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"Wu Feng."
"Martial Soul: Red Dragon."
"Twelve years old, twenty-third rank Grand Soul Master." (Here, 'twelve years old' means she is eleven, nearly twelve.)
The red-haired girl held her head high, casually glancing at Tang Ya. The latter simply snorted, crossing her arms and ignoring her before turning back to her conversation with Bei Bei.
Swish~
Two yellow soul rings rippled beneath the girl's feet.
Immediately, muffled gasps of astonishment came from the crowd outside.
As the number of students at Shrek Academy grew, the average quality had gradually declined. Most applicants barely met the standard of reaching the fifteenth rank before the age of twelve.
But reaching the twenty-third rank before twelve? That was exceptional. It was no exaggeration to say she ranked in the top ten among the hundreds of new students.
"Good, good. Wu Feng." Du Weilun's smile softened considerably as he turned his gaze toward Ning Tian.
"Ning Tian."
"Martial Soul: Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda."
"Twelve years old, thirty-first rank Soul Elder."
Three soul rings rose slowly.
Yellow, yellow, purple.
"Ah!"
Someone in the crowd could no longer contain their exclamation, their expression a mixture of shock and awe.
A twelve-year-old support-type Soul Elder!
While the crowd's faces showed surprise, there was also a hint of recognition. They had heard the name Ning Tian before—the Young Sect Mistress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. She had displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, so her current strength was not entirely unexpected.
"Su Wen?"
Du Weilun shifted his attention.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao also looked up. Su Wen's true strength was a mystery—he still hadn't figured it out—but he suspected Su Wen was also a Soul Elder, at least on the same level as Ning Tian.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya were equally curious. Su Wen had never revealed his cultivation level, yet the few casual displays of power they had witnessed were enough to leave them deeply impressed.
"Su Wen."
"Martial Soul… Beast Taming."
"Eleven years old, thirty-ninth rank Soul Elder."
As his words fell…
The area fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The surrounding parents stared wide-eyed at Su Wen in disbelief. Eleven years old, thirty-ninth rank Soul Elder?!
Say that again?!
Su Wen's expression remained calm as three soul rings rippled beneath his feet.
Purple, purple, purple…
"His first soul ring is purple!" Now it was Du Weilun's turn to be dumbfounded. He knew this boy was a monstrous talent—someone Yan Shaozhe had repeatedly told him to watch out for. But the color of those soul rings left him stunned.
A second soul ring being purple was rare but not unheard of; the new disciple from the Clear Sky Sect was one such example.
But a purple first soul ring? That required an unimaginably powerful physique!
"Director Du?" Su Wen prompted.
"Oh, oh! No problem!"
Du Weilun's hands moved so quickly they were practically a blur, afraid that if he delayed even a second, the Soul Tool Department would snatch this student away.
…
"Nice scenery~"
Wu Feng glanced around nonchalantly. Shrek Academy was enveloped in lush greenery, its landscaping immaculate. Every breath felt rich with "spiritual energy"—a pity it was spoiled by a few cockroaches.
Soon, a bulletin board appeared ahead.
"Class One: Zhou Yi. Class Two: Mu Jin…" Ning Tian read aloud.
"Thank goodness we're in Class Two." The girl turned to Su Wen and stuck out her tongue playfully, her pretty face filled with relief.
But one person's joy is another's sorrow—Bei Bei and Tang Ya's expressions darkened.
"Class One's teacher is Zhou Yi?!"
"..."
Bei Bei shot Huo Yuhao a sympathetic look, making the latter shiver. He cautiously asked, "Senior Bei Bei, this Teacher Zhou Yi…"
"She's just very strict. As long as you're willing to work hard, you'll be fine," Tang Ya encouraged.
"Mhm!" Huo Yuhao nodded firmly.
…
"This is as far as we go. You're on your own from here."
After bidding Bei Bei and Tang Ya farewell, Huo Yuhao also departed. He needed to visit the academy's administration to ask how to collect the stipend provided by the three empires, as his travel funds were running low.
Su Wen went straight to the freshman dormitory.
Under a tree, an elderly figure lay on a bench, resting with his eyes closed. A gentle breeze stirred the surrounding leaves as he savored a rare moment of peace.
"Elder Mu."
Su Wen smiled.
"Ah, Little Wen, you're here…"
Mu En opened his eyes, studied Su Wen for a moment, and returned the smile.
"Room 203—here's your key. As for these two children, Room 401. You'll be in the same dorm."
"And don't wander around at night."
He gave Su Wen a knowing smile, then slowly closed his eyes again, as if drifting back to sleep.
Su Wen: "…"
Do you really think I'm that kind of person?
"Yes, Elder…"
Ning Tian pressed Wu Feng's head down, forcing her into a respectful bow. She could tell this elder was an extraordinary figure; after all, very few people in the academy could treat Su Wen with such an attitude.
Seeing the old man had closed his eyes, Su Wen and Ning Tian headed into the dormitory building.
They parted ways on the second floor.
When Su Wen entered Room 203, he found the other bed already made with a duvet and sheets—all in a gaudy gold color, so shiny it nearly blinded him.
"He must have stepped out."
Su Wen shook his head.
He didn't mind having a roommate. If a conflict arose, he could always let his fists do the "reasoning."
Just as he was about to go buy his own bedding, a knock came at the door.
"Ning Tian?"
Su Wen had expected his new roommate, but opening the door revealed a familiar, lovely figure. He was surprised.
"You forgot to buy bedding, didn't you?" Ning Tian slipped past him into the room. After glancing around to make sure they were alone, she flashed a mischievous smile. She then produced a set of pale blue bedding from her storage ring and, moving a bit clumsily, began to make his bed for him.
"Whoa, bro! You brought a maid to school with you?" a cheerful voice suddenly exclaimed from behind.
Su Wen turned around.
A "sturdy" figure had appeared inside the room.
"Xie Huanyue, Class Two. You must be in Class Two as well, right?" The 1.7-meter-tall chubby boy smiled honestly and extended a pudgy hand.
"Su Wen, Class Two. And this is Ning Tian, my friend," Su Wen replied, shaking his hand with a light chuckle.
This guy might look simple and honest, but he's actually quite shrewd.
In the original story, he fought against the protagonist's group early on but was barely mentioned later. However, the fact that he eventually entered the Inner Court with Dai Huabin and even represented Shrek Academy in tournaments was a testament to his talent. He was definitely in the top tier.
"Ning Tian?" Xie Huanyue froze.
He looked at Su Wen with a newfound admiration and quickly apologized, "My apologies, my apologies! Sister Tian, I was blind not to recognize you. Please forgive my oversight."
"It's fine." Ning Tian smiled faintly. She found an excuse to stay and be affectionate with Su Wen for a while longer before reluctantly departing.
"Damn, bro, you actually managed to score the Young Sect Mistress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?" Xie Huanyue's honest-looking face was a picture of utter shock.
"…" Su Wen shot him a glance.
"Heh…" Xie Huanyue chuckled awkwardly.
(End of Chapter)