Several more days passed in the blink of an eye.
"I've arrived at the highest city in the world, Shrek City! You're so beautiful, Shrek!"
A country boy who looked no older than eleven or twelve stood on Shrek City's main street, looking around.
"Oh my, aren't those... statues of the Shrek Seven Devils?!"
He had exclaimed "wow" more than three-five-zero-two-three-four times along the way, looking for all the world like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
Just then-
"Whoosh!" ×2
Two figures streaked across the sky like meteors, flying into Shrek Academy one after the other.
The boy jerked his head up.
At the sight of those two "meteors," he dropped to his knees with a thud, pressed his palms together, squeezed his eyes shut, and began muttering prayers.
"Bless me, Lord Sea God, bless me, Tang Buddha, bless me, Emperor, bless me, God... let me get into Shrek Academy! Your disciple prays with all his heart... Amitabha... amen..."
At the academy's main gate, the two upperclassmen on duty froze at the sight, then doubled over laughing.
"Yo-ho-ho!"
"Don't kids these days know you shouldn't worship random roadside Buddhas?!" The senior in white on the left wiped away tears of laughter.
"Exactly."
The senior in black on the right panted for breath. "What meteors would show up in broad daylight? Those were clearly..."
Wait!
Their laughter caught in their throats. They exchanged a glance, and both their expressions changed.
"Martial Soul Possession!" ×2
The two took off, A-Zu-style, shooting into the sky and racing after the two streaks of light.
"Brother Tang Qi, is someone shouting?" With the wind roaring around her, Huo Yutong squinted and called loudly to Tang Qi, who was flying ahead.
"Stop! Don't run!"
The voices drew closer, accompanied by the sound of