Many people in the line ahead of them were complaining, either because they were judged unqualified by the old man and asked to leave.
Xiao Wu deeply suspected that this batch was just here to fleece the gullible souls for money, deliberately failing people.
Tang San glanced at the anxious crowd and mused, "We don't know yet. Perhaps this is also a test for the students?"
He saw the young man who had just left the line with his parents was one of those who had been complaining about not wanting to come and disdaining the academy. Then, without even lifting his eyelids, the old man had coldly judged the youth as not meeting the academy's requirements and unqualified.
"Teacher, can't there be some flexibility? My son just turned 14 yesterday, is it possible for..."
A parent of a child judged unqualified tried to pull strings.
The old man impatiently rapped his knuckles on the table. "Don't you know our academy's rules? The academy only accepts children under thirteen years old. Anyone over the age limit will not be admitted. And I just checked, your son is clearly almost 15! Unqualified!"
Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, the person's demeanor immediately changed. "Then what about our registration fee? If he's unqualified, you should at least refund the registration fee, right!"
The old man gave him an impolite look. "Once registered, no refunds are given."
Anger surged within the parent, and he said coldly, "Refund our registration fee, or we're not leaving! What kind of Soul Master Academy is this, and it's so dilapidated!"
The old man didn't even raise his eyelids. "Mu Bai, someone wants their registration fee back. You handle it."
Not far away, a man who had been casually sitting in the shade to cool off moved with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, he was already at the registration desk.
This person was none other than Dai Mu Bai, whom Tang Sui had met yesterday.
Facing the defiant parent, Dai Mu Bai didn't waste words. He immediately activated his soul power, releasing his two hundred-year and one thousand-year soul rings, all three of them.
The powerful aura of a Soul Venerable, like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain, emanated from him. The surging soul power generated an invisible pressure in the air, crushing down on the father and son. "A refund is possible. Beat me, and I'll give you double the fee back!"
Soul Venerable!
The parent who wanted a refund looked at Dai Mu Bai's displayed three soul rings. The arrogance on his face vanished. He left behind a phrase, "Consider us unlucky," and sheepishly took his son and left.
With this scene concluded, the waiting line immediately reduced by a third.
Ten gold soul coins were a considerable expense for many ordinary families.
Rather than waste money, it was better to leave themselves and keep those ten gold soul coins.
The next person to be tested was a boy with a calm expression. His mother generously paid the ten gold soul coins, her face filled with pride and confidence.
The boy followed the procedure and extended his hand for the old man to examine his bones to determine his age.
The old man felt his hand, looked at the boy with a neutral gaze, and said, "Exactly twelve years old. Release your martial soul and let me see it."
The boy nodded. Light green soul power emanated from his body, and a yellow soul ring of a hundred years circled his body.
The aura of this hundred-year soul ring was not weak. Although the martial soul was similar to Tang San's, both being plant-type martial souls, his was not the Blue Silver Grass.
To his surprise, the old man still shook his head after examining it and said, "Unqualified, you can leave."
The boy's parents, who had been full of confidence, froze when they heard that their son was unqualified.
The mother couldn't help but ask, "Why unqualified? My son is an excellent student in primary school. Didn't you see his hundred-year soul ring? Not many Soul Masters possess a hundred-year soul ring."
The old man said indifferently, "The first soul ring being a hundred years is indeed good, but he is just an ordinary person."
The boy's father looked confused. "Ordinary person? What does that mean?"
The old man stood up from behind the table with some impatience, not only addressing the boy's parents but also announcing loudly to those waiting in line, "When you come to register at Shrek Academy, you should first understand the rules. Coming here without understanding them is just a waste of registration fees. It's still not too late to regret it. Do you know what Shrek means in the name Shrek Academy?"
Most of the registrants looked bewildered at the old man's words.
The old man said coldly, "Shrek is a type of monster, an extremely peculiar existence even among soul beasts. The meaning of our Shrek Academy is Monster Academy. In other words, we only accept monsters here, not ordinary people. Those over thirteen years of age, or those whose soul power has not reached level twenty-one or above, need not waste their time here."
— — — Author's Note — — —
Happy 520, my dears!
See you tomorrow!