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Shrek City was one of the largest cities on the Douluo Continent, home to millions of people. Situated at the crossroads of multiple nations and backed by the Star Dou Great Forest, it was considered the central hub of the entire continent.
Huo Yuhao gazed down at the vast city below, a trace of awe flashing in his eyes.
Tang Ya, acting like a tour guide, began explaining the Shrek Academy entrance examinations, the division between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department, and the rise and fall of the Tang Sect. As she spoke, her resentment toward soul tools became evident.
After all, during the Tang Sect's heyday, its members numbered in the thousands, and its glory was unmatched. But four thousand years ago, the emergence of soul tools changed everything. The Sun Moon Empire, armed with soul tools, had utterly crushed the continent's original forces—even those equipped with the Tang Sect's famed Zhuge Godly Crossbows—causing the sect to steadily decline.
"Survival of the fittest, that's all…" Wu Feng muttered, curling her lip.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's vault still had piles of Zhuge Godly Crossbows and other Tang Sect hidden weapons gathering dust.
"If it weren't for my Tang Sect ancestors providing your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect with Zhuge Godly Crossbows ten thousand years ago, would you have survived the Spirit Hall's siege?!" Tang Ya retorted angrily.
"It was mutual cooperation. Do you think your Tang Sect's master gave us those Zhuge Godly Crossbows for free? The price was so outrageous even a dog would shake its head at it. Fortunately, our sect master at the time was generous enough to give your sect master the initial funding for his rise," Wu Feng snorted coldly.
"And it's the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect!"
"Tch, do you even have someone in your sect who possesses the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul?" Tang Ya stood with hands on hips, not giving an inch.
"You—!" Wu Feng's eyes blazed with fury.
"…"
"Enough, stop arguing…" Bei Bei's lips twitched as he and Su Wen pulled the two apart.
"Let's go register first." Su Wen cast Wu Feng a sidelong glance when he saw her still itching to brawl.
"Hmph…" Wu Feng let out an aggrieved whimper and relented.
The south, north, and west gates of Shrek City were all open to the public, but the east gate was closed—it led directly to Shrek Academy. At the east gate, over a dozen second- and third-year students in light yellow uniforms with green badges on their chests were in charge of the registration process.
They were tasked with screening "qualified" candidates before allowing them inside for official enrollment.
No one dared cause trouble at Shrek Academy, so the job was left to the students—plus, it earned them academic credits.
"Senior Bei Bei!" The young boys and girls, who had been chatting moments before, immediately stood at attention upon seeing Bei Bei, showing their respect.
Bei Bei, already something of a seasoned veteran, chatted with them warmly for a moment before pointing to Huo Yuhao.
"Since Senior Bei Bei brought him, there's no problem!" one of the boys said with a grin. "Just remember to treat us to a meal later, senior."
When it came time for Su Wen, however, that boy's demeanor noticeably became more restrained.
"Junior Su Wen, you're here to register too?"
Su Wen was slightly taken aback. "You know me?"
"I once worked part-time at the milk tea shop—cough, cough…" The boy scratched his head and gave a bashful smile.
"…"
After they left, the tense atmosphere finally eased.
Someone teased, "Acher, this junior isn't that old, so why did you look like you were meeting a school administrator? You were so nervous."
"You don't get it. He's more intimidating than the teachers. My palms were sweating the whole time," Acher said with a shrug, his eyes following the fading figures.
"Oh? Tell us more," the others urged curiously.
Everyone knew of Bei Bei—one of the Twin Stars of the Outer Court, who had reached Soul Elder at thirteen and was now close to Soul Ancestor. His great talent spoke for itself. But for most here, it was the first time they were hearing the name Su Wen.
"Let me put it this way—every single milk tea shop in Shrek City is owned by him," Acher said mysteriously.
"By himself?" The group was stunned.
As Shrek students, most of them came from noble or prominent families and knew how these things worked. The current milk tea shops were practically money-printing machines. Just the few branches near the Academy alone likely generated millions of gold soul coins in monthly revenue. With profits like that, it was inevitable for people to be envious.
But the surprising part was that, to this day, those stores remained firmly in business, while every competitor that tried to open nearby had been crushed, closing within days.
It got to the point where even their parents were curious about who was backing the shop—until the Jubao Pavilion officially took over. Only then did everyone realize it was run by one of Shrek Academy's own in the truest sense.
That kind of status was on a completely different level from an ordinary Outer Court student.
When asked, their parents would only smile without answering.
Acher's father, a member of the old aristocracy of the Heavenly Soul Empire, had told him during summer break to apply for a part-time job at the main milk tea shop and make sure to build a good relationship with Su Wen. He had even shared some of the "inside information" he'd gathered…
"What info? Spill it!" someone urged impatiently.
"He's a true Inner Court direct heir. Coming to the Outer Court is just a formality. Every time he's gone out to get a soul ring, Dean Yan himself has led the team. I heard that back when the Martial Soul and Soul Tool Departments fought over him, the two deans nearly came to blows. You know what it means to be an Inner Court direct heir," Acher said with feeling. It was just a shame he'd worked the entire summer without even catching a glimpse of the guy.
Now, however, he'd at least made an impression.
"An Inner Court direct heir…" The crowd's pupils contracted, and they drew in sharp breaths.
This title carried even more weight than that of an Inner Court disciple! In the Inner Court, where monsters roamed everywhere, those who could be called direct heirs could probably be counted on one hand.
He might even… be Shrek Academy's future successor.
"The Outer Court is about to get lively~"
…
Inside, in the registration office—
Du Weilun looked over the five of them, his gaze lingering especially on Su Wen, unable to hide his grin.
For the past two days, he had been nearly frantic, even making excuses to drop by the Soul Tool Department to chat with Fan Yu, afraid this prized student might be lured away. Fortunately, with only a few days left before the deadline, he finally saw him show up.
Outside, the registration was still bustling, and many people were still lined up.
But Du Weilun pushed aside all objections, bringing Su Wen's group in first. Though he noticed a few parents outside frowning in dissatisfaction, he was sure that once they heard about the talent of these students, all their complaints would vanish.
"Name…"
Suppressing his excitement, he first looked at the thin young man beside him, his expression notably cooler.
"Huo Yuhao."
"Martial soul?"
"Spirit Eyes."
Du Weilun glanced at the boy in surprise. A martial soul like this would be a king-tier trump card in the Body Sect—he hadn't expected it to fall into the Academy's hands.
"Cultivation level?"
"Te… eleven."
"Hm?" Du Weilun paused, glancing at Bei Bei and Tang Ya. The latter quickly explained that they were using one of the Tang Sect's reserved spots.
"…"
Du Weilun's mouth twitched. Glancing outside at the restless parents and students, he gave a couple of awkward coughs before shooting Bei Bei a glare—Why didn't you say so earlier?! Bei Bei scratched his head sheepishly. Well, you didn't ask…
(End of Chapter)