Chapter 342: Shrek Mayhem
While Dave and his companions were enjoying peaceful travels across the continent, a different kind of storm was quietly brewing at Shrek Academy.
Near the village outskirts of Soto City—where the newly reestablished Junior Division of Shrek Academy stood tall—a middle-aged man appeared. His expression was calm, but his eyes gleamed with sharp, self-righteous pride. He gazed at the grand academy gate before him, its green banners fluttering with pride and prestige.
"So... Flander actually managed to succeed with his academy," he muttered, stepping closer. "Tch. Not bad for someone who used to rely entirely on my theories."
As he walked up to the gate, his hands were folded neatly behind his back, posture rigid, chin slightly raised—as if the world itself owed him recognition for simply arriving.
A young gatekeeper, wearing the dark green uniform of a Junior Spirit Master, stepped forward, wary but polite. "Who are you?" he asked, standing straight.
The man gave a thin smile, filled with self-importance. "My name is Yu Xiaogang—but you may know me better as the Grandmaster. The one who authored the Ten Core Competence Theories... the very foundation upon which this academy is built."
He said it like a declaration—expecting the gatekeeper to gasp, bow, and perhaps throw the gates open on the spot.
Instead, the gatekeeper blinked. "Grandmaster? Never heard of you. And unless you’re on the approved teacher registry, I’ll have to ask you to leave."
Yu Xiaogang’s expression twitched. "You... don’t know the Grandmaster? The very theories your academy’s teachings are based on? Without me, Shrek Academy would never have become what it is!"
The gatekeeper arched a brow. He was no pushover—his spirit power flared slightly, revealing himself as a solid Level 43 Spirit Elder. "I don’t care who you think you are, sir. You’re not on the list. And around here, we don’t bow to people just because they claim they’re important."
For a moment, Yu Xiaogang was stunned into silence. Lips pressed into a thin line, hands clenched behind his back. Was this a joke?
After everything he’d written... after all the years he poured into his research, his theories, his titles—this academy, this gatekeeper, dared to treat him like a nobody?
He drew a sharp breath, steadying himself. He raised his voice—just enough to project authority.
"Hmph. Ignorance. That’s what happens when guidance is left to amateurs," he said coldly.
And yet... he didn’t leave. He stood off to the side, arms folded, waiting silently. Surely someone—Flander, Liu Erlong, any former student with common sense—would recognize him. They would rush out and offer apologies for the misunderstanding, he was sure of it.
But the minutes dragged on.
And no one came.
It can’t be... Is Flander not using my theories anymore? Has my name really been forgotten? Yu Xiaogang began to doubt for the first time in years. The silence ate at him.
The young gatekeeper, now visibly annoyed, waved him off again. "Listen, old man. If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out. Don’t waste my time with made-up titles and airs."
He grumbled under his breath, kicking a small pebble out of boredom. His day was already ruined—he’d lost a bet with the other gatekeepers and got stuck with solo duty while they lounged in the city tavern. And now this lunatic was blocking the gate.
Yu Xiaogang stiffened at the insult. He straightened his back and asked, voice laced with pride, "Let me ask you this: is the academy still teaching the Ten Core Competence Theories?"
The gatekeeper gave him a blank stare. "The what now?"
Yu Xiaogang’s eye twitched. "The Ten Core Theories! Foundational cultivation concepts! Spirit evolution logic! Talent compatibility models!"
The young man scratched his head. "No idea what you’re talking about."
He leaned lazily against his spear and yawned. In truth, he had studied here years ago—but his spirit rank was average, and now he was working gate shifts while his peers moved on to better roles in the Senior Division or joined traveling clans.
Yu Xiaogang took a half-step forward. "Impossible! These theories were revolutionary! Flander built this place using my teachings!"
The gatekeeper shook his head. "This is the Junior Division. The real Shrek Academy’s in Tian Dou City now. That’s where all the top-tier students and prestigious staff are."
Yu Xiaogang froze mid-step.
"...What?"
"Yeah," the man continued, shrugging. "This place? It’s just for beginner-level Spirit Masters. Kids just getting their first or second rings. If you want someone who might know what you’re talking about, you’d have better luck at the Senior Division."
Yu Xiaogang’s face went pale.
"Then... Flander?"
"Gone. He left this place a while back. He’s probably running the real Shrek Academy up north. Tian Dou City’s where all the big names are now."
Yu Xiaogang’s lips parted. Words tried to form. But nothing came out.
He clutched at his cloak, as if that would restore some sense of pride. "Well then... my theories... are they at least being taught at the Senior Division?"
The gatekeeper laughed under his breath. "Doubt it. I’ve never even heard of those ’Ten Core Competence Theories.’ We use modern teachings now. Spirit Dualism. Real-time combat evolution. Adaptive spirit fusion. You know, stuff that actually works."
"But... but those are based on my work! I created the framework!"
The gatekeeper rolled his eyes. "Sure you did. And my grandma invented spirit rings. Look, old man, you’re not the first to show up here claiming to be a forgotten genius."
Yu Xiaogang’s fists shook at his sides. "I am the Grandmaster of Spirit Theory! Without me, none of you would even be standing here!"
The gatekeeper gave him a tired look. "Right. And I’m the ancestor of gods in Heavens. Unless you’re enrolling, you can take your ego and yell at a tree."
Before Yu Xiaogang could snap back, a broomstick came flying down from the upper watchtower—THWACK—smacking him square in the head.
"Ow! What in the—"
"Oi! That’s for cheating me last week at cards, you dirty old bastard!" a young voice shouted from above.
"Wrong guy, idiot!" the lower gatekeeper barked.
But the damage was done.
Yu Xiaogang staggered, dazed... and then—SQUELCH—he slipped right into a side ditch near the stables, landing face-first in a shallow runoff of muddy water and pig slop. The stench hit him immediately. A cart driver passing by pinched his nose and muttered, "Ugh... did something die in there?"
The pigs in the nearby pen blinked curiously at the new guest.
Up at the watchtower, the gatekeepers howled with laughter. One flipped a coin and called out, "Next bet—who thinks he shows up at the Senior Branch tomorrow pretending to be a forgotten elder?"
Yu Xiaogang groaned, half-submerged in muck. His pride was shattered. His name forgotten. His robes ruined.
And all he could whisper, face buried in the filth, was:
"...One day... they’ll remember who I am..."
But no one was listening.
And Shrek Academy’s gates remained closed.
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