Gao Ren

Shrek Academy, faculty dormitory.

"I've been on the Douluo Continent for so long. At last, it's time to awaken my Martial Soul."

Today was the day of Gao Ren's Martial Soul Awakening.

Even as someone who had crossed over to this world, he couldn't help looking forward to it like any other child.

Of course, from a rational standpoint, his expectations weren't very high.

After all, Martial Soul Awakening on the Douluo Continent was closely tied to bloodlines.

Dragons begot dragons, phoenixes begot phoenixes, and a mouse's son knew how to dig holes. That saying described most Martial Soul Awakenings perfectly.

Gao Ren's late parents had both been food-type Soul Masters.

That meant his future prospects were limited. At best, he could take over Oscar's position and become a Second-Level God of Food in the Divine Realm.

Even then, he would need Oscar's approval, perhaps even Tang God-King's, before he had a chance at becoming the God of Food.

So Gao Ren hoped he would be one of the rare exceptions: a Martial Soul Mutation that gave him a powerful, combat-oriented Martial Soul.

Knock, knock.

Hearing the knock, Gao Ren called out.

"Uncle, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me."

Gao Ren's uncle was Gao Wei, the head chef of Shrek Academy's outer-court cafeteria.

After Gao Ren's parents were killed by Evil Soul Masters, Gao Wei had taken him in while he was still an infant.

"What is it, Uncle?" Gao Ren asked curiously.

"You don't need to go to the city lord's residence for your Martial Soul Awakening. Other arrangements have been made for you."

Gao Ren looked puzzled by his uncle's answer.

"Other arrangements?"

"Because I'm back, of course!"

The answer came from a disheveled old man.

He entered Gao Ren's room with a half-eaten chicken leg in his hand.

"Oh, Xuan Zi's here." Gao Ren greeted him with a smile.

Only one person at Shrek Academy was called Xuan Zi: Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi, whom many currently regarded as Shrek's strongest fighter on the Douluo Continent.

He might have looked impressive, but he was actually a ticking time bomb. Readers of the original story had given him plenty of nicknames.

There was "Chicken Leg Douluo," "Old Beast Xuan," and the most widespread of all, "Grand Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult."

His unreliability bordered on the stuff of rule-based horror tales. Going on a mission with him meant an unforeseen disaster was almost guaranteed.

His exploits included, but were not limited to, losing track of twelve inner-court disciples and getting eight of them killed by a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast; drinking while his disciples fought, resulting in casualties and letting a Soul King flee right under his nose with a disciple in tow...

Of course, those things lay in the future. None had happened yet.

"The moment I remembered that you'd be awakening your Martial Soul soon, I didn't rest for a second. I came straight back after finishing my inspection mission!" Xuan Zi said with a smile.

"Xuan Zi..." Gao Ren was a little moved.

"Touched? Then make sure you inherit your parents' Martial Souls properly." Xuan Zi smiled and finished the rest of his chicken leg. "Better yet, awaken Twin Martial Souls. Then I'll have tasty chicken legs and good wine again."

Gao Ren: ...

I shouldn't have expected anything nice from this old geezer. A dog's mouth really couldn't spit out ivory!

All you ever think about is yourself, you old geezer!

How had Gao Ren come to know Xuan Zi?

That story began with his parents.

Like his uncle, both his parents had graduated from Shrek Academy's outer court, then joined the academy cafeteria after graduation.

Meeting the gluttonous old man Xuan Zi had only been a matter of time.

Gao Ren's first real encounter with Xuan Zi came just after he crossed over. He found himself cradled in Xuan Zi's arms as the old man wept.

Only later did he learn that his parents had taken him to their hometown to visit family, where Evil Soul Masters had killed them.

If Xuan Zi hadn't happened to be in a nearby city, spotted the distress flare his parents had fired, and arrived in time to save him, the Evil Soul Masters might have eaten Gao Ren alive.

So even knowing how absurd Xuan Zi would become later, Gao Ren still treated him with respect.

"I won't waste time on anything else." Seeing Gao Ren fall silent, Xuan Zi realized he might have said the wrong thing and quickly changed the subject. "Are you ready? I'm going to awaken your Martial Soul."

"Ready whenever you are!"

At that, Xuan Zi began Gao Ren's Martial Soul Awakening.

He raised his greasy right hand, and a wave of Soul Power instantly enveloped Gao Ren.

At Xuan Zi's level, awakening someone's Martial Soul was effortless. Unlike less accomplished Soul Masters, he needed no tools to do it.

Guided by Xuan Zi's Soul Power, Gao Ren felt a shackle he had never even sensed before fall away. Comfort flooded his entire body.

At that moment, countless golden motes burst into view within the dome of light formed by Xuan Zi's Soul Power.

"Feel the Martial Soul inside you. Draw it into your right hand."

The instant Gao Ren instinctively raised his right hand, a whole chicken leg larger than his face appeared!

Along with it came a rich, unusual aroma of chicken and wine!

The next second, a sudden whoosh sounded in the room.

By the time Gao Ren came to his senses, the chicken leg from his right hand was somehow in Xuan Zi's mouth.

"Xuan Zi?!" they cried together.

Everything had happened on pure instinct.

Xuan Zi's Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul had taken control of his body, snatched the chicken leg from Gao Ren's hand, and stuffed it into his mouth. He tore into it with great bites.

Gao Wei stared in surprise.

Xuan Zi's instinctive reaction wasn't what surprised him. After so many years working at Shrek Academy, he had seen what Xuan Zi was like when hunger drove him wild.

What surprised him was that the chicken leg Gao Ren had held wasn't an illusory projection of a Martial Soul. It had been real, solid food.

"Ah Ren, how did you do that?" Gao Wei asked in astonishment. "For us food-type Soul Masters, Soul Power alone isn't enough to create food. We need a Soul Skill from a Soul Ring to make it... Can you make another chicken leg?"

"I think so. Let me try." Gao Ren raised his right hand, and with a thought, an identical chicken leg appeared.

Then Xuan Zi's hand darted over again. Uncle and nephew still couldn't make out his movements before the second leg ended up in his mouth.

With one chicken leg in his stomach, Xuan Zi had recovered some of his senses. After taking two bites of the second, he couldn't resist giving his verdict:

"Ah Ren, this is the best chicken leg I've ever eaten in my life! Even your father's chicken legs couldn't come close!

"Your Martial Soul has clearly undergone a tremendous evolution in every respect from an ordinary chicken-leg Martial Soul!

"The color, aroma, and flavor have all improved enormously. And instead of a drumstick, it's a whole leg with the thigh attached. I've also found that it can strengthen one's vital energy and blood.

"Eat it regularly, and it could greatly improve physical strength.

"Your chicken-leg Martial Soul needs a new name to distinguish it from all the others."