Three Years Later, Shrek and the Others

Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Sea God Island, western clearing.

"Reign Over the World!"

"Boom!"

Fine cracks covered the bluestone ground like a dried riverbed, spreading outward from the center.

In the morning light, a boy stood barefoot in the middle of the clearing, his black hair soaked with sweat and clinging to his forehead in strands.

Twelve-year-old Mu Tianyi had grown another spurt over the past three years and was now nearly 1.7 meters tall.

He had broad shoulders, a lean waist, long and powerful limbs, and smooth muscle lines like a cheetah poised to strike.

His eyes were closed, his breathing long and steady.

Behind him, one black and one white dragon phantom slowly emerged.

They were not solid bodies, but shimmering images somewhere between illusion and reality.

They intertwined, spun, and finally merged into a slowly circulating yin-yang pattern.

Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation.

After three years of refinement, this Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill was no longer limited to lasting only the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Now, he could maintain the fused state for nearly half an hour, and the consumption was nowhere near as severe as before.

But that was not what he was practicing today.

Mu Tianyi opened his eyes.

In that instant, his entire aura changed.

If the Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation was a fusion of power, then what he unleashed now was the crushing force of will.

The boy merely stood there quietly, and the yin-yang pattern behind him did not even spin any faster.

Yet within several dozen meters around him, the air seemed to freeze.

An invisible pressure spread outward like a tide, as though an unseen mountain had descended upon the clearing.

Reign Over the World.

A Self-Created Soul Skill into which Mu En had poured his life's work, combining spiritual and physical attacks to completely suppress an opponent at the level of will.

Mu Tianyi had spent half a year getting started, then another two years initially integrating this ultimate skill with the Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation.

What he used now was the result of that fusion.

Reign Over the World in the Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation state.

Mu Tianyi took a deep breath and slowly drew his right fist back to his waist.

Before the punch was thrown, its force had already arrived.

The half-man-tall bluestone Trial Stone three meters in front of him had already developed fine cracks across its surface, as if enduring some invisible crushing pressure.

He punched.

There was no howl of wind, no shockwave, not even any flashy effects.

There was only one punch.

Simple and unadorned, straight to the point.

Yet at the instant that punch flew out, an incomparably tyrannical will erupted from his fist as though it were tangible.

It was as if an invisible giant dragon burst forth from his fist, carrying the might to suppress everything as it crashed into the Trial Stone.

Crack—

The Trial Stone split down the middle, cleaved into two halves by the overwhelmingly domineering will of Reign Over the World.

The broken surface was smooth as a mirror, as though it had been sliced apart by an invisible blade.

Mu Tianyi withdrew his fist and slowly exhaled.

The yin-yang pattern dissipated, and the aura of Reign Over the World receded like the tide. Calm returned to the clearing.

He walked over to the Trial Stone and reached out to touch the smooth fracture, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

He had done it.

The fusion of Reign Over the World and the Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation had truly reached the beginner stage today.

Mu En had said that Reign Over the World was the crystallization of his life's work.

The old man had spent most of his life creating this ultimate skill.

Yet Mu Tianyi had taken only three years to go from first encountering it to achieving an initial fusion.

Of that time, Mu Tianyi had learned Reign Over the World within the first half year, while the rest had been spent studying and refining the fusion between Reign Over the World and the Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation.

Even Mu En himself, the creator of the skill, found that speed astounding.

At the edge of the clearing, beneath a parasol tree.

A sturdy little boy was squatting on the ground, holding a branch as he carefully drew something in the dirt.

Seven-year-old Bei Bei wore a light-blue training outfit.

He had now completed his Martial Soul awakening. Just like in the original story, his Martial Soul was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and his Soul Power was currently level fifteen.

That cultivation speed was already among the best for his age.

More importantly, Bei Bei was now exceptionally diligent in cultivation, almost always following in Mu Tianyi's footsteps.

Mu Tianyi had been surprised by this at first, but after thinking it over, he understood.

In the original story, Bei Bei's talent was not poor, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was a top-tier beast Martial Soul. Yet his attitude toward cultivation had always been lukewarm.

After meeting Tang Ya, he had focused all his thoughts on romance, and his strength had remained stagnant for a long time.

But now...

Mu Tianyi glanced at Bei Bei, who was earnestly drawing beneath the parasol tree, and thought to himself:

Having a goal standing in front of you really works better than anything else.

"Brother Tianyi!" Bei Bei looked up, saw that Mu Tianyi had finished training, immediately tossed aside the branch, and scampered over. "That punch just now was amazing! When will you teach me?"

Mu Tianyi reached out and flicked his forehead.

"When you reach level forty."

Bei Bei covered his forehead, puffing out his cheeks.

"Level forty? That'll take forever!"

"Then train hard." Mu Tianyi smiled, bent down to pick up his coat from the ground, and draped it over himself. "Your Soul Power is already level fifteen. Level fifteen at seven years old is very impressive."

Bei Bei's eyes lit up. "Really? What level were you when you were seven, Brother Tianyi?"

Mu Tianyi thought for a moment. "Around... level seventeen or eighteen."

Bei Bei pursed his lips, fell silent for two seconds, then clenched his tiny fists and declared seriously:

"Then I'll definitely reach level eighteen this year!"

Mu Tianyi could not help laughing and rubbed his head.

The little fellow was quite competitive.

But that was good.

Everyone needed something to chase after in life.

"Tianyi, Bei Bei, take a break."

A gentle voice came from the entrance to the clearing.

Mu Tianyi looked over at the sound, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

Zhang Lexuan walked over along the shaded forest path, carrying a woven bamboo food basket.

The girl had now completely shed the youthful awkwardness she had possessed three years ago.

Her black hair flowed like a waterfall down to her waist, gleaming like satin beneath the sunlight.

Her features were delicate and gentle, and there was a scholarly grace between her brows. Yet in those clear eyes, only Mu Tianyi's figure was reflected at that moment.

She wore a pale cyan dress tied at the waist with a silk ribbon of the same color, outlining her slender figure.

Her steps were light, and her skirt swayed softly with each movement, like a spring breeze brushing over the surface of a lake.

When she arrived, Zhang Lexuan spread out a floral cloth beneath the parasol tree and began taking items out of the food basket one by one.

A pot of warm osmanthus honey tea, along with several plates of exquisite snacks:

Red Bean Cake, Osmanthus Cake, lotus seed soup, and a small bowl of sliced fruit.

Bei Bei was the first to rush over. He grabbed a piece of Red Bean Cake and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's as he mumbled, "Thank you, Sister Lexuan."

Zhang Lexuan smiled and shook her head, then used a handkerchief to wipe the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

Mu Tianyi walked over and sat beside her. Taking the honey tea she handed him, he took a sip.

The warm tea flowed down his throat, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus spread through his mouth.

"Did your training go smoothly today?" Zhang Lexuan turned to look at him.

"Not bad." Mu Tianyi leaned against the trunk of the parasol tree, gazing at the scattered light filtering through the leaves overhead. "The fusion of Reign Over the World and the Yin-Yang Divine Dragon Transformation has completely entered the beginner stage today."

Delight appeared in Zhang Lexuan's eyes as she said softly:

"Congratulations."

She paused, then added, "I knew you could do it."

Her voice was soft, but her certainty was as unwavering as if she were saying that the sun rose in the east.

Mu Tianyi turned to glance at her.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the parasol leaves and fell across Zhang Lexuan's profile, tinting her eyelashes gold.

She had lowered her head to pour honey tea for Bei Bei, a faint smile on her lips. She looked quiet and gentle.

Three years.

From their first meeting by Sea God Lake when he was eight, to her moving into his little courtyard, and then to now.

Over those three years, their relationship had gone from strangers to familiar, from familiar to close, and from close to... an unspoken understanding that was difficult to explain.

She prepared his three meals every day, and whenever he trained late, he left a lamp on for her.

When she was in a bad mood, he awkwardly told her some corny jokes he had heard in his previous life.

Most of them were not funny, but she would always curve her eyes and give him a smile that said, "It isn't funny, but I'm happy."

Mu En had seen all of this, and more than once he had nagged Mu Tianyi:

"This girl Lexuan, Xuan Zu likes her the moment he sees her. How about we pick an auspicious day and hold an engagement banquet first?"

Every time, Mu Tianyi fobbed him off with the excuse that they were still too young.

But honestly, he knew perfectly well that he was merely stalling for time.

Sister Lexuan...

He did not want to refuse her, nor would he refuse her.

He simply felt that it was not yet time.

When he became stronger, when he could truly establish himself and give her everything she wanted.

Then, it would not be too late to bring it up.

Zhang Lexuan seemed to sense his gaze. She looked up, met his eyes, and froze slightly.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

Mu Tianyi shook his head and looked away.

"No." His voice was soft, like the sound of a parasol leaf falling to the ground. "I just wanted to look at you."

The tips of Zhang Lexuan's ears slowly flushed pink.

The girl lowered her head and said nothing more, only pushing the plate of Osmanthus Cake toward Mu Tianyi.

Bei Bei sat between them, his mouth stuffed full of Red Bean Cake. He looked from one to the other, his big dark eyes filled with confusion.

He did not really understand what the two of them were doing.

But he felt that whenever Brother Tianyi and Sister Lexuan sat together, there seemed to be a sweet scent in the air, sweeter even than Red Bean Cake.