Chapter 259. Sudden Clarity (Part 1)

"Are we supposed to go out in public wearing these things? Won't everyone just laugh us to death?" Oscar pointed at the five large red characters emblazoned across his chest — Shrek Academy.

Ma Hongjun sighed bitterly. "I never used to think the teacher had such terrible taste. Why did he have to go with red on green? Does he really expect us to wear these to that Soul Master Academy tournament in half a year? I'm afraid we'd be laughed to death before we even threw a single punch."

Tang San said, "Just let it go. It's not like we're the only ones wearing them — everyone at the academy wears the same thing. By the way, you've all been training here this whole time. Is the teaching system here any different?"

Oscar swallowed and replied, "Not really different, but there are plenty of beauties here. People say female Soul Masters are rare, but you certainly can't tell from our academy. At least half the students are female Soul Masters. Apparently it's all because of Vice Principal Liu Erlong. Most of them consider her their idol."

"There are six classes in the academy, divided by rank. As long as you reach the required level, you can skip ahead anytime — no exams needed. The only assessments come at graduation: one practical combat test and one graduation mission. By rank, the twenty to twenty-five level bracket has three classes with the most people — around a hundred and twenty total. The twenty-five to thirty bracket has two classes, roughly eighty people. And above level thirty, there's just one class — that's the advanced class we're in. Including us, there are only about thirty-odd students. Most of them are much older than us. Some are even past thirty."

Ma Hongjun said with a touch of smugness, "That's the gap right there. How could people like that ever hope to become Titled Douluo?"

The class bell rang, and the group finally filed into the classroom.

Because of their ages, the Shrek Seven Devils naturally couldn't compare physically to those adult students, so their seats were all at the front. Now that every one of the Seven Devils had surpassed level thirty, they all belonged in this classroom.

The moment Tang San walked in, he noticed the atmosphere inside was somewhat off. Quite a few pairs of eyes landed on him. Just as Oscar had said, the number of female students in the room was roughly equal to the males. The girls looking at Tang San mostly wore expressions of surprise. But the gazes of the male students were obviously far from friendly.

Tang San certainly didn't care what others thought of him, but he did want to know the reason.

He quickly figured it out. Following where those male students' gazes fell, he understood why he had earned their hostility.

Tang San had walked into the classroom hand-in-hand with Xiao Wu. She had led him straight to her seat and sat him down there. And from start to finish, Xiao Wu's eyes never left Tang San, as if he were the only person in the world.

Although both Xiao Wu and Tang San were still under fourteen, girls developed earlier than boys. Xiao Wu was not only beautiful, but she had that cascade of jet-black hair and a figure that surpassed the golden ratio in perfection. It was hardly surprising that those young men around twenty had no shortage of designs on her.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun acted as if they didn't notice Tang San being glared at, sitting off to the side and snickering to themselves.

Zhu Zhuqing sat down in a corner with an icy expression. Anyone who didn't know better would never have guessed that the five of them were the closest of companions.

The class instructor hadn't arrived yet. After the brief hush that fell over the classroom when Tang San and the others entered, it quickly grew noisy again.

A few young men sitting in the back of the room — they looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four — exchanged glances, then stood up and walked over toward Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Tang San murmured to Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, it looks like you're quite popular here!"

Xiao Wu snorted. "Just a bunch of boring old men. Who cares about them?"

Tang San couldn't help but laugh. "You don't need to be that harsh. They're only about ten years older than you."

Xiao Wu stuck out her adorable little pink tongue at him. "Ten years doesn't make them old men?"

As the two of them were talking, Tang San suddenly felt the light in front of him blocked. When he looked up, four people were already standing around him. All four were tall and broad, surrounding him like a wall.

Tang San asked calmly, "Can I help you?"

The one closest to Tang San was a burly young man — roughly five foot ten, with wide shoulders and a broad back. He had a head of chestnut-red hair that bristled with vigor, and a sharp gleam flickered in the depths of his eyes. He spoke in a deep, rumbling voice: "Kid, you're new here?"

Tang San nodded. "Yes. Hello, my name is Tang San."

The burly young man said, "Since you're new, then I suppose you don't know the rules of our advanced class yet."