Douluo Calendar, August 11, 2643.
Douluo Continent, Balak Kingdom.
It was the end of summer.
A trace of coolness lingered in the sweltering air, but the sun was still fierce, its light falling on the dirt-and-stone road with no shade, drawing out long shadows one after another.
Shrek Academy, located outside Suotuo City, was currently enrolling students.
Although it was hardly a proper academy, compared with other academies that required noble status to handle enrollment procedures, Shrek Academy was one of the few academies on the continent that would accept commoner Spirit Masters.
Because of this, commoner children from other provinces and kingdoms all wanted to come here and try their luck.
“Master is really something.
There were clearly so many intermediate academies fighting to take us, yet he insisted we come to some Shrek Academy in Suotuo City.”
Walking along the dirt road in the countryside, Xiao Wu shaded her eyes with her hand and gazed at the village not far away.
Then she looked at the long line in front of them and could not help muttering, “This academy looks unreliable at a glance.
It’s actually set up inside a farm outside the city.”
“Don’t say that, Xiao Wu.
Since Master told us to come here, he must have his reasons.”
Tang San smiled.
A minor recluse hides in the wilderness; a great recluse hides in the city.
Shrek Academy was built outside the city, so it could be called a “minor recluse.” Perhaps there really were powerful Spirit Masters inside.
“Tch!”
Xiao Wu did not care for Yu Xiaogang at all.
She only thought he was a blind cat that had run into a dead mouse and somehow tricked her dear elder brother into becoming his disciple.
Otherwise, how could that Master have failed to break through to rank thirty even after reaching fifty years old?
Tang San respected his teacher and valued the Dao, but he also cared deeply for Xiao Wu, this younger sister he had acknowledged, so he could only smile helplessly.
Just as the two of them were lining up and waiting to register—
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
A series of heavy footsteps came from behind them.
Tang San could not help looking back, then let out a soft “Eh?”
Seeing this, Xiao Wu also turned around and followed Tang San’s gaze.
A moving stone pillar?
No!
Looking downward, beneath that stone pillar was a youth more than a head taller than the two of them.
The muscles on his calves were well proportioned as he strode forward.
On his back was a wicker basket, and inside the basket was a stone pillar more than one meter in diameter and four meters tall.
It was extremely intimidating.
The youth’s shoulders had already been cut into by the hemp rope, and his clothes were completely soaked through, yet every step he took was exceptionally steady.
As his chest expanded and contracted, it carried a kind of rhythmic cadence.
“Is that a student of Shrek Academy?”
“Is that stone pillar real?”
“Why is he carrying such a heavy stone?
Could this be the daily cultivation routine of Shrek Academy’s students?”
The other students, as well as the parents accompanying them, also noticed that unusual student and began whispering among themselves.
“Showing off.”
Xiao Wu took in the discussions of the students and accompanying parents ahead of her and muttered softly.
She recognized the material of that stone pillar as granite, with a medium-to-high density.
Even she would not be able to carry it for a long time.
If this kid wanted to train his load-bearing ability, he could have chosen a stone with lower density.
Choosing this kind of stone was simply torturing his own body.
Either he was stubborn as a mule, or he wanted to show off in front of the students who had come to register today.
“Xiao Wu.”
But a trace of purple light flashed through Tang San’s eyes, as if he had seen something more, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.
“Focus.
Look carefully.
He isn’t using Spirit Power… He’s purely relying on his fleshly body to withstand that weight!”
Xiao Wu immediately focused her mind.
Sure enough!
There was not the slightest fluctuation of Spirit Power on this youth.
As Spirit Masters, the release of Spirit Abilities and the circulation of Spirit Power would always emit fluctuations of aura.
Spirit Masters with powerful spiritual strength could even judge someone’s approximate rank and realm based on the Spirit Power fluctuations they unintentionally revealed, then roughly determine the number of Spirit Abilities they possessed, the power of those Spirit Abilities, their endurance in battle, and so on.
Yet in Xiao Wu’s judgment, the youth who had already walked up before them did not reveal even a trace of Spirit Power fluctuation.
He was carrying that stone pillar with his pure physical body!
“Could he be born with divine strength?”
With pure physical strength alone, even she, Xiao Wu, had no way to lift that stone pillar!
Tang San, however, fell silent.
Aside from being born with divine strength, there was another possibility.
That was that this youth’s control over Spirit Power was extremely perfect, just like the Mysterious Heaven Skill he cultivated, able to form a perfect cycle of Spirit Power inside the body without leaking the slightest bit outward.
But other than the Mysterious Heaven Skill he possessed, did such profound cultivation methods exist in this world?
“That’s… Wu Ming?”
“It really is him!”
“He’s from Body Village outside Suotuo City!”
Among the crowd, it seemed that three or five parents who had accompanied their children to register recognized this youth.
“I heard about him when I passed through Body Village.
Before this child awakened his Martial Soul, his strength was already great.
I didn’t expect it to actually be true…”
“I heard about it too.
He completed his registration yesterday.
Could this really be a cultivation task from Shrek Academy?”
“What a pity.
I even bought a sausage from his snack stall yesterday.
It was delicious.
Once he joins the academy and focuses on cultivation in the future, the world will lose a future Food God…”
“He sells grilled sausages?
His Martial Soul isn’t a sausage, is it?
It should be a staff, right?
When I passed by here the day before yesterday, I saw him practicing staff techniques.”
He’s also a new student?
Tang San and Xiao Wu looked at each other, both seeing the surprise in the other’s eyes.
That Wu Ming was nearly 1.7 meters tall, a full head taller than the two of them, yet he was actually the same age as them?
Then it seemed he really was born with divine strength…
Tang San!
Xiao Wu!
I’ve finally met you, the male and female protagonists!
Carrying the stone pillar as he advanced steadily toward the gate of Shrek Academy, Wu Ming calmly swept his gaze over Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the other new students who had come to register.
He smiled at them and offered a few words of encouragement in passing.
That smile was gentle, yet confident, making people immediately feel goodwill toward him.
Seeing this, Tang San was slightly startled.
He recalled the memory of first meeting Master at Nuoding Academy.
Back then, Master had also shown him a similar smile, one that made people feel close to him.
[Affable (White): Your words and actions can make others feel comfortable.
Even strangers meeting you for the first time can develop a favorable impression of you.]
Wu Ming ignored how they reacted and simply continued forward.
At that moment, Tang San spoke.
“Senior.”
Wu Ming stopped, turned his head, and said with a smile, “No need to call me senior.
I only came here one day earlier than you.”
Tang San nodded and also revealed a smile.
“Entering the academy one day before us still makes you our senior.
Judging from your appearance, are you doing weight-bearing training?
Shouldn’t a Spirit Master’s cultivation mainly focus on Spirit Power?”
“What you said is correct.”
Wu Ming affirmed Tang San’s suggestion, his expression full of seriousness without the slightest displeasure.
“But there is also a piece of common sense in the Spirit Master world that the vast majority of Spirit Masters often overlook: the body is the vessel that carries Spirit Power!
Without a powerful physique, how can one carry more Spirit Power?”
At once, Tang San’s brows rose slightly.
He realized that this youth’s insight was far from ordinary, but he still advised, “But doing this kind of high-intensity training at twelve years old will make your body collapse, won’t it?”
“For others, this sort of weight-bearing training might be a little difficult, but for me, it’s just right.”
After saying this, Wu Ming pretended to size the two of them up, displaying the unique bluntness of a youth.
He smiled and said, “Sullen pretty boy, scorpion-tail braid, I heard about you two from Dai Mubai.
Tang San, and Xiao Wu, you will definitely pass the test and become students of Shrek Academy.”
Sullen pretty boy?
The corner of Tang San’s mouth twitched, and his favorable impression of Dai Mubai dropped slightly.
Xiao Wu covered her mouth and snickered, then asked, “What’s your name?”
“My name is Wu Ming.”
Wu Ming introduced himself formally.
“Wu Ming, is it?
Then see you later.”
Although Tang San had already learned Wu Ming’s name from the discussions of the others earlier, he still nodded firmly.
“Mm, see you later.”
Wu Ming continued forward until he arrived before the old man sitting at the table.
“You’re back?
You child, honestly, do you have to be so serious?”
“And you lost your parents so young…”
“Oh right, Oscar was looking for you.
He said he wants to cooperate with you later and open a sausage specialty shop together…”
“Also, once you earn money in the future, just keep it for yourself.
There’s no need to subsidize the academy…”
“And one more thing.
In the future, when you do weight-bearing training, switch to a smaller stone.
Even if you were born with divine strength, you’re still only twelve years old.
If you don’t take it easy, I’m afraid you won’t live to fifty…”
The old man was named Li Yusong.
He was a teacher at Shrek Academy, and also Wu Ming’s teacher, from whom Wu Ming studied staff techniques.
Listening to Li Yusong ramble on and on, Wu Ming’s face still showed not the slightest impatience.
After all—
If I don’t display my divinity before others, how will the world know I was born with divine strength?
With a thought, a panel appeared.
[Name: Wu Ming]
[Martial Soul: Spine]
[Cultivation: Three Spirit Rings, Rank 36 Spirit Elder]
[Spirit Rings: Yellow (Six-Tusked White Elephant), Purple (Ink-Hoofed Horned Goat), Purple (Cloud-Stepping Spirit Deer)]
[Professions: Staff Technique Apprentice, Chef Apprentice, Carving Apprentice]
[Talents: Affable (White), Diligent (White), Clever (Yellow), Big Eater (Yellow), Agile (White), Grateful (White), Born with Divine Strength (Purple), Innate Full Spirit Power (White)]
[Lottery Draws: One]