Xiao Wu was also very worried. Since the end of the soul battle, her gaze hadn't left Tang San. Holding his hand, she asked with concern, "Third Brother, should I take you to the inn to rest first?"
Tang San shook his head at Ma Hongjun, then forced a smile and said to Xiao Wu, "I'm fine, Xiao Wu, just a bit tired. By the way, where are my teacher and the dean? Haven't they arrived yet?"
As he spoke, Tang San looked around. When his eyes landed on Dai Mubai, he saw that Dai wasn't in much better shape than him, looking completely dejected. The only reason he was still present was that the academy had yet to arrange the third stage of training; otherwise, he might have found a place to hide by now.
Like Tang San, Dai Mubai was also a loser, but his defeat was far worse. Tang San had merely lost a battle and couldn't avenge the one he loved. Dai Mubai, however, had lost his beloved completely, along with his dignity. He had been publicly humiliated by Lan Si. With his proud nature, it was something he could barely endure.
"The headmaster and master are tallying up our points for this month; they should be here soon," Xiao Wu replied.
Just as she finished speaking, they heard Flender's voice from downstairs: "Haha, no wonder Lan Si didn't join my Shrek Academy or Blue Tyrant Academy—he was chosen by Prince Xue Qinghe of the Heaven Dou Empire!"
"Yes, Heaven Dou Royal Academy only admits nobles, and Lan Si is quite the exception."
Their voices reached them before they arrived, and soon Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Qin Ming entered the room.
"Dean."
"Master."
"Teacher Qin Ming."
Seeing the three arrive, both the members of the Emperor Team and the Shrek members, except for Zhao Wuji, stood up and respectfully greeted their teachers.
Zhao Wuji chuckled and said to Flender, "Haha, Flender, Qin Ming, we've been waiting for you. Come, sit! The food's almost ready. You know, meals like this are a rare treat at Shrek Academy."
Flender rolled his eyes but, at Qin Ming's gesture, everyone sat down. Flender then introduced, "Let me introduce you all. This is your senior Qin Ming, now thirty-four years old, a former student of Shrek Academy. He's now the teacher and team teacher of the Emperor Team at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, with a martial soul of Inferno Grey Wolf and at the sixty-second rank, making him an assault system battle soul emperor. To add to that, according to the Spirit Hall records, he's the second youngest soul emperor currently."
Thirty-four years old and at the sixty-second rank?
Everyone in the room, except the Emperor Team members who already knew, was astonished. Even the Emperor Team was surprised to learn that Qin Ming was a graduate of Shrek Academy.
Flender, noticing the reactions, couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, as he had just given Shrek Academy a bit of free advertising.
But then, Lan Si's voice rang out, somewhat inappropriately. Raising his hand excitedly, he asked, "Headmaster Flender, I didn't expect Teacher Qin Ming, such an outstanding soul master, to be one of your graduates. I've actually heard of Shrek Academy since I was very young, but one thing has always puzzled me, which is why I didn't enroll. Now, may I ask you a question?"
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang frowned, sensing something amiss. He was about to change the topic when Flender said, "Go ahead, ask away. I'll answer any question you have about Shrek Academy."
Feeling proud of Shrek's achievements, Flender failed to anticipate any trouble and adopted a mentor's tone.
"I want to clarify that I'm not questioning Shrek Academy, since it's Teacher Qin Ming's alma mater," Lan Si said with a sly smile. "Back when I was at Nuoding Academy, I heard a lot about Shrek Academy from a master. He mentioned that the most outstanding graduate of Shrek is now the youngest elder in the Spirit Hall, second only to the Pope in status. According to my knowledge, to become an elder in the Spirit Hall, one must at least be a titled douluo. The only exception to this is Ning Fengzhi, the patriarch of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, who, even though he's only a seventy-ninth-ranked auxiliary system soul saint, holds the title of honorary elder due to being the strongest auxiliary system soul master in the world."
"Shrek Academy has been around for over twenty years and only accepts students under the age of thirteen. So, how did such a young titled douluo emerge? I'm very curious."
As soon as Lan Si finished, everyone, including the Shrek Seven Devils, turned their gaze to Flender and Yu Xiaogang, expressions filled with shock, disbelief, and curiosity.
"Headmaster, I'm curious too," Ning Rongrong stood up, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. The exception Lan Si mentioned was none other than her father, Ning Fengzhi. Hearing that Shrek Academy had produced someone on par with her father stirred her curiosity.
Once one person asked, others followed. Although Xiao Wu disliked Lan Si, her curiosity got the better of her, and she quickly asked, "Headmaster, I'm curious too. I think I heard something similar from Dai Boss when I enrolled."
"Yeah, Headmaster, I can't believe we have a titled douluo senior! With a senior like that, we can flaunt our connection to Shrek Academy proudly!" Ma Hongjun exclaimed, standing up excitedly.
Even Dai Mubai, who had been in a daze, perked up, eyes filled with surprise. He had also heard Flender mention something like this in passing. If Shrek indeed had a titled douluo graduate, it might help him in his future quest for the throne.
Of all the students, only Tang San sensed something was wrong. He knew Lan Si well enough to know he wasn't being sincere. He immediately pulled Xiao Wu's hand, signaling her to sit down.
At this point, Flender's face had turned red with embarrassment. Moments ago, he had been basking in the glory of his achievements, but now, the situation was taking a turn for the worse.
Back when he had been recruiting students, he had created this rumor to attract talented young soul masters. Now, being questioned about it in front of the Shrek Seven Devils, he was caught in a very awkward situation.
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