Caelus, while eating food that actually tasted quite good and contained meager energy, was complaining wildly in his heart:
'This Shrek Academy, with a ten-thousand-year Legacy, the number one on the continent, how come it's full of these inexplicable, smelly rules and quirks? They can't even afford to provide a seat for eating? Is it euphemistically called tempering one's state of mind? Or is it just pure stinginess?'
He looked at the new students around him, either standing or squatting, also "dealing with" their dinner, and a sense of absurdity welled up.
'A dignified number one academy of the continent, in some aspects it's run like a bitter ascetic monastery, and in others like it's short of funds, it's really...'
He swallowed the food in his mouth, a sharp light flashing deep in his eyes.
'Just wait. When I become the master of the sea gods pavilion and take control of this place, the first thing I will do is to change all these anti-human, formalistic, broken rules. If they can't even guarantee basic living comfort, what's the point of talking about pursuing the Peak of Soul Masters?'
This thought became more and more firm in his heart.
He came to Shrek, not to adapt to its outdated ways, but to... conquer it, and reshape it according to his own will.
The night on Sea God Island was quiet and peaceful. The rich life aura intertwined with the heaven and earth elemental power, making the night on the island even clearer than the outside World.
By the lakeside, two stunning women with different temperaments stood side by side, enjoying this rare tranquility.
One of the women had long, jet-black, shiny hair, and a cool, ethereal temperament, like a Luna Fairy. She was the head of the Inner Court Disciples, Zhang Lexuan.
She looked at her friend beside her, another woman with smooth flaxen long hair and a gentle, intellectual temperament, and smiled:
"Sister Ruoruo, you're going to be a homeroom teacher for the new student class in a couple of days, how does it feel? Are you under any pressure?"
The woman called Sister Ruoruo was none other than the renowned Han Ruoruo of the Inner Court.
Hearing this, a helpless bitter smile appeared on her face:
"Lexuan, stop teasing me. I really didn't expect the academy to suddenly assign me such a task. Although I have occasionally assisted with Outer Court teaching before, that was just for temporary class coverage or assisting with management. Serving as a formal homeroom teacher for a new student class like this is a first, I'm really completely unprepared."
The smile on Zhang Lexuan's face faded a bit, turning into a light sigh, her tone becoming solemn:
"There's nothing to be done about it, Sister Ruoruo. You also know that our Inspection Team is already spread too thin. There are only so many Inner Court Disciples, but in recent years, the number of 'resurrected' Nirvana Corpses on the continent has been increasing, and the chaos they cause is growing day by day."
"Although the three major Empires have successively established organizations specifically to deal with such incidents, you and I know the true faces of those nobles. Not to mention their low efficiency, many times they only care about their own interests. If we count on them, who knows how many innocent civilians in remote areas will suffer at the hands of the Nirvana Corpses."
She paused, then continued:
"Therefore, the academy's top management discussed it and decided to change our strategy and start focusing on cultivating Outer Court Disciples."
"Flowers that stay in a greenhouse forever can never truly become talents. It's time to let them see the cruelty and reality of this World in advance."
"Subsequently, the academy will gradually issue some low-risk field missions, led by experienced teachers, to let Outer Court Disciples participate in the crusade against low-threat Nirvana Corpses."
"Of course, all of this is entirely voluntary," Zhang Lexuan emphasized.
"The academy will not force any student to take risks, but for those Disciples who are willing to take responsibility and go out to execute missions, the academy will provide more resources, and when they are assessed for entry into the Inner Court, they will be given priority consideration."
"Even, if their contribution to the mission is outstanding enough, even if their Soul Power Rank or talent is slightly lacking, the academy might make an exception and admit them into the Inner Court. Besides you, Sister Ruoruo, most other Inner Court Disciples who have graduated and are willing to stay at the academy will be sent to the Outer Court to serve as these 'field mentors', responsible for leading and protecting the Outer Court Disciples."
"This is both a form of training for the Outer Court Disciples and a way to greatly alleviate the pressure of our shortage of manpower in the Inner Court."
Han Ruoruo nodded, her expression stern:
"I understand. I have no objections to this decision by the academy. There is a huge number of Outer Court Disciples, and among them are many good seeds. If they can experience combat tempering early, it will indeed be of great benefit to their future growth."
"It's just... things happened a bit too suddenly, and I haven't fully adapted yet."
As an elite of the Inner Court, she had naturally performed missions to crusade against Nirvana Corpses and knew their danger well.
She rubbed her brow, her tone carrying a hint of heaviness and confusion:
"It's just that, these Nirvana Corpses... how exactly do they appear? The academy has used such a vast intelligence network, yet we still haven't found any clues about their source. It's as if they just popped out of thin air. This is truly too strange."
She recalled the Nirvana Corpses she had faced—that greedy craving for life force, the body as tough as metal and stone, and the terrifying self-healing ability—all of which still made her feel lingering fear.
Zhang Lexuan shook her head, a hint of helplessness flashing in her beautiful eyes:
"On this point, I'm afraid even the old masters of the Sea Gods Pavilion are still investigating. I am already a Spirit Douluo, yet I still don't have the qualifications to touch upon the secrets behind this."
"After all, among the Nirvana Corpses, there have already been more than one instance of Titled Douluo level existences. Such monsters require the old masters to personally take action every time they appear to resolve them. The Karma involved behind them is definitely not something we can speculate on."
She changed the subject, a smile reappearing on her face, trying to dispel the somewhat heavy atmosphere:
"Alright, let's not talk about this. Sister Ruoruo, the academy has high hopes for you this time. The class you are leading this time has several real 'Little freaks'."
Zhang Lexuan thought of the new student files she saw today, especially those few pieces of data that could be called dazzling, and her tone carried a bit of exclamation:
"Whether it's talent, strength, or Martial Soul quality, they all deserve the name 'freak'. Among them, there are even a few individuals whose talent is even better than ours back then."
"That's exactly why I have an even bigger headache," Han Ruoruo smiled bitterly, her tone full of worry.
"Geniuses often mean they are arrogant and have distinct personalities. I really don't know if I can suppress those little guys. Teaching students isn't just about having strong strength; it requires patience, methods, and guidance."
"It's not like... that famous Teacher Zhou in the Outer Court, who uses expulsion as a threat at every turn, right? That would be a huge loss for the academy."
Zhang Lexuan had obviously heard of Teacher Zhou's "reputation" and said helplessly:
"The academy's top management must have considered this point. I heard that among the new students who enrolled this year, none of those geniuses at the Soul Elder level were assigned to new student class one, just because they were worried that Teacher Zhou's actions might be too... aggressive. If she were to expel such geniuses at will, that would be a weight Shrek couldn't afford to bear."