The towering city gate stood a full ten meters tall and equally wide, large enough for six horses to ride abreast through it. Flanking the main gate were two smaller side entrances, each five meters in both height and width. Ordinary pedestrians could only pass through these side gates—the massive central doors remained firmly shut.
When Shrek Academy's group arrived outside the city gates and was about to enter, they spotted a large notice pinned to the bulletin board beside the gate.
"Now Hiring. Lanba Advanced Soul Master Academy, due to its ongoing expansion, is sincerely recruiting the following personnel: ten Soul Ancestors at the forty-level rank or above. Candidates with higher Soul Power will be given priority. Once hired, compensation will be generous."
Upon seeing this notice, Flandre remarked with some surprise, "How did this academy manage to get an advertisement posted on the city gate's bulletin board? That must have cost a fortune!" His mood had recovered somewhat by now, and his miserly nature was making a comeback.
Qin Ming was the most familiar with the capital of the Tian Dou Empire and quickly spoke up. "Any advanced Soul Master academy that operates within Tian Dou City must have some kind of backing. I don't know exactly what connections the Lanba Academy has, but during the preliminary rounds of the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament in the Tian Dou capital region, this academy actually eliminated one of the two teams that the Tian Dou Imperial Academy had entered. That said, that batch of students at Lanba Academy should have already graduated by now, and the Imperial Academy's team this year is considerably stronger than it was during the last tournament. I doubt Lanba will stand much of a chance this time."
Flandre asked, "How large is this Lanba Academy?"
Qin Ming replied, "Roughly one-third the size of the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. It's smaller in scale, but since it operates within Tian Dou City, its expenses wouldn't be any less than the Imperial Academy's—it simply lacks the royal family's backing. I've heard that their teaching standards are extremely rigorous, and they have one distinguishing feature: they only accept commoner students and reject all nobles. If they truly had no connections, there's no way they could have gained a foothold in Tian Dou City."
A glint of vengeful satisfaction appeared in Flandre's eyes. "Who says Lanba Academy doesn't have what it takes to rival the Tian Dou Imperial Academy in this Soul Master academy tournament? Soon, they will."
Qin Ming blinked. "Headmaster, you mean to say—"
Flandre sighed and said, "I've already thought this through carefully on the road. Our original Shrek Academy never truly held the qualifications of a legitimate advanced Soul Master academy, and trying to re-establish it from scratch is an enormous undertaking. There are far too many issues to resolve. I'm getting old, and I can't keep letting all these old brothers suffer for my pipe dream. If this Lanba Academy is decent, we should go take a look. Besides, the humiliation we suffered today demands retribution—that's simply not in Flandre's nature to let it slide. What do you all say?" That last question was directed at the other teachers and the Shrek Seven Devils alike.
Zhao Wuji chuckled. "You're the boss. You make the call. Do you really need to ask us?"
The Shrek Seven Devils answered in unison. "We leave everything to the Headmaster's judgment."
Flandre smiled faintly. "If this place doesn't work out either, we can always go back and start our own academy again. Come on, let's go take a look first before we decide." No one noticed the crafty gleam flickering deep in the recesses of Flandre's eyes at that moment.
Following the address listed on the bulletin board, the group entered Tian Dou City. With Qin Ming serving as their guide, there was no need to ask for directions—they wove through streets and alleyways and quickly found their destination.
Tian Dou City was extraordinarily prosperous. All its streets were paved with grey brick, and every single one was as wide as Sotuo City's main thoroughfare. The sheer scale of the entire city could only be described as magnificent.
The gatehouse of Lanba Academy actually looked comparable in size to the main gates of Tian Dou City itself—though considerably thinner in construction, the entrance stood a full ten meters high. The gatehouse, carved from white marble, might not have been ornate, but it possessed a certain imposing grandeur. Eight gilded characters were emblazoned across its top: Lanba Advanced Soul Master Academy.
The moment they arrived at the entrance, Qin Ming spotted the reception desk beside the gatehouse. A sign above it read: Recruitment Registration Office.
"Are you all here to apply as academy instructors?" The person in charge of receiving visitors was a middle-aged Soul Master who appeared to be in his forties. His question was directed primarily at the Shrek Seven Devils—after all, these children were all only teenagers.
Flandre shook his head. "No, we're the ones applying. These children are our students. If we're successful in securing positions here, we'd like our students to attend the academy as well."
The reception instructor said, "Student enrollment also requires an assessment. In that case, why don't all you Soul Masters take our evaluation first? If you manage to become instructors at the academy, I'm sure we can arrange for your students to be admitted as well. After all, the registration period for new students has already passed, and your students are a bit on the young side."
Generally speaking, even outstanding Soul Masters needed to be at least sixteen to eighteen years old to enter an advanced Soul Master academy. The norm was twenty. Tang San and the others certainly didn't look eighteen.
"The evaluation is no problem. Where do we go?"