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Following the room number on his key, Ning Tian located his room and resumed his usual cultivation routine. Even when Xiao Wu knocked to invite him for dinner, he paid her no mind.
It wasn't until the next morning that he stepped out, though only to visit Flender, the sly merchant. Claiming a recommendation from Yu Xiaogang, he secured a crystal slab capable of crafting Dragon Whisker Needles for free before returning to his practice. To Ning Tian, anything useful to Tang San was worth hoarding, even if he had no personal need for it.
On the third morning, Xiao Wu knocked again. The day to register at Shrek Academy had arrived.
The trio—Ning Tian, Xiao Wu, and Tang San left the Rose Hotel, where they had stayed for two days, exiting Suotuo City through the south gate toward their destination.
"Seriously, cooped up in your room and cultivating for two days straight, don't you ever get tired or bored?" Xiao Wu grumbled as they left the city. She'd hoped Ning Tian was finally warming up, but he remained as distant as ever. Tang San, too, had been unresponsive, leaving her with no one to keep her company.
"If you put even a sliver of that energy into cultivating, you'd be a Spirit Elder by now," Ning Tian said.
Tang San, in rare agreement, added, "He's right. With your talent, reaching Level 29 while slacking off is practically a waste."
Having regained his confidence, Tang San still hadn't broken through to Level 30, a stagnation that fueled his urgency. Like Ning Tian, he had brushed off Xiao Wu's pleas for companionship over the past two days, missing out on the crystal slab which Ning Tian had already claimed.
"Do you even know where Shrek Academy is?" Xiao Wu asked, her gaze fixed on Ning Tian.
"Just follow this road straight ahead. But don't get your hopes up," he replied, recalling the academy's rundown state from the story. Without the Eight Spider Lances and Zhu Zhuqing, he wouldn't bother.
Tang San glanced at him curiously. "Have you been to Shrek Academy?"
"No, but I've heard of it," Ning Tian said.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Xiao Wu exclaimed, leaping toward Ning Tian's back only for him to dodge.
"Walk yourself," he said.
"Why are you like this?" she pouted.
Tang San watched her sulk, tempted to offer his back but held back by his own rough appearance. He knew she would refuse. Instead, he found a twisted satisfaction in Ning Tian's rejections, hoping she would eventually give up on him. Yet, the thought of her growing closer to Ning Tian sparked jealousy.
'Why has it come to this?' Tang San wondered. 'Two lifetimes, and I finally have a father and a girl I cherish, two joys that should bring endless happiness. So why is it turning into this nightmare? First, my father vanishes with just a letter, and now the girl I treasure is drawn to a man I despise. I was first—bringing her home, vowing to protect her, becoming her brother, loving her. It was all me first!'
His heart roared in silent anguish.
........
Shrek Academy looked less like a soul master institution and more like a disrepair village, shabbier than Emperor Soul Village before Ning Tian's renovations. With roughly a hundred households, its entrance featured a wooden archway with a tattered plaque reading 'Shrek Academy,' paired with a green, humanoid monster emblem.
At its gate, an elderly man in his sixties sat behind a table there. By the time Ning Tian's group arrived, around a hundred applicants had gathered, many with parents in tow.
"This is Shrek Academy?" Xiao Wu gaped, finally grasping why Ning Tian had warned them to brace themselves.
Even Tang San's mouth twitched. Without trust in his teacher, he might've dismissed it as a scam.
"What did you expect?" Ning Tian said, unfazed.
His eyes subtly scanned the crowd. Spotting Dai Mubai at the front, already using his martial soul to intimidate parents demanding refunds, he exchanged a nod and a fleeting smile with him. Ning Tian knew it wouldn't last, once he pursued Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai would turn hostile.
His gaze shifted to a girl with long brown hair. About Xiao Wu's age, she wore a simple tea-green dress. Standing around 1.65 meters tall, her skin was smooth, her side profile hinting at beauty.
'That must be Ning Rongrong,' Ning Tian mused.
As he turned to find Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu shot him a warning glare. Ignoring it, he soon spotted her: long black hair cascading over her shoulders, snow-white skin, a flawless face, and a perfectly proportioned figure. Her bright eyes held a mysterious shadow, but her proud, almost mythical chest stood out most.
Perhaps due to his bias, Ning Tian found her far more striking than he'd imagined from the manhua. 'Truly the second most formidable in Douluo Continent,' he thought, noting her sister Zhu Zhuyun held the top spot.
Just then, a system notification chimed:
[Ding! Side effect detected: The person you admire has developed martial soul resonance with another. Please bind a recipient.]
'Bind it to Tang San,' Ning Tian decided instantly. Such a "gift" was tailor-made for him.
[Detected that the binding target has two martial souls: 1. Blue Silver Grass. 2. Clear Sky Hammer. Please select.]
'Blue Silver Grass,' he chose. Binding it to the Clear Sky Hammer would only empower Tang San, hardly his intent.
[Binding successful! Current side effect recipient: Tang San]
[Side effect: Martial soul resonance (Greatly increases Dai Mubai's favorability toward you, potentially leading to love.)]
'Hehe, thanks, system,' Ning Tian chuckled inwardly. Now, only an engagement tied Zhu Zhuqing to Dai Mubai, free of martial soul influence. If Yu Xiaogang were here, he'd lament missing this 'perfect match. 'In the original tale, Zhu Zhuqing's bond with Dai Mubai stemmed more from fate and compatibility than love.
Simultaneously, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing sensed a shift. The resonance between Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing vanished, replaced by an attraction between Tang San's Blue Silver Grass and Dai Mubai's White Tiger. All three looked baffled.
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