"That move of yours was pretty brutal..."
Xiao Hongchen's face was full of shock.
Xu Cheng smiled without speaking.
They were both smart — just a hint was enough to understand everything.
"This spicy rabbit head is pretty good..." He picked up a skull from the tray, took a couple of bites, and showed a look of surprise.
"It's a newly added dish. I've got to say, you sure know how to find restaurants. This place is one of the best in all of Shrek City. All the chefs here are Soul Masters, and rumor has it the head chef is even a Soul King — though that's just what they say," Xiao Hongchen said with a relieved smile, joking as he spoke.
The two had shared a dorm since enrolling at the age of eleven.
To be fair, Jing Hongchen's judgment had been spot on in this regard. Just as he'd hoped, the friendship between these two had become truly solid — definitely a good investment.
"Spicy rabbit head, huh... then what's this?" Xu Cheng picked up a dark, charred-looking strip with his chopsticks and curiously took a bite.
"Stir-fried Blue Silver Grass," Xiao Hongchen shrugged. "You probably don't realize how bad Tang San's reputation is nowadays."
Before the words had even faded—
The private room door opened.
A waitress entered with a tray, flashing a professional smile. "Hello, gentlemen. This is the last signature dish of our restaurant — the Da Ming & Er Ming cake. Please enjoy."
As she spoke, she lifted the lid.
Two lifelike cakes appeared on the plate, surrounded by green vegetables as garnish, giving the illusion of a forest setting — right in the center were miniature versions of Da Ming and Er Ming.
Xu Cheng: "..."
After the waitress left—
Xiao Hongchen wasn't even surprised. "Isn't this all your doing? Ever since the recording crystals from the Sun Moon Empire started selling like crazy, the Legend of Tang San has become popular everywhere. Countless dolls and figurines have flooded the market. Honestly, this dish is still pretty tame."
Xu Cheng's mouth twitched. "That... I didn't expect."
"Alright, let's talk about the Sun Moon Empire now," Xiao Hongchen waved his hand, then asked with a bit of anticipation, "How's A'Meng? She must've missed me while I was away, right? We're siblings after all. But it's been a while since I got a letter from her. I heard she joined Mingde Hall and is super busy..."
"Uh..." Xu Cheng froze for a moment.
Busy? Sure, she was busy. But if she didn't take time out every day to sneak a moment with him, curling up with her soft body after training... cough cough — he might've believed it.
"Yeah, she's pretty busy."
"Hahaha! No wonder. You two aren't, like, together, right?" He suddenly cast a suspicious look.
"Cough cough cough, well, uh... didn't you ask me to take care of your sister?" Xu Cheng smacked his lips, his expression turning awkward, eyes darting around.
"You bastard! Look me in the eyes!" Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened in disbelief. "I asked you to look after my sister, and you ended up in bed with her?!"
"You little—!"
"..."
"Xu Cheng! I curse you to end up like me — watching helplessly as your own sister gets taken by some blond punk!" Xiao Hongchen roared in grief.
"...My sister's free to love whoever she wants. That's her own business. I wouldn't interfere." Xu Cheng smiled and shrugged.
Meanwhile—
On the other side of the continent.
Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy
"Today's a great opportunity for a challenge! You better toughen up! Don't let people look down on us from Mingdu Soul Tool Academy!"
In the rest area, Xu Tianzhen raised her tiny fists, fired up with excitement.
Her big brother wasn't around, and she'd made sure of that.
This year was surely the best chance the Mingdu Soul Tool Academy had to win in ages!
"...Big Sister, it's looking kinda tough..." a girl nearby, wearing the same orange academy uniform, shrank her head.
In the arena—
A beautiful woman wearing golden armor and holding a golden dragon spear swept a disdainful glance over the crowd.
"Who's coming up first?"
"I'll go!"
A young man from Mingdu Soul Tool Academy jumped onto the stage, eyes burning with eagerness. If I can beat her, or even draw, I might win her favor, right?!
"Wei An, level 52 long-range Soul Engineer, martial soul—"
"Get down. Careful or I'll kill you."
Before he could even finish, he was cut off by Wang Qiu'er.
Wei An: "..."
Damn, what a show-off! But I like her even more now!
"To die beneath the peony is worth it — even death would be romantic. Though unworthy, I'd like to try," he said with mock sincerity.
"Oh?" Wang Qiu'er raised an eyebrow, giving his face a quick glance. "Alright. I'll be serious..."
Wei An: It's just a match. She probably won't go too hard, right?
Wang Qiu'er: If he dares approach me like this, he must have some kind of life-saving trick, right?
"Match, begin!"
The judge below called out.
Wei An, sensing a chance, took a deep breath, preparing to flirt more. But suddenly, an overwhelming aura surged from ahead.
In his stunned gaze, the previously cold Wang Qiu'er burst forth with terrifying pressure, as if facing a golden true dragon. Behind her, a golden dragon phantom slowly formed, peering down on Wei An with slit pupils full of disdain.
"You really think I can't understand human language?" Wang Qiu'er's cold eyes flicked at him. Her red lips parted slightly: "He can lie to me... but you dare act this boldly in front of me? Die."
"Golden Dragon Roar!"
With the golden dragon phantom forming—
Soul rings began rising from her feet.
Countless people were stunned.
Yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black!
Six-ring Soul Emperor!
A Soul Emperor this young — and with a top-tier martial soul like the Golden Dragon?!!
Seated at the head, the dean of Mingdu Soul Tool Academy was completely dumbfounded, watching the surging ocean-like pressure on the stage.
That was no ordinary Soul Emperor! Her power was already rivaling a Soul Sage — maybe even a level-7 Soul Engineer!
Five years ago, during a previous academy tournament—
A monstrous genius had appeared, suppressing Mingdu Soul Tool Academy for five straight years like a mountain they couldn't surpass.
And now, again...
He glanced at Jing Hongchen, who was smiling calmly and pretending to be deep.
Where does this old bastard find so many freaks?
He's poached all the monsters!
"Don't overthink it. If you don't save him now, he's really going to end up dead. Who told him to flirt with that girl? Where did he even get the guts..." Jing Hongchen said with a grin.
"He's from your academy!" the Mingdu dean shouted, fuming.
"Hey, you guys provoked her first," Jing Hongchen shrugged. "If he'd just known when to back off, he wouldn't have ended up targeted. Now she's going for the kill."
You really think soul beasts are easy to mess with?
And not just any — she's a hundred-thousand-year old soul beast.
That brat's the only one who can keep these monsters in check. Otherwise, his Royal Academy would've been torn apart by now.
Anyway, he's fine — why would he go antagonize the emissary of a soul beast? He's still hoping to lock in a sponsorship deal between the Star Dou Forest and Mingde Hall!
On the arena—
"People always have to take responsibility for what they say and do," Wang Qiu'er said coldly, her light golden eyes glancing at Wei An.
His face was pale. Despite his decent looks and considerable talent, which had helped him flirt with many girls at Mingdu Soul Tool Academy, he had never been so close to losing his life before.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Golden Dragon Roar!" The girl flicked her spear and leaped into the air. A golden dragon behind her let out a thunderous roar—a true dragon's cry. If they had been in a forest, countless beasts would have knelt in submission. Fortunately, they were surrounded only by humans for several miles.
Yet even the humans felt a deep-seated tremor in their souls.
"Spare him!"Just as Wei An, even with his invincibility shield activated, was about to despair, an elderly voice rang out.
"Let's see your skills," Wang Qiu'er said calmly, golden eyes indifferent as her long spear pointed forward without turning to look.
The golden dragon behind her soared forward, carrying the momentum of a mountain crashing down upon Wei An.
"Teacher, save me!"
The elderly man's face turned grim.
A propulsion device on his back flared up, launching him forward with a roar.
BOOM!
Dust exploded across the arena, momentarily blinding the crowd.
A hush fell over everyone.
Especially in the Mingdu Soul Tool Academy's section, where Xu Tianzhen's lips twitched. Even with her big brother absent, and none of her brother's monstrous friends like Ji Juechen or Xiao Hongchen around, it was still this hard to beat the Royal Academy.
She had defied her father's imperial order to attend Mingdu Academy out of rebellion, determined to one day defeat the Royal Academy herself.
But to think—before she could even start raising hell like the Monkey King, she'd already been pinned beneath the Five-Finger Mountain by her brother's finger…
"Cough cough… what terrifying strength."
As the dust settled, the scene finally became clear.
Wei An was slumped on the ground, deathly pale and shaking after brushing shoulders with death. In front of him stood an elderly man, hands clasped behind his back, sighing in resignation.
"Young lady, can we let this matter drop?" he asked with a sincere tone.
"What matter?" Wang Qiu'er tilted her head, puzzled.
"Ah… hahaha, you're quite direct, aren't you?" The old man quickly hid his trembling arms behind his back and forced a mysterious smile.
"You! Get back already!" he snapped at Wei An.
"Y-Yes…" Wei An mumbled in a daze, not even daring to glance again at the beautiful girl who had nearly killed him.
"Alright, the match continues!" the old man waved it off as if nothing happened and returned to his seat.
"Second match: Mingdu Soul Tool Academy's Xu Tianzhen vs. Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy's… Huo Yuhao!"
"…Who are you, handsome?" Xu Tianzhen blinked in shock, swallowing hard.
"Huo Yuhao," the boy said awkwardly, scratching his head.
"You had plastic surgery or something?!" Xu Tianzhen looked utterly shocked.
The two actually knew each other well.
Not only did she know Huo Yuhao, but also many of her brother's "sisters-in-law," and even familiar faces like Xiao Hongchen, Ji Juechen, and Shi Xing.
At first, she followed Sister Meng Hongchen around just to steal some grilled fish—because it reminded her of her brother. Over time, she lost interest in Huo Yuhao as he disappeared for a long while.
"Three martial soul awakenings change a person's physical structure," Huo Yuhao explained with a sheepish grin.
"Hiss…" Xu Tianzhen examined him up and down, her expression shifting constantly.
Every so often, she'd reach out and poke his cheek in fascination.
From the stands, the old man and Jing Hongchen both looked exasperated.
"Should we tell His Highness Xu Cheng?" the old man whispered.
"Not yet. I'm afraid he'll beat the kid to death…" Jing Hongchen muttered, clearly protective.
After all, this genius had awakened his martial soul three times, possessed a spiritual-type Spirit Eye, and had absurd talent with soul tools—now working under Xuan Ziwen in the lab. If given a few years, his future accomplishments wouldn't lose out to any of the freaks around Xu Cheng.
Even Jing's own grandson might not measure up.
"Hiss… Let's wait and see," the old man rubbed his chin, clearly annoyed. Damn, it's our Mingdu Academy student who got snatched away!
He almost wanted to file a formal complaint to the emperor that night.
…Though the emperor didn't seem to care about such matters anymore…
Later…
"Only two rooms left? And they're next to each other?" Xu Cheng clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Yes, sir," the front desk clerk replied apologetically. "Because Shrek Academy announced it will hold an auction tomorrow, the city is very crowded. If not for a recent cancellation, we would've been fully booked."
The clerk glanced at the devilishly handsome young man flanked by two stunning beauties. Clearly, this was a top-tier noble from an immensely powerful background—someone whose mere footsteps could shake the continent.
As a receptionist, he knew when to read the room.
"Alright, give me the keys," Xu Cheng nodded, taking them.
"Rooms 23-1 and 23-2—connected rooms."
The trio stood at the doors.
"Let's divvy up."
"I'll stay with you," Tang Ya clung to Xu Cheng's arm. "I'm not that familiar with Sister Gu Yuena…"
"Alright, I'll take the right room," Gu Yuena nodded, her face emotionless.
"I'm going to shower first, hehe…"
Tang Ya dove onto the bed, kicked off her shoes, slipped into slippers, grabbed her change of clothes, and promptly locked herself in the bathroom.
Xu Cheng shook his head and sat by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the expanse of Shrek Academy.
Truly magnificent.
Compared to the Star Luo Empire, this was a hub where three empires converged—bordering the Star Dou Great Forest. This geographical advantage had allowed Shrek to thrive for over ten thousand years.
Tang San may have been stingy with the Tang Sect, but when it came to Shrek, he'd spared no effort.
"Your Highness—urgent report from Sun Moon."
A shadowy figure appeared behind him.
It was An Yin. Compared to five years ago, he had already risen from Soul Sage to Contra. His shadow-type martial soul made him incredibly fast and hard to detect—ideal for relaying messages while staying close to Xu Cheng.
"Read it."
Xu Cheng slowly closed his eyes.
"Shrek Academy's Tang San and Dai Yueheng visited the Holy Spirit Cult seeking an alliance to oppose the Sun Moon Empire. After Princess Nana rejected them, they turned to Jiang Nannan. After being shut out once, they seem to be planning a second attempt. Tang San claims he wants to recreate the original Shrek Seven Devils lineup…"
"…This guy just can't sit still," Xu Cheng muttered.
Still, he didn't consider someone like that much of a threat.
No immortal herbs? Who the hell wants to die for you…
"Anything else?"
"The Starlink Railway's Mingdu line is now fully operational and opened to traffic early this morning. Mingdu's outer areas are also expanding…"
"Today, Mingdu Soul Tool Academy visited the Royal Academy for their annual exchange match. Wang Qiu'er dominated the field. Xu Tianzhen and Huo Yuhao… seemed to have some chemistry—"
"No need to continue," Xu Cheng waved his hand.
Then his expression froze. He turned sharply toward An Yin.
"Wait, what did you just say?! Chemistry?!!"
(End of Chapter)