Dai Mubai and Han Feng's voices were very soft, so Tang San and the others didn't hear a thing. Flander and the other two deans, however, caught it clearly—but when it came to Han Feng's little maneuver, they could only turn a blind eye.

What else could they do?

Were they supposed to tie Han Feng down, force him to unleash his full strength, and let him shoulder an even greater pressure of soul power?

And if something went wrong—if he broke under that pressure—who would bear responsibility!?

"Boss Dai! It's your turn, your turn!" Ma Hongjun, completely unaware of just how much soul power oppression Han Feng had endured—beyond his comprehension entirely—quickly shifted attention to Dai Mubai. He knew Han Feng was strong, but who was stronger among Dai Mubai, Han Feng, and Tang San? That could be settled once Dai Mubai was tested!

"Yeah! At least over forty!" Oscar chimed in, fanning the flames.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu also looked at Dai Mubai with interest, clearly curious.

In truth, if they were being accurate, the one among the Shrek Seven Devils best suited to withstand soul pressure was Xiao Wu. But no one else knew that, and Xiao Wu herself would never risk exposing her true nature in front of three Contras.

Only Zhu Zhuqing gave Dai Mubai a worried glance, clearly not wanting him to step forward.

Han Feng, though, understood Dai Mubai's dilemma. Casually, as if in passing, he whispered, "Just make a show of it. As long as we don't embarrass Shrek, it's fine."

His words made Dai Mubai's eyes light up.

The three deans exchanged awkward smiles.

Flander and Zhao Wuji, pretending to scold, shot sharp looks at Han Feng and Dai Mubai, then quickly apologized to the three Contras:

"Our teaching has been lacking. Please don't hold it against the children!"

Of course, they weren't truly blaming Han Feng. They had already guessed at Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's backgrounds, and had been wondering how to keep Dai Mubai from taking the spotlight. If anyone deserved scolding, it was really Ma Hongjun and Oscar for stirring things up.

Why cause trouble at all!?

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Since the children didn't mean it, we won't press them." Dream God Machine stroked his beard and smiled warmly, showing no intention of holding anyone accountable.

That left Han Feng a little unsettled—he had already prepared himself to apologize.

These three deans of Heaven Dou Royal Academy… weren't they being a bit too friendly toward him?

It only deepened his curiosity about Sister Qianqian's true identity.

"She said she'd come find me herself. I'll just ask her then," Han Feng thought, pushing down his doubts. He bowed respectfully to the three Contras.

"Thank you, honored seniors, for your understanding."

"It's quite all right, quite all right!" Bai Baoshan waved it off, though the smile on his lips looked a little stiff.

Dream God Machine and Zhilin coughed lightly, then turned to Flander.

"Dean Flander, welcome. From this day forward, Heaven Dou Royal Academy will be your home."

Flander beamed, his grin almost splitting his face. "You honor us! From today, I'm no longer a dean—just a humble teacher of Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Having witnessed the vast foundation of the Royal Academy, Flander fully understood the gulf between it and Shrek. He had no objections at all.

"I cannot allow this in my Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"

Just as Flander and Dream God Machine were about to seal the matter, a thunderous shout echoed from the doorway, freezing the smiles on their faces.

Everyone frowned and turned.

Striding in was a man of fifty or sixty, leading a retinue. His posture was proud, his presence radiating arrogance. Though no longer young, his frame remained straight and tall, the wrinkles at his eyes sharpened by a haughty gleam. Even before the three Contras, he showed not the slightest fear.

Catching all eyes on him, the man sneered. "My Heaven Dou Royal Academy will never admit rootless outsiders with no background!"

"Who the hell are you!? Since when do you get the final say!?" Oscar snapped back, glaring.

"Hmph!" The man looked down at him with a cold, superior smile. "Who am I? I am Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou imperial family. Do you think that isn't enough!?"

"Prince!?" Oscar froze, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

"The Heaven Dou royal family…" Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing also stiffened, frowning slightly as they stepped back, faces hard.

"So it begins…" Han Feng took a heavy breath. He knew well enough—the real trouble wasn't Prince Xue Xing himself, but the man standing behind him: Dugu Bo.

Flander and the other Shrek teachers panicked. None of them had expected a turn like this!

The three deans also frowned slightly, though without much fear.

After all, they were loyal to the Crown Prince's faction. Relations with Xue Xing were hardly close. His title alone wasn't enough to command their respect.

Zhilin stepped forward, blocking the way. "Your Highness, whatever misunderstanding you may have with Dean Flander, the matter of Shrek Academy's merger with Heaven Dou Royal Academy is our Academy's internal affair. We three will handle it properly. There's no need for you to trouble yourself."

Bai Baoshan and Dream God Machine also moved forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, unyielding.

At this, a glint of icy light flashed in Xue Xing's eyes.

The greatest mistake the three deans made was thinking him a useless prince, a man of indulgence and incompetence.

But Xue Xing had long known the deaths of the second and third princes were tied to the Crown Prince. He had bided his time with Xue Beng in reserve—but that never meant he had done nothing.

He understood well: with the three deans tied to the Crown Prince, Heaven Dou Royal Academy had effectively fallen under his sway.

A man who could survive and thrive in the imperial family wasn't without cunning. Xue Xing knew full well: controlling the Academy meant securing first access to the Empire's rising geniuses. That was the future itself.

So he had placed Xue Beng in the Academy, encouraging his arrogance and cruelty, deliberately tarnishing the royal family's reputation in the eyes of the students.

Better to shatter jade than leave tiles intact!

What he hadn't expected was Qin Ming suddenly producing Shrek Academy—only eight students, but each one a monster-level talent.

Worse, they had been handed directly to the three deans. Which meant, effectively, delivered into the Crown Prince's camp.

Xue Xing could not endure that. Hence today's confrontation.

He knew Shrek would despise him for it. But again—better to shatter jade than to leave tiles intact! He would not let the Crown Prince seize such a terrifyingly promising force.

"An internal affair!?" Xue Xing's voice cut cold as steel. His gaze swept the three deans as he barked, "Dean Zhilin, are you suggesting that Heaven Dou Royal Academy is no longer tied to the imperial family, but belongs only to the three of you!?"

Zhilin faltered, caught off guard. In his eyes, Xue Xing was supposed to be a useless prince!

"Hehe, of course Dean Zhi doesn't mean that. It's only that an academy is a place of teaching and cultivation, where there should be no distinctions of rank or birth." Dream God Machine answered smoothly, his kindly smile serving as a balm.

Xue Xing shot him a look of disgust.

Among the three, Bai Baoshan was the easiest to handle—simple and straightforward. Zhilin too—unyielding, but rigid. The real problem was Dream God Machine. Always smiling, always kind—but in truth a cunning fox with a hidden edge. Without him, the other two would be easy to break.

"No distinctions of rank or birth!?" Xue Xing sneered. "If that were true, why then does the word 'Royal' stand in the name of this Academy!?"

PS: Read Advance Chapters at patreon.com/c/Shinazuki