Chapter 118: The Snake Lady's Intentions

"What?" Zhao Wuji was taken aback. He hadn't expected Meng Yiran to make such a request.

According to the rules of Shrek Academy, students needed to reach level 20 spirit power by the age of twelve to qualify for admission. Meng Yiran, now sixteen and at level 30, would have met the requirement more than three years ago. This meant she had already satisfied the academy's criteria. And with her soon becoming a Spirit Elder after obtaining her third spirit ring, her talent, while not as exceptional as Zhao Ming's, was still rare across the entire Douluo Continent.

Zhao Wuji could tell that Meng Yiran's two spirit rings had been carefully chosen by Dragon Duke and Snake Lady. Their quality was impeccable.

From Zhao Wuji's perspective, he would rather lower the requirements to admit a student from a prominent family than accept a student who barely met the qualifications. After all, the quality of spirit rings between the two differed greatly, and those from ordinary backgrounds lacked the foundation that came from the systematic training provided by prominent clans.

Of course, he also had other considerations regarding Meng Yiran. Currently, Shrek Academy had only six students. When Zhao Ming and his group joined, he and Flender had entertained the idea of participating in the Continental Academy Tournament. However, after Dai Mubai's severe misconduct, which led to his expulsion, the academy was still short of one student.

So, if Meng Yiran was willing to join Shrek Academy, Zhao Wuji would be more than happy to accept her.

To him, gathering seven students for the academy was already a success, and with Meng Yiran's decent strength, it was an added bonus.

"Yiran, what are you saying? You want to join Shrek Academy?" The Snake Lady widened her eyes, not understanding why her beloved granddaughter would suddenly make such a decision.

"That's right. I've come to realize that while my cultivation and talent may seem impressive at the Beast Academy, that's only in comparison to them. On the larger scale, in the entire Douluo Continent, I am nothing more than a frog in a well. Now, I want to join Shrek Academy and compete with the true geniuses of the continent," Meng Yiran declared loudly, her voice filled with determination. It was clear that she was speaking from the heart.

The Snake Lady was initially uncertain but quickly understood.

Meng Yiran was right. Only by learning alongside true geniuses could one truly grow stronger. At the very least, the pressure to improve would be greater. If one found themselves at the bottom of the class, anyone with a shred of self-esteem would be driven to cultivate harder. And knowing her proud granddaughter, if she found herself at the bottom, she would undoubtedly put in the effort to rise.

At the Beast Academy, though Meng Yiran was diligent, the lack of true geniuses meant she felt no pressure to push herself. Without that pressure, there was no urgency to cultivate.

But that was only part of it.

The more significant reason was the talents and backgrounds of Shrek Academy's students.

Talent-wise, these students would likely become Spirit Douluo at the very least. And while Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda limited her cultivation to Spirit Sage, a Spirit Sage from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan held more influence than most titled Douluo. These students were destined to stand at the pinnacle of power. Having her granddaughter associate with them was a golden opportunity.

And if her granddaughter could develop a relationship with someone as extraordinary as Zhao Ming, even better.

Zhao Ming was bound to become a titled Douluo. If he were to become her grandson-in-law, it would be the best outcome.

Their family had several rival factions, some of which had Spirit Douluo-level powerhouses. If Zhao Ming, a future titled Douluo, were to become part of their family, he could eliminate those threats with a mere flick of his fingers.

Even without considering talent, the connections with the Ning and Zhu families alone were reason enough to pursue this opportunity.

With all this in mind, the Snake Lady was eager to send her granddaughter to Shrek Academy.

"Brother Zhao, what do you think?" The Snake Lady glanced at her granddaughter and then at Zhao Wuji.

"Your granddaughter is extremely talented. We would be delighted to have her join Shrek Academy. Normally, our academy conducts entrance assessments, but with her prestigious background, there's no doubt she meets our standards. We'll waive the test." Zhao Wuji responded cheerfully.

"Very well. Then I'll leave Yiran in your capable hands." The Snake Lady nodded in satisfaction.

"Grandmother, is it really that simple to join Shrek Academy?" Meng Yiran blinked her big eyes, feeling uncertain.

Her grandmother had always doted on her. She initially thought she would have to plead and beg to be allowed to study at Shrek Academy. Yet, her grandmother seemed neither sad nor reluctant about it—instead, she looked excited. This left Meng Yiran wide-eyed and surprised.

She felt like her grandmother was practically selling her off.

"Although Yiran is now a student of Shrek Academy, I still want to help her acquire her third spirit ring before she heads there." The Snake Lady patted Meng Yiran's head, speaking with a tone of apology as she addressed Zhao Wuji.

"There's no need for such formality. Since Yiran is now one of our students, her spirit ring is also our responsibility. And considering we took her spirit ring earlier, it's only fair that we help her find another suitable one. But it's challenging to find the right snake-type spirit beast," Zhao Wuji replied with a smile.

A snake-type spirit beast? An idea suddenly struck Zhao Ming.

The Medusa Queen came to mind. As the queen of the serpent race, she was a Violet Flame Snake with the bloodline of the Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python. She would be perfect for locating other snake-type beasts.

With Medusa's ability to sense snake species, finding a suitable one would be a breeze.

"Teacher Zhao, I think I know how to find a suitable snake-type spirit beast for Yiran," Zhao Ming said with a smile.

"Oh? You have a way?" Zhao Wuji was delighted. This student of his was truly remarkable.

Not only could he assist in showing off, but he also had solutions for every problem.

Where else could one find such a perfect student?

"Do you remember the snake puppet I used during our first fight when I joined the academy?" Zhao Ming asked.

"You mean the puppet with the human torso and snake tail?" Zhao Wuji recalled that moment vividly. The puppet Zhao Ming summoned had not only been alluring but also exceptionally powerful. At the time, Zhao Wuji had suspected it possessed an extraordinarily powerful bloodline.

"Exactly. She would be the perfect guide to find a suitable snake-type spirit beast for Meng Yiran."

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.