Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's Shock

Oscar spotted Qin Muchu from far away and waved happily. "Brother Qin! Want a sausage? And you two, uh, you two beautiful ladies, want one?"

His eyes shone as he looked at Ning Rongrong. How had Brother Qin put it? Fate began when I saw you in the crowd. Looking at her now, he felt as though the whole sky was filled with pink bubbles.

Ning Rongrong frowned slightly. She knew that look all too well. The disciples in her sect looked at her the same way, though none dared approach her because of her status and the sect rules. Now this boy selling sausages was staring at her without the slightest attempt to hide it, and a flicker of displeasure rose in her heart.

"What are you looking at? Keep staring and I'll gouge your eyes out," she said fiercely.

"Ah, uh... Beautiful lady, would you like a sausage? My treat."

"No, thanks. I can pay for my own. Besides, Senior Qin already promised to treat us. Didn't you, Senior Qin?" Ning Rongrong turned to Qin Muchu and deliberately spoke in a syrupy voice.

Qin Muchu was speechless. They had barely met, and she was already acting cute to get her way.

He handed Oscar a Gold Soul Coin. "That's right, I said I'd pay. Little Ao, you can treat them next time. They're the new students we recruited this time: Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing."

"Hello, junior schoolmates." Oscar held the Gold Soul Coin out to Qin Muchu. "Brother Qin, how could I take your money? Besides, this is far too much."

Qin Muchu did not take it back. Instead, he picked up three sausages from the stall. "Keep it. Business is business. No need for change; Silver Soul Coins are a hassle to carry around."

"Then... all right." Hearing Qin Muchu put it that way, Oscar could only accept the Gold Soul Coin. He then looked at Ning Rongrong expectantly.

Ning Rongrong took a sausage from Qin Muchu and bit into it. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I didn't expect it to taste this good. So this is food made by a Food-System Soul Master?"

Hearing his goddess praise him, Oscar puffed out his chest with pride. "Of course! Oscar's sausages are fair to young and old alike, and absolutely delicious. Junior Rongrong, whenever you want one, you can have as many as you like."

Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes again and ignored him. "Senior Qin, let's go. Weren't you taking us to the Fourth Trial?"

"Mm. Little Ao, get back to selling your sausages. I'll take them over first. Let's go." Qin Muchu waved goodbye to Oscar, then led the two girls toward the Fourth Trial.

"Bye, Brother Qin."

"You don't seem to like Oscar much." Once they had walked some distance, Qin Muchu glanced at Ning Rongrong beside him. Though she was known as the Little Demoness of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had been quite ladylike during her first few days at Shrek. Yet this Ning Rongrong had rolled her eyes several times before even passing the Fourth Trial, and her tone toward Oscar had been downright nasty.

Ning Rongrong snorted. "You didn't see the way he looked at me. It was disgusting. A toad dreaming of eating swan meat."

"So that's it." Qin Muchu gave a wry smile. "Everyone appreciates beauty. Little Ao looking at you that way just means you're pretty and charming enough to catch his eye. You've only just arrived, so you don't know him yet. Spend some time with him and you'll see he's a decent person without a malicious bone in his body. He's talented, too—the first Food-System Soul Master in the continent's history to be born with Innate Full Soul Power. Among the students, only Xiao Wu and I surpass him in talent."

"A Food-System Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power? How is that possible?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in disbelief. She looked back at the figure sitting on the pushcart in the distance, stunned that the fellow was so talented.

If he had merely possessed Innate Full Soul Power, she would only have been mildly surprised. It was said to appear only once in a hundred years, but there were still a few such geniuses across the continent. She had even met several Titled Douluo; Innate Full Soul Power alone could hardly shock her. Ultimately, once someone's Innate Soul Power reached level eight, their future achievements depended more on hard work and opportunity than on that initial level alone.

But Food-System Soul Masters were so rare that even Innate Soul Power above level seven was extraordinarily uncommon. She had only heard of one reaching level eight. As for Innate Full Soul Power, there had never been a precedent anywhere on the continent.

"That's why I said he was the first in history."

Zhu Zhuqing, however, had caught another implication in Qin Muchu's words. "You said that Food-System Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power ranks only third in talent? Below you and Xiao Wu? Then you two..."

Ning Rongrong realized it too, and her eyes widened further. "Don't tell me you and Xiao Wu were both born with Innate Full Soul Power as well? No, even if you were, that still shouldn't put you above a Food-System Soul Master. Can Innate Soul Power go higher than level ten?"

"Of course. The world's heroes are as countless as carp crossing a river. It's only natural that a few geniuses would break through the limits. Take Spirit Hall's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, for instance. As a divine-level Martial Soul, its wielders are born with level-twenty Soul Power. Xiao Wu and I aren't among them, though. Our circumstances are special and have nothing to do with Innate Soul Power."

"Level-twenty Innate Soul Power?!" Both girls cried out in shock. Even Zhu Zhuqing's icy expression changed drastically. Qin Muchu covered his ears and glared at them, leaving them both a little embarrassed.

Qin Muchu turned and continued walking, though he was curious. One was the Little Princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; the other belonged to the family designated to marry into the Star Luo Imperial Family. How could neither of them know about Spirit Hall's Angel Martial Soul? Had Spirit Hall kept it that well hidden, or were the two girls simply too young to have learned such secrets?

Ning Rongrong gave him a thoughtful look. "So you're from Spirit Hall?"

Qin Muchu shook his head at once. "How could I be? If I were from Spirit Hall, I'd have gone to Spirit Hall Academy. Why would I come to Shrek Academy?"

"All right, then. I didn't expect you to know so much." Ning Rongrong followed behind Qin Muchu with her head lowered, looking thoroughly deflated. "Why is everyone so talented? Can I really study here?"

"Why else would our academy accept only monsters? There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers here. Once you pass the Fourth Trial, you'll be monsters worthy of the name too. Junior Rongrong, your level-nine Innate Soul Power isn't low even by this academy's standards. Besides, you can't judge someone's talent solely by Innate Soul Power. Didn't a certain Grandmaster say there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters? Junior Zhuqing beside you started with level-eight Innate Soul Power and is younger than you, yet her Soul Power Level is one level higher. There's another student at the academy who also started at level eight and has now reached level twenty-nine. So that initial level isn't as important as you think. If you're willing to work hard at cultivating, nothing is impossible."

"Is there a Grandmaster like that on the continent? Strange. Why have I never heard of him?" Ning Rongrong searched her memory but could think of no one who fit, so she gave up. She glanced at Zhu Zhuqing. Though surprise remained in her eyes, she did not lose her composure as she had before. Zhu Zhuqing was clearly a combat-type Soul Master, while Ning Rongrong herself had slacked off instead of cultivating properly. It was only natural that Zhu Zhuqing's level was higher.

Then she gave Qin Muchu an irritated look and said quietly, "Are you trying to comfort me or crush my confidence? You gave two examples, and both of them are better than me. Honestly..."