Four Strange Men Fell from the Sky

At the entrance to Shrek Academy.

Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips and glared at Dai Mubai. "Boss Dai, you stole my carrot!"

Dai Mubai had half a carrot sticking out of his mouth. "I, the dignified Young Master Dai, would steal your carrot? I got this from the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria's carrots are mine too! I told the cafeteria auntie yesterday to save one for me this morning!"

"Then why didn't you write your name on it?"

"I took a bite. It has my teeth marks!"

"There aren't any teeth marks on this one."

"Because that was a different one!"

The two of them argued furiously. Oscar watched the show while gnawing on a sausage, and Ma Hongjun gleefully chewed on a chicken leg. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stood nearby: one shook her head helplessly, while the other watched with a cold gaze.

Tang San smiled as he watched it all, thinking this was the life he wanted.

Then the sky exploded.

Four figures plummeted from the sky, hurtling toward the ground at a speed visible to the naked eye.

They were moving so fast that no one had time to react. There were only four deafening crashes, and clouds of dust surged into the sky as the ground shook violently.

Four enormous craters had appeared at the entrance to Shrek Academy.

Xiao Wu's carrot fell to the ground, as did the half-carrot in Dai Mubai's mouth. Oscar's sausage slipped from his lips, and Ma Hongjun nearly choked to death on his chicken leg.

Everyone stood frozen on the spot, as if they'd been hit with a paralyzing spell.

Amid the billowing dust, the first figure climbed out of a crater.

Han Li's clothes were in tatters, his face was covered in dust, and his hair was as wild as a bird's nest.

Yet his eyes remained calm, like two still pools of water, as he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

He frowned slightly and sensed the spiritual energy within him, silently assessing the situation. The spiritual energy in this world was utterly different, nothing like that of the Immortal World.

His cultivation had been suppressed to... barely the Foundation Establishment stage? This was bad.

Without giving anything away, he slipped the Heaven's Palm Bottle into his sleeve, straightened up, dusted himself off, and expressionlessly sized up the group of strangers.

Keep a low profile for now, Han Li silently told himself. Until I understand the rules of this world, I shouldn't reveal my trump cards.

In the second crater, Xiao Yan climbed out, covered in dust.

His clothes were torn in several places, revealing the faint pattern of Heavenly Flames on his right arm.

He angrily brushed the dust off himself, cursing as he did. "Damn it, what kind of place is this? Where's my Dou Qi? Why can't I sense it?"

He tried to call on the Heavenly Flames within him, but only a faint spark flickered at his fingertips, its power less than one ten-thousandth of what it had been.

Xiao Yan's face turned ashen. He slammed a fist into the ground. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—wait, did I say that too soon?"

The third crater was the noisiest.

Shi Hao leaped straight out of it, bare-chested. His clothes had been completely shredded during the crossing, revealing a solid, muscular physique that gleamed in the sunlight.

He took a deep breath, his eyes shining like two lanterns. Looking around, he shouted excitedly, "Good! Good! Good! I can smell a fight in the air!"

Watching this muscle-bound man bounce around like a monkey hopped up on stimulants, everyone instinctively took a step back.

Was this guy's first thought really to pick a fight?

Oscar muttered under his breath, "A muscleman just fell from the sky... Should I eat a sausage to calm my nerves?"

The fourth crater was the quietest.

Wang Lin unhurriedly walked out of it.

His clothes were surprisingly neat. Clearly, he'd used the last scrap of his power to protect himself at the final moment of the crossing.

His face was pale, his features so delicate he hardly looked like a man. Long hair fell to his shoulders, and his bearing was cool and aloof.

He elegantly brushed the dust from his sleeves, glanced at the "ants" around him, and gave a cold snort.

"A bunch of ants."

His tone, expression, and bearing made it seem as if he hadn't crawled out of a crater at all, but had descended from the ninth heaven.

The four stood in a row, each covered in dust but carrying himself in a different way: one as cold as ice, one as hot-tempered as fire, one as excited as a monkey, and one as haughty as a god.

The people of Shrek finally came to their senses.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Wow, those four had such a strange way of making an entrance..."

Dai Mubai frowned. His Soul Power sense told him the truth. "Their Soul Power fluctuations... are so weak. About one ring?"

Ning Rongrong studied Wang Lin curiously. "That person is so handsome..."

Zhu Zhuqing replied coolly, "Too bad he's a man."

Tang San let out a long breath, suppressing his shock.

He was the first among them to recover his composure, after all. He'd seen his share of big scenes! He stepped forward, instinctively releasing his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. A gentle aura radiated from him.

He cupped his hands politely and asked with a smile, "Friends, are you... all right? Are you hurt? Do you need any help?"

Tang San's smile was warm and sincere. He really was Shrek Academy's resident sweetheart.

All four men turned their gazes toward Tang San at once.

Han Li looked him over expressionlessly. This man seems kind, but his smile is far too enthusiastic. There must be something fishy going on. I'll remember that.

Xiao Yan looked him up and down. Blue hair, blue clothes, and he released a Martial Soul? A plant? A Trash Martial Soul? Tch, he's even weaker than me.

Shi Hao tilted his head. There's something odd about this guy's body. It's like he's hiding a secret. But never mind that—as long as he can fight.

Wang Lin glanced at him. His cultivation is low, nothing worth mentioning. But there's something on his line of karma... Interesting.

With four pairs of eyes fixed on him, Tang San felt a little uncomfortable and was about to ask again.

The four men exchanged glances and spoke in unison for the first time. "Who are you?"

Tang San's smile froze on his face.

Xiao Wu burst out laughing behind him.

Oscar whispered, "Third Brother just got shut down."

Dai Mubai gloated. "Serves him right. That's what he gets for playing the good guy."

Tang San drew a deep breath, struggling to keep smiling. "I'm Tang San, a student of Shrek Academy. This place is called the Douluo Continent, and it's..."

Xiao Yan cut him off. "Douluo Continent? Never heard of it."

Shi Hao jumped in. "Can we fight here?"

Wang Lin sneered. "This Venerable doesn't care."

Han Li stayed silent, but his eyes said, Same here.

Tang San opened his mouth, only to be interrupted for the second time. He felt like he was talking to four creatures tuned to entirely different channels.

In the distance, the dean, Flender, stood at an upstairs window with a teacup in hand, watching the scene. He murmured, "A strange omen in the sky... Those four aren't ordinary people."

Yu Xiaogang stood behind him and pushed up his glasses. "Their Soul Power fluctuations are strange. They don't seem to be naturally born Soul Masters."

"That's what makes it interesting." Flender took a sip of tea. "Shrek Academy is about to get lively again."

Downstairs, Han Li had already unobtrusively taken two steps back and positioned himself in the shadows.

Xiao Yan was still cursing as he examined the Dou Qi within him.

Shi Hao had started doing push-ups to warm up, ready to find someone to fight.

Wang Lin leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, resting as if none of this had anything to do with him.

Tang San stood between the four men, feeling like a rabbit trapped among four beasts.

He turned to look at Xiao Wu, silently pleading for help.

Xiao Wu spread her hands to show she was helpless.

Tang San took a deep breath and carefully rephrased his offer. "You've come a long way. Why don't you come to the academy and rest first? We can talk things over slowly."

The four exchanged glances again.

Han Li: I can take this chance to learn about this world. I'll go.

Xiao Yan: I'm hungry. Fine, I'll rest.

Shi Hao: There should be someone worth fighting at the academy, right?

Wang Lin: This Venerable doesn't mind.

Tang San smiled for the third time. This time, he meant it—at least they hadn't asked who he was again.