Chapter 56

"This... is this even possible? Are you really fourteen?"

Hearing this, Tang San looked once more at the 14-year-old man in front of him, who looked more like an uncle. At fourteen, his face was already full of stubble. Isn't that unbelievable?

"My name is Oscar. I'm really fourteen, and I'm a student at Shrek Academy. You can ask anyone to confirm my age," Oscar said seriously while grilling sausages. Being mistaken for an uncle at such a young age was frustrating, especially since he considered himself quite handsome.

"Well, this is really awkward, senior," Tang San said, passing a copper coin and offering an apologetic smile. Being mistaken for an uncle in your teenage years—it's kind of…

"Xiao Ao, are you trying to trick people again? Let me warn you, Tang San and Qin Feng are my brothers. If you dare mess with them, I won't let you get away with it!"

Dai Mubai, who had just turned around and noticed Tang San buying sausages, immediately stepped forward.

"Dai, Boss Dai! I'll leave right away!"

Tang San saw how quickly the sausage vendor backed down in fear when Dai Mubai showed up. He looked at them, puzzled.

"His sausages have... something extra. Oscar, give Tang San a different one and let him see for himself," Dai Mubai said with a smile. What happened next left Tang San feeling unacceptable.

From a distance, Qin Feng had been watching the entire exchange. Something about Oscar's actions and his incessant muttering made Qin Feng sense something deeper—perhaps even philosophical—and it terrified him. Watching it unfold in real life was far different from how it had seemed in the anime. What was once serious now felt completely ruined.

At that moment, Qin Feng was at a loss for words. Was this the pinnacle of one of the four great philosophers?

"Uh... I don't think I want the sausage anymore. Thank you," Tang San said, retreating as though fleeing a battle. As a staunchly straight man from the Tang Sect, Tang San was on the verge of collapse.

"Didn't I tell you to buy a sausage?" Xiao Wu asked, confusion evident in her eyes as she noticed Tang San returning empty-handed.

Leaning closer to her ear, Tang San whispered something. Whatever he said left Xiao Wu shuddering in disgust.

"How could there be such a bizarre martial spirit in this world?" she muttered, goosebumps rising on her skin.

Thankfully, the strange sausage vendor was soon out of sight.

"You two don't need to worry about the second trial. I'll skip you directly to the fourth trial" Dai Mubai said to Tang San and Xiao Wu. As for Qin Feng, Dai Mubai had already accepted that this person had been exempted from the tests.

It was a relief for him too—otherwise, he might have had to face Qin Feng in the fourth trial, and that soul ring of Qin Feng's was terrifying.

"Exempt from testing? Why can we avoid it? We don't need you to give us special treatment," Xiao Wu replied, a bit embarrassed. She preferred to rely on her strength, not on any favors.

Of course, she understood Brother Feng was an exception. The academy hadn't just opened the back door for him; they'd thrown the doors wide open. But for her and Tang San, they knew they weren't on that level yet.

"It's not special treatment. As long as you reach level 25 before the age of fourteen, you can skip directly to the fourth trial," Dai Mubai explained with a shrug.

"Oh..." Xiao Wu finally understood. Both she and Tang San were indeed above level 25.

"Exempt from testing? Why do they get to skip the test?" A male student, who was waiting for the second trial, voiced his dissatisfaction.

"If you reach level 25 at age of 14, you can bypass the first two levels and go straight to the final trial," Dai Mubai responded coldly before the teacher could say a word.

"They're both at level 25? Are you playing favorites?" The male student couldn't believe it. Could these three really be so much stronger than the rest?

Others began to glance over, their eyes filled with curiosity and doubt.

"Playing favorites? Here, show them," Dai Mubai said as he handed a crystal ball to Tang San.

Tang San took the ball and injecting his soul power into it. Instantly, the crystal ball lit up brilliantly. This specific type of crystal ball displayed different grades based on the intensity of its glow. The finer white crystal was especially accurate in measuring strength but couldn't gauge beyond level 30—at which point it would crack.

"Is that... a crack?!" one of the students gasped, seeing the faint crack forming on the crystal ball's surface—a sign Tang San had reached level 29.

"Is this guy a freak?" Another student muttered. At the same age, Tang San had already reached level 29? Incredible.

Tang San then handed the ball to Xiao Wu, who performed the test next.

"It looks like Shrek Academy has some real monsters this year," the teacher commented with a smile after Xiao Wu's test. To be at such a high level at their age—these students were truly monstrous.

"If that's the case, I should be able to skip the second trial too," said a girl in a pale green dress, who had been waiting at the second trial. She took the crystal ball and, while her glow wasn't as bright as Tang San and Xiao Wu's, she still reached level 26.

"I'll try as well," a cold voice rang out. A young girl dressed in black approached next, her demeanor icy. She placed her hand on the crystal ball, and the glow she produced was brighter than that of the green-dressed girl. She had reached level 27.

All the students watching were left speechless. This group was full of perverts.

"Come on, I'll take you inside," Dai Mubai said, gesturing for them to follow. But before they could take a step, the male student from earlier interrupted again.

"You tested four people, but now you're taking five. Is that last person just some kind of connected insider?" The male student asked coldly, clearly referring to Qin Feng.

"You mean him?" Dai Mubai scoffed.

"Yeah. What's the deal with him? Don't think I won't call you out on this!" the male student sneered.