Shrek Academy – Morning Assembly
The morning sun hung low, casting long shadows across the rough training ground. The air was cool, carrying the scent of dew and earth.
All the students—Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and the others—stood in a straight line before Flender.
Flender adjusted his spectacles, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group before his brows knit together.
"Where is Oscar?" he asked flatly.
Tang San stepped forward without hesitation, his tone calm.
"The last time I saw him, he was still cultivating in the dormitory, Dean. He seemed to be attempting a breakthrough."
Before Flender could respond, a voice laced with thinly veiled disdain chimed in from the side.
"Did he forget that he's an auxiliary Soul Master?" Ning Rongrong said lightly, her lips curving into a faint smile."It's not so easy for auxiliary-type soul masters to cross the Level 29 threshold."
Her words carried no outright malice—only the natural arrogance of someone born into privilege and talent.
In the Soul Master world, her statement was a widely accepted truth.
Level 29, 69, and 89 were known as great thresholds.
Levels 11–30 marked low-tier Soul Masters, 31–70 mid-tier, 71–90 high-tier, and those above Level 91 were considered peak existences.
For auxiliary Soul Masters, each threshold was even more difficult.
It was precisely for this reason that—even with its infamous restriction to Level 79—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was still hailed as the strongest auxiliary martial soul on the continent.
Flender glanced briefly at Ning Rongrong but did not reprimand her.
After all, she was only voicing a truth the entire Soul Master world accepted.
Turning away, he said gruffly, "Hongjun, go call Oscar. Cultivation is important, but that doesn't mean he gets to skip morning training."
Ma Hongjun scratched his head and was about to turn—
When a familiar, breathless voice rang out.
"Dean—! I'm here!"
All eyes turned.
Oscar jogged forward from the dormitory direction, his face flushed, his breathing uneven—but his aura was unmistakably different.
"I… I've broken through," he said, grinning from ear to ear."I've reached Level 30!"
Flender's stern expression froze.
Then, slowly, it softened.
"Good," he said, nodding once."Congratulations, Oscar."
At the side, Ning Rongrong's expression stiffened.
Her fingers curled slightly.
Being contradicted so directly—immediately after her words—felt like a slap across the face.
Still, she forced a smile and said through clenched teeth,"Congratulations."
Oscar, oblivious to the undercurrents, scratched his head and moved toward Dai Mubai.
"Boss Dai, thank you," he said sincerely."Those pills really helped me break through."
Dai Mubai laughed heartily and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't mention it. I'll ask He Cai to prepare more for you next time."
Neither of them realized—
Those pills were quietly burning potential in exchange for temporary advancement, thinning the foundation of their cultivation bit by bit.
Oscar hadn't known either.
He had been stuck at Level 29 for too long, frustration gnawing at him day and night. The moment relief presented itself, he grasped it without hesitation—unaware that, with patience, he could have broken through naturally within days.
Nearby, Tang San's ears twitched slightly as he caught the conversation.
'Pills? I'll ask about that later.'
He stepped forward and offered his congratulations along with the others, his smile warm and genuine as ever.
Yet beneath that expression, his thoughts were already elsewhere.
'My third soul ring…I'm coming.'