Fan Yue slowly opened his eyes. Yesterday, after unpacking all his belongings, he had entered the meditation room. At first, he felt a slight discomfort—the concentration of spiritual power and life energy pressed heavily on his body. But within minutes, his body adapted, and the flow of energy no longer caused tension; instead, it brought lightness and a surge of strength.
Looking at his Soul Communicator, Fan Yue realized it was morning. He headed to the kitchen, where breakfast was already prepared. Simple yet nutritious dishes awaited him—a pleasant bonus for newcomers to Shrek Academy. The first month, meals were provided free of charge: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so students could focus on adaptation.
While eating, his Soul Communicator flashed with missed messages from Lan Mengqin. The first was a photo of Lan Mengqin and Dong Qianqiu in front of their villa; the second was a message confirming that they had successfully passed the entrance exams.
Fan Yue smiled, feeling a quiet joy for his friends.
— "Glad for you. I never doubted you would pass the exam," he wrote.
After breakfast, Fan Yue made his way to the main academic building. A mixture of nervousness and excitement ran through him—he had just entered the world of Spiritual Masters and did not yet know how to conduct himself among them. His schedule on the Communicator showed two general classes in the morning; the rest of the time, students could organize themselves.
Freedom at Shrek Academy came with responsibility. It was not just learning here—everyone fought to remain among the best. Expulsion was always a threat, and competition pushed each student to operate at their limits.
As he approached the academic building, the concentration of life energy increased, making movement more difficult. He grew visibly out of breath, and his face flushed. His Soul Whirl absorbed much of the life force. Only upon reaching the building did his lineage whirl stabilize and settle. His breathing normalized, and his face returned to its usual color.
Entering the classroom, Fan Yue immediately noticed Teacher Xiao Qi, already seated at his desk.
— "Good morning," Fan Yue greeted cheerfully.
The teacher's eyes lingered on the boy, and he nodded in response.
— "His breathing is steady, complexion normal. He must be from the Home Planet," Xiao Qi thought.
Usually, children from Great Clans, Ancient Families, and sects—those with achievements and strong ties to Shrek Academy—filled the quota. All these forces were based on the Home Planet.
He did not know that this was Fan Yue's first time here. Had he known, he would have been surprised by the boy's astonishing speed of adaptation to the life energy flow.
Since the classroom was empty, Fan Yue took the opportunity to speak to his class teacher.
— "Teacher Xiao Qi, I would like to register for the Array Engraving Department."
His choice was deliberate. Even before becoming a Spiritual Master, he aimed to study ancient and modern arrays. This field required deep theoretical understanding and the ability to decipher arrays but did not rely directly on spiritual strength.
Now, possessing full spiritual power, Fan Yue could study arrays fully, construct formations, create spiritual items, and experiment practically.
Xiao Qi nodded calmly at Fan Yue's words.
— "You are the first student to choose an additional field so quickly. Good. Though you have selected a department, I must follow the orientation procedure."
He raised his hand, and a large circle appeared before Fan Yue, divided into many sectors. Each sector represented a profession, and their sizes varied. The largest sector bore the label 'Battle Armors'.
Fan Yue's gaze lingered on the name. He had heard of Battle Armors—unique armors forged from rare spiritual metals, engraved with arrays that enhanced a Spiritual Master. Most importantly, the armors merged with the Master's essence, transforming them from ordinary protection into a formidable weapon intimately linked to the owner.
Moreover, in Shrek Academy, senior students were required to possess Battle Armors. But creating them required not only resources but deep knowledge. Soul Masters had to participate in the process, infusing the armor with their blood and spiritual energy.
Fan Yue's eyes fell on three sectors related to armor creation: the largest, Array Engraver; second, Designer; and the smallest, Blacksmith.
— "From what I know, blacksmithing is extremely complex, requiring time, strength, and talent. Designing is less demanding but still requires creativity and the ability to consider the wearer's preferences, materials, and engraving patterns. Array Engraving is considered the simplest. One only needs to follow the blueprints and apply them in the correct sequence—at least if you aim to be a standard engraver."
Fan Yue looked at Teacher Xiao Qi and said:
— "You already know my choice."
Xiao Qi nodded slightly.
— "I will forward your information to the relevant department. Now, take any free seat."
— "Thank you," Fan Yue replied, taking the second desk in the second row.
Only now did he notice the inscription on the board:
"Late arrival to class incurs a fine of one white Emblem."
Fan Yue raised an eyebrow. The rule was strict, and he felt even more determined to adapt quickly to local regulations.
Five minutes later, Lan Mengqin and Dong Qianqiu entered the classroom. They greeted Teacher Xiao Qi politely and then scanned the room. Their eyes immediately settled on Fan Yue.
Although he had changed, it was not enough to make the two girls fail to recognize him. Seeing him in the Shrek uniform, both froze—confusion filled their minds. How could their younger brother, once an ordinary boy, have entered Shrek and become a student?
Fan Yue watched them with a wide smile. His expression clearly said, "Didn't expect to see me here?" He stood, teasing them lightly.
— "Well, sisters, aren't you going to greet your younger brother?"
— "What… are you doing here?!" Lan Mengqin exclaimed in surprise.
Dong Qianqiu remained silent, staring intently at him, awaiting an explanation.
— "I missed you so much that I even awakened my Battle Soul," he said jokingly, easing the tension slightly.
Lan Mengqin froze for a moment; her eyes widened, and a genuine smile spread across her face. She quickly stepped forward and hugged him, her laughter breaking the silence.
— "Ha-ha-ha! I'm so glad to hear that! You got into Shrek too!" Her voice was filled with unfeigned joy.
Fan Yue blushed slightly at the closeness.
Lan Mengqin let go and lightly nudged his shoulder, smiling.
— "Don't worry. Big sister will teach you everything."
Fan Yue smiled, feeling warmth in his heart.
— "Thank you, Sister Mengqin."
— "Did you really awaken your Battle Soul?" Dong Qianqiu asked cautiously.
Fan Yue nodded.
— "Yes."
Dong Qianqiu smiled, her voice sincere but slightly awkward.
— "Congratulations, little brother."
— "Yue has become a Spiritual Master… and even got into Shrek," Lan Mengqin thought, glancing at Dong Qianqiu.— "But can they interact the same way as before?"
Dong Qianqiu had not expected to meet Fan Yue so early. She thought it would be months before their encounter. Although he had said not to worry about the refusal, she liked him, and now she did not know how to act around him.
Lan Mengqin, on the other hand, was enthusiastic; her cold aura gave way to her sunny smile.
— "Yue, what Battle Spirit did you awaken?" she asked with curiosity.
Dong Qianqiu looked at him with interest.
— "I'll show you." Fan Yue stepped back a few paces, and in his hands appeared the massive Sword of Three Sanctuaries.
Both girls studied the sword with fascination.
— "Yue, your Battle Soul seems… quite large," Lan Mengqin said with a smile.
— "I'm only twelve. I still have time to grow," Fan Yue replied, retracting his Battle Soul.
— "And what's the name of your Battle Soul?"
Sitting at his desk, Fan Yue answered Dong Qianqiu's question.
— "Sword of Three Sanctuaries."
— "Nice name," Lan Mengqin approved, resting her hands on his desk and leaning in with curiosity.
— "How did you manage to get into Shrek? Did Uncle Hobin have a quota?"
Fan Yue simply nodded.
— "What's your rank of Spiritual Power?" Lan Mengqin asked next.
Fan Yue smirked.
— "A secret. You should let your little brother have a chance to show off."
— "So, as a Spiritual Master, you now keep secrets from your elder sisters?" Lan Mengqin teased, glancing at Dong Qianqiu.
— "Qianqiu, how could he!" Lan Mengqin feigned a sigh.
— "He used to trust us completely… and now…"
Dong Qianqiu sighed helplessly and patted her back.
Fan Yue could only roll his eyes at the scene.
Gradually, the number of occupied seats increased, but of the thirty-four students, sixteen were late.
All the latecomers wore gloomy expressions.
The reason was obvious: the closer they got to the main academic building, the stronger the pressure of life energy became, making movement extremely difficult for most first-year students.
Xiao Qi waited until the class was fully assembled and then announced:
— "Good. Since everyone is present, we can begin. You've already seen the notice on the board. Latecomers must report to the Academic Office after class. If you fail to pay the fine on time, the amount will double. You are old enough to handle this. Do not try to excuse yourselves by claiming you were unprepared for this level of life energy. These are Academy rules. An exception is made only for the absent Qian Lei."
His voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for debate.
— "From today, you are officially students of Shrek Academy. Let me remind you of the basic rules you must follow."
Xiao Qi paused briefly, surveying the students before continuing.
— "First, you must always wear your student uniform on Academy grounds. Violations incur a fine of one white emblem."
— "Second, as you already understand, being late is unacceptable. Today I made an exception and did not start the lesson immediately, but next time class will begin on time, regardless of attendance."
Xiao Qi lowered his brows, making his gaze even sterner.
— "Missing a class without a valid reason requires not only that you independently study the material you missed, but also pay a fine of two white emblems."
His words were direct, leaving no doubt about the strictness of Shrek Academy's rules.
— "Third, unplanned fights or skirmishes are prohibited. If you wish to test your strength, go to the Simulation Center and enter the Douluo Virtual World to fight on the arena. As Shrek students, you have unrestricted access to your account. All functions are available, and you may fight freely. However, rules of the Douluo Virtual World must not be violated.
— "If a real-world duel is necessary, rent a designated arena and invite a teacher as referee. These are the main points I wanted to convey."
Xiao Qi paused, raising a brow as if recalling something.
— "Ah yes… You will be issued the full list of Academy rules. You must study it independently; I will not assist. But I advise you to review it early—there aren't many points. Delay, and you may accidentally violate a rule and lose emblems."
He continued:
— "During the first year, I will be responsible for the Battle Armor Masters course. The main goal is to teach you how to become true masters of Battle Armor. You will learn the preparations required, resources, and knowledge needed for crafting."
Xiao Qi scanned the class, letting each student feel the seriousness of his words.
— "Now I'll inform you in advance about the requirements for progressing to the third year. By the end of the second year, your overall grades will be evaluated. By then, you must have your own One-Star Battle Armor, also called the Single-Word Battle Armor. In other words, you have two years to craft your armor. Failure to meet this goal will result in expulsion."
Hearing this, the students tensed and fell silent in thought.
Noticing this, Xiao Qi clapped his hands to regain attention.
— "That's all. Let's begin the lesson.
— "Creating Battle Armor consists of three main stages: design, forging, and array engraving," Xiao Qi began.
— That is why there are three key professions: Designer, Blacksmith, and Array Engraver. However, there is a fourth auxiliary profession — Battle Armor Engineer. These four fields have been mandatory for students of the Shrek Academy for the past 10,000 years.
— Once, a genius entered our academy who mastered all four professions simultaneously. As a result, she created battle armors that exceeded all expectations, far stronger than armors of the same level. But I do not recommend following her example — this path requires not only immense talent but also an incredible amount of time.
He cast a strict gaze across the classroom.
— Within two years, you will need to choose and master one of the auxiliary professions. Even now, start thinking about what type of battle armor suits you best and which materials you should use. Do not neglect this, because this will become a One-Star Battle Armor. If you choose the wrong type or material, you will waste a lot of time reforging it and feeding it with your own blood. The sooner you decide on your path, the more time you will save.
— In your second year, you will not be able to do everything alone, so you will have to rely on each other. Start finding comrades you can trust. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask questions.
— Teacher! — a handsome young man called out.
Xiao Qi nodded at him.
— Speak, Lan Xuan Yu.
— Wouldn't it be more effective to divide into groups to study the auxiliary professions? This could really help with our collaboration in the future, — Lan Xuan Yu suggested.
— Correct, that is mostly how we proceed, — Xiao Qi agreed.
— To be clear, among the four auxiliary professions, the most difficult is the Blacksmith, followed by Designer, while the Array Engraver is considered the easiest. Forging requires talent, design demands inspiration and artistic skill, and for array engraving, there are ready-made blueprints that simply need to be followed. As for engineering, it is not taught in Shrek Academy; for that, there are specialized schools in the Shrek City territory.
— Understood. — Lan Xuan Yu nodded and returned to his seat.
— Any other questions? — Xiao Qi asked.
All the students remained silent.
— Since the class is a group, you will need a President and a Vice-President. They will be responsible for organizing the class during group assignments, coordinating between teachers and students, and maintaining daily order and discipline in the classroom.
— Each of you will get a chance to experience being President and Vice-President. The order will be determined by your exam scores. Thus, Lan Xuan Yu will be the President, and Yuan En Huihui the Vice-President. After everyone has tried the roles, we will hold a vote.
Fan Yue turned his head to observe the President and Vice-President.
Lan Xuan Yu was an exceptionally attractive young man, clearly surpassing Fan Yue in looks. His medium-length black hair highlighted his bright, sky-blue eyes, pure as spring skies. From him radiated natural confidence — not pretentious or showy, but the calm strength of someone accustomed to leading. He truly lived up to the title of President.
Then Fan Yue's gaze shifted to the Vice-President — Yuan En Huihui.
His delicate, refined facial features and nearly luminous white skin made him almost unbelievable as a young man. He looked more beautiful than many girls in the class, and it was impossible not to acknowledge it. One of his eyes was a deep purple, the other a fiery red, like a burning ruby, giving his appearance a cold, almost mystical expressiveness.
Yet what drew the most attention were his long, pointed ears and milky-pink hair, cascading in soft waves over his shoulders. At a single glance, it was clear: this was a true elf, a member of a race rarely seen outside their distant world.
— "An elf?" — flashed through Fan Yue's mind. He hadn't expected to encounter a member of this race here in Shrek Academy. After all, elves usually lived on the distant Elven Planet and rarely left it.
Xiao Qi continued.
— The class President will receive three white emblems per month, and the Vice-President two. This amount will increase each year, so take your responsibilities seriously.