The Shrek Group (Mostly a transition and an update on the situation)

Ma Hongjun was the first to crowd over. "Third Brother, just who is your father? I always felt he was no ordinary person. Don't tell me you have a hidden identity too?"

He asked in a carefree manner. It was no wonder he had such an idea. Leaving aside the fact that Soul Masters could become nobles once they reached a certain level, of the eight of them, two had ties to royalty, and another was the young miss of the foremost auxiliary sect.

Then there was the mysterious Xiao Wu. It was one thing for her to have Innate Full Soul Power, but every time she obtained a Soul Ring, she did it without the academy's help. It didn't take much thought to know she had a background.

"Alas, Fatty, looks like the two of us are the worst off here." Oscar joined in from the side, tilting his head back and pressing a hand to his forehead with a rueful smile.

Though he was clowning around, there was some genuine feeling in it.

He had thought the group was just about evenly split, but now it seemed only he and Ma Hongjun came from the grassroots. There was no need to mention the first four again. Even if Tang San had no "noble status," the Grandmaster and his skill at forging Hidden Weapons alone made him a favored son of heaven through and through.

As for Xiang Yang, there was even less need to mention him. He was practically the "self" they most aspired to be. In his own words, he was a "first-generation founder." Anything he casually pulled from his pocket could fetch a sky-high price, and if he were willing to reveal his identity, countless people would flock to him.

Oscar's desire to pursue Ning Rongrong had faded somewhat by now. Although he could be considered exceptionally gifted, he was an auxiliary-type Soul Master and couldn't protect her, another auxiliary Soul Master.

On top of that, after training for so long, he still hadn't developed a Self-Created Soul Skill. If not for his companions' support, he would already have given up on himself.

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun had taken him along to train, Xiang Yang had told him about Soul Beasts that might grant him offensive abilities, and Tang San had been even more direct, bringing plenty of Hidden Weapons and several firearms to practice with him.

Ning Rongrong was torn as well. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed, nor that she felt nothing for him, but as the sect's future leader, she had to set an example. The sect's rules that appeared to disregard personal feelings all existed for a reason. As its heir, how could she take the lead in breaking them?

Fortunately, Tang San and Xiang Yang hadn't made any particular effort to hide the things they were working on from the others, so Ning Rongrong knew what they had in mind too. All she had to do was wait a little longer...

Time gradually passed, and in the blink of an eye, another spring, summer, autumn, and winter had gone by. Everyone grew a year older.

Dai Mubai and Tang San obtained their fourth Soul Skills, and the Soul Grandmasters aside from Xiang Yang all advanced to Soul Elder. Xiao Wu was even close to reaching level 36.

There was little to say about the former, who hadn't been far off to begin with. The latter had absorbed the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone. The Soul Power that could raise someone by two or three levels even at the Soul King stage had a much greater effect at the Soul Elder stage, directly bringing him to level 42, the same as Dai Mubai.

A thirteen-year-old Soul Ancestor. The mere thought was absurd. One could only say that was what happened when someone had a background, resources, and talent, and worked hard besides.

Today, Xiang Yang had just finished his first daily task, cultivating the Purple Demon Eye, when he headed for the plot set aside as a "medicinal field" at the edge of the academy.

Just as with Tang San's Blacksmith's Shop, Flender had handed it over without another word once he'd received the money. As for what it would be used for? Xiang Yang could do whatever he liked. As long as the money was right, Flender didn't care what it was for.

These successive payments of "land rent," however, had given him an idea. He wondered whether he should rent out the other vacant areas too, or turn them into an inn or something. Fortunately, Yu Xiaogang had flatly rejected the idea on the grounds that it would disturb the students.

Most importantly, though, the place was a little too remote, and hardly anyone passed through. Otherwise, he wouldn't have acquired such a large stretch of land for such a low price back then. (His cultivation had also played a part.)

He and Tang San had put a great deal of effort into it over the past year. Tang San only had to select the plants or medicinal herbs they needed, but Xiang Yang had to "water" them every day with high-quality Sun-attribute energy refined through his Martial Soul.

Otherwise, relying on the Sun-Gathering Shield alone would at most produce a three- to fivefold increase.

"Phew~" After "watering" everything once, Xiang Yang finally stopped.

He felt a little exasperated. Why did he always feel like a donkey turning a millstone, unable to stop?

He so envied Xiao Wu, whose Soul Power shot up day after day while she played around.

Alas, perhaps he had been born to a life of toil. Who told him to be born with only level one Soul Power? Xiang Yang mused.

But judging by their actual cultivation speeds, he was in fact the fastest. At the start, he had gained three levels in a year, about the same as Tang San and Xiao Wu. Counting carefully, he had been a little faster.

That could still be explained away by how easily Soul Power increased at low levels, but after that, he had taken only a little over two years to reach level 20, an average of five levels a year.

That was mainly thanks to his physical strengthening and medicinal baths, which had greatly increased the amount of Sunlight Energy he could refine at one time in the same period.

At the time, everyone at Shrek had declared that he was not only number one under heaven in theory, but also left everyone in the dust in Soul Power cultivation.

If they had known about the prime minister, they surely would have cried, "Having given birth to... why give birth to Yang?!" The only one who knew wasn't in the mood, leaving him a little regretful.

And now, thirteen-year-old Xiang Yang's Soul Power was at level 28. His speed seemed to have dropped, with one fewer level gained per year than before. This was mainly because the effects of his physique and medicinal baths had reached their current limits.

Meanwhile, the quality of the Sunlight Energy refined through his Martial Soul wasn't improving nearly as quickly as he was. At present, it was only roughly at the strength of a Soul Ancestor, unlike at the beginning, when there had been a gap of as much as thirty levels between them.

As a result, Xiang Yang's cultivation had finally caught up with Shrek's admission requirement: anyone aged twelve with level 25 Soul Power was guaranteed admission.

Judging by Shrek's admission requirements, basically only those with Innate Soul Power above level seven who cultivated every day without slacking could be certain of getting in.

One could only say that Innate Soul Power really did make a huge difference. If he had been born with Innate Full Soul Power instead, he would be at least level 37 by now. Taking the advantage of talent into account, he should have reached Soul Ancestor.

What did it mean to reach Soul Ancestor at thirteen through daily cultivation alone? Someone with Innate Full Soul Power would have to gain thirty levels in seven years, averaging more than four levels a year. Apart from Qian Renxue, who came with a Divine Test of her own, no one could do it, including Tang San.

So, even though he said that, Xiang Yang was still very satisfied, especially with the matter he had long been planning coming up...

At the dinner table yesterday evening.

"Mmm, so good. Xiao Ao's cooking is even better than the food at those big restaurants..."

Ma Hongjun clutched his rice bowl and wolfed down his food. The sight made Dai Mubai silently edge away from him, as if trying to tell Zhu Zhuqing across the table that he was different.

"Hehe, this is the only time you ever praise me." Oscar sounded rather helpless as he put food on Ning Rongrong's plate.

"Really? I think Oscar is amazing too." Ning Rongrong smiled radiantly.

Thump! Thump! Oscar felt as though his heart were about to leap out of his chest. "Heh heh heh heh."

"Alas, this kid is beyond saving. She's got him in the palm of her hand."

Xiang Yang wore an expression that said, You're in trouble! You've fallen in love! Looking at Oscar's besotted face, he couldn't help shaking his head.

Did this count as the timeline converging? Ning Rongrong originally hadn't been interested in Oscar. After all, this was nearly three years earlier than in the original. Though she hadn't seen as much of the world then as she would later, her temperament had already earned her the name of a little witch.

At the academy back then, only Xiang Yang and Tang San had really interested her. Though the former didn't seem very gifted as a Soul Master, his theories could help people reach their theoretical limits and even break through them. The latter's special weapons, meanwhile, had shown her, a girl born into an auxiliary sect, another path besides Martial Soul Evolution.

And Oscar, who had been eleven at the time, hadn't been thinking about romance either, all the more so because she was two years younger than him. But since both were auxiliary-type Soul Masters, many of their training exercises were the same, and with time as the catalyst, a deep bond had formed between them.

It might not have been love, but it was certainly more than ordinary friendship.

"I'm done. I'll have another bowl." Xiao Wu was about to get up.

Tang San said out of habit, "Xiao Wu, eat slowly. Eating too fast is bad for your health."

"Hahaha!"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh!"

At once, the air filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Eat slowly~ bad for your~ health~" Ma Hongjun pinched his voice high and imitated him.

Seeing that Tang San had no idea what was going on, Xiao Wu's flushed cheeks inexplicably turned somewhat ashen. She rushed over and punched Ma Hongjun.

"Are you asking to die? Let's see if you dare make fun of us again."

"I won't, Sister Xiao Wu. I won't dare again."

"I'll teach you to imitate him! I'll teach you! Are you going to do it again?"

"It hurts! Boohoo, I won't dare again, Sister Xiao Wu! I won't!"

After the scuffle, the two returned to their seats. Ma Hongjun rubbed his ear, swollen from being pinched, and wanted to cry but had no tears. That mouth of his was far too good at getting him into trouble.

He couldn't help complaining, "Sister Xiao Wu, couldn't you have gone a little easier? I just helped you block that birdman's sneak attack."