"Let's go, we'll need to find that old guy, Flender."
"You woke me up, so he shouldn't get to—wait, that old bat prefers to sleep during the day anyway."
Flender's Martial Soul was the Owl, so he preferred nighttime activity and daytime rest. Zhao Wuji had long been aware of this habit.
If not for his dedication to running Shrek Academy, Flender would rarely be seen during daylight hours.
"No need to look for me."
At that moment, Flender descended from the sky, retracting his Martial Soul as he approached the group.
"Welcome to Shrek Academy, you two!"
"With both of you joining, Shrek Academy will be like a tiger that's grown wings!"
Flender addressed Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling with a wide smile.
The moment Dai Mubai and the two women entered Shrek Academy's grounds, Flender had sensed them.
After all, he was no longer just a Soul Sage but a genuine Soul Douluo-level powerhouse!
Thanks to consuming immortal herbs, his Martial Soul had evolved from a mid-tier to a top-tier one.
It might be the weakest of the top-tier Martial Souls, but a top-tier Martial Soul was still a top-tier Martial Soul.
Right? Four-Eyed Owl!
Flender personally arranged for their enrollment and took care of dormitory assignments. By the time everything was sorted out, it was already past 1 a.m.
"Who would've thought that kid Mubai would go out and bring back Poison Douluo's precious granddaughter and Ye Lingling!"
"Not bad! Not bad at all! Shrek Academy's lineup…"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were each assigned private dorm rooms. After they had finished unpacking, the two of them gathered together.
"Lingling, be honest! You like Dai Mubai too, don't you?"
Dugu Yan asked with a mischievous smile.
Since the two were close friends, there was no need for pretense when talking about such things.
Ye Lingling blinked, her gaze softening, and nodded.
"Mm."
Her voice was faint, as quiet as a mosquito's hum.
She chose to be honest about her feelings rather than lie to Dugu Yan.
"Yan, you said 'too.' That means you like Dai Mubai as well."
"Of course. If I didn't like him, I would've poisoned him to death by now."
Dugu Yan admitted freely, without hesitation.
After all, the horn on her forehead wasn't just for show—her body's toxins were concentrated within it.
If she didn't like Dai Mubai, how could she tolerate him "pointing a gun at her"...?
Thinking back to the earlier scene, Dugu Yan's face flushed red again, her body going soft.
It was so embarrassing!
"Yan, I…"
"What's the big deal? Dai Mubai already has a fiancée. Since you like him too, why don't we…"
Ye Lingling's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Dugu Yan. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Lingling nodded in agreement with Dugu Yan's suggestion.
By around 10 a.m. the next day, everyone had gathered in the meeting room.
The entire Shrek team was present, and aside from Dai Mubai, everyone was puzzled as they stared at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.
Dugu Yan's hair color and eye color had changed. Even Tang San and the others needed a moment to confirm that this person was indeed Dugu Yan.
Tang San looked at her, feeling puzzled.
The last time he saw Dugu Yan, he had suspected she was suffering from a chronic poisoning condition.
Yet now, her toxins had been purged!
Logically speaking, the external signs of her poisoning—like the color of her hair and eyes—should have taken years to accumulate.
Yet somehow, her condition had been completely cured?
This shattered Tang San's understanding of what was possible.
"These two are new students at Shrek Academy," Flender announced with a smile. "As of today, they are also official members of the Shrek team!"
"Let's give a warm welcome to our new classmates, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling!"
As he finished speaking, Flender clapped his hands to set the example, and the room was soon filled with applause.
"Please introduce yourselves," Flender said.
"Dugu Yan. Martial Soul: Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon. Rank-49 Battle Soul Master."
"Ye Lingling. Martial Soul: Nine-Hearted Begonia. Rank-39 Soul Elder."
Everyone was unsurprised by Ye Lingling's Martial Soul and rank.
However, Dugu Yan's introduction shocked Tang San and the others!
Over a year ago, Dugu Yan had only been Rank-38.
Now, she had reached Rank-49?!
And her Martial Soul had changed from the Jade Phosphor Serpent to the Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon!
Even if Martial Souls evolved, shouldn't it have transformed into the Jade Phosphor Snake Emperor, like her grandfather's?
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and even Flender and Zhao Wuji seemed thoughtful.
Several people instinctively glanced at Dai Mubai before looking away, deciding to say nothing.
Good grief!
The changes in Dugu Yan were enough for them to put the pieces together.
It was confirmed—over a year ago, Dai Mubai had raided Poison Douluo's treasure trove!
Tang San and the others were perplexed. Why would Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling suddenly leave Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to join Shrek?
After the meeting ended, the group dispersed.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were unfamiliar with Shrek Academy, so Dai Mubai was responsible for showing them around.
As the three walked toward the training grounds, they suddenly heard Ma Hongjun's anguished cries.
"Is that Ma Hongjun and Teacher Zhao? What are they doing?"
Dugu Yan asked, puzzled.
Everything had seemed normal in the meeting room earlier. What was happening now?
At the center of the training ground, Zhao Wuji stood with his Martial Soul fully activated. Two yellow, two purple, and four black soul rings floated around him.
Unlike his previous Martial Soul Possession of the Vigorous Vajra Bear, Zhao Wuji was now covered in thick, earthy yellow scales that made him look far more imposing.
His third soul ring glowed continuously, and a beam of yellow light enveloped Ma Hongjun, who was running laps, drenched in sweat and struggling to move.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were shocked. They hadn't expected Shrek Academy's faculty to be so formidable!
Flender was a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse, and now Zhao Wuji appeared to be one as well!
They were nearly on par with Heaven Dou Imperial Academy!
"Fatty's Martial Soul has a flaw," Dai Mubai explained. "It requires him to expend a lot of energy, or else he'll self-combust."
"Teacher Zhao uses gravity to help Fatty burn energy quickly while also training his willpower and physical endurance."
"Hey, Xiao Bai, Yan, Lingling!"
From the center of the training ground, Zhao Wuji noticed them and called out teasingly.
"You're already inseparable. Aren't you afraid Zhuqing will get jealous?"
With his sharp perception, Zhao Wuji could see the way Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling looked at Dai Mubai.
Naturally, he understood what was going on.
The only thing he could do now was give Dai Mubai a gentle push in the right direction!
(End of Chapter)