Starlight and Foodlight, Encountering the Twin Shadows Again

Chapter 4: Starlight and Foodlight, Encountering the Twin Shadows Again

The warmth of reuniting with Xie Xie had yet to fade. Holding Gu Yue's hand and leading our returned companion, I walked deeper into Shrek Academy step by step. The bluestone path beneath our feet felt so familiar it made my heart burn. The flowers and grass along the road were still in full bloom, while the shouts of students training and their laughter drifted from afar. Everything seemed gently frozen in time—no smoke of war, no partings, only the purest passion and youthfulness.

Xie Xie walked beside me, no longer as boisterous as usual. His eyes held a little more seriousness. From time to time, he looked back at Gu Yue, then secretly studied the steady, weighty Gold Dragon aura surrounding me. He was full of questions, but he did not ask any more. He knew my personality, and he understood even better the bond carved into our souls. No matter which time and space I had come from, no matter what I had become, I would always be his captain—the person he could trust without reservation.

Gu Yue remained quietly at my side under my protection, her long black hair fluttering softly in the wind. Her star-silver eyes curiously surveyed our surroundings. Her Silver Dragon aura faintly resonated with the life energy deep within Shrek Academy, and pale silver light occasionally spilled from her fingertips, gently winding around the surrounding grass and trees. I could clearly sense that she did not feel the slightest unfamiliarity here, as though she had been born to belong to this land—to belong by my side.

After crossing the central plaza, we headed straight for the tree-lined path between the student training area and living quarters. This had once been the place where the seven of us gathered most often. Xu Xiaoyan had always loved sitting beneath the trees to gather star power, while Xu Lizhi would sit nearby with an armful of meat buns, eating to his heart's content. It had been the most peaceful, warmest corner of our youth.

The moment we approached the path, a gentle and pure starlight soul power washed over us.

That soul power was mild as water, carrying the clarity of stars in the night sky. It was neither flamboyant nor sharp, yet it steadily blanketed the entire shade beneath the trees. It was unmistakably the aura of Xu Xiaoyan's Star Staff Martial Soul!

My heart jolted, and my steps quickened without my realizing it. Beneath the trees, a petite figure sat cross-legged, her hands lightly forming seals. A pale-blue phantom of a star staff slowly revolved above her head, while specks of starlight fell like scattered diamonds onto her soft hair. The girl had her eyes closed, her expression focused, starlight flowing around her body. She was as beautiful as a fallen star that had descended into the mortal world.

It was Xu Xiaoyan!

Alive, unharmed, and peacefully cultivating—Xu Xiaoyan!

"Xiaoyan!" Xie Xie was the first to cry out, his voice brimming with the excitement of reunion.

Xu Xiaoyan slowly opened her eyes. Confusion first flashed through those clear, bright eyes, but when they settled on me, she froze slightly. She could feel the familiar yet incomparably powerful soul power within me. It was Tang Wulin's aura, yet far more profound and weighty than that of the captain she knew.

"Captain Wulin?" She rose to her feet. The phantom of her star staff trembled lightly, its starlight still gentle. "You... why are you here? You seem different from before."

I walked up to her, suppressing the surging ache in my eyes, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Golden Dragon Power seeped mildly into her body, awakening every memory of our past battles together. During that catastrophe, Xiaoyan had exhausted all her soul power to sustain her star power and protect everyone. In the end, she had dissolved into a sky full of starlight. That scene was a pain I had never dared revisit. Yet now, she stood before me—healthy, vibrant, her starlight as dazzling as ever.

"It's me, Xiaoyan." My voice was low. "I'm back. I came to take you home."

Before Xu Xiaoyan could ask anything else, a familiar sound of ravenous chewing suddenly came from nearby, accompanied by the rich fragrance of meat buns.

A round figure sat on a stone bench, hugging a large bag of meat buns and eating with delight. His cheeks were stuffed full, and his eyes curved into contented slits. It was Xu Lizhi! The aura of his Food Martial Soul was rich and warm, carrying a power that could heal everything. With every bite he swallowed, the surrounding soul power became calmer.

Seeing his carefree appearance made my nose sting. During the final battle, Lizhi had not hesitated to burn the origin of his Martial Soul to replenish everyone's soul power. In the end, he had collapsed before me without even finishing the last meat bun he loved so much.

"Lizhi," I called softly.

Xu Lizhi raised his head, still with a meat bun in his mouth. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. "Captain Wulin! You finally came! I was saying I'd save two meat buns for you!" he shouted indistinctly. As he spoke, he hurriedly fumbled two still-warm meat buns out of the bag and held them out to me, his face covered in an honest smile.

Xie Xie could not help laughing, and Xu Xiaoyan's eyes curved into crescents as well. Even Gu Yue at my side gently tugged at my sleeve and whispered, "He's so adorable."

I accepted the meat buns. Their warmth seeped into my palm and instantly warmed me to the depths of my heart. I looked at Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xu Lizhi before me, then at Gu Yue pressed close to my side. Four companions had already returned to me. Ye Xinglan, Yuanen Yehui, and Le Zhengyu had to be somewhere within this academy as well.

I took a deep breath. Golden Dragon Power surged through my chest as I spoke in a firm, powerful voice:

"Lizhi, Xiaoyan, I returned from the future for one reason—to find all our companions and reunite the Shrek Seven Monsters in full."

"This time, we will not be separated again. We will have no more regrets. We will grow stronger together, protect one another together, and walk every unfinished road together."

Xu Lizhi stared blankly for a moment, then nodded fiercely. Swallowing his last bite of meat bun, he clenched his fist. "Wherever Captain goes, I'll go! I won't be greedy for food anymore. I'll cultivate properly and protect everyone!"

Starlight flickered in Xu Xiaoyan's eyes. She gently gripped her star staff, her voice soft yet incomparably resolute. "Captain, I believe you. No matter what lies ahead, I'll follow you and use starlight to protect everyone."

Xie Xie patted his chest, his twin daggers drawing two crisp trails of light through the air. "That's right! The seven of us will always stay together!"

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering broken gold across the ground. Four figures stood beneath the shade, with Gu Yue, pure as a silver moon, by their side. Golden Dragon Power intertwined with the Silver Dragon aura, while starlight, blades of light, and the aura of the Food Martial Soul surrounded them. The bonds that had once shattered were slowly gathering together again.

I knew that the road to reuniting the Seven Monsters had drawn much closer.

The Gold Dragon raised its head, the silver moon leaned close, starlight remained unextinguished, and foodlight brought warmth.

The next one I would find was the forever proud and powerful Ye Xinglan, so that her Star God Sword could once more be drawn for Shrek.