Qian Jue stared at the house in front of him, utterly speechless.
This was supposed to be an academy founded by a group of Spirit Emperors and Spirit Saints, yet how had they managed to run it into such a state? The accommodations here were actually worse than what he'd had back at Nuoding Spirit Master Academy.
"Dean Flender, can I ask… how exactly does our academy make money?" Qian Jue turned to look at Flender, who had brought him to the dormitory.
"Our goal is to cultivate outstanding spirit masters, not to make money. The academy doesn't concern itself with such things," Flender declared righteously.
Qian Jue rolled his eyes.
"Students don't need food? Teachers don't need food? Training doesn't cost money? Is this village even owned by the academy?"
The barrage of four sharp questions left Flender momentarily speechless.
"…I usually sell some things on the side, sometimes I make a little income," Flender admitted weakly.
For a Spirit Saint to be pressed into such a state by mere money—well, that was something.
"Forget it, Dean. Go do what you need to do." Qian Jue shook his head, stepped inside, and placed his bedding on an empty bed.
"Alright then, get yourself familiar with the surroundings. There are two other boys living right next door. Once they finish training, you'll see them. Make sure to get along. Tomorrow morning, we'll gather on the training field." After giving a few reminders, Flender turned and left in a hurry, almost as if escaping.
It wasn't until he had walked some distance outside that he realized—he had actually been looked down on by a student. And worse, he had backed down.
Touching his scruffy beard, Flender wondered if he should get petty revenge the next morning. But in the end, he sighed and shook his head. The truth was that Qian Jue had poked at the academy's sore spot—their lack of money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been cowed into silence.
"It always comes back to money…" Flender muttered. If not for the shortage, he wouldn't have been forced to sell off half a lifetime's worth of collection—some of which he didn't even know the proper uses for.
Another heavy sigh. Then, Flender released his martial spirit and flew toward Suotuo City. He needed to watch over his shop. Hopefully, someone would buy something today.
---
After making his bed, Qian Jue stepped out to explore Shrek Academy.
To call it an academy was generous—at heart, it was just a small village, or rather, an academy established within the bounds of one.
A wooden fence circled the area, marking the school's territory. After all, the students were all spirit masters. Building a solid wall wouldn't matter; it wasn't as if Shrek students would sneak out by climbing over it.
Qian Jue walked a circuit. Though the academy looked shabby, he could see that Flender and his colleagues had poured real effort into it. For instance, the training ground was enormous. Though it had only been flattened with gravel and dirt, the surface was tightly packed. Qian Jue suspected Zhao Wuji had stomped it down using his gravity-enhancing martial spirit, step by heavy step. When Qian Jue tested it, even the light arrows from his Kindred Bow only left the tiniest of dents.
Aside from the training ground and dormitory, there were also a cafeteria, classrooms, and staff housing. All small, but given how few people lived here, it was enough. Crude, yet complete.
Having finished his tour, Qian Jue found himself at a loss for things to do. He returned to his dormitory to wait for the other two students Flender had mentioned. They should be Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun—two of the three. Which ones, he didn't know. But he felt a flicker of anticipation as he sat cross-legged to cultivate while waiting.
Cultivation always made time fly. Soon, he heard the voices of two people outside. Quickly stopping his practice, Qian Jue tidied up and opened the door.
The sound drew the attention of the two boys outside. They turned to look. Seeing someone younger than themselves, they immediately realized—this was a new companion.
The slightly older boy stepped forward, extending his hand. "Hello, I'm Dai Mubai. Are you a new student here?"
Qian Jue studied him. At 11 years old, Dai Mubai wasn't yet the tall, imposing figure he would become four years later. Still, his strange heterochromatic eyes already gave him an unsettling, wicked aura.
Naturally, Qian Jue wasn't intimidated. He extended his hand in return. "Nice to meet you. I'm Qian Jue. Dean Flender brought me here today."
"I'm Oscar. Welcome! With you here, our academy finally has three students. Things will be livelier now," the other boy said cheerfully, also stepping forward to shake hands.
"Haha, well, our academy only takes in monsters. No wonder we're few in number," Qian Jue replied with a laugh.
"By the way, A Jue—mind if I call you that? Are you a battle spirit master or a support type? I'm a level-26 attack-type battle spirit master," Dai Mubai asked bluntly, wasting no time before probing into Qian Jue's spirit power.
"I'd say I'm an agility-type battle spirit master. My spirit power is about level 23."
"Good! Finally, another battle spirit master! You don't know how frustrating it's been—Oscar's support type, so I've had no one my age to spar with. It's been suffocating. Finally, I've got a proper opponent! You know what? Forget waiting. Let's spar now! Since your level's a little lower than mine, you and Oscar can team up against me. How about it?"
Excitement shone in Dai Mubai's eyes as he slung an arm around Qian Jue's shoulder. He was itching for a fight—partly to scratch his battle craving, partly to see just how much of a "monster" this new companion really was.
"Wait— A Jue, how old are you? To already have level 23 soul power…" Oscar's eyes widened. Unlike Dai Mubai, he wasn't focused on battle. He was struck by the sheer improbability of Qian Jue's cultivation speed. He himself wasn't even at level 20 yet, and this boy, who looked younger than him, was already at level 23.
"Nine years old. I should be younger than both of you."
"You're only nine? And already level 23?!"
Even Dai Mubai was stunned. He had always believed his cultivation speed to be the fastest. Yet here was Qian Jue, only three levels behind him—while being two years younger.
His fighting spirit surged even hotter.
"As expected of a monster! Let's go! Let's test ourselves right now!"
Dai Mubai dragged Qian Jue eagerly to the training ground. Qian Jue didn't resist; he, too, wanted to see how he compared to the captain of the future Shrek Seven Devils.
When the three reached the field, Dai Mubai strode to one side, releasing his martial spirit.
A pale light burst from his body as his muscles swelled, his clothes straining against his frame. His bones crackled audibly.
His hands transformed as white fur spread over them, fingers curling into razor-sharp claws gleaming with cold light.
Even more striking, his blond hair turned snow-white, with only a few black streaks remaining at the center. Two yellow spirit rings appeared at his feet, circling slowly.
Qian Jue felt a familiar thrill of tension.
Back at Nuoding, his only true opponents had been Tang San and Xiao Wu. But they were too close to him; he could never bring himself to fight them with full strength. Spirit beasts from the forest? Worthless. Most hadn't even reached the thousand-year mark, relying only on instinct. Against him, they were suppressed from beginning to end.
Now, at last, he had someone worth fighting. Dai Mubai—the one who would become captain of the Shrek Seven Devils. Let's see if he could give him some real pressure.
Qian Jue released his martial spirit.
The Sheep Spirit fused into him, the Wolf Spirit melted into the shadows. The Kindred Mask surfaced, twin ghostly flames replacing his eyes. Two yellow spirit rings rose at his feet, circling steadily.
If Dai Mubai radiated raw strength and dominance, Qian Jue exuded something else entirely—an aura of age and mystery.
Seeing that Qian Jue's presence was in no way inferior to his own, Dai Mubai's eyes gleamed with blazing battle intent.
"Dai Mubai. Martial Spirit: White Tiger. Level 26 Attack-type Battle Spirit Master. Please advise." His voice carried the commanding force of someone issuing a formal challenge.
"Qian Jue. Martial Spirit: Kindred. Level 23 Agility-type Battle Spirit Master. Please advise."
Imitating Dai Mubai's formality, Qian Jue gave his first-ever proper self-introduction for a spirit duel.
Oscar quietly stepped aside. He could already tell—this new companion wasn't someone easy to get along with. He hadn't even considered asking for Oscar's support. Best to just watch from the sidelines.
And so, with Oscar retreating, the battle between Dai Mubai and Qian Jue officially began.
…