Yan Shaozhe

The next day!

Feng Tianyu opened his eyes and emerged from meditation, delight and surprise flickering in his gaze.

His very first meditation session had lasted an entire day. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Meditation could certainly strengthen Soul Power, but it also placed a heavy strain on both the mind and the body.

He was only six years old. His bones and muscles had yet to develop, and his meridians were still delicate. Circulating Soul Power nonstop for so long was like keeping a bowstring taut without ever releasing it. One careless moment could leave hidden injuries in his body.

But perhaps Grey Wolf had been sharing the burden. The boy and wolf had meditated together, and the Soul Power they cultivated had flowed back and forth between them.

This had greatly eased Feng Tianyu's burden. Even after cultivating for an entire day, he hadn't felt overly tired in either body or spirit.

"I really have Grey Wolf to thank!"

Feng Tianyu sighed, then turned to look. Grey Wolf had vanished without a trace.

"Huh? Where's Grey Wolf?"

Just then, the rich aroma of stewed meat drifted up from the first floor. Feng Tianyu took a deep breath, and his mouth immediately began to water.

"That meaty smell..."

He jumped out of bed and hurried out of the room, taking the stairs two at a time as he raced down from the second floor.

In the kitchen, Grey Wolf wore an apron and a chef's hat as he gently stirred the pot with a spoon. Inhaling the aroma of the stew, he wore an intoxicated expression.

"Hahahaha! This king's cooking is still as fantastic as ever. This pot of meat soup smells way better than any grass soup or wild mushroom soup!"

Grey Wolf sure had a rough life!

As one of the protagonists of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, he had never eaten a sheep. Not even once!

As a Martial Soul, Grey Wolf could sense Feng Tianyu's arrival. He turned around and grinned at him.

"Feng Tianyu, you're awake!"

"This king just got hungry, so I got up to make something to eat. I saw you had some dried meat and carrots, so I made a pot of meat soup!"

"It'll be ready in a little while!"

Emotion surged in Feng Tianyu's chest, filling him with a feeling he couldn't quite describe. Ever since his parents had passed away one after the other, he had lived alone for the past year.

Yet today, the moment he woke up, someone... some wolf had prepared breakfast for him. The warmth of it seeped into his heart.

No one truly yearned to be alone, and Feng Tianyu had always wanted a companion.

Now he had one. Awakening his Martial Soul had given him a partner: Grey Wolf, a character whose adventures had been part of Feng Tianyu's childhood memories.

Seeing Grey Wolf alive and well, making breakfast for him, Feng Tianyu didn't hold back his praise.

"Grey Wolf, you're an amazing cook. I could smell it from way over there. You really are the model husband and father of Green Green Grassland."

Grey Wolf grinned from ear to ear. Two red blushes appeared on his furry cheeks. He couldn't resist praise, especially when someone called him a model husband and father. Those words hit him right in the heart.

Feng Tianyu chuckled and went to the bathroom. By the time he came out after washing up, Grey Wolf had just brought two bowls of meat soup out of the kitchen.

As for the main course, they had the bread left over from the day before.

Feng Tianyu sat down at the table and tasted the meat soup Grey Wolf had made. It was absolutely delicious, and paired with bread, it had a flavor all its own.

Before long, the boy and wolf had devoured the bread and soup. Both of them were so full they couldn't stop belching.

After a moment to recover, Feng Tianyu took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen to wash them himself.

"Grey Wolf, once I'm done cleaning up, we'll go find that senior from yesterday and ask him to lead us in hunting a Soul Beast."

Grey Wolf was picking his teeth. At those words, he clenched his right paw into a fist, his gaze resolute and full of longing.

"Wife, son, wait for me on Green Green Grassland. Once I grow stronger, I'll definitely find my way home."

Grey Wolf was determined to grow stronger too, and Feng Tianyu was delighted to see it.

Now that they had eaten their fill and cleaned up the dishes, Feng Tianyu set off with Grey Wolf.

But there was one unavoidable problem: how to explain Grey Wolf's existence.

Ever since they left the villa, everyone who saw the strange creature following Feng Tianyu—whether familiar neighbors or complete strangers—had eyed Grey Wolf warily and asked what he was.

After all, this was Shrek City. They were bound to worry that Grey Wolf was some kind of aggressive Soul Beast.

On Douluo Continent, anything that wasn't human could be classified as a Soul Beast.

To avoid causing a commotion, Feng Tianyu had no choice but to explain over and over, patiently, to each neighbor and passerby that Grey Wolf was his variant external Martial Soul.

By the time he had explained himself hoarse, Feng Tianyu had finally managed to bring Grey Wolf back to the City Defense Office in the south of the city.

To avoid all this trouble, Feng Tianyu only had to draw Grey Wolf back into his body.

But he had promised Grey Wolf that he would give him his freedom. He couldn't lock him away.

If he ignored Grey Wolf's wishes and forced him back inside, the friendship they had built might end just as quickly as it had begun.

Grey Wolf was his partner and comrade-in-arms, and the greatest trump card he'd have in making his way across Douluo Continent. Feng Tianyu was more than willing to respect his wishes.

Throughout the journey, Grey Wolf had heard every explanation Feng Tianyu gave, again and again.

In these small details, Grey Wolf felt Feng Tianyu's kindness, and it made him accept Feng Tianyu from the bottom of his heart.

The two soldiers standing guard at the entrance of the City Defense Office were still the same ones from yesterday.

Now they watched Grey Wolf warily, their battle-hardened presence pressing down on them as they readied themselves to act.

"Tianyu, what's that monster following you?"

Feng Tianyu took a deep breath and patiently began explaining again.

"Uncles, don't worry. He's my variant external Martial Soul, not some unidentified monster."

"I'm here to see Elder Ling. He promised to take me to hunt a Soul Beast today."

Hearing Feng Tianyu's explanation, the two soldiers withdrew their presence, though they still looked at Grey Wolf in disbelief and wonder. The world was vast and full of wonders. They'd never imagined there could be such a strange Martial Soul.

"So that's how it is. Tianyu, Elder Ling gave us instructions. You can head straight in when you arrive. As for your Martial Soul... make sure you keep an eye on him. Don't let him wander off."

The soldier who said this couldn't help laughing.

Keep an eye on his Martial Soul so it wouldn't wander off.

How did those words even go together? There was actually a Martial Soul that could grow legs and run around by itself?

They'd certainly seen something new today.

Feng Tianyu beckoned Grey Wolf, and the boy and wolf entered the City Defense Office. Soon, they reached the room where Feng Tianyu had awakened his Martial Soul the day before.

He knocked on the door. Only after hearing someone inside say, "Come in," did he open it and enter.

Inside the room, Feng Tianyu immediately spotted Elder Ling. But beside him stood a tall, slender, handsome middle-aged man with a refined face. His simple white robe gave him an elegant, otherworldly air.

The middle-aged man wore a faint smile, his features relaxed and friendly. He looked at Feng Tianyu, then at Grey Wolf behind him, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

When Elder Ling saw Feng Tianyu, he immediately stood and introduced them.

"Tianyu, let me introduce you. This is Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department at Shrek Academy."

"After I reported your situation, Dean Yan took it very seriously and came in person to assess you. As long as you pass his test, you can be admitted to Shrek Academy as a special exception."

Elder Ling gave Feng Tianyu an encouraging look, urging him to do his best. If Yan Shaozhe took a liking to him, he would receive Shrek Academy's full support.