At some point, Cang Jingkong had quietly disappeared. Inside the towering dome hall, only the seven of them remained.
The pressure from above continued to intensify, rolling down like waves of the sea.
Fors Wall stood utterly calm, her expression unchanged. But if one looked closely, they would notice a thin, faint film of spiritual power covering her body, resisting the crushing aura.
In truth, if she hadn't been deliberately hiding her strength, Fors wouldn't even have bothered with this flimsy barrier.
To think that the mere majesty of a dragon could subdue her? Absurd. As someone carrying fragments of Nan Fusheng's divinity, Fors could already be considered half a mythical creature, carrying with her a trace of godhood.
Forget this painted dragon—even if Ditian himself, the true Black Dragon King, had appeared, at most, he could suppress her with raw soul power. A mere dragon might mean nothing to her. Besides, Fors' mental strength was nothing to scoff at.
The same could not be said for the other six candidates.
Among them, one boy and one girl trembled violently, nearly collapsing, but managed to steady themselves and focus all their strength on resisting the draconic aura. They barely held on.
The other four fared far worse.
Two boys wavered and collapsed to the ground. They tried to stand, but under the crushing pressure, it was as if their bones had been removed—they lay on the floor like broken puppets.
The last boy and girl were pale, drenched in sweat, their bodies shaking as they half-knelt, stubbornly refusing to fall.
The contrast was almost cruel. While the six struggled and sweated, Fors stood in the middle of them, perfectly calm, her expression serene, even letting her gaze wander about as though sightseeing. At last, her eyes stopped casually on a stone pillar.
Finally, as the last two candidates were about to collapse, the suffocating, draconic pressure abruptly vanished. They slumped to the ground in exhaustion.
"Hmm?"
A soft exclamation came from behind the very pillar Fors had been staring at. Out stepped Cang Jingkong, followed by an elderly man in deep green robes.
The old man's eyes shone with astonishment as he regarded Fors and nodded. "Impressive. You have the makings of a little monster. In all these years, this is the first time I've seen a freshman who could directly ignore the pressure of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King through sheer spiritual power. Little girl, you're a mental-type soul master, aren't you?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone left little doubt. After all, not only had she resisted the pressure with ease, but she even had the leisure to notice them hiding behind the pillar. That level of perception alone was remarkable.
To him, this was proof enough that the young girl before him was a pure spiritual-type soul master with extraordinary cultivation.
Fors only smiled faintly and did not answer.
The elder didn't mind. Geniuses always carried some arrogance. And this girl… not only was her beauty breathtaking, but her mental strength was overwhelming.
Just from this display, he was certain—among this year's freshmen, none would surpass her.
Even Cang Jingkong stared in disbelief. When she had taken her own entrance exam, she hadn't been nearly this calm. Since becoming a teacher at Shrek, she had never once seen a new student shrug off the Black Dragon Hall's pressure with pure spiritual power.
Until now, only Shrek's teachers, inner court disciples, or even the Pavilion Elders themselves could do such a thing.
After all, the mural above them was no ordinary painting. It had been drawn by a titled Douluo skilled in the arts. And mixed into the ink was a single drop of blood from none other than the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King himself, one of the top existences of the Star Dou Great Forest in ancient times.
That blood had been spilled during a battle with Shrek's strongest, collected, and later used in the mural.
Thus, the painting carried the authentic draconic might of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King.
For new students, this trial was a test of mental strength.
The longer one resisted, the higher the score.
"Elder Li, how should we grade them for this round?" Cang Jingkong asked.
Elder Li glanced at Fors. "This little one gets a full score. As for the others… the first two who fell get zero. The next two can have three points. The last pair did decently—six points, just enough to pass."
The two who passed exhaled in relief. The four who hadn't, especially the ones who received zero, looked disheartened.
Elder Li continued, "Each test has a maximum of ten points. Six points is passing. After all trials, the total score will be calculated. Fail a test and there will be deductions. Get a perfect score, and there will be bonus points. So don't despair over a low score in one trial—you can still make up for it later."
Cang Jingkong nodded, adding, "Exactly. This was only one round. Don't carry too much burden in your hearts."
Still, her words offered little comfort. Even the two who had passed with six points realized their situation wasn't nearly as safe as they thought.
"Teacher," one of the passing girls asked carefully, "how many trials are there in total? And how many points do we need to pass?"
"Ten in total," Cang Jingkong replied calmly. "Sixty points to qualify."
"Then… can you tell us what comes next?" the girl asked again. The others looked at her hopefully.
Cang Jingkong shook her head firmly. "No."
Disappointment swept over them. But Shrek's rules were absolute—they did not recruit ordinary people, but monsters.
"Next, you will have the time of one incense stick to rest. If you wish, you may also continue directly."
The six immediately shook their heads. Rest it was.
But Fors looked at Cang Jingkong and said lightly, "Teacher Cang, I'll continue."
"You're certain?" Cang Jingkong's eyes softened slightly. "I'll warn you now—some of the later trials are much harder without teammates. Alone, the difficulty will rise sharply."
For this extraordinary girl, who clearly had the makings of a true monster, Cang Jingkong couldn't help but give a word of caution.
Fors only smiled faintly.