Prologue: The Boy Trapped in Shrek

Shrek City.

This was the most famous city on the Douluo Continent, because it was home to the continent's number one academy, Shrek Academy.

This academy had been founded by Flender. Originally, it had merely been a small academy, but it had become renowned across the continent due to the rise of Tang San and the other Shrek Seven Devils.

After ten thousand years of inheritance, Shrek Academy had become the number one academy on the Douluo Continent. It belonged to no nation and held a position of immense importance on the continent; its dean could even stand on equal footing with emperors. More than four thousand years ago, the Sun Moon Continent had collided with the Douluo Continent, and war had broken out between the two continents.

At the beginning of the war, the Douluo Continent had been at a disadvantage due to its inferior Soul Tools. At the critical moment, Shrek Academy's dean of that generation had issued a rallying call, gathering nearly sixty Titled Douluo from across the continent. He temporarily became commander-in-chief of the three armies, defeated the Sun Moon Empire, and ultimately won the war, unifying the continent under the name Douluo Continent.

From then on, Shrek Academy no longer belonged to any nation, but existed independently.

Originally, this academy's creed had been to recruit only monsters, never mediocrities.

But as times changed, the royal families and nobility all wanted to send their descendants here. Shrek Academy had to give the entire continent some face, yet did not wish to change its creed.

What could they do? Simple—establish a distinction between the inner and outer academies.

The entry requirements for the outer academy were not high. Even those with average talent could enroll as long as they had a recommendation letter from a noble, a famous Soul Master, or an official.

But the inner academy was where Shrek's true "monsters" gathered, where Shrek's resources were concentrated. It was located on the island at the center of Sea God Lake. Only those who passed the outer academy's assessment, or were exceptionally promoted, could enter the inner academy.

In any case, Shrek Academy had already given face to the entire continent. Everyone could enroll, but if outer academy students could not enter the inner academy, that was their own problem.

Yet within this inner academy, there was now an exceptionally unusual presence.

He was already twelve years old this year, yet his rank was only seventeen. Logically speaking, someone with such talent could never enter the inner academy.

Yet he was precisely that exception.

The difference was that others wanted to enter the inner academy but could not, while he wanted to escape it but could not get away.

Inside a luxurious dormitory in the inner academy, two figures were tightly embracing. Clothes lay scattered across the floor, and their bodies were enveloped in incomparably dense flames.

The woman was around eighteen or nineteen. Her long red hair cascaded to her waist, and her pale pink eyes easily gave others a soul-stirring feeling. Fortunately, her gaze was cold, slightly suppressing the intoxicating allure in her eyes.

The boy was that special twelve-year-old at Rank Seventeen. Though he was only twelve, his features were handsome. Yet with a beauty in his arms, he did not look happy at all. Instead, his face was filled with anger and helplessness.

After a long while, the flames around them gradually died away.

The woman released the boy and tied up her long hair into two buns, adding a touch of cuteness to her mature beauty.

After putting on her clothes, she picked up the red robe from the floor and tossed it to the boy. "Today's cultivation is over. Thank you!"

"Hmph. If I had willingly given it, and you said thank you out of gratitude, that would be perfectly reasonable. But in this situation, Ma Xiaotao, I have to say that the thickness of your skin is truly astonishing. Or is this the shamelessness Shrek has passed down for ten thousand years?" the boy said furiously.

He spread open his palm and sensed the soul power in his body. "Hehe, I finally cultivated back to Rank Twenty, and now it's ruined again!"

The woman before him was Ma Xiaotao, the number one genius of Shrek Academy's inner academy, the current captain of the Shrek Seven Devils, and a descendant of Ma Hongjun, one of the first-generation Shrek Seven Devils.

In truth, she should have ranked second, because in the boy's memories, the true number one genius of the inner academy should have been Zhang Lexuan.

But this world seemed not to have such a person. There was not even Wang Yan in the outer academy.

This meant that this world was likely not the Douluo Continent plane from the original novel, but rather a Douluo plane closer to the animated version.

Seeing the hatred filling the boy's eyes, Ma Xiaotao could not help feeling a pang in her heart. She did not want the boy to hate her this much.

But she had no choice. She had to do this.

Moreover, her personality was proud and aloof. Even if she felt terrible inside, she would not show the slightest hint of it. Instead, she said coldly, "Don't worry. My problem will soon be completely resolved. When that time comes, I won't need to drain your power anymore. Once I fully recover, I'll compensate you for these six years. But you'd better know your place. Stop thinking about leaving, and don't provoke me. Don't forget, you're only trash now. You can forget about leaving Shrek for the rest of your life. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind turning you into trash forever."

Upon hearing this, the anger on the boy's face immediately turned to despair, as though all hope had left him.

After saying that, Ma Xiaotao put on her clothes and left the room.

However, her fists were clenched tightly, clearly showing that she felt terrible inside.

A cold voice suddenly sounded in the corridor. "You clearly know that you've wronged him, so why do you still speak to him like that? Is it really so hard to put down your pride and apologize?"

Ma Xiaotao turned around. Before her stood a beautiful woman in a blue dress, with long, straight black hair, scarcely inferior to her in beauty.

"Ling Luochen, what happens between him and me is none of your business."

"He saved you. Without him, your evil fire would have tormented you until you wished you were dead. He possesses Innate Super Soul Power and should have had limitless prospects, yet because of you, he has not only failed to advance over six years, but has regressed." Every word Ling Luochen spoke pierced the heart as she defended the boy.

"I told you, as long as he stops thinking about leaving, I'll compensate him. I truly don't understand. Shrek is the continent's number one academy, and its inner academy is something everyone longs for. He was able to enter so easily. With me here, no one can bully him. As for the six years he wasted, I'll spend every last fortune I have on resources to make it up to him in the future. Why does he always want to leave?" Ma Xiaotao's face held anger, confusion, and deep resentment.

Ling Luochen merely sighed softly. "You only ever look at things from your own perspective, while overlooking two issues."

"What two issues?" Ma Xiaotao asked instinctively.

"First, Shrek Academy may indeed be the number one academy, but everyone has their own ambitions. Everyone has somewhere they wish to go—the Body Sect, Sky Dragon Gate, Earth Dragon Sect, Proud Sword Sect, the Royal Academies of the Four Great Empires, and so on. Different people yearn for different things. You cannot assume that every genius must long to enter Shrek simply because Shrek is the number one academy."

"Second, he hates you. I can easily sense that. With you here, how could he possibly want to stay at Shrek?" Ling Luochen continued, driving the blade in deeper.

The veins on Ma Xiaotao's clenched fists had already bulged.

She had no response to Ling Luochen's words.

That was right. Everyone had their own ambitions—what a simple truth. Not wanting to cultivate alongside someone one hated was also only natural.

She understood all of it, but she could not let go. Absolutely not.

"I don't care what ambitions he has, and I don't care how much he hates me. He will never leave. Shrek is his home!" Ma Xiaotao said stubbornly.

Seeing that she could not persuade her, Ling Luochen shook her head helplessly. "Hurting him like this... I hope you won't regret it in the future."

Unlike the argument between the two women outside.

After Ma Xiaotao left, the boy in the room dropped his despairing expression.

Despair? Hehe, how could he despair? He had only been pretending.

No matter how great the difficulties before him were, his heart would always be filled with hope, and he was willing to make every effort for that sliver of hope.

Because he bore the name inherited from his teacher.

Yuwen Tuo!!!