Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Then, his brows furrowed even more.

Is this... really a Soul Master Academy?

On the dilapidated wooden door, the five characters "Shrek Academy" were crooked and the paint was almost completely peeling off.

The wall was built of adobe bricks, and several sections had collapsed, barely held up by a few pieces of wood.

The buildings inside were in even worse condition; the exterior walls of the main teaching building were peeling and crumbling, and several pieces of glass in the windows were broken and nailed together with wooden boards.

The playground was just a muddy field, full of potholes and overgrown with weeds.

In the corner, there was a pile of broken training equipment, rusty and looked like it hadn't been used for a long time.

Yu Xiaogang stood at the door, not moving for a long time.

He knew Flanders was poor and that Shrek Academy was in poor condition.

But he didn't expect it to be this bad.

This place is not even as good as Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.

At least Nottingham College has decent training grounds, complete teaching facilities, and clean and tidy dormitories.

But here...

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

The courtyard was empty; there wasn't a single person in sight.

Only a few sparrows hopped on the ground, and when they saw someone come in, they flapped their wings and flew away.

Yu Xiaogang looked around and finally his gaze fell on a bungalow with a light on.

That should be Flander's office.

He strode toward that place.

The dirt road under his feet was full of potholes, and he had to watch his step carefully to avoid stepping into puddles.

Yu Xiaogang walked over and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came Flander's distinctive voice, tinged with a hint of shrewdness.

“It’s me, Yu Xiaogang,” Yu Xiaogang replied calmly.

There was a moment of silence in the office.

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.

The door was suddenly pulled open.

Flanders stood in the doorway, his face showing obvious surprise.

He was wearing a faded brown robe, his hair was a little messy, and he wore glasses on his nose, his small eyes behind the lenses wide open.

"Xiao Gang? Is it really you?" Flander looked Yu Xiao Gang up and down, seemingly unable to believe it.

"Why are you here? You didn't even tell me beforehand!"

Yu Xiaogang pushed up his glasses: "I need to talk to you. Won't you invite me in?"

Flander then realized what was happening and quickly stepped aside, saying, "Come in, come in! Look at me, I'm so confused!"

Chapter 307 Old Friends and New Schemes

Yu Xiaogang walked into the office.

The room was small and simply furnished.

An old desk, a few chairs, a bookcase, and some ledgers and documents piled up in the corner.

An oil lamp was lit on the desk, its flickering light illuminating the room in an alternating pattern.

The air was filled with the smell of old paper and dust.

Frandra pulled over a chair: "Sit down, sit down! Let me get you a glass of water!"

He turned to get the kettle, only to find it was empty.

"Uh... wait a minute, I'll go get some water." Flander said somewhat awkwardly.

Yu Xiaogang waved his hand: "No need. I'm not thirsty."

He sat down in the chair and glanced around the room.

“Here you are…” Yu Xiaogang pushed up his glasses, his tone calm, yet carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"It's even simpler than I imagined."

Flanders chuckled twice, rubbed his hands together, and sat down on the creaking old wooden chair.

“The academy is just starting out, so we should save money wherever we can,” Flander said matter-of-factly, but a shrewd glint flashed in his small eyes.

"You know perfectly well that Soul Master Academy has high expenses and few students; it's already good enough that it can stay afloat."

Yu Xiaogang didn't respond, but just quietly looked at Flander.

A brief silence fell over the room.

Flander felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze. He coughed and spoke up, "Xiao Gang, what brings you here so suddenly? Do you want to give up your job in Notting City?"

Yu Xiaogang leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on his knees, relaxed yet exuding the composure characteristic of a scholar.

“I resigned,” he said calmly. “I came here this time for the sake of my two students.”

"A student?" Flander was taken aback, then his small eyes widened as if he remembered something. "Wait, you don't mean..."

"Tang San, and Cindy," Yu Xiaogang said directly, looking straight at Flander. "They should both be with you now."

Flander's eyes lit up: "So they're your students! No wonder!"

He slapped his thigh, a look of sudden realization on his face.

"I knew it! Those two kids are so talented and know how to cooperate. They've obviously been specially trained! So it was you!"

A hint of smugness flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

“I trained them myself.” He said calmly, but with an undeniable certainty.

"From the awakening of the martial soul to obtaining the first soul ring, I personally guided and planned everything."

Flander looked at Yu Xiaogang, his mind racing.

Tang San and Cinderella, those two children who had amazed him during the entrance exam.

A twelve-year-old Soul Master, whose second Soul Ring is a thousand years old, possesses terrifying combat awareness and teamwork.

Especially Tang San, who had those strange golden needles in his hand...

He had always thought that the two children were heirs of some reclusive family, or had some powerful backer.

Unexpectedly, he was Yu Xiaogang's student.

He knew Yu Xiaogang better than anyone.

The son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan's leader, whose martial soul underwent a malignant mutation, leaving him stuck at level 29 for life as a theoretical master.

Of course, that was in the past.

I recently heard that this guy somehow broke through to level 30 and successfully absorbed the third soul ring of a thousand years, which has caused quite a stir in the soul master world.

But regardless, Flander was aware of Yu Xiaogang's theoretical level.

During their years traveling across the continent together, he witnessed Yu Xiaogang's passion for martial spirit research and his unique insights.

Although his practical combat skills were terrible, when it came to theoretical knowledge, there were probably few people on the entire continent who could compare to him.

"So, you came here specifically to see them?" Flander asked tentatively.

Yu Xiaogang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the dilapidated office again, his brows furrowing slightly.

“It’s not just about watching them.” He paused, his tone becoming somewhat serious. “Flander, we’ve known each other for so many years, so I’ll be frank with you.”

Flander's heart tightened, and he vaguely guessed what Yu Xiaogang was about to say.

“Your Shrek Academy…” Yu Xiaogang pointed around, “the conditions are terrible.”

Flander's face instantly darkened.

"Bad?" His voice rose a few decibels, tinged with displeasure.

"Xiao Gang, what do you mean by this? The academy I founded is the one I can run however I want! You try opening one yourself if you dare!"

Yu Xiaogang wasn't angry. Instead, he pushed up his glasses and remained calm.

“Flander, I’m not here to argue with you,” he said.

"I'm just stating the facts. Soul Master cultivation is not just about talent and hard work; environment, resources, and guidance are all indispensable."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the dimly lit courtyard.

"Look at this place! The school buildings are dilapidated, the training grounds are rudimentary, the dormitories are run-down, and there's not even a decent library. Flander, you're a Soul Saint, and this is the kind of condition your Soul Master Academy is in?"

Flander's face darkened further. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but found himself speechless.

Because what Yu Xiaogang said was true.

Shrek Academy was indeed poor, dirt poor.

“I also want the academy to get better…” Flander’s voice lowered, sounding somewhat helpless.

Yu Xiaogang turned around and sat down in the chair again.

He looked at Flanders with a sharp gaze.

"So, you need to change."

“Change? How can we change?” Flanders smiled.

"Easier said than done, where will the money come from?"

Instead of answering directly, Yu Xiaogang asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Flander, what do you think of Tang San and Cinderella's talents?"

Flander was taken aback, not understanding why Yu Xiaogang suddenly asked this, but still answered truthfully: "Good, very good. A twelve-year-old Soul Master, and his second ring is a thousand-year Soul Ring. In all my years, this is the first time I've seen such a genius."

"What if I said that their ability to reach their current level is largely due to the training plan I devised for them, as well as the choice of their martial soul development direction?" Yu Xiaogang said slowly.