Gourmet's Tablecloth, a Food God's Divine Artifact? Dragon Duke and Snake Granny Appear in Sorry States

Zhu Zhuqing silently rolled her eyes inwardly and didn't respond.

But judging from Qian Ni's reaction, he really did have a way to deal with these Soul Beasts!

Of course Qian Ni had a way. More than one, in fact.

If he were alone, these Soul Beasts wouldn't be able to surround him at all.

If he used Ultimate Power to transform, forget ten minutes—even one minute would be enough to send these Soul Beasts, Titan Giant Ape included, to meet their grandmothers.

But he had promised Bo Saixi that he wouldn't use Ultimate Power he hadn't fully mastered.

And even without transforming with Ultimate Power, his killing intent alone could shatter these Soul Beasts' souls and kill them outright.

Or he could pull out a long-hoarded Planet-Destroying Bomb. Just one would be enough to send the entire Douluo Star to meet its grandmother.

Of course, whether a planet even had one of those was another matter.

But why would Qian Ni do that?

He wasn't Shrek Academy's babysitter. He stayed at Shrek Academy and invested in it to have fun, not to raise children.

So Qian Ni had no intention of making a move. Or rather, not yet.

The goal of this trip was to reach level forty and obtain his fourth Soul Ring.

Then he would use the Summoning System to reroll his Soul Skills, bully the Titan Giant Ape a little, and harvest some Fate Stones.

Setting aside Ultimate Power, which he hadn't completely mastered yet, none of Qian Ni's three Soul Skills could inflict decisive damage on the Titan Giant Ape.

His first Soul Skill: Cursed Speech.

His second Soul Skill: Anal Gungnir.

His third Soul Skill: Flower Bloom.

All were limited by his Soul Power Level and couldn't have a lasting effect on the Titan Giant Ape, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Although Qian Ni was an outrageously overpowered cheater among Soul Elders, there was still an enormous gap between his Soul Power cultivation and a hundred thousand years.

If they really fought, his human-form killing intent would be an effective mental attack.

Microscopic Particle Manipulation could also be useful.

But that was like using assistive tools in a game. Turning on a mod was fun.

But turning on invincibility, locked health, double speed, wallhacks, tracking, and infinite stamina? That was boring. Even the most entertaining game would quickly lose its appeal.

To Qian Ni, Ultimate Power was Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, something kept in reserve as a safety net.

The Soul Skills exchanged through Fate Stones, meanwhile, were fun mods meant for amusement and self-indulgence.

As a certain Fluffy from Record of the Grand Path would put it, simply running everything over with Ultimate Power didn't fit his aesthetic of joy.

He didn't have Fool's Mask. He was merely a newborn of Ultimate Darkness.

So, if the Titan Giant Ape wanted to play, then they could play.

After all, Shrek Academy was the one holding the line. What did it have to do with him?

With Xiao Wu around, could that monkey really order the Soul Beasts to kill them?

All Qian Ni needed to do was cultivate his Soul Power diligently, raise his level before that monkey resigned itself to retreating, and give it one huge surprise.

Qian Ni looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who was still waiting for him to speak. After thinking for a moment, he took out several items from his storage ring.

"Little Zhu, that monkey holds grudges. It looks like these Soul Beasts won't retreat anytime soon.

"Since things have come to this, we're not exactly demons either.

"Here, take these items."

Qian Ni took out ten Bamboo Copters and a Gourmet's Tablecloth, handed them to Zhu Zhuqing, and explained how to use them.

"Wear a Bamboo Copter on your head, and you can fly slowly.

"The Gourmet's Tablecloth... emmm." When he mentioned this miraculous item, Qian Ni adopted a grave expression.

After all, a tablecloth capable of producing all kinds of food at will was a little hard to imagine for Douluo Continent.

"This is a divine artifact I obtained by chance! It's connected to the legendary Food God! With a thought, it can produce all kinds of food.

"Use it well. Even if we stay in Star Dou Forest for several more days, we won't starve.

"Don't you still have that Frog Sticker? You know how it works too. The front absorbs fatigue, and the back releases it.

"If several people take turns keeping watch at night, it won't be a problem.

"As you can see, I'm just a Soul Elder and keenly aware of how weak I am. Next, I'll be entering secluded cultivation. Your task is to protect me! Don't let any Soul Beasts disturb me.

"Once this is over, you'll be richly rewarded!

"As for Rongrong-san, that Pagoda Little Loser, don't bother with her. Let her do whatever she wants.

"When we get back, I'll remove her from the ranks of my lackeys and grant her freedom.

"As for Meng Yiran, keep training her for a few more days.

"Oh, right. There's one more thing."

Qian Ni suddenly remembered something. His spirits lifted as he took an Alien from his scabbard, handed it to Zhu Zhuqing, and quietly gave her a few instructions.

"This Alien, if... you do this, then this...

"Alright, that's it. Don't disturb me if nothing happens, and don't disturb me if something does happen either. I won't hear you."

Having said that, Qian Ni didn't return to the Universal Capsule villa. Instead, he took out a sedan chair, sat down in it, and entered meditation.

Leaving only Meng Yiran and Zhu Zhuqing staring at the Alien, unsure of what to say.

Just as Qian Ni had expected, the Titan Giant Ape was in the middle of a rage and hadn't properly caught up with Xiao Wu after being separated from her for so long.

At the moment, it had no intention of letting them leave.

The Soul Beast horde surrounded them layer upon layer, sealing them in tightly.

As though completing daily game quests, they launched three attacks on Shrek Academy at random times each day. If they failed, they retreated, seemingly buying time for the Titan Giant Ape's rear end to heal.

And so this bizarre routine began.

Fortunately, Tang San had plenty of hidden weapons stored in his belt, greatly easing the pressure on the Shrek Seven Monsters.

Ning Rongrong gained an even deeper understanding of the convenience and power of Tang Sect hidden weapons.

The interest in her eyes only grew stronger.

The next day, Zhao Wuji and Tang San were observing the movements of the Soul Beasts in the temporary camp.

The others gathered in the center to deal with lunch.

The Gourmet's Tablecloth was laid out in the middle, continuously producing all kinds of food amid flashes of white light.

Ma Hongjun grabbed a chicken leg with one hand. His chubby face was red from eating as he mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"I never thought Brother Qian Ni had something this good!

"Why didn't he take it out earlier? We've been eating Xiao Ao's sausages every day. I was about to throw up."

Oscar shot him a glance.

"Fatty, even food can't shut your mouth. Say another word, and I'll ask Brother Qian to take this treasure back. Then you'll have to eat my sausages again!"

He enviously stroked the Gourmet's Tablecloth and sighed. "I never thought Oscar would have the chance to use a legendary divine artifact in this lifetime!

"This divine cloth truly deserves to be the Food God's artifact. It's actually this wondrous!

"Brother Qian is truly a godlike man!

"Why wasn't I born a girl? Why does the gender requirement for lackeys have to be so strict... How hateful!"

Ning Rongrong, however, said nothing. She took small bites of the pastry in her hand and looked at Qian Ni meditating with his eyes closed not far away, regret showing in her gaze.

Although she had jokingly acknowledged her identity as his follower, she still carried herself with the pride of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's young miss.

On one hand, she tried to grow closer to Qian Ni. On the other, she continued mixing with Shrek Academy.

Though it looked as if she was thriving on both sides without causing any conflict.

In truth, she hadn't entered either side's inner circle.

At least Zhu Zhuqing knew enough to wear a maid outfit and call him Master at every turn.

What about Ning Rongrong? She had treated it all like a game.

Even Meng Yiran, who had been scared stiff as a quail, performed her duties as a lackey better than Ning Rongrong did.

At the very least, Meng Yiran knew to take a fan and fan Qian Ni whenever he rested.

Other than using her Soul Skills, Ning Rongrong only knew how to eat.

Now, she regretted it.

She regretted being too reserved.

A divine artifact... It sounded unbelievable, but she had never heard of an item that could produce food according to one's wishes.

What else could such a miraculous effect be, if not a divine artifact?

The pastry she was chewing right now was a special snack developed exclusively for her within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

There was practically no chance an outsider could know its recipe.

That further proved the Gourmet's Tablecloth's miraculous nature.

Ma Hongjun was full of requests. After swallowing the chicken leg in his mouth, he coughed a few times.

"A little dry. Third Brother, do you still have water on you? Give me some."

Tang San, who wasn't far away, brushed his belt and took out a waterskin, tossing it over.

"I didn't bring much water either. With things like this, it'd be best to conserve it."

It was their first time using the Gourmet's Tablecloth. Trapped in habitual thinking, they assumed it could only summon food and never thought about water.

Zhu Zhuqing, however, stiffened slightly upon hearing their conversation. After a moment, she took out several bulging waterskins.

"Master prepared them.

"This is purified water. Drink as much as you want."

Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance with Meng Yiran beside her, lowered her head, and said nothing else. Neither of them touched the waterskins, as if they weren't thirsty at all.

Ma Hongjun immediately brightened.

"Brother Qian Ni is so thoughtful! From now on, he's my big brother!

"Third Brother, put your water away. Let's drink these first!"

Without hesitation, he grabbed a waterskin, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down.

Dai Mubai and Oscar also sighed in relief. They were thirsty too, but had been enduring it.

Now that water wasn't in short supply, why be polite?

"Damn, this water... what a marvelous taste!

"It's so clean!" Ma Hongjun exclaimed, staring at the waterskin.

"As expected of Brother Qian Ni's water! It must be some rare luxury only nobles get to drink!"

Oscar also became a Qian Ni flatterer. Qian Ni had done him a favor and helped him obtain the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's Soul Ring, so his impression of Qian Ni couldn't have been better.

Seeing everyone praise the purified water endlessly, Zhu Zhuqing's lips twitched as she slowly said,

"Don't rush. There's plenty. If it runs out, there's more..."

Ma Hongjun gave her a thumbs-up.

"As expected of someone by Brother Qian Ni's side! So generous!"

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head. "I've merely followed Master and learned a little education."

Purified water. Purified water.

Alien saliva was extremely pure.

"Teacher Zhao! There are people over there! It's... Dragon Duke and Snake Granny!"

Tang San, who was keeping watch around the perimeter with Purple Demon Eyes, suddenly gave a warning.

Zhao Wuji also saw the commotion among the distant Soul Beast horde.

The two exchanged a glance, then looked at Meng Yiran in the camp.

Zhao Wuji nodded decisively.

"Call everyone over. Under these circumstances, one more person means one more bit of strength."

Before long, Dragon Duke and Snake Granny, looking somewhat bedraggled, broke through the Soul Beast encirclement and arrived at the Shrek camp.

"...

"Grandpa... Grandma..."

Meng Yiran's lips trembled pitifully, and her eyes reddened.

Dragon Duke and Snake Granny immediately looked guiltily at the ground.