Zhu Zhuyun's interest in recruiting him was something Lin Yu wasn't aware of.
But even if he knew, he would have just laughed it off and not taken it seriously.
After all, even though his current identity as Ye Liangchen only showcased a fraction of his true strength—less than one-tenth—he still appeared as an extraordinary prodigy compared to others.
Because, well, he was practically cheating!
If Zhu Zhuyun and the Ghostly Duke Mansion didn't pay attention to someone like him, that would be unusual!
After familiarizing himself with the layout of his residence, midday came, and Lin Yu decided to head to the dining hall of the Ghostly Duke Mansion for lunch.
The dining hall was a grand, cylindrical building with alternating white and gold colors, giving it a luxurious and imposing feel. It was spacious, with two floors in total.
As Lin Yu approached, he saw a steady stream of people heading towards the dining hall from all directions.
Among them were youths dressed in matching black and purple uniforms, chatting and laughing as they walked. There were also adults in unified black uniforms, likely spirit masters recruited from outside the Ghostly Duke Cat Clan.
Lin Yu guessed that those in black and purple were probably members of the Ghostly Duke Cat Clan, while those in black uniforms were external spirit masters who had joined the Ghostly Duke Mansion.
There were also others like Lin Yu, wearing different attire, who seemed to be newly recruited spirit masters.
And some just preferred not to wear uniforms altogether.
Observing the people around him, Lin Yu entered the dining hall.
Inside, the place was impeccably clean. The white marble floors gleamed as if polished to perfection. Neatly arranged tables and chairs filled the hall, and off to the side, there was a row of serving windows.
Behind each window stood an elderly man or woman serving food. Lin Yu glanced at the dishes on display, which included a variety of options—fish, meat, and vegetables.
After walking around and observing the dining hall, Lin Yu quickly figured out the system.
On the first floor, all the food was free for anyone in the Ghostly Duke Mansion, and while the selection was basic, it was plentiful.
However, the second floor was different. The food there wasn't ordinary—it was made from plant-type spirit beasts and spirit beast meat. These dishes weren't free, though. You either had to pay for them or use a special card with points that could be redeemed for the food.
Of course, the second floor didn't just offer plant-type spirit beast dishes; there were also offerings from food-type spirit masters.
For example, there were spirit power-infused fruits like Spirit Tomatoes, Spirit Cherries, and Spirit Apples, as well as other spirit power-enhanced foods like Spirit Rice, Spirit Cake, and Spirit Drumsticks.
This made Lin Yu marvel at the Ghostly Duke Mansion's resources.
No wonder they were considered a major power. Even without considering their Martial Soul Simulation Training Grounds, high-level spirit master courses, or Soul Arena, just the sheer variety of spirit beast food and spirit power-enhanced food was enough to give their spirit masters a faster cultivation rate compared to those from lesser factions!
With that thought, Lin Yu couldn't help but scoff internally at Shrek Academy.
He remembered the first time he watched Douluo Dalu (Soul Land).
At first, Shrek Academy's slogan of "only recruiting monsters" had seemed so bold and unique.
But as he grew older and watched more of the series, especially the Douluo Dalu anime, Lin Yu found Shrek Academy's enrollment practices downright ridiculous!
For starters, the academy used its reputation and strength to charge exorbitant fees to unsuspecting commoner parents during the entrance tests. That in itself was questionable!
Later on, when they finally recruited Tang San and his crew under the guise of only taking in "monsters," the training was nothing but daily runs, and the meals—before Yu Xiaogang showed up—were just boiled potatoes and cabbage. Seriously?
With such conditions, are you sure you're a school that cultivates "monsters" and not a place that turns them into mediocre talents?
Lin Yu also remembered Shrek Academy's absurdly harsh graduation requirements. Students had to reach rank 40 and personally kill a spirit beast to obtain their fourth spirit ring—without any protection from their teachers.
If a student got killed by a spirit beast? Well, too bad for them!
Since the academy's founding, not counting recruits like Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, Shrek had only ever enrolled 59 students. But only 14 had graduated.
That means 45 students had lost their lives due to Shrek Academy's negligence!
Granted, the 15 students who survived and graduated were undoubtedly top-tier geniuses in the entire Douluo Continent.
It's important to remember that Shrek Academy's entry requirement was to have reached at least rank 25 in spirit power before the age of 13. That was just the first hurdle—there were even more conditions after that!
But Lin Yu couldn't understand it.
With such talent, wouldn't these kids have been better off joining another faction or a high-level spirit master academy where they'd be treated as key prospects?
Any other academy with Spirit Saint-level teachers would help students hunt their spirit rings, with no problem.
Sure, Shrek might have had Spirit Saint-level teachers who provided some personal guidance, but with only people like Flender and Zhao Wuji—who had scrappy backgrounds—Lin Yu couldn't see how they would have any solid teaching experience.
In his eyes, Shrek Academy was less of a place that nurtured "monsters" and more of a scam school that lured in talented students only to use their eventual deaths to build its reputation as an elite academy.
At least, to Lin Yu, anyone with a mature mindset could easily see through Shrek Academy's nonsense after watching Douluo Dalu for a second time.
After musing over the Ghostly Duke Mansion's resources and mentally trashing Shrek Academy, Lin Yu decided to splurge on the second floor. He used his gold coins to buy some spirit power-enhanced food and spirit beast dishes, found a table, and started his meal.
He had to admit, the moment he took his first bite, he could feel spirit power being absorbed into his body. Not only did it strengthen his physique, but it also slightly boosted his spirit power.
Although the increase was subtle, if he kept it up, the cumulative effect would be substantial.
When Lin Yu first sat down to eat, the second floor was lively and noisy, with many Ghostly Duke Cat Clan members chatting and laughing over their meals.
But all of a sudden, the entire floor went dead silent.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Curious, Lin Yu looked up and noticed a small, familiar figure walking onto the second floor.
The girl, dressed in black, had a cold expression on her delicate face, radiating an aura that warned others to keep their distance. She calmly swiped a black crystal card at the counter, collected some spirit power food and spirit beast dishes, and quietly sat down in a secluded corner.
It was Zhu Zhuqing!
Seeing that familiar figure, Lin Yu couldn't help but feel a spark of recognition in his eyes.