The Legend of the Dragon King

“Hey, hey! Wait for me, you heartless souls.” a rotund Xu Lizhi said as he ran to catch up with them.

“Fatso, why are you here? Don’t you ruin our prestige,” said Yue Zhengyu with disdain.

Xu Lizhi was wearing his school uniform. The inner court’s uniform was different from the outer court’s. The inner court’s uniform was orange and sewn with skilled craftsmanship. However, with Xu Lizhi’s plump body, almost everything looked the same on him.

Xu Lizhi was not offended. He chuckled and pushed the two apart as he walked between them. “Look, if we walked like this, don’t I look like a big boss being accompanied by his two bodyguards?”

“You fatso!” Xie Xie and Yue Zhengyu said in unison. Then, they both stared at each other and again in unison said, “Can you not be so in sync with me?”

“Do you two plan on joining the date festival to confess to each other?” Xu Lizhi chuckled. “It’s alright. I totally understand you guys, but I’ll be taking my leave.” As he said this, the fatso took off like the wind. Even though his weight had been going up all this while, his speed had surprisingly increased as well.

Yue Zhengyu and Xie Xie looked at each other and grunted at the same time.

The decorations were already in place on Sea God’s Lake. When they reached the edge of the lake, Xie Xie was slightly perturbed despite having made the necessary preparations.

“Do you think that this is okay? What if Yuanen gets angry?” Xie Xie asked Yue Zhengyu who was beside him.

Yue Zhengyu said pointedly, “Can you stop being such a coward? Why don’t you go back to face the wall and continue your contemplation? I’ve never met a person like you. Is Yuanen that frightening? A raging flood or a savage beast?”

“Who’re you calling a savage beast?” a dry voice came from behind them.

Xie Xie and Yue Zhengyu turned around instantly. Standing behind them was none other than Yuanen Yehui who looked as plain as ever dressed in men’s clothes.

“Er… It wasn’t me who said it. It’s what Xie Xie thinks. Why don’t you guys have a talk? I’ll go on ahead.” Yue Zhengyu seemed to have applied oil under his feet. He turned around and slipped away. He knew that he was not Yuanen Yehui’s match.

“Er, Yuanen.” For unknown reasons, when Xie Xie faced Yuanen Yehui, the courage that he had mustered immediately vanished without a trace. Feeling awkward, he nervously rubbed his hands together.

Yuanen Yehui sized him up. Her face was cold as she turned around and left. From the beginning until the end, she had not said a single word to him.

As he watched Yuanen Yehui walking away, Xie Xie could not help feeling dejected. ‘Looks like nothing has improved! I don’t think she’s going to accept me. If it weren’t so, why’s she still in that manly garb when the date festival is about to commence? What should I do?’

‘She’s clearly not ready to accept me! I’m dead, I’m so dead.’

The Sea God’s Lake Date Festival was about to begin. Naturally, Xie Xie was not the only one who felt perturbed. Currently, within the inner court, countless hearts were beating fast as well.

For Shrek Academy’s inner court disciples of the right age, this day was indeed important for them.

From the first day they entered Shrek Academy, they had been under the control of the academy. Even if there were no teachers within the academy who told you to behave or accomplish certain achievements, each and every student in Shrek Academy was the cream of the crop who understood what the expectations were. When you were surrounded by such intense competition, you would feel that the moment you were lax even a little, you would be surpassed by your comrades.

This feeling was stressful to say the least. Nobody wanted to be expelled after they have endured so much hardship to pass the entrance examination. That was why upon entering Shrek Academy, one needed to work hard as if one’s life depended on it. The students dared not slack even the slightest in their studies.

Year after year, only those who were exceptionally gifted would stand out among the diligent students. They would be a one-word battle armor master before they turned twenty which qualified them to enter Shrek Academy’s inner court.

Only students who were on par with Monster Academy’s Eight Heavenly Kings on Star Luo Continent would be eligible to enter the inner court! When they heard of this, they could not afford to relax.

Youths around the age of twenty were at the point of their lives where their hormones ran wild. How they yearn to have a life partner? Nonetheless, they had not the time and strength to make their pick until now. Hence, the academy had organized the Sea God’s Lake Date Festival for them.

Not everyone would choose their partner from the academy, but the majority of Shrek Academy’s inner court disciples still do. The reasons were simple. Two people staying together must have common interests. If their interests were different, it might still work when they were caught in the flames of passion. However, they would be hard pressed to maintain their loving relationship in the long run.

It was a fact that Shrek Academy’s inner court students who ended up with each other through the Sea God’s Lake Date Festival would remain faithful to each other throughout their lives with hardly any exception. They went through the same experiences and worked hard together which made them cherish each other even more. Ultimately, they would be holding each other’s hands in the pursuit of their soul masters’ dreams.

Their relationship would not be limited to love alone. It also had some elements of double cultivation. They would corroborate together to enhance their skills so that they could advance further in their cultivation. Who would be more trustworthy than one’s own partner?

Hence, during the Sea God’s Lake Date Festival, the inner court disciples would get all riled up and excited over the event. When the festival was about to commence, they would be putting more effort into their cultivation as well as be on the lookout for a potential lover of their dreams..

Another outcome of the festival was those who already had a partner would take the opportunity to express their continuing love toward their partner. They wanted the audience to bear witness to their unremitting love for each other. It could be said that the Sea God’s Lake Date Festival was not just a social event, but a glorious dating service provided by the academy to the inner court disciples.

According to legend, students who were able to get a partner in the Sea God’s Lake Date Festival would receive the blessing from the leader of the first generation of Shrek’s Seven Monsters who eventually ascended to godhood and inherited the position of Sea God. Everything on Sea God Island and Sea God Lake was built to commemorate his existence.

Night fell, and the skies had darkened completely. The inner court that was usually quiet and peaceful was getting livelier.

After dinner, all outer court students between the ages of eighteen and twenty would come into the inner court early. They were only allowed to enter the inner court on this special day.

They all had fervent looks. How they wished they were the main characters tonight. As a motivating factor, they would be eligible to participate in the festival once they achieved the rank of a one-word battle armor master.

Even for the students who were older than twenty, they still had a chance to participate. After all, the age limit of entering the inner court was not strictly followed. Some disciples who matured later in life might only break through to the rank of a one-word battle armor master at the age of twenty-one. According to Shrek Academy’s rules, it was still possible for such disciples to enter the inner court, although their chances would be slimmer, provided they could become a two-word battle armor master before they turned thirty. If they succeeded and had not reached the age limit for graduation in the outer court, they would still have a chance to take a remedial test. If they passed the test, they could still enter the inner court.

So, all hope was not lost for the older students above twenty. As a result, many students were unwilling to graduate from the outer court even after they reached the rank of a one-word battle armor master. They wanted to try to become a two-word battle armor master before they turned thirty so as to be eligible for the inner court.

It was because they loved this place too much. They loved everything about the academy and took pride in everything Shrek.