"What exactly..."
"...could it be?"
The blue-haired girl's eyes betrayed an irrepressible eagerness as she stared fixedly at the nether-purple demonic rune on her hand.
Her name was Lan Fozi.
As the descendant of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, she had never before sensed an aura so irresistibly alluring—it was...
The scent of the ocean's depths?
Even her mother's presence didn't seem as enticing as that aura. Lost in thought, she couldn't help but lick her lips, yearning to devour that energy.
"This energy..."
"I absolutely cannot miss it."
Lan Fozi blinked her aqua-blue eyes, murmuring with determination in her voice.
"Young Mistress, we should leave now."
Beside her, the petite Dark Bell, Nanali, urged softly, her expression pensive.
Coming to Shrek City was one thing, but now the Young Mistress was even fixated on Shrek Academy—this was not good...
"Young Mistress, you absolutely must not go to Shrek Academy. Even if Demon Emperor has concealed your identity and aura, there's still a risk of exposure."
"And joining Shrek Academy is completely out of the question."
At this moment, Nanali spoke earnestly, though given her youthful appearance, her words carried little weight.
Lan Fozi, as the heir of the Demon Emperor...
If she were to join Shrek Academy, what kind of chaos would that bring? Did she intend to follow in the footsteps of Long Bing, the daughter of the former Dark Hummingbird?
And what if she fell for some human man...
No, no, that would be absolutely unacceptable!
"Join Shrek Academy?"
Hearing this, Lan Fozi's face lit up with contemplation, instantly intrigued.
Why hadn't she thought of such a brilliant idea earlier?
With her talent, joining Shrek Academy would be effortless. Moreover...
She was here to train, and perhaps Shrek Academy, humanity's pinnacle of learning, was the perfect place for it!
"Sister Bell, you're right."
The next moment, Lan Fozi turned to Nanali and spoke.
"Right?"
"Then let's hurry and leave."
Nanali finally let out a sigh of relief. If the Young Mistress said so, then she could rest easy.
As she spoke, she prepared to leave with her, but the moment she took a step forward, Lan Fozi dashed off in the opposite direction.
"I..."
"am going to join Shrek Academy."
With those words, Lan Fozi eagerly sprinted ahead.
"Huh?"
"Young Mistress, what are you doing? Shrek Academy will be razed to the ground in a couple of years..."
Dark Bell Nanali slowly formed a question mark in her mind.
Watching the girl heading straight for Shrek Academy's entrance, she nearly lost her composure and couldn't help but transmit her voice in frustration.
Wait—
What did you just say?!
But here in Shrek Academy, where powerhouses gathered like clouds, even she—a top-tier Super Douluo—dared not act recklessly. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow.
"..."
At this moment, Lan Fozi paid no heed to Nanali's words. Of course, she knew Shrek Academy would be destroyed later—it was part of her mother's plan and arrangements.
A plan two thousand years in the making, all to avenge her father.
But...
It hasn't exploded yet, has it?
She had come to Shrek Academy for the good things she had heard about it. There was nothing to worry about, and besides, if she wanted to leave, no one could stop her—she had the backup plan her mother had left for her!
"Hello, I want to join Shrek Academy."
Without overthinking it, Lan Fozi walked over to the entrance of Shrek Academy, where a senior female student seemed to be on duty, occasionally spacing out.
"Join Shrek Academy?"
Hearing this, the female student was clearly taken aback.
"Miss, our academy's enrollment period hasn't arrived yet. The next recruitment is still some time away."
The student shook her head and spoke.
"How much longer do I have to wait?"
Lan Fozi asked.
"Hmm…"
"Three years."
"And judging by your age, you don't seem to fit our recruitment range of twelve to fourteen years old. You don't meet the freshman requirements."
The student smiled apologetically. It hadn't even been half a year since the last batch of first-year students had arrived.
"Ah?"
At this moment, Lan Fozi's eyes flashed with confusion. Three years? If she really had to wait that long, the opportunity would be long gone!
"Miss, I told you—with your talent, there's no need to come to Shrek Academy. Let's go back."
Hearing this, Nanali was secretly delighted. It was great that she couldn't join! That was exactly what Nanali wanted!
If she really got in, Nanali would have nowhere to cry.
"Hey, now, that's a bit harsh. Our Shrek Academy specializes in gathering the world's top talents. How can you say there's no need to come here?"
The student immediately took offense. Did she not understand the ten-thousand-year glory of Shrek Academy? Even if it was her own sister, she couldn't badmouth Shrek!
"Is there any other way to join Shrek Academy?" Lan Fozi pressed.
"Well, of course there is."
"Given your age, you'd roughly correspond to a fourth-year student in our Shrek Outer Courtyard. The Soul Power requirement ranges from top-tier four-ring to five-ring. If you fall within that range—or even surpass it—then you can definitely…"
"That simple?!"
Hearing this, Lan Fozi was stunned.
"Sim…"
"Simple?!"
The female student was equally shocked, her lips twitching slightly. Seriously, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Soul Ancestor or Soul King wasn't exactly common…
"Huh?"
Before she could voice her rebuttal, she saw Lan Fozi already releasing her Martial Soul—six Soul Rings, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black—floating around her.
"64th-rank Soul Emperor. That should be enough, right?"
A faint smile played on Lan Fozi's lips.
"Enough! More than enough!"
"Classmate, please follow me to the Dean's office. Also, what's your name…"
At this moment, the female student's breathing was trembling. Good heavens, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Soul Emperor!
This talent had already surpassed Yuanen Yehui, the top genius destined to become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters. This girl's future was undoubtedly limitless!
"Just call me Lan Fozi."
The girl's voice was light and clear.
"Alright, Miss Lan, please follow me… Oh, and the other lady over there too."
The student spoke, glancing at Nanali who had long fallen silent, only to notice that she was now wearing a smile even more pitiful than a crying face.
"Uh... Did something unpleasant come to mind?"
Nanali: "..."
There was simply no way she could possibly look happy right now!
How could she possibly be happy at Shrek Academy?