Mu En

Before long, Elder Zhuang returned with an elderly man.

The man's back was hunched, and his face had wrinkles beyond counting.

One glance was enough to tell he was much older than Xuan Zi.

Having grown up at Shrek Academy, Gao Ren naturally recognized him.

This was Mu En, the Sea God Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy, known as the Dragon God Douluo and one of the three Level 99 Limit Douluo of the age.

He liked spending time at the Freshman Dormitory Building, soaking up the vibrant energy of the young.

Mu En did not hurry over to check on Xuan Zi. Instead, he turned his gaze to Gao Ren.

Elder Zhuang had already told him what had happened on the way over.

Xuan Zi had drunk an entire vat of wine made by the young disciple he had just taken in and passed out cold.

As far as Mu En could recall, it had been at least a hundred years since he had seen Xuan Zi drunk to this sorry state.

For a child who had only just become a Soul Master to reduce Shrek Academy's second-strongest fighter to this was an extraordinary talent.

"You're Gao Ren, aren't you? We've met before." Mu En smiled kindly. "I'm Xuan Zi's martial uncle. By seniority, you should call me grand-martial uncle."

Gao Ren was a little surprised that Mu En had taken the initiative to claim a connection with him, but he soon accepted it.

After all, the last recorded Food-Type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power had been Oscar, who became a god ten thousand years ago.

And Gao Ren was a Twin Food-Type Soul Master, something the records had never even mentioned!

"Greetings, grand-martial uncle," Gao Ren said, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Hello." Mu En glanced at the second vat of wine Gao Ren had made, sitting in the corner. "Child, may I have a little?"

"Of course."

No sooner had Gao Ren spoken than a bowl appeared in Mu En's hand.

The next moment, wine rose from the vat in a thin stream and flowed into the bowl.

Mu En drained it in one gulp, then nodded.

"No wonder your teacher ended up in this state. Even I can't dispel this wine's effects with Soul Power. He drank a whole vat before getting drunk? I might even have to praise him."

Gao Ren could only smile awkwardly. He had a feeling Xuan Zi was in for it.

"Child, let me try the First Soul Skill of your other Martial Soul."

"All right, grand-martial uncle."

Gao Ren nodded and recited his Soul Chant: "Overlord Chicken Leg, restore Soul Power complete; keep me full for ten days, send hunger and thirst flying! Overlord's Belly-Filling Leg!"

"Quite an unusual Soul Chant." After that brief comment, Mu En took the Belly-Filling Giant Chicken Leg and ate it with the utmost seriousness.

Soon, he had eaten every last bite.

"Child, one day you'll become the greatest Food-Type Soul Master." Mu En gave his final assessment, then made a promise. "Shrek's resources will be directed toward you."

"Thank you, grand-martial uncle."

"No need to thank me. You earned this by awakening Twin Martial Souls. It's what you deserve."

In Mu En's eyes, Gao Ren was a mountain of gold and silver that would never run dry, a vital source of logistical support in future wars.

He knew he had only a few years left before his time came.

But he believed that, before then, he would see a Soul Master worthy of being called one of Shrek's pillars.

With Gao Ren around, everyone could cultivate through eating and drinking, just as those with the Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul did.

The age of a Soul Ring could determine both the upper and lower limits of a Soul Master's potential.

Whether a Soul Master could absorb a Soul Ring depended on physical strength. For Soul Rings over ten thousand years old, mental strength mattered too—

And as it happened, Gao Ren's two Martial Souls could help greatly with both.

Once he truly came into his own, Shrek Academy would become a place that "mass-produced geniuses" in every sense.

At that afternoon's Sea God Pavilion Meeting, Xuan Zi was still dead drunk, so Mu En had Gao Ren attend in his teacher's place.

That was the official reason. In truth, Mu En just wanted him to get acquainted with the people at the Sea God Pavilion.

The meeting was the regularly scheduled annual gathering.

Such meetings rarely dealt with anything urgent. They mainly reviewed and reported on Shrek Academy's current affairs.

Otherwise, Gao Ren would never have had the chance to enter the Sea God Pavilion's meeting hall.

As a result, he drew plenty of attention from the old men and women at the meeting.

Halfway through, the Sea God Pavilion Meeting turned into a gathering to fuss over the kid. They put Gao Ren through the wringer.

If he had known it would be like this, he would never have agreed to come with Mu En.

Soon, the next day arrived.

As Xuan Zi's disciple, Gao Ren was now responsible for looking after him.

"My head... Why does it feel like a Titan Giant Ape stepped on it...?"

At the sound of Xuan Zi's groan, Gao Ren stopped meditating.

He turned and found Xuan Zi lying on his stomach in bed, one hand clutching his head.

Judging by his twisted expression, he was clearly hungover.

"Teacher, you're awake." Gao Ren helped Xuan Zi sit up and handed him a glass of water.

Xuan Zi drained it, then turned toward the window.

Seeing the sun high in the sky outside, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, good. Judging by the sun, I can't have slept long. I should still make the meeting."

Gao Ren could only shatter that hope with the facts.

"Teacher, it's noon the next day."

Xuan Zi: ?

Gao Ren added, "You slept for an entire day and night."

Xuan Zi went numb.

"Then why didn't you wake me?!"

"Even grand-martial uncle couldn't wake you," Gao Ren said helplessly. "How could I?"

"Grand-martial uncle?" Xuan Zi froze, his hungover mind still slow to catch up. "Which grand-martial uncle? Where did you get a grand-martial uncle... Wait!"

His mind finally caught up, and sweat began to run down his back.

"Did Mu En... say anything?"

Gao Ren imitated Mu En's tone and repeated:

"'No wonder your teacher ended up in this state. Even I can't dispel this wine's effects with Soul Power. He drank a whole vat before getting drunk? I might even have to praise him.' Those were grand-martial uncle's exact words."

The color visibly drained from Xuan Zi's face.

Mu En had never cared how drunk Xuan Zi got on an ordinary day.

So when he heard Gao Ren repeat those words, he knew Mu En was angry.

Missing a Sea God Pavilion Meeting because he had been drinking was going too far.

Luckily, he had only missed a regular meeting. If it had been an Emergency Meeting, Mu En would not have been nearly so gentle.

After all, every Emergency Meeting meant something momentous had happened at Shrek Academy.

Several Emergency Meetings in the past had even decided the course of the continent.

Seeing Xuan Zi, usually so imposing, reduced to a quaking little quail, Gao Ren could not resist teasing him.

"Teacher, you seem rather afraid of grand-martial uncle."

"Nonsense! Why would I be afraid of him?" Xuan Zi's face flushed. Feeling he had lost face before his disciple, he clung to his denial like a dead duck refusing to open its beak. "I am the mighty Taotie Douluo! I fear neither heaven nor earth. Why would I fear—"

"Xuan Zi, you're right."

An old yet gentle voice came from the doorway.