Shrek, Here We Come

As the seasons turned and the cold gave way to heat.

In the blink of an eye, an entire year had passed, and Homecoming Cottage had remained peaceful and tranquil throughout.

The little courtyard, far removed from all conflict, carried on with its everyday warmth. There was no pressure of fate, no entanglement of grudges. It was a rare place of peace in their long lives.

The soft clatter of a spatula against a wok came from the kitchen. The rich aroma of flour-based food drifted through the doors and windows, filling the courtyard. The fragrance of scallion oil mingled with the gentle scent of rice porridge, stirring hunger in their stomachs.

Huo Chen's voice came through the window. "Yuhao! Time to get up!"

Inside the room, the boy abruptly sat up. A full year of proper recuperation and uninterrupted cultivation had completely erased the frailty and thinness he had carried from his days at the Duke's Estate.

He swiftly pulled on his coarse cloth clothes, splashed his face with cold water, and hurried toward the main hall.

He had grown considerably taller now, his frame stretched out and solid. The timidity once hidden in his eyes had vanished without a trace. His features were sharp and clear, and every movement carried a steady, heroic air. He was no longer that child who had let others bully him, filled with inferiority.

On the dining table, the millet porridge was soft, thick, and sticky. The scallion pancakes were crisp on the outside and fluffy within. The pickled vegetables were refreshing and cut through the richness, while the milk had been warmed to just the right temperature. Though the meal was simple, every detail spoke of care and gentleness.

"Morning, Uncle!" Huo Yuhao plopped down in his seat, grabbed a pancake, and took a huge bite, puffing out his cheeks.

"Eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you. Be careful not to choke."

Huo Chen emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of nourishing clear soup. Smiling, he raised a hand and lightly tapped Huo Yuhao on the forehead. His green robes had been softened by the warmth of the kitchen smoke, and the cool aloofness around him had completely turned into gentleness at home.

"I already washed up!" Huo Yuhao said indistinctly through a mouthful of pancake, looking rather adorably foolish.

"You might fool your uncle with that, but I don't believe you." A woman's amused voice came from the doorway.

Ice Empress leaned against the wooden doorframe with her arms crossed. Her short ice-blue hair shone with a faint cold gleam beneath the morning light. She wore a sharp, fitted ice-blue outfit, its silver belt outlining her figure, making her look valiant and imposing.

After a full year of recuperation, along with the daily nourishment of Huo Chen's Reincarnation Other Shore Flower's Hymn of Life, the hidden injuries left behind by her four-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation had been completely cured. Her ice-element origin was even more condensed and profound than before, her foundation stable and flawless.

The long period of peaceful mortal life had also worn away much of the arrogance and wildness in her bones, leaving her with a few more lively, ordinary feminine charms.

"Morning, Sister Bing!" Huo Yuhao greeted her, looking up.

"How many times have I told you? Call me Senior. You have no manners at all." Ice Empress rolled her eyes, walked over to sit down, casually picked up a pancake, and began chewing slowly.

"But Uncle said it's fine to call you Sister in private." Huo Yuhao blinked innocently at Huo Chen.

Huo Chen lifted his bowl of porridge and took a small sip, his expression calm. "Did I say that? I don't remember."

"You did that on purpose!" Ice Empress shot him a glare, feigning anger, yet the corners of her lips rose uncontrollably, unable to hide her faint smile.

After spending every day together for the past year, they had all come to understand one another's temperaments. Huo Chen was composed and measured with outsiders, but he spoiled Yuhao endlessly.

The boy relied on his uncle from the bottom of his heart and always considered Huo Chen's thoughts first in everything he did.

Though Ice Empress had lived for four hundred thousand years, and was forever proud and prickly in speech, she had long since come to regard the little courtyard as home. She refused to admit it, but every action revealed her concern.

"Where's Xue'er?" Huo Chen looked up and asked.

"Watching over the snow lotuses in the backyard flower bed." Ice Empress bit into her pancake, sounding unconcerned. "She said the spiritual energy in the morning light was best today. Those snow lotuses transplanted from the Extreme North are due to bloom today, and she insisted on guarding them herself. No one could persuade her otherwise."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Snow Empress entered the main hall in flowing white robes. Her silver-white hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her plain white dress was spotless. Her features were cold and exquisite, as though carved from ten thousand years of ice.

A year spent among the mortal world had softened more than half of the icy distance around her. There was now a trace of everyday warmth between her brows. She remained cool and aloof, but no longer felt impossible to approach.

"Everyone is up early today." Snow Empress sat down calmly, picked up her bamboo chopsticks, and slowly swept her gaze across the group. "It's rare for the courtyard to be this lively."

Huo Chen set down his bowl and chopsticks, his expression turning serious as his gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao. "There's something important I need to tell you. I plan to send Yuhao to cultivate at Shrek Academy."

The hall immediately fell silent, leaving only the faint rustle of wind brushing through the leaves outside the window.

Huo Yuhao abruptly raised his head, his eyes full of incredulous anticipation. "Shrek Academy? The soul master academy hailed as the greatest on the continent?"

"Precisely." Huo Chen nodded slowly and explained in detail. "Shrek is located in Shrek City, southeast of the Heavenly Soul Empire. It is the soul master academy with the longest heritage and deepest foundations on the Douluo Continent.

Whether in its collection of cultivation methods, secret realm resources, instructors, or opportunities to spar with peers, no other academy on the continent can compare.

Your foundation is sufficiently solid now. Continuing to cultivate behind closed doors will only limit your growth. Going to Shrek for systematic study and seeing the wider world with your own eyes is the best choice at present."

Huo Yuhao put down his scallion pancake and considered it carefully. Over the entire past year, he had not relaxed for a single day. His cultivation had steadily risen from Rank 20 to Rank 28.

Under Huo Chen's guidance and the nourishment of abundant spiritual energy, the Heavenly Dream Iceworm origin sealed within his body had steadily been unsealed. His spiritual power grew vaster by the day, while the purity of his soul power far surpassed soul masters his age.

He knew he should not remain trapped in this little courtyard, and an irresistible longing for that legendary academy rose in his heart.

"I'm going too." Ice Empress suddenly spoke, her tone crisp and decisive.

Huo Chen looked at her. "Why are you going to Shrek?"

"To look after the kid." Ice Empress lifted her chin, affecting an indifferent tone. "He's still young. No matter how steady his temperament may be, he's bound to act rashly at times. If someone bullies him outside, there needs to be someone by his side to back him up. Heavenly Dream entrusted him to me back then, so naturally I can't ignore him."

Huo Yuhao muttered softly, "Brother Tianmeng never entrusted me to you..."

"If I say he did, then he did." Ice Empress immediately glared at him and cut him off, leaving no room for argument.

Snow Empress lifted her teacup and took a small sip of tea before speaking in her clear, tranquil voice. "I will travel with you as well. There is still a long time before my transformation tribulation. This is a good opportunity to venture deeper into human towns, experience the many facets of life, and temper my Dao heart. Besides, I have heard that Shrek City is filled with merchants and holds quite a bit of aged tea. I would like to take the chance to seek some out."

Looking at the two women before him, warmth surged within Huo Chen's heart. When they had first met a year ago, they had been full of politeness, caution, and distance. Now, they could understand one another without words and place complete trust in each other.

He naturally called them Bing'er and Xue'er in private, without the slightest trace of unfamiliarity. The two women had also long grown accustomed to life in the little courtyard. They took the initiative to help manage everyday matters, chatted idly with the uncle and nephew, spoke of the past on the glaciers of the Extreme North, and shared curious new tales of the mortal world.

They all understood the hidden feelings in one another's hearts, but none had taken the initiative to pierce that thin veil. This peaceful companionship was already more than enough to make them content.

Huo Chen rose with a faint smile. "Since everyone intends to go together, we'll settle the itinerary. Pack our luggage tomorrow morning, and we'll set out."

Huo Yuhao froze slightly. "So soon?"

"How is it? Can't bear to leave this little courtyard?" Huo Chen raised a hand and rubbed the top of his head, his eyes brimming with gentle amusement.

"Of course I can!" Huo Yuhao shook his head vigorously, grinning so widely that his eyes curved into crescents, full of anticipation. "I just can't help imagining everyone's faces on registration day. When they see an eleven-year-old freshman like me arriving with two older sisters who are transformed hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, their jaws are going to hit the floor."

The Ice Empress gave a soft snort, her face full of haughty pride. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm not your bodyguard. I'm only coming along to sample all the different snacks in the human world."

The Snow Empress coolly added, "I only wish to seek out fine tea. It has nothing to do with you."

"Yes, yes, you're both absolutely right." Huo Yuhao nodded repeatedly, unable to hide the joy in his heart. The group chatted and laughed around the table as the morning sunlight fell over them, warm and comforting.