Shrek Academy, dirt field.
A warm breeze swept past, lifting a few fallen leaves from the ground.
Dai Mubai stood rooted in place, his distinctive Evil Eye White Tiger eyes wide with disbelief.
He had never imagined that the second selection, enough to shake the entire continent, would land squarely on him.
"Boss Dai, you... you were actually selected!" Ma Hongjun swallowed, the fat on his face trembling twice.
Then the fat boy's gaze fell on the third name on the Sky Screen, and his expression turned strange. "Cui Hua? Isn't she my ex-girlfriend?"
"She's just an ordinary farm girl from a village. She doesn't have even a trace of Soul Power. How did she get selected too?"
Dean Flender pushed up his square crystal spectacles and paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back.
His leather shoes scraped softly against the gravel beneath his feet.
"This is trouble." Flender's brows furrowed, his voice heavy with worry.
"That Renegade Immortal World is a complete unknown. Anyone who comes running out of there might be able to control monsters."
"Mubai is from the Star Luo Empire. If anything happens to him in there, our Shrek Academy won't be able to shoulder the responsibility."
Just as everyone grew uneasy, Yu Xiaogang strode over with his hands clasped behind his back.
His rigid face betrayed not a trace of panic. Instead, he looked calm and confident, as though everything was under control.
"Flender, you're letting your concern cloud your judgment. You're making this more complicated than it is."
Yu Xiaogang stopped and looked up at Dai Mubai, his eyes full of encouragement.
He cleared his throat and began his analysis in his usual lecturing tone.
"Let's review the first three explorers."
"Li Tie was a civilian with no combat experience. It's only natural that he died at the hands of a beast."
"Su Yuntao was a low-ranked Soul Grandmaster at level twenty-six. His Lone Wolf Martial Soul was too poor in quality, so when trouble suddenly arose, he couldn't react in time."
"As for the Man Faced Demon Spider, a beast is still a beast. It only knows how to fight by instinct. It's no surprise that it was outsmarted with poison and a dried corpse."
At that, Yu Xiaogang raised a finger, his tone brimming with certainty.
"But Mubai is different."
"He's a top talent from our Shrek Academy, a level thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder of the Power Attack System."
"His Evil Eye White Tiger is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul."
"That young man from the Corpse Yin Sect may have strange tricks, but look closely and you'll see his face is pale and his steps unsteady. His physical constitution is probably worse than an ordinary farmer's."
"On the Douluo Continent, physical fitness is the foundation of all combat."
"Mubai, you have the White Tiger Body Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation. Once you activate Martial Soul Possession, your strength and defense will reach terrifying levels."
"People in that world like to hide at a distance and control flying swords or corpses. Just use your speed advantage to close in and crush them with overwhelming close-combat strength. All their flashy tricks will fall apart."
After hearing Grandmaster's lengthy analysis, the panic in Dai Mubai's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a fierce fighting spirit.
Tang San stood to one side and nodded in agreement.
He untied a black bracer from his wrist and handed it over.
"Boss Dai, Teacher's analysis is very thorough. Close combat is definitely our advantage."
"Still, it never hurts to be cautious. Wear this Silent Sleeve Arrow on your arm."
"If you encounter a flying sword that moves too fast, you can use it to catch your opponent off guard."
Dai Mubai took the hidden weapon and swiftly strapped it to his arm.
He drew a deep breath and smacked his fists together, producing a crisp crack of bone.
"Don't worry, Little San. Grandmaster is right. In the face of absolute strength, all evil arts are paper tigers."
"I'll show the people of the Renegade Immortal World what a true Shrek monster is!"
Meanwhile, in Spirit City, at the open-air training ground behind Pope Palace.
The training ground was paved with solid granite, and the air around it shimmered faintly from the heat.
Yan stood bare-chested, his firm muscles sharply defined. Dark-red flames curled around his arms like serpents.
He tipped his head back and looked at his name on the Sky Screen, then let out a wild laugh.
"Hahaha! It's finally my turn!" Yan suddenly swung his right fist through the air, scattering a ring of red sparks.
"Level fifty-two Soul King! Let's see what's so great about that Renegade Immortal World!"
Xie Yue stood at the edge of the training ground with his arms crossed, his brows slightly furrowed as he warned him, "Yan, don't get too cocky."
"You saw how tough that Iron-Armored Corpse was. The Man Faced Demon Spider's poison and claws did absolutely nothing to it."
"The fighting methods in that world are completely different from ours."
Hu Liena stood beside her brother, concern flickering in her foxlike eyes.
She looked at Yan and said softly, "Xie Yue's right. You're always too quick to act on impulse."
"Be careful over there. If you meet an enemy you can't beat, run. You only have to hold out for a year before you can come back."
Hearing Hu Liena's concern, Yan thrust out his chest, his protective instincts instantly surging.
"Nana, don't worry."
"My Flame Lord Martial Soul is the bane of every evil spirit and poisonous creature in the world!" Yan thumped his chest and declared confidently.
"That Corpse Yin Sect is just playing around with dead people."
"Once my magma erupts, I can burn that dried corpse and that sickly brat to ashes in an instant!"
"When I get back, I'll bring you an immortal treasure that grants eternal life!"
At that moment, the crisp clack of high heels rang out.
Bibi Dong, holding her scepter, slowly entered the training ground down the stone steps.
The pressure of her presence as a ruler calmed even the restless flames around the training ground.
"Greetings, Your Holiness!" The three members of the Golden Generation immediately dropped to one knee.
Bibi Dong raised a hand slightly, signaling them to rise.
At last, her gaze fell on Yan, carrying a hint of scrutiny and expectation.
"Yan, you are a member of the Golden Generation, cultivated with all the resources Spirit Hall could provide."
"This journey to the Renegade Immortal World is both a test of life and death and the best opportunity for Spirit Hall to learn about that world."
Bibi Dong tapped the ground with her scepter, producing a crisp sound.
"The Corpse Yin Sect's methods are indeed sinister, but they also reveal the weakness behind them."
"They rely far too heavily on external objects."
"Our Spirit Hall consulted the ancient texts. Controlling swords from a distance requires an enormous expenditure of mental strength."
"Once you're transported there, remember not to underestimate your opponents."
"Activate your Granite Rock for defense immediately."
"Use your flames to seal off the surrounding space and force them to fight you head-on."
Yan nodded firmly, his face brimming with confidence.
"Your Holiness, rest assured!"
"With my level fifty-two Soul Power and top-tier Beast Martial Soul, I won't disgrace Spirit Hall."
"I'll turn that Renegade Immortal World upside down and scout the way for Spirit Hall!"
Bibi Dong nodded with satisfaction.
She had confidence in Yan's strength. After all, he was a gifted Soul King, a formidable powerhouse anywhere on the continent.
Outside Heaven Dou City, in the main hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Night-shining pearls embedded in the dome cast a gentle glow, illuminating the spacious hall as brightly as day.
Ning Fengzhi sat in a tall-backed chair carved from rosewood, holding a cup of steaming tea.
He didn't drink. Instead, he gazed intently through the window at the enormous light screen.
"Fengzhi, that second selection sure covered a wide range." Bone Douluo Gu Rong sat on a broad sofa nearby, his tall, gaunt frame leaning slightly forward.
Ning Fengzhi gently set his teacup on the side table with a soft clink.
"A level thirty-seven Soul Elder, a level fifty-two Soul King, and an ordinary woman with no Soul Power at all." Ning Fengzhi tapped his long fingers against the tabletop in a steady rhythm.
"This completely unpredictable random selection is what gives us the biggest headache."
"It means that any direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—even me—could be transported there one day."
Pointing to the name Cui Hua on the light screen, he continued, "Still, this ordinary farm girl's appearance gives us a good opportunity to observe."
"Li Tie died because of his own greed and ignorance of his surroundings."
"If Cui Hua can keep her head down, we can use her perspective to get a good look at the lives of ordinary people at the bottom of the Renegade Immortal World and see how they survive."
Beside one of the great stone pillars in the hall, Sword Douluo Chen Xin gently polished his Seven Kill Sword with a piece of white silk.
He wore a pristine white robe, and his silvery hair was combed to perfection.
"I'm not concerned about that farm girl. I'm concerned about those two young men from the Hengyue Sect." Chen Xin spoke slowly, his voice ringing like a sword, its edge razor-sharp.
"That wooden sword that flew out had no Soul Ring attached to it, nor did it give off even the slightest trace of Soul Power."
"And yet, the instant it left its sheath, I sensed an extremely pure intent."
Gu Rong chuckled dryly, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. "Old Sword Bones, are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
"Wasn't it just a flying wooden stick?"
"It only scared that good-for-nothing Su Yuntao into trembling. What intent could there have been?"
Chen Xin stopped polishing his sword and looked up at Gu Rong, his gaze sharp.
"You don't understand swords." Chen Xin shook his head and said gravely, "To control a lifeless object from a distance and wield it as if it were an extension of your arm, moving as fast as lightning..."
"That takes terrifying mental control."
"They call this power qi."
"If even two young disciples doing odd jobs in their sect can master this method of sword control, how profound must their elders' attainments in the sword be?"
Hearing Sword Douluo's words, Ning Fengzhi's expression also grew solemn.
"Uncle Jian is right." Ning Fengzhi sighed.
"The Douluo Continent has been at peace for too long. Soul Masters rely too much on the fixed Soul Skills granted by their Soul Rings and have lost the ability to delve deeply into their own power."
"The Renegade Immortal World is like a sharp blade hanging over our heads."
The ten minutes of preparation passed in the blink of an eye.
A grand voice rang out from the heavens right on time.
[Countdown over!]
[Transportation beginning!]
Three dazzling columns of light descended from the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit City, instantly enveloping Dai Mubai, Yan, and Cui Hua.
The next second, the pillars of light vanished, and the three disappeared from where they stood.
The images on the Sky Screen lit up again, splitting into three clear live views. The eyes of the entire continent were instantly drawn to them.
In the rightmost image, the farm girl Cui Hua still clutched the battered wooden ladle she used to feed the pigs.
She had been transported to a bustling market street.
Vendors called out around her, while passersby in old-fashioned long robes streamed by.
The people only gave her patched, coarse clothes a curious glance. None of them made a move to attack her.
Cui Hua's legs gave way in fright, and she collapsed in a corner beside a steamed bun shop, trembling.
The smell of meat buns drifted into her nose with the steam.
Cui Hua swallowed, and her stomach rumbled uncontrollably.
She had spent the whole morning doing farmwork at home, and after all the shock and fear, she was already ravenous.
But she didn't dare move.
Her mind was filled with the bloody image of that commoner named Li Tie, his chest torn open by a beast.
"W-where... where is this...?"
Cui Hua clutched her knees with both hands, her voice choked with tears, and buried her face in them.
People came and went around her.
In a city built by mortals in the Cultivation World, all kinds of people passed through every day.
People had seen it all before. Nobody cared to meddle with an outsider like Cui Hua, dressed strangely and looking terrified.
Just then, a pair of black satin cloth shoes stopped in front of her.
Cui Hua shuddered and slowly raised her head.
Standing before her was a young man in an extravagant blue-green robe.
He held a folding fan, and a decent-quality translucent jade pendant hung at his waist.
His face was fairly fair, but dark circles ringed his eyes, and his steps were unsteady.
"Miss, have you run into some trouble?"
The young man in the blue-green robe folded his fan and put on what he thought was a gentle smile.
Two burly servants with brutish faces and fleshy cheeks stood behind him.
Cui Hua had never seen a scene like this.
In the village outside Suotuo City, even the village head had never worn clothes this fine.
She hurriedly shrank back and stammered, "I... I don't know where this is. I want to go home..."
A glint too subtle to notice flashed in the young man's eyes.
He looked Cui Hua up and down.
Although she wore coarse clothes and had some dust on her face, years of farmwork had left her sturdy and full-figured.
To a young man who had grown up indulging in the company of delicate women in pleasure houses, she had a different sort of charm.
Most importantly, he could tell at a glance that this woman had no backing at all. She didn't even know her way around.
Meanwhile, on the Douluo Continent.
On the training field at Shrek Academy.
Ma Hongjun watched the scene in the light screen and immediately jumped up and down in alarm.
"Who's that pretty boy?!"
"That look in his eyes makes it obvious he's up to no good!"
"Cui Hua, don't fall for it! Run, now!" Ma Hongjun yelled at the sky, the veins in his neck bulging.
Dai Mubai frowned and grabbed Ma Hongjun by the shoulder.
"Fatty, calm down."
"This is the Douluo Continent. You could shout yourself hoarse and she still wouldn't hear you."