Phoenix? Grass Chicken?

"HAHAHA!"

"Dai Mubai! Oscar! You two are such jerks! Watching from the sidelines was bad enough, but you even laughed that loudly!"

Wang Xiaofeng, beaten into a pig-headed mess, complained to the two of them. If he had not made full use of the rules, this trial would not have been easy to pass.

Oscar and Dai Mubai hurriedly apologized. Wang Xiaofeng was fairly handsome to begin with, so seeing him suddenly beaten into a pig-headed state created such a stark contrast that they could not help laughing.

After walking for a while, Wang Xiaofeng finally showed an excited expression. "I'm finally away from that Zhao bear. Hurry, Oscar, give me a Big Sausage."

Upon hearing that, Oscar's First Soul Ring lit up, and he began summoning his Martial Soul with his right hand.

"I, your father, have a—"

Dai Mubai's face twitched slightly when he heard Oscar's incantation. Thinking of the several sausages he had eaten during the fight earlier, his stomach churned.

"Oscar, why is your incantation so sleazy?"

"Mubai, Support System Soul Masters do not get to decide their own incantations. Oscar can't do anything about it."

Wang Xiaofeng wore a disdainful expression. Dai Mubai was making a fuss over nothing. As a foodie, he considered this sort of incantation nothing at all.

Wang Xiaofeng took Oscar's sausage and swallowed it in one bite. Once it entered his mouth, it turned into Soul Power and flowed into his body. The swelling on his injured face quickly subsided, and the pain lessened somewhat.

With the effects of Oscar's sausage, he had recovered ninety percent after only a short while.

"Oscar, your Soul Skill is really effective." Wang Xiaofeng gave the sausage's healing effects his wholehearted approval.

"Exactly. I won't give any to Big Boss Dai anymore. From now on, I'll only let you, Little Feng, eat my sausages." Oscar looked touched and blew Wang Xiaofeng a kiss.

Wang Xiaofeng was nearly blinded by Oscar's sheer flamboyance.

"Oscar, that sleazy move looks especially creepy with your uncle face." Wang Xiaofeng pointed at Dai Mubai, who was vomiting off to the side. Its destructive power was simply too terrifying—even he had nearly been unable to take it.

After a while, Dai Mubai brought the two of them to the dormitory.

"This is our dorm?" Wang Xiaofeng looked at the dilapidated Wooden House before him. It seemed as if a strong gust of wind could collapse it.

"The academy's funds are indeed a little tight, but those are small matters. Everyone comes to the academy to become stronger, not to enjoy themselves."

"But isn't even having somewhere to live a problem?" Oscar was not buying it.

"Oh, come on. If we clean it up and patch it a little, it'll be livable. That's how I got through it back then too."

Dai Mubai had been called out and immediately became a little embarrassed and angry. He shoved brooms into their hands and urged them to get to work.

Wang Xiaofeng and Oscar exchanged looks. There was nothing they could do—they were already aboard this pirate ship, so they could only start cleaning the Wooden House.

Two hours later...

"Whew, whew, we finally finished cleaning!" Wang Xiaofeng tossed aside the rag in his hand and flopped onto the wooden bed. "I'm completely useless now."

Oscar, lying on the other bed, waved a hand to show that he had been useless long ago.

"Xiaofeng, Oscar, I've already patched up the outside for you. It won't leak when it rains." Dai Mubai jumped down from the roof and clapped his hands.

"Mubai, thank you. The two of us definitely couldn't have finished it today on our own."

Wang Xiaofeng and Oscar thanked Dai Mubai. Since they had arrived at the academy, he had taken good care of them both, and they were deeply touched.

"Hey, what's this between brothers? We'll be fighting side by side in the future."

At that moment, Dai Mubai truly gave off a unique kind of personal charm that naturally made people like him.

"We're all brothers!" The three smiled at one another. After their battle with Zhao Wuji, they had begun to recognize one another.

Dai Mubai looked at the darkening sky and said, "I originally wanted to take you out to celebrate tonight, but it looks like that won't happen."

"How about we wait until the other student gets back, then go together?" Oscar had heard that the academy's other student had gone to obtain a Soul Ring, so he made the suggestion.

"Mm, that's not a bad idea. Everyone's tired today anyway. It won't be too late when Fatty gets back." Dai Mubai thought the suggestion was good.

Afterward, the three went to the Cafeteria for a meal, then returned to their dormitory rooms.

"Xiaofeng, where are you going this late?"

Oscar had just finished bathing when he saw Wang Xiaofeng preparing to head out.

"Oh, it's easier for me to meditate under moonlight, so I'm going out to cultivate."

"You're really hardworking." Oscar greatly admired him for it. He could not endure that kind of grueling cultivation; he preferred a balance between work and rest.

Not long after Oscar climbed into bed, he fell asleep, letting out loud snores.

When Wang Xiaofeng went out, he closed the door behind him, then gave himself a boost. A surge of power immediately welled up within him.

Using that strength, Wang Xiaofeng easily jumped onto the roof. He circulated his Soul Power and summoned the Green Calabash. After drinking a drop of Moon Dew, he began meditating.

The long night slowly faded, and the earth gradually awakened. A sliver of morning light broke the night's stillness.

Wang Xiaofeng slowly opened his eyes. The surging Soul Power within him gradually calmed, and sensing how much denser it had become, he could not help smiling.

"The bottleneck had held me back for over half a month. I've finally broken through to level twenty-four."

Wang Xiaofeng jumped down from the roof and began his usual morning training.

He ran several laps around the village, only returning to the dormitory after the sun had fully risen.

Oscar was still hugging his blanket and sleeping soundly.

"Oscar, wake up already." Wang Xiaofeng gave Oscar a shove.

"Yesterday wore me out. Let me sleep a little longer," Oscar mumbled.

Wang Xiaofeng frowned. "Get up. If you're too late, there won't be any breakfast left."

Oscar yawned. "Big brother, please stop bothering me and let me sleep a little longer."

Wang Xiaofeng had no way to deal with Oscar. Someone this lazy was actually born with full innate Soul Power. People truly could not be compared.

Shrek Academy was quiet, but the villagers on the other side had already become busy.

When Wang Xiaofeng arrived at the Cafeteria in the center of the village, the villagers who knew him all congratulated him on passing the assessment. Wang Xiaofeng smiled and responded to each of them.

He then expertly served himself a large bowl of porridge and began wolfing it down with pickles.

"I'm finally back. Coming home feels so wonderful!"

The booming voice caught Wang Xiaofeng's attention. Looking up, he saw a thin figure and a fat figure blocking the sunlight at the doorway.

"Headmaster, Fatty, when did you get back?" Dai Mubai had somehow appeared beside Wang Xiaofeng and spoke happily.

"Mubai, you've worked hard these past few days." The tall, thin middle-aged man patted Dai Mubai on the shoulder.

"It's nothing. It's what I should do." Dai Mubai instinctively puffed out his chest.

"Is this our Shrek Academy headmaster and that student with the Phoenix Martial Soul?" Wang Xiaofeng nudged Dai Mubai and asked.

Wang Xiaofeng's voice caught the thin man's attention. "And this is?"

Dai Mubai introduced both sides. "Headmaster, let me introduce him. This is Wang Xiaofeng, a new student the academy recruited. Xiaofeng, this is Flander, the headmaster of our Shrek Academy. The fat one beside him is Ma Hongjun."

"Not bad. It looks like our academy has gained another Little Monster." Flander seemed quite happy. His somewhat stiff face softened, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Ma Hongjun beside him was also happy. The academy was finally not so deserted anymore.

"I'm starving. Is there anything left to eat?" A familiar voice sounded out. Wang Xiaofeng looked up and saw Oscar, who had just woken up.

Still bleary-eyed, Oscar grabbed the Steamed Bun in front of Wang Xiaofeng before noticing the two people sitting nearby.

"Oscar, these two are..." Dai Mubai introduced everyone again.

"I just got back from outside today, so we'll rest for the day. Classes start tomorrow." Flander drained the porridge in his hand and said to Dai Mubai, "Mubai, take them to Teacher Li later and pay one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"Mubai, you seem to really respect the headmaster." Watching Flander leave, Wang Xiaofeng asked curiously.

Dai Mubai swallowed the Steamed Bun in his mouth and said excitedly, "Of course! Not only is the headmaster a level seventy-eight Soul Saint himself, he's also said many sensible things. My favorite is: those who dare not cause trouble are mediocrities."

"I didn't expect Headmaster Flander to be so badass. I'm his fan from now on too." Oscar, who had been eavesdropping nearby, said that he liked a domineering headmaster like this.

Seeing that everyone had nearly finished eating, Dai Mubai said to the three of them, "We'll all be living and cultivating together from now on, so there's no need to be too formal with how we address each other. Including you, there are only four students in the academy."

"Fatty calls me Big Boss Dai because I'm a little older than him. Of course, you can call me Mubai too. As for Ma Hongjun, just call him Fatty."

Ignoring Ma Hongjun's protest, Dai Mubai decided his form of address for him.

Wang Xiaofeng readily said, "Just call me Xiaofeng. My parents and teacher all call me that."

Oscar also added, "Just call me Xiao Ao." His smile never left his face, as though he wanted to bring everyone closer together. However, paired with his full beard, it just felt rather strange.

Wang Xiaofeng looked at Oscar speechlessly. Big brother, could you please shave that beard?

Dai Mubai seemed to suddenly remember that Ma Hongjun had just acquired his Second Soul Ring, and he asked curiously, "Right, Fatty, how effective is your Second Soul Ring's Soul Skill?"

Seeing that he finally had a chance to show off, Ma Hongjun immediately leaped up from his chair and excitedly headed outside. "Hurry up and follow me. Let me show you how amazing I am."

The three followed Ma Hongjun to the Training Field. They stood to one side, watching him in silence.

"Don't be too shocked when you see my Martial Soul." Ma Hongjun circulated his Soul Power and shouted, "Phoenix Avatar!"

Purple-red light burst forth from Ma Hongjun's body. The short hair on his head suddenly lengthened and gathered toward the center, forming a mohawk.

The wings Wang Xiaofeng had been expecting did not appear, but as soon as the purple-red light emerged from Ma Hongjun's body, it released intense heat.

Two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet at the same time. Long feathers extended from his thick, bare arms, and his hands turned into claws.

Oscar was too shocked to speak. Wang Xiaofeng stared at Ma Hongjun and muttered, "This is... a Grass Chicken?"