Another School Opening Day

Zhao Wuji looked at Wang Xiaofeng's weakened state and simply slung him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. He casually stored the Heavy Armor Man-Bull's corpse in his Soul Tool, then started back the way they had come.

Being carried over Zhao Wuji's shoulder was extremely uncomfortable for Wang Xiaofeng. Zhao Wuji's shoulder was far too hard, and there were no proper roads in the forest to begin with. The jolting nearly made Wang Xiaofeng cough up blood.

An hour later, Zhao Wuji finally carried Wang Xiaofeng out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Alright, Teacher Zhao, I can walk on my own now." The moment they left the forest, Wang Xiaofeng hurriedly asked Zhao Wuji to put him down.

If he had not secretly used his First Soul Skill along the way, being left with half his life would have been considered fortunate.

On the way back to the Small Town, Zhao Wuji asked, "Xiaofeng, your Third Soul Skill boosts defense, right?"

"That's right. My Third Soul Skill increases defense by 35%. Not only that, it also increases Soul Power by 15%," Wang Xiaofeng replied.

"Strange. Why did a Soul Power boost appear?" Zhao Wuji racked his brains but could not figure it out. He could only assume that the Heavy Armor Man-Bull was especially compatible with Wang Xiaofeng's Martial Soul, which was why it granted an additional enhancement attribute.

"Then recover properly first before heading back," Zhao Wuji suggested.

Wang Xiaofeng nodded. He had indeed planned to return only after recovering. He could not let his parents worry for nothing.

Wang Xiaofeng stayed in the Small Town fifty kilometers from the Star Dou Great Forest for a full three days. Only after feeling that there was nothing seriously wrong with his body did he set out for home.

Watching Wang Xiaofeng's departing figure, Zhao Wuji finally began his own return to the academy. Wang Xiaofeng was deeply grateful that Zhao Wuji had guarded him for three days. After struggling with it for a while, he still gave Zhao Wuji several dozen jars of Calabash Wine, enough to last him quite a few days.

After two days and one night of travel, Wang Xiaofeng finally returned to Calabash Village around dusk.

"Well, if it isn't Xiaofeng. Back for the holidays?"

The villagers greeted Wang Xiaofeng one after another when they saw him. Wang Xiaofeng smiled and responded to each of them. Some aunties saw that he was alone and even wanted to take him home for dinner and introduce their daughters to him.

So frightened that he hurried home, Wang Xiaofeng no longer dared to wander around outside.

He Li, who was cooking, heard the door open and thought it was Wang Danu. When she came out carrying a dish, however, she saw that it was Wang Xiaofeng. She immediately looked him over and said, "Why didn't you bring a girl back?"

Wang Xiaofeng said helplessly, "Our school is full of boys. Where am I supposed to find a little girl to bring back?"

"Your academy only accepts boys?"

Wang Xiaofeng explained Shrek's rules to her. When he mentioned that the academy only accepted monsters and not ordinary people, He Li's eyes immediately lit up. She had practically turned into one of Flander's biggest fans.

Are people in this world really this easy to fool? Should I publish a collection of Flander's classic quotes and make some money? Wang Xiaofeng thought helplessly.

Just then, the front gate creaked open. Wang Xiaofeng turned around and saw that Wang Danu had returned.

Wang Danu was somewhat surprised to see Wang Xiaofeng as well, but he still looked around curiously. Seeing only Wang Xiaofeng and He Li, he could not help saying,

"Son, why didn't you bring a little girl back?"

As expected of a married couple, they thought exactly alike. Wang Xiaofeng curled his lips, unwilling to say anything more, picked up his bowl, and began eating by himself.

After dinner, Wang Xiaofeng gave his parents the Moon Dew he had saved over the past year. The Moon Dew he had left them before had long since been used up.

However, Wang Danu and He Li had both reached rank 37. Perhaps next year, they would be able to obtain their Fourth Soul Ring.

Only after finally returning to the safety of home did Wang Xiaofeng have time to inspect the gains from this trip.

Although absorbing the Soul Ring had subjected Wang Xiaofeng to unbearable torment, it had also brought great benefits. Both his Soul Power and physical body had been significantly strengthened.

His physical fitness had directly doubled, and his Soul Power had become more condensed, comparable in intensity to that of a high-level Soul Ancestor.

His Third Soul Skill in particular granted a base increase of 50% to defense and 30% to Soul Power, with every additional Soul Ring increasing it by another 10%. With Wang Xiaofeng's current three Soul Rings, it was nearly a doubling of his defense.

"This time, the gains weren't bad." Wang Xiaofeng nodded and began his daily cultivation. After consuming Moon Dew, he began meditating.

"Without Mimetic Cultivation, my cultivation speed really has dropped somewhat. And because my Soul Power is more condensed, cultivation has become even slower?"

"Fortunately, the Third Soul Ring's enhancement has turned Moon Dew into a fourfold buff. Even so, once I return to the academy, the boost from the Mimetic Cultivation Ground still won't make my cultivation speed as outrageous as before."

Suddenly, Wang Xiaofeng sensed that his body seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation. However, the change was far too subtle. If he had not been in a state of deep meditation, he would never have noticed it.

"This should be the second passive ability bestowed by my Martial Soul after absorbing the Third Soul Ring," Wang Xiaofeng guessed.

Every time he absorbed a Soul Ring, he would gain two passive Martial Soul abilities.

The First Soul Ring had opened the Martial Soul Space and given him the broken ability to convert moonlight into Moon Dew.

The Second Soul Ring had given him Size As You Wish, as well as the ability to slowly use the food in his stomach to strengthen his own power.

"It seems that the Third Soul Ring's ability should be to absorb moonlight and improve my body's natural aptitude."

"As for whether the other ability is Indestructible Body or Steel Tendons, Iron Bones, I'll have to spend time testing it."

I should cultivate first! Wang Xiaofeng settled his mind and silently cultivated.

Everything else was empty. Only strength held in one's own hands was real. This was the principle Wang Xiaofeng kept firmly in mind.

A month passed in a flash. It was time for Shrek to recruit students again, and it was also time for Wang Xiaofeng to return to the academy.

"Son, take all of these. Remember to share them with your classmates and let them try something new." He Li handed Wang Xiaofeng a large bundle of Fresh Flower Pancakes and instructed him.

"Got it!" Wang Xiaofeng helplessly put the pancakes into his Soul Tool. His Soul Tool was already nearly too full to hold anything else.

"Hurry back to the academy. Don't be late."

Wang Xiaofeng joined a caravan that happened to be delivering vegetables to Moro City and set off on his journey back to the academy.

In Moro City, Wang Xiaofeng hired a carriage and spent a day reaching Suotuo City.

Seeing that it was still early, Wang Xiaofeng stopped by Spirit Hall in Suotuo City to upgrade his badge to Soul Elder level and collect this month's payment.

He also wandered around Suotuo City for a while. His improved physical condition had caused him to grow quite a bit taller as well, and none of his old clothes fit anymore. With no other choice, he bought several sets of fitting clothes from a clothing shop.

"Right, I wonder how the Winery's renovations are going."

Wang Xiaofeng suddenly remembered that the Winery he and Dai Mubai had jointly invested in should have finished renovations around this time.

He needed to find time to move his batch of wine into the Winery.

"Ah, why does it feel like I'm getting busier and busier? I only wanted to be a lazy bum." Wang Xiaofeng sighed toward the sky.

The passersby around him moved away one after another, looking at him with a trace of pity in their eyes.