"Here will be your future residence…" Bai Baoshan pointed at the quiet, solitary courtyard ahead. It sat halfway up the mountain, with a clear stream flowing beside it. Within several kilometers there was only this one dwelling, which showed how carefully the location had been chosen.
But a Worship Elder should enjoy a Worship Elder's treatment; that was only normal.
"Every year, one hundred thousand gold soul coins. Of course, that's just the base. For any resources or other needs, just ask—we'll do everything in our power to satisfy you. However, in a few days… His Majesty would like to meet you. There will be a banquet in the palace, and he wants to know if you'll have time to attend." Bai Baoshan asked carefully.
Naturally, he had to report this person's arrival to His Majesty.
The Heaven Dou Emperor—the true ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire.
A single Worship Elder he could decide on by himself, but the proper procedures still had to be followed.
"His Majesty?"
Su Wen pondered for a moment.
He nodded slightly. "I can."
After coming back ten thousand years, aside from using the Twin Spirits bug and conveniently picking up some rare soul beasts of this era, he was also interested in certain people and things.
According to Big Eye, history has self-correction, but it's not absolute. For example, killing Tang San isn't impossible—he can be killed, it's just incredibly difficult, equivalent to killing the God-King Tang San ten thousand years later. It's not that the timeline won't allow it, it's simply a matter of energy conservation.
In other words, the past can be salvaged, and the future can be changed…
It just depends on whether you're willing to put in the effort.
Since he'd chosen the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy as his foothold, there was no need to brush off their kindness. At this banquet, Qian Renxue, Ning Fengzhi, and even a Red-clothed Cardinal from Spirit Hall would probably show up to make contact with him.
It was a good chance to integrate himself.
"Any teaching duties?" Su Wen made a "please" gesture.
There was no need for him to participate in this tournament—crushing weaklings was boring. If he really had to make a move, it would only be fun if opponents on the level of Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo appeared.
It was better to stay behind the scenes and train a team capable of completely suppressing Shrek Academy, then let them go on a killing spree at the tournament. That would be interesting.
Were the original Shrek Seven Monsters strong?
They were.
But that was after they took the immortal herbs.
Before that, they weren't weak either—they were at the very top of the genius hierarchy—but becoming gods was basically impossible.
The gap between them and people like Yu Tianheng existed, but it definitely wasn't as huge as people might imagine.
The two of them sat in a bamboo pavilion outside the small courtyard, chatting idly.
"Little friend Su Wen, you jest. For the Academy's Worship Elder, how could anything be called an 'assignment'? If you happen to be in the mood and are willing to give them some guidance, that would be their great fortune." Bai Baoshan smiled.
His words were quite humble, but they reflected reality.
One had to know that even the Education Committee—the people with the highest cultivation in the Academy—were only just barely Soul Douluo. As for the other teachers, once you reached the Soul Ancestor realm, you could already teach. Soul King– and Soul Emperor–level teachers were separated into Heavenly and Heaven Dou ranks. For example, Qin Ming in the original story was a Heaven Dou–rank teacher.
Someone at Su Wen's level probably already touched the threshold of a Titled Douluo. Just a few pointers from him would be a blessing earned over several lifetimes. If he took a liking to someone and accepted them as a disciple, they'd soar to the heavens in one step.
There were plenty of Titled Douluo who weren't good teachers, but in truth, most basic knowledge was taught by primary and advanced academy teachers, and well-staffed academies had libraries filled with reference materials.
For people at Su Wen's level, what they offered was more the name, and the potential resources that name could bring.
"The Heaven Dou Class?" Su Wen sipped his tea, appreciating the scenery, and spoke softly. "Yu Tianheng's class of seven."
Just like teacher rankings, students were divided into three tiers: level 20–25, 25 to Soul Elder, and Soul Elder and above, each matching a class level.
Yu Tianheng's class was the undisputed top class even among the Heaven Dou classes.
The Royal Academy had plenty of connections and mixed quality among its students, but its elite weren't weak at all. They just happened to be stepped on by the protagonist group in the original story.
"That's Teacher Qin Ming's class…" Bai Baoshan snuck a glance at Su Wen. Seeing he wasn't displeased, he hurriedly continued, "But recently Teacher Qin Ming has been busy recruiting students from Shrek Academy. If you don't mind, you can take over anytime."
He had originally planned to introduce Shrek Academy to Su Wen. After all, he'd heard that group of little monsters had actually managed to completely suppress Yu Tianheng and the others.
But then he remembered this person was recommended by Poison Douluo, and also the connection with Dugu Yan, so he didn't rashly bring it up.
"Shrek Academy?" Su Wen raised a brow.
"Yes," Bai Baoshan nodded.
"These days any random stray cat or dog can call itself an academy." Su Wen smiled pleasantly, deliberately putting on a villain's posture as he shook his head.
Inwardly, he was amused.
Strictly speaking, he was a member of Shrek as well…
But since he came from ten thousand years later, he planned to give this bunch a lesson.
"They…" Bai Baoshan hesitated.
"The dean is that owl, Flender?" Su Wen cut him off. "A hollow shell of an academy cobbled together by a miser, and it dares call itself an academy?"
"Exactly!" Bai Baoshan, having finally grasped Su Wen's attitude, agreed seriously. "This kind of academy that misleads the young—letting them into the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is indeed a mistake!"
After a few more polite exchanges, he took his leave in a hurry.
…
The next day.
The blazing sun hung high.
The enormous training field bustled.
"Have you heard? The other day at the Education Committee, a ferocious giant beast suddenly appeared, tore off the roof, and fought the elders. I heard it took several elders working together to subdue it. That was just yesterday!"
"I saw it with my own eyes. Quite a few students witnessed it. That kind of beast was truly terrifying—just one punch made my chest feel like something was pressing on it. I still feel suffocated when I think of it."
"Why would a beast like that appear in our Academy? Shouldn't it be in the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"Sigh, could you all be talking about the Titan Giant Ape?!!"
"…"
Surrounded by constant excited chatter,
Yu Tianheng's group of seven had no intention of joining in. They were all uncharacteristically quiet.
They had been sulking over Teacher Qin Ming. After being his disciples for so long, the first people he thought of were Shrek Academy's students; he even wanted those guys to borrow their chicken to lay eggs, replacing them as the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's representatives in the tournament.
But now…
Only they knew the real story of what had happened that day.
Was that giant beast really subdued by the three elders working together?
Just that one utterly terrifying punch alone would probably have crushed the three elders into blood mist.
"Sis Yan, you really don't know who that person is?" Osler smacked his lips and asked quietly.
"Nonsense!" Dugu Yan rolled her eyes.
"It was my first time seeing him in my life. I've never even heard Grandpa mention such a… ahem, big brother."
"Tsk tsk tsk, Poison Senior's old friend, huh. No wonder—powerhouses all have their own circles. Unless someone has a grandpa as strong as Poison Senior, like you do, Sis Yan, they'd never have the chance to meet him."
"Still, who would've thought—there's always someone stronger. So young, and already…"
"How do you know he's not actually your grandpa's generation?" Yu Feng snorted.
"At that level, disguising one's appearance isn't hard. Maybe his ability lets him keep his face young. But a Titled Douluo who looks about our age? Who'd believe that!"
A young girl wrapped in a black veil stood silently, a flicker of agreement in her eyes.
His strength was undeniable, but his age…
"Alright, we should think about what we're going to train if Teacher Qin Ming doesn't come back," Yu Tianheng sighed softly.
"Sigh…"
Everyone groaned.
Just because they'd lost one match to Shrek Academy, Teacher Qin Ming had vanished. Rumor had it he was busy helping Shrek Academy move into the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
The mood dropped instantly.
"Heaven Dou Class One?"
A voice rang out.
Everyone looked up—and froze, stunned.
"Looks like this is the place."
The incredibly handsome youth standing there, his looks almost unreal, smiled as he clasped his hands behind his back, sweeping his gaze over them.
"From now on, I'll be your teacher."
"…"