Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

A few days later, they entered the territory of Soto.

The number of pedestrians on the road gradually increased, mostly ordinary people dressed in simple clothes, and occasionally some low-level soul masters could be seen.

The carriage slowed down.

Dai Mubai lifted the curtain of the car window, looking at the somewhat desolate fields outside and the blurry outline of the city in the distance, his eyes unfocused.

Just then, a not-so-small argument mixed with complaints drifted into the carriage on the wind.

"Damn it, what a lousy academy! I brought my kid all this way, and this is how they treat me?"

"Exactly! My son is twelve years old, and he already has a hundred-year-old spirit ring! Isn't that talent good enough? What more do they want?"

"That's right! That place is dilapidated, not even as good as the Soul Master Branch in our town, but it's got quite the airs!"

"What do you mean you only accept monsters and not ordinary people... Pshaw! What a pretentious act!"

The sound came from a simple tea stall by the roadside, where several men who looked like small businessmen or farmers were sitting together, cursing and spitting as they spoke, their faces full of resentment and indignation.

Several teenagers stood beside them, heads bowed, looking dejected.

The carriage happened to pass by the tea stall, and those words clearly drifted into Dai Mubai's ears.

He wasn't really interested and was about to pull down the curtain.

"We will not accept anyone who is over thirteen years old, or whose soul power is below level twenty-one..."

These words immediately piqued Dai Mubai's curiosity, and he paused in his hand, which was about to lower the curtain.

Twelve years old, a century-old soul ring?

To him and Hoan, this was hardly a talent worth boasting about.

At Xingluo Royal Academy, this would only be considered a barely passing grade.

However, are you under thirteen years old and have a soul power of level twenty-one or higher?

Isn't this admission standard a bit too high?

Even his Star Luo Royal Academy wasn't this tightly controlled.

On the side of the Heaven Dou Empire, how dare a seemingly dilapidated academy establish such a rule?

Do you only accept monsters, not ordinary people?

Dai Mubai's heart stirred slightly.

He looked at Huo An and found that Huo An was also looking at him, obviously having heard the discussions outside.

"parking."

Dai Mubai said something to the coachman.

The carriage slowly came to a stop by the roadside.

Dai Mubai didn't get out of the car. He simply looked through the window at the men who were still cursing and asked, "Excuse me, gentlemen. What academy were you talking about earlier?"

Upon hearing this, the group glanced at the carriage with guards and at Dai Mubai's extraordinary demeanor despite his young age, and their anger subsided somewhat.

Chapter 206 Shrek Academy

A middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader sighed and said, "Which one else could it be? It's that lousy Shrek Academy! It's in that village not far ahead, with a sign hanging there!"

“Shrek?” Dai Mubai repeated the name. It was unfamiliar; he had never heard of it before.

“Yes!” another man chimed in, his voice trembling with excitement.

"That place didn't look much better than some farmers' yards! The houses were all dilapidated! We thought that with such poor conditions, the requirements would be lower, right? But look what happened! The teacher who was enrolling us didn't even lift an eyelid, saying we were too old and didn't have enough soul power, and kicked us out right away! We even paid ten gold soul coins!"

"They even claim their academy only accepts monsters, not ordinary people! Ha, they really know how to pat themselves on the back!"

The group chatted amongst themselves, further disparaging Shrek Academy, their words filled with resentment at being rejected.

Dai Mubai listened quietly, his face expressionless, but his mind was racing.

An academy that only accepts monsters.

This moment sparked his curiosity.

An academy that dares to set such high standards is either a makeshift operation that's just trying to swindle money, or it might actually have some real substance.

If it's the latter...

What he needs most right now is a place where he can quickly improve his strength, isn't it?

Wouldn't an environment full of monsters be perfect for him?

"Thank you for letting me know." Dai Mubai nodded to the men and casually tossed them a few silver soul coins.

"Please have a cup of tea."

A flash of silver light, and the men hurriedly caught it, their resentment instantly replaced by surprise, and they thanked them repeatedly.

Dai Mubai ignored them and said to the coachman, "We're not going to Solto City anymore. Let's change our route and go check out that Shrek Academy they mentioned."

The coachman paused for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something, but seeing Dai Mubai's unquestionable gaze and the silent Huo An beside him, he swallowed his words, turned his horse around, and drove in the direction the men pointed out.

Huo An looked at Dai Mubai, his voice low: "Your Highness, that kind of place..."

"Just going to take a look." Dai Mubai interrupted him, leaned back against the carriage wall, and closed his eyes.

"We're going the same way anyway. If it really is just a hoax, we can leave later."

He needs to confirm this.

What if there really are the monsters and opportunities he needs there?

……

After the carriage traveled for a while, Dai Mubai arrived at the entrance of a village.

At the village entrance, a large crowd had gathered, mostly young men and women of similar age to Dai Mubai, their faces showing either nervousness or anticipation.

Most of them were accompanied by their parents, who were whispering instructions to each other, which seemed somewhat out of place with their surroundings.

At the entrance of the village, a simple archway was made of a few crooked logs, with a somewhat tattered plaque hanging above it.

The plaque bears the simple five characters "Shrek Academy." Next to these characters is a green monster head image.

Dai Mubai's gaze fell on the archway and the plaque, and he paused involuntarily.

Is this the academy that only accepts monsters?

The curiosity and anticipation that had arisen in his heart because of the "only accepting monsters" policy were instantly dispelled by the overly realistic scene of ruin before him, replaced by deep-seated doubt.

What decent teachers could such a dilapidated place possibly have?

What real geniuses could it attract?

Could it be that someone popped up from some remote mountain village, using a front to scam people out of money?

He subconsciously glanced at Huo An, who was standing beside him. Although Huo An's face was expressionless, his eyes revealed a subtle scrutiny and suspicion.

Clearly, this Soul Emperor guard also had reservations about the reliability of the academy before him.

"Your Highness, this place..."

Huo An spoke in a low voice, his meaning clear: he didn't think it was very reliable.

Dai Mubai frowned, feeling a little hesitant.

But then I thought, since I'm already here, I might as well satisfy my curiosity and see what kind of person this Shrek who dares to spout such nonsense really is.

"Let's see." Dai Mubai waved his hand, suppressing his doubts, and walked towards the crowd.

At the entrance of the village, there was an old, long wooden table, and behind the table sat an elderly man who looked to be about sixty years old.

The old man's hair was a mess, like a bird's nest. He was wearing a gray cloth robe with some stains and looked sleepy. He was leaning lazily against the back of his chair, watching the young men and women queuing up.

The old man also wore a badge on his chest, exactly the same as the green monster head on the plaque.

A short queue had already formed in front of the table, with people waiting to register and take the preliminary test.

Dai Mubai silently walked to the end of the line and stood still. His clothes and demeanor were quite eye-catching in the crowd, attracting many curious and scrutinizing glances, especially with Huo An, who was following behind him with a deep and imposing aura, making him seem even more extraordinary.

The group wasn't moving very fast. Young men and women kept coming forward, paying money, and then the old man would casually touch their arms or calves before releasing his martial spirit ring.

After most people released their martial souls, the old man's reaction was indifferent, even somewhat impatient. He would simply wave his hand and say, "Not old enough, next one," or "Insufficient soul power, you can leave." He didn't say anything more.

The eliminated teenagers and their parents immediately showed resentment and even anger on their faces, but seeing the old man's lazy yet undeniably intimidating aura, they dared not cause any more trouble and could only leave dejectedly, muttering complaints like "what a lousy academy" and "a money-grabbing scam."

Dai Mubai watched coldly, his suspicions growing stronger.

The selection process seems quite rigorous, but the environment and atmosphere are simply unconvincing.

Finally, it was Dai Mubai's turn.

He stepped forward, took out ten gold soul coins from his storage soul tool, and placed them on the table, making a crisp sound.

The old man raised his eyelids slightly, his cloudy gaze sweeping across his face, then glancing at Huo An, who stood behind him like an iron tower. His eyes seemed to flicker slightly, but he quickly returned to his sleepy expression.

"Stretch out your arm." The old man's voice was a little hoarse.

Dai Mubai extended his right hand as instructed.

The old man placed his hand on him and pinched his wrist bone with his fingers.

"Your bone age is suitable. Release your martial spirit and spirit rings and see."

Dai Mubai took a half step back and shouted in a low voice, "White Tiger, possess me!"

Dai Mubai's figure instantly grew taller and more imposing, his long golden hair moved without wind, and a sharp, sinister light flashed deep in his eyes.

Its hands swelled up, covered in white fur, with sharp claws extending, exuding a chilling aura.

Beneath his feet, two bright yellow spirit rings spiraled upwards, a standard hundred-year spirit ring configuration.

Chapter 207 The Final Battle

The old man looked at Dai Mubai's Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul and the two yellow soul rings at his feet, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

He frowned, looking Dai Mubai up and down. His gaze swept over Dai Mubai's understated yet well-made outfit and over Huo An, who stood silently and imposingly behind him. He hesitated before asking, "Kid, do your family know you're here?"

This young man has an extraordinary air about him, and with such a powerful bodyguard by his side, his background is probably not simple.