Chapter 104: Meng Yiran Deeply Struck, Shocking Everyone at Shrek
"Food-type?"
Chao Tianxiang froze for a moment and reexamined Oscar.
Such a young food-type Soul Elder?
A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes.
But it was quickly replaced by a deeper calculation.
"Very well."
Chao Tianxiang nodded and turned to Meng Yiran.
"Yiran, they all look quite young. Choose one of them as your opponent."
Meng Yiran's eyes lit up.
Her gaze swept across the faces of the Shrek group one by one.
Dai Mubai is tall, well-built, and sharp-eyed. Clearly not someone easy to deal with.
Ma Hongjun is short and plump. Looked like a weakling, though a bit too sleazy.
Tang San was calm in temperament, but with gloomy eyes that gave her a sense of danger.
Zhu Zhuqing is cold as ice. One look at her eyes and it was obvious she was battle-hardened.
Ning Rongrong, a beautiful young girl with an aristocratic air, though unfortunately an auxiliary-type.
Xiao Wu is radiant and lively, full of sunshine. A beauty.
Finally, her gaze settled on Lin Qingmo.
Blue hair. Blue eyes. Tall and slender.
Though he stood among the crowd, he somehow stood out, naturally drawing attention.
Lazy, yet carrying an indescribable hint of mystery.
Most importantly—
He was really handsome!
Meng Yiran's face flushed slightly.
But she quickly shook off those distracting thoughts and pointed straight at Lin Qingmo.
"I want to fight him!"
"..."
The air fell silent for a second.
Everyone froze.
Oscar was visibly thrilled.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat strange.
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu all raised their brows at the same time.
Tang San's face darkened slightly, but he said nothing.
Even Lin Qingmo himself was taken aback.
He hadn't expected this girl to call him out by name.
He couldn't help but complain inwardly: Do I really look that much like a soft persimmon?
"Are you sure?"
Lin Qingmo stepped forward, his tone still calm.
"I'm sure!"
Meng Yiran puffed out her chest, trying her best to appear imposing.
"What? Are you afraid?"
"It's not that I'm afraid."
Lin Qingmo shook his head.
He glanced at the Cockscomb Phoenix Serpent lying on the ground, then back at Meng Yiran.
"This serpent is around eighteen hundred years old. It should be your target for your third soul ring, right?"
"So what if it is?"
Meng Yiran didn't understand why he was asking.
"Then I can't fight you."
Lin Qingmo answered decisively.
"Why?"
Meng Yiran frowned, thinking he was looking down on her.
"Because I'm at Rank 40."
Lin Qingmo said lightly, "If I fight you, it wouldn't be fair."
"Fo… Forty?"
Meng Yiran's eyes widened, her mouth falling slightly open.
She suspected she had misheard.
Rank 40?
A Soul Ancestor?!
Was this a joke?!
The boy before her looked at most twelve or thirteen years old. How could he already have reached Rank 40?
"You're lying!"
Meng Yiran's voice rose sharply.
"Yiran."
Chao Tianxiang suddenly spoke, her tone grave.
She stared intently at Lin Qingmo, releasing her Soul Emperor-level perception to its fullest.
Then her expression changed.
Though she couldn't determine his exact level, she could clearly sense that the boy's soul power was astonishingly deep!
Definitely not merely Rank 30!
"Brother Zhao, is what this young friend says true?"
Chao Tianxiang looked toward Zhao Wuji, her tone serious.
Zhao Wuji burst into laughter, unable to conceal the pride on his face.
"Senior, please don't laugh at us."
"Qingmo just turned twelve this year. He is indeed a Rank 40 control-system Battle Quasi-Soul Ancestor."
He paused, then added, "And he's only missing a soul ring."
"Twelve… Quasi-Soul Ancestor…"
Chao Tianxiang murmured those words repeatedly.
Her throat felt dry.
As an experienced veteran of the soul master world, she knew exactly what this meant.
The so-called Golden Generation of Spirit Hall was already acknowledged as the continent's top geniuses.
But even they would absolutely not have reached Rank 40 at this age!
Just what kind of monster was this Lin Qingmo?
Meng Yiran's face turned pale in an instant.
She stared at Lin Qingmo, her eyes filled with shock, confusion, and deep frustration.
Rank 40.
She had nearly exhausted herself cultivating just to reach Rank 30.
Yet he was already standing at the threshold of Soul Ancestor.
The gap was enough to drive one to despair.
"Th-Then what about her?"
Meng Yiran bit her lip and suddenly pointed at Xiao Wu beside Lin Qingmo.
She refused to accept it.
She didn't believe everyone at Shrek Academy could be monsters!
"Me?"
Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes, looking innocent.
"What about me?"
"I want to fight you!"
Meng Yiran declared firmly.
"Yiran!"
Chao Tianxiang frowned in reprimand.
But Meng Yiran stubbornly held her ground.
She needed a victory.
Even if it was only against one person from the opposing team.
"Xiao Wu, huh."
Zhao Wuji stroked his chin, once again putting on a "calm" façade.
"She's also twelve this year. Rank 32 Soul Elder."
He deliberately lowered the number a little after all—when she first enrolled, Xiao Wu really had been Level 32.
But just as he finished speaking, Xiao Wu cut in.
"Teacher Zhao, I'm Rank 37 now."
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, spoken as casually as if it were nothing.
Then she released her soul power.
Yellow, yellow, purple—three soul rings rose from beneath her feet.
The fluctuation of Rank 37 soul power was unmistakably clear!
"Boom!"
This time, it wasn't just Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran.
Even Zhao Wuji himself, Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun—
All of Shrek was stunned.
"Th-Thirty-seven?!"
Zhao Wuji stammered, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
He remembered clearly that during the last test, Xiao Wu had only been Rank 32!
How long has it been?
Just a few months, and she had jumped five levels?!
"Xiao Wu, you…"
Tang San opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat was so dry he couldn't produce a sound.
"What about me?"
Xiao Wu shot him a look of distaste, then wrapped her arms around Lin Qingmo's arm, rubbing against him intimately.
"It's all thanks to Ah Qing helping me, hehe~."
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, then at Lin Qingmo.
It felt as though something had slammed heavily into his chest.
He could barely breathe.
It wasn't just because of their intimacy.
This time, he was truly shaken by Xiao Wu.
Twelve years old. Rank 37.
And he, also twelve, also a genius from Nuoding Academy, born with full innate soul power—
Was still struggling at Rank 29.
The comparison felt like a resounding slap across his face.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were practically petrified.
They exchanged looks and saw the same emotion reflected in each other's eyes.
Who am I? Where am I? What kind of monsters am I cultivating alongside?
"Rank 37, twelve years old!"
Chao Tianxiang took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
But the hand gripping her serpent cane was already trembling slightly.
One twelve-year-old Quasi-Soul Ancestor.
One twelve-year-old Level 37 Soul Elder.
Just what kind of place was Shrek Academy?
—
End of Chapter