Yun Ming looked at Oscar, who was speaking with hidden meaning, without averting his gaze.
"Yao Yao hasn't even awakened her martial soul yet; isn't it a bit early to be talking about academies?"
"Can you, as her father, really bear to part with her?"
Oscar looked directly into Yun Ming's eyes, trying to discern his true thoughts, but he only saw clarity and stillness, like an ancient well without a ripple. Unable to read Yun Ming's intentions, he finally looked away and replied.
"I can't bear it, but... it's for the child's own good!"
Yun Ming's expression didn't change at Oscar's response; he simply said calmly.
"I see. That works too. Let Yao Yao practice within the sect for another two years first."
"However, let's not send her to Martial Soul City. Let them go to another place for school."
Hearing Yun Ming agree, Oscar breathed a sigh of relief, though he felt a strange sensation. He didn't show it, however, and just asked as if it were nothing.
"If not Martial Soul City, then where? The Empire Academy or the Heavenly Star Royal Academy?"
Oscar thought to himself that these were likely the only three institutions worthy of Young Master Yun's status.
Yun Ming shook his head and said.
"Neither."
Oscar was puzzled.
"Then where?"
Glancing at the two children playing happily and Gu Rong, who was stealthily protecting them from the side, Yun Ming snapped his fingers, and a silver gate of light appeared before them.
"Since you're curious, let's go take a look together."
With that, Yun Ming stepped into the Space Gate first.
Seeing this, Oscar did not hesitate and followed him inside.
After the two walked through, the silver light of the Space Gate dimmed and dissipated into the air.
On the other side, Oscar took a step out and saw the destination of their trip.
The most eye-catching feature was an archway, twenty meters wide and over ten meters high, constructed from solid rock. Below it were two iron-grille gates, dark and heavy. Oscar could tell at a glance that they were forged from ordinary refined iron, and they looked somewhat familiar.
Through the iron grille, one could see a winding path leading into the interior, flanked by tall trees. Alright, it looked even more familiar now.
Finally, seeing the large characters in the center of the archway, everything became clear and familiar. The five large characters inscribed on the plaque read:
'Shrek Academy.'
"Boss, what is this?", Oscar looked at Yun Ming in surprise.
So many years had passed, and Oscar was no longer the ignorant youth he once was; he realized very clearly just how poor the standards of the old Shrek Academy had been. However, while the academy's quality was abysmal, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Shao Xin had truly been kind to him back then. He still acknowledged his former teachers, had attended the ceremony when the academy was rebuilt, and had kept in touch since. But none of this seemed to have anything to do with Yun Ming! Why would he know that Shrek had re-established itself, and why would he consider sending a child here? He didn't understand.
"I approved Shrek's application for re-establishment, and I have old acquaintances here, which makes communication easier."
Yun Ming looked at the simple and quiet Shrek sign and gave a casual reason; after all, he couldn't explain the real reason to Oscar.
"I see."
The reason was a bit far-fetched, and Oscar didn't quite believe it, but since Yun Ming didn't want to elaborate, he had no intention of prying further.
The two stopped talking about this topic and stepped into the academy.
Once they truly entered the school, they realized it wasn't as crude as it looked from the outside. Although the gate was small, the materials were average, and the academy sign was plain, the interior was quite large, and the facilities were surprisingly complete.
Beyond the entrance, the main road was flanked by the main teaching building and the playground. The teaching building was five stories high, with about eight classrooms per floor—perfectly adequate for a Soul Master Academy. The playground was as large as four athletic fields, covering an estimated one hundred mu, and was well-equipped with various training apparatus and practice weapons.
Behind the teaching building was a vast area containing dormitories, a library, a Soul Arena, small training grounds, and several types of mimicry cultivation environments.
The two walked and observed, comparing the current Shrek Academy to their memories of the past. It might not be on par with the Shrek of twenty thousand years later, but it was at least no worse than the Four Elements Academy, let alone the old Shrek.
It was currently class time, so they didn't meet many people along the way, and the security guards and teachers conducting outdoor lessons didn't notice them. Yun Ming had just come for a sudden visit and, not wanting to socialize, chose to remain hidden.
"Boss, your impression of the academy was so poor back then, why did you approve their application?"
As the two walked to a small training ground and found Zhao Wuji leading a class, teaching close-combat techniques, Oscar stopped to ask.
"You said it yourself, that was back then! When Shrek submitted their application, they met all the necessary qualifications, so why shouldn't I approve it?"
This was a standard answer, but it was also the truth. Six years ago, when Shrek Academy submitted its application, Yun Ming had investigated the composition of the new Shrek and the experiences of Flender and the others over the years.
Ever since Shrek disbanded, Flender had traveled the continent with his old companions, searching for the students they had once taught.
Many of them had their personalities ruined during their education; some had caused trouble and died in the conflicts of the Soul Master World, while others lived by their fighting spirit, joining Soul Arenas or Soul Beast hunting teams, living life on the edge. There were those who hadn't been ruined, like Qin Ming, who were now working at Shrek Academy, teaching and nurturing the next generation. The former were many, the latter few, but at least they were alive.
As for the families of the students who died during soul hunting, Flender and the others had visited them too. For those who were orphans, it was just the loss of the student's life, but those with families had suffered to varying degrees. The worst case was a family whose only son died young; they were poor, and the father fell deathly ill upon hearing the news and didn't pull through. The mother, suffering one blow after another, also fell ill from grief and passed away within two years, leaving the family destroyed.
Yun Ming wasn't sure what Flender and the others felt when they saw those things, but when the academy was officially established, the Zhao Wuji that Yun Ming saw no longer had his former lawlessness, and Flender had become much older, both of them faintly exuding an air of weariness. Although more than a decade had passed, their state clearly didn't match the vitality expected of their cultivation levels and age. It could only be attributed to the wounds in their hearts.
Yun Ming saw their changes and was certain that their future teaching philosophy wouldn't go astray, which provided the initial foundation for the academy. Coupled with the return of disciples led by Qin Ming and Ma Hongjun, there was sufficient staff. As for the specific teaching quality and the academy's accumulation, those were secondary for now. The Martial Soul Empire had already unified the basic teaching standards, and the textbooks for primary and intermediate Soul Master Academies had been standardized and were used across the continent. Under the supervision of Qin Ming, the former director of instruction at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, everything could be trained.
Therefore, with some deliberate information and financial help from Yun Ming, Shrek successfully passed the application and received educational funding. The only difference from his previous life was that the current Shrek was no longer a state within a state, but a public academy.
As the memories faded, Yun Ming watched the teaching scene in the small training ground and continued.
"And look, aren't they teaching quite well now?"
Watching Zhao Wuji slowly demonstrating palm techniques and breaking down the movements, Oscar clicked his tongue in wonder. The Immovable Bright King, who used to teach with brute force, could now be so gentle—it truly was a case of 'seeing someone in a new light after three days.'
"It really is different from before."
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader