The next morning, Ye Chen met Tang San in the hotel dining area. They ordered a simple breakfast—some bread, eggs, and milk—and sat down together.
Tang San glanced at the dark circles under Ye Chen's eyes and smirked.
"Didn't rest well last night, Brother Chen? Still up early, though. Respect."
Ye Chen gave a half-hearted yawn and waved it off. "Yeah, couldn't really sleep."
Xiao Wu looked around, then asked, "Where's Rongrong? Not joining us?"
Tang San nudged her gently, whispering, "She's probably still sleeping. Let's just eat. We've got the entrance exam later."
Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle. People were always misunderstanding his relationship with Ning Rongrong. He was used to it by now. His mind drifted back to when they were kids—Rongrong had once snuck into his bed out of fear, and Ning Fengzhi nearly skinned him alive. If not for a quick-thinking older sister who stepped in to explain, he might not have made it out in one piece.
Shaking the memory off, he chewed his bread slowly, sleepiness still clinging to him from last night's lack of rest.
Tang San took a sip of milk and said, "Today's Shrek Academy's enrollment day. Should we go together? Bring Rongrong, too. My teacher said it's a special place—really pushed me to come."
Ye Chen blinked and tilted his head. "Shrek Academy? I mean… the teachers there aren't exactly helpful to my training."
He wasn't wrong. The system's task was simple—just visit the academy. Actually enrolling was never part of the deal. He'd already been taught by two Title Douluo; there wasn't much the academy could offer that he didn't already have access to.
Tang San frowned. "Come on, Ye Chen. Cultivation is a lifelong journey. We're just Great Spirit Masters. Don't you want to climb higher?"
Ye Chen smiled. "I appreciate it, really. But I've got my own path."
"Arrogant!" A voice interrupted from across the room.
It was Dai Mubai—the blond guy with heterochromatic eyes they'd run into the day before. He was back, though his right arm was now in a sling, clearly injured. Still, he strutted in like he owned the place, flanked by a few pretty girls.
He pointed at Ye Chen. "Even if you wanted in, Shrek might not accept you. Want to bet on it? I'm Dai Mubai, by the way."
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "A bet? I don't care about pocket change."
Dai Mubai grinned. "Oh, this one's better than money. Just show up for the exam. If you do, I promise it'll be worth your while."
And with that, he turned and left, not even waiting for Ye Chen's response.
Xiao Wu crossed her arms. "I don't trust that guy. He's up to something."
Ye Chen shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We'll see what he's planning once we get there."
After breakfast, the group—Ye Chen, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong—set off together.
Shrek Academy was on the outskirts of Soto City, far from the bustling streets. The shops faded away, replaced by trees and open land. Eventually, they reached a rickety wooden gate with the words "Shrek Academy" barely hanging on.
Only a small group of students were lining up, and Dai Mubai was nowhere to be seen.
Ye Chen and Tang San exchanged glances and joined the line for the preliminary test.
The first test was simple: be under 13 years old and have spirit power at or above level 21.
All four of them passed, along with one more girl.
She looked about the same age and height as Rongrong, but her body... was something else entirely. Curves that didn't match her youthful face—especially her chest, which drew stares from every boy nearby. Her face, however, was stone-cold, almost expressionless, which made her appearance all the more striking.
She trailed behind Ye Chen's group and was soon led into the academy by a large, muscular teacher.
Shrek looked poor, to put it mildly. The buildings were mostly worn-out wood, some half-collapsed and left as-is. But the natural surroundings were peaceful—lush greenery and clean air.
Just then, Dai Mubai strolled out from behind a building, grinning smugly.
"You actually came. Nice."
Ye Chen raised a brow and held out his hand. "I came and passed the first test. You owe me the bet."
Dai Mubai smirked. "We'll see. There's still the second test, remember?"
Ye Chen chuckled. "The bet was whether I'd show up for the exam. I did. You lost."
"Fine, fine." Dai Mubai gave a mysterious smile. "Then let me give you your reward. Dean! He's here!"
At his shout, the muscular teacher blocked the academy gate, and a man with four eyes and bird-like wings landed beside Dai Mubai with a dramatic flap.
"That's him? The one who beat you with a single move?"
"Dean, keep it down!" Dai Mubai's voice dropped an octave. "Don't embarrass me…"
"Embarrass you?" The four-eyed man adjusted his glasses, then laughed. "You got flattened in one move. You think you still have pride left?"
Turning to Ye Chen, the man smiled. "I'm Flender, the Dean. Ye Chen, right? You're impressive. From today on, you're part of Shrek Academy. Welcome to the family."
Ye Chen blinked. "Wait, hold on. I didn't agree to that. I just came to settle the bet."
Flender waved him off. "Zhao Wuji, get him a room. He'll be heading out to… uh, make money—no, train—soon."
And just like that, Flender disappeared, leaving Zhao Wuji—aka the muscle-bound teacher—smirking and cracking his knuckles.
Ye Chen stared. "Wait. Make money? What's that supposed to mean?"
He'd thought Dai Mubai might try to fight him again or maybe get Oscar and Ma Hongjun to gang up on him. But he never expected to be sold out to Flender!
Was this all just a ploy to force him into the academy? To turn him into some emotionless money-making machine?
Ye Chen gulped, quietly turned around, and tried to sneak out through the gate.
But before he could take two steps, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going, new student of Shrek?" Zhao Wuji said with a grin.
Ye Chen sighed deeply, realizing this was going to be one wild ride.