After a journey of half an hour, the group finally arrived at Shrek City from the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
This city, named after the academy, was even more bustling than imagined; shops lined both sides of the streets, and pedestrians were endless.
However, Furina and the others did not linger in the city, instead heading straight in the direction of Shrek Academy.
After traveling for about another quarter of an hour, the view suddenly opened up.
A magnificent academy gate, which could be called an architectural masterpiece, stood imposingly at the end of the road.
The gate tower rose high with upturned eaves, exuding the quietude and majesty unique to a millennium-old institution.
Above the gate, the five gilded characters "Shrek Academy" were written in a bold, sweeping calligraphy, glistening under the slanting sunlight.
Every stroke and line seemed to carry countless histories and legends, silently telling of the splendor and gravity of this place.
It was the end of the enrollment season, but to everyone's slight surprise, the crowd waiting in line to register at the gate was not large, with only a few scattered teams, forming a stark contrast to the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in the city.
This made the vast plaza appear somewhat empty, with only the faint whimpering sound of the wind blowing across the ancient gate lintel.
Furina's eyes, which seemed capable of discerning the ways of the world, swept around and finally landed on those sparse figures.
With a hint of playfulness in her tone, she let out a soft "Eh": "It seems... the number of young people wanting to come to this number one academy under heaven to pursue knowledge and the Dao this year is far fewer than imagined."
Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Hearing this, Bei Bei shook his head slightly and explained: "Miss Furina, you may not know, but in fact, most of the qualified new students have already completed the registration procedures through various channels days or even earlier in advance."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the obviously wealthy or noble attire of those in the queue, his tone peaceful but implying something: "Students who can obtain a handwritten recommendation letter from a city lord mostly come from prominent family backgrounds; they naturally have the connections and resources to arrange everything in advance, without needing to wait in line here at the last moment like ordinary students."
"I see." Furina nodded thoughtfully, her slender fingers resting lightly on her chin: "So, those who can safely enter the academy through this 'recommendation' channel are mostly noble children who have lived in luxury."
Her tone shifted slightly; seemingly casual, it was like a thin needle, gently piercing the seemingly calm lake water: "Those civilian students who are truly gifted but come from humble backgrounds probably find it hard to obtain such a shortcut to the halls of learning, right? Could it be that Shrek prioritizes family background over talent and Heart-Nature when selecting talent?"
These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples to spread in Bei Bei's heart.
As a highly regarded Inner Court Disciple of Shrek Academy, he had grown up in a relatively affluent environment and had never thought about this issue so directly and profoundly.
But now, pointed out by Furina, familiar faces flashed through his mind—except for a very few exceptions like Jiang Nannan, the classmates he interacted and sparred with daily did indeed seem to come from extraordinary backgrounds.
This sudden realization stirred a complex and indescribable emotion in his heart, a mix of sudden understanding and a trace of imperceptible embarrassment.
He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he did not know how to respond to this questioning that struck at the core.
Tang Ya, who was standing beside him, also slightly knitted her delicate eyebrows at this moment.
As the Sect Master of the Tang Sect which was declining day by day, she could personally feel the various hardships that civilian Spirit Masters faced in obtaining resources and connections better than Bei Bei.
Furina's words undoubtedly touched the resonance deep within her heart regarding the rugged road to the Sect's revival.
However, it was fortunate that she had already joined Furina's Axis Cult, had the funds, and possessed better Cultivation Techniques; revival was only a matter of time.
Bei Bei keenly sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere, coughed lightly, and timely shifted the topic, casting his gaze toward Furina and Huo Yuhao: "These matters of institutional evolution cannot be clarified in a moment.
It is getting late, so it is most important for you to first complete the registration matters; if you miss the deadline, the loss would outweigh the gain."
"Alright." Furina easily saw through his thoughts, smiled knowingly, and readily stopped pursuing the matter.
She naturally understood that as a member of Shrek Academy, it was Bei Bei's instinct to defend the academy's reputation.
She turned and nodded slightly to Huo Yuhao: "Yuhao, let's go over."
The two walked straight toward the registration area on one side of the plaza.
It was a temporarily constructed but still impressive canopy, beneath which sat a male teacher, about forty years old, with a stern face.
He was wearing an immaculate teacher's uniform and was lowering his head to organize documents on the table.
When Furina and Huo Yuhao walked up close, the last registrant had just finished the procedures, holding the proof and running excitedly into the academy gate.
"Hello, Teacher, we are new students here to register." Furina stepped forward, her voice clear and melodious.
She calmly took out the two city lord recommendation letters that Thunder Leopard had carefully prepared for them from her spirit tool, and elegantly handed them to the admissions teacher.
The teacher raised his eyes, his gaze carrying a professional scrutiny, first quickly sweeping over Furina and Huo Yuhao's clothing and demeanor, and then taking those two letters sealed with the city lord's official seal.
He carefully checked the material of the letter paper, the patterns of the seal, and the unique Soul Power mark.
After confirming they were correct, he spoke in a business-like manner, his voice steady and waveless: "Hmm, the recommendation letters are correct. The registration fee is ten gold coin per person."
Furina seemed to have expected this; her smile remained unchanged, and she readily stretched out her hand, placing twenty gold, glittering coins that flashed with an alluring light gently on the table, emitting a crisp clinking sound: "For both of us, thank you, Teacher."
The teacher nodded, picked up a pen and a registration book, and asked routinely: "Name, Martial Soul, age."
His pen tip was already hovering over the paper, ready to record.
"Furina." She gave her name, then tilted her head, as if thinking seriously for a moment, her tone carrying a naive craftiness: "As for age... I can't say for sure, but I can guarantee it won't exceed fifteen at most."
The teacher's hand, which was writing, paused slightly, and he couldn't help but frown.
Shrek Academy had extremely strict age limits for new students; they must be under thirteen. This was an ironclad rule.
This girl's statement was really somewhat outrageous, or could even be called childish.
But as his gaze swept again over those two authentic city lord recommendation letters, and the girl's brilliant, extraordinary, and calm demeanor before him, the teacher suppressed the displeasure and doubt in his heart.
Having worked at Shrek Academy for many years, he had seen too many students with special identities and eccentric behaviors, and had long since mastered the ability to remain calm in the face of surprises.
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