Xiao Xiao: Shrek's Girls Are Too Scary!

Xiao Yan understood Electrolux's obsession at this moment.

For a magic god who had pushed magic to its absolute limit and once stepped into the realm of a demigod, the truths of the universe at a higher dimension held a fatal attraction.

He folded his hands into his wide sleeves and nodded with a solemn expression.

"Then I wish Elder Yi success in unraveling the mysteries of these ancient divine runes soon. Once you have sorted them out, you can impart your knowledge and guide me."

"You brat, stop trying to flatter me." The old man's phantom pointed toward the ancient zither revolving slowly around the giant bell not far away, his tone turning serious.

"Your primary focus must remain on the Fuxi Zither. The potential of that zither far exceeds your current understanding; do not be overly ambitious and covet the power of the Eastern Emperor Bell. As for the path I am taking, it has not been fully paved yet, so I will not let these fragmented insights occupy your energy."

Xiao Yan agreed deeply.

Cultivating essence, energy, and spirit simultaneously required a massive foundation, and he understood better than anyone that trying to do too much would lead to failure.

Before he had completely mastered his first martial soul, forcibly touching that giant bell capable of suppressing the primordial chaos would only destabilize his foundation.

"Then we shall do as you say. I am heading out now." Xiao Yan turned to leave, but paused and looked back to add a reminder.

"By the way, please pay more attention to the Soul Spirit Contract I asked you to deduce earlier. It might come in handy before long."

The Soul Spirit Contract was a major project Xiao Yan had thrown to Electrolux in advance, based on the trajectory of the original story.

Only this old magic god, who possessed profound attainments in soul magic, could perfectly deduce a formation that allowed soul beasts and soul masters to enter into an equal contract.

The elder persona Electrolux had just assumed collapsed instantly, and he waved his wide black-and-white sleeves impatiently.

"I know, I know! I once commanded a million undead; do you really think I need you to nag me about the progress of a simple contract formation every day? Get out and cultivate, stop being an eyesore!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan felt the starry sea before his eyes blur, and his spiritual body was rudely kicked out of his sea of consciousness by Electrolux.

In the center of the formation, Electrolux snorted indignantly as he watched Xiao Yan's consciousness dissipate.

Afterward, he took a deep breath, glanced around guiltily like a thief, straightened his two-toned robe, and once again tiptoed toward the Eastern Emperor Bell.

As the distance closed, the fanaticism in the old man's eyes was ignited once more.

He stretched out his withered fingers and cautiously reached toward the origin runes representing earth, water, fire, and wind on the surface of the bell, beginning a new round of "probing and getting beaten."

As his consciousness returned to his body, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.

The light in the dormitory had faded completely, and the chirping of unknown insects drifted in from outside the window.

He adjusted his breathing, gathered the Taiji innate energy scattered across his skin back into his dantian, and continued to sink into deep meditation.

There were still a few days of leisure before Shrek Academy officially began classes.

During this time, Xiao Yan spent most of his energy cultivating the Art of the Fuxi Emperor, while using his remaining free time to act as Xiao Xiao's full-time guide.

The little girl had left home for the first time to come to this bustling core region of the continent, finding everything fresh and exciting, and dragged him through the streets and alleys of Shrek City every day.

The two had visited the Shrek Academy public cafeteria once on the first day at noon.

The scene at the time made Xiao Yan decisively abandon any thought of eating there.

The spacious cafeteria hall was packed with people, the noise was deafening, and the air was thick with a mixture of sweat and cooking fumes.

The most ridiculous part was that the entire hall was empty, without even a single chair for people to rest or eat; all the outer court students had to hold their trays and stand while devouring their food.

Although the food provided was somewhat nutritious, the presentation was clearly lacking, which was understandable—after all, this was not the inner court, and there were not as many resources allocated here.

But for a cultivator seeking peace of mind, that environment was simply torture.

From then on, the bustling snack street outside Shrek Academy became the fixed spot for the siblings to have their three daily meals.

As for the expenses, that was not a concern for them at all.

Their father, Xiao Zhan, was, after all, a newly promoted ninety-fifth-level Super Douluo, and before they left, Xiao Yan had specifically directed Xiao Xiao to visit Xiao Zhan's private study.

The little girl had skillfully dug out the gold soul coin storage card her father had hidden in a secret compartment of the bookshelf, draining that private treasury completely dry.

Now, in the storage soul tool Xiao Xiao carried, there were over a dozen cards with a face value of one hundred thousand gold soul coins each.

Whenever she saw those tempting grilled skewers, candied haws, or exquisite pastries on the snack street, Xiao Xiao didn't even blink when she paid.

Presumably, when the Heavenly Cauldron Douluo back home discovered the secret compartment was empty, the expression on his face would be quite spectacular.

The carefree days of spending money like water passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the morning of the freshmen's first day of class arrived.

A gentle breeze swept through the tree-lined path beside Shrek Square.

Xiao Yan had changed into the new student uniform issued by the academy.

It was just a basic white, cinched-waist martial outfit without any complicated decorative patterns.

But the same clothes worn by different people produced vastly different effects.

His tall, slender figure, paired with that handsome and peerless face, managed to make this slightly rough uniform look like a high-end custom suit for a young master of a noble family.

He walked along the corridor with a calm and steady gait, appearing particularly striking among the green and flustered freshmen.

He walked in front, while Xiao Xiao followed behind, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

She tugged at the corner of her brother's clothes with both small hands, yawning as she walked. Her cyan-green hair was casually tied into two buns that bobbed as she moved, her face clearly saying, "I haven't woken up yet."

"Class Nine is just ahead, cheer up." Xiao Yan stopped and patted the top of Xiao Xiao's fuzzy head.

The door to the Class Nine classroom was wide open, and nearly fifty freshmen who had arrived early were already seated inside.

Boys and girls gathered together, their chatter and playful scuffles weaving into a chaotic din that rivaled the vegetable market outside the city walls.

Xiao Yan ignored the commotion and stepped through the classroom door.

The moment he entered, the noisy classroom seemed to have been hit with a mute button, falling into an eerie silence for several seconds.

A few girls sitting in the front row were chatting away, but as their gazes swept toward the door, their conversation came to an abrupt halt.

A thick Soul Beast Compendium slipped from the hands of a short-haired girl, hitting the wooden desk with a loud thud. She didn't even notice, her eyes fixed intently on the white-clad youth walking in, her breathing losing its rhythm.

Xiao Yan's expression remained completely impassive.

He looked straight ahead, his gaze passing over those dazed faces as he searched for an empty seat.

But the lethality of that face was simply too great.

In the span of just a few breaths, the eyes of almost every girl in the class seemed equipped with trackers, locking onto him firmly.

Some lowered their heads, whispering frantically to their companions with flushed faces, while others had already gathered the courage to stand up, smoothing their skirts as they prepared to invite him to the empty seat beside them.

The air was thick with the restlessness unique to adolescent girls.

Xiao Xiao, who had been following behind in a half-awake state, felt her feminine intuition kick in at that very moment.

She woke up instantly, her large, emerald-green eyes darting across the room as she immediately caught those predatory gazes.

The little girl's crisis radar blared, and all traces of sleepiness vanished into thin air.

Xiao Xiao let go of the hem of his shirt and darted in front of Xiao Yan in a single bound.

She spread her arms wide, like a little hen guarding her food, using her petite frame to block those scorching stares.

Her delicate, soft face was etched with vigilance, and she glared back at the eager girls without a hint of weakness, the implication of claiming her territory clear to all.

"Brother, let's sit in the back; it's quiet there!"

Giving no one else a chance to strike up a conversation, Xiao Xiao grabbed Xiao Yan's wrist and dragged him along the aisle by the wall, heading straight for the secluded corner in the very last row.

Xiao Yan let her lead him.

Watching the little girl act so nervous, as if she were terrified he might be snatched away, a hint of helplessness flickered in his eyes.

He had long been accustomed to being the center of attention, and with a heart as firm as rock, he cared nothing for the gazes of these young women.

However, since Xiao Xiao was willing to clear the path, he was happy to enjoy the peace.

The two sat down in the two adjacent seats by the window in the back row.

The many girls could only withdraw their gazes with reluctance and settle back into their seats.

Yet, the topic of the whispers in the classroom had shifted entirely to the white-clad youth sitting in the back corner, and every so often, a girl would steal a daring glance backward.

The crisis was temporarily averted.

Xiao Xiao let out a long breath and slumped against the wooden backrest of her chair.

She raised her hand and patted her small, undeveloped chest with a dramatic flair, looking as if she had just survived a great disaster.

"That was close, that was close. The girls at Shrek are just too terrifying; their eyes could eat people alive." She leaned in toward Xiao Yan, whispering her complaints in a low voice.

Watching her look of triumph after successfully guarding her "food," Xiao Yan shook his head, the corners of his mouth curling upward involuntarily.

He placed his books on the desk and cast his gaze out the window.

The sunlight was perfect, and the first class of the new semester was about to begin.