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Li Luochen and Dugu Bo returned on the evening before enrollment day, when all the members of the academy had gathered.
Even Flender had returned. He would always come back during each enrollment period to scout for promising students and bring them to the main campus in Tian Dou City.
This time, he was waiting for the arrival of his old friend's disciple. In recent years, due to Shrek Academy's growing reputation, a large number of civilian soul masters from around Suotuo City had eagerly applied.
There were quite a few applicants with innate level seven soul power who reached level twenty by the age of twelve. However, Flender sent them all to Liu Erlong's side, where the teaching quality was better and many Shrek graduates were instructing.
Flender planned this to be the last recruitment in Suotuo City. Afterward, he intended to relocate all the teachers and students to Shrek City.
The former Blue Tyrant Academy—now Shrek Academy—was already in the process of relocation. Emperor Xue Ye had granted Li Luochen a large fief outside Tian Dou City, and Li Luo Chen had directly transformed it into Shrek City. He planned to move Shrek Academy there afterward.
Blue Tyrant Academy had been in the process of moving and reorganizing for the past six months, preparing to establish the new Shrek Academy.
The incorporation of the Defense Clan was specifically for their architectural expertise. Two months ago, Li Luochen had visited and found that Shrek City was already more than halfway completed. The overall progress was excellent, and Li Luo Chen was very satisfied.
As for the Defense Clan, they were experiencing both pain and joy. The pain came from the sheer size of the construction project—every single disciple of the clan, including the clan leader Niu Gao, had been mobilized to work on it.
The joy, however, came from the abundance of funds. Back in the Star Luo Empire, their architectural skills barely allowed them to scrape by with a modest living. Now, the funding provided by Li Luochen had completely shattered Niu Gao's worldview. Hence, they experienced both suffering and happiness.
Just a week earlier, Niu Gao had sent word that Shrek City would be fully completed in another year and a half. The academy itself was already finished and ready for classes to begin.
Li Luochen was extremely satisfied. How could such a useful clan like the Defense Clan have been abandoned by the Hao Tian Sect? Were they brain-dead? Meanwhile, the Breaking Clan was thriving in Tian Dou City.
Tian Dou City had an abundance of nobles, creating a massive demand for certain medicinal pills. The Breaking Clan had seized this market opportunity, mass-producing health supplements and selling them to the nobility, raking in enormous profits.
Shrek City would now become their new home, free from any external interference.
At the Suotuo City branch of Shrek Academy, Flender discussed the final details of the enrollment process. In six months, everything would be relocated to Shrek City.
The first checkpoint at the academy gates the next day would be overseen by Li Yusong, Li Luochen, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar.
The second and third checkpoints would be managed by Shao Xin and Lu Qibin, while the fourth checkpoint would be guarded by Zhao Wuji.
Li Yusong was always in charge of the first checkpoint during enrollments and had grown accustomed to the role.
Early the next morning, at the entrance of Shrek Academy, Li Yusong set up a wooden table and sat down.
Li Luochen lounged on a large tree near the academy gates, while Oscar and Ma Hongjun leaned against the tree. Dai Mubai, on the other hand, felt extremely awkward. He didn't want to see certain people here, but he maintained appearances, addressing Li Luochen as "Senior Li" repeatedly, almost like a sycophant.
By this time, soul masters had begun arriving to register, but most would be rejected. However, thanks to Li Luochen's reforms, those who didn't qualify for Shrek Academy would be redirected to intermediate soul master academies.
Those intermediate academies were thrilled to accept students Shrek deemed unworthy. "If you don't want them, we'll take them all!"
"No, you're not qualified... neither are you...
Hmm? You're not bad. Level twenty-three soul power at just over eleven years old—that's acceptable. Go ahead and pay your tuition."
Thanks to Li Luochen's influence, Shrek Academy was no longer a subpar institution. Its reputation was solid and officially recognized by both the Spirit Hall and the Tian Dou Empire as an advanced soul master academy.
It had merged with Blue Tyrant Academy, which had achieved excellent results in the previous Soul Master Elite Tournament in the Tian Dou region, though they hadn't made it to the finals.
Suotuo City had heavily promoted Shrek Academy. They emphasized that the current location was merely the old site—the new academy was under construction and would have its own independent district, named Shrek City.
Additionally, Suotuo City highlighted the achievements of Shrek Academy's graduates. Among them were one Soul Sage, three Soul Emperors, and over a dozen Soul Kings—a remarkable track record.
In the queue of applicants, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and another girl wearing a simple white dress had arrived. The girl had flawless skin and stunning beauty, comparable to Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. Li Luochen guessed she was Ning Rong Rong.
Oscar also noticed Ning Rong Rong and immediately understood what Li Luo Chen meant by "fate." Still, as a Soul Ancestor-level expert, he was only momentarily impressed.
"Hmm, you're acceptable. Your first spirit ring is a hundred-year one, and you're twelve years old. You can enroll as a regular student at our other campus. Hongjun, note down these individuals' information—they'll be sent to Shrek City later."
Li Yu Song spoke. Shrek Academy no longer focused solely on elite students. Teaching prodigies alone wasn't interesting; turning ordinary students into prodigies was far more rewarding. Though they hadn't succeeded yet, it gave the teachers a sense of purpose.
Geniuses would shine anywhere, but transforming ordinary people into geniuses was something worth boasting about.
However, some parents still complained, insisting their children were capable. Their noise was irritating. Li Yusong simply released his spirit, displaying seven spirit rings—one white, one yellow, three purple, and two black—to intimidate the troublemakers.
"Shrek represents a kind of monster, even among soul beasts—an exceptionally peculiar existence. Our academy's meaning is clear: we are a school for monsters, not ordinary people.
However, we've lowered our standards. Ordinary people may grow into monsters, but some still fail to meet even the minimum requirements. If you're over thirteen years old or your soul power hasn't reached level sixteen, don't waste your time here."
Li Yusong's words echoed. Shrek Academy now employed different training methods for different types of students. For prodigies, the graduation requirement was reaching level forty in soul power. For ordinary students, the requirement was level thirty.
The Shrek Academy in Shrek City had clearly distinguished between talented soul masters and ordinary ones. After all, the path of cultivation was brutal. Some people's destinies were predetermined at birth.
It was incredibly difficult for commoners to rise above their circumstances. Li Luochen had already gone out of his way to lower the requirements and provide opportunities for civilian soul masters. Whether they seized those opportunities depended on their own efforts.
"This academy is fascinating! Xiao San, didn't you notice how cool the teacher's statement was—that they only accept monsters, not ordinary people? And Xiao San, did you notice that tree over there?
We've dealt with that guy Dai Mubai before—he's a level thirty-seven Soul Honored. And those two swindlers we encountered earlier are here too. Could they also be students?"
Xiao Wu asked curiously, completely fearless. She had consumed something that concealed her soul beast aura, allowing her to roam freely without worry.
"It is fascinating. Teacher was right—this Shrek Academy truly is unique."
Tang San had long noticed the tree. His Purple Extreme Demon Eye remained active, and he could clearly see that Dai Mubai was the weakest among them. The handsome young man with fiery red hair exuded a sense of explosive heat.
The silver-haired youth's soul power was calm but profound. Tang San guessed he was at least a high-level Soul Honored, possibly even a Soul Ancestor.
As for the black-haired youth lounging on the tree, Tang San's instincts warned him not to use the Purple Extreme Demon Eye to observe him—it would invite great danger. Thus, Tang San avoided looking at Li Luochen.
The more Tang San observed, the more he realized how unfathomable Shrek Academy truly was.
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