Though Shrek Academy was a gathering place for geniuses, not every student spent all their time buried in cultivation. During the admission period, those who had completed registration early were already wandering around the campus in small groups, exploring this legendary "Monster Academy." Wang Nan and Gongyang Mo were, naturally, among them.
The student dormitories stood on the southern side of Shrek Plaza. From there, following the main path eastward led directly to the lakeside trail. Despite being called a "trail," it was wide enough for four or five carriages to pass side by side. Because it bordered the Sea God Lake, it was the most popular destination for curious new students.
Standing by the water, one could faintly see figures moving on the island at the lake's center—the location of Shrek Academy's inner court.
Wang Nan turned to glance at the boy beside him. If he remembered correctly, Gongyang Mo would later appear as an inner-court student.
"What's wrong?" Gongyang Mo asked, noticing his gaze. Reluctantly, he withdrew his eyes from the island in the distance. No matter how composed he seemed, he was still only twelve years old—naturally filled with longing for the inner court.
"Just thinking of a few things," Wang Nan replied, pausing briefly. "By the way, what were you staring at just now? You looked completely absorbed."
"The senior students from the inner court," Gongyang Mo said.
"You can see them from this far?"
"Not clearly, but still… that's the inner court of Shrek Academy. My family's told me stories about it since I was a child. Ten thousand years ago, it was founded by three deans and built upon the legacy of the first generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters, becoming the number-one soul master academy on the Douluo Continent. It's been that way ever since…"
Listening to him talk about Shrek's history, Wang Nan couldn't help feeling puzzled. He didn't remember hearing stories about the original Seven Monsters when he was younger. Considering Shrek's reputation, their legends should have been well-known everywhere. Maybe he'd just been too mature for bedtime stories.
"Do you know why this lake is called Sea God Lake?" Gongyang Mo asked, changing the topic when he noticed Wang Nan's distraction.
"To honor Sea God Tang San," Wang Nan answered casually. He hadn't heard the story as a child, but he'd certainly read it in novels from his previous life.
"That's right—heaven and earth changed color, and he became a god in an instant."
"Becoming a god…"
Wang Nan thought about it silently. Although he now lived in a world where cultivation could lead to divine power, he didn't have much obsession with godhood. First, he knew that "gods" here were simply soul masters with power on a higher level—not the carefree immortals of mythology.
Second, for him, simply being reborn into a new life—with caring parents, a comfortable home, and decent talent—was already more than enough. He was content to live well this time around.
Of course, if he could also make up for a few regrets from his previous life, that would be even better.
…
As it turned out, no matter the world, vacations were always too short. Before he even realized it, the two free days had vanished.
On the first day of classes, Wang Nan and Gongyang Mo arrived early. During the first three months, new students weren't divided by type—attack, defense, support, or otherwise—so the two roommates ended up in the same class.
As the minutes passed, the classroom filled up. Some students chatted with friends they had already met, while others sat quietly, waiting for the lesson to start. When
the door finally opened again, the teacher who walked in was someone Wang Nan already knew—Sun He. The room immediately fell silent.
"Good morning, everyone. For the next three months, I'll be your homeroom teacher. Although the academy doesn't officially require it, I personally test all of my students—so I believe most of you already know me. My name is Sun He, but you can call me Teacher Sun."
The moment he spoke, many faces paled, and whispers rippled through the class. It was clear that more than a few of them still remembered the "assessment" he had put them through.
"Alright, I know you all have plenty to say," Sun He said with a smile, tapping on the desk, "but I'd prefer you save it for three months from now."
His grin widened slightly. "Those of you sitting here should understand what I mean. According to the academy's rules, there will be a freshman examination three months from now. Only those who pass can remain at Shrek. And the content of that assessment is—combat."
"After observing you for the past few days," he added, "I'd say most of you wouldn't pass as you are now."
The classroom erupted with noise again. This time, however, Sun He didn't interrupt. He just smiled patiently until the voices died down.
"I know that, at your age, few of you have real combat experience. Some of you with support-type martial souls might never have fought before. So, the very first thing I'll teach you… is how to fight."
He paused for effect. "Now then—what is battle?"
He didn't wait for an answer. "Attack and defense are only the most basic forms. Ambushes, sneak attacks, traps—those are all parts of battle too. When facing a soul beast, you must first learn its abilities. When facing a soul master, you must analyze their martial soul's characteristics. True combat is about using your strengths to strike your opponent's weaknesses."
"If your enemy is weak in strength, strike head-on. If they're slow, outmaneuver them. If they're unbeatable in direct combat—run. And if escape isn't possible, lure them into an ambush, set traps, or outnumber them."
Wang Nan had thought the first class would start with the basics. He hadn't expected Sun He to dive straight into such ruthless lessons—teaching ten-year-olds how to ambush, deceive, and bait enemies into traps.
Even with one-on-one instruction from his father, Wang Xing had never taught him such things at this age. And the other children, with even less experience, were visibly startled.
Then again, remembering how Sun He had "bullied the small" during the entrance exam, this kind of teaching philosophy somehow fit him perfectly. Still… could you really teach these things to children?
—Yes, you could.
Sun He answered that question in his own way.
All morning, he explained combat strategies in meticulous detail—not only discussing what kinds of tactics suited different martial soul types but also describing subtle tricks for forcing opponents into mistakes. He even demonstrated, step by step, by using examples from the freshman assessments.
In the afternoon, he led them to the training field for practical exercises, pushing each student to apply what they had learned in actual combat.
By the end of the day, the children's entire understanding of "battle" had been completely overturned. And in the three months that followed, this kind of lesson would become their everyday reality.
(End of Chapter)