On the Douluo Continent, just as there were advanced academies like Shrek Academy, there were also primary and intermediate soul master academies. Most soul masters attended these schools to learn literacy and basic cultivation.
But Wang Nan was different. Precocious from an early age, he had already completed everything a primary soul master academy could teach by the age of five or six. After awakening his martial soul, his cultivation talent far surpassed that of ordinary soul masters, making further schooling a waste of time. Moreover, his father, Wang Xing, was a Spirit King—receiving one-on-one instruction from such a teacher was a privilege few could ever dream of.
Though novels from his previous life often described countless Titled Douluo and Super Douluo, in truth, only a handful of such figures were known across the continent. The vast majority of soul masters never reached level seventy, and many were even stopped by the bottleneck at level thirty.
A Spirit King like Wang Xing could already be considered strong enough to establish his own sect in any of the great empires. Thus, Wang Nan's daily one-on-one tutelage was an extraordinary opportunity.
Reading, meditating, exercising, cultivating, and occasionally sparring with his father—this had become Wang Nan's routine life.
And so, time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, two and a half years had gone by.
During this period, he had once again ventured into the Star Dou Great Forest with his father and successfully obtained his second soul ring. With a small assist from his mysterious "gift," he was now a level twenty-six Spirit Grandmaster.
"Nan'er, stop practicing for a bit. Come here," his mother's voice called from across the courtyard.
Wang Nan paused his staff drills. "What is it?" he asked, taking the towel she handed him and wiping the sweat from his neck.
"Your second uncle's back. He's in the sitting room talking with your father—about you. Go on and take a look."
"Alright, I'm coming."
Their home wasn't large; just a few steps brought Wang Nan to the front courtyard, where he could already hear two voices faintly from inside.
"Nan'er's only ten this year—isn't that a bit too early?" That was his second uncle's voice.
"A year or two doesn't make much difference," Wang Xing replied. "You know his talent—it's a waste to keep him home any longer."
"Fair enough. What about the recommendation letter?"
"I've already prepared it. The Sun Moon Empire's been stirring up trouble lately, and His Majesty also intends to..."
"Father, Second Uncle."
Wang Xing stopped speaking when Wang Nan entered the room.
"Nan'er, come over here," Wang Xing beckoned with a smile. "We were just talking about you. How would you feel about going to study at Shrek Academy with your second uncle?"
"Ah?"
Following his father's gaze, Wang Nan looked toward the man seated nearby—a young man in his twenties, with a warm, gentle smile.
This was his second uncle, Wang Yan.
When Wang Nan first learned his uncle's name, he'd been a little skeptical. But with the Coiling Dragon Staff as his martial soul, and his position as a teacher at Shrek Academy, there was no doubt—this was indeed the same Wang Yan he remembered from his previous life.
Honestly, he did want to go. In his past life, he had read many opinions about Shrek Academy—some praised it for nurturing countless geniuses, while others claimed it relied entirely on its students' natural talent, with little to do with the academy itself.
But regardless of those debates, Shrek Academy was indisputably the number one soul master academy on the Douluo Continent. Even its cafeteria served soups made from thousand-year spirit beasts—resources that few other institutions could match. There was no reason for him to refuse.
"Second Uncle, you've got those kinds of connections?" Wang Nan teased.
"What are you thinking?" Wang Xing raised an eyebrow and scolded with a smile. "Your uncle's just taking you there. You'll still have to pass the entrance and freshman assessments on your own."
He then pulled a bright yellow envelope from his storage soul guide, sealed with the emblem of the Star Luo Empire's royal family.
"Your age and soul power meet the academy's requirements. The recommendation letter's ready. As for the combat assessments—you'll have to handle those yourself."
"Don't be nervous," Wang Yan added kindly. "Even at Shrek, your talent ranks among the top. You'll be fine."
Wang Yan clearly didn't know his nephew well. For Wang Nan, there were very few things in life that could make him nervous—and this entrance exam wasn't one of them.
"So, when do we leave?"
"Pack tonight. We'll depart in the morning," Wang Xing said.
Wang Yan, deeply absorbed in martial soul research, always had his mind set on Shrek's library. Every time he returned home, it was brief. Even this time, he had only planned to stay a few days before taking Wang Nan back with him.
Knowing his brother's habits, Wang Xing wasn't surprised, and Wang Nan wasn't the type to delay either. He nodded in agreement.
By the next morning, Wang Nan and Wang Yan were already on the road to Shrek Academy.
Although the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology had advanced considerably, most of its focus was still on weaponry. Apart from storage-type soul tools, few had practical everyday uses—making Wang Nan miss the convenient transportation of his previous life.
…
"This is Shrek City. So, what do you think, seeing it with your own eyes?"
"It's beautiful," Wang Nan admitted, gazing at the buildings before him with awe. It wasn't that he'd never seen more prosperous cities, but the architecture before him—the distinctly otherworldly design and the unique buildings tailored for soul masters—was far beyond what mere words from his memories could describe.
"Haha, this city is managed entirely by Shrek Academy—it doesn't belong to any empire," Wang Yan said, then paused. "Before we enter, I need to remind you—getting into the academy won't be a problem for someone with your talent. But your real goal shouldn't just be admission—it should be to become a core disciple."
"Shrek Academy is divided into the outer court and the inner court. The inner court is where the real 'monsters' gather. The academy's best resources flow there, and core disciples are the preparatory group for the inner court. From instructors to daily meals, core disciples enjoy privileges far beyond ordinary students. Understand?"
Wang Nan nodded.
"Of course, don't underestimate the entrance or freshman assessments either..."
Talking as they walked, the two soon reached the gates of Shrek Academy. A dozen young men and women in yellow uniforms stood there.
"These are second- and third-year students. The uniforms here are distributed according to spirit ring colors—white for new and first-year students, then yellow, purple, and black for higher years."
Hearing Wang Yan's voice, a few of the students recognized him.
"Hello, Teacher Wang!"
"Hello," Wang Yan replied with a polite nod.
"Is this a new junior student?" one asked with a smile.
"I'm just bringing him to take a look. He still needs to pass the entrance exams first," Wang Yan replied modestly.
"Good luck!" a few female students whispered cheerfully as Wang Nan passed by.
Ah, what a face-obsessed world.
(End of Chapter)