Qi Lin's assessment of Ning Rongrong was unexpectedly simple—he merely tested how fast she could release her soul skills. And that was it.
Nothing more.
After all, what else could he reasonably test? Her control over soul power? That would've been far too advanced.
Truth be told, not just for her—for nearly all soul masters across the Douluo Continent, soul power control was shockingly poor.
In their understanding, cultivation meant one thing: absorb more soul power, then attach soul rings. That was it.
Self-created soul skills were rare, born only from exceptional control over one's own soul power.
This lack of control resulted in combat styles that were overly rigid—too reliant on skills granted by soul rings.
Take auxiliary-type soul masters, for example. Most of them had no means of attack whatsoever.
In the original story, Shrek Academy trained its support-type students to enhance their evasion skills—Oscar and Ning Rongrong were often made to run laps around the village.
But Qi Lin wasn't impressed. For ordinary soul masters at level ten or twenty, sure, basic physical training worked.
But true geniuses? People who would eventually reach the eightieth or ninetieth rank? A few laps around the village were meaningless.
By that stage, even if an auxiliary soul master was a good runner, they'd still be outpaced—or worse, outmatched—by other classes. Ultimately, everything came down to their teammates. Once teammates fell, the support was helpless.
After Ning Rongrong passed the test, she casually struck up a conversation with Qi Lin.
Surprisingly, the little witch didn't reveal even a trace of her usual haughty temper before him—only grace and gentleness.
Compared to Xiao Wu's loud and fiery personality, Ning Rongrong seemed like her polar opposite.
Twilight.
Golden rays of the setting sun bathed the courtyard. As expected, only Tang San and Ning Rongrong had been admitted today.
Just as Qi Lin finished arranging Rongrong's room, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing walked over from the other side.
The moment Xiao Wu saw Ning Rongrong chatting and laughing with Qi Lin, her eyes sharpened instantly.
Trouble! A pretty girl, just as attractive as me, seems to be into Brother Lin!
Unacceptable!
I've raised him like a prized carrot—no way I'm letting some vixen steal him from under my nose!
With that thought, Xiao Wu immediately left Zhu Zhuqing behind and bounded over to Qi Lin, clinging to his arm as she sweetly asked, "Brother Lin, who's this little sister?"
Qi Lin could see right through her. With a sigh, he replied, "This is Ning Rongrong. She's also going to be a student at Shrek."
He hadn't expected Little Rabbit to be so possessive.
He hadn't even made a move on her, yet here she was, staking a claim on him.
Truly, heaven and earth reversed!
Xiao Wu gave a nonchalant "Oh," but the alertness in her gaze didn't lessen one bit.
She was determined to protect her Brother Lin!
Ning Rongrong, noticing the intimacy between the two, raised a curious eyebrow. "Are you two a couple?"
Qi Lin shook his head. "Not yet."
Xiao Wu hurriedly added, "Temporarily not yet!"
Rongrong rolled her eyes inwardly.
So they're not together… no wonder she looked so panicked when she saw me getting close to him. Definitely scared I'd snatch him away.
And with that, a mischievous thought took root.
She clearly doesn't like me, yet can't do anything about me… wouldn't it be fun to watch her squirm?
Not to mention, Qi Lin was… really handsome. And so talented. If she could somehow convince him to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan as their son-in-law…
Sure, the clan had strict rules: only offensive-type soul masters could marry the heir.
But if his talent was truly monstrous… who's to say that rule couldn't be bent?
With that in mind, Ning Rongrong slid up beside Qi Lin and boldly latched onto his other arm, smiling sweetly at Xiao Wu.
The tension was instant.
Another shallow girl eyeing my Brother Lin! Xiao Wu thought. Only Zhuqing is reliable—calm, focused, not obsessed with Brother Lin.
As for Qi Lin…
Honestly? He was enjoying the attention.
Two gorgeous girls fighting over him? What's not to like?
---
The Next Morning – Shrek Dining Hall
Looking at the vegetarian fare on the table, Xiao Wu frowned. She was used to eating coarse grains in the forest, but this still didn't sit right with her.
Ning Rongrong, spoiled young miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, was even more appalled.
Her servants back home ate better than this.
Still, after a few casual complaints, she quietly ate her fill—without showing even a hint of her usual bratty temper.
Qi Lin, on the other hand, actually seemed to enjoy it.
Perhaps after years of fine cuisine, something simple was refreshing.
At least it was edible.
Oscar, meanwhile, kept sneaking glances at Ning Rongrong. But every time he saw her smiling radiantly at Qi Lin, he sighed in defeat and lowered his head.
Then, Yu Xiaogang entered.
His eyes narrowed at the sight of salted vegetables and dry buns.
One bite, and his expression soured further.
This is awful! Not even close to what I had back at Nuoding Academy.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He swept his gaze across the cafeteria, then smacked the table and declared:
"Flender's being irresponsible! These students are in a crucial growth phase—how can they eat such low-nutrition meals?"
"You all eat for now. Tomorrow, I'll speak to Flender and make sure the food here improves!"
A cheer rang out immediately.
When the students learned Yu Xiaogang was someone Flender personally invited, their admiration soared.
Yu Xiaogang smiled faintly.
With just a small move, I've earned their respect. Rolling out my education plan will be much easier now.
This… is the wisdom of the Grandmaster.
As he mused, he glanced at Qi Lin, amused.
Talented, yes. But still too young. No actions, no results—how can you earn the respect of monsters like these?
Qi Lin: My talent surpasses all of them. Why wouldn't they respect me?
---
After breakfast, everyone headed to the Shrek training grounds.
There, Headmaster Flender made his grand appearance.
He introduced the new arrivals: Ning Rongrong, Tang San, and Yu Xiaogang.
When the others heard Tang San's spirit power had reached Rank 32, they were visibly shocked.
Even Ning Rongrong was stunned.
After all, this academy was full of monsters.
Especially Qi Lin, Xiao Wu, and Tang San.
Then, an unexpected voice broke the silence.
Dai Mubai grinned and said, "Headmaster, why not give us a proper introduction to Teacher Yu? If he trained someone like Tang San, he must be powerful himself, right?"
He meant well.
Mubai truly hoped Shrek's teachers were strong—only then could he feel secure, safe from assassination attempts by Davis.
If he failed in the succession race, these instructors might be his last lifeline.
But upon hearing his words, Flender and Yu Xiaogang's faces stiffened.
Xiao Wu even giggled.
Flender glared at Dai Mubai and said, "The teacher I brought here—Yu Xiaogang—may not have high soul power, but his theoretical knowledge is unmatched. He is recognized as the number one theorist in the world."
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward, his voice calm.
"No need to cover for me, Flender. It's true—my spirit power is only at Rank 29."
Gasps echoed from the group.
"What?!"