After the Avalanche Prince was scared off, Ning Rongrong spoke up curiously, "Little Bear, that guy was so arrogant just now, but why did he run away so suddenly? What exactly did you say to him?"
Yang Xiong smiled, "Rongrong, didn't you recognize him? That was Avalanche, the son of Emperor Xue Ye. I just told him that if he dared to provoke us, your Grandpa Sword would cut him down."
Ning Rongrong spat in disdain, "No wonder he looked familiar. So he's Prince Avalanche. My older brother, the crown prince, did introduce me to him once, but I didn't remember much. I heard he's not only weak but also lazy and ignorant. Even my crown prince brother can't be bothered to discipline him."
Yang Xiong chuckled, "Rongrong, are you close with the crown prince?"
Ning Rongrong replied, "Crown Prince Xue Qinghe is my father's student. He's cultured and gracious, and my father values him highly."
Yang Xiong pinched Ning Rongrong's cheek playfully, "Sounds like you have a good impression of him. I'm getting a bit jealous. Since he's your father's disciple, didn't your father and Emperor Xue Ye ever try to match you two up?"
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes, "I only see him as a big brother, and he sees me as a little sister. Don't be so dirty-minded. Besides, he's the heir to the Heaven Dou Empire, and I'm the heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Our identities make that impossible."
Yang Xiong seemed relieved, "That's good, otherwise I'd have no chance. Still, there's a saying: you can know a person's face, but not their heart. The palace is never a simple place, and I doubt the people inside are either."
Ning Rongrong pinched him, "Look at you. People would think you're a playboy."
Yang Xiong narrowed his eyes slightly. It seemed both Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong trusted this Xue Qinghe very much. He would need to make some careful moves next, otherwise, he might really fall into that guy's trap.
In the original story's Soul-Hunting operation, neither the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan nor the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan got any advance warning. Yet moving tens of thousands of soul masters is no easy task, especially within the Heaven Dou Empire. It's likely this imposter Xue Qinghe helped cover it up.
Under Teacher Sun's lead, the group soon arrived at the Education Committee building of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Compared to Shrek Academy, Heaven Dou Royal Academy seemed like paradise. The buildings, students, and even the surroundings were top-notch.
Dai Mubai was puzzled, "The Emperor Battle Team wasn't bad last time. Why did those guys who challenged us earlier seem like such spoiled brats?"
Everyone found it strange too. Yang Xiong couldn't help but laugh, "They're nobles. What do you expect? I imagine the Star Luo Royal Academy is the same. They're not clans; they're just tools for the royal family to gather people."
Dai Mubai seemed thoughtful after hearing that. The others didn't mind, though. Everyone likes to study in a luxurious, comfortable place.
On the way, Qin Ming joined the group, clearly having just finished his tasks.
He gave an introduction to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, covering everything from student life to teacher benefits.
According to him, after joining, the Shrek students would still be taught by their original instructors and wouldn't be added to regular classes.
All students would receive top-level treatment, trained as if they were part of the academy's elite team. Even the teachers would get elite-level salaries, with living expenses fully covered. Every student would receive a monthly allowance of 3,000 gold soul coins.
Hearing this left everyone wide-eyed. Free tuition and living costs, abundant resources, medicinal baths, and free access to all training environments. It really did feel like heaven in comparison.
Even some of the teachers were moved. None of them had expected such luxurious conditions. Compared to wandering the world on their own, this was a dream.
Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, walking at the rear, appeared indifferent to Qin Ming's speech. In truth, this setup was similar to a sect's structure, but the control was too loose. The teachers could leave anytime, which meant Heaven Dou Royal Academy might just be working for others in the end.
When they reached the Education Committee building, it was clear that the academy took Shrek's group very seriously. All three top committee members came to meet them in person, standing right at the entrance.
Three elderly men stood in front of the building, all dressed in special black robes with gold embroidery, robes reserved for Soul Douluos and worn only for major occasions.
Even Flender was shocked by their grand welcome. He hurried forward to bow deeply, a gesture of respect from a junior to seniors.
"Flender from Shrek Academy greets the elders."
The elder in the center laughed heartily, "No need to be so polite, Dean Flender. One of the Golden Iron Triangle, the Four-Eyed Owl, we've heard of you for a long time. It's our honor to have you join Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"I am Meng Shenji. My spirit is the Dark Demon, a control-type Soul Douluo at level 86 with eight soul rings. To my left is Bai Baoshan, vice-chairman of the committee, with the Celestial Furnace spirit, a defense-type Soul Douluo at level 85. On my right is Zhi Lin, third committee member, with the Azure Vine spirit, a control-type Soul Tool Douluo at level 83."
Meng Shenji had a thin frame and looked like he barely had any flesh. Bai Baoshan was his opposite, short and fat, clearly physically powerful. Zhi Lin looked very average.
Despite their differences, the three elders were kind and approachable. Meng Shenji, in particular, had a certain charm in his voice that reflected his years in education.
Flender introduced all the Shrek teachers and students, and Meng Shenji showed the most interest in the students.
Clearly, Meng Shenji had already reviewed their files. He knew about their spirits, soul power, and even their backgrounds.
He seemed especially interested in Tang San and the other commoner-born soul masters, while still showing great respect toward Ning Rongrong, Yang Xiong, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing, nothing like the usual aloof Soul Douluo attitude.
Just then, the Shrek students suddenly felt a pressure in the air, it was released entirely by Bai Baoshan.
Unlike the original story, Tang San hadn't performed spectacularly against the Emperor Battle Team, so they applied pressure to test the students' actual abilities, a kind of entrance assessment.
Flender clearly understood what was happening and just smiled, clearly confident in his students and hopeful they would be recognized.
As the pressure increased, when it reached about level 28, Ning Rongrong and Oscar began to struggle. After all, they were support-type soul masters. But just as they were about to fall, the pressure on them vanished.
Next, Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing also began to buckle under the weight. Only Yang Xiong, Tang San, and Dai Mubai remained standing.
Bai Baoshan found this odd. He was most intrigued by Yang Xiong. Despite applying pressure equivalent to a level 34 soul master, Yang Xiong, who was only level 28, remained calm and composed.
When the pressure neared level 39, Tang San and Dai Mubai began to sweat and look strained. But Yang Xiong still looked completely unfazed.
Usually, beast-type soul masters have stronger physiques than tool-type ones. That Tang San could keep up with Dai Mubai was already impressive, considering he was six levels lower.
But Yang Xiong's endurance was even more astonishing. It was rare to see a soul master endure pressure more than ten levels above his own.
Seeing that Tang San and Dai Mubai were nearing their limits, all the pressure was lifted from everyone at once, including Yang Xiong.
Bai Baoshan nodded in admiration, "Impressive. As expected, highly talented and well-trained, not surprising for students from Shrek Academy."
Flender sighed with gratitude, "Thank you, elders. These students are indeed outstanding. I brought them to Heaven Dou Royal Academy so they could continue developing. I hope they can one day surpass me and reach the level of a Title Douluo. These will also be Shrek's final students."
Meng Shenji reassured him, "Dean Flender, rest assured. Here at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, I guarantee they will receive the best education and training. When they reach the peak of their careers, they'll have the academy and us old folks on their records."
Flender bowed deeply again, "Thank you, elders."
With no interference from Prince Avalanche or Dugu Bo, the Shrek students officially joined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy after a round of smooth discussions.
As Meng Shenji promised, they were each given the best villas, located in a serene and elegant area surrounded by mountains and water.
Surprisingly, the Emperor Battle Team also lived in this villa zone, indicating the area was reserved for elite teams.
Only after entering the academy did the Shrek students truly understand how luxurious the treatment was.
The academy had multiple dining halls offering lavish meals, even dishes made from soul beast meat. Even the teachers and the three elders dined in the same halls.
The Shrek students were given their own exclusive training area—a large square equipped with everything they needed.
The entire academy covered an entire mountain, filled with training zones tailored to various types of soul masters. Even Yang Xiong was amazed when he saw the map.
Interestingly, Dugu Bo hadn't appeared at all, not even privately to find Tang San. Perhaps Yang Xiong's changes to the plot had altered this part of the story.
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