First Encounter with Shrek

Outside the Star Dou Great Forest, a small town, evening.

Dust-covered, Yu Tiancheng finally stepped into this most bustling town adjacent to the Star Dou Great Forest.

On both sides of the street, the cold gleam of weapon shops, the strange odors of apothecaries, the tanning smell of leatherworks, and the smoky aroma of food stalls mingled together, rushing at his face.

Most passersby walked with hurried steps, their expressions wary or weary, swords and blades at their sides, sketching out the rough contours of a typical adventurer hub.

"Finally here."

Yu Tiancheng let out a light breath, the fatigue of days of travel quietly surging up.

He needed a place to rest, to recuperate properly, and conserve his energy for entering that vast and dangerous forest tomorrow.

His gaze swept across a hotel on the street that looked fairly clean, and he pushed open the door.

The lobby was buzzing with noise, nearly every seat taken.

Groups of three to five Spirit Masters talked loudly about their gains in the forest, harrowing encounters, or bounty missions, the atmosphere lively and chaotic.

Yu Tiancheng walked straight to the counter, about to check in—

"Creak—" The hotel door swung open again.

A group of people filed in.

At the lead was an exceptionally burly middle-aged man with a rough, scarred face and a fierce look, his gaze as steady and sharp as an eagle's. Just standing there, he exuded a heavy, immovable aura like a mountain.

Behind him followed seven young boys and girls of varying ages, each with a distinct temperament, but most bearing a sharpness and confidence beyond their years.

Yu Tiancheng's heart jumped.

Zhao Wuji. The Shrek Seven Devils.

"What a coincidence," he thought. "Then, according to the 'plot,' tonight this place is the stage for their conflict with Blue Sunshine Academy..."

Recalling that segment from the original story, a wave of disgust rose in Yu Tiancheng's heart.

It was clearly Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others who first provoked the female student from the other side with frivolous, disrespectful glances and rude words. When Blue Sunshine Academy demanded an apology, they turned the tables and, relying on their superior strength, humiliated and suppressed them.

"Bullying the weak and calling it bold?" Yu Tiancheng's eyes turned cold.

To confirm whether this "plot" would unfold as scheduled, and also... to perhaps do something about it.

He changed his mind about heading upstairs to rest immediately.

Without drawing attention, he stepped back two paces, chose an empty table in the farthest corner of the lobby, ordered some simple food, and quietly observed.

The Shrek group soon found a large table diagonally across from him, right within his line of sight.

The hotel was packed, and empty tables filled up quickly.

Before long, the door opened again, and eight people walked in.

At the front was a middle-aged man who looked about forty, wearing a moon-white Spirit Master robe, his expression stern.

Behind him followed seven youths—six male, one female—all in the same style of robe, embroidered clearly with the words "Blue Sunshine."

The Blue Sunshine Academy group sat down at the table next to Yu Tiancheng's.

No sooner had they settled than undisguised chatter came from across the way.

Ma Hongjun's small, beady eyes roved over the only female student in the Blue Sunshine group, and he let out a suppressed, unpleasant chuckle.

Dai Mubai curled his lip, his voice not loud but clear enough for several nearby tables to hear: "Just some puny Blue Sunshine Academy, what's there to be cocky about?"

The Blue Sunshine group's faces changed instantly.

The middle-aged man at their head—Ye Zhi Qiu—furrowed his brow, his gaze coldly sweeping toward the Shrek group's direction, but he seemed to hold back his anger, restraining himself for the moment.

Yu Tiancheng set down his teacup, sighing inwardly. "Here it comes... No matter how many times I see this plot, it still grates on me."

He hadn't wanted to meddle, but seeing Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's blatant provocation and arrogant demeanor with his own eyes, and recalling how Blue Sunshine Academy was humiliated in the original story, a stifling anger lodged in his chest, hard to quell.

"Am I... just going to watch?"

His fingers unconsciously brushed over the "Mysterious Cloak" in his bosom, light as nothing.

He had obtained this reward early this morning, with its concealment and mimicry abilities, but he hadn't tested it in a real combat scenario yet.

"Direct conflict is unwise. My spirit power is still shallow, and with Zhao Wuji, a Soul Saint, backing them up..."

Yu Tiancheng calmly analyzed the pros and cons. "But if I just stand by and let them bully others with their strength, it's hard to stomach... Besides, this might be a perfect chance to test the new reward's effects and... create some unique 'diary material'?"

His gaze shifted back to the diagonal table.

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were still making lewd comments without restraint, their words growing more offensive, their voices more unguarded.

The female student from Blue Sunshine Academy had turned pale with anger, and the male students beside her clenched their fists, flames of fury burning in their eyes.

Ye Zhi Qiu's face was dark as water, clearly barely holding back his rage.

The conflict was about to erupt.

Yu Tiancheng hesitated no longer. Using the excuse of getting more water at the counter, he rose naturally and, shielded by the flow of people, silently moved toward the corner of the staircase leading to the second floor.

There, the light was dim, and some odds and ends were piled up—an inconspicuous spot.

He quickly draped the "Mysterious Cloak" over himself, and with a thought, activated it.

A strange ripple enveloped his entire body.

The moment the cloak settled over him, he felt his silhouette blur, as if merging into the shadows of his surroundings.

His aura was suppressed to the extreme, nearly nonexistent, yet under the cloak's mysterious simulation, it faintly emitted a trace of obscure, hard-to-read soul power fluctuation, carrying a subtle sense of spatial distortion—

This was his deliberate guidance, simulating a trait vaguely related to yet distinct from his own Time Dragon Emperor Martial Soul, meant to confuse perception.

"Not bad." Yu Tiancheng carefully savored this state of near "disappearance" paired with disguise, his heart settling slightly.

He adjusted his breathing, focusing all his attention on the hall below, where tensions had already reached a breaking point.

Downstairs, the conflict had escalated.

"Get lost!" Dai Mubai impatiently shoved aside a Blue Sunshine Academy male student who had stepped forward to reason with him, the force not light.

"Hmph, trash from Blue Sunshine Academy dares to yap?"

Ye Zhi Qiu finally couldn't hold back. He rose abruptly and said in a deep voice, "Which academy are you kids from? When you're out in the world, watch your words. My Blue Sunshine Academy may not be top-tier, but we won't tolerate wanton humiliation."

"Watch my words? That depends on who I'm talking to." Dai Mubai arrogantly lifted his chin, a white tiger phantom flickering behind him for an instant as a fierce wave of soul power erupted.

"Against you lot? You think you're worthy?"

Before his words faded, he grinned savagely and prepared to lunge at the Blue Sunshine student he had shoved.

In that split second—

A sudden change occurred!

The solid floor beneath Dai Mubai's feet, without any warning, rippled faintly like the surface of water.

Not an illusion! His forward momentum slammed to a halt, as if he had stepped into an invisible bog. His body instantly lost balance, lurching violently, nearly pitching forward in an extremely awkward tumble.

Though he managed to twist and steady himself with his Soul Elder-level physique and reflexes, the fierce, predatory aura he had projected was utterly shattered, replaced by something rather comical.

"Huh?" Dai Mubai was both shocked and furious. He looked down—the floor was perfectly intact, with no trace of a trap or soul skill.

"Who? What the hell?" he barked, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings.

This bizarre scene left both sides stunned.

The Blue Sunshine students had no idea what had happened, but seeing the once-arrogant Dai Mubai suddenly humiliated in public, they felt a mix of shock and schadenfreude.

On Shrek's side, Zhao Wuji, who had been leaning back with his arms crossed, watching how the "little monsters" would "handle" the situation, narrowed his eyes abruptly.

A Soul Saint-level Spiritual Power, like an invisible tide, instantly spread out, meticulously sweeping through every inch of the hall—tables, chairs, people, the flow of air... any subtle anomaly in soul power could not escape his perception.