Fu Wen smiled.
"Good. Once you break through to level twenty, I'll go with you to hunt for a Soul Ring."
"Don't you still have to cultivate?"
"It won't hurt to take a few days off."
Fu Wen waved a hand.
"Besides, I want to see what your Second Soul Skill is, too."
"It'll definitely be stronger than my first Soul Skill!"
Oscar brimmed with confidence.
"Not necessarily."
Fu Wen teased him. "Your first Soul Skill is the Recovery Big Sausage. I wonder if your second one will be..."
"Shut up!"
Oscar's face darkened. He snatched up a pillow and threw it at him.
Fu Wen laughed and dodged. The two started roughhousing in the dormitory.
Their laughter rang out into the night, carrying far, far away.
Early the next morning, Flender heard that Oscar was about to break through.
He was so delighted he could hardly close his mouth, and announced on the spot, "Once Xiao Ao breaks through to level twenty and comes back with his Second Soul Ring, it's my treat! Shao Xin, make a feast!"
"Dean, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who cooks."
Shao Xin said with a faint sigh.
"Then make a little extra!"
Flender swept a hand through the air, full of swagger.
Shao Xin rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth still lifted.
He had watched both boys grow up.
Oscar was about to break through to level twenty, and Shao Xin was genuinely happy for him.
As for Fu Wen...
Shao Xin glanced at Fu Wen, who sat quietly eating, and sighed to himself.
That kid's progress was even more terrifying than Oscar's.
When he broke through to the second ring, then the third...
He couldn't even imagine it. He really couldn't.
"You old rascal, you really did strike gold."
Shao Xin walked over to Flender and spoke in a low voice.
Flender pushed up his glasses and said nothing, but the curve of his lips gave away his mood.
That was right.
He'd struck gold.
A treasure beyond measure.
Early that morning, Flender was already dressed and ready, looking as though he was about to leave on a long trip.
"Dad, where are you going?"
Fu Wen set down his chopsticks and asked casually.
"To Grass Chicken Village."
Flender straightened his collar. "A few children there are old enough to awaken their Martial Souls. I'm going to help them."
"Grass Chicken Village?"
Fu Wen raised an eyebrow.
He knew that name.
Grass Chicken Village was Ma Hongjun's hometown.
Ma Hongjun, the Evil Fire Phoenix, was one of the Shrek Seven Devils and the future Phoenix God, a Second-Level God.
By his reckoning, Ma Hongjun was three months younger than Tang Xiaosan. He should be six years old now, just the right age to awaken his Martial Soul.
"I'm coming, too."
Fu Wen stood up.
"What for?"
Flender paused, surprised.
"Nothing else to do. I'll treat it as a break."
Fu Wen wiped his mouth. "I've been training every day for the past three months. It's time to get out and breathe some fresh air."
"Fair enough."
Flender thought it over, then nodded. "All right, come along."
"I'm coming too, I'm coming too!"
Oscar darted over from the side, raising his hand. "I'm close to breaking through to level twenty. I need to relax, too!"
"Is that what you call relaxing? You just want to go out and have fun, don't you?"
Flender saw right through Oscar's little scheme.
Oscar grinned and didn't deny it.
"Fine, fine. You're all coming."
Flender waved a hand. "Let's go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back."
The three left the academy and headed toward Suotuo City.
Grass Chicken Village lay to the southeast of Suotuo City, not far from Shrek Academy. It was only about half an hour away on foot.
Along the way, Oscar chattered nonstop.
"Dad, why is it called Grass Chicken Village? Is it because everyone there raises chickens?"
"More or less."
Flender answered offhandedly. "Most of the villagers make their living raising chickens, and most of the Martial Souls awakened there are grass chickens. But almost none of them have Soul Power, so that's why it's called Grass Chicken Village."
"Chickens? That's as ordinary as my sausages."
"If a chicken had Soul Power, could it evolve toward becoming a roast chicken?"
Oscar asked curiously.
Flender's mouth twitched at that. What on earth was going through the kid's head?
Fu Wen heard this and let the corners of his mouth curl up slightly.
Roast chicken?
You'll find out soon enough.
A golden phoenix is about to emerge from Grass Chicken Village.
Half an hour later, the three arrived at Grass Chicken Village.
The village was small, with only a few dozen households.
A stone stele stood at the entrance, with the words "Grass Chicken Village" carved into it.
The characters were crooked and uneven. Clearly, the villagers had carved them themselves.
"Dean Flender, you're here!"
A middle-aged man came forward, smiling broadly.
He was the village chief of Grass Chicken Village, a man surnamed Ma and a simple, honest farmer.
"Village Chief Ma, it's been a long time."
Flender clasped his hands in greeting. "Are the children ready?"
"They're ready, they're ready!"
Village Chief Ma nodded repeatedly. "They're all waiting at the Threshing Floor!"
"Then let's go."
Flender followed Village Chief Ma into the village.
Fu Wen and Oscar followed behind.
As they walked, Fu Wen looked around.
Grass Chicken Village was truly poor.
The houses were all made of packed earth, with thatched roofs.
The roads were dirt, full of ruts and potholes.
Chickens wandered loose along the roadside, scratching at the ground for food.
"This village is so run-down," Oscar muttered.
"They're poor. Don't say things like that."
Fu Wen quietly reminded him.
Oscar murmured an acknowledgment and fell silent.
The Threshing Floor was in the center of the village, an open space normally used for drying grain.
Today, a table had been set up in the clearing, with six Awakening Stones on top.
Six children stood beside it. The oldest were seven or eight, and the youngest five or six.
They all wore clothes patched over and over, but they were clean.
Their eyes held both anticipation and nervousness.
"Children, this is Dean Flender. He's here to help you awaken your Martial Souls."
Village Chief Ma went over to the children and introduced him.
"Hello, Dean Flender!"
The children called out in unison.
Flender nodded and walked up to the table.
"Children, don't be nervous. One at a time."
He picked up an Awakening Stone and placed it in the first child's hand.
"Close your eyes and feel the power inside you."
The child did as instructed.
A few seconds later, the Awakening Stone lit up.
The phantom image of a woodcutter's axe appeared over the child's hand.
"Woodcutter's Axe Martial Soul. Innate Soul Power... zero."
Flender announced the result.
The child's parents heard him and looked disappointed.
But they soon accepted it.
So it was only level one. That was still better than nothing.
Then came the second child, the third, the fourth...
All sorts of Martial Souls awakened: hoes, sickles, shoulder poles...
They were all farming tools.
And none of them had any Soul Power.
Village Chief Ma's expression grew worse and worse.
Not a single one of these children stood out.
In the end, he accepted it.
After all, this was what usually happened.
"Last one."
Flender picked up the final Awakening Stone and handed it to the smallest child.
The child was short and plump, with a round face and round eyes. He looked like a little ball of flesh.
"Xiao Pang, it's your turn."
Village Chief Ma patted the child's shoulder, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
The child was his nephew, Ma Hongjun.
Though he was the youngest, he was sturdier than the other children.
Maybe...
Before you continue