With a sharp whistle through the air, the golden abacus came crashing down. Seeing Wang Nan still standing motionless before him, Sun He withdrew a fraction of his strength at the last moment.
But in that instant of hesitation, Wang Nan's Coiling Dragon Staff swept forward.
During the absorption of his second soul ring, Wang Nan had experienced the same phenomenon as before—his consciousness entering the spiritual sea, where he once again fought the Scaled Armored Crocodile. From that battle, he had learned another skill—one he now used to counter Sun He's spiritual attack.
Sun He's eyes widened in shock as he saw the black staff in Wang Nan's hands transform into a massive, muscular tail marked by two glowing yellow spirit rings. It whipped toward his waist with explosive force.
First a stab at the abdomen, now a sweep at the waist… who taught this kid to fight like this?
Having a mental-attack-type martial soul himself, Sun He immediately discerned the essence of Wang Nan's move. But the angle of that strike was far too vicious for him to block directly. Forced to defend, he raised the abacus to intercept—only to hear a sharp crack! as the beads exploded apart, scattering and clattering across the ground.
"Teacher Sun, your abacus beads are flying right at my face," Wang Nan commented dryly.
"Heh, you little brat, already teasing your teacher? If this were a real fight, do you think you'd even get the chance to use that last move?"
Sun He chuckled as he recalled his scattered beads with a wave of his hand. Though it looked as if his martial soul had been shattered, this was actually one of his soul skills—using the dispersing beads to diffuse the impact of attacks.
"Teacher, if it were a real fight, the moment I saw six spirit rings, I'd already be running," Wang Nan replied honestly.
Sun He burst out laughing, amusement spreading across his face. Pulling a badge from his robes, he said, "Alright, alright. You've got quite the mouth. You've passed the test. Take this proof of admission and go complete your registration."
"Thank you, Teacher Sun."
"Hold on!"
Wang Nan had just turned to leave when Sun He stopped him again.
"What is it, Teacher Sun?"
"That recommendation letter."
Wang Nan took out the bright yellow envelope and handed it over.
"Well now, seems the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire thinks rather highly of you," Sun He said with a click of his tongue as he opened it, scanning the contents in surprise.
Wang Nan didn't take it seriously. Royal recommendation letters were always full of flattering language—meant to sound impressive, but not worth believing too literally.
Sun He waved him off. "Alright, go on then. Off to register."
Jumping down from the platform, Wang Nan glanced around and noticed that in just the short time they'd been talking, Wang Yan had already moved over to another arena, watching a different student's test with interest.
"Second Uncle, what are you looking at?"
"Just checking if any of this year's new students have particularly unique martial souls," Wang Yan replied, turning back to him. "You got your admission token?"
"I did." Wang Nan held up the badge proudly.
"Good. Then come with me to finish the registration."
"By the way, Uncle, why does the academy insist on a recommendation letter?" Wang Nan asked—a question he'd been curious about since before arriving.
"To maintain its independence. Shrek Academy doesn't belong to any empire, but that status comes at a price. To enter, students need a recommendation from at least a city lord or higher from one of the three great empires. It ensures those nations get priority access to Shrek's educational resources—and at the same time, it acts as a check on the academy's power."
"Of course, that only applies to outer court students. When it comes to the inner court, things aren't so simple. The inner court is Shrek's true core, and the academy's higher-ups are more than willing to sacrifice some outer court benefits to maintain full autonomy."
After hearing that, Wang Nan dropped the subject. The adult world was far too complicated.
With Wang Yan leading the way, the rest of the process—registration, documentation, and receiving school supplies—went smoothly.
Outside the dormitory, Wang Yan handed him a set of keys, a school uniform, and an academy badge.
"Alright, from here on, you're on your own. There are still two days before classes begin. Take that time to explore the grounds and get familiar with the environment. And remember what I told you on the way, alright?"
"I remember."
"Good. Go, then."
"Goodbye, Second Uncle."
Wang Yan didn't answer—he simply smiled and waved.
Turning around, Wang Nan took in the sight of the dormitory building painted in four distinct colors—white, yellow, purple, and black—and couldn't help but silently comment on the academy's eccentric taste in design. Then he headed toward the white building designated for first-year students.
At the entrance sat an elderly man in a reclining chair, eyes half-closed as if asleep. Yet Wang Nan knew very well that this unassuming old man was one of the strongest beings on the entire continent—Limit Douluo Mu En.
Seeing a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo up close, Wang Nan couldn't resist taking a second look. But when he did, he noticed that Mu En was also looking back at him, a gentle smile curving the elder's lips.
Their eyes met, and being caught staring left Wang Nan slightly embarrassed. "Uh… hello, Grandpa."
"Hello, hello," Mu En replied softly, nodding.
Wang Nan didn't dare disturb him further and quickly entered the dormitory.
"Room 102." He glanced at the key in his hand, quickly finding his assigned room near the front.
Pushing the door open, he saw that the room had already been tidied. His roommate had clearly arrived first and was currently sitting cross-legged on his bed, long hair cascading naturally over his shoulders.
Hearing the door open, the other student turned. Their eyes met—a pair of clear, gentle eyes that startled Wang Nan for a moment.
Huh?
He double-checked the room number. This was definitely the boys' dormitory, wasn't it?
"Hello, you must be a new student too. I'm Gongyang Mo, also a freshman this year."
Gongyang Mo? The name stirred his memory. Wang Nan quickly recalled who this was.
In his recollection, Gongyang Mo wasn't a major character, but he was memorable for two reasons: his martial soul—a Rainbow Dragon that rivaled the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—and his appearance and demeanor, which were strikingly feminine.
Thankfully, it's Gongyang Mo. For a moment, I thought I'd become the protagonist—with a cross-dressing roommate or something.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Wang Nan," he said, stepping inside and taking out his luggage from the storage soul guide on his wrist.
Before leaving home, Wang Xing had prepared a great deal for him. The storage device was just one of many items—alongside daily necessities, there were several defensive and disposable-type soul tools, a few elixirs, and most importantly, a pouch of gold soul coins. The total value of these items could rival the life savings of a low-ranked soul master.
While Shrek Academy was full of powerhouses who surpassed Wang Xing, outside these walls, a Spirit King was already considered a figure of high standing. Wang Xing's financial means reflected that status.
Knowing his son wasn't wasteful but still fearing he might suffer at the academy, Wang Xing had spared no effort in his preparations.
Chatting casually with Gongyang Mo, Wang Nan soon finished setting up his bed. Looking around at the clean, orderly dormitory, he felt a faint sense of nostalgia.
It had been a long time since he'd last stayed in a dorm.
(End of Chapter)