Before long, Du Weilen returned—with someone else.
Yan Shaozhe!
When Zhu Ziyang and the others saw Yan Shaozhe walk into the office alongside Du Weilen, they instinctively stood up and greeted him,
"Greetings, Dean Yan!"
"Hello, all of you." Yan Shaozhe smiled kindly at the trio. "Children, congratulations on winning the Freshmen Assessment! You've all done very well—especially you, Zhu Ziyang. You're the most talented student I've ever met! You will become the future of Shrek Academy."
Upon hearing this, the three couldn't help but smile with excitement. Whether Zhu Ziyang's expression was sincere or not, Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya's joy was absolutely genuine.
"Thank you for the praise. We will continue working hard!" the three replied respectfully in unison.
"Alright, Weilen, bring out their reward," Yan Shaozhe said, still smiling.
"Yes!" Du Weilen replied. A flash of light came from the soul tool ring on his hand, and three jade bottles appeared. He handed them to Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe took the bottles and then pulled out a dark-colored pouch from his sleeve. Upon seeing that pouch, Zhu Ziyang's eyes flickered slightly—it was a soul bone pouch!
Yan Shaozhe didn't notice Zhu Ziyang's reaction. He simply placed the three jade bottles and the dark pouch in front of them and said:
"These are your rewards. These are three Soul Enhancement Pills—medicinal pills that can refine your bones and enhance your soul power. For you, who are currently at the two-ring or three-ring level, each pill should be able to boost your soul power by one to two levels."
Upon hearing this, the three were immediately overjoyed, their eyes fixed on the jade bottles with eager anticipation. Anything that could increase soul power was precious to a soul master—let alone a pill that could directly boost a whole level!
Although Zhu Ziyang himself could refine medicine, at his current stage he couldn't create a pill as special as the Soul Enhancement Pill—either due to limitations in skill or lack of materials.
"Haha! Don't get too excited just yet—you have another reward," Yan Shaozhe said with a smile. "This one's also yours. Why don't you open it and take a look?"
Zhu Ziyang took the dark soul bone pouch and already had a pretty good guess what was inside. It had to be a soul bone—but he didn't know which part of the body it belonged to. Shrek Academy wouldn't offer a random soul bone as a reward—this had to be something special. With high expectations, he opened the pouch.
A dim black light emerged from within, and under everyone's gaze, a small and delicate bone floated quietly in midair.
It radiated a faint black glow, with edges that shimmered silver—dark and mysterious, yet dreamlike in its beauty.
"It really is a soul bone!" Tang Ya cried out, her eyes wide with excitement and shock.
Jiang Nannan's reaction was similar, though she didn't speak aloud. Still, the emotion in her eyes—shock, excitement, and a deep, almost primal desire—was unmistakable. Her body craved this soul bone.
"Yes, it's a soul bone," Yan Shaozhe said calmly, observing the trio's expressions. Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya's reactions were expected, but what pleased him most was Zhu Ziyang's calm composure. It only made him more satisfied with the gifted young man.
He continued:
"Your talent and performance have brought great satisfaction to the Academy—or more specifically, to me. That's why I've decided to give you a soul bone as a reward. I'll explain what it does, and then you three can decide among yourselves who should receive it.
However, while soul bones are precious, I hope this doesn't affect your bond. As core disciples of Shrek Academy, you will have many opportunities to obtain soul bones in the future."
"This soul bone was selected specifically for you three. It isn't tied to a specific specialization—it's a universal-type soul bone that can be used by power-type, agility-type, or control-type soul masters. It came from a 5,000-year-old Moonshadow Rabbit. It's a right leg bone, and once fused, it boosts speed and grants a stat-enhancing skill."
"It's yours now. And the soul bone pouch is also yours—to conceal the aura of the soul bone. After all, greed is dangerous. Stay cautious and keep this a secret. Also, don't tell anyone else that the Academy rewards soul bones—understood?"
"Moonshadow Rabbit?" Upon hearing that, Zhu Ziyang and Tang Ya both turned toward Jiang Nannan—and sure enough, her beautiful face was now filled with deep desire.
"What's going on?" Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilen noticed their reactions and couldn't help asking curiously.
"Nan Nan's first soul ring also came from a Moonshadow Rabbit," Tang Ya said with an odd expression. Encountering a soul bone from the same species as a soul ring was as rare as the appearance of a soul bone itself.
"Seriously?" Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilen were both stunned and exchanged looks, seeing the same awkwardness in each other's eyes.
Because... this soul bone had originally been specially selected for Zhu Ziyang—but this coincidence made Jiang Nannan the more compatible candidate.
Now things were complicated.
To most soul masters, any soul bone is incredibly precious.
But between soul bones, there are also differences in quality—not just based on age, body part, or the skill it grants, but more importantly, on how compatible the soul bone is with the soul master. This compatibility depends on many factors, but generally, it creates a hierarchy:
Same-origin soul bone – from the exact same beast as a soul ring (highest compatibility)
Same-species soul bone – from the same species as a soul ring
Martial soul species-match – from a beast that matches the martial soul
Bloodline-match soul bone – from a beast that shares lineage with the soul master
Other general soul bones (lowest compatibility)
"Jiang Nannan, may I ask—what is your first soul skill?" Yan Shaozhe asked with a thoughtful look and a gentle smile.
"Yes… of course," Jiang Nannan replied, slightly flustered. "My first soul skill is called Moonshadow Body. It doubles my movement speed when activated."
"Oh!" Yan Shaozhe's face lit up in understanding. After pausing a moment, he looked at the three and said,
"Then I'll play the villain today and say it—this soul bone should go to Jiang Nannan. After all, it's rare to encounter a soul bone with a soul ring from the same species. What do the two of you think?"
"Agreed!" Zhu Ziyang and Tang Ya answered in unison. Zhu Ziyang had always planned to give the soul bone to Jiang Nannan. And Tang Ya's decisive response raised his impression of her even further.
"Brother, Xiao Ya, I…" Jiang Nannan was about to object, but Zhu Ziyang cut her off.
"Nannan, don't refuse. Even if Dean Yan hadn't said it, I would have still wanted you to have it." Zhu Ziyang smiled gently. "I think Xiao Ya feels the same way."
Zhu Ziyang looked at Tang Ya, who rolled her eyes at him but then turned to Jiang Nannan and said,
"Of course! This soul bone is obviously better for you. The fusion will work far better on you than on me or Zhu Ziyang—so don't refuse!"
"Mm… thank you both!" Jiang Nannan was deeply moved, her face flushed with gratitude and emotion.
Seeing their behavior, Yan Shaozhe and Du Weilen revealed smiles of quiet approval. Yan Shaozhe suddenly had an idea and said:
"I'm glad you've chosen friendship over greed. To be honest, this soul bone was a bit of a miscalculation on my part. So—as compensation… I'll give you another soul bone."
As soon as he finished, he pulled out another soul bone pouch!