Chapter 49: Forceful Threats and Deceit

Similar conversations could be heard throughout the crowd waiting in line, with most of the teenagers and their parents displaying clear disappointment on their faces.

Yun Feng didn't linger long on the faces of the applicants. His gaze was fixed on the front of the line where the registration was taking place. Yun Feng and his companions were not ordinary people and could easily hear the conversation happening there.

The old man sitting behind the table, responsible for handling the registrations, looked lazy and sluggish. His clothes could be charitably described as simple, but overall, he looked like an elderly villager, perhaps even less spirited than Old Jack from Holy Soul Village.

At that moment, a young boy approached the registration table. The old man lazily said:

"Registration fee is ten gold soul coins. Just drop them in that box."

The boy's father quickly took out the ten gold coins and placed them in the wooden box nailed together from planks.

"Extend your hand."

The boy did as instructed, extending his hand to the old man, who squeezed it a few times, then shook his head and said:

"You're too old. You can leave."

The boy froze for a moment and turned to look at his father. At thirteen, he still relied on his parents to some degree. Hearing this, he instantly became flustered and unsure of what to do.

His father quickly responded with a smile:

"Teacher, my son just turned thirteen. Can't you make an exception?"

The old man, growing impatient, replied:

"Don't hold up the line. Don't you know the academy's rules? We only accept children under thirteen. Over thirteen, and you're not eligible. You can go now."

The boy's father asked:

"What about our registration fee?"

The old man replied bluntly:

"Once you've registered, there are no refunds."

Even the most patient person has their limits. The boy's father couldn't hold back his anger and snapped:

"This is clearly a scam! Refund our registration fee, or we won't leave. If I had known this so-called Shrek Academy was such a dump, we wouldn't have come!"

The old man glanced at him indifferently and called out:

"Dai Mubai, someone wants their registration fee back. Take care of it."

A figure suddenly appeared from the side, holding his groin, but quickly sprang up.

"If you want your registration fee back, sure, just beat me in a fight, and I'll return it all."

This person was none other than Dai Mubai. Previously sitting out of sight, he had been blocked by the crowd, so Yun Feng and the others hadn't seen him.

When Yun Feng and the others saw Dai Mubai, they couldn't help but marvel at how strange this world was. With such a serious injury, you'd expect him to be out of commission, yet after just one day of rest, he seemed perfectly fine.

It wasn't hard to guess that he had sought out a healing soul master to help him recover.

Dai Mubai didn't waste any time and immediately released his soul power, summoning his three soul rings—two hundred-year rings and one thousand-year ring.

The powerful surge of soul energy created an invisible pressure in the air. Cold light flickered in his evil eyes as he stared down the father and son.

Among soul masters, soul rings are the ultimate symbol of authority. Upon seeing Dai Mubai's three soul rings, including a thousand-year ring, the boy's father's face changed drastically. He muttered something about their bad luck and quickly dragged his son away.

Dai Mubai returned to his seat, his cold eyes sweeping over the rest of the waiting applicants and parents. The threat was obvious.

The pressure from the three soul rings was more than any ordinary person could bear. At this moment, he no longer resembled a young lord but more like an enforcer.

Already irritable, he was about to strike out when a coughing sound from behind stopped him. Remembering the headmaster's words, Dai Mubai forcefully held back.

After this scene, a third of the crowd disappeared immediately. No one wanted to waste their money, especially given how unimpressive Shrek Academy's exterior was.

Another boy stepped up to the old man for registration, accompanied by both his parents. His mother confidently placed the ten gold coins into the wooden box, and the boy obediently extended his hand.

The old man squeezed the boy's hand, his dull eyes glancing at him.

"Twelve years old, just right. Show me your martial soul."

The boy nodded, releasing a faint green soul power. A hundred-year-old yellow soul ring shimmered around him. The aura from the century-old soul ring was clearly strong. As his martial soul appeared, a thick vine coiled around his body.

Ghost Vine.

After briefly inspecting the boy's martial soul, the old man shook his head.

"Not qualified. You can leave."

Yun Feng and his companions were just as shocked as everyone else at this scene.

Though confident they would pass the test, it was clear to them that this old man was simply scamming people. He said nothing specific, just collecting money from commoners. To be honest, Yun Feng had no good impression of Shrek Academy.

With no talent or virtue, what kind of students could they possibly produce?

In fact, many of Tang San's later questionable actions were likely influenced by Shrek Academy.

The boy's parents, initially brimming with confidence, froze when they heard their child was not qualified. His mother couldn't help but ask:

"Why? My son was a top student at his primary academy. Didn't you see his hundred-year soul ring? Not many soul masters have that."

The old man responded indifferently:

"A hundred-year soul ring for a first ring is indeed impressive, but he's just an ordinary person."

The boy's father frowned.

"I don't understand what you mean."

Growing impatient, the old man stood up from behind the table and bluntly declared:

"My rules are the rules!"

As he spoke, the old man suddenly released an overwhelmingly powerful aura. A dense red light burst from him, and a staff covered in intricate markings appeared in his right hand. Most terrifying of all, six soul rings rose from beneath his feet, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

The six rings were white, yellow, purple, purple, purple, and black—one ten-year ring, one hundred-year ring, three thousand-year rings, and one ten-thousand-year ring.

This seemingly ordinary old man was, in fact, a super-strong Soul Emperor of over sixty levels.

Sixty levels! Even in the entire Balak Kingdom, soul masters of such a level were extremely rare.

The old man's staff struck the ground with a heavy thud, causing everyone to stumble slightly. He waved his hand at the terrified family of three, who had collapsed in fear.

"Next."

The soul rings' glow faded, and all his soul power vanished instantly. The old man reverted to his lazy demeanor, as if the overwhelming presence of a Soul Emperor had never existed.

If some of the parents had been upset by the old man's earlier behavior, now everyone fell silent. Who would dare challenge a Soul Emperor with a ten-thousand-year soul ring?

READ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD OF EVERYONE FOR ONLY $7!

LINK: patr eon.com/SenatusPopulus