Soul Land: I Am the True Grandmaster

Chapter 189: The Absurdity of Shrek

As the sound of the shop's door opening and closing echoed, Flander glanced at the gold soul coins left on the counter and the quickly departing figures of Tang San and Ning Rongrong. His eyes flashed with surprise.

"Could that crystal really be a priceless treasure?" Flander briefly questioned himself but soon brushed it off. That crystal had only cost him a few copper coins to obtain, and selling it for 100 gold coins meant he'd made a massive profit. He knew the value of an item often depended on the person holding it. Dwelling on this was pointless.

Tang San, meanwhile, was genuinely grateful to Ning Rongrong for footing the bill for the crystal, and he promised her a favor in return. Ning Rongrong, pleased with herself, wore a bright smile. She knew that once someone owed her a favor, it was like a rolling stone inevitably, the debt would deepen, and in the end, they'd have no choice but to serve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.

But in this, Ning Rongrong was overly optimistic. As a future god king with unparalleled potential, Tang San could hardly be expected to "sell his soul" to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Nor would Tang Hao allow it, unless the clan was willing to submit as a subsidiary force of the HaoTian Sect.

Ning Rongrong was no Xiao Wu; thus, Tang San had no intention of sharing the secrets of his dragon whisker needles with her.

The night passed quietly, and by morning, the fresh scent of damp earth and grass replaced the city's usual dusty air. It was only ten in the morning, yet a crowd of people had already gathered in front of Shrek's rundown gate, hoping to enroll.

Listening to the buzz of voices, Ye Wen understood the purpose of their gathering: Shrek Academy was using the familiar "graduate as a viscount" tactic to lure unsuspecting students. According to their promotional materials, graduating from Shrek guaranteed nobility a title of viscount in the kingdom.

In reality, however, Shrek's graduation standard was to reach level 40 before the age of 20. A spirit master of this caliber could easily secure a role as a city lord or headmaster of a small academy in either of the two empires. Essentially, these hopefuls were being deceived by a well spun lie. This situation was a sad reflection of the times.

The parents of these civilian spirit masters were often semi literate and lacked the knowledge of the spirit world's nuances. With no grasp of the real spirit master hierarchy, being scammed was almost inevitable.

The middle aged man standing at the gate and testing bone ages was Li Yusong, one of Shrek's five teachers, known for his spirit, the Dragon Patterned Staff. A Spirit Emperor at level 63, he was someone who had chosen to associate with Flander, so his character likely wasn't too admirable.

As expected, conflicts quickly broke out as parents protested their children being disqualified for failing to meet age or power requirements. What's more, Shrek's registration fees were non refundable.

"What a bunch of rotten, pus oozing cheats," Ye Wen muttered in annoyance. "Weren't you all civilians once, too? What's the point of swindling the bottom tier spirit masters?"

Standing beside him with a poised, respectful expression, Zhu Zhuqing asked, "Should we intervene, Master?"

Ye Wen thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Let them be. A hard lesson isn't always a bad thing. These civilians who've just entered the spirit world should experience hardship early. Becoming a spirit master doesn't mean they've entered paradise. But Shrek's standards soul power of over level 20 before the age of 13 that's absurdly high. Even Tianxing Academy doesn't set the bar that high. For those who qualify, though, let them know they're welcome to apply to Tianxing Academy. A bit of disappointment followed by opportunity might work in their favor."

With that, Ye Wen cloaked Zhu Zhuqing in a layer of disguise, altering her appearance for amusement's sake to resemble Liu Erlong. Zhu Zhuqing didn't object and obediently followed Ye Wen's instructions.

As Zhu Zhuqing departed to carry out her task, Ye Wen furrowed his brows. Tianxing Academy's reputation was well known, so why hadn't these young talents sought to apply there?

After a moment, he understood, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes. "These nobles truly are shameless. No wonder the number of civilian applicants has decreased. Are they intercepting information to ensure only a select few reach elite academies, leaving civilians to the general ones instead? Bold of them. But their days are numbered."

Meanwhile, Tang San and Ning Rongrong had arrived at Shrek Academy, the crowd of ordinary spirit masters whispering in awe at their achievements: 12 years old and nearly level 30 in soul power. The two passed through each trial without incident.

The fourth test was combat. Shrek Academy's tradition of testing practical skill in enrollment would later become a hallmark of the academy's successors in future Douluo series.

Originally, Dai Mubai, a 37th level spirit master, was supposed to administer this test. However, a towering figure stepped forward in his place.

"Ha! I'll be your opponent, you little monsters!" Zhao Wuji roared with laughter, brimming with excitement.

Ye Wen shook his head in amusement as he watched from the shadows. It was fortunate Zhao Wuji hadn't sought to join Tianxing Academy; his personality would have been a headache. A 72nd level spirit saint, reveling in the chance to bully a group of under 30 spirit masters how petty.

Still, Ye Wen's attention turned back to the gathered candidates, noting the changes in Shrek's lineup. Tang San and Ning Rongrong were present, as expected. But, replacing Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were two unfamiliar faces: a boy and a girl named Li Jingliu and Shao Tiantian.

The boy, Li Jingliu, wielded a Coiling Dragon Staff, though it was but a shadow of the Twin Brothers' Coiling Dragon Staff wielded by the Spirit Hall's worshippers. The dragon coiling around the staff was still vague and undeveloped. Given the circumstances, he was probably related to Li Yusong, the bone age tester outside, with a respectable level 27 spirit power at only 12 years of age.

The girl, Shao Tiantian, with sweet, youthful looks and an "apple head" haircut, was likely connected to Shao Xin, Shrek's food type spirit master. Shao Tiantian's spirit was Sugar Beans, and though her talent was a bit weaker than Oscar's, she was still a solid food type spirit master at level 24.

Both were previously unknown characters, likely created through Ye Wen's influence, which had strengthened bloodlines across the continent. Although not as powerful as the original Shrek Seven, they were decent talents with the potential for growth.

Since Tang San was a control type spirit master, he took the lead in planning the battle strategy. But Ye Wen couldn't help but wonder if they were out of their minds. Facing a 72nd level spirit saint with an average team level of barely 30? Even if Zhao Wuji held back, their boldness was remarkable.

It was then Ye Wen noticed that something seemed off about Tang San. "Wait... where's his Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges?"

The pouch that had once been indispensable for Tang San's hidden weapons, which he later discarded as he moved on to the Tang Sect, seemed conspicuously absent.

Perhaps this altered timeline had removed some of the items he once relied on, forcing him to approach the spirit world differently than before. But who knew how his path would unfold in this ever shifting version of events?

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