Douluo Continent: Taking Tang San as a disciple, with a ten-thousand-fold return for teaching him.

"Ah."

Chen Luo left the tavern, walked down a street, and arrived at the carriage parking area in Notting City.

Upon seeing Chen Luo arrive, the coachman, who had been waiting, immediately came forward and greeted him warmly: "Young brother, are you going to the Soul Hunting Forest again this time?"

Chen Luo smiled slightly and said, "I'm a little unaccustomed to you calling me that all of a sudden. We should be about the same age, right?"

The driver remarked, "I get older every year, but you get younger every year. If I hadn't had the good fortune to do business with you a few times and left a deep impression on me, I wouldn't have believed that I was picking up the same customer."

Chen Luo said, "If you had spoken like this earlier, your business would probably be even better."

The driver laughed and said, "I'm telling the truth!"

"Let's go, Soto City." Chen Luo boarded the carriage.

"Good Le!"

The coachman responded habitually, then looked surprised: "What? Soto City?!"

Chen Luo said, "What, are you afraid I can't afford to pay?"

The driver immediately shook his head: "No, it's just that I haven't been to such a far place in a long time."

Chen Luo said, "Don't worry, I'll pay for your return as well."

The driver said, "It's not about the money, it's mainly... I'm afraid I won't be able to find my way..."

Chen Luo: "..."

……

Chapter 22 Arrival, Shrek!

"Brother, Soto City is a bit far, but it doesn't cost five gold soul coins, especially since you treated me to breakfast!"

In a small alley next to a noodle shop in the south of Soto City, the coachman looked at the gold coins in his hand and said somewhat hurriedly.

Chen Luo said, "Keep your money safe and don't flaunt your wealth."

"But..." The coachman put the gold soul coins into his pocket, hesitating to speak.

Chen Luo said, "There are no 'buts'. If you have money, just keep it. Everyone has difficult times. Just grit your teeth and get through it. Life is already hard enough, so we should cherish every day we live. Once you die, you really have nothing left."

“I’m just a coachman, I’m not worth you doing this to me…”

"We are all human beings, and there is no distinction between high and low status in any profession."

Chen Luo said, "Don't say anything more. Find a place to rest. You must be tired from traveling these past few days."

The driver paused, then nodded vigorously, saying gratefully, "Thank you so much, brother!"

The house he built with borrowed money burned down, and his wife ran off with someone else. These things would be hard for anyone to accept. The driver originally planned to finish this trip, pay off his debts, and then find a secluded place to end his failed life.

On the way to Soto City, the coachman was feeling extremely depressed and wanted to vent his emotions and also find some amusement for Chen Luo.

Many people know about his story, but they all treat him as a joke, and he treats himself as a joke too.

The driver addressed Chen Luo as "brother," but it was just a casual title. The driver didn't take him seriously, and if Chen Luo showed even the slightest displeasure, the driver would immediately change his address.

It was precisely because the driver was so clear about his relationship with Chen Luo that he was even more surprised by Chen Luo's generous help and...respect.

He was very approachable and had no airs about him. He even treated me to noodles and helped me out in the end.

There might be a hint of charity or pity in it, but that's really too much nitpicking for a desperate person.

Chen Luo walked on the main street of Soto City, taking in everything around him.

Big cities are indeed big cities, many times more bustling than Nottingham. The sheer number of people and the dazzling array of shops are enough to show the huge difference.

After navigating through streets and following the fading memories deep within his mind, Chen Luo finally arrived at a shop with a unique signboard.

The signboard contained no text about the shop, only a circular mark with a sword, a hammer, and a blue lightning tyrannosaurus rex engraved on it, exactly the same as the mark on Chen Luo's Spirit Hall token, only much larger.

The shop was closed at the moment, and Chen Luo's eyes revealed a hint of disappointment. Without lingering, he left directly.

……

Nottingham College, Dormitory 7.

"Brother, are we really going to that Shrek Academy? I've never even heard of that academy!"

Xiao Wu sat on the bed, blinking her beautiful big eyes, playing with her scorpion braid in her little hands.

At twelve years old, Xiao Wu had already grown into a graceful young woman. Even in her languid sitting posture, her slender waist, accentuated by her pink top, was still incredibly beautiful, making it hard not to take a second look.

Tang San, standing by the window, nodded: "Mm."

Tang San, also twelve years old, has grown taller and stronger, exceeding 1.7 meters in height. He is not handsome, but has a friendly appearance.

Xiao Wu pouted slightly: "But we clearly have more and better options! A few days ago, an admissions officer from an intermediate academy contacted me, saying that we fully meet the admission requirements and can even get tuition waivers and bonuses!"

Tang San said, "If you have a favorite academy, you can go to those academies. You don't have to come to Shrek Academy with me."

Xiao Wu immediately became unhappy: "Brother, aren't you going to abandon me?"

Tang San smiled: "I can't possibly force you to change your mind, just as you can't force me to change my mind."

"So making the choices that we believe are right is perhaps the best outcome."

Xiao Wu sighed, "Alright, stop lecturing me with those grand principles. I'll go to Shrek Academy with you, since you're my brother."

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes, I've thought it through!"

Tang San smiled slightly: "Shrek Academy will definitely not let us down. The academy that our teacher specifically mentioned can't be bad."

"Oh right, right, right, how could the master possibly harm you!"

Xiao Wu originally wanted to say a few bad things about the master, but she found that she couldn't find any point to say. In the end, she could only tell the truth: "No ordinary father would treat his son as well as the master has treated you. He considers everything about you so meticulously. Sometimes it's really enviable!"

"Especially since he always ignores me, it really annoys me! Am I really that bad? I'm a born master of full soul power!"

Tang San laughed and said, "Actually, it's not that I ignore it. That's just my teacher's personality. Sometimes he can talk to someone all day long, and sometimes he doesn't want to say a word to anyone."

Xiao Wu rolled her eyes and muttered, "Brother, do you think the master might not have even realized that I have innate full soul power?"

Tang San said, "I saw it long ago. You underestimated my teacher's judgment of people. He specifically told me that I must not learn from you. Having talent but not working hard is equivalent to wasting talent."

"Hmph, true geniuses don't need to work hard. I cultivate for three days and rest for two, and my soul power level is still the same as yours." Xiao Wu crossed her arms, looking slightly arrogant.

Tang San sighed, "If you work hard enough, can't you reach a higher level of soul power? Didn't you say you have your own goals? Why do you always forget them?"

Xiao Wu paused for a moment, her eyes becoming somewhat vacant: "The target... is just too far away."

Tang San was already used to Xiao Wu's behavior and didn't bother to say anything more. Instead, he brought up another topic: "We're about to graduate. You still haven't told me where you got that Spirit Hall certificate with your innate soul power level three?"

"Humph!"

Xiao Wu snorted coldly: "You've upset me, so I'm not going to tell you anymore. Let's talk about it when you reach the Soul Saint level!"

Tang San:"……"

"Alright, I need to go cultivate now!" Tang San said.

Xiao Wu immediately got out of bed: "I want to go too."

Tang San asked in confusion, "That's a simulated training environment for plant-type martial souls like Blue Silver Grass. What were you doing there, you rabbit?"

"Rabbits eat grass, so it will definitely help me cultivate there!" Xiao Wu said with a smile.

Tang San frowned slightly: "So what were you doing before?"

Xiao Wu smiled slyly: "I was lazy before!"

"Wang Sheng and the others have all left. I'm so bored in Dormitory Seven all by myself. I might as well go cultivate with you!"

Tang San looked somewhat helpless: "Then let's go."

……

"It's so ridiculously rotten, Shrek Academy is probably beyond saving."

Chen Luo frowned as he looked at the dilapidated academy nestled in the mountain village.

At the entrance of the village, a somewhat tattered wooden archway hangs above a plaque with five simple characters engraved on it: Shrek Academy. In front of these characters is a green head that looks like the head of a humanoid monster.

The archway was already rickety and seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Even a slight breeze would cause it to creak and groan, and the plaque would shake violently.

Chen Luo took a deep breath and walked straight inside.

Chapter 23 A Trade for a Gold Coin

After entering the gate, Chen Luo stepped onto a country path. Simple wooden houses were everywhere, and he could see the villagers going about their lives. They seemed to have no interest in outsiders, only glancing at them before busying themselves with their own affairs.

This place is no different from an ordinary mountain village. If it weren't for the plaque hanging on the gate at the entrance, it would be hard to associate this place with the Soul Master Academy.

After walking for about ten minutes, Chen Luo saw a spacious area. The buildings here were also mainly wooden houses, but they were more concentrated than the scattered wooden houses he had seen along the way.

Chen Luo could occasionally see wooden signs standing by the roadside, with words like "dormitory" and "canteen" written on them.

A wooden sign not far ahead reads "Office Building," which corresponds to a two-story wooden house further away.

At least I got a glimpse of what a college looked like, even though it was very rudimentary.

"We've traveled so far and haven't even encountered a single teacher or student. The only one who could run an academy to this extent is probably Flanders."

Chen Luo shook his head and sighed, unable to help but complain in his heart: "An academy that only teaches monsters? Others are monsters themselves. Where else would they be a thousand times better than your Shrek Academy?"

"I originally came here just for the mission, but if I really became the dean, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stand seeing the academy in such a dilapidated state. With just a little effort and some changes, the academy could be much better. I wonder what kind of mentality Flander and the others have, are they overconfident or just completely giving up?"

"Halt! Who are you, and what are you doing at Shrek Academy?"

It wasn't until Chen Luo arrived at the two-story wooden building that he finally heard someone calling him.

Before coming here, Chen Luo had imagined what he would encounter when he entered the academy, whether he would happen to be there during the academy's recruitment process or be blocked by the irritable Dai Mubai. However, the journey was uneventful, which made him somewhat disappointed.

Upon hearing this rather loud voice, Chen Luo immediately looked toward the source of the sound.

On a side path to the left, a strong figure appeared out of nowhere.

He has short black hair, a full beard, and looks like an ordinary middle-aged man. He is relatively short but looks very robust.

The muscles in both arms are exaggerated, with black lines tattooed on the right arm and colorful patterns tattooed on the chest and abdomen.