LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 20: 20 - Shrek
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Thanks for Patreon: Ruben Gene Dangpilen
Current chapter on patreon: 40
Patreon: patreon.com/Jc_One_Day00
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"Itachi?" What a strange name. Tang San and Xiao Wu were surprised. Dai Mubai was also a bit shocked.
Compared to Tang San and Xiao Wu, he knew much more. An organization that suddenly appeared, with all its members being spiritual masters, and almost every member capable of descending and advancing with extraordinary combat power.
No one knew who the leader was, and the whereabouts of these people were unpredictable. Rumor had it that they were everywhere in the Tiandou Empire, and even the Star Luo Empire had reports of them.
This organization had an irregular style of conduct. Some of them specialized in theft, and they all targeted large families, princes, and nobles. Even the vaults of the Spirit Hall Palace were emptied by them.
Because of this, Spirit Hall issued a search order for members of the Akatsuki organization, both to suppress this mysteriously appearing organization and to exact revenge for the theft.
Red clouds on a black background, bells, and hats—things I should have thought of... Dai Mubai secretly reflected. That outfit is almost a uniform for Akatsuki members, and it finally clicked for him.
"So, you're a veteran of the Akatsuki organization. My apologies for my rudeness, Dai Mubai. Goodbye." After saying this, Dai Mubai took the twin sisters and left immediately. It's better not to provoke the members of this organization. After all, even powerful forces like Spirit Hall couldn't deal with them. If they got involved, they wouldn't even know how they would meet their end.
"Bah, how shameless," Xiao Wu muttered, glaring at Dai Mubai's retreating figure.
Tang San shook his head at Xiao Wu, signaling her to focus on more important things. He then approached Itachi, who had only said one word and had been standing silently in place. Raising his hand, he clenched his fist. "Thank you..."
Before he could finish, the hotel owner, who had called himself Itachi, suddenly disappeared without a trace, just as mysteriously as he had appeared.
"Hmm..." Tang San awkwardly lowered his hand and smiled bitterly. This man sure had a strong personality...
Afterward, the two of them headed to the "Heart" room on the third floor to meet Ye Zhen.
"Knock, knock," Xiao Wu tapped on the door.
.....
"Rongrong, remember what I told you earlier? Don't mention the things my clone can change, not even to your father, or it'll become too complicated." Leaning against the headboard, Ye Zhen looked down at Ning Rongrong, who was curled up like a quiet cat in his arms.
"Don't worry..." Ning Rongrong's eyes were wide open, and she made an 'OK' gesture she had learned from Ye Zhen. Ye Zhen nodded, and after they both got dressed, he went to open the door.
The door creaked open.
Xiao Wu rushed in like a rabbit in heat. The temperature inside the room was vastly different from outside, as if the air conditioning had just been turned on. Xiao Wu had already been feeling too hot outside...
"Wow, Brother Zhen! Your room is so big and comfortable, isn't it? It's much better than the rooms downstairs..." Xiao Wu rolled comfortably on the sofa before jumping toward Ning Rongrong on the bed.
The two quickly became a lively scene. Their relationship had grown far beyond what it used to be.
Ye Zhen and Tang San entered the room side by side and sat together on the sofa.
Tang San's expression was a bit serious. "Zhen, I think I know why the teacher wanted us to come to Soto City."
"Oh? Why?" Ye Zhen asked with interest, looking at Tang San.
Tang San thought for a moment, his face showing some confusion. "You may not believe it, but I just met a soul master downstairs with a thousand-year first spirit ring, a ten-thousand-year second spirit ring, and a hundred-thousand-year third spirit ring. It put a lot of pressure on me..." Tang San smiled helplessly as he said this. Even he couldn't quite explain it.
Ye Zhen listened to Tang San's story, secretly pleased, though he kept a calm expression. "It's probably some special spiritual ability that can change the color of the spirit rings." Ye Zhen sipped some tea from the table and spoke casually.
"I think so too." Tang San nodded in agreement. That kind of spirit ring configuration didn't align with his teacher's martial spirit theory at all—it was simply too exaggerated.
While the two were sitting, drinking tea, and chatting, Xiao Wu spoke up, saying she hadn't eaten lunch and was hungry. "Should we head out together?" Ning Rongrong's voice suddenly cut in. Ye Zhen glanced at Tang San, surprised. "Isn't it already three or four in the afternoon? How have you been taking care of Xiao Wu?"
Tang San scratched his neck in embarrassment.
"Let's head out to eat and explore Soto City," Ye Zhen suggested. The group of four left together, and after eating, they split up.
Tang San and Xiao Wu went to a special store. The store sign depicted a unique symbol: a sword, a hammer, and a dragon.
Meanwhile, Ye Zhen was dragged by Ning Rongrong into various clothing stores for a shopping spree.
.....
.....
.....
The next day, Ye Zhen and Ning Rongrong woke up early, and after meeting Tang San and Xiao Wu downstairs, the group of four headed toward Shrek Academy. Not knowing the academy's exact location, they had to ask around.
Eventually, the four of them left Soto City.
Outside the city lay vast golden farmlands. As far as the eye could see, the rice was nearly ready for harvest. So much rice was fitting for the grain storehouse of Barak in Soto City.
Seeing this scene, both Ye Zhen and Tang San felt at peace. Back in their village, there were also many rice fields like this, which were a vital source of income for many.
As they walked together, they could vaguely see the outline of a forest in the distance, covering a large area.
In the forest, the eaves of some houses could be seen, and many people were gathered around.
Ye Zhen smiled. "It should be here."
...
"Do you see it? That must be the place." Ye Zhen pointed toward a small village seemingly built within the forest.
"This is strange. Is this really Shrek Academy?" Ning Rongrong was somewhat shocked. In her mind, a spiritual master academy should have a much more elegant atmosphere. And this was supposed to be an advanced academy... how could it look like this?
"Let's take a closer look. Maybe... this academy is more discreet? The teacher wouldn't deceive me," Tang San affirmed.
"Discreet? Xiao San, I think you're overthinking it." Ye Zhen laughed, then led Ning Rongrong toward Shrek Academy.
As they got closer, everyone was taken aback, even Ye Zhen, who knew the original story. Shrek Academy really was this rundown?
A fence was used as a wall, and some pieces of wood that were nearly rotting away were placed here. A sign, almost too worn to read, hung on it. You could barely make out the words "Shrek Academy."
This is Shrek Academy?
Tang San doubted it. Was this place as good as the teacher had said?
"Zhen, are we really going to study here?" Ning Rongrong had a look of disdain in her eyes.
"Heh." Ye Zhen smiled. "If you're here, you're safe. Trust the teacher... maybe it will surprise us. Let's go register."
There were many people lining up to register at Shrek.
"Is this really an Advanced Soul Master Academy?"
"I heard that after graduating from this academy, you can directly receive the title of Viscount from the Empire. Is that true?"
.....
Hearing the conversations around them, Ye Zhen and the others exchanged glances before quietly standing in line. The line was long, and it was estimated to take a while.
Just then, there was a commotion at the front of the line.
"I advise you all to learn about our Shrek Academy before coming here. Don't be fooled by promises of a Viscount title after graduation. You don't need to come to our academy to register without knowing anything about it. You'll only waste your 10 Golden Soul Coins registration fee. Our Shrek Academy only accepts monsters. Regular soul masters, those with low qualifications, those over 12 years old, and those whose soul power hasn't reached level 21, can leave now."
The old man finished speaking, and to demonstrate his power and shock the crowd, he summoned his spirit. Suddenly, a strong pressure erupted from his body. At the same time, a long staff filled with dense black patterns appeared in his hand.
One white, one yellow, three purple, and one black—six spirit rings—slowly rose from his feet.
"A Six-Ring Soul Emperor..." Exclamations from the crowd came one after another.
Tang San and Xiao Wu were initially disappointed with the academy, but after hearing the old man's words, their interest was indeed piqued. And only a monster academy?
Someone responsible for registering new students was a powerhouse at the Six-Ring Soul Emperor level. How strong must this academy be?
As expected, the teacher would not lie to me, Tang San secretly thought.
Ning Rongrong was quite calm; she had seen Title Douluo before, let alone a Soul Emperor.
There was a long line of people, but after hearing the old man's words, they dispersed instantly, leaving only a few. But those who remained naturally met the requirements and had confidence in themselves.
The old man didn't seem to care about the small number of people, sitting down calmly and restarting the freshman admissions exam.
"Xiao San, look at that girl, she's particularly pretty," Xiao Wu pointed at a girl also waiting in line and said.
The girl had fair skin, delicate features, a baby-face look, and black tights that perfectly showcased her good figure. Her chest was even more prominent.
Tang San stretched his neck and looked, nodding, "She is very pretty, almost like Xiao Wu, but her chest is bigger than yours..."
"Idiot!" Xiao Wu stomped furiously on Tang San's foot, then turned her head to ignore him. Ye Zhen and Ning Rongrong laughed at the scene.
Ning Rongrong suddenly rolled her eyes, turned to look at Ye Zhen, and softly asked, "Zhen, do you think that girl is pretty?"
Ye Zhen glanced at the girl. That must be Zhu Zhuqing, right? She's probably the only one with such a large chest.
Pretty? Yes, but Ye Zhen definitely wouldn't say that.
"Not as good as my Rongrong," Ye Zhen said solemnly.
Ning Rongrong's eyes suddenly narrowed into crescents, and she hugged Ye Zhen and kissed him on the cheek. "You passed the test."
Tang San looked thoughtful when he saw this scene. It seemed that the poems learned from Ye Zhen couldn't be used too often. To please girls, you sometimes had to say nice things. Well, another lesson learned today.
Soon after, it was Zhu Zhuqing's turn, the girl the four had been discussing earlier.
The old man touched her wrist, then withdrew his hand and said, "Twelve years old, done. Release your martial spirit."
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, only nodded coldly. Her body trembled slightly, and a black civet spirit about half the height of a human appeared behind her.
At the same time, two hundred-year-old yellow spirit rings slowly rose from her feet.
"Level 27, good. Approved." The old man smiled and nodded, then said to a large tree behind him, "Mubai, take her to the fourth exam."
From the large tree, a figure in silver-white clothing suddenly jumped down, landing firmly.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances, both surprised.
"Let's go..." Dai Mubai responded first.
"Hmph..." Zhu Zhuqing snorted softly, crossing her arms under her chest and not looking at him again.
Just as they were about to enter the academy gate, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Okay, I didn't expect you, scoundrel, to be from this academy. Just wait until Xiao Wu beats you..." Xiao Wu's voice was very loud, and she pointed directly at Dai Mubai not far away, anger in her eyes.
Everyone present, at least at the Soul Grandmaster level, naturally heard Xiao Wu's voice. At this moment, all eyes turned in Dai Mubai's direction.
Dai Mubai was a little stunned. Damn, why are these two here? Scoundrel? Don't spread rumors, okay? There were the twins, but no one needed to know that.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong? Is this guy bullying you?" Ning Rongrong stepped forward and took Xiao Wu's arm, also glaring at Dai Mubai.
Xiao Wu shook her head, "No bullying. It's just that this scoundrel took two twin sisters to the Rose Hotel to book a room, and it happened that there was only one room left. Xiao San and I got there first, and he shamelessly tried to take the room."
"Bah, scoundrel." Ning Rongrong spat.
Zhu Zhuqing beside her showed obvious disdain.
Dai Mubai's face darkened. His incredible reputation was ruined by this annoying girl. Today, he finally met Zhu Zhuqing, an old acquaintance, and didn't want to spoil the first impression...
"Alright, Xiao Wu, enough causing trouble. Let's go inside first," Ye Zhen said.
"Hmph. Okay..." Xiao Wu snorted coldly, made a face at Dai Mubai, and went up for the evaluation with Ning Rongrong.
The old man simply touched their wrists and then nodded, "The age passes. Show your martial spirits."
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu nodded and activated their martial spirits simultaneously.
Ning Rongrong formed a lotus seal with her left hand, slightly opened her right hand, and exhaled softly, "Seven Treasures, transfer glazes."
In an instant, a seven-story glazed pagoda appeared in the palm of her right hand. The pagoda was delicate and filled with a dreamy aura.
Xiao Wu's martial spirit was different from other beast spirits. After activating her martial spirit, there was no beast shadow behind her, but her body underwent changes.
Both ears perked up slightly, her watery red pupils became more agile, and a small, fluffy white tail emerged behind her waist.
Two hundred-year-old yellow spirit rings appeared simultaneously under their feet.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda? Level 28..." The old man first looked at the seven-story pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand and pondered for a moment. Then, he glanced at Xiao Wu, surprised, "Level 29? So many monsters this year..." The old man smiled bitterly, "You've really given me a big surprise. You both pass."
"Mubai, take them to the fourth level," the old man said.
Dai Mubai hadn't left yet because Zhu Zhuqing didn't seem to plan on going with him, her expression full of disgust, so he stood there with a sullen face.
"Wait, please test us too. Let's all go together." Tang San smiled confidently.
"Oh?" The old man looked at Tang San appreciatively. The little boy was very confident.
"Level 29, Blue Silver Grass cultivating so fast?" The old man was surprised by the century-old rings at Tang San's feet. "Pass."
"Now it's my turn." Ye Zhen smiled, stepping forward and extending his arm.
The old man touched Ye Zhen's wrist as usual. His expression suddenly changed. He grabbed Ye Zhen's other hand, then even touched his chest, finally saying, "Strange, strange..."
Ye Zhen's cheek twitched. He wanted to punch this old man. What's so special? You don't have to make a big deal out of it.
Fortunately, after the old man touched his chest, he stopped. He was a little surprised and asked, "How do you train your body? The strength is simply the greatest I've ever seen. Even my Six-Ring Soul Emperor isn't as strong as your body..."
"What?"
"No way..."
The students who passed the first round of evaluations were in an uproar, their expressions filled with disbelief.
Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged looks, both seeing the shared pain in each other's eyes. Ye Zhen's physical strength was indeed heaven-defying; they understood this well. Back in Notting Junior College, they had been tortured by Ye Zhen's sheer physical power.
"This is a matter of personal privacy," Ye Zhen spoke. He didn't want to hide it deliberately. There was just no way to explain its origin.
The old man nodded, "That's fine. Everyone has secrets. Show your martial spirit."
"Well..." Ye Zhen glanced around with a complicated expression.
After all, his spirit ring was exactly like those exposed by members of the Akatsuki organization. This news would easily spread from these people. Even if others didn't believe the authenticity of his spirit ring, once this type of news reached Spirit Hall, they wouldn't remain idle.
He couldn't reveal his spirit ring publicly at this time. Otherwise, Spirit Hall would definitely come to investigate. If they did, not only would his clone in Spirit Hall have to flee, but he might also have to escape...
"This instructor, my spirit ring is a bit special. Could we go to the nearby woods to show it?" Ye Zhen said seriously.
The old man was stunned. A special spirit ring? How special could it be to need hiding? Could a twelve-year-old possibly have a 100,000-year spirit ring?
Tang San and Xiao Wu had been craning their necks, but after hearing Ye Zhen's request, they both looked disappointed.
They had never seen Ye Zhen's spirit ring and had been eager to for a long time.
Ning Rongrong narrowed her eyes knowingly. She had personally witnessed Ye Zhen absorb two spirit rings. Such a terrifying spirit ring setup really shouldn't be shown in public.
"Alright, you're also the last student to be evaluated. I'll accompany you to see how special your spirit ring is," the old man said with an amused look at Ye Zhen.
This kid, in his opinion, was being overly cautious. What was there to hide about a spirit ring?
<><><><><><><><>
Thanks for Patreon: Ruben Gene Dangpilen
Current chapter on patreon: 40
Patreon: patreon.com/Jc_One_Day00
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