Five Years of Preparation, Setting Out for Shrek

After their successful Soul Hunting trip, the four returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect at once. Ning Fengzhi took special care to remind Rongrong, "Remember, be careful in everything you do out there. If you encounter danger you can't handle, send word back to the sect immediately."

"I know, Daddy!" Ning Rongrong nodded vigorously. She could hardly wait to get back to Nuoding Academy and show Yan Zu and Xiao Wu her new Soul Skill.

Two days later, Ning Rongrong said goodbye to her parents, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, then hurried back to Nuoding City in a carriage belonging to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

As he watched Ning Rongrong leave, Sword Douluo said to Ning Fengzhi,

"Fengzhi, are you really comfortable letting Rongrong keep following that Yan Zu?"

Ning Fengzhi said:

"Uncle Jian, you saw it yourself. Rongrong has been away for a year, and she's already a level-thirty Soul Elder. That kind of progress would have been unimaginable before."

"And after a year away, her spoiled temper has improved a great deal. She no longer acts like the pampered young miss she used to be. She'll take charge of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect one day. Strength, companions and character-she can't do without any of them."

"Rongrong was bright and gifted before, but she wasn't keen on cultivating, and she had no friends in the sect. Her growth over this past year has surprised me. Though I don't know exactly what happened, I know Yan Zu deserves no small share of the credit. That's why I'm comfortable letting her continue following him."

"Most importantly, though Yan Zu is young, he is no creature destined to remain in a pond. The boy has a generous heart and a broad vision. He may bring a different kind of change to this continent."

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo listened to Ning Fengzhi's explanation. After thinking it over, Bone Douluo said:

"You're right, Fengzhi. We two old fellows can still protect Rongrong now, but we can't protect her forever. She really does need a path of her own. But if that brat dares bully her, I'll make sure to teach him a lesson."

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle Gu. There are people keeping an eye on Rongrong. There won't be any problems."

Meanwhile.

"Yan Zu! Sister Xiao Wu! I'm back!" Ning Rongrong jumped down from the carriage and rushed over excitedly. Three Soul Rings rose in sequence beneath her feet, two yellow and one purple, their colors dazzling.

"Rongrong! You're back!" Xiao Wu immediately went to greet her, eyeing her Third Soul Ring curiously. "Is that your Third Soul Ring? It's so old!"

Yan Zu also stepped forward, a glint of approval flashing in his eyes. "One thousand seven hundred years. It suits you well. What does the Soul Skill do?"

"It boosts Soul Power!" Ning Rongrong proudly summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and activated her Third Soul Skill on Yan Zu. "It gives a chosen target a thirty percent boost in Soul Power and speeds up Soul Power recovery too! From now on, when we fight, I can give you and Sister Xiao Wu more comprehensive support!"

Yan Zu could clearly feel the Soul Power inside him swell in an instant, its circulation quickening as well. He nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. That Soul Skill is very practical."

At the same time, in the training ground on the hill behind the academy, Tang San was controlling Blue Silver Grass with total concentration. The twelve-year-old boy had grown considerably taller. His features were still delicate, but there was a touch of gloom between his brows. Two yellow Soul Rings flickered beneath his feet, and the fluctuations of level-twenty-nine Soul Power rippled through the air. At his age, such cultivation made him a genius, more than qualified to graduate from Nuoding Academy.

"Little San, finish your practice." Yu Xiaogang stepped out of the shade of a tree, his eyes full of satisfaction. "You'll set off for Shrek Academy tomorrow. I've already written a letter of recommendation for you."

Tang San withdrew his Martial Soul and said respectfully, "Yes, Teacher. It's just... I still can't accept it."

"Oh?"

"Yan Zu..." Tang San clenched his fists. "I've fought him seven times in five years, and I've lost all seven. And now he's already a level-thirty-one Soul Elder (a disguise). He cultivates faster than I do, and he's stronger in a fight."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes flickered. It was a puzzle he, too, had pondered a hundred times without finding an answer. Yan Zu's Qilin Martial Soul was indeed extraordinary: it could fight outside his body and nourish him with vitality. But Tang San's cultivation was already fast enough, and yet Yan Zu was even faster. Unless... the boy was hiding something.

"No matter," Yu Xiaogang said gravely. "With me at Shrek Academy, you'll have better opportunities to develop. As for Yan Zu..." He paused. "I'll invite him to come along today. His Martial Soul is of great research value. If he comes with us, both you and I will benefit."

A shadow flickered in Tang San's eyes, but he said no more.

Yu Xiaogang said no more either. He left at once to find Yan Zu.

Before long, Yu Xiaogang saw Yan Zu walking over with Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.

"Student Yan Zu." Yu Xiaogang spoke first, his tone more solemn than usual. "I trust you know that Tang San is about to leave for Shrek Academy. It's an academy that accepts only monsters, with a strong faculty that can provide you with a better environment for cultivation."

He paused, his gaze falling on Little Jade on Yan Zu's shoulder. A look of fascination flashed in his eyes. "Your Qilin Martial Soul is a rare independent Martial Soul that can leave your body, with boundless potential. Shrek has better teachers and more professional research facilities. I hope you'll go there together with Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong. I'd very much like to conduct an in-depth study of your Martial Soul's growth."

Ning Rongrong frowned and instinctively looked at Yan Zu. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was well informed, yet she had never heard of Shrek Academy. She could only conclude that Shrek Academy had probably never accomplished anything in the past, which was why its name had never spread. Xiao Wu, meanwhile, pressed close to Yan Zu, her eyes full of reliance. Wherever Yan Zu went, she would go too.

Yan Zu's heart stirred. There truly wasn't much left for him to learn at Nuoding Academy. Five years of preparation had given him a solid foundation, and Shrek, as a central setting in the original story, was bound to trigger more sign-in rewards for key events. But he didn't want to appear too eager and arouse unnecessary suspicion.

"I have heard of Shrek Academy," Yan Zu said evenly. "But I don't quite agree with the idea of 'accepting only monsters.' How about this? Since Grandmaster Yu recommends it, I imagine the academy must have something to offer. I can take Xiao Wu and Rongrong to have a look, but whether we stay will depend on what we find."

Yu Xiaogang was delighted. "You agree?"

"I said we'd have a look," Yan Zu corrected him. "If Shrek really does have something to offer, I'll naturally stay. But if its reputation is undeserved..." He smiled and left the rest unsaid.

Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened slightly, but at the thought of being able to keep Yan Zu close for research, he nodded. "Fine, it's good for you to have a look. Shrek certainly won't disappoint you."

After watching Yu Xiaogang leave, Ning Rongrong couldn't help asking, "Yan Zu, this Shrek sounds pretty funny. I've never even heard of it. Are we really going? At our current level, any academy would be fighting to take us."

"It won't hurt to have a look," Yan Zu said with a smile. "The cultivation atmosphere there is different, and perhaps we'll meet opponents worth fighting. Besides, it's time we went out and saw more of the wider world."

Xiao Wu nodded vigorously. "Mm! Wherever A-Zu goes, I go!"

When the three returned to the little courtyard in the west of the city, Yan Hu and Su Qing were already waiting there. Over the five years, Yan Hu's Soul Power had steadily risen to level thirty-six, while Su Qing had also broken through to level thirty-one. The medical clinic and Soul Tool workshop they ran in Nuoding City had long since gained a firm foothold, making them well-known merchants in the city.

After returning home, Yan Zu told his parents that he intended to graduate early and go study at Shrek.

Su Qing looked at her son tenderly, her eyes full of reluctance. "Our businesses here in Nuoding City have already put down roots. Your father and I won't go with you, so we can look after your home for you too."

Yan Hu patted Yan Zu on the shoulder, his tiger-like eyes full of pride. "You're more capable than your father now. I trust you to take good care of yourself, Xiao Wu and Rongrong. Be careful in everything you do out there. Don't reveal your strength lightly, and if you run into trouble you can't handle, send word home."

Yan Zu nodded, took a wooden box from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to his parents. "There are ten bottles of Body-Tempering Pills, five bottles of Mind-Calming Pills and a simplified version of the Nine Yin Manual in here. They'll help with your cultivation. Don't wear yourselves out over the clinic and workshop, either."

He hadn't given his parents the Nine Yin Manual before because their aptitude wasn't very good. If they had divided their attention, it would only have held back their cultivation.

So he had waited until now, when his parents had thoroughly mastered their own cultivation techniques. Learning the other contents of the Nine Yin Manual would be more helpful to them now.

Su Qing took the wooden box, her eyes reddening slightly. "Take good care of yourself out there, and remember to send word home often."

Late at night, when all was quiet, the lights in the little courtyard were still on. Yan Zu sat on the edge of his bed, recalling the key moments of the past five years, especially how he had obtained his Fourth Soul Ring-

Half a year earlier, he had taken Xiao Wu deep into the Star Dou Great Forest in search of a suitable Fourth Soul Ring. Beside a hidden lake, they had encountered an Emerald Swan who was gravely wounded and near death. The twelve-thousand-year-old Soul Beast had fought fiercely against three high-level Soul Beasts to defend her nest. Though she had succeeded in driving off her enemies, her own lamp had run dry.

The Emerald Swan possessed a pure life essence that perfectly matched the vitality of the Qilin Martial Soul. Sensing the auspicious presence around Yan Zu, she had actually sent out a mental message, offering to sacrifice herself.

The sacrifice had been peaceful and sacred, with no bloody slaughter, only the gentle passing of her life essence. When the deep-black Soul Ring merged into Yan Zu's body, he gained his Fourth Soul Skill-Life's Praise.

It was a godlike skill for staying alive: it could continuously restore the life force of up to five chosen targets and cleanse negative conditions such as poison, curses and corrosion. Most heaven-defying of all, when a chosen target was near death, it would automatically trigger Life Protection, granting three seconds of invincibility.

Yan Zu had now reached level forty-six.

But Xiao Wu's growth was even more astonishing. As a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit, her cultivation speed had always far surpassed that of ordinary people. On top of that, she had been nourished by the Qilin Martial Soul's vitality, eaten Spirit Beast Pills like snacks and received the blessing of the Auspicious Beast Same-Heart Talisman.

Over the five years, she had not only formed a sixty-two-hundred-year Third Soul Ring and an eighteen-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring on her own, but had also reached level forty-eight, even higher than Yan Zu.

Her Fourth Soul Skill, Jade Rabbit Swift Shadow Kick, delivered three consecutive kicks, each fifty percent faster than the last. The first broke through defenses, the second stunned the target for three seconds, and the third could seal an enemy's Soul Skills for five seconds.

Xiao Wu had finally fulfilled her wish to beat up her little brother while she still could, because in an ordinary fight, even Yan Zu was no longer her match.

When the two had sparred a few days earlier, Xiao Wu unleashed her Third Soul Skill. "Jade Rabbit Clone!"

In an instant, two physical clones identical to Xiao Wu appeared, each possessing seventy percent of the original's combat strength and lasting thirty seconds. The three Xiao Wus used Waist Bow at the same time, their legs casting layer upon layer of shadows with astonishing power.

"And my Fourth Soul Skill: Jade Rabbit Swift Shadow Kick!" The real Xiao Wu flashed forward, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow, and sent three consecutive kicks crashing toward Yan Zu.

First strike, defense broken! Yan Zu's protective Soul Power was torn straight apart.

Second strike, stun! Yan Zu's vision went black, and his mind reeled.

Third strike, seal! The circulation of Soul Power in Yan Zu's body instantly grew sluggish, leaving him unable to use his Soul Skills.

"How was that?" All three Xiao Wus planted their hands on their hips at once, looking thoroughly pleased with themselves.

Yan Zu had been defeated in an instant. He smiled wryly. "That's cheating, just cheating. If this were a real fight and I got surrounded by the clones from your Third Soul Skill and hit by your Fourth Soul Skill, what would be the point of fighting? I might as well surrender."

Back in the present.

"A-Zu, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Wu came closer and asked curiously.

"About us setting off tomorrow." Yan Zu smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Remember, when we get to Shrek, we still can't reveal our high-level Soul Rings. We'll tell people we're Soul Elders in our thirties."

"I know!" Xiao Wu nodded obediently. "I'm used to it already. Anyway, as long as I can be with you, I'm happy either way."

The Xiao Wu of today was no longer the rash, foul-mouthed hooligan rabbit of the original story. Under the parental care of Yan Hu and Su Qing, with Yan Zu's companionship and influence as well, Xiao Wu had become livelier and more lovable, well-mannered and disciplined, and knew to work harder at her cultivation.

Early the next morning,

Three days later, outside the gates of Nuoding City.

Yan Hu and Su Qing had come to see their son off.

"A-Zu, it's a long way to Heaven Dou City. You must be careful." Su Qing straightened her son's collar, her eyes red.

"Don't worry, Mother. With Little Jade here, ordinary Soul Beasts can't get near us," Yan Zu reassured her.

Yan Hu pressed a bag of Gold Soul Coins into Yan Zu's hands. "Your father's useless. I can't help you much. Take these, and don't let yourself, Xiao Wu or Rongrong go without while you're away."

Yan Zu smiled and nodded. He tied a Same-Heart Pendant around Su Qing's waist, then handed another to Yan Hu. "These are Bond Same-Heart Pendants. If you're in danger, they can trigger teleportation to protect you. Live here in Nuoding City without worrying. I'll come back often." Su Qing embraced her son, tears falling like rain.

Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened as well, while Xiao Wu wept her heart out.

After bidding his parents farewell, Yan Zu summoned Little Jade. The Qilin had now grown more than a zhang tall, with star-bright cloud patterns across his back, an extraordinary sight.

"Let's go." Yan Zu leaped onto the Qilin's back with Xiao Wu in his arms and held out a hand to Ning Rongrong. "Let's go to Shrek and see what this so-called 'Monster Academy' is really like!"

Little Jade raised his head and let out a long cry, then became a streak of jade-colored light and raced toward Suotuo City.

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