// 1 additional Chapter brought to you thanks to the amazing folks who left a review on the story. A big shout out to LunaKindred and Rojillo.
The dark sky turned a deep blue, and a faint white glow appeared on the distant eastern horizon, as if a subtle wisp of purple flashed by. Bei Bei, who was responsible for everyone’s safety during the second half of the night, quickly got up and woke Huo Yuhao, who was somewhat engrossed in his initial practice of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
At the same time, Tang Ya, who had been sleeping in a completely unladylike posture, suddenly sprang up as if someone had pressed an early morning alarm clock. In an instant, she shot up and appeared beside Bei Bei like a phantom.
The three of them sat cross-legged on the ground facing east, their spirits fully concentrated. They inhaled lightly and slowly, their eyes fixed intently on that faint, elusive hint of purple.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya each exhaled a stream of white breath like silk ribbons from their mouths, which slowly dissipated after several cycles of inhaling and exhaling. Huo Yuhao had just learned the Mysterious Heaven Skill and wasn’t as proficient as the other two. He could only feel his Spirit Eyes Martial Spirit being gently nourished by a strange, soothing energy, the effect of which was better than a whole night of his past cultivation.
Ling Bai, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng each awoke from their sleep or meditation and turned to look at the three Tang Sect members who were deeply immersed in their cultivation. A hint of curiosity flashed in Ning Tian’s deep blue beautiful eyes as she said with interest:
"Is this a secret technique of the Tang Sect?"
Ling Bai nodded slightly. "Purple Demon Eye, a secret method where Tang Sect disciples harness the eastern purple qi during sunrise to cultivate spiritual power and eyesight."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan didn’t lack secret methods for cultivating spiritual power, so Ning Tian’s evaluation of the Purple Demon Eye remained at the level of finding it somewhat interesting.
After the three Tang Sect members finished their cultivation, everyone continued their journey toward Shrek Academy.
The planned route required them to bypass the Star Dou Forest. Due to accommodating Huo Yuhao’s weak physical strength, the six of them moved at a relatively slow pace. It took them a full three days before they finally saw the outline of Shrek Academy.
Following the main road out of a forest, the high city walls stretched left and right across the distant plain.
Shrek City was established on limestone plains that covered an extremely large area. It was one of the largest cities on the Douluo Continent, with a permanent population exceeding two million. Its scale far surpassed Nine Treasure City under the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and only the capitals of the four great empires could rival it.
Shrek Academy was not located at the center of Shrek City but was situated on the eastern side. This location created a subtle opposition to Star Dou Forest. If one day the Star Dou Forest were to launch a beast tide, Shrek Academy would become the continent’s first line of defense to prevent the spirit beast horde from invading the continent and causing countless deaths and injuries.
The western, southern, and northern gates of Shrek City allowed free entry and exit, but the eastern gate was exclusively for Shrek Academy. Now, during Shrek’s annual enrollment season, the eastern gate was extremely bustling.
More than five thousand people had gathered outside the eastern gate, and it was buzzing with noise and excitement. Numerous vendors had already set up countless stalls at the city gate, making it likely even more lively outside the city than inside.
At the city gate, over a dozen youths wearing yellow school uniforms stood guard. They were second- and third-year students of Shrek Academy. Bei Bei, leveraging his reputation as one of the Twin Stars, directly led the group past the line.
Tang Ya touched her face and asked confusedly when she noticed the unusual stares gathering in their direction:
"What’s up with these students? Why are they all looking at us? Bei Bei, help me check if I didn’t wash my face properly this morning!"
Bei Bei chuckled and reached out his mischievous hands to gently pinch Tang Ya’s smooth, fair cheeks. He mentally praised the wonderful feel of his girlfriend’s face and said with a grin:
"It’s not about you; it’s mainly because of them..."
Bei Bei gestured toward Ling Bai and Ning Tian, who were attentively enjoying the scenery beside them. Tang Ya turned to look and immediately understood.
With flawless looks inherited from their genes, coupled with the noble temperament cultivated from a privileged upbringing, these two were truly extraordinary. One captivated the boys, and the other enchanted the girls; wherever they went, they commanded a 100% head-turning rate.
In just five minutes, Tang Ya noticed eight people who were so engrossed in admiring the attractive pair that they almost bumped into pillars. Among them were freshmen wearing white school uniforms; their youthful faces visibly flushed red. Tang Ya shook her head and sighed.
Ah, youth is wonderful. Such innocent young lads!
Bei Bei and Tang Ya led the four of them into Shrek Academy. Unlike the bustling and smoky atmosphere at the city gate, the environment inside Shrek Academy was serene and beautiful, with abundant and lush vegetation everywhere.
Walking along the wide avenue, no matter which direction they looked, they could see at least ten kinds of plants, all carefully cultivated by plant-type Spirit Masters. After advancing two hundred meters, their line of sight was blocked by several huge statues in front of them. There were ten statues in total, each nearly ten meters tall, and all of them were carved from the hardest granite.
"These are the ancestors of Shrek Academy."
Upon seeing the statues, both Bei Bei and Tang Ya straightened their backs, their expressions revealing respect and admiration.
"The Golden Iron Triangle and the Shrek Seven Monsters."
Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong—the founders of Shrek Academy, who laid the foundation for its ten-thousand-year glory.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing—the names of the original Shrek Seven Monsters resounded throughout the Douluo Continent, marking the beginning of Shrek’s ten-thousand-year illustrious history.
Ling Bai glanced over the lifelike ten statues, his gaze lingering on two of them for a few extra seconds.
One of them was naturally Tang San. Ling Bai scrutinized the statue of Tang San, whose blue hair fell over his shoulders and a gentle smile was plastered on his face. The deeds of this person in ’The Unrivaled Tang Sect’ were astounding; about 98% of Huo Yuhao’s hardships could be attributed to him.
The other figure that caught Ling Bai’s attention was a graceful, exquisitely beautiful woman who exuded an aura of nobility. Her jade-like palm held a nine-colored small pagoda. She was a peerless beauty, elegant and dignified.
She was the Nine-Colored Goddess, Ning Rongrong, the ancestor of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Ling Bai wasn’t particularly interested in Ning Rongrong herself; he merely saw a reflection of Ning Tian in her. Others also kept glancing back and forth between Ning Tian and Ning Rongrong. Wu Feng was stunned. She couldn’t comprehend how people separated by ten thousand years could look so much alike!
No one noticed the complex emotions in Huo Yuhao’s eyes as he gazed at the statues of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. There was admiration and respect for his two ancestors, but also deep-seated loathing and hatred toward the White Tiger Duke. He bit his lips tightly, lowered his head, and walked at the back, trying his best to make everyone overlook his unusual demeanor.
At the end of the statue-lined path was a fork in the road. Tang Ya pointed to both sides and said: "The paths diverge from here. The larger area on the left is the Martial Spirit Department, and the smaller area on the right is the Spirit Guidance Department. Bei Bei and I will now take you to the new student registration area of the Martial Spirit Department."
The enrollment process was nearing its end, and the registration area of Shrek Academy was no longer as bustling as it had been at the beginning. Only a few scattered students were lining up to register.
Sitting at the registration desk was a tall, clean-shaven middle-aged man around forty years old. The words ’stern’ and ’serious’ seemed to be etched onto his face. The badge on his chest was engraved with his name and position.
Director of the Outer Courtyard, Du Weilun.