After three long years of traveling across the continent, Dave finally returned to the Academy. He had almost completed the entire journey around the known world—and now, he was headed to Shrek Academy.
Initially, he traveled only with Meilin. But over time, Dugu Yan and La Signora joined them. Later, even Shui Xinxue became part of the group. Her joining caused quite a stir, especially back at Tianshui Academy, where she was once hailed as the pride of the institution. In fact, her departure had forced their headmaster to launch a desperate search party just to find her. But she had made her decision. She stood with Dave now—and after many seasons together, the bond between them could no longer be ignored.
And so, with the group finally complete, they now made their way toward Shrek Academy in Tian Dou City.
"Now that's something I didn't expect to see," Meilin muttered, standing at the gates of Tian Dou City.
Many passerby looked at the handsome young man with soft blue hairs, flanked by four breathtaking women. The group had drawn more than a few curious glances, but what truly caught their attention was the large notice board by the city wall.
Pasted front and center were two familiar faces—Tang San and Yu Xiaogang. Their names were printed clearly, but what shocked everyone were the words stamped beneath them:
"WANTED – for theft and desertion from Shrek Academy."
"It says they stole from the Academy, vanished without permission… and there's an official bounty on their heads now," Meilin read aloud, her brows furrowed in disbelief.
She stared at Tang San's picture for a long moment before shaking her head. "How could that guy have ended up ?"
La Signora scoffed but said nothing. Shui Xinxue's gaze lingered on the poster in silence, unreadable as ever.
Dave didn't comment at first. He just stood there, looking at the photo of Tang San—He knew this guy had stolen from his won sect in hsi previous life and now he did it again.
After a few quiet seconds, he finally spoke, voice low.
"…I guess he really did end up stealing, huh."
"Next time we meet, I don;t have to show mercy then" Dave said as others nodded too.
With that, the group turned and made their way toward the gates of the Shrek Academy in Tian Dou City. Read full story at noveⅼfire.net
As they stepped through the massive archway of Tian Dou City's inner district, the majestic silhouette of New Shrek Academy came into view.
The academy's grandeur far surpassed that of its old Soto City counterpart. Towering spirit pagodas glowed with refined formation arrays, skybridges stretched between buildings layered with inscriptions, and powerful spirit beasts—fully tamed—roamed the outer training fields under the watch of elite students and instructors.
Dave's return didn't go unnoticed.
The moment they crossed the warding field, dozens of spirit detection arrays flickered softly in response. Within moments, a few patrolling disciples halted in their tracks upon seeing the group approach.
"Wait a second… isn't that—?"
"Yes! That's the number one ranked Senior!" several students exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.
Dave's face still adorned the top spot on the Academy's fame rankings. It hadn't changed in years. Many had questioned why his name remained there—especially since no one had seen him in so long. Some even believed that if they could just defeat the other ranked students from positions two to ten, they'd claim the top rank.
But every attempt had failed.
He had become a living legend.
As whispers and awe spread through the crowd, Dave merely waved a hand, as if brushing off the attention.
"You cause quite the stir just by showing up," Shui Xinxue commented calmly beside him.
Dave gave a small shrug. "Well, That's what you got for being a number one rank guy."
She nodded silently, understanding without needing to ask more.
Soon, they reached the inner courtyard—specifically, the core disciple sector, where Dave had been assigned his own private quarters. Just outside his room stood a familiar group, already waiting for him.
Tony, Steve, Shuri, Bruce, Natasha, and Hawkeye were all there—each of them older, stronger, and bearing the confident aura of seasoned warriors.
Dave smiled. "Huh. Long time no see."
"Yeah," Steve said, stepping forward with a smile. "TThree years to be exact."
"Your group clearly have grown bigger," Natasha added, crossing her arms with a smirk while looking at the three new women with him.
Tony tapped Dave's shoulder. "By the way, you'll want to see what I've been working on. I got bored training spirit techniques, so I focused on soul guidance tech instead."
Shuri grinned. "And guess what? Me and Tony—we built something new."
"What did you two make this time?" Dave asked, curious.
Tony smirked. "Glad you asked." He tapped his ring, and with a soft mechanical hum, a hidden compartment opened on his chest, revealing a sleek core orb that pulsed with refined energy. Within seconds, metallic plates extended, linking together and forming a full-body suit.
It was clearly inspired by Eastern aesthetics, forged with soul metal—and heavily modified for spirit-based combat.
Dave blinked. "Wait… You made an Iron Man armor here too?"
Tony and Shuri both nodded proudly.
"Yup. We've been integrating tech into the academy's systems," Shuri said. "Now it's not just New Shrek Academy—it's also Shrek Techland."
Tony added, "We've set up research branches for all kinds of soul guidance devices. Custom modules. Armor. High-frequency blades. Portable shields. Mobility enhancements. You name it."
Dave chuckled as he took it all in.
Everywhere he looked now—glowing signs, floating platforms, automated spirit testers, even the instructors' gear—it all bore the logo of Shrek Techland.
With their inventions backed by the academy's power and resources, and now protected under its reputation, no rogue faction dared to challenge them. Most could only watch… and try to catch up.
Dave nodded, then gestured to the three women standing beside him.
"By the way," he said, "they are Dugu Yan, La Signora, and Shui Xinxue."
He introduced each of them with a calm poise, and as their names were spoken, the women offered polite nods—each carrying a distinct aura and elegance that didn't go unnoticed.
"They're my girls I met on my journey," Dave added. "We've been through a lot together."
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