The first row featured three statues. The middle one depicted an old man wearing glasses, a smile on his lips, and a slightly plump figure that exuded benevolence.
Bei Bei pointed at Huo Yuhao and said:
“The one in the middle is the founder of Shrek Academy, and also its first Headmaster: Flanders. The person to his left is one of my ancestors, the creator of the teaching foundation for all martial soul systems, Yu Xiaogang, known as Grandmaster. My mother is his direct descendant. The woman to his right is also my ancestor, Liu Erlong, and Grandmaster’s wife. The couple, along with Headmaster Flanders, formed the Golden Iron Triangle. If Headmaster Flanders was the creator of the academy, then those two were the ones who nurtured the Shrek Seven Monsters.”
The Grandmaster appeared to be a frail middle-aged man, while the woman possessed a graceful demeanor.
Behind the three figures were seven more statues. Huo Yuhao immediately smiled upon seeing the first one.
This was a tall, handsome man, with particularly striking eyes. The character ‘Wang’ (王) was visible on his forehead. Although it was just a statue, its aura was incredibly powerful.
“The seven statues behind the Golden Iron Triangle are the Shrek Seven Monsters. The leader is the eldest, White Tiger Douluo Dai Mubai. The second is Sausage Douluo Oscar. The third is the ancestor of our Tang Sect, Thousand Hands Douluo Tang San.”
Among the seven, Tang San was the most handsome. He had flowing blue hair and simple attire. On the statue, blue vines of his Blue Silver Grass martial soul continuously swirled around him. A serene smile played on his lips, and his gaze seemed to be directed towards the fifth woman among the Seven Monsters.
“The fourth is Evil Phoenix Douluo Ma Hongjun. The fifth is Thousand Hands Douluo’s wife, Soft Bone Douluo Xiao Wu. It is said that she was a 100,000-year soul beast who cultivated to human form. The sixth is the incredibly powerful support Soul Master, Nine Treasures Douluo Ning Rongrong, and also Sausage Douluo’s wife. The last is Netherworld Douluo Zhu Zhuqing, White Tiger Douluo Dai Mubai’s wife.”
Although the seven statues differed in form, they all exuded the powerful aura of Titled Douluo.
Tang Ya’s gaze lingered on the statue of Thousand Hands Douluo Tang San. After the generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, tens of thousands of years passed, and Shrek Academy saw countless geniuses and powerhouses emerge, yet the number of statues remained at ten, never increasing.
Bei Bei then introduced to Huo Yuhao:
“From here, the path splits. To the left is the Martial Soul Branch, and to the right is the Soul Tool Branch. These are the two major departments of Shrek Academy. Relatively speaking, the Martial Soul Branch is slightly larger than the Soul Tool Branch. The Martial Soul Branch is further divided into many departments. First, we’ll register at the Martial Soul Branch. You must pass their assessment to be eligible to register for the Soul Tool Branch.”
Huo Yuhao’s gaze still lingered on the ten statues. In his mind, he recalled the legends his mother had once told him, and a continuous stream of stirring emotions surged within him.
To the left of the statues was a wide road, large enough for four or five carriages to pass abreast. Along the road, there was a signpost with four characters: “Lakeside Path.”
To the right, a vast expanse of water could be vaguely seen. In other words, the ten statues were backed by a lake.
Tang Ya noticed Huo Yuhao’s gaze and said proudly:
This lake was built in memory of our Tang Sect’s ancestor, the Thousand Hands Douluo, and is named Sea God Lake. Legend has it that our ancestor Tang San was the successor of the Sea God. The academy’s Inner Court is located on an island in the middle of the lake, and all Outer Court disciples consider it an honor to be able to reach the center of the lake.
Bei Bei gazed deeply towards the center of the lake, his eyes reflecting a resolute determination.
Sea God Lake was immense. The lakeside path stretched from the south to the west, and it was only after walking for a while longer that the path began to narrow. A vast plaza appeared before them, with a sign next to it that read ‘Shrek Plaza’.
Behind the plaza stood massive Teaching Buildings. These buildings varied in color, primarily white, yellow, black, and purple. Quite a distance to the north of the plaza, there also seemed to be a gray Teaching Building.
Bei Bei pointed to one of the Teaching Buildings:
“The colors of the Teaching Buildings represent different grades, divided according to Spirit Rings. The white Teaching Building is for newly admitted students, corresponding to a Ten-year Spirit Ring. Second and third years are yellow, fourth and fifth years are purple, and the sixth year is black. Those who can emerge from the black Teaching Building are considered to have graduated from the academy.”
“The gray Teaching Building in the distance belongs to the Soul Tool Department. In terms of area, the Soul Tool Department occupies one-third of the campus, while the Martial Soul Department occupies two-thirds. Besides the Teaching Buildings, there are many other training grounds, such as the Soul Dueling Arena, examination areas, dormitories, and the professors’ quarters…”
The white Teaching Building was where new students were recruited, and it was also the closest to the lakeside path. The three of them, including Huo Yuhao, walked along its southern side and entered.
As it was enrollment season, the new student Teaching Building area was quite lively, with some students who had just passed their assessments registering.
Guided by Bei Bei and Tang Ya, the registration process went smoothly. Bei Bei paid the tuition fee; one year’s tuition cost ten gold spirit coins. It had been paid, but if one failed the assessment, it would not be refunded.
After receiving the dormitory key, two sets of uniforms, and a white badge, Huo Yuhao followed Tang Ya and Bei Bei towards the new student Teaching Building.
Tang Ya said:
“Little Huo, the dormitories are right behind the Teaching Building, and they’re the largest in the academy. Classes officially begin in three days, so you can take this time to get familiar with your surroundings. We’ve paid your tuition for the first year; after that, it’s up to you. The academy often organizes various competitions and missions, and winning them will earn you rewards. You are now a Spirit Master, and after enrolling in the academy, you’ll receive a monthly stipend from the three great empires. It should be enough just for meals.”
Huo Yuhao committed Tang Ya’s words to memory. As he was about to bid farewell to the two, Bei Bei glanced over and saw a notice, his brow furrowing slightly.
Huo Yuhao didn’t need to approach. Activating his spirit power, the powerful ability of his Spiritual Eye immediately manifested, allowing him to clearly read the notice.
His mother had taught him when he was young, so although he hadn’t received formal schooling, Huo Yuhao’s literacy was not poor.
The notice read: ‘New Student Class One Head: Zhou Yi, New Student Class Two Head…’
Zhou Yi? Wasn’t he also in New Student Class One? Because Huo Yuhao had registered early, he had been assigned to New Student Class One.
Tang Ya had also noticed Bei Bei’s gaze, and looking over, she exclaimed:
"Huh? Why is it that freakish old Teacher Chu Y? Isn't he the third-year homeroom teacher? Why is he coming down to the freshman class here?"
Bei Bei smiled wryly:
"I heard that because Teacher Chu was too strict, only one-tenth of the students were able to advance to their fourth year. The students then banded together and reported it to the dean, so Teacher Chu was temporarily reassigned. Little junior brother, you should be careful. Although there aren't many monster students in the outer academy, there's no shortage of monster teachers, and Teacher Chu is definitely one of them!"