Tang Ya led the four of them into Shrek Academy. Unlike the bustling, down-to-earth atmosphere outside the city gate, Shrek Academy was beautiful and tranquil within, its vegetation lush and abundant.

As they walked along the broad avenue, no matter which direction they looked, they could see at least ten kinds of plants carefully cultivated by plant-type soul masters. After advancing two hundred meters, several enormous statues ahead blocked their view. There were ten statues in total, each nearly ten meters tall and carved entirely from the hardest granite.

"These are Shrek Academy's forebears."

At the sight of the statues, both Bei Bei and Tang Ya straightened their backs, their expressions revealing traces of respect and admiration.

"The Golden Iron Triangle and the Shrek Seven Monsters."

Flander, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong—the founders of Shrek Academy, who laid the foundation for Shrek's ten thousand years of glory.

Dai Mubai, Oscar, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—the names of the first-generation Shrek Seven Monsters resounded throughout the Douluo Continent, and they were also the beginning of Shrek's ten thousand years of glory.

Ling Bai swept his gaze across the lifelike ten statues, lingering for a few extra seconds on only two of them.

One was naturally Tang San. Ling Bai studied Tang San's shoulder-length blue hair and gentle smile. What this man had done in Peerless Tang Sect was enough to leave one dumbfounded. Ninety-eight percent of Comrade Huo Yuhao's suffering had been bestowed by this very person.

The other person who drew Ling Bai's attention was an unparalleled beauty with a graceful figure and a hint of noble bearing. In her jade-white palm rested a small nine-colored tower. Her beauty was peerless, her demeanor elegant and regal.

Nine-Colored Goddess Ning Rongrong, ancestor of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

Ling Bai had no particular interest in Ning Rongrong. He had merely seen Ning Tian's shadow in her. The others also repeatedly compared Ning Tian with Ning Rongrong. Wu Feng was utterly stunned; she could not understand how two people separated by ten thousand years could look so alike!

No one noticed the complicated look in Huo Yuhao's eyes as he gazed at Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. There was admiration and reverence for the two ancestors, but also disgust and hatred toward the White Tiger Duke. He bit his lip hard, lowered his head, and walked at the back, doing his best to keep everyone from noticing his abnormality.

At the end of the statues was a fork in the road. Tang Ya pointed to both sides and introduced, "We have to split up from here. The larger area on the left is the Spirit Soul Department, while the smaller one on the right is the Soul Guidance Department. Bei Bei and I will take you to the Spirit Soul Department's freshman registration office."

The enrollment work was already nearing its end, so Shrek Academy's registration office was no longer as bustling as it had been at the beginning. Only a few scattered students were lined up to register and report in.

Only one middle-aged man, around forty years old, sat at the registration office. He was tall, fair-skinned, and beardless, with the words "cold and stern" practically written across his face. The badge on his chest bore his name and position.

Outer Court Dean of Instruction, Du Weilun.