In the original timeline, Dai Mubai personally stated that in the twenty years since Shrek Academy was founded, it had recruited a total of more than sixty students, and only a little over a dozen had graduated normally.
Shrek Academy never helped its students hunt Spirit Beasts for Spirit Rings. That meant the remaining fifty or so who failed to graduate had most likely died during Spirit Beast hunts or suffered severe injuries that left them unable to continue cultivating.
Wu Qi knew that being under thirteen years old with Spirit Power above Level 21 was only the preliminary requirement. After that, there were still two additional entrance tests.
In short, to pass all those assessments, one's Spirit Power would need to be at least Level 25, and Innate Spirit Power would have to reach Level 7 or higher.
It was a pity that more than fifty geniuses with Innate Spirit Power above Level 7 had been ruined by Shrek Academy.
Their teaching model was no different from raising insects in a jar to fight each other.
They left students to hunt Spirit Beasts on their own. Those who survived would naturally be considered top geniuses.
Once these survivors graduated and achieved success in the future, all of it would be credited to Shrek Academy.
As for those who failed to graduate, they were dismissed as mediocre. If they could not even obtain Spirit Rings on their own, how could they be worthy of being students of Shrek Academy?
Any advanced Spirit Master academy on the continent encouraged students to hunt Spirit Beasts independently, but the premise was that students would form their own teams and cooperate during the hunt, not that they would face forest Spirit Beasts alone.
Teachers did not simply ignore them. They watched from the shadows at all times to prevent accidents.
But Shrek Academy had only a handful of students in total, not even enough to form a proper team. Moreover, their teachers did not secretly protect the students.
An academy like this was a disgrace to Spirit Master education. It was no surprise that the Ministry of Education of the Balak Kingdom refused to approve them.
Looking ahead, for Spirit Hall, Shrek Academy would undoubtedly become a gathering place of opposition.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun had received Spirit Master subsidies from Spirit Hall for years, yet in the end, they stood at the forefront against it.
Putting away his thoughts, Wu Qi looked out the window.
He could almost foresee that this trip to Suotuo City would be quite eventful.
The opening of Shrek Academy was approaching, and the Seven Devils of Shrek would soon gather here.
Elsewhere in Suotuo City.
Ning Rongrong wandered through the city in boredom.
After seeing the sights, she muttered to herself, "Suotuo City isn't as impressive as the rumors claimed."
The only thing that truly interested her was probably Shrek Academy.
With the new term about to begin, many people in the city were discussing how many students Shrek Academy would recruit this year.
Ning Rongrong was quite confident. She possessed the top-tier Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit, and her Innate Spirit Power had reached Level 9.
If even with such qualifications she could not enter Shrek Academy, then the problem certainly would not be hers.
Xue Qinghe had said that Wu Qi and Chang Kong had come to Suotuo City on a mission. She had searched for quite some time but had not seen them.
At the same time, another possibility occurred to her.
Wu Qi and Chang Kong were not much older than she was. Having come to Suotuo City at this time, could they also be planning to join Shrek Academy?
If that were true, they would become classmates and see each other every day.
Lost in these thoughts, she arrived at a local specialty restaurant.
As Ning Fengzhi's cherished daughter, she had never lacked food or luxury, but that did not mean she had tasted every delicacy on the continent.
Driven by curiosity, Ning Rongrong stepped inside.
Meanwhile, Wu Qi and Chang Kong happened to pass by on the opposite side of the street.
"Are you sure there's really a shop here that sells soul tools?" Chang Kong asked skeptically.
The shop Wu Qi mentioned was Flender's store.
The primary purpose of this visit was to purchase the Hair Crystal.
Showing mercy to an opponent was cruelty to oneself. If Tang San lost the Hair Crystal, his overall strength would be indirectly weakened.
Later, in his clash with Zhao Wuji, he would likely suffer an even worse defeat. But that had nothing to do with Wu Qi.
As they spoke, the two arrived in front of a shop without a signboard.
When entering the city earlier, Wu Qi had already noticed this place.
They had first been busy finding lodging and registering for Spirit Arena badges, so they had no time to come here.
Stepping inside, they found the interior simple and rustic. In other words, there was almost no decoration, just a few shelves placed casually.
The items on the shelves emitted faint Spirit Power fluctuations. As Spirit Masters, they were highly sensitive to such a presence.
"So there really are soul tools here."
Chang Kong felt a sense of novelty as he searched through the shelves for something that caught his interest.
Under normal circumstances, soul tools would only appear in auction houses or high-end commercial districts.
Although the Qian Gu family had produced two worship-level figures and was considered wealthy, the allowance Chang Kong personally received was very limited.
Seeing so many soul tools outside of those usual venues for the first time, how could he not be curious?
The shop was small. With a slight turn of the head, one could see the hawk-nosed man reclining behind the counter.
Flender's Spirit was a four-eyed owl, giving him sharp perception. Within the range of his shop, even the slightest movement could not escape his notice.
Withdrawing his gaze, Wu Qi searched along the lower shelves for something.
Flender was a shrewd merchant. If he noticed anyone showing interest in a particular item, he would certainly demand an outrageous price.
Flender might be able to sense his expressions and movements, but could he sense his thoughts?
As Wu Qi searched, he also kept an eye out for the Hair Crystal, though he deliberately avoided showing any strong interest.
Before long, he noticed a stone placed casually in a corner against the wall.
At the same time, movement came from outside the shop.
"Teacher, are you in the store?"
The voice drew closer, and a round-bodied teenage boy appeared at the entrance.
"Well now, taking advantage of the teacher not being here to steal something?" the boy said, crossing his arms as he scolded them.
"Are you talking to us?" Chang Kong looked around but saw no one else nearby.
Wu Qi turned his head and realized that at some point, Flender had already left the shop.
So now they were being treated as thieves.
"If not you, then who me?" the boy snapped.
He had a fiery temper. As he spoke, his Martial Spirit appeared behind him, radiating a blazing aura.
"A top-tier Martial Spirit?" Chang Kong was briefly startled, then could not help but laugh. "I thought it was a phoenix. Turns out it's just a barnyard fowl set on fire. So, when are you turning into roast chicken?"
Wu Qi thought to himself that it was exactly as expected.
Calling Flender "teacher" and possessing a phoenix-type Martial Spirit, this had to be Ma Hongjun.
"You're courting death!" Ma Hongjun exploded in anger.
Thieves acting so arrogantly, did they take him for someone easy to bully?
"First Spirit skill, Phoenix Fireline!"
Spirit Power gathered in his mouth before he spat out a stream of flame.
Chang Kong was eager to step forward, but Wu Qi moved ahead of him.
How could a mere barnyard fowl dare to compete with a divine bird?
Wu Qi released his Azure Luan Spirit, and a clear cry rang out.
As the Martial Spirit spread its wings, the surrounding air churned violently, forming a wall of wind.
No matter how much Spirit Power Ma Hongjun poured into his flames, they could not pass through the barrier of wind.
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