Chapter 3 Enrollment, see Zhu Lu
Two hours later.
Dai Huabin stood before a magnificent city.
Shrek City.
This city is located on the Lima Plain in the southeast of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Unlike traditional cities, it does not have towering city walls, but the oppressive feeling it exudes is stronger than that of any imperial city.
This was also the first time Dai Huabin had seen this city in person.
On the wide avenue, caravans came and went in an endless stream, and Soul Masters dressed in various colorful costumes could be seen everywhere.
This is the center of Douluo Continent, a hall that all Soul Masters yearn for.
As Dai Huabin walked down the street, looking at the magnificent buildings on both sides of the road and the expressions of superiority on the faces of even ordinary vendors, he felt a little strange.
"Independent of the four great empires, possessing its own armed forces, law enforcement powers, and even the ability to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries..."
Dai Huabin passed by a huge statue square.
Those are statues of the Shrek Seven Devils, with Tang San, the Sea God, standing in the very center, revered by thousands.
He stopped and looked up at the towering statue, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
What kind of Academy is this?
This is clearly a super empire disguised as an Academy!
The so-called "inspection team," under the guise of punishing evil and promoting good, enforces the law across the continent without needing to undergo legal trials in any country. If they say you are an evil spirit master, then you are an evil spirit master, and they will wipe out your entire family.
How is this any different from the Spirit Hall from ten thousand years ago?
Oh, there are differences.
The Spirit Hall also pressured the two great empires, sending people to awaken Spirits for commoners and providing subsidies to low-level Spirit Masters.
And what about Shrek?
This group controls the best educational resources, collects exorbitant tuition fees, enjoys the patronage of the entire mainland, and at the same time claims to be neutral.
The Star Dou Great Forest spans the Star Luo and Heavenly Soul kingdoms, but Shrek City, standing there like a nail, is firmly driven into the throat of the empire.
Especially for the Star Luo Empire, this was like having a tiger sleeping soundly next to their bed.
"No wonder the original Douluo Three Kingdoms were so vulnerable when the Sun Moon Empire attacked later."
Dai Huabin pulled down his hood and followed the crowd toward a certain area in the east of the city.
Shrek's domineering nature is taken for granted in this era.
Everyone considers it an honor to enter Shrek Academy, even members of the royal family have to be humble here.
This kind of distorted worship is truly astonishing.
However, these things are no longer relevant to Dai Huabin.
He came here not to be a champion of justice, nor to overthrow Shrek.
Dai Huabin came here to use the resources to improve his own strength, and incidentally, to intercept some of Huo Yuhao's opportunities to prevent him from improving his strength too quickly.
After all, once Huo Yuhao's strength increases, his own situation will become dangerous.
The east gate of Shrek Academy.
The huge archway was packed with new students registering for school and parents seeing them off.
Dai Huabin avoided the reports about the new students and went straight to the special admissions channel on the side.
Compared to the crowded surroundings, this place was unusually deserted.
Behind a rosewood table sat a senior student who looked to be in her early twenties, idly twirling a pen in her hand. Her green school uniform indicated that she was a student from the Department of Foreign Languages.
"Name, recommendation letter." The senior student didn't even look up, her tone somewhat languid.
Without wasting words, Dai Huabin gently placed the gold-embossed special admission letter on the table with his slender fingers.
"Dai Huabin, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion."
Upon hearing these words, the senior student paused in her pen-twirling motion. She looked up, her gaze sweeping over Dai Huabin's young yet already sharply defined face before settling on his distinctive heterochromatic eyes.
Her previously slouching back straightened a little.
"The people from the White Tiger Duke's mansion..."
She muttered something, quickly glanced at the letter, and after confirming it was correct, took a brass key and two sets of white school uniforms from the drawer and pushed them over.
"These are the dormitory key and the freshman uniform. The dormitory is behind Haishen Lake, in the white building."
Thank you.
Dai Huabin took the item, casually stuffed it into his storage ring, and turned to leave.
He didn't have many feelings about it.
For him now, Shrek Academy is more like a dungeon he has to pass through.
After walking along the path by Poseidon Lake and passing several teaching buildings, the view suddenly opened up ahead.
On the open ground below the freshmen dormitory building, several students who had arrived early were standing in twos and threes. Some were chatting with each other, while others were organizing their luggage.
Dai Huabin stopped and scanned the crowd with his eyes.
Almost instantly, he locked onto that figure.
There was no way around it; it was too conspicuous.
Among the group of children who were still anxious about leaving home or dressed in brightly colored casual clothes, the girl in a black tight leather outfit stood out.
This woman is none other than Zhu Lu.
She stood alone under a big tree, arms crossed, long black hair draped over her shoulders, revealing a slender, fair neck.
Her dark eyes held a hint of anxiety as she frequently glanced toward the school gate.
Several guys who thought they were handsome tried to approach her, but before they even got three meters away, they were frozen back by the "keep away" aura emanating from her.
As Dai Huabin looked at her, a strange emotion welled up inside him.
In the original work, Zhu Lu may not be likable.
She was ruthless; she was willing to target Huo Yuhao for Dai Huabin's sake, even at the cost of violating the Academy's rules.
But from another perspective, this girl is so foolish it's heartbreaking.
No matter how reckless, arrogant, or utterly defeated Dai Huabin was, or even when he finally lost power, Zhu Lu always stood by his side.
She is Dai Huabin's partner in the Martial Soul Fusion Technique and his most loyal supporter.
Unfortunately, the original Dai Huabin was a fool who only saw her as the key to unlocking the "Netherworld White Tiger" and as a political link to the Netherworld Duke's Mansion.
"I can't let you suffer any more injustices in this lifetime."
Dai Huabin composed himself, a slight smile playing on his lips, and strode over.
Zhu Lu was counting the fallen leaves in her mind.
"One thousand two hundred and thirty-one pieces..."
Why isn't that bastard here yet?
They clearly said they would be reporting today.
What troubles did he encounter on the difficult road?
Or does he simply not want to see me?
As she was lost in thought, a shadow suddenly loomed over her.
Zhu Lu subconsciously tensed up, thinking it was some fool who had come to chat her up again.
She suddenly looked up, about to utter the word "get lost," but the word got stuck in her throat and she couldn't get it out.
In the sunlight, the blond boy was looking down at her.
Those heterochromatic eyes, which usually exuded arrogance and indifference, now held a hint of a smile she had never seen before.
[end of the chapter ]