"Ma Hongjun, you call that a 'Fire Phoenix'? Looks more like a scraggly chicken to me."
Oscar's teasing grin earned him a fiery glare.
"It is a Fire Phoenix! The dean said so! And one day, it'll be invincible!"
"The dean lied to you."
"No, he didn't! The dean never lies!"
After a few weeks together, Ma Hongjun had fully integrated with Oscar and Xu Yunhan—which meant enduring relentless ribbing about his so-called "Fire Phoenix" martial soul.
To most eyes, it resembled a flamboyant turkey more than a mythical bird.
Ma Hongjun's martial soul was a mutated variant—his village's lineage carried fire-chicken spirits, but his had developed partial phoenix traits.
An incomplete mutation, riddled with flaws.
Yet its fire attributes had intensified dramatically, granting formidable power despite its absurd appearance.
"Enough. Shut up and train."
Xu Yunhan's icy stare silenced both boys instantly.
Oscar obeyed out of loyalty—he'd long accepted Xu Yunhan as his leader.
Ma Hongjun, however, acted out of sheer terror.
He'd learned enough to grasp that Xu Yunhan and Oscar were innate full-soul-power freaks.
But while Oscar's sausage martial soul was useless in combat, Xu Yunhan's Three-Eyed White Tiger made him a nightmare in human form.
That earned Hongjun's fear-laced reverence.
Life at Shrek Academy was monastic—just three students and a handful of teachers.
The upside? No distractions. Pure cultivation.
Years slipped by unnoticed.
"Almost four years now..."
Xu Yunhan paused his morning training, gazing at the horizon.
He was now eleven, Oscar ten, and Ma Hongjun nine.
Though close in age, their cultivation gaps yawned wide:
Xu Yunhan: 28th-rank Soul Grandmaster
Ma Hongjun: 18th-rank
As they walked to the dining hall, their height differences mirrored their strength:
Inside, Zhao Wuji, Shao Xin, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin were already eating.
Flender, as usual, was absent—scraping funds from his shop in Suotuo City.
Shao Xin—the rotund Sugar Bean Soul Sage—doubled as the academy's cook.
Poverty meant meager meals, though nutrition was prioritized for the boys' growth.
"Yunhan, Little Ao, Hongjun—tomorrow's enrollment day. You'll assist with the tests."
Zhao Wuji spoke between bites.
Xu Yunhan nodded silently.
"Teacher Zhao, we say this every year, but we never get new students." Oscar smirked. "I was hoping for fresh blood."
Ma Hongjun puffed his chest. "Maybe no one matches our genius? Ah, the curse of being too exceptional—"
Li Yusong flicked Hongjun's forehead. "...But you're not wrong. Finding talents like yours is rare."
Hongjun grinned. "We're freaks among freaks. Normal people can't compete."
Oscar added, "Why not lower the standards? We're too elite for our own good."
Shrek Academy's admissions were brutally selective—only monster-tier geniuses need apply.
The four teachers exhaled in unison.
They couldn't afford mediocrity.
Poverty forced them to bet everything on once-in-a-generation talents who could thrive on scraps and sheer aptitude.
Oscar and Hongjun didn't grasp this.
Xu Yunhan did—but he didn't care.
To him, Shrek Academy was a stepping stone.
(And in his original timeline, it had been his empire's archenemy.)
Despite its absurd standards, Shrek Academy's notoriety drew hopefuls yearly.
This year was no exception.
Three testing stations awaited candidates:
Li Yusong: Outside the gates—checked bone age and martial souls.
Lu Qibin: Courtyard—verified soul power levels.
Zhao Wuji: Final hurdle—combat trials.
At least 20th-rank (two spirit rings)
Both rings must be century-grade (yellow)
Even meeting these made one a top-tier genius elsewhere.
But here? They still had to survive Zhao Wuji's beating.
No wonder admissions were bleak.
"Bone age exceeds 12. Disqualified."
"Then refund my registration fee!"
"Read the rules. No refunds—same every year."
This script repeated annually.
The hefty enrollment fee was Shrek's primary income source. Refunds? Never.
(Thankfully, their teachers were all Soul Emperor-tier or higher, deterring violent complaints.)
Day One: Zero qualifiers.
"Name, age, martial soul. Display your rings."
"Dai Mubai. Twelve. Evil Eye White Tiger."
The towering youth before him had fled Star Luo Empire, seeking refuge in Suotuo City.
Shrek Academy offered sanctuary—and protection.
"Evil Eye White Tiger?"
Li Yusong's gaze sharpened.
This boy reeked of the Star Luo imperial family's bloodline.
But he kept his thoughts to himself.
"Bone age checks out. Release your rings."
Dai Mubai—nearly thirteen but still eligible—summoned two yellow rings.
"Proceed to the courtyard for soul power testing."
Li Yusong nodded, already certain:
This year's sole successful candidate had arrived.