Flender and Zhao Wuji walked back toward the final stage of the evaluation.
As they entered, they could already hear voices echoing inside.
The students who were about to be evaluated were talking among themselves.
Three of those voices immediately caught Flender's attention—and Zhao Wuji's as well—because they were discussing something both of them clearly recognized.
---
Earlier…
Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing had been waiting for Zhao Wuji, who had told them he would replace Dai Mubai as their evaluator.
They were just about to discuss and plan together when—
A terrifying pressure suddenly descended from outside.
The air became suffocating, heavy, crushing.
Their movements were restricted, and breathing became difficult.
"W-what is this pressure…?" Dai Mubai muttered.
Dai Mubai was a lustful-looking man with long, striking golden-blonde hair flowing down to his waist, usually worn loose.
His most iconic feature was his twin pupils—two pupils in each eye. His eyes were a deep, intense blue.
He wore expensive white and gold noble robes, reflecting his status as a prince of the Star Luo Empire.
A lazy, arrogant, almost "evil" smirk usually hung on his face, giving off an air of supreme confidence and hidden power.
"This pressure…" Dai Mubai gritted his teeth.
"It's even stronger than the Vice Dean's."
"It must be the Principal," a voice beside him said.
The speaker was an older-looking teen, mainly because of his long mustache. It was Oscar—the hotdog lover.
he had a full, messy beard and mustache that made him look much older," earning him the nickname 'Big Sausage Uncle Oscar.'
He had deep-set peach blossom eyes that gave him an oddly elegant, noble appearance.
His hair was short and silver-gray.
Tall, lean, with a pale jade-like face and a moderately muscular build.
Oscar was famous for his unique—and ridiculous—magic incantations.
Instead of shouting something dramatic like "Flames of heaven, descend!", his incantations went more like:
"I, your father, have a big sausage!"
—Which had absolutely nothing to do with his own hotdog… but his martial soul.
"There's no mistake," Oscar said, struggling under the pressure.
"That's the Dean's cultivation… b-but why is he releasing it here…?"
Tang San felt the pressure as well—but there was no way he would act weak.
He steadied himself and instinctively held Xiao Wu, afraid she might collapse.
Xiao Wu bit her lip, her breathing uneven.
Ning Rongrong stood off to the side, faring much better. She was already accustomed to this kind of pressure—her father and her two uncles released their soul power all the time.
To her, this felt like a normal Tuesday.
Still, sweat formed on her forehead, and her body trembled slightly.
Zhu Zhuqing was in even better condition.
Whether it was due to her newly increased cultivation and soul power—or simply because she wasn't focused on the commotion—no one could tell.
Her eyes continued scanning the academy grounds.
She was still searching for someone.
Then—
They saw Zhao Wuji leap into the air, heading straight toward the source of the pressure.
A minute later, the oppressive force vanished.
Everyone finally inhaled deeply.
"Huu… haa…"
"So this," Tang San said quietly as he composed himself,
"is the power of a Spirit Saint…"
♤
"Is everyone alright?" Dai Mubai asked.
His tone was friendly, almost considerate. He knew these people were likely to become his future classmates—and possibly future allies. They all had good talent. Building connections now was the smart move… right?
Oscar finally managed to gasp for air.
"Haaaah… what's with the Dean? Did he lose money again or something?"
"The Dean?" Xiao Wu repeated.
"W-what is his cultivation?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Ohohoho!" Oscar laughed proudly.
"Of course! Shrek's Dean is the strongest here. Principal Flender—Rank 78 Spirit Saint!"
He puffed out his chest.
"Strong, right?"
Then he added smugly,
"Well, you've got to give him some credit. Flender picked up an orphan, and that orphan turned out to be a talented food-support spirit master. What a coincidence, huh?"
Xiao Wu finally relaxed when she heard the Dean's rank.
"As long as it's not a Douluo…" she whispered quietly to herself.
Tang San raised an eyebrow.
"So what the Grandmaster said was true… Shrek really does have a powerful master here. And he's a friend of the Grandmaster."
Ning Rongrong simply looked at them, curiosity written all over her face. It wasn't mockery—just genuine bewilderment. She didn't quite understand why this was such a big deal.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, didn't care at all.
She continued scanning the area, searching for someone.
She couldn't care less about the manwhore—her fiancé, the runaway groom—who kept stealing glances at her.
Tang San broke the silence.
"I think we should get ourselves together and prepare for the evaluation."
"Right!" Xiao Wu agreed quickly, eager to change the topic.
Ning Rongrong nodded her head.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer. Her focus wasn't on them at all.
The small group of four gathered together and began their discussion—introducing themselves and preparing for what came next.