Return to Shrek Academy

Su Ming raised a hand to flag down a carriage dedicated to travel between the towns and Shrek City. He tossed two gleaming Gold Soul Coin pieces to the driver, stepped directly into the carriage, and urged the man to proceed at full speed, racing toward the magnificent and world-renowned Shrek City.

The carriage sped along, the scenery outside blurring as it retreated. After about half a day, a towering, majestic, and imposing city appeared before his eyes—the holy land in the hearts of all soul masters across the Douluo Continent: Shrek City.

Stepping into the city, a bustling and lively atmosphere rushed to meet him. The streets were packed with carriages and horses, the crowds shoulder-to-shoulder, and an endless stream of pedestrians. Everywhere he looked, he saw soul masters wreathed in the aura of soul rings, each possessing an extraordinary temperament and unfathomable strength.

Su Ming closed his eyes to sense his surroundings, secretly surprised in his heart. The number of powerful individuals in this city was countless. From what he could vaguely perceive, there were at least a dozen high-level soul masters who had reached the six-ring Soul Ancestor realm. There were even more whose auras were restrained, appearing as ordinary passersby while actually concealing terrifying strength, far beyond that of typical soul masters.

"It's quite lively today. Could something important be happening at Shrek Academy again?"

Su Ming whispered to himself, strolling through the bustling streets. He casually bought a string of crystal-red candied haws from a street vendor, the sweet, fresh fruit flavor spreading across his tongue. Too lazy to investigate the reason for the surging crowds, he chewed on the snack and headed straight toward the grand and imposing Shrek Academy located in the heart of the city.

Entering the academy without obstruction, Su Ming moved with familiarity, heading straight for the freshman dormitory building without lingering on the scenery along the way.

Just as he reached the entrance of the dormitory, he spotted a hunched, elderly figure lazily leaning against a rattan chair, basking in the warm sun. The old man appeared completely unremarkable, devoid of any soul power fluctuations. It was none other than Mu En, who guarded this place every day, indifferent to the affairs of the world.

A trace of reverence flashed in Su Ming's eyes; he dared not show the slightest bit of negligence.

He knew well that this person, who looked like an ordinary neighbor, was actually a level 99 Peerless Douluo standing at the pinnacle of the continent's soul masters. He was the anchor of Shrek Academy, its greatest foundation, and a towering existence across the entire Douluo Continent.

One naturally had to cozy up to such a top-tier big shot early on, clinging firmly to his coattails to ensure smooth sailing in the academy and the continent later on.

Over the years, every time he returned to the academy, he would take the initiative to greet Mu En with the utmost respect, which was precisely why Mu En treated him differently.

If not for his knowledge of the original plot, no one would ever imagine that this inconspicuous old man, who spent his days lying in the sun at the freshman dormitory entrance, was actually a peerless powerhouse at the summit of the continent.

Su Ming walked up slowly, his tone respectful yet tinged with a bit of playfulness as he smiled and greeted, "Old man, I'm back. You're out here basking in the sun again."

Mu En lazily opened his clouded eyes. Seeing that it was Su Ming, who had been away on leave for many days, a gentle smile spread across his aged face. His voice was raspy but kind: "It's good that you're back. You didn't get into any trouble on your trip, did you?"

After a pause, the old man shook his head with a hint of feigned reproach and spoke slowly: "You little rascal, always running outside the academy for no reason. You don't put half your heart into cultivation, spending all day hiding away and tinkering with your blacksmithing, just clanging away constantly."

"The sound can be heard all around the dormitory building. Instead of focusing on your cultivation at school, do you realize that the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is drawing closer? In this state, do you not want to compete for a spot?"

Hearing this, a confident smile curled the corners of Su Ming's lips. He replied calmly, "Old man, look at you. Don't you know my strength? I am already at the Soul Ancestor realm; I will certainly secure a spot as a reserve for the tournament."

"Not to mention my peers, even the senior students don't scare me. Dealing with my two roommates now is as easy as handling children; it doesn't take any effort at all."

"You can rest easy and stop worrying about me. I know what I'm doing, and I haven't neglected my cultivation. I'm in a rush to see my two adopted sons, so I won't keep you chatting. You just keep enjoying your sun and your peace."

"Hahaha, alright, alright. You brat, you're young but your ambition is high. Since you have your own plans, I won't say more. Go on!" Mu En laughed heartily, waving his hand with doting eyes, letting Su Ming depart.

Su Ming said no more, his footsteps light and brisk as he dashed toward the upper floors of the dormitory, his posture vigorous and full of youthful vitality.

Watching his clean, free-spirited back, Mu En leaned back into his rattan chair, his eyes filled with gratification as he whispered to himself: "It's good to be young, full of energy and spirit. It's much more interesting than those kids who only know how to grind away in dull, wooden silence..."

Su Ming walked quickly to his dormitory door. Just as he stood still, he heard familiar voices coming from inside. He instantly recognized them as Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi chatting away.

He had always been casual by nature, so instead of knocking, he simply lifted his foot and kicked the door open with a loud bang. Standing at the entrance, he shouted into the room with high spirits: "Adopted sons, your father has returned!"

The conversation inside stopped abruptly. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi turned their heads in unison, both wearing expressions of helplessness as they saw Su Ming push his way in.

Xu Sanshi, being straightforward and impatient, stood up immediately and complained to Su Ming with a look of resentment: "You brat, you finally returned! You took leave to sneak off to Star Luo City—what exactly were you doing? I could guess with my toes."

"You must have been off buying more of those blacksmithing materials to craft Soul Tool equipment! It's not that I want to nag you, but what is the point of obsessing over that scrap metal all day?"

"You have to cultivate your own martial soul and raise your Soul Power Level, yet you split your focus to study Soul Tool gear. With your energy divided, your cultivation progress is bound to slow down. Aren't you tired? If you try to master both, you'll end up mediocre in both. It's a total waste of effort!"

Beside him, Bei Bei, whose nature was gentle and steady, did not share Xu Sanshi's impatience. However, he nodded slightly and offered advice in a gentle but earnest tone:

"Sanshi is always blunt and lacks tact, but what he says is true. You have supreme talent, far exceeding the average student in our year. Your aptitude is not even below mine or Sanshi's; in some aspects, you are even a step ahead of us."

"To blindly split your focus between your martial soul and Soul Tool research consumes too much mental energy. It will only hinder your soul power cultivation and waste your heaven-sent talent. It really is a case of losing more than you gain."