Cutting In

The outskirts of Star Dou Forest.

Xuan Xiao crouched in the canopy of an old locust tree, curled up into a ball. Even his breathing was slow and barely audible.

His eyes were fixed on the clearing below. The blue-haired boy was locked in a fierce fight with a Wind Baboon.

Huo Yuhao really was a reckless kid. His Soul Power was barely anything, yet he'd dared to venture alone into the depths of Star Dou Forest's outskirts.

Xuan Xiao muttered to himself as he gripped a jade box tightly in one hand.

He'd spent two months scavenging corpses in Star Dou Forest just to afford what was inside this box: the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife.

Six years.

Xuan Xiao closed his eyes and took a deep breath, memories of the past six years flashing through his mind.

When Hundred-ton King had inexplicably dumped him in this godforsaken place six years ago, he'd been completely dazed.

He'd woken up as a six-year-old child, lying in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the ragged clothes on his back.

It had taken him three whole days to figure out that he'd transmigrated into the world of Douluo Continent.

Then it had taken him another month to work out what the so-called Golden Finger he'd been given actually was.

The Deviation Value Store. It sounded impressive, but it was just a lousy shop.

Its currency was called Deviation Points. To earn them, he had to change the course of the story.

But damn it, his starting balance was zero!

The beginner's gift had given him a Martial Soul and two Soul Rings. Apart from that, he hadn't gotten a damn thing.

Xuan Xiao had nearly been sick with rage. What kind of Golden Finger was this? It was nothing but painting a cake to stave off hunger!

But there was nothing he could do. Since he was here, he had to make the best of it and survive.

So he'd started carefully gathering information, trying to pin down the timeline.

When he heard that Spirit Hall had fallen ten thousand years ago, he knew where he was.

This was the era of Peerless Tang Clan.

Then, after exhausting effort, he'd found Star Luo City—and the blue-haired Huo Yuhao.

Once he'd confirmed that they were the same age, he'd quietly kept track of the time, waiting for the story to begin.

Three months ago, he'd returned to Star Luo City and secretly followed Huo Yuhao all the way here, to Star Dou Forest.

He wasn't here to help Huo Yuhao.

He was waiting for the story to officially begin, so he could earn his first bit of starting capital.

And now, the moment had finally arrived.

"Bzz—"

An invisible mental shockwave suddenly spread out, as though something had slammed straight into Xuan Xiao's brain.

His consciousness began to blur, and everything before his eyes spun.

He knew this was Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sacrificing itself to Huo Yuhao.

The mental impact was far too strong. Even though he was hiding at a distance, he was still badly affected.

Xuan Xiao gritted his teeth, fighting to hold on to the last thread of consciousness as his hand trembled.

With a soft click, the jade box opened.

Inside lay a gray-black carving knife. A faint black mist curled around its blade, and a chill, cursed aura emanated from it.

The instant he opened the box, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness swept over him.

Xuan Xiao's vision went black, and he toppled straight out of the canopy.

He hit the ground with a thud and lost consciousness completely.

At that very moment, the sky suddenly changed.

One instant, it was bright and cloudless. The next, the entire sky had darkened.

Rumble—

A thunderous boom exploded high above, shaking all of Star Dou Forest.

The sun's light was completely blotted out, plunging the world into a strange darkness.

Then a tremendous pressure descended from above, so suffocating that every Soul Beast within dozens of miles fell to the ground, trembling.

A hazy figure appeared in midair out of nowhere.

He was an elderly man with snow-white hair, dressed in black robes and carrying himself with an otherworldly air.

He looked down at Huo Yuhao, who was receiving Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Sacrifice, and smiled with satisfaction.

"With the sun and moon in my hands and stars at my fingertips, none beneath the heavens can compare to me. I never thought that a remnant of my soul would still remain in this world."

His figure began to blur, transforming into a gray bead that drifted toward Huo Yuhao.

The bead traced an arc through the air, about to enter Huo Yuhao's mind.

But halfway there, the old man suddenly stopped.

He sensed an unusual aura.

It was an astonishingly vast force of Life. Though wrapped in a curse, its vitality was still so rich that it made one's heart tremble.

The old man's remnant soul quivered slightly.

It was the aura emanating from the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife. The curse was powerful, but the Life energy hidden beneath it was enough to tempt any remnant soul.

The instinct to survive made the old man change direction.

The gray bead turned in midair and flew straight toward Xuan Xiao, who lay on the ground.

With a whoosh, the bead sank into Xuan Xiao's brow.

After an unknown time asleep, Xuan Xiao groggily opened his eyes and found himself still lying on the ground in Star Dou Forest.

His head throbbed as if it were about to split open, and not a single part of his body felt right.

But he couldn't worry about that. The first thing he did was call out in his mind.

"System, check my balance."

The moment the panel appeared, Xuan Xiao froze.

"One, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand."

Five hundred thousand Deviation Points!

He rubbed his eyes hard and counted again, making sure he hadn't misread it.

Hijacking Electrolux's arrival had taken him straight from zero to five hundred thousand. He truly deserved to be the ultimate cheat beneath the Golden Finger.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Xuan Xiao grinned and laughed, happier than he'd ever been.

Six years. He'd finally waited for this day.

It wasn't that he hadn't been able to open the store before. He simply hadn't had any money, so even when he opened it, he couldn't buy a thing.

It was like a eunuch visiting a brothel—itching with desire, yet unable to do anything.

There was no describing how miserable that felt.

But now he had five hundred thousand Deviation Points. At last, he could take a proper look at all the good stuff the store had to offer.

Xuan Xiao sat cross-legged on the ground and began browsing the store's wares.

There were all kinds of things, so many that his eyes blurred: cultivation methods, Soul Skills, pills, weapons, and even all sorts of strange and unusual items.

But he didn't let it go to his head. He was perfectly clearheaded.

He knew what mattered most right now.

Getting into Shrek Academy.

Only by entering Shrek could he change the script more easily.

But Shrek Academy was notoriously difficult to get into. It used a recommendation system for nobles.

Without a letter of recommendation, there were only two ways in.

The first was to be so talented that Shrek came looking for you—or sent someone to brainwash you until you willingly became their dog.

The second was for the people at Shrek to be blind—blind enough not to see through you.

Neither option was realistic for Xuan Xiao.

So without hesitation, he searched the store and found what he wanted.

A letter of recommendation for Shrek Academy, priced at one Deviation Point.

One hundred Deviation Points for a letter of recommendation. It was an incredible bargain.

Xuan Xiao immediately clicked to buy it.

A flash of white light, and a gold-embossed letter of recommendation appeared in his hand.

The paper bore Shrek Academy's emblem and a bright red seal. It looked exactly like the real thing.

Satisfied, Xuan Xiao put the letter into his Storage Ring, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and stood up as Soul Power surged around him.

"Boom!"

Six pure white wings unfurled behind Xuan Xiao. With a gentle flap, they carried him flying toward Shrek City.