The dorm manager's frail hand paused for a moment. A flicker of surprise crossed his cloudy, dim eyes as he glanced at the key and badge in his palm, then handed them back to Jiang Ming.
"Why do you feel that way?"
The old man didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked Jiang Ming why he thought so.
Jiang Ming smiled; he already had an answer in mind.
"Hehe, dorm manager, this is Shrek Academy! Anyone of your age who's allowed to stay here in retirement… you must at least be a titled Douluo, right?!"
The old man's wrinkled face twitched, revealing a faint smile. The muscles in his face moved the layers of wrinkles like a delicate tapestry—enough, perhaps, to trap a few flies.
"The new students these days… so lively-minded. Alright, your room is on the second floor, second room from the left. Remember, starting from the fourth floor is the girls' dormitory. Go up there, and you'll be expelled!"
The dorm manager warned him.
"Got it! Thank you, dorm manager. I'll come chat with you later!"
Jiang Ming gripped his dorm key and badge, then entered the white dormitory building.
The old man shook his head. Though his eyes were still clouded with age, a glimmer of sharp light flashed deep within.
Interesting kid.
Following the dorm manager's instructions, Jiang Ming quickly found his room.
To be honest, the environment wasn't great.
The dorm had clearly been around for a long time. Inside, it was slightly run-down, with shared bathrooms along the corridor.
The doorplate on his dorm door was slightly rusted, showing clear signs of long service.
Jiang Ming inserted the key, turned it, and quickly stepped back two paces to avoid the stagnant air.
Just as expected, the freshman dorms were like this—no different from the ones in his previous life.
After letting the air clear for a moment, Jiang Ming entered the room and opened the windows.
A thick layer of dust had settled inside; even stepping on the floor left clear footprints, making Jiang Ming feel almost unable to step.
Looking around, he closed his eyes and activated his soul power to awaken his Martial Soul.
One yellow, two purple—three soul rings in total!
At just twelve years old, Jiang Ming had already reached the Three-Ring Soul Master stage. His second soul ring was even a millennium-level purple ring! Even in Shrek Academy, filled with geniuses, he was among the absolute top.
Yet, despite the appearance of the soul rings, Jiang Ming's Martial Soul did not manifest. No beast soul, no tool soul—only the loud beating of his heart echoed in the dorm.
The heartbeat was enormous, many times louder than normal.
With each thump, the dust in the room began to tremble slightly.
Each speck of dust bounced in rhythm with his heartbeat, as if a crowd of devotees were dancing wildly in a nightclub. The scene was vibrant and dynamic.
As his heartbeat accelerated, all the dust in the room vibrated, following the rhythm, and gradually formed a massive "kicking, glaring sphere" in front of Jiang Ming.
Still has a presence…
Jiang Ming wrinkled his nose. Though the dust had settled at his feet, the lingering smell needed to be cleared.
That job could only be left to the northwestern wind outside—a reliable helper.
While waiting for the air to clear, Jiang Ming retrieved daily necessities from his storage soul device, placing them neatly around the room.
Once done, he left the dorm.
Downstairs, the dorm manager still lay in his chair, sunlight streaming across his aged face, giving him a relaxed, almost carefree look.
Jiang Ming approached, and with a swipe of his fingers over his waist soul device, a reclining chair appeared next to the old man.
He lounged casually, sharing the scarce sunlight streaming between the buildings with the dorm manager.
Truth be told, lying down was far more comfortable than standing or sitting. Lying back, holding a book, gently rocking while absorbing knowledge—quite enjoyable.
The old dorm manager seemed to notice Jiang Ming's action but said nothing, generously sharing the sunlight.
Jiang Ming held a book on the basic construction of Soul Device Cannons and the core formation design for special cannons. He read with interest, frowning occasionally, smiling at other times.
Time passed quietly, slipping away unnoticed.
Meanwhile, the new students arriving at the dorm paid little attention, entering directly without greeting the modest "sweeping monk" downstairs.
Young people these days… if they'd read even one novel, they'd know a few of the unspoken rules.
After a while, Jiang Ming felt thirsty. With a flick of his hand, a foldable table appeared beside him.
He then took out an icy blue fruit, shaped like an oval watermelon, with translucent frost-like patterns—a work of art.
A glimmer of light flashed as the fruit was sliced into sixteen even pieces. The flesh was pale blue, clear as the sky.
"Dorm manager, here, have some melon."
He handed one piece to the old man.
Half-asleep, the dorm manager slowly opened his eyes.
"This is a new variety I cultivated myself—Ice Pattern Melon. Very sweet."
Jiang Ming placed a piece in the dorm manager's hand and began eating his own.
The old man looked at the fruit, then at Jiang Ming enjoying it, and a kind smile spread across his face.
Indeed, this melon is sweet! Cold, but not enough to hurt the teeth, juicy—good melon.
The two of them, old and young, sat under the maple trees outside the dorm, eating the fruit leisurely.
"Dorm manager, tasty, right? Want another piece?"
After finishing one slice, Jiang Ming flicked his wrist, sending the rind flying gracefully into a nearby trash bin.
The dorm manager didn't speak, just extended his hand.
Jiang Ming grinned and picked up two more pieces; once again, the two of them shared the fruit.
As they enjoyed the melon, a burly figure suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Ming—definitely not a freshman.
"Hey, give me a piece too."
The guy looked arrogant, speaking as if giving orders to a servant.
Jiang Ming ignored him, flicked the rind into the trash again, and calmly looked at the burly man.
"It's freshman registration day. I don't want to fight. You have three seconds—then get out of my sight."