"The opportunity has been given to you, and the position has been left open. What happens next depends on your attitude."
Bai Mu ate leisurely, his tone relaxed.
The little kitten clearly wasn't willing to acknowledge him as her master on her own, and he didn't force the issue.
After all, he was only at Rank 40 right now. Whether he could even beat a Spirit Saint was still uncertain.
When his strength was sufficient in the future, he would naturally have plenty of chances to see whether a forced melon was sweet—and whether it was juicy.
"…"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't comment, only giving Bai Mu a speechless glance.
What kind of decent person thought about becoming someone's master every single day?
What exactly was going on in this man's head?
"Hurry up and eat. After that, we'll go take a look at Shrek Academy. My Spirit is already itching for a fight!"
After saying that, Bai Mu lowered his head and focused on his meal.
He had absolutely no interest in joining Shrek Academy and turning the original Seven Devils into Eight Devils.
How could an academy that only made students run with weights every day possibly be more exciting than traveling freely and planning for the future?
But there were other things that interested him.
For example… Zhao Wuji!
"A free Spirit Saint sparring partner is perfect for testing my current strength."
Battle intent burned fiercely in Bai Mu's heart.
He urgently needed a high-intensity, real battle to prove himself!
A Spirit Saint like Zhao Wuji—tough defense, ferocious attacks, and rich combat experience—was simply the perfect opponent!
As for exposing some of his abilities?
Aside from key trump cards like the dual Cores, Eye of Time Drilling, Blue Silver Emperor Spirit Bone, Z-Snake Form, and invisibility—which absolutely had to remain hidden—he didn't care if the rest were exposed.
He truly didn't give a damn.
—
After finishing lunch, the two left Suotuo City and headed toward Shrek Academy.
Before long, a small village appeared ahead.
At the village entrance stood a wooden archway with a tattered plaque hanging from it. The words "Shrek Academy" were crudely carved into the wood.
Nearby, many teenagers and their parents were lined up, registering with an old man.
As soon as Bai Mu approached, he spotted two familiar figures.
He walked over with a smile and greeted them naturally.
"Little San, Xiao Wu, you got here pretty fast!"
"Bai Mu?"
Tang San turned around, surprised. "Why did you arrive so late? I thought you weren't coming."
"An academy that only accepts 'monsters'? Of course I had to come take a look and broaden my horizons."
Seeing Tang San's relatively friendly attitude toward him, Bai Mu's feelings were complicated.
Sorry, Little San. I originally planned to nurture your mother to the hundred-thousand-year level before harvesting her Spirit Bone and spirit ring again.
But she was too stubborn, and I couldn't defeat her, so I could only make her squeeze out her last bit of value.
"Little Mu, this is…?"
Xiao Wu looked curiously at Zhu Zhuqing beside him.
"My newly adopted stray cat. Not bad, right?"
Bai Mu casually placed a hand on Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder as he introduced her.
"…"
Zhu Zhuqing tried to dodge, but failed. She could only shoot him a cold glare and give up her meaningless resistance.
"Adopted?"
"A stray cat?"
Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged looks.
"Just like in a classic story. She was being chased by a pack of wolves, all alone and pitiful. I stepped in to drive the wolves away and brought her with me."
Bai Mu said solemnly, "You know me—I'm kind-hearted. I can't stand seeing beautiful beast-eared girls wandering the streets."
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Xiao Wu.
"Eek!"
Xiao Wu shuddered and immediately hid behind Tang San, glaring at Bai Mu like he was some kind of pervert.
"Your gaze is disgusting! Don't look at me—I belong to Brother!"
'Damn it, incest is absolutely not okay!'
Bai Mu looked at her with disdain. "Relax. I'm not interested in rabbit girls. I'm more interested in spicy rabbit heads."
Putting everything else aside, purely in terms of looks and figure, Xiao Wu was indeed top-tier and matched Bai Mu's aesthetic.
But once her true identity and personality were factored in… cold hundred-thousand-year spirit rings and Spirit Bones were far more attractive.
"Spicy rabbit heads?! Bunnies are so cute—how can you eat them? That's cruel!"
Xiao Wu was furious.
"Indeed. Extremely mouth-watering."
Bai Mu swallowed and licked his lips.
"You—!"
"Alright, alright, let's stop this. Let's go register first."
Tang San quickly changed the subject and gently comforted Xiao Wu.
At that moment, a commotion broke out ahead.
A boy had paid the ten-gold-coin registration fee, but after testing his bone age, he was found to be over thirteen and rejected.
The boy's father was dissatisfied and demanded his money back.
"The registration fee is non-refundable," the old man said without even lifting his eyelids.
"This is fraud!" the father roared.
"Mubai, handle it," the old man said calmly.
Dai Mubai stepped forward, three spirit rings rising beneath his feet. His tone was arrogant.
"Beat me, and I'll refund the money."
The father's face turned pale, and the surrounding crowd fell silent.
Only then did the old man speak leisurely.
"Shrek Academy only accepts monsters, not ordinary people. If you're over thirteen or your spirit power hasn't reached Rank 21, don't waste your time or money."
As his words fell, six spirit rings rose around him in sequence—one white, one yellow, three purple, and one black.
The crowd erupted in shock.
A registration teacher was actually a Spirit Emperor?!
"This academy looks really interesting!"
Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled. "Especially that line—'only monsters, no ordinary people.' That's so cool!"
Tang San nodded as well. "It really is interesting. It seems Teacher was right."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but interest was clearly visible in her eyes.
With monster-level geniuses as classmates and teachers above Rank 60, even ignoring that troublesome Dai Mubai, this was undoubtedly an excellent place to cultivate.
"What's so special about it… A truly talented Spirit Master can shine anywhere."
Bai Mu poured cold water on their enthusiasm.
"A truly great academy should be able to train ordinary people into ones no weaker than geniuses, rather than just guiding monsters who are already destined to succeed as long as they don't die."
"That… actually makes sense."
Tang San was stunned. Thinking carefully, it really was true.
"So what? Being surrounded by geniuses is still better than being surrounded by ordinary people."
Xiao Wu didn't think much about it. She simply felt that a more unique academy was far better than a normal one.
The line slowly moved forward.
Soon, a girl in a white dress appeared ahead. She had short, ear-length hair and a clean, gentle temperament.
"Name, age, Rank."
The old man followed routine, then his gaze sharpened as he recognized her.
"Ning Rongrong… Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda…"
Interest flashed through Bai Mu's eyes.
"I wonder just how strong the number-one support Spirit really is—and whether it could enhance my Zygarde."
Zygarde could already strengthen itself multiple times through Dragon Dance. If combined with the percentage amplification of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, its combat power would be terrifying.
Unfortunately…
"I've lived wild and free my whole life."
Unless it was absolutely necessary—or he was in the mood—he couldn't be bothered to curry favor with others.
On the other side, when Dai Mubai saw Ning Rongrong, a wolfish light flashed in his eyes, but he quickly restrained himself after guessing her background. He didn't want to provoke someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
What he didn't realize was that Zhu Zhuqing saw everything clearly, making her gaze toward him grow even colder.