Xu Xiaoyun: I Want to Ask, Is Xuan Zi a Mole Your Holy Spirit Cult Sent into Shrek?

The Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu, with the rising sun.

Xu Xiaoyun, dressed in a long, front-buttoned robe, walked alone along the broad stone-paved street. On both sides stood sprawling buildings stretching beyond sight. Most were over five stories tall, and some even rose more than ten stories.

As he walked through the most magnificent city on the Continent, ripples gradually appeared in Xu Xiaoyun's otherwise tranquil eyes, and his expression grew complicated.

In terms of area alone, the combined capitals of the three empires that had once belonged to Douluo Continent were less than half the size of Mingdu. Only after adding Shrek City could they barely compare. As for prosperity, the difference was even greater.

Along the way, Xu Xiaoyun had already seen some civilian Soul Tools in Mingdu. No matter how much he wanted to hold on to tradition, he could not honestly claim that a Heating Soul Tool was less convenient or less warm than burning firewood...

"Four thousand years, and the status of traditional soul masters has finally failed to withstand the impact of Soul Tools? It really won't do to reject new things."

Xu Xiaoyun looked around at his surroundings, his heart heavy with worry for the future of traditional soul masters.

Among top-level Soul Engineers, there were already powerhouses at the Limit Douluo level. This meant that soul masters no longer held an absolute advantage even in terms of the highest level of combat power. Given enough time, perhaps the status of soul masters would truly be abolished.

Perhaps the Xu Family had already reached the point where it had no choice but to change...

"Come take a look! Barbecued meat, fragrant barbecued meat, from a century-old shop..."

"Freshly steamed buns, three copper soul coins each! Come and have a taste..."

The cries of Mingdu's residents selling breakfast drifted into his ears. Several wisps of beef aroma entered his nose, and Xu Xiaoyun swallowed before turning and walking straight into the Barbecue Restaurant.

Since I'm here, I might as well eat first.

"Waiter, bring out all your best barbecued meat for me to try. Roast lamb, roast beef—bring it all. Make it as delicious as possible. Money is no object!"

Xu Xiaoyun sat down at an empty table, pulled out a Gold Soul Coin card, and waved his sleeve grandly as he instructed the waiter.

The Xuanming Sect was a major buyer of pills. Xu Xiaoyun could proudly say that he had no concept of money.

"All right! Would you like some Ale as well? We have a regular customer here, an old gentleman about your age. He likes eating meat with a little wine."

The waiter recorded Xu Xiaoyun's order and thoughtfully offered another suggestion.

Xu Xiaoyun thought about it, then shook his head. "It's too early in the morning to drink. My old bones can't handle it. Forget it. Just bring me some fruit juice."

"All right, I'll write that down. May I ask how I should address you?"

"Just call me Grandpa Xu, hehe. I'm getting old, and it's rare for me to come out."

Xu Xiaoyun spoke with a beaming smile, looking like an extremely wealthy ordinary old man. Not the slightest trace of a powerhouse's aura could be seen.

Suddenly, his smile froze. Then he recovered as usual and turned to glance at a tall, silver-haired old man who had just entered from outside. A solemn look immediately surfaced in his narrowed eyes.

The silver-haired old man's hair was combed with meticulous neatness. His face was as ruddy as a baby's, and long eyebrows hung down on either side of his face. He seemed to possess an imposing air, yet wore a faint smile.

Under the gaze of a supreme powerhouse like Xu Xiaoyun, even a Super Douluo would feel as if needles were pricking his back. Yet the old man seemed completely unaware. Instead, he walked over to Xu Xiaoyun with a hearty smile and said:

"I'm late today and couldn't get a good seat. You don't mind if I share yours, do you?"

As he spoke, he sat down without waiting for Xu Xiaoyun's answer, utterly unceremonious.

Xu Xiaoyun glanced at the empty table beside them. He was not annoyed and instead turned to the waiter.

"Make everything I ordered a double portion. Also, forget the fruit juice and bring a few jugs of Ale. Bring plenty, and don't try to save money for this old man."

The waiter clearly recognized the silver-haired old man. He did not answer Xu Xiaoyun directly, instead looking at the silver-haired old man doubtfully. "Grandpa Long, what do you think..."

The silver-haired old man known as "Grandpa Long" smiled and waved his hand. "Someone's already offered to treat us, so do as he says. Grandpa Xu is a wealthy man. Since he's visiting you for once, put your heart into it."

The waiter had not expected the two men to know each other, but wisely asked no further questions. He turned and left, preparing to tell the barbecue chef to show them his very best.

Watching the waiter leave, the silver-haired old man said with a full smile, "The flavor of this Barbecue Restaurant is first-rate even in Mingdu. The meat is rich and fragrant, tender, fresh, and juicy. You certainly know how to pick a place."

Xu Xiaoyun snorted, a hint of pride appearing on his face as he pursed his lips. "Of course. I've eaten plenty of good things in my life. I've visited the kitchens of the imperial palaces and princely residences of all three empires. One sniff is enough for me to know that this shop's meat won't disappoint."

"Not to brag, but when it comes to food, even you, Long Xiaoyao, can't beat me."

The silver-haired old man—Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao—did not refute him. Instead, he gave a thumbs-up and replied with an expression of complete agreement:

"That's true. I still remember when we were in the academy. Your seafood was so good that it made countless people drool.

"The Eldest son of the Xuanming Sect was not only the Number One Genius among defensive soul masters, but also unrivaled at cooking. On top of that, you were handsome and wealthy, so the girls adored you."

Xu Xiaoyun cast Long Xiaoyao a sidelong glance, his eyes filled with surprise. "You still remember something that happened over two hundred years ago? That's rare."

"What are you saying? I love meat most of all. Your method of roasting meat was the finest I had ever seen in my life. Naturally, I could never forget it." Long Xiaoyao pretended to be angry as he spoke.

Xu Xiaoyun stared at Long Xiaoyao without saying a word.

Soon, the two men met each other's eyes and burst into hearty laughter at the same time. Though they were old and worn, their voices were still full of vigor and passion, no less than those of young men.

The waiter silently carried over a bundle of Ale and left without a sound. It was better not to interrupt old people when they were reminiscing about the past.

"Snap—"

The two men each opened a bottle of wine. Then, without bothering with cups, they clinked their bottles and began drinking with loud gulps.

After downing a bottle, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Once again, Long Xiaoyao was the first to laugh and speak. He asked directly, "Last night, I sensed a trace of your aura outside the Evil Forest. What were you doing there?"

"What else could I have been doing there besides hunting soul beasts?" Xu Xiaoyun replied irritably. "Could I have been looking for excitement and picked a fight with the Evil Emperor? Or gone after your old flame? I'm not suicidal."

"Of course not."

Long Xiaoyao laughed helplessly, seemingly realizing that he had asked a foolish question. He promptly changed the subject.

"The Evil Forest is mostly home to Mental Attribute soul beasts. When did your Xuanming Sect produce a Genius who needs such a soul ring? And why did it require you, this ancestor, to make the trip personally?"

The Holy Spirit Cult, a group of Evil Soul Masters, had its headquarters in the Evil Forest. While walking through the forest last night, Long Xiaoyao had unexpectedly sensed the faint aura of his old friend and immediately grown vigilant.

At the Limit Douluo level, one could truly merge with heaven and earth and search out existences that might threaten oneself. There were only a handful of people in the world who could threaten him, and Xu Xiaoyun was one of them.

Long Xiaoyao was not afraid that Xu Xiaoyun would expose this matter. He was worried that Xu Xiaoyun might get hotheaded and try to uphold justice, only to get himself killed in the process.

Xu Xiaoyun did not answer Long Xiaoyao directly. Instead, he opened another bottle of wine and took two gulps before sighing. His face turned sorrowful as he said:

"It was my poor Great-Grandson. His mother had just passed away recently, and his Martial Soul underwent an unexpected mutation upon awakening. His fate has truly been full of hardships.

"His mother was my youngest disciple. She met with an accident in the Star Dou Great Forest, and I bear responsibility for it. Fortunately, his mutated Mental Attribute Martial Soul isn't bad. Naturally, I had to prepare the best soul ring for him."

Long Xiaoyao had no descendants, but he nodded in understanding. Then he asked curiously, "With your cultivation, how could you have allowed something to happen to a junior? Did you encounter a Ferocious Beast? The Scarlet King wasn't your match. Was it Bear King, King of Ten Thousand Demons, or Di Tian?"

Xu Xiaoyun raised his eyes and glanced at Long Xiaoyao with a smile. "What? Does His Excellency Dragon Emperor want to avenge me?"

Long Xiaoyao smiled freely. "Don't be so distant. We were good friends who fought side by side back then. We fought Shrek Academy together, and hunted soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest together.

"I have few old acquaintances left in this world. Mu En counts as one, but I'm too ashamed to face him. That leaves only you for me to talk with freely. If Di Tian wasn't the one who harmed your disciple, how about I accompany you there?"

As he spoke, he added, "It's not that Di Tian doesn't want to help. He really can't. You know that his Martial Soul completely suppresses mine. Even if you and I joined forces, going there would only mean certain death. But I don't think it was him."

Xu Xiaoyun nodded, a mocking look appearing on his face. "Of course it wasn't Di Tian. It was merely an old fool who let his greed for food cause trouble. But that fellow is protected by Mu En. I can't kill him, nor can I afford to kill him. After all, now that Mu En is dead, he's the new Sea God Pavilion Master, isn't he?"

Long Xiaoyao's expression changed. "You're talking about Xuan Zi?"

"That's right. My youngest disciple and a group of inner-court disciples went hunting for soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. They unexpectedly encountered a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Yet at that moment, the teacher leading them was late because he was indulging his appetite. As a result, eight of the twelve people died...

"Hehe, whenever I think of it, my anger blazes. I wish I could kill that old beast with one palm!"

Furious anger surged through Xu Xiaoyun's heavy voice. Then he looked intently at Long Xiaoyao and said solemnly:

"Since I've run into you today, there are two things I want to discuss with you. Are you interested?"

"Go ahead."

"First, I want to ask: Is Xuan Zi that old beast a mole your Holy Spirit Cult sent into Shrek?"

Long Xiaoyao: "...(⊙_⊙)?"