Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy, Sea God Island.
"Yamete! Big brother, stop hitting me!"
"Bei Bei, you stole my dragon meat again!!"
Beneath the Golden Ancient Tree, two children wearing identical clothes and looking eighty percent alike chased each other around.
The shorter one running in front was Bei Bei, while the sturdier one behind him, holding a wooden stick aloft, was Mu Changqing.
Mu Changqing was a transmigrator. After drowning while drinking water, he had been reborn on the Douluo Continent during the Peerless era.
He had been reborn as Mu En's great-great-grandson, Bei Bei's older twin brother-a legitimate Celestial Dragon of Shrek.
"Let's go. Time to head back and bathe!"
Mu Changqing threw away the stick in his hand and headed toward his residence, with Bei Bei following behind.
They had just finished their morning training. Since Mu Changqing had trained a little longer, the ravenously hungry Bei Bei had polished off his share of the food, which was why he had chased Bei Bei around, hitting him.
Inside a small house on Sea God Island, Mu Changqing finished bathing and changed into fresh clothes, with Bei Bei close behind.
"Six years!"
Mu Changqing stood before the mirror, talking to himself.
His eyes were filled with excitement for his Martial Soul awakening, but also uncertainty about the future.
He was excited because he could finally become a Soul Master, and uncertain because he could see no path to godhood.
The path to godhood in Douluo had been completely severed. For his own selfish desires, Buddha Ancestor Tang had cut off all passage between heaven and earth.
As a transmigrator, if he did not pursue godhood or eternal life, would he not be living this life in vain?
Why could a person not control his own destiny?
Just because Buddha Ancestor Tang was a lofty God King, did that mean he could treat all things as straw dogs?
What gave him the right to control someone's destiny at will?
What fucking right did he have?
But what did it matter if Mu Changqing refused to accept it? Buddha Ancestor Tang was now a God King of the Divine Realm. What could he use to contend with him? His insignificant strength?
In Buddha Ancestor Tang's eyes, Mu Changqing was no more than an ant!
If Mu Changqing wanted to become a god, he had only one choice.
That was to be treated to dinner, beheaded, or taken in as a dog by Buddha Ancestor Tang, just like Huo Yuhao.
But would Buddha Ancestor Tang even think Mu Changqing worthy? Buddha Lord Tang had very high standards.
Mu Changqing was not even good enough to be a dog.
Only Huo Yuhao, the child of destiny nurtured by the Douluo Continent over ten thousand years, could catch Tang San's eye and qualify to be his family's dog.
Ever since his mind had awakened at three, Mu Changqing had taken Bei Bei along to exercise and arranged a balanced diet to lay a solid foundation.
No matter how difficult the road ahead was, a good foundation was essential.
Mu Changqing knew his Martial Soul was the Holy Dragon of Light, but because his bloodline was unstable, it could ultimately only manifest as a Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The same was true of Bei Bei's Martial Soul.
So, apart from morning training, Mu Changqing spent the rest of his time with Bei Bei beside the Golden Ancient Tree, letting the golden light it emitted nourish their bodies.
As for food, he had consumed plenty of thousand-year whale glue, tea brewed from Golden Ancient Tree leaves, and even meat from light-type lesser dragon Soul Beasts.
Thus, Mu Changqing hoped he could directly awaken a complete Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul at his awakening.
Once Mu Changqing awakened his Holy Dragon of Light Martial Soul, he would carefully plan his path to becoming a powerhouse.
If he could not snatch Huo Yuhao's opportunity with the Skydream Iceworm, then he could not let the opportunity with Electrolux slip away.
"Big brother, stop spacing out! Sister Lexuan is waiting outside!"
Bei Bei tugged at Mu Changqing's hem from behind, and the two walked out of the bedroom one after the other.
A girl stood in the entryway. Her black hair reached her shoulders, her features were delicate, and she wore Shrek's inner court uniform.
"Changqing, Bei Bei, I'll go with you to awaken your Martial Souls."
A slight smile appeared on Zhang Lexuan's lovely face as she bent down and stroked their soft hair.
Over their six years together, Zhang Lexuan had cared for them humbly and attentively, and both Mu Changqing and Bei Bei had become highly dependent on her.
Zhang Lexuan was also a cultivation fanatic. At only sixteen, her Soul Power had already reached rank fifty-seven. Not only was she talented, but she also cultivated diligently.
Honestly, no one could match Zhang Lexuan's love for Bei Bei. All one could say was that the Bei Bei of the original story had no idea how to enjoy a good meal!
He had rejected a perfectly good eldest senior sister and loved Tang Ya as though Buddha Lord Tang had planted a Gu worm in him, following her in reviving the Tang Sect while neglecting his cultivation.
Had Huo Yuhao not joined the Tang Sect, he might have spent his whole life guarding a Tang Sect with only two members, remaining unknown until his death.
Mu Changqing felt that Bei Bei would surely still become utterly bewitched by Tang Ya in the future and fall completely in love with her.
Since Bei Bei liked his Tang Ya, then their eldest senior sister could only belong to Mu Changqing in the future.
Holding their little hands, Zhang Lexuan led them out of the residence toward the Sea God Pavilion.
The surface of Sea God Lake shimmered, and the Golden Ancient Tree stood tall and majestic in the distance.
At that moment, a filthy old beggar lay on the conference table in the Sea God Pavilion's main hall, holding a bottle of wine, his mouth still stuffed with an unfinished chicken drumstick.
He was none other than the Sea God Pavilion's second-in-command, Taotie Douluo-or the Holy Spirit Church's grand elder-Xuan Zi.
Zhang Lexuan gave him a somewhat disgusted glance and led Bei Bei and Mu Changqing toward the top floor of the Sea God Pavilion.
"Changqing, Bei Bei, you mustn't drink alcohol!"
"I'll listen to you, Sister Lexuan!!"
Bei Bei's tone was firm as he nodded at Zhang Lexuan.
Mu Changqing looked at Xuan Zi and smiled helplessly. This grand elder of the Holy Spirit Church was a genius-harvesting machine who would get Zhang Lexuan's generation killed off in the future.
The three passed through the Sea God Pavilion's second floor, which housed the library where Shrek Academy kept its important records.
Following the stairs all the way up brought them to where the pinnacle of the Sea God Pavilion's authority began, the place where each successive Pavilion Master lived.
Knock, knock, knock.
Zhang Lexuan knocked on the wooden door to Mu En's room. It slowly opened, revealing a withered old man sitting upright in a wheelchair on the balcony, basking in the sun.
No one would have imagined that this old man was the Dragon God Douluo renowned throughout the continent.
"Teacher, we're here!"
Zhang Lexuan was the first to greet Mu En on the balcony.
"Great-great-grandfather!!"
Mu Changqing and Bei Bei called out in unison, released Zhang Lexuan's hands, and scampered eagerly over to Mu En.
"Good! Good! Good! You're both my good children."
Mu En smiled, his eyes brimming with tenderness as he stroked his two great-great-grandsons' hair.
Mu Changqing and Bei Bei were Mu En's only surviving blood relatives, and he doted on them beyond measure.
Looking at his great-great-grandfather's face, Mu Changqing felt his nose sting. He lamented inwardly that his great-great-grandfather's life was nearing its end, and he had to find a way to save him.
There were only two ways Mu Changqing could save his great-great-grandfather: first, the Gold of Life in the Lake of Life; second, the immortal herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Children! Go to the room next door. I'll awaken your Martial Souls for you."
Mu En began to move. He raised his hand, and a walking stick in the room landed in his grasp.
Mu Changqing supported his other arm so he could stand more comfortably.
Mu Changqing and Bei Bei flanked Mu En, one on each side, while Zhang Lexuan followed behind them.
The four left Mu En's room and headed for the awakening room next door.
"Great-great-grandfather, do you think I'll awaken a Martial Soul as powerful as yours?"
Bei Bei asked Mu En with anticipation all over his face, his fingers gesturing in the air and his eyes sparkling.