On the other side, after leaving the dean's office, the five individuals returned to their respective quarters.
In his dorm room, Chen Xuan opened his system space and took out two pieces of fruit: one was a bright red apple-shaped fruit, and the other was a translucent, crystal-like carrot with a pinkish-white hue.
As soon as the fruits were revealed, a fragrant aroma filled the room, making the whole place smell incredibly appetizing. The scent was so enticing that Chen Xuan couldn't help but swallow, but he restrained himself. He didn't dare eat them without knowing their effects.
"What exactly are these two items?" he wondered aloud, holding the fruits in his hands, filled with curiosity.
These were rewards from the system. Every time he broke through ten levels, he received a large gift pack, and these apple-shaped and crystal carrot-like fruits were part of the latest one.
Speaking of which, his arrival in this world was completely unexpected.
Three days ago, Chen Xuan was still working in a grim, dark factory, toiling on a soul-crushing assembly line with a life-or-death rotating shift. Everything was fine, and then, in the blink of an eye, he was transported to this world, inhabiting the body of someone with the same name. It was baffling.
The original owner of the body was also a senior student at Blue Overlord Academy, but with an ordinary martial soul. At sixteen years old, he had only reached the thirty-third level, with mediocre talent and nothing particularly special about him.
This left Chen Xuan frustrated for a while, but when he discovered he had a system to accompany him, everything became clear.
It was an upgrade system where each ten-level breakthrough would grant him a large gift pack. Consequently, the system retroactively gave him three gift packs for levels one to thirty, each containing different items.
The first gift pack had only one item, but he was fortunate enough to receive a pair of the purest Mangekyō Sharingan.
The second gift pack contained two items: the bright red fruit and the crystal carrot.
The third gift pack had three items. One was a plant, three feet tall, with a vibrant green glow and small cherry-like fruits.
This plant was extraordinary, exuding a vast life force. Just one breath made him feel refreshed, leading Chen Xuan to guess that it must be a top-tier celestial herb.
His guess was accurate. After absorbing this celestial herb, his soul power soared to level thirty-eight, his entire body transformed, and his physique improved significantly. The most direct result was that his martial soul underwent a metamorphosis, evolving to a top-level quality.
Now, his martial soul was no longer a useless one, but a top-tier one, and his aptitude had improved, making him nearly equal to the Shrek Seven Devils.
The remaining two items in the large gift pack were equally impressive. One was a wind attribute chakra.
The final item resolved his financial troubles with a fortune of 100,000 gold soul coins!
Barring any surprises, this amount could last ten lifetimes.
"System, what exactly are these two things?" Chen Xuan asked the system in his mind, looking at the crystal carrot and bright red fruit in his hands.
However, the system remained silent, offering no response.
Chen Xuan shrugged helplessly and decided to put them away for later study.
Afterward, he left his dormitory and headed to the academy's back mountain, bringing along a dozen balloons and water balls to begin the initial stage of training for the Wind Style Rasengan.
In "Naruto," the training method for Rasengan is explained in detail. Although divided into three stages, the key aspect remains the same: the essence lies in controlling the flow of chakra.
In other words, the finer the control over chakra, the shorter the training time.
Chen Xuan was extremely confident in this regard. His talent and aptitude were average, but his control over chakra was exceptional, allowing him to guide the flow of chakra with ease.
"It's a special talent gifted by the heavens," he murmured to himself, watching the blue orb of energy in his palm as it compressed and rotated with a violent airflow.
For three days, he trained relentlessly, arriving at the back mountain before dawn to develop ninjutsu and cultivating soul power at night. This effort led to his current achievements.
Breaking through two levels of soul power would grant him a new reward pack, which might give him the strength to surpass Tang San.
…
The next day, at the first peak of Shrek Academy's back mountain, the lush greenery surrounded a path lined with tall trees, sparse yet vibrant.
At the mountain's summit, there was a large grassy area, already occupied by eight or nine people.
"Teacher, you're here," Tang San stood up from the grass and walked over to greet a middle-aged man.
The man was none other than Yu Xiaogang, of medium height, with a scruffy beard and short, spiky hair, giving him a stern appearance.
Yu Xiaogang walked over with his hands behind his back, head held high, exuding the air of a master. He merely nodded in response to Tang San's greeting.
On the grass, six young people, both boys and girls, were seated. They were Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar—the Shrek Seven Devils were all gathered.
"It seems none of you have disappointed me; you've all assembled within the designated time," Yu Xiaogang said with satisfaction, hands behind his back, nodding approvingly.
Ma Hongjun's mouth twitched as he muttered under his breath, "Master, we wouldn't dare be late. Everyone knows you're scarier than Teacher Erlong…"
He intended to complain, but quickly felt the weight of Yu Xiaogang's stern gaze and decided to remain silent.
Yu Xiaogang's expression was serious, his gaze commanding respect. A single glance from him made Ma Hongjun shrink back, silencing him instantly.
"Hee hee…" Two girls, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, giggled quietly on the grass.
Both were beauties with different temperaments. One was playful and adorable, full of mischief like a rabbit, while the other was a temperamental little princess from a noble sect. When silent, she appeared gentle and elegant, but when angry, her mischievous side was fully revealed.
"Alright, everyone quiet down," Yu Xiaogang pretended to cough, stopping their chatter.
He clapped his hands and said, "Come on out and introduce yourselves."
With that, five figures appeared in the distance and walked toward them.
"My name is Huang Yuan, a thirty-five-level strong attack system battle soul master," a young man in black spoke first, sporting a buzz cut that made him easily recognizable.
Next were Jing Ling and Jiang Zhu, who released their martial souls and introduced their soul power levels.
Jing Ling was also recognizable, with long bangs covering his right eye and a vampire-like outfit, green with red accents, giving him a non-mainstream appearance.
The girl among them was Jiang Zhu, with short brown hair that reached her neck, an auxiliary-type healing spirit master.
All three had soul power levels around thirty-five, and they were all around nineteen years old.
"As expected, Teacher is far-sighted, finding people who suit our team perfectly," Tang San murmured, stroking his chin.
Last night, Yu Xiaogang had revealed the plan for substitute members to Tang San and had provided a list and profiles for him to review for compatibility with the current Shrek team.
When it was Tai Long's turn, his face turned red as he scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Third Brother, Master, I don't need to introduce myself, do I?"
Previously, in Shrek Academy, he had fallen in love at first sight with Xiao Wu, leading to a fight with Tang San, creating a scene that made him known throughout the academy.
Seeing the big guy's embarrassment, the Shrek Seven Devils burst into laughter.
"Hey, what about you? What's your martial soul, and what level is your soul power?" Dai Mubai asked, turning his gaze to Chen Xuan.
Tang San also looked at the young man, who was tall, fair-skinned, and fairly handsome, though slightly less so than Dai Mubai.
"A thirty-eight-level auxiliary system Soul Lord at less than sixteen years old—he must be the most talented student in the academy's advanced class," Tang San thought to himself. After reviewing Chen Xuan's profile last night, he considered recruiting him for the future Tang Sect.
Compared to Tai Long and Jiang Zhu, who were around nineteen years old, this young man was only fifteen or sixteen, probably the most talented student in the academy.
"Unfortunately, he's just an auxiliary system spirit master," Tang San sighed and shook his head. The young man's talent wasn't bad, but compared to Ning Rongrong and Oscar, he fell short.
However, what Chen Xuan said next left Tang San completely stunned.
"My soul power is the same as Tai Long's—thirty-eight levels. But unlike others, I follow both the strong attack and agile attack paths," Chen Xuan said calmly, his expression serene.
In this world of fantasy, strength is paramount. How could he follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, remaining just an auxiliary spirit master who relied on the protection of the strong? That wasn't his philosophy—it was too stifling.