First Encounter with Shrek

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

Dust-covered from his journey, Yu Tiancheng finally entered this small town, the most bustling one bordering the Star Dou Great Forest.

The cold gleam of weapons from shops, the strange smells from potion stores, the scent of tanned leather, and the smoky warmth of food stalls mingled together and hit him in the face.

Most pedestrians hurried along, their expressions wary or exhausted. With blades and swords at their sides, they outlined the rough character of a typical adventurer gathering place.

"I finally made it."

Yu Tiancheng let out a soft breath, as the fatigue from traveling for days quietly welled up inside him.

He needed somewhere to stay and properly recover, so he could conserve his strength for entering that vast and dangerous forest tomorrow.

His gaze swept over a seemingly tidy inn by the roadside. He pushed open the door and entered.

The lobby was full of noise, with hardly an empty seat.

Groups of Spirit Masters loudly discussed their gains in the forest, dangerous encounters, and bounty missions. The atmosphere was lively and boisterous.

Yu Tiancheng walked straight to the counter and was just about to arrange his lodging—

With a creak, the inn's doors were pushed open again.

A group of people filed inside.

At the front was a middle-aged, exceptionally burly man with a rough face covered in heavy jowls. His eyes were as solemn and sharp as an eagle's. Merely standing there, he radiated a steady, immovable presence as heavy as a mountain.

Behind him followed seven boys and girls who were not very old. Their temperaments varied, but most had a sharpness and confidence between their brows that surpassed their years.

Yu Tiancheng's heart jumped.

Zhao Wuji. The Shrek Seven Devils.

"What a coincidence?" he thought. "Then according to the 'plot,' this is where they'll clash with Canghui Academy tonight..."

At the thought of that scene from the original story, a trace of disgust surfaced in Yu Tiancheng's heart.

It had clearly been Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others who first provoked the female students from the opposing side with frivolous and discourteous looks and rude words. Yet when the people from Canghui Academy demanded an apology, they had turned the blame around, relying on their superior strength to humiliate and suppress them.

"Bullying the weak while relying on strength, and still thinking they're being heroic?" Yu Tiancheng's eyes turned cold.

To confirm whether this part of the "plot" would unfold as expected, and also because... perhaps he could do something.

Yu Tiancheng, who had originally planned to go upstairs and rest immediately, changed his mind.

Without drawing attention, he took two steps back and chose an empty table in the most secluded corner of the lobby. After ordering some simple food, he quietly observed.

The Shrek group soon found a large table diagonally across from him and sat down, conveniently within Yu Tiancheng's view.

The inn was doing booming business, and the empty tables were quickly filled.

Before long, the doors were pushed open once more, and eight people entered.

At the front was a middle-aged man who looked about forty. He wore a moon-white Spirit Master robe and had a stern expression.

Behind him followed six young men and one young woman. The same-style robes they wore were embroidered with the distinct words "Canghui."

The people from Canghui Academy sat down at the empty seats beside Yu Tiancheng.

As soon as they took their seats, undisguised discussion came from across the room.

Ma Hongjun's beady eyes roved over the only female student in the Canghui Academy group, while he let out a suppressed, unpleasant chuckle.

Dai Mubai curled his lip. His voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for the nearby tables to hear. "It's only a little Canghui Academy. What the hell are they acting so high and mighty for?"

The faces of the Canghui Academy group immediately changed.

The middle-aged man at their head—Ye Zhi Qiu—furrowed his brows deeply and coldly swept his gaze toward the Shrek group. However, perhaps mindful of the setting, he temporarily suppressed his anger.

Yu Tiancheng set down his teacup and sighed inwardly. As expected... This scene is irritating no matter how many times I watch it.

He had not wanted to meddle, but after seeing Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's actively provocative, arrogant faces with his own eyes, and recalling Canghui Academy's wanton humiliation in the original story, a frustrated anger clogged his chest and refused to dissipate.

Am I really supposed to just watch?

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

He had received this reward early that morning, but he had yet to test its concealment and Simulation abilities in an actual combat environment.

"A direct confrontation would be unwise. My Soul Power is still shallow, and besides, Zhao Wuji, a Soul Saint, is there."

Yu Tiancheng calmly analyzed the pros and cons. "But if I simply stand by and watch them abuse their power, I'll never be able to accept it... Besides, this might be a perfect opportunity to test the effect of my new reward and... create some unique 'diary material.'"

His gaze shifted back to the table diagonally across from him.

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were still criticizing the Canghui students without restraint. Their words were growing more offensive, and their voices more undisguised.

The female student from Canghui Academy had gone pale with anger. Several male students beside her had their fists clenched tightly, flames of fury blazing in their eyes.

Ye Zhi Qiu's expression was equally dark as water. Clearly, he was also forcefully suppressing his anger.

A clash was on the verge of erupting.

Yu Tiancheng no longer hesitated. He used getting more water from the counter as an excuse and naturally rose from his seat. Taking advantage of the passing crowd, he silently moved toward the corner of the staircase leading to the second floor.

The area there was dimly lit, with a few miscellaneous items piled up. It was an inconspicuous corner.

He quickly draped the "Mysterious Cloak" over his entire body, and his thoughts moved with it.

A strange fluctuation enveloped his body.

The moment the cloak covered him, Yu Tiancheng felt the outline of his body blur, as if he had merged into the shadows of the background.

The aura around him was restrained to the extreme, nearly vanishing entirely. Yet under the cloak's wondrous Simulation, it faintly emitted an obscure, indistinct fluctuation of Soul Power that carried a subtle sense of spatial distortion—

This was a trait he had deliberately guided and simulated. It was somewhat connected to his own Time Dragon Emperor Martial Soul, yet entirely different, allowing him to confuse others' perceptions.

"The effect is pretty good." Yu Tiancheng carefully experienced this state that was nearly like "disappearing" yet still carried a disguise, and his mind settled somewhat.

He adjusted his breathing and focused all his attention on the already tense lobby below.

Downstairs, the conflict had escalated.

"Get lost!" Dai Mubai impatiently shoved away a male student from Canghui Academy who had stepped forward to argue. He did not hold back.

"Hmph. You Canghui Academy trash dare to run your mouths?"

Ye Zhi Qiu finally lost his patience. He abruptly rose and said in a deep voice, "Which academy are you children from? When you travel outside, watch your mouths. Although my Canghui Academy is not among the top academies, we will not tolerate being humiliated at will."

"Watch our mouths? That depends on who we're talking to." Dai Mubai arrogantly raised his chin. A White Tiger phantom flashed behind him, and a powerful wave of Soul Power erupted.

"You? Do you even deserve to?"

Before his voice had faded, he had already bared his teeth and prepared to pounce on the Canghui student he had shoved away.

At that critical instant—

A sudden change occurred!

The floor beneath Dai Mubai's feet, originally as solid as could be, rippled faintly like a water surface without warning.

It was not an illusion! His forward momentum abruptly stalled, as if one foot had stepped into an invisible mire. His body instantly lost its balance, and he staggered violently, nearly pitching forward in an extremely disgraceful manner.

Although his Soul Elder-level physique and reflexes allowed him to twist around and barely regain his footing, the imposing aura of a predator about to devour its prey had vanished completely. Instead, he looked rather comical.

"Huh?" Dai Mubai was shocked and furious. He lowered his head to look. The floor was perfectly intact, with no sign of a trap or Soul Skill.

"Who was that? What the hell are you doing?" he shouted sharply, his fierce gaze sweeping across the room.

Both sides froze at the strange scene.

The Canghui students did not understand what had happened, but seeing Dai Mubai, who had been so insufferably arrogant moments ago, suddenly make a fool of himself in public, they felt puzzled yet could not help taking some pleasure in it.

On the Shrek side, Zhao Wuji had originally been folding his arms and planning to watch how the Little Monster would "handle" the situation. His eyes suddenly sharpened.

The immense Spiritual Power of a Soul Saint instantly spread like an invisible tide, meticulously sweeping over every inch of the lobby—the tables and chairs, the crowd, the flow of air... No subtle abnormality in Soul Power could escape his perception.