Shrek Academy's village was located right between Suotuo City and the Star Dou Great Forest.
The two didn't delay much along the way and reached the so-called "Monster Academy" in less than three days.
During the journey, Lin Yang hadn't been idle. He had explained many things to Xiao Wu in detail and made plenty of preparations in advance.
However, even though Lin Yang had given her plenty of warnings beforehand, Xiao Wu still couldn't help complaining when she actually saw the dilapidated academy gate.
"Just this rundown place? It's not even as big as the elementary soul master academy I attended before."
"Suffering builds character," Lin Yang said with a cheerful smile.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Wu gave a light snort, her face carrying a teasing expression.
"I think it's more like—if you're willing to suffer, there's endless suffering to endure!"
Lin Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You seem to understand quite well!"
"Of course. Someone taught me well!"
"Alright, enough banter. Let's get you registered first."
With that, the two walked into the academy together.
It wasn't registration season, so there were almost no other people around. The place looked rather desolate.
After turning a corner, Lin Yang spotted an old man lying in the sun. The elder was dressed simply and looked lazy, just like an ordinary rural old man.
Lin Yang glanced at him, his mind stirring. He pulled Xiao Wu over and politely said,
"Hello, teacher. We're here to register!"
"It's not registration time. The academy isn't accepting students."
Li Yusong opened his eyes and looked the two of them up and down. A sharp glint flashed in his murky eyes as his tone shifted.
"But I happen to be free today, so I'll open the back door for you."
"However, the rules for registration can't change. The registration fee is ten gold soul coins per person. Pay first!"
They hadn't even started and he was already collecting money.
Xiao Wu grumbled inwardly: Lin Yang was right—this school really was like reaching out from under a coffin for money. Dead set on it!
Still, she handed over the ten gold soul coins.
The moment he saw the gold coins, Li Yusong instantly perked up. He sat up straight from his lounge chair and wasted no more words.
"Stretch out your arm!"
Lin Yang nodded at Xiao Wu. Without hesitation, Xiao Wu extended her arm.
Li Yusong pinched her arm lightly and let out a soft "Eh?" A strange look flashed in his eyes. "Not even eight years old? So young?"
After checking her bone age, he asked Xiao Wu to release her martial soul.
A pink light appeared. A pair of rabbit ears popped up on her head and her figure became a little more slender. Two yellow spirit rings rose from beneath her feet!
Li Yusong's eyes nearly bulged out. "A two-ring great soul master under eight years old?"
"Girl, test your soul power!"
By now Li Yusong had forgotten everything else. He immediately took out a crystal and handed it to Xiao Wu.
"Level twenty-one, approaching twenty-two. Not bad, not bad."
Li Yusong's old face almost bloomed into a flower.
"Looks like our academy has taken in a real little monster this time. That old miser Flender better give me a raise."
With that, Li Yusong turned his gaze to Lin Yang.
These two were probably siblings. If the younger sister's talent was already this terrifying, what about the steadier-looking older brother?
"Kid, where's your registration fee?"
Lin Yang smiled faintly. "Thank you for your kindness, senior, but I already have somewhere to go. I only came this time to help her register."
"Tch!"
Li Yusong clicked his tongue. He wanted to persuade him a bit more—rarely did a little monster come knocking on the door by itself.
But seeing the look in Lin Yang's eyes, he immediately dropped the idea. This kid clearly had his own mind. He wasn't someone who could be persuaded with words.
What a shame… He had a feeling this boy would surprise him even more.
Li Yusong then straightened his expression and said to Xiao Wu,
"Although your cultivation is sufficient, to join Shrek Academy, you still need to pass the practical combat test."
He added another sentence.
"Don't overthink it. The purpose of the practical test is to examine a student's application of their own martial soul. As a soul master, simply cultivating in seclusion isn't enough. Practical combat is an indispensable part."
Lin Yang had already explained this point beforehand, so Xiao Wu wasn't surprised at all. She asked directly,
"Who will test my combat ability?"
Li Yusong grinned. A powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body as rich red light burst forth. A long staff with fine patterns appeared in his hand. Six spirit rings—one white, one yellow, three purple, and one black—suddenly floated around him, shimmering with light.
This Li Yusong, who looked like an ordinary old man, was actually a genuine six-ring Soul Emperor.
"The dean and vice-dean aren't here, so I'll have to do it. Don't worry, I won't use spirit skills. Girl, just come at me with everything you've got."
Lin Yang nodded at Xiao Wu and took a few steps back.
Xiao Wu stood in place, rubbed her hands together, loosened her limbs a little, then took a deep breath.
Bang!
The moment the ground exploded, Xiao Wu shot forward like an arrow leaving the string toward Li Yusong.
"Little girl, no honor in combat!"
Li Yusong's eyes flashed with sharp light. He swung his Dragon Pattern Staff horizontally, perfectly blocking Xiao Wu's kick.
"Nice strength!"
Xiao Wu gave a cold snort. The tip of her left foot hooked onto the staff while her waist twisted fiercely. Her right leg whipped out like a long lash, toes pointed straight, wrapped in invisible force, curving like a crescent moon toward Li Yusong's head.
Soft Breathing Technique · First Skill · Coiling Silk · Circling Moon!
Li Yusong blurted out, "Self-created spirit skill?"
He was shocked inside, but his hands didn't stop. His first white spirit ring lit up. The Dragon Pattern Staff in his hand instantly created thousands of staff shadows, forming an airtight defensive net.
The strike missed. Xiao Wu flipped in the air and retreated, preparing to continue her assault, when Li Yusong suddenly raised his hand.
"Good, that's enough. You've passed."
Only then did Xiao Wu secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Facing a Soul Emperor-level expert, the pressure on her had been quite heavy. She had been afraid her performance would disappoint Lin Yang.
Little did she know that Li Yusong was even more shocked at this moment. Although they had only exchanged one move, he had already broken his promise not to use spirit skills. From the brief clash, this little girl not only had a self-created spirit skill, but her moves were ruthless—she went straight for killing blows. If he hadn't relied on his superior soul power, that last strike might have drawn blood.
Just who were these siblings? Which sect could raise such outstanding seedlings?
These questions were quickly pushed to the back of Li Yusong's mind. He was just an ordinary academy teacher. Let the old miser worry about these troublesome matters.
Since Flender and Zhao Wuji were not at the academy, Li Yusong directly took Xiao Wu to her dormitory and gave a simple introduction. There wasn't much to introduce anyway. The school only had a handful of people—teachers and students combined could be counted on one hand.
It was pretty much what Lin Yang had guessed. Currently, there were only two students: Ma Hongjun and Oscar. Both were orphans. Because of their outstanding talent, Flender had brought them back and adopted them, naturally making them academy students.
As for Dai Mubai, he was probably still in the Star Luo Empire as the third prince.