NOVEL WEB Chapter 12: SS - 12
Chapter 12 Monster Academy
After spending the night in Soutuo City, Su Xiao, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Bai departed early the next morning, heading toward a small village on the outskirts of the city.
"Is this the broken-down village? Grandmaster must have made a mistake, right?" Xiao Wu grumbled, clearly unimpressed by their destination.
Yet, the growing number of students and parents gathering outside the village confirmed the truth: this was Shrek Academy.
"Liar! Give me my money back!" A middle-aged man slammed the registration desk in frustration. "Unqualified? My son is the top student at his junior academy!"
The teacher at the registration desk barely glanced up, his tone indifferent. "The registration fee is ten gold coins, and it's non-refundable once paid." He tapped his ears and added, "Let me remind everyone of Shrek's rules to avoid unnecessary complaints."
"Shrek, the legendary monster, represents the extraordinary. Shrek Academy, the Monster Academy, only accepts monsters, not ordinary folk."
"If you're over twelve years old and your soul power hasn't reached level twenty-five, save your money and don't bother signing up."
Outraged by such unreasonable conditions, the middle-aged man scoffed. "Ridiculous! I bet no one can even pass. This is just a scam to steal money."
Dai Mubai, lounging nearby, shaded his eyes with his hand as he looked into the distance. "Who says no one can pass?"
Spotting Su Xiao, Dai Mubai called out, "Su Xiao, bring your friends up here!"
Hearing this, Su Xiao led Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Bai to the front of the line.
"That... that's a dragon?!" The crowd gasped in alarm, instinctively stepping back upon seeing Xiao Bai, fearing the subdragon's presence.
Even Dai Mubai was startled to see that Su Xiao had brought along a five-hundred-year-old subdragon soul beast.
"Is this soul beast your pet?" asked Teacher Li, one of the admissions staff.
Su Xiao shook his head firmly. "Xiao Bai isn't my pet; he's my partner. Don't worry, Teacher. Xiao Bai won't hurt anyone."
Teacher Li nodded, seemingly convinced, then gestured for the group to proceed. He first checked Xiao Wu.
"Age appropriate," he remarked. His gaze then shifted to her hands. "Hmm? Did you two train something special with your hands?"
Dai Mubai recalled Su Xiao's hands, which were as tough as steel, and couldn't help but glance at Tang San and Su Xiao.
Without hesitation, both of them nodded in acknowledgment. Teacher Li then checked their bone ages to ensure they met the academy's age requirements.
"What's the point of meeting the age requirement? If you're not strong enough, you're just wasting money," someone in the crowd sneered.
In response, Tang San and Xiao Wu summoned their soul rings: two yellow hundred-year soul rings each. Their demonstration silenced the crowd, confirming their eligibility.
"Impressive. Even a martial soul like Blue Silver Grass can achieve this level of cultivation. And what about you?" Teacher Li turned to Su Xiao.
Su Xiao stepped forward, and as his martial soul manifested, the shadow of the Light Holy Dragon appeared. Three radiant purple soul rings materialized around him.
"This... this is a real monster," Teacher Li exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Mubai, it seems your position as the academy's top student is in danger."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Dai Mubai quickly changed the subject. "Teacher Li, I'll take them inside. We need to find a place for this dragon first."
With Dai Mubai leading the way, Su Xiao, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Bai walked toward the heart of Shrek Academy.
"You're full of surprises, Su Xiao. I didn't expect you'd actually have a dragon as a companion," Dai Mubai said, slinging an arm over Su Xiao's shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Dai Mubai, let me introduce everyone properly," Su Xiao replied. "This is my brother, Tang San, and his sister, Xiao Wu. And this is Xiao Bai, my partner. In my heart, Xiao Bai is just as important as Tang San and Xiao Wu."
"So, the three of you are siblings? Plus Xiao Bai?" Dai Mubai asked curiously.
Xiao Wu quickly corrected him. "Brother Xiao San is my brother, but Su Xiao isn't. And Xiao Bai is my best friend!"
"Roar!" Xiao Bai let out a low, approving growl.
"The relationship between you all is so confusing," Dai Mubai said, shaking his head with a faint smile.
As Su Xiao and his group settled in, two other girls passed the academy's rigorous admission tests and were also accepted.