Just as everyone was chatting happily, a banging sound suddenly came from outside.
Dai Mubai quickly stood up and said, "This is the Dean's bell to gather us. Fatty, you take them directly to the big training ground. I'm going to call Zhuqing." With that, he quickly left the dining hall.
Ma Hongjun looked at his departing back and mumbled, "Boss Dai seems to have changed a bit. I've never seen him care so much about a woman before."
Ning Rongrong chuckled, "How old are you? Still talking about women."
Ma Hongjun snorted and proudly said, "Although I'm not old, I've had women. Let's go, the Dean doesn't like people being late." As he said this, his body seemed to shiver, clearly indicating he had suffered for it before.
"Teacher Tang, we'll be going now." Everyone greeted Yun Chuan and hurried out.
Yun Chuan nodded, then continued to eat his breakfast. Although it was hard to swallow at first, if he calmed down and savored it, simple food actually had a unique flavor. Anyway, he would be leaving here soon.
When Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun arrived at the big training ground, a sleepy Oscar had already arrived. He was holding a Sausage he had made himself and eating it.
At this moment, Oscar's appearance had undergone a huge change, mainly reflected in the absence of his beard.
When Tang San saw him, he almost didn't recognize him. Oscar, with his beard shaved off, looked completely different. Ma Hongjun had previously said that Dai Mubai and Oscar both had "bitchy faces," which was clearly out of jealousy. Now Tang San understood what Ma Hongjun envied.
Dai Mubai was already very handsome, especially his unique eyes, which were very attractive. However, in terms of looks alone, he was still inferior to Oscar, who no longer had a full beard.
His peach blossom eyes were deeply set, giving him a profound feeling. His face was like a jade crown, and he wore a cynical smile, looking like a dashing noble Young Master.
Of course, even the most handsome noble Young Master wouldn't look too good holding a Sausage and gnawing on it.
"Your beard?" Tang San walked up to Oscar and stood still, unable to resist pointing at his face.
Oscar chuckled, quickly ate the Sausage in his hand, and whispered, "Didn't a few beauties just arrive? If I don't make myself look more energetic, how will they notice me? You probably don't have experience in this area. Boss Dai clearly fancies that cold girl, Xiao Wu is yours, and Fatty's evil fire doesn't attract girls. So, my target is Ning Rongrong. You won't fight me for her, will you?"
Tang San patted his forehead, "May I ask, how old are you this year?"
Oscar said without hesitation, "Fourteen, why? My dad had me when he was fourteen."
Tang San suddenly realized that if he wanted to test his psychological endurance, Shrek Academy was clearly a good choice. Not to mention the teachers, these students were all Little freaks. Even he himself had Hidden Weapons unique to this World, didn't he?
Soon, Dai Mubai also arrived with Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing clearly kept a certain distance from him, and Dai Mubai's expression was clearly very unpleasant.
Oscar laughed gleefully, "It seems Boss Dai got rejected again. His usually infallible methods for picking up girls are going to fail this time."
As they were talking, a middle-aged man walked over from another direction of the training ground. The person looked about fifty years old, with a robust build and a very distinctive face. His chin protruded slightly forward, his cheekbones were wide, his face was flat, and he had a hooked nose.
If he had to be described by an object, then his face looked a bit like a shoe sole. Although his eyes were closed, he looked somewhat cunning. He wore a pair of black-rimmed crystal glasses, with rigid square frames.
Oscar introduced from the side, "This is our Dean, Flender, the founder of Shrek Academy, a seventy-eighth-level Spirit Saint. He's even stronger than Teacher Zhao. And he possesses a flying Beast Spirit, which is quite rare among War Soul Masters. Fatty is his direct disciple."
Xiao Wu murmured, "Thankfully, he's only seventy-eighth level. I never thought that classic quote, 'Only Little freaks are accepted, not ordinary people,' would come from his mouth. Big Sausage Uncle, do we have any Spirit Douluo-level Spirit Masters in our academy?"
Oscar shook his head, "Please call me Sausage Vendor Oscar. Do you think Spirit Douluo are like buying vegetables? They're not everywhere. In the entire Douluo Continent, there are no more than a hundred powerhouses above the Spirit Douluo level. They are all supported by the Empires and their subordinate Kingdoms. As for Titled Douluo, the two great Empires combined only have about ten. They're not that easy to meet."
Xiao Wu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "That's good."
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, what's wrong?"
Xiao Wu shook her head, somewhat evasively saying, "Nothing."
Seeing that she clearly didn't want to talk, Tang San stopped pressing her.
At this moment, Flender walked up to the seven students and stopped. His unique hoarse voice sounded, "This year is very good, we have four more Little freaks. I, Flender, the Dean of Shrek Academy, welcome your arrival on behalf of the academy. Later, each of you will pay one hundred gold coins to Teacher Li, who is in charge of finance. Mubai."
"Dean." Dai Mubai stepped forward. He seemed very respectful of Flender, even with a hint of admiration.
Flender said, "Four more junior students have arrived. Later, you will tell them the academy's rules. Then, each of you go back and rest, trying your best to restore your condition to its optimal level. Today's first class will begin tonight. Oscar, you and Ning Rongrong are exceptions. You two come with me."
Oscar's face immediately fell, and he unwillingly walked up to Flender to salute. His expression only improved when he saw Ning Rongrong walk to his side.
Flender waved his hand and said, "The others can go rest. Remember, before dark, get yourselves into optimal condition. Don't blame me for not reminding you. The teaching methods of this academy are different from other places; you might even face danger."
Zhu Zhuqing walked away without looking back, and Dai Mubai didn't chase after her this time. Ma Hongjun also slipped away very quickly, disappearing in a flash.
Tang San was not in a hurry to leave. He wanted to see how this Dean taught.
Oscar and Ning Rongrong's Spirits were both of the support system, which should be the reason they weren't attending the evening class. What puzzled Tang San was why the teaching had to be done at night.
Since Tang San didn't leave, Xiao Wu naturally wasn't in a hurry either, standing beside Tang San and watching quietly.
Flender didn't mind and said to Oscar and Ning Rongrong, "Everyone has their own cultivation method. Different Spirits lead to vastly different cultivation methods. On the Douluo Continent, there are almost no completely identical Spirits. Therefore, what the academy teaches you is not how to cultivate your Spirit, but how to use your Spirit, and how to better protect yourselves and assist your comrades in future battles."
Flender's words sounded somewhat familiar to Tang San. After a careful thought, Grandmaster seemed to have said something similar, only Grandmaster's explanation was more detailed than Flender's.
Oscar seemed to have heard similar words before and lowered his head noncommittally, but Ning Rongrong nodded in deep agreement.
Flender continued, "You two are both support system Spirit Masters. One provides attribute buffs, and the other is a food system Spirit. Spirit Masters like you, whether on the battlefield or in daily life, need the protection of partners around you. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to survive. Oscar, tell me, as a support system Spirit Master, how can you better protect yourself on the battlefield?"
Oscar said without hesitation, "Try to hide behind your allies, and use all available terrain and structures around you to avoid risks. Stay as far away from dangerous areas as possible."
Flender nodded and said, "Very well said. But there's one thing you didn't mention. As a support system Spirit Master, the ability to escape is an essential quality. A support system Spirit Master who can't escape is not a good Spirit Master. And what does escaping require? It requires physical stamina. Although as Spirit Masters, with the assistance of your own spirit power, your physical qualities are stronger than ordinary people. However, the enemies you might face are the opponent's War Soul Masters. Therefore, as a support system Spirit Master, you also need to train your physical stamina. At a critical moment, perhaps taking one more step can save your life."
Oscar understood Flender very well. Listening to the Dean speak so grandly, he secretly smiled bitterly, thinking, "It's over, I can't escape today."
Indeed, after his lengthy speech, Flender nodded to Oscar and Ning Rongrong and said, "Your lesson today is physical training. From now on, run twenty laps around the entire village. If you haven't run back before lunch, you won't get lunch. You can use your Spirit to assist yourselves. Now, depart. Oscar is in charge of leading the way."
"Yes." Ning Rongrong replied, running out without hesitation. Oscar gave Tang San and the others standing by the side a somewhat resentful look before following her.
Although the village where Shrek Academy was located wasn't large, Oscar understood that when Flender said "the entire village," it included the cultivated fields within the village. One lap would be at least three kilometers. Twenty laps would be a terrifying number. Despite having over twenty levels of spirit power, completing this course before noon was still agonizing for a support system Spirit Master. Even for a twenty-level War Soul Master, running such a distance wouldn't be easy.
Watching Oscar and Ning Rongrong run out, Flender pointed at Tang San and said, "You come with me alone."
Tang San nodded, and at the same time, waved his hand behind his back to Xiao Wu, who wanted to follow. Then he strode after Flender towards the academy's interior.