Su Ming raised a hand to flag down a carriage that ran between the town and Shrek City. He tossed the driver two gleaming Gold Soul Coins, lifted the curtain, and climbed aboard, telling him to make haste. The carriage sped off toward the magnificent, world-famous Shrek City.
The carriage raced onward, the scenery whipping past. After about half a day, a towering, imposing city came into view, its grandeur reaching for the heavens. It was none other than the sacred place in the hearts of Soul Masters across the Douluo Continent—Shrek City.
As soon as he entered the city, the bustle swept over him. The streets teemed with carriages and people, crowds jostling shoulder to shoulder, and passersby streamed in an endless flow. Soul Masters could be seen everywhere, Soul Ring auras swirling around them. Each had an extraordinary bearing and unfathomable strength.
Su Ming closed his eyes and quietly sensed his surroundings, inwardly startled. The city was filled with powerful experts. Among those he could vaguely detect alone, there were more than a dozen high-level Soul Masters who had reached the Six-Ring Soul Emperor realm. Many others kept their auras concealed, appearing to be ordinary passersby while hiding terrifying strength—nothing like common Soul Masters.
"It's lively today. Could something important be happening at Shrek Academy again?"
Su Ming wondered to himself as he strolled along the bustling street. He casually bought a skewer of glossy red candied hawthorns from a street vendor, the sweet, fresh fruit flavor spreading across his tongue. Too lazy to investigate the reason for the crowds, he bit into the candied hawthorns and headed straight for the imposing Shrek Academy, located in the heart of the city.
He entered the academy without a hitch and headed for the freshman dormitory, as familiar with the way as ever. He paid no attention to the sights along the way.
As soon as he reached the dormitory entrance, he spotted a hunched, elderly figure lounging in a wicker chair by the door, basking in the warm sunlight. The old man seemed utterly ordinary, without the slightest trace of Soul Power. It was Mu En, who stood watch there every day and kept himself apart from worldly affairs.
A trace of awe flashed in Su Ming's eyes. He didn't dare show the slightest disrespect.
He knew that the man before him, who looked like an ordinary, kindly old neighbor, was a Level 99 Peerless Douluo at the pinnacle of the continent's Soul Masters. He was also the bedrock of Shrek Academy, its greatest hidden strength—a towering presence throughout the Douluo Continent.
Naturally, he had to win over an expert of this caliber as early as possible and cling tightly to his coattails. That way, he could have smooth sailing at the academy and across the continent in the future.
Over the years, whenever he returned to the academy, he had always taken the initiative to greet Mu En and treated him with respect. That was precisely why Mu En had taken a particular interest in him.
Without knowing the original story's plot, no one could have imagined that this unremarkable old man, who spent every day sunbathing at the entrance to the freshman dormitory, was actually a Peerless Douluo standing at the pinnacle of the continent.
Su Ming walked over, his tone respectful yet tinged with easy charm. Smiling, he greeted him, "Old-timer, I'm back. You're out here sunbathing again."
Mu En slowly opened his cloudy eyes. Seeing that it was Su Ming, who had been away on leave for several days, a warm smile immediately spread across his aged face. His voice was hoarse but kind. "Good to have you back. You didn't get yourself into any trouble while you were away, did you?"
After a pause, the old man shook his head with a hint of reproach and spoke at an unhurried pace. "You're always running off-campus whenever you get the chance, little fellow. You don't put the slightest thought into cultivation. All you do is sneak off to tinker with your blacksmithing, hammering away day after day."
"The noise can be heard all around the dormitory. You should be focusing on cultivation at school. Do you realize the next Soul Fighting Tournament for advanced Soul Master academies across the continent is getting closer and closer? With your attitude, don't you want to compete for a spot?"
At his words, Su Ming's lips curled into a confident smile. He replied calmly, "Old-timer, you know what I'm capable of. I'm already a Soul Ancestor. Making the preliminary roster for the tournament will be a sure thing for me.
"I'm not afraid of the students in my year, or even the upperclassmen. These days, dealing with my two roommates is as easy as beating up little kids. It doesn't take any effort at all."
"Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing, and I never neglect my cultivation. I'm in a hurry to see my two godsons, so I won't keep you chatting. Go on and enjoy your sunbathing and retirement."
"Hahaha! All right, all right. You've got a lot of spirit for someone so young. If you know what you're doing, I won't say any more. Go on!" At that, Mu En burst into hearty laughter and waved him on with an affectionate look.
Su Ming said nothing more. With light, quick steps, he hurried up the stairs, his agile figure brimming with youthful vigor.
Watching his brisk, carefree departure, Mu En leaned back in his wicker chair, his eyes full of fondness. He murmured with a sigh, "It's good to be young. You're full of energy. Much more interesting than those dull, wooden children who do nothing but focus on bitter cultivation..."
Su Ming quickly reached the door of his dorm room. As soon as he stopped, he heard familiar voices chatting inside. He recognized them instantly as Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi.
He had always been easygoing, so he didn't bother knocking. He lifted his foot and kicked the door open with a bang, then strode to the doorway and shouted into the room, full of swagger, "My godsons, your father's back!"
The conversation inside cut off at once. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi turned around together. Seeing Su Ming burst in, they both looked helpless.
Xu Sanshi was blunt and hot-tempered. He immediately stood up and complained to Su Ming with a resentful look. "You're finally back! You went sneaking off to Star Luo City on leave. What were you doing there? I could figure it out with my toes.
"You were probably shopping for more of your blacksmithing gear and materials for making Soul Tools! I'm not nagging you, but what's the point of tinkering with that scrap metal all day?"
"You've got to cultivate your Martial Soul and raise your Soul Power Level, while also dividing your attention to study Soul Tools. Splitting your focus will inevitably slow your Soul Power cultivation. Don't you get tired? If you try to cultivate both, you'll end up doing neither well. It's a complete waste of effort!"
Bei Bei, standing to the side, was gentle and composed, treating others kindly. He wasn't as hot-tempered as Xu Sanshi, but he still nodded lightly and offered earnest advice in a mild tone.
"Sanshi has always been blunt and tactless, but what he said makes sense. You're exceptionally talented, far beyond ordinary students in your year. Your talent is no less than mine or Sanshi's—in some respects, you're even more gifted than we are."
"Trying to cultivate your Martial Soul while studying Soul Tools will consume too much of your energy and end up holding back your Soul Power cultivation. It would be a terrible waste of your rare, top-tier talent. You'd be losing far more than you gained."