Shrek Academy! Brothers!

Flender brought Fu Wen straight back home as the sky had already darkened.

Just as he pushed the door open, a wave of fragrance rushed toward them.

"You're back? Hurry up and wash your hands for dinner!"

A man's voice came from the kitchen.

Fu Wen poked his head in to take a look; it was Shao Xin.

He was a food-type Spirit Master from Shrek Academy, a six-ring Spirit Emperor whose martial soul was a Sugar Bean.

He was also an old friend of Flender.

At this point in time, he had not yet reached the level of a Spirit Saint.

"Uncle Shao, what brings you over today?"

Fu Wen greeted him with a smile.

"That kid Xiao Ao has been talking about you, so he asked me to come over and see when you'll be heading to the academy."

Shao Xin walked out carrying a dish and his eyes lit up when he saw Fu Wen:

"I heard you awakened your martial soul today? How did it go?"

"It's alright."

Fu Wen said modestly.

"Alright? Haha, this kid is being humble!"

Flender laughed heartily from the side:

"Innate Full Soul Power level ten! His martial soul is a Mutated Sea Crocodile! His first spirit ring is over four hundred years old! His spirit power jumped straight to level thirteen!"

"What?!"

Shao Xin nearly dropped the plate in his hands.

He stared at Fu Wen with wide eyes, looking at him as if he were a monster.

"Innate Full Soul Power? And you jumped three levels all at once?"

"Old thing, you aren't lying to me, are you?"

"Why would I lie to you? Come on, Xiao Wen, show your spirit ring to Uncle Shao."

Flender was brimming with pride.

Fu Wen had no choice but to release his martial soul.

A yellow spirit ring rose from beneath his feet, and the phantom of a Divine Crocodile appeared behind him.

Although Fu Wen deliberately suppressed that primordial aura, it still made Shao Xin's heart tremble.

"This... this martial soul..."

Shao Xin took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart:

"Old thing, you've struck gold."

"That's for sure!"

Flender pushed up his glasses, his tail practically wagging in the sky.

"Alright, alright, stop showing off and let's eat."

Shao Xin rolled his eyes at Flender and turned back to the kitchen to bring out the rest of the dishes.

Fu Wen washed his hands and sat down at the dining table.

It had to be said, Shao Xin's cooking skills were truly excellent.

Even though his martial soul was a Sugar Bean, the food he cooked tasted much better than his Sugar Bean.

"By the way, what level is Xiao Ao at now?"

Fu Wen asked while eating.

"Level nineteen, almost level twenty," Shao Xin said.

"Although that kid's martial soul isn't much, he cultivates very diligently."

"His cultivation talent with Innate Full Soul Power is faster than I imagined."

"Mm, Xiao Ao has always been very hardworking."

Fu Wen nodded.

Oscar was two years older than him and had awakened his martial soul two years ago.

With Innate Full Soul Power level ten, being at level nineteen now was actually quite fast.

It was a pity that food-type martial souls couldn't fight, or perhaps the people in this world hadn't fully developed their potential.

"When do you plan on going to the academy?"

Shao Xin asked.

"Tomorrow, I suppose."

Fu Wen thought for a moment.

"I just awakened today, so I'll rest for the night and head over tomorrow."

"Fine, I'll wait for you at the academy."

Shao Xin laughed.

"Xiao Ao will be thrilled when he hears you're coming."

Fu Wen smiled, feeling a sense of anticipation in his heart.

Truth be told, his relationship with Oscar was truly deep.

Both of them were orphans adopted by Flender, having grown up together since they were small.

Though not brothers by blood, they were closer than kin.

After eating and drinking his fill, Fu Wen helped Shao Xin clear the dishes, chatted with Flender for a few moments, and then went to take a bath.

As the hot water washed over him, Fu Wen narrowed his eyes in comfort.

So much had happened in just one day.

Awakening his martial soul, receiving the inheritance of the China Divine Crocodile, hunting a Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile, absorbing his first soul ring, and having his soul power soar directly to level thirteen...

For anyone else, this would be months, if not a year's worth of progress.

He had finished it all in a single day.

Is this the treatment a transmigrator gets?

Fu Wen chuckled, turned off the faucet, dried himself, and put on clean clothes.

He returned to his room and closed the door.

The room was small, containing only a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

It was simple, yet very clean.

Fu Wen sat cross-legged on the bed, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

In his mind, the incantation for the Innate Divine Crocodile Art emerged.

"With the Divine Crocodile as the foundation, with heaven and earth as the furnace..."

"Refine the soul, refine the body, refine the spirit..."

"Cultivate all three, and only then will you reach the Great Dao..."

Fu Wen silently recited the incantation, his mind sinking deep into his body.

His soul power flowed slowly within his dantian, like a slumbering river.

Following the path of the Innate Divine Crocodile Art, he guided his soul power out of his dantian.

Hum!

The soul power stirred.

It moved slowly along a path it had never traveled before.

This route was peculiar; it did not follow the standard meridians but instead permeated every corner of his body.

Starting from the dantian, it sank down into his legs, surged upward into his chest, branched out into his arms, and finally converged at his spine, rushing straight toward his brain.

After one cycle, Fu Wen felt as if his body had been soaked in warm water, leaving him feeling toasty.

But this was only the beginning.

On the second cycle, the speed of the soul power increased.

Fu Wen could feel the soul power seeping into his muscle fibers.

The sensation was strange, as if something were taking root and sprouting within his muscles.

It was itchy and tingling, but not uncomfortable.

On the third cycle, the soul power began to penetrate deep into his bones.

This cycle was much more difficult than the previous two.

Bones were hard, and it required greater force for the soul power to permeate them.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Fu Wen's forehead, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Yet, he did not stop.

The fourth cycle, the fifth cycle, the sixth cycle...

Each cycle was more difficult than the last, but it also went deeper.

The soul power acted like an invisible carving knife, etching something into his bones.

Fu Wen did not know what that was, but he could feel his body undergoing a change.

It was very faint, but it definitely existed.

He did not know how much time had passed, but Fu Wen finally completed the ninth cycle.

Hoo!

He exhaled a long breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

Outside the window, the night had deepened.

The moon hung in the sky, casting a sheet of silvery-white radiance.

Fu Wen stretched his body.

Crack! Crack!

His bones emitted crisp sounds, like popping beans.

"Hm?"

Fu Wen was stunned.

This sound... was louder and more frequent than when he practiced this afternoon.

He looked down at his arms.

There were no visible changes on the surface, but he could feel that the strength in his arms was stronger than before he practiced.

"It has an effect this quickly?"

Fu Wen was somewhat surprised.

How long had he even been practicing?

At most, it had only been about an hour.

To feel such an obvious change in just one hour?

The cultivation speed of this Innate Divine Crocodile Art was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

Fu Wen clenched his fist, feeling the power surging within his body.

"At this rate, it won't be long before I break through to level fourteen."

His heart burned with excitement.

But soon, he calmed himself down.

On the path of cultivation, the greatest taboo is impatience.

Haste makes waste.

Advancing steadily is the true way.

Fu Wen took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and closed his eyes once again.

He continued to practice.

This time, he did not pursue speed, but instead focused on the quality of his soul power.

With every cycle, he made his soul power as pure and solid as possible.

Because of this, the speed slowed down significantly, but the results were better.

Time ticked away, second by second.

The night grew deeper.

In Fu Wen's room, there was only the sound of steady breathing.

On the surface of his body, a faint layer of light vaguely emerged.

That was the energy overflowing as his soul power circulated at high speed within his body.

The light was very faint; if one did not look closely, it would be impossible to notice.

Yet, that aura was growing stronger and stronger.

If Flender were here, he would certainly be shocked.

Because Fu Wen's aura was steadily climbing.

Although the speed was not fast, it was indeed climbing.

And this was only the first day of practice!