Chapter Forty-Nine: Arrival at the Academy

Looking at Bailing, Hu Liena still couldn't help biting her lower lip. Although her martial soul was a fox, she was, after all, no match for a real fox!

After Lingxiao and the others rested and ate, Hu Liena continued her cultivation. She needed to seize every moment to break through to the Spirit Douluo realm.

During his rest period, Lingxiao's spiritual power drifted outward, observing Xiao Wu entering the Heaven Dou Empire, followed by a male in blue attire who addressed her as Elder Sister Xiao Wu.

"It seems this must be that Tang Sun, possessing twin martial souls of the Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer, and born with full spirit power. Indeed, he can be considered a genius!" Lingxiao thought to himself.

"Hmm?"

As Lingxiao casually probed further, the figure of a middle-aged man appeared. Draped in a tattered cloak and possessing a heavily muscled physique, he bore internal injuries yet radiated the overwhelming aura belonging to a Titled Douluo.

"Who is this? Judging by his appearance, he must be connected to the one called Tang Sun—is he his father?" Lingxiao wondered, feeling no concern whatsoever.

After all, Xiao Wu had consumed the Water of Life, and the beastly aura inherent to her true nature as a spirit beast was completely concealed by the divine presence. Not to mention a mere Titled Douluo, even the Asura God King would fail to detect it.

Lingxiao watched as the two arrived at a magnificent and luxurious hotel.

"Hello, do you have any vacant rooms here?" Xiao Wu approached the front desk and inquired.

"Yes, miss, we happen to have exactly one room left," the receptionist replied with a smile.

"Only one room?"

Hearing this, Xiao Wu frowned slightly. How could she and Tang Sun possibly stay in the same room?

"Elder Sister Xiao Wu, it's fine. I can go find another room myself. I don't really mind, as long as there's a place to sleep!" Tang Sun said upon seeing this.

Yet, a strange feeling lingered within him, as if he had missed out on something important!

"Very well then! Tang Sun, you go find a place to stay, and we'll gather right here tomorrow!" Xiao Wu nodded.

Just as Xiao Wu was about to pay, a blonde-haired male appeared, his arms around two shapely women who looked remarkably alike, presumably twins.

"Hey, I booked this room first. Go find somewhere else to stay!" the blonde-haired man with heterochromic eyes demanded.

"Young Master Dai!" the hotel receptionist hurriedly called out.

"You booked it first?"

Turning her head, Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow and considered seeking out another hotel.

The blonde-haired, heterochromic-eyed male's eyes lit up upon seeing Xiao Wu, and he said, "Little beauty, actually, it wouldn't be impossible for you to stay here after all!"

"What did you say?"

Stepping forward, Tang Sun said, "Friend, you had best not use that tone of voice!"

Gazing at the impoverished-looking Tang Sun, the blonde-haired male chuckled disdainfully. "What? Looking to play the hero saving the beauty? Beauty, what's so great about following this poor wretch? Why not come with me instead?"

Hearing the man's flippant tone, Xiao Wu clenched her fists and retorted, "Blondie, if you dare speak like that again, I'll pluck every last strand of that golden hair of yours!"

"What?"

The blonde-haired man's expression turned gloomy as he snapped, "You actually dare speak to me like that!"

"What's wrong, little blondie? Only you are allowed to spout nonsense, but others aren't even allowed to talk back to you?" Xiao Wu crossed her arms and said dismissively. The person before her was merely at the thirty-fifth rank; there was nothing to fear.

Releasing the two women he had been holding, the blonde-haired male took a step forward and declared, "It seems I need to make you suffer a little so you learn how to respect the strong!"

Hastily intervening, the hotel receptionist pleaded, "Young Master Dai, miss, please don't fight here, okay? It's not easy for us to run a business!"

"Mind your own business. Whatever damage is done to the hotel, I will compensate you in full."

The blonde-haired male demanded, "What is your name?"

"None of your business! Want to fight? I'll gladly accompany you! If you lose, you'll apologize for what you just said!" Xiao Wu replied.

With a bitter expression, the hotel receptionist looked at the two of them. Both were spirit masters, while he was merely an ordinary person—how could he afford to offend either of them?

"Fine! If I lose, not only will I apologize, but I will also give this room to you. My name is Dai Mubai, so you'd better remember it well!" Face darkening, Dai Mubai summoned two yellow and one purple spirit rings.

"I have no need to remember the name of someone like you!" Xiao Wu also activated her spirit rings, one yellow and two purple rings floating around her.

A shock ran through Dai Mubai as he witnessed this scene.

"How is this possible? This young girl looks even younger than me, yet she is already a spirit elder? And her second spirit ring is actually a thousand-year one—how can this be?"

"Little blondie, are you ready to take a beating?" Xiao Wu curled her finger and beckoned.

Dai Mubai's expression turned as dark as water. "Then let me see if you truly have the strength to back it up!"

"Second spirit ability: White Tiger Fierce Light Wave!"

"Hmph." Flashing forward, Xiao Wu evaded the attack, arrived right in front of Dai Mubai, and delivered a swift kick.

"First spirit ability: Waist Bow!"

"What? How could her speed possibly be this fast?"

Dai Mubai's expression changed abruptly. In the next instant, a sharp pain struck his abdomen, and his entire body was sent flying into mid-air, kicked upward once more before he even hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Tang Sun watched Xiao Wu with a solemn expression, purple light flashing in his eyes. Even with his Purple Demon Eye, he had only been able to catch a fleeting afterimage of her movements—he had previously been defeated by this very technique himself.

By the time Dai Mubai hit the ground, he was too unsteady to even stand, and the two women rushed forward to support him.

"Young Master Dai, are you alright?"

"Let go of me!" Recovering slightly after a moment, Dai Mubai pushed the two women away, wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and glared darkly at Xiao Wu.

"What, unconvvinced? Then come on and keep fighting! I haven't even used my full strength yet!" Xiao Wu remained expressionless as she looked at him.

"You win! The room is yours!" Dai Mubai said, clenching his fists as he prepared to leave.

"Hey, did you forget to apologize?" Xiao Wu called out, causing Dai Mubai's face to darken further.

"Leave a little room for grace!"

"There's no need for that with someone like you!"

Gazing at Dai Mubai with unconcealed disgust, Xiao Wu couldn't help thinking: If only all humans were like her older brother!

"I'm sorry!" Dai Mubai said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at Xiao Wu before turning and walking away swiftly.

"Hmph. Acting all high and mighty. Dare to come back, and I'll beat you up just the same!" Xiao Wu remarked.

However, since Dai Mubai had left, she had to pay the hotel a few gold spirit coins for the damages herself. Fortunately, she wasn't short on money. Once Tang Sun departed, she took the room key, unlocked the door, and her eyes lit up with delight at the interior decorations.

Taking off her shoes, Xiao Wu gave a light leap, threw herself onto the bed, buried her face deep into the pillow, and rolled around joyfully.

Watching Xiao Wu's antics, Lingxiao smiled faintly.

Since Xiao Wu was fine, he had no intention of interfering further. Withdrawing his spiritual power, he turned his focus inward and began pressing against the barrier of time.

The next morning, upon waking up, Xiao Wu found Tang Sun already waiting outside, a look of elation flickering across his face. Though curious, Xiao Wu chose not to pry.

"Tang Sun, let's go!"

"Alright, Elder Sister Xiao Wu!"

After several hours of travel, the two spotted a village in the distance, its entrance crowded with people. They decided to ask someone there if they knew the whereabouts of Shrek Academy.

Upon approaching, however, both realized something was amiss. The village entrance was indeed crowded with numerous people, most of them youths around their own age.

Furthermore, the vast majority were accompanied by their parents or elders, giving the two of them a faint sense of foreboding.

A table had been set up at the village entrance, behind which sat an elderly man in his sixties.

Suspended above the entrance was a somewhat tattered wooden archway bearing five simply carved characters: Shrek Academy.

In front of these characters was a green emblem resembling the head of a humanoid monster—green in color and somewhat endearing.

Pinned to the chest of the old man behind the table was a similar green circular badge, presumably the school emblem of Shrek Academy.

"Is this really Shrek Academy?" Xiao Wu said in disbelief.

Tang Sun was also somewhat puzzled. Why would his teacher recommend such a place? It looked dilapidated; could this truly be a spirit master academy?

It felt inferior even to the elementary spirit master academy in Notting City.

Stepping forward, the two noticed that the others present wore equally perplexed expressions.

One youth asked, "Father, is this really a proper spirit master academy? I refuse to study in a dump like this!"

The youth's father frowned as well, yet still advised, "Wait a little longer. Perhaps the real academy is located somewhere else?"

Yet his tone lacked conviction, a sentiment shared by many in the crowd.

At that moment, a youth approached the old man to register, and the old man lazily stated, "The registration fee is ten gold spirit coins. Just put them in that box."

The youth's father quickly paid the fee, and the old man raised his head slightly, instructing the youth, "Extend your hand!"

Feeling the youth's hand, the old man remarked, "You fail the criteria. Go back."

The youth's father hastily intervened, "Um, could you make an exception? The boy just turned thirteen!"

Impatiently, the old man replied, "Did you not read the rules? We only accept those under thirteen. Unqualified means unqualified!"

With a bitter expression, the youth's father asked, "Alright then, could you return the registration fee?"

To an ordinary family like theirs, ten gold spirit coins represented a heavy burden—savings accumulated through strict frugality by their entire household.

"Once the registration fee is paid, it will not be refunded under any circumstances!" The old man flatly refused.

"You..."

Just as the youth's father was about to erupt in anger, he felt a powerful pressure emanating from the old man before him, and in the next moment, six spirit rings materialized and spun around the elder.

"A Spirit Emperor!"

Taking a step back, the youth's father turned pale under the weight of that pressure.

"What, a Spirit Emperor!"

The crowd behind them gasped in shock. None of them could have imagined that a seemingly unremarkable old man would actually be a Spirit Emperor!

Standing up, the old man spoke in a resonant voice, "Remember, this is Shrek Academy. A Shrek is a unique type of spirit beast, and our academy only accepts monsters. If you are not a monster, paying the fee is merely a waste of time!"

Seeing this, the father and son could only slink away dejectedly. Xiao Wu felt a surge of displeasure; could a place like this really teach students properly?

The expressions of the remaining parents and children darkened accordingly. While an academy with a Spirit Emperor instructor undoubtedly possessed considerable strength, they had failed to meet the criteria.

Soon, more than half of the families departed, and the old man resumed his casual posture, sitting back down in his seat.

"Sigh, who knows who beat that fellow Mubai into such a state, forcing me to handle the admissions personally!" the old man muttered under his breath just as Xiao Wu and Tang Sun approached.

Glancing at the two of them, the old man said, "Registration fee, ten gold spirit coins!"

Xiao Wu and Tang Sun each took out ten gold spirit coins, dropped them into the box, and extended their hands.

Feeling Tang Sun's hand, the old man's expression shifted slightly as he asked, "Have you practiced any special techniques with your hands?"

"Yes!" Tang Sun replied sternly.

"Lift your lower leg."

Tang Sun complied, and after pressing down on it, a look of delight flashed in the old man's eyes. "Very well, you pass. You are a monster!"

Reaching out to take Xiao Wu's hand, the old man pressed it—and his expression instantly froze. He sprang up from his seat, staring at Xiao Wu in absolute horror.

"You, you..."