The queue moved quickly, and soon it was Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong's turn.
When Yang Xiong extended his hand, the old man felt it and furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Hmm, your hand feels a bit strange. It's similar to that boy who passed earlier, but also somewhat different."
Yang Xiong guessed the old man was referring to Tang San. Tang San's hands were indeed different from an ordinary person's due to his cultivation of the Xuan Yu Hand. However, Yang Xiong remained nonchalant. "It might be because I've always enjoyed physical training since I was young."
The old man carefully examined Yang Xiong, paying particular attention to his joints, before finally sighing. "Your age qualifies, but your physical condition far exceeds what's normal for someone your age. I can't imagine how you trained yourself to this level. What is your martial soul?"
Yang Xiong replied, "My martial soul is unique—it's my own body."
The old man was astonished. "That's truly strange. I've been in the soul master world for many years, yet I've never encountered a martial soul like yours."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Sir, martial souls in the soul master world come in all shapes and forms. It's not uncommon to find unusual ones. Just like your Dragon Pattern Staff martial soul—it's also quite rare in the soul master world."
The old man nodded. "True enough. You've passed the first round of assessments. Next, Mubai will take you to the subsequent tests."
Hearing this, Yang Xiong stepped aside, planning to wait for Ning Rongrong to finish her assessment so they could proceed together.
After testing Ning Rongrong's martial soul and soul power, the old man was once again surprised. "Young lady, does your family know you're attending our academy?"
Ning Rongrong pouted. "What does it matter to them? This is a soul master academy, isn't it? As long as I meet the standards, I can enroll."
The old man sighed deeply, muttering about how strange this year's recruitment was. 'Why do only peculiar people come to Shrek Academy?'
Soon, under Dai Mubai's guidance, several students bypassed the second round of assessments. Besides Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing was also among them.
To everyone's surprise, Tang San and Xiao Wu had directly passed the assessments and were allowed to skip the second and third rounds, proceeding straight to the fourth and final test.
Some in the crowd expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the academy of favoritism.
Dai Mubai's expression turned cold. "If any of you can reach level twenty-five at twelve years old, you too can skip directly to the final test."
One student, clearly irritated, retorted, "How is that possible? I'm already considered exceptional in my academy, and my highest level is only twenty-two. How can anyone reach twenty-five at twelve?"
Without further explanation, Dai Mubai produced a soul power testing crystal ball.
Tang San and Xiao Wu each tested their soul power, both reaching level twenty-nine. The entire crowd gasped in astonishment. At twelve years old, achieving level twenty-nine was unheard of even in Suotuo City. What kind of geniuses were they?
Yang Xiong's heart sank momentarily, but he couldn't help but smile. Tang San and Xiao Wu's talent was indeed extraordinary. He had checked the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's records—over the past century, only one person had reached level twenty-nine at twelve years old: Sword Elder. Even Bone Elder fell slightly short, and others lagged far behind.
However, Yang Xiong believed that while his innate soul power wasn't as strong as theirs, he would soon surpass them.
Soon, Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong underwent their soul power tests. Yang Xiong was at level twenty-six, and Ning Rongrong at level twenty-eight. They too proceeded directly to the fourth round of assessments. Even Zhu Zhuqing had reached level twenty-seven.
Along the way, they encountered a middle-aged man selling sausages—Oscar, the sausage specialist. In theory, he was the most talented member of the original Shrek Seven Monsters.
However, when the crowd heard Oscar's incantation for summoning sausages, many looked queasy.
Yang Xiong didn't care. After spending months in Sunset Forest, he had eaten all sorts of things. He bought a sausage and started eating. To his surprise, it tasted good and even restored soul power—quite effective, in fact.
But Yang Xiong's actions drew disdainful glares from the girls. He shook his head in exasperation. 'These girls haven't seen much of the world. They lack experience. For ordinary people, having food to eat—let alone such potent sausages—is already a luxury.'
Yang Xiong also had a lingering suspicion. If Tang San hadn't undergone ice-fire tempering, Oscar might have been the physically strongest among the Shrek Seven Monsters. Food-based martial souls were practically cheat codes in the Douluo Continent, theoretically defying the laws of energy conservation.
…
Dai Mubai introduced the current state of Shrek Academy to the group. The school currently had only three students, with more teachers than students—a fact that drew curious looks from the crowd.
Shrek Academy's admission standards were notoriously strict, and graduation requirements were even harsher. Students needed to reach level forty by the age of twenty. By this standard, they were on par with the top-tier advanced soul master academies. Many advanced academies couldn't even produce a Soul Sage by the age of twenty.
Yang Xiong was speechless. He acknowledged the academy's strong faculty, but it seemed their efforts weren't fully applied to the students. In the original storyline, apart from Zhao Wuji, the other teachers rarely made appearances.
Moreover, Shrek Academy's casualty rate was shockingly high, completely disproportionate to its faculty strength. By later generations, student deaths had almost become a tradition.
If these talented individuals had been nurtured within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, though not all might meet the graduation standards, the casualty rate would have been nearly zero. Most would likely grow into elder-level figures within the sect.
This was the tragedy of the soul master world. While sects could provide comprehensive training resources, they demanded absolute loyalty in return.
For ordinary civilian soul masters, unless they joined a sect, most would perish during their growth. Only a few could reach the advanced soul master stage. And at that level, acquiring soul rings became increasingly difficult, multiplying the risks.
Take the old man with the Dragon Pattern Staff martial soul, for example. With his current soul ring configuration, he had reached the Soul Emperor level. If he'd received proper cultivation and suitable soul rings within a sect, becoming a top-tier Soul Sage wouldn't have been out of the question.
When the group arrived at the fourth assessment point, they saw a muscular middle-aged man sitting there. Though only 1.7 meters tall, his physique radiated explosive strength. This was Zhao Wuji.
Dai Mubai seemed somewhat intimidated by Zhao Wuji. "Teacher Zhao, these five are here for the fourth round of assessments. They've skipped directly to this stage. I'll handle the testing, and you'll oversee it."
Zhao Wuji stood up. "This year is quite interesting—we've got five little prodigies. Reaching this stage shows your talent is commendable. I'll personally assess you. Let's see if you can pass my test."
The new students appeared relaxed, but Dai Mubai's expression suddenly turned grave.
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