"This is outrageous! Are you blind?" At this point, Tang San was so furious he had almost lost his senses. "If my teacher hadn't recommended this place, I wouldn't have even bothered to look at this shabby academy! Refund my registration fee, or else..."
He trailed off, suddenly realizing that even if the old man completely ignored him, there was nothing he could do about it.
The old man glanced at him with an indifferent look, as if this was a common occurrence. "Mu Bai, someone wants a refund. Could you please handle it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure leaped out from inside the village. "You want your registration fee back? Sure. You can have a full refund... after you beat me!"
Dai Mubai looked excited, rubbing his hands together as he walked forward. However, when he saw who he was supposed to fight, he froze.
"You again?"
The person standing at the table, refusing to leave and demanding his money back, was the same kid he had run into at the Rose Hotel a few days ago.
What terrible luck! Dai Mubai cursed in his heart.
Seeing who had come out, Tang San was also dumbfounded. How did this guy come from inside the academy? Is he already a student here?
"Boom—!"
Dai Mubai directly activated his spirit power. The surging energy vibrated in the air as waves of pressure rushed toward Tang San. At the same time, his three spirit rings—two yellow and one purple—were released, circling his body.
Seeing this, Tang San shuddered. The memory of his brutal defeat seven days ago was still vivid in his mind; the phantom pains of his injuries still lingered. He had no desire to feel that kind of pain again.
"Just my luck," Tang San muttered, his nose twitching. He gritted his teeth, turned around, and limped away without another word.
As he walked past the back of the line, he happened to see Huo Feng and Xiao Wu waiting. The humiliation of being rejected by Shrek Academy had just been witnessed by the two people he least wanted to see. After giving them a barely perceptible nod, he fled the area as fast as his injured leg could carry him.
Although Huo Feng's expression remained neutral, he was laughing on the inside. He had imagined many possible outcomes, but he had never thought that Tang San would actually be rejected by Shrek. It was an amusingly unexpected twist.
Seeing Tang San leave in disgrace, Dai Mubai felt much better. This time, he didn't return to the village. Instead, he found a chair and sat down next to the old man, his evil-eyed gaze sweeping over the people still in line. The message was clear: if anyone else wanted a refund, they would have to go through him first.
After that spectacle, the number of people in the queue suddenly decreased by a third. Ten gold soul coins was not a small amount for an ordinary family, and no one wanted to throw their money away.
However, Dai Mubai's aloof attitude didn't last long. As his gaze swept over the line again, his eyes suddenly froze. As the crowd thinned and the line moved forward, he saw two familiar figures.
"Huo Feng!"
Dai Mubai almost jumped out of his chair. That face and that name were now engraved in his memory. In his entire life, he had never suffered such a devastating defeat as the one he'd had a few days ago.
Seeing Dai Mubai staring at him in surprise, Huo Feng raised the corners of his mouth slightly and offered a kind smile in response. It was a normal smile, but to Dai Mubai, it looked absolutely terrifying.
He's only twelve or thirteen, he's in Soto City at this exact time, and he's a powerful spirit master...
Dai Mubai slapped his thigh, a sudden realization hitting him. Why hadn't he considered that Huo Feng might also be here for the Shrek Academy entrance exam? Given his terrifying strength, getting into Shrek would be a piece of cake for him. The thought gave him a headache. But now that it was happening, he could only take it one step at a time. He had already decided that as long as Huo Feng didn't provoke him, he would never get into another conflict with him.
"Huh?"
A light exclamation from the old man brought Dai Mubai back to his senses. He looked up and saw that the line, which had once been over a hundred people long, had dwindled to only a dozen. There was no doubt that these were the applicants who were truly confident in their own abilities.
Dai Mubai noticed that the teacher next to him had a look of confusion on his face. A young girl was standing in front of the table. She wore a clean white dress and had short, ear-length hair, looking very pure and beautiful. Her most striking feature was her skin, which was exceptionally delicate and fair.
"Hello, did I pass the test?" the girl asked, her voice soft and gentle.
Dai Mubai, sitting nearby, felt a strange sensation upon hearing her voice. His eyes began to change subtly as he looked the girl up and down.
This must be Ning Rongrong, thought Huo Feng, who had also noticed the girl. Given the small number of people left and her uniquely refined aura, he was almost certain it was her.
"Does your family know that you came to Shrek Academy?" the old man asked after a moment of hesitation.
"That doesn't seem to have anything to do with my entrance exam, does it?" Ning Rongrong said, frowning slightly. "As long as I meet the requirements, there's no reason for the academy not to accept me, right?"
The old man thought for a moment, then nodded. "Mu Bai, take her in."
Dai Mubai nodded, regaining his composure, and led Ning Rongrong into the academy.
After two more people were rejected, it was finally Huo Feng and Xiao Wu's turn. Like everyone before them, they each paid the ten gold soul coin fee and had their bone age checked. After confirming there were no issues, the old man asked them to release their martial souls and spirit rings.
Dai Mubai, sitting on the side, pretended to be calm as he stared intently at Huo Feng. He was eager to see what kind of spirit rings he had.
"Buzz!"
Huo Feng activated his spirit power, and three spirit rings—two yellow and one purple—rose up around him. The night before, he had used the Soul Ring Simulator to disguise his thousand-year second ring, making it appear as a 500-year yellow ring. While a yellow-yellow-purple configuration was still amazing, at least it wouldn't scare people to death. At the same time, his Thunder Sword appeared in his right hand.
No wonder, Dai Mubai thought. When he saw Huo Feng's spirit rings, he was surprised at first, but it quickly made sense. Although he didn't know Huo Feng's exact rank, he knew his spirit power fluctuations were much stronger than his own. In that light, his loss a few days ago didn't seem so unfair.
Xiao Wu, standing beside him, also activated her spirit power. Her martial soul, the Jade Rabbit, possessed her, and her two hundred-year yellow spirit rings rose up.
The old man nodded. He wasn't surprised by Xiao Wu, but he was clearly impressed by Huo Feng. He gave a rare smile and nodded for them to pass.
"One last person," he announced.
Hearing that, Huo Feng didn't rush in. He stopped and waited. The only remaining applicant was a young girl. She had a cold expression, a pair of calm black eyes, and long black hair draped over her shoulders. Her face was very beautiful, but what was most eye-catching was her somewhat exaggerated figure, which seemed quite mature for her age.
"Hiss!" Huo Feng drew in a sharp breath.
That figure! That expression! Who else could it be but Zhu Zhuqing?
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