Suotuo City

Shrek Academy!

Wang Xiaofeng secretly wiped away a cold sweat. Was this what it felt like to be sold on something?

On the surface, however, he pretended to know nothing, with a trace of confusion on his face. "What academy is that? How come I've never heard of it?"

Oscar owed me a little golden statuette.

"It's normal that you don't know." The dean sighed softly. "When Shrek Academy was at the height of its fame, how old were you?"

"Then why isn't it famous now?" Wang Xiaofeng silently munched on the gossip. Please, begin your performance.

"Back when Shrek was flourishing, it refused recruitment by the Balak Kingdom. Those nobles felt they had lost face, so they joined forces to suppress Shrek. Many people don't even know such an academy exists. If the dean of Shrek weren't a Soul Saint and those nobles didn't dare resort to force, Shrek Academy would have shut down long ago."

A Soul Saint! Wang Xiaofeng was somewhat surprised. In this era, where no Titled Douluos had emerged and Soul Douluos reigned supreme, Soul Saints were already top-tier fighters. The deans of many intermediate academies were at most Soul Emperors, while in some relatively backward academies, even Soul Kings could serve as dean. Judging by Soul Power cultivation alone, Shrek Academy was definitely at the top of the list.

Even if the dean had not mentioned it, he had intended to go anyway. Now, he had one more reason to visit Shrek.

Wang Xiaofeng received a Recommendation Letter for Shrek Academy from the dean. He stated that he would definitely go and take a look at Shrek. After exchanging a few polite words, Wang Xiaofeng took his leave.

As Wang Xiaofeng walked down the road and looked at the Recommendation Letter in his hand, he could not help curling his lips. There had to be some kind of shady deal between the two academies, but he would only know once he got there. In any case, he was just going to have a look first.

Standing before the window, the dean watched Wang Xiaofeng leave and muttered, "Flander, I found you a pretty good student. The next time we meet, it'll be time for you to repay the Gold Soul Coins you owe me!"

After returning home, Wang Xiaofeng followed his usual routine and handed all the Moon Dew he had saved to his parents. Then he brought up Shrek Academy. Wang Danu and He Li replied that he was already a mature kid and should make his own decisions.

After staying home for half a month, Wang Xiaofeng truly could not stand the disdainful looks from Wang Danu and He Li anymore.

Wasn't your rapid advancement all thanks to me? My martial soul is part of me, so my martial soul equals me! Just because you're level 34, you can look down on level 23? I work hard too, okay?

Table flip!

That was right. After being enhanced by the Second Soul Ring, Moon Dew's double buff had become a triple buff, so Wang Danu and He Li cultivated even faster. Wang Xiaofeng's cultivation speed, meanwhile, was still the same old mess—not fast, but not slow either.

There were still half a month until Shrek's admissions began, and Calabash Village was not far from Suotuo City. So, after being driven out of the house, Wang Xiaofeng decided to seriously walk to Shrek Academy! He could enjoy the scenery along the way too.

Two hours later, Wang Xiaofeng stared at the road ahead, which split into several branches, then compared it with the map in his hand that had only a few lines drawn on it...

He silently tore it apart. My brain must have been waterlogged earlier for me to come up with such an idea.

After waiting by the roadside for a long time, Wang Xiaofeng finally found a Caravan headed toward Suotuo City. After using the legendary Money-Spending Method on them, the caravan owner reluctantly agreed to give him a lift.

"Thanks, boss. You're really a good person."

There was no way Wang Xiaofeng would just obediently let himself be ripped off. When eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet, you had to eat enough to get your money's worth.

Two days later, at the gates of Suotuo City.

Watching the Caravan flee in panic, Wang Xiaofeng touched his fair cheek. Was I really that scary?

The caravan owner wanted to cry but had no tears. The provisions that should have lasted half a month had been eaten down to just three days' worth! This was the biggest loss-making deal he had ever made.

Ever since attaching his Second Soul Ring, Wang Xiaofeng had noticed that after he was seventy percent full, no matter how much more he ate, he would not feel full. His strength also increased by the tiniest amount, though without professional strength-testing equipment, the improvement could not be measured at all.

Still, it was an unexpected bonus. It was practically useless to Wang Xiaofeng at present. Support-type Soul Masters did not need to fight personally in the first place, and he had a physique that never gained weight anyway.

Wang Xiaofeng looked through the tall city walls and could not help marveling. This was hardly any different from a small city in his previous life.

Suotuo City truly deserved its reputation as the most prosperous city in the Balak Kingdom. The flow of people was astonishingly huge. Wang Xiaofeng entered Suotuo City along with the crowd, and it gave him a familiar feeling of rushing to catch a train during the Spring Festival travel rush in his previous life.

Suotuo City was far larger than Moro City and naturally much livelier as well. Soldiers on patrol could be seen everywhere on the streets, while bustling crowds streamed endlessly past.

Wang Xiaofeng wandered here and there, buying a little of whatever tasty food he saw and eating as he walked.

"This grilled smell!" Wang Xiaofeng suddenly caught a familiar scent, one he had not smelled in more than ten years.

"There!" Wang Xiaofeng's nose immediately locked onto the target. With a whoosh, he appeared before a pushcart. The grill atop it was covered with sausages, while oil dripped onto the charcoal and sizzled.

"It's Grilled Sausage! I love it!"

Grilled Sausage ranked fourth among Wang Xiaofeng's favorite foods. Paired with cola, it had always been one of his favorites.

"I wonder how it compares to volcanic-stone grilled sausage." Wang Xiaofeng stood before the stall, letting his thoughts run wild.

"You've been staring for so long. Aren't you going to buy one?" Only then did Wang Xiaofeng notice someone standing behind the pushcart. (Clearly, all you had eyes for were the sausages.)

The person behind the cart wore simple gray clothes, had neatly trimmed short hair and a face full of stubble, yet possessed a pair of large peach-blossom eyes. It was hard to believe that such a soft, gentle voice could come from the mouth of a burly man with such a rugged appearance.

"Uncle, I'll take all your grilled sausages." Wang Xiaofeng waved his hand grandly. "How much?"

The stall owner picked up bamboo skewers from his pushcart, threaded every sausage on the stall onto them, then packed them into a paper bag and handed it to Wang Xiaofeng. "Here are your sausages. Also, I'm only twelve years old, not some uncle."

Wang Xiaofeng's expression froze. Embarrassed, he accepted the paper bag. Getting someone's form of address wrong was indeed somewhat rude. "Sorry, I was impolite."

The stall owner shrugged and said softly, "It's fine. I'm used to it."

He then packed up his stall and pushed his cart away into the setting sun.

Watching the stall owner's departing back, Wang Xiaofeng realized that the stall owner had forgotten to take his money. The sausage in his mouth suddenly tasted even better... Wonderful.