Today was the day Shrek Academy opened for admissions.
Many parents brought their children to register. Despite its remote location, the academy—known for only accepting "monsters"—still attracted a large number of applicants. Aside from the shills Flender had hired, their promotional efforts had clearly been effective.
The night before, Zhu Zhuqing and Lin Xian stayed at a hotel… directly across from the Rose Hotel. From the attic window, they had witnessed the conflict between Dai Mubai and Tang San.
"This Dai Mubai doesn't seem to have improved at all," Zhu Zhuqing said, crossing her arms as she evaluated him.
As she spoke, Lin Xian couldn't help but notice the lively movement beneath her posture—it rose and fell subtly, full of energy.
Ever since Lin Xian introduced her to a number of "new ideas," Zhu Zhuqing had gradually grown accustomed to them. When they were alone, she even wore looser clothes and occasionally changed into delicate skirts.
After receiving that large sum of gold coins from Dai Mubai, Lin Xian had designed quite a few new outfits. Some of them were enough to make anyone blush at a glance.
Step by step, he was unlocking new sides of Zhu Zhuqing.
He had to admit—this slow, gradual "conquest" was incredibly satisfying, almost addictive.
Every day felt the same… yet every day brought something new.
Over the past two months, the two of them had been training in the Star Dou Forest, constantly battling thousand-year spirit beasts to sharpen their combat abilities.
At one point, they even encountered a ten-thousand-year Iron-Armed Ape.
At first, it completely overwhelmed them. But after they unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the fight finally evened out. Neither side could gain the upper hand.
That battle dragged on for half a month before finally ending in Lin Xian and Zhu Zhuqing's victory.
After being thoroughly beaten into submission, the Iron-Armed Ape even brought them fruit as an offering.
It had clearly learned how to survive in the world.
Naturally, their strength had grown tremendously during these two months.
Zhu Zhuqing's spirit power not only stabilized but rose from level 33 to level 35—a remarkable improvement. At the same time, her Star Attraction broke through its first stage, lighting up Dubhe and further increasing her cultivation speed.
Lin Xian's progress was even more exaggerated.
His cultivation soared like a rocket. Just a few days ago, he broke through to level 29—only one step away from becoming a three-ring Spirit Elder.
His Star Attraction had already lit up Merak a month earlier.
For someone like him—a Child of the Stars—cultivating Star Attraction was as easy as breathing, with no bottlenecks at all.
Unfortunately, time waited for no one. They had to come register.
Over these two months, their relationship had grown significantly closer.
At the very least, Zhu Zhuqing had accepted many of Lin Xian's more outrageous actions—and even cooperated with some of them, which made him especially pleased.
Still, they had to visit Shrek Academy.
Otherwise, how would he earn rewards?
Teasing Zhu Zhuqing no longer yielded emotion cards.
Was the system targeting him?
Annoyingly, there wasn't even a complaint option for this broken system.
"Wow! He's so handsome! I really like him!"
"Wipe your drool. We're here to register, not stare at models!"
"But he really is handsome—like someone at the peak of looks, just like all the readers!"
As soon as Lin Xian appeared, many girls stared at him with sparkling eyes.
The boys, on the other hand, kept their heads down, eyes fixed forward—though their peripheral vision still drifted toward Lin Xian and Zhu Zhuqing.
It couldn't be helped.
Zhu Zhuqing's figure was simply too eye-catching.
At the academy entrance, a table had been set up. An old man in his sixties sat behind it.
The academy sign looked worn and shabby, with the words "Shrek Academy" written in green, alongside a small green monster emblem.
"Are you sure we didn't come to the wrong place? This looks way too rundown," Zhu Zhuqing frowned.
"It is a bit shabby," Lin Xian replied calmly, "but that old man is quite strong. We're just here to experience this so-called monster academy anyway. If we don't like it, we can leave. The world is big—there's always somewhere to go."
Zhu Zhuqing tightened her grip on his hand in response.
They arrived relatively late. There were still around a hundred applicants ahead of them.
Even after filtering out the hired extras, there were still quite a few genuine applicants—proof that the academy's reputation had some weight.
Lin Xian looked ahead and spotted Tang San.
To put it bluntly, he didn't look particularly good—his complexion was dark, likely from years of forging. Without awakening his Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver Emperor, his appearance was far from remarkable, ranking near the bottom among the Seven Devils.
Heh. Tang San… being too handsome can be troublesome. I'll take that burden for you.
As Lin Xian looked over, Tang San also turned his gaze toward him.
Their eyes met.
Tang San felt as though he were staring into a vast starry sea—like he was being completely seen through.
Mysterious. Powerful.
That was his first impression of Lin Xian.
Could his spirit be eye-related?
If so… perhaps he could introduce him to the Tang Sect's Purple Demon Eye. Surely he wouldn't refuse?
Of course, to learn it, he'd first have to join the Tang Sect.
For a moment, Tang San even imagined Lin Xian joining and calling him Sect Master.
That fantasy was quickly interrupted.
"I'll say this one last time—if you're too old or your spirit power hasn't reached level 20, don't waste your time here. Registration fees are non-refundable. Think carefully before signing up. Do you even understand what 'Shrek' means?"
The old man spoke loudly, silencing the crowd.
"Shrek is a kind of monster. As the name suggests, this is a monster academy. We only accept monsters. If your talent is mediocre, don't stand here and block others."
As he spoke, he released his spirit.
One white, one yellow, three purple, one black.
Six rings—Spirit Emperor!
A powerhouse above level 60. Even in the Balak Kingdom, such a figure was not to be underestimated.
He slammed his staff against the ground.
A deep thud echoed out, and everyone present staggered under the pressure.
"Now—does anyone still want to break the rules and ask for a refund?"
"No, no—we're leaving!"
A number of applicants immediately withdrew.
Still, several remained.
They had confidence in themselves.
Zhu Zhuqing was slightly surprised after seeing the old man's strength. This academy clearly wasn't as simple as it looked.
Then she noticed something unusual.
Lin Xian's gaze had locked onto a girl in a cyan dress—her temperament elegant, her appearance refined…
(Author's Note)
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