To be honest, even though Li Chang'an had heard that Shrek Academy was run-down, he never imagined it would be this dilapidated. It was honestly worse than he had ever expected. If it weren't for the fact that he had come to rescue Zhu Zhuqing, he would've turned around and left on the spot.
'Sigh, I really am such a good person,'
Li Chang'an thought to himself.
Ahead of him in the line was a boy with his parents. The boy's mother was complaining, "Is this some kind of joke? This is the so-called spirit master academy? The one that supposedly grants you a noble title upon graduation?"
The boy's father looked a little uncertain. "That's what the people from the Spirit Hall said. It shouldn't be wrong... but this place really is a dump."
"I don't want to study here, Dad," the boy grumbled. "This is too embarrassing. I'd rather go to the Suotuo Intermediate Spirit Master Academy. At least I was considered a prodigy back in primary school."
The father frowned and said, "Well, we're already here. Let's wait a bit longer—this might be some kind of test. Maybe this isn't the real academy."
This kind of exchange was common throughout the line. Most of the kids and their parents wore expressions of disappointment.
But Li Chang'an wasn't paying attention to any of them. His gaze passed over the crowd and landed on the old man standing nearby—behind whom lay a boy whose face was badly swollen.
That old man had to be Li Yusong, the Spirit Emperor with the Dragon-patterned Staff Martial Soul. Honestly, when it came to teaching staff, Shrek Academy could definitely compete with top-tier institutions. But for Li Chang'an, who was used to having Titled Douluo as instructors, this was nothing—barely a drizzle.
That said, he did have to admit, he respected Dai Mubai's commitment—still showing up to work even with a face that swollen. If it were him, he definitely wouldn't be out in public.
The line moved forward steadily. Dai Mubai and Li Yusong revealed their soul rings to shock the parents a bit, prompting many to leave. Only the confident ones remained.
At that moment, the elder responsible for admissions had a look of mixed surprise and confusion on his face. Standing in front of him was a young girl who had just withdrawn her outstretched hand.
She was alone—no parents accompanied her.
Dressed in a simple white dress, she gave off a clean, crisp impression. Her short, ear-length hair was neat, and she was about half a head shorter than Xiao Wu. Since her back was to Li Chang'an, he couldn't see her face, but the visible skin on her neck was porcelain smooth and fair.
'That must be Ning Rongrong—that rich little heiress and troublemaker'
Li Chang'an guessed.
He had never planned to bring Ning Rongrong into his harem anyway. After all, she was notoriously spoiled and bratty at the start. He didn't feel like wasting his time trying to tame her. Besides, on a larger scale, the relationship between the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was far from friendly—in fact, they were practically enemies.
"Excuse me, did I pass the initial exam?" Ning Rongrong asked, her voice soft and sweet. It lacked a certain heroic edge, but had a delicate charm that made it hard not to melt.
Li Yusong's surprise slowly faded as he frowned and asked, "Do your family members know you're here?"
Ning Rongrong didn't answer directly. She simply smiled and said, "They say education knows no class—if I meet the academy's standards, you have no reason not to accept me, do you?"
Li Yusong hesitated for a moment before waving his hand at Dai Mubai. "Take her inside."
The wolfish glint in Dai Mubai's eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual cold expression, and he led the girl into the academy.
Because he was wary that Tang Hao might be nearby, Li Chang'an didn't use his spiritual power to investigate. Instead, he casually glanced backward—and that was when he saw her.
Long black hair draped over her shoulders, her head slightly lowered. She was about the same height as Ning Rongrong, with similarly fair skin. But there was something distinctly different about Zhu Zhuqing.
Her figure was too well-developed for her age. If one didn't see her face, they might mistake her for a grown woman—especially with that chest, which was sure to draw every man's gaze. A classic case of a baby face and a grown-up body.
But in stark contrast to her curvaceous figure was the icy expression on her face. It wasn't forced or affected—it came from deep within, a pure, chilling cold. Her jet-black eyes didn't contain even the slightest bit of emotion, which clashed somewhat with her naturally beautiful face.
Her limbs were long and well-proportioned, her hands rested calmly at her sides, and an aura of deathly cold emanated from her, making people instinctively uncomfortable.
Even though Li Chang'an had mentally prepared himself for what Zhu Zhuqing might look like, actually seeing her in person still stunned him.
At that moment, the elder had already finished checking Tang San's legs, and Xiao Wu's bones had passed inspection as well. Now it was Li Chang'an's turn.
He didn't make any move to chat up Zhu Zhuqing. Approaching her directly would've been a rookie mistake.
When Dai Mubai returned after escorting Ning Rongrong, he immediately spotted Li Chang'an—and was completely dumbfounded.
'Why is he here?!'
"You're overage—you're already thirteen," Li Yusong said as he withdrew his hand from Li Chang'an's arm.
'Thirteen. He's only thirteen?!'
Dai Mubai was even more shocked now. A thirteen-year-old had beaten him senseless without even using a soul ring? How was that possible?
'Good thing he doesn't meet the requirements,'
Dai Mubai thought in relief.
'If he really enrolled, I'd be totally screwed.'
But then—
"Excuse me, does the academy hire teachers?"
Li Chang'an asked politely. "I'm just here accompanying my girlfriend."
Li Yusong frowned. "At your age, how could you possibly be qualified to teach?"
Li Chang'an said nothing. He took a few steps back. Then, a silver staff appeared in his hand.
At the same time, five soul rings slowly rose beneath his feet. He had used his Thousand Morph head soul bone to slightly alter their appearance: purple, purple, black, black, black.
Even though he had toned down the colors, it was still way beyond what anyone considered normal. The aura of a Spirit King burst forth.
Everyone present—no exceptions—was utterly stunned.
[Li Yusong. Points +18]
[Zhu Zhuqing. Points +8]
Thirteen years old. A Spirit King. Five soul rings starting at the thousand-year level. A terrifyingly oppressive Martial Soul. When did a monster like this show up in Douluo Continent?!
'With soul rings like that, how did he even pull it off?'
Dai Mubai thought.
'Man, I don't even feel bad for losing anymore.'
'Could it be... the teacher taught us wrong?'
Tang San wondered.
'Who is he?' Zhu Zhuqing thought to herself.
"Excuse me," Li Chang'an called out to the still-stunned Li Yusong, "would my strength be sufficient... to qualify me as a teacher at your academy?"
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