Chapter 60

"Feng Shao, is this close enough?" A voice suddenly echoed from the sky. It was Flander.

"Flander, help me catch this brat! I must crush him to pieces!" Zhao Wuji shouted up at Flander, who was flying above.

This kid's attack power wasn't strong, but his speed was overwhelming. Though Zhao Wuji hadn't suffered any internal injuries, his body ached all over. The fight had been exhausting, and if they teamed up, dealing with this troublemaker shouldn't be too difficult.

"Oh, Dean Flander, I was just getting started. I'd like to play with Teacher Zhao Wuji a bit longer," Qin Feng said, smiling as he removed his cloak and revealed his true identity.

"It's you!" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened in shock. This was the same kid who had skipped the entrance exam earlier today!

"Teacher Zhao, didn't you say you'd test me tomorrow morning? I thought I'd save you the wait and start tonight," Qin Feng added, grinning.

Zhao Wuji almost choked on his breath, his frustration building. What kind of cursed day was this? Two students had taken turns beating him today. And this one, Qin Feng, was even stronger than that little hedgehog Tang San. Tang San had only shown his soul technique, which Zhao Wuji hadn't even taken seriously. But Qin Feng had displayed the full power of his martial spirit—and still, Zhao Wuji was getting beaten.

The Immovable King, Zhao Wuji thought bitterly. What a joke. He might as well be called the Unmoving Punching Bag at this point.

Flander, ignoring Zhao Wuji's complaints, turned to Qin Feng with a smile. "So, what do you think of the teachers at our academy, Feng Shao? Are you satisfied?"

For Flander, the ten thousand gold coins mattered far more than Zhao Wuji's bruised ego. He hadn't expected Qin Feng to be this powerful. At first, Flander had thought their academy was under attack by some powerful enemy and had rushed over. But when he arrived, he noticed Qin Feng's distinctive soul rings: one thousand-year ring and one ten-thousand-year ring.

It hadn't taken long for Flander to realize that this was no enemy—this was the infamous Qin Feng, and it appeared he had challenged Zhao Wuji. As long as Qin Feng stayed interested in Shrek Academy, Flander figured they could comfortably secure their position. But what he saw had left him shocked. Zhao Wuji had been completely overpowered!

This was no ordinary situation—this was a freak occurrence! Flander had seen many geniuses in his time, but Qin Feng was on a different level. Who else could suppress a Soul Sage like Zhao Wuji? Even though Qin Feng wasn't stronger in raw power, his speed was simply inhuman. Even Flander himself wasn't sure he could defeat someone this fast.

"Rest assured, Shrek Academy has won my heart today," Qin Feng replied with a satisfied smile. "Especially sparring with Teacher Zhao—it was quite enjoyable. If you had arrived a bit later, I could have kept playing for another half hour."

Qin Feng glanced at Zhao Wuji, who was quietly touching his swollen face, unwilling to say anything. Another half an hour? Zhao Wuji thought to himself. If this continued for even five more minutes, he'd probably have to take sick leave tomorrow. When did kids become this ruthless?

Flander, sensing the tension, apologized with a laugh. "Sorry to have interrupted your fun, Feng Shao. Does this mean you're willing to enroll in Shrek Academy?"

Seeing that Qin Feng was in a good mood, Flander was relieved. He had been worried that Qin Feng's interest in investing in the academy might waver, which would have meant losing the ten thousand gold coins!

Qin Feng pulled out a gold card and handed it over. "No need to worry. I always keep my promises. This card contains ten thousand gold soul coins. From today onwards, I am officially a student of Shrek Academy."

Qin Feng tossed a gold card, and Flander caught it. It was 10,000 gold soul coins—enough to breathe new life into Shrek Academy!

"Alright then, I'll head back. It's getting late," Qin Feng said casually.

Not long ago, Qin Feng had just reached level 30, completing the system's promotion task.

Host: Qin Feng

Gender: Male

Age: 13 years

First Martial Soul: Tiangang Hammer

Second Martial Soul: God-level Soul Beast

Soul Bone: x1

Soul Power: 0/100,000,000

Advanced Treasure Chest: x1

As he looked at his status panel, Qin Feng had mixed feelings. He was relieved to have leveled up successfully and even earned a new treasure chest. His first chest had given him a god-level soul beast. Although he still didn't know the beast's origins, it had helped him absorb two soul rings, which had been crucial.

The second chest had given him a soul bone—the Wind Golden Phoenix . The reason he was able to overpower Zhao Wuji today was largely due to the boost from this soul bone. Without it, completing the system's task of "hammering Zhao Wuji" would've been a pipe dream.

Now, with this third treasure chest, Qin Feng was hopeful that the reward would be even better.

However, his joy was also mixed with frustration. After reaching level 30, he now needed 100 million soul power to level up again. One hundred million! And each breath only provided one unit of soul power. He figured he'd have to hold his breath indefinitely just to reach the next level!

It was suffocating—literally and figuratively. Level 30 felt like a wall, and he dreaded to think what levels 40 or 50 would require. The early levels had been a breeze, but now the road ahead looked like a nightmare.

With these thoughts weighing on him, Qin Feng headed back to the dormitory.

Meanwhile, back in the forest, Zhao Wuji and Flander were still talking.

"Flander, you're too shrewd for your own good. Why didn't you warn me this kid was so strong?" Zhao Wuji grumbled, his face still swollen from the beating.

"If you'd told me earlier, I could've prepared myself. Instead, I had to take that beating without any idea what I was up against."

"How was I supposed to know Feng Shao would come looking for you?" Flander replied, equally surprised. "I thought he'd challenge someone like Li yusong, not pick the strongest teacher—you!"

Zhao Wuji wasn't fully placated. "Still, you could've given me a heads-up. Shrek Academy is a place for monsters, after all."

Though still annoyed, Zhao Wuji had to admit that he couldn't stay mad at someone like Qin Feng—especially when the kid was their golden goose. Taking a beating in exchange for 10,000 gold soul coins? Zhao Wuji figured he could endure ten more beatings if necessary.

"You're contributing to the academy," Flander said, trying to soften the blow. "Thanks to you, the academy now has a new freshman. That makes you pretty important, don't you think?"

Zhao Wuji snorted, but after hearing Flander's words, he couldn't help but feel a little better. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

In Zhao Wuji's mind, he was now something of a hero for helping the academy secure such a talented and wealthy student.

What Zhao Wuji didn't notice, however, was the sly look in Flander's eyes, as if silently saying, And we just saved ourselves some gold soul coins.

Together, the two made their way back toward the academy.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out.

"Zhao Wuji!"

Zhao Wuji stopped and looked around, confused. "Who's there?" he asked, glancing at Flander for answers.

Flander shrugged, equally puzzled. Could it be Qin Feng again? He doubted it—Feng Shao didn't seem like the type to pull pranks, especially right after such an intense fight.