Xuanzi and Wang Yan

The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone road, emitting a rhythmic, soft clatter as the multi-day journey finally came to an end. Su Ming lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the familiar yet strange Shrek City.

He took a deep breath of air filled with the scent of grass and hearth smoke, secretly making up his mind—he wouldn't rush back to the academy just yet; he would wander around the city first to see if he could pick up any bargains.

He strolled leisurely down the street, observing the shops lined up on either side: the Soul Tool stores displayed basic storage Soul Tools, the herb stalls mostly held common medicinal plants less than a century old, and the weapon shops had standard-issue longswords hanging from iron racks... After walking through most of the street, he hadn't encountered a single item that caught his eye.

After all, he possessed the Gold of Life and knew how to forge Soul Tools; he simply couldn't be bothered with ordinary goods.

Looking at the pitifully few shops selling Soul Tools along the street, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

While the three original nations of the Douluo Continent might have had insights into cultivation that the Sun Moon Empire couldn't compare to, their traditional soul masters still rejected Soul Tools, dismissing them as nothing more than mere tricks and gimmicks.

This was truly hard to swallow; any serious thought would reveal that such a claim was baseless, especially since the Sun Moon Empire had crushed the three nations when they launched their war.

If not for Shrek Academy gathering over twenty Titled Douluos, what chance would those three countries have had?

They remained stagnant, still believing that Soul Tools only held a slight advantage below the seventh ring and would be useless thereafter.

That was only because they hadn't been hit by the massive destructive power of a Level 9 Fixed-Station Soul Guidance Cannon or a Fixed-Station Soul Guidance Bomb.

In the end, didn't Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui fall after taking several hits from Level 9 Fixed-Station Soul Guidance Cannons?

"Sigh, rigid traditionalism is truly ill-advised."

Su Ming sighed, and just as he was preparing to head home, the sweet fragrance of candied haws drifted over from a street corner. Su Ming paused his steps, walked up to the stall, and bought a bright red skewer of candied haws.

He bit into a sugar-coated hawthorn, the sweet and sour flavor melting on the tip of his tongue. Chewing on the sugar shards, he wandered toward Shrek Academy.

The entrance to Shrek Academy was as bustling as ever. New students wore all sorts of clothing; some clutched their soul master certificates nervously, others chatted excitedly with companions, and some were scared off by the sign at the gate that read, "We only accept monsters, not ordinary people."

Watching these vibrant new students, Su Ming couldn't help but feel nostalgic; student life was truly the best. He remembered himself before transmigrating, a high school student on Earth preparing for the college entrance exams, buried in piles of test papers and stressed out over scores.

He never expected that a single transmigration would bring him to the Douluo Continent, where he would awaken the Snow Mastiff Armor martial soul. For him, being able to cultivate and grow stronger was far more interesting than any entrance exam.

It was this very excitement that drove him to dive headfirst into cultivation after awakening his martial soul. Relying on talent and resilience far beyond the average person, he cleared every hurdle and successfully gained admission to Shrek.

Even after he became obsessed with forging metal and crafting Soul Tools, he never neglected his own cultivation, for he understood that in this world, strength was the foundation of everything.

Su Ming leaned against a stone pillar at the academy gate, watching the busy scene at the registration desk. Just as he was about to turn and head inside, his gaze caught two familiar figures—Wang Yan at the registration desk was looking down, verifying new student information, while Xuan Zi sat on the steps beside him.

Xuan Zi was squatting there, holding a glistening, oily chicken leg, gnawing on it until his mouth was covered in grease, while his other hand clutched another untouched one.

Su Ming's eyes lit up, and he strode over. As he reached Xuan Zi's side, he took advantage of the elder being engrossed in his meal and swiftly snatched the untouched chicken leg.

He deliberately waved it in front of him, a teasing voice drifting into Xuan Zi's ears: "Old Man Xuan, do you even know what you're eating? You're just stuffing your face in such a hurry."

Xuan Zi was stunned for a moment after having his chicken leg stolen, then flew into a rage. Just as he was about to slam his hand on the table and stand up, he turned to see it was Su Ming, and his anger instantly withered away.

He merely rolled his eyes, continued gnawing on the remaining chicken leg in his hand, and mumbled indistinctly, "You brat, you're getting more and more skilled at stealing my things."

Come to think of it, the friendship between Su Ming and Xuan Zi was mostly forged in the Shrek cafeteria.

When he first entered the academy, Su Ming's frequent cultivation and forging sessions consumed a massive amount of energy, leading to a terrifying appetite. He could eat ten times the portion of an average person, earning him a "fierce reputation" in the Shrek cafeteria.

Who would have thought that such a handsome, refined-looking youth would eat like a starving ghost reincarnated, sweeping through his food so quickly that even the cafeteria ladies couldn't help but take a few extra looks.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi had both reminded him more than once to eat with some decorum, as it was embarrassing. But Su Ming couldn't help it; he was the summoner of the Snow Mastiff Armor, an existence with top-tier power. To temper his physical body, he underwent high-intensity training every day, and the energy consumption was naturally far beyond that of a normal person; he simply couldn't control his mouth. Fortunately, the food at the Shrek cafeteria was genuinely good, otherwise, he really wouldn't have known how to sustain his cultivation.

It was also in the cafeteria that he and Xuan Zi gradually became close. Xuan Zi was a natural foodie, and the two often huddled together to fight over food, eventually becoming good friends.

Su Ming only realized later that it might have been due to their martial soul compatibility—his Snow Mastiff Armor belonged to the metal element, while Xuan Zi's Godly Taotie Bull belonged to the earth element. Earth generates metal, so it was no wonder he never felt any aversion toward Xuan Zi.

Although Xuan Zi could be quite troublesome at times, his strength was undeniable. Even more coincidentally, their combat styles were extremely similar, both centered on ferocity, dominance, and swift kills, corresponding to the hardness of metal and the thickness of earth. They were perfectly matched in a fight, so it was no wonder they became such close friends despite the age gap.

Fortunately, Su Ming often nagged Xuan Zi to be more steady and control his appetite so he wouldn't ruin important matters by eating. Annoyed by the constant nagging, Xuan Zi had actually changed some of his habits.

The current Xuan Zi, while still unable to break his gluttony, at least knew when to restrain himself depending on the occasion. He was no longer as greasy as he appeared when he first debuted in the manga; his hair was neatly combed, his clothes were well-maintained, and he was no longer that slovenly, unkempt middle-aged man.

Su Ming took a bite of the stolen chicken leg and said vaguely to Xuan Zi, "I'm telling you, Old Man Xuan, watch your image. There are so many new students watching; don't lose all of Shrek's face."

Xuan Zi didn't even look up as he huffed, "Mind your own business, I like it this way." Yet, his movements slowed, and he quietly wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth.

Wang Yan, standing nearby, was long used to this and shook his head helplessly, continuing to process the new student registrations.

Su Ming leaned against the pillar, gnawing on the chicken leg while watching the busy new students and the bickering Xuan Zi, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.