The scenery around Shrek Academy isn't great. Aside from the slightly bustling Soto City, it's mostly farmland and scattered small villages, lacking any aesthetic appeal.
In less than half an hour, Xiao Wu lost interest in the joyride.
"Clang!"
A phoenix cry sounded, and Xiao Hong carried the two of them back to Shrek Academy.
"Damn!"
At that moment, Ma Hongjun and Oscar were walking back to the academy, shoulder to shoulder, when they suddenly saw a graceful and noble fire-red bird descend onto the academy's playground. Oscar couldn't help but exclaim in international English.
"Is that... a phoenix?!"
After a moment of stunned silence, Ma Hongjun immediately ran forward and said in shock.
"Indeed!"
Chu Chengzhou smiled and nodded.
"Whoa~ Chu Boss, you have a phoenix summoning beast now. How am I supposed to live with this?" Ma Hongjun said with a face full of misery.
He knew his own martial soul was a phoenix, but it was far from being a real one. With a real phoenix as a comparison, his martial soul would forever be known as a mutated old hen.
No way around it, the gap was just too wide.
"Fatty, I think you should stop calling it the Evil Fire Phoenix. Change it to Evil Fire Hen. With your 'courtesan phoenix,' you're seriously tarnishing the noble image of the phoenix, you know?"
Oscar circled around Xiao Hong and then turned to Ma Hongjun to tease him.
Having never seen a real phoenix, Oscar thought Ma Hongjun's mutated hen martial soul looked a bit like a phoenix.
But after seeing the real thing, Oscar felt that comparing Ma Hongjun's mutated hen to a phoenix was insulting the noble king of birds!
"Little Oscar, I gave you the red peach last night, and this is how you treat your bro?" Ma Hongjun said angrily, pointing at Oscar.
'Red peach?' Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow. Was it a red fruit?
"Fatty, Xiao Wu is still here. Watch your influence!" Oscar said with some guilt, covering Ma Hongjun's mouth.
"Oscar, what's a red peach?" Xiao Wu asked, voicing the question in Chu Chengzhou's mind.
"Ahem~ Well, Xiao Wu, this is not something you should know about," Oscar said awkwardly.
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
From the context, it seemed that 'red peach' was the nickname of some young lady at a club?
Oscar's sausage business hadn't been doing well, and his pockets were nearly empty, living on the meager subsidies from the Spirit Hall. Even if he had some thoughts about relationships, he wouldn't act on them.
After all, he didn't fancy courtesans, and the club girls were poor.
But a while ago, he borrowed some startup funds from Chu Chengzhou. With the odds of the upcoming matches between Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu already predictable, Oscar, like a gambling god, started betting heavily.
When the odds for their victories skyrocketed, Oscar's pockets were filled with tens of thousands of gold soul coins.
As the saying goes, "When a man is well-fed, his desires grow." With money in his pocket, Oscar's tastes suddenly improved. Now, at 13 years old, he had started hanging out with Ma Hongjun.
"Disgusting! Bro, don't hang out with them anymore!" Xiao Wu said, giving both of them a disdainful look before warning Chu Chengzhou.
"Mm, Xiao Wu, don't worry. I won't go to those places with them!" Chu Chengzhou promised, patting his chest.
Club girls? Chu Chengzhou knew well that lust was a dangerous thing, but he wasn't interested in those girls. He preferred cute little rabbits, big cats with generous hearts, or the charming rich girls.
There were many girls in the Douluo world, and he liked them all. This was part of the reason he started upgrading his body through grinding.
Without a good physique, he wouldn't be able to win over so many beautiful girls.
"By the way, have you seen Dai Mubai?" Chu Chengzhou suddenly asked the group.
In the Star Dou Forest, a Soul Douluo from the Dai family had attacked him. Luckily, Flender was a flying-type soul master, so they managed to escape, but the consequences could have been dire if not for that.
He couldn't defeat a Soul Douluo, and even if he wanted revenge, that would have to wait for many years.
No grudge could be repaid now, but a little interest could be collected. Fortunately, there was someone from the Star Luo Royal Family in the academy.
No, he couldn't say it was for interest. Everyone was classmates, and sparring and improving together was positive energy.
"The academy is empty."
Xiao Wu shook her head.
"Uh, I ran into him last night. If he's not in the academy, he should still be in Soto City," Ma Hongjun said truthfully after some hesitation.
Although Chu Chengzhou was likely up to no good with Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun didn't think much about it.
After all, there were only five academies, and unless Dai Mubai planned to hide forever, he would eventually run into Chu Chengzhou.
"Bro, do you have a grudge against Dai Mubai?" Xiao Wu asked suspiciously.
From Chu Chengzhou's tone, it seemed like he was looking for trouble with Dai Mubai.
But logically, since Chu Chengzhou had already robbed Dai Mubai once, Dai Mubai should be the one seeking revenge, not the other way around. Wasn't this bullying an honest person?!
Uh... but then again, Dai Mubai wasn't exactly an honest person.
"Xiao Wu, how can you say that? We're all classmates, no grudges here! I just want to spar with Dai Mubai and solidify my cultivation," Chu Chengzhou said seriously.
Xiao Wu and the others: "..."
Evening.
After attending two soul hunts last night—one in the first half of the night and another in the second half—Dai Mubai had a date with one girl in the morning and another in the afternoon. He finally rushed back to the academy.
However, before Dai Mubai could step into the academy gates, he saw Chu Chengzhou, whom he despised, sitting cross-legged on a large rock not far from the entrance, eyes closed in deep thought.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou wasn't just sitting there thinking; he was actually practicing his spirit refining technique.
Unlike body refining skills, which are a set of boxing techniques supplemented with special soul power circulation routes to forge a strong physique, spirit refining skills are different. It's a mental visualization method that looks almost the same as meditating, and even if a powerful soul master observes closely, they can't discern anything useful.
When Chu Chengzhou sensed a 3-ring Soul Emperor approaching, he stopped his practice and opened his eyes.
Seeing that it was indeed Dai Mubai, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but smile and said, "Dai Mubai, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
"What do you want?" Dai Mubai's face darkened. Even with his foot, he could tell that Chu Chengzhou had something bad planned.
"I've just advanced, and my soul power feels a bit unstable. I was thinking of having a spar with you to consolidate my cultivation," Chu Chengzhou said calmly.
"You feel unstable and want to spar with me to consolidate your cultivation?" Dai Mubai thought, "Why not just say you want to beat me up?!"
Furious, Dai Mubai growled, "Chu Chengzhou, don't go too far!"
At the same time, he was somewhat confused. Aside from their first unpleasant encounter, they had always been at odds, but it hadn't reached the point of full-out combat. Why was Chu Chengzhou suddenly looking for trouble?
Could it be that he had been too arrogant and got beaten up outside, and now he wanted to vent his anger on him?
Actually, Dai Mubai almost guessed correctly.
Though it wasn't exactly as he thought, Chu Chengzhou was indeed planning to take out his anger on him.
"I almost lost my life because of your relatives, so now I'm going to beat you up. It's only fair."
"Don't you think it's too much to say we're bullying each other?" Chu Chengzhou shrugged, acting like he had everything under control.
"How do you want to do this?" Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, saying angrily.
"Nothing much. Just fight me! Don't say I didn't give you a chance," Chu Chengzhou said, beckoning with his finger.
"Dammit! White Tiger, possess me!" Dai Mubai couldn't take it anymore. With no choice but to fight, he summoned his martial soul, and three soul rings—yellow, purple, and purple—burst out.
Even if he would end up looking like a pig's head, he had to fight first. After all, he was the prince of the Star Luo Empire, and he doubted Chu Chengzhou would actually go all out.
What Dai Mubai didn't know was that if he wasn't the Star Luo prince, Chu Chengzhou wouldn't even bother to fight him.
"Watch my punch!"
With a quick movement, Chu Chengzhou jumped down from the rock, his body skillfully moving as he threw a punch straight at Dai Mubai.
"Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Fierce Light..."
"Fierce my ass!"
Before Dai Mubai could even release his soul skill, Chu Chengzhou's fist slammed into his stomach.
The powerful punch caused Dai Mubai's eyes to bulge, his veins to pop out, and he nearly threw up his lunch.
Poor Dai Mubai. Even though his soul power was a few levels higher than Chu Chengzhou's, his strength, speed, and reflexes couldn't compare.
He lost the initiative in the first move, and Chu Chengzhou closed the distance, raining down heavy punches like a storm. Dai Mubai didn't even have the chance to use his soul skills.
"Flander, aren't you going to stop them?" Zhao Wuji, watching from the roof of a dormitory building in Shrek Academy, turned to Flander.
"Let it be," Flander replied after a moment of thought.
If Chu Chengzhou was randomly beating up Dai Mubai, Flander would have intervened. But given Dai Mubai's relatives' behavior in the Star Dou Forest, Flander didn't feel the need to intervene.
Flander, who came from a wandering soul master background, understood the darker side of large powers. If it weren't for his ability to fly quickly, he might have ended up dead in the Star Dou Forest.
"Flander, this doesn't seem like you," Zhao Wuji said in surprise.
"Old Zhao, let me tell you the truth. We almost got caught in the Star Dou Forest, and the person behind it was a Soul Douluo from the Star Luo Empire. If I hadn't run fast, you might not have seen me again."
Pushing up his glasses, Flander said flatly.
"Are you not going down?" Zhao Wuji asked after a pause.
"No, I'm fine," Flander waved his hand. Since Dai Mubai's relative was involved in causing trouble, he didn't feel sorry for him.
"Well, my point is, aren't you going to go down and rough up that poor little tiger?" Zhao Wuji teased.
Flander: "..."
"Good for you, Zhao Wuji with your thick eyebrows and big eyes! I am the headmaster of Shrek Academy, how could you incite me to act against the students?"
Five months later.
This morning, after completing his usual morning meditation training, Chu Chengzhou opened his attribute panel.
[Attribute Panel]
[Host: Chu Chengzhou]
[Soul Power: Level 34 Soul Zun]
[Martial Soul: True Spirit Flag]
[Soul Rings: Purple, Purple, Black]
[Soul Skills: None]
[Skills: Nine Breath Breathing, Body Refining, Spirit Refining, Archery, Body Movement, Control, Defense, Forging]
[Auto-Leveling: 1. Control, 2. Defense, 3. Forging, 4. Second Soul Ring]
Seeing that the first auto-leveling skill, Control, had already reached the black level, Chu Chengzhou immediately removed it and replaced it with the Body Refining skill.
The importance of the Control skill was not very high and it was not the first to be upgraded. Although the first soul ring was still at the thousand-year level, Chu Chengzhou was not in a hurry to upgrade the first summoning spirit's age.
After all, the Celestial Tree summoning spirit was a healing-type spirit, and for now, the thousand-year level was sufficient. The upgrade sequence could be delayed.
In contrast, the importance of a ten-thousand-year first soul ring was far less than the red-level Body Refining skill.
Additionally, after five months of auto-leveling, his third soul ring had already been upgraded to a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
However, the ten-thousand-year summoning spirit was enough for now, and since the soul ring's age was too high, future fourth soul rings could not attach high-level soul rings, so Chu Chengzhou did not continue upgrading it and instead placed the second soul ring in the auto-leveling slot.
Compared to the third soul ring, the three skills in the original auto-leveling slots were actually upgraded much earlier.
After upgrading the meditation skill, Chu Chengzhou thought for a moment and decided to rename it.
The red-level meditation skill was far beyond ordinary meditation techniques, and using such a plain name would be too much of a waste for the red skill's prestige.
The Nine Breath Breathing technique was one of the thirty-six heavenly martial arts from ancient mythology, a method for refining qi that could convert the energy of the world into magical power.
Although he had no magical power, he had soul power, which was also transformed from the energy of the world, so this name was quite fitting.
As for the other skills, they hadn't even reached red level, so they were clearly not worthy of such a grand name.
The Nine Breath Breathing technique had remarkable effects. His soul power cultivation speed had increased by 20% compared to the previous black-level meditation skill.
Unfortunately, although his cultivation talent had greatly improved due to the continuous transformations of his martial soul's quality, it still couldn't compare to those naturally born with full soul power.
Additionally, the difficulty of advancing from Soul Zun level was much higher than before, so even with the red-level Nine Breath Breathing technique, he could only expect to increase his soul power by about three to four levels per year.
Of course, advancing three to four levels in a year was still impressive, especially when compared to ordinary naturally full soul power individuals.
Afterward, Chu Chengzhou got up, washed up, and headed to the academy's cafeteria for breakfast.
"Eh? Xiao Wu, you're back? Have you eaten breakfast?"
In the cafeteria, while eating breakfast, Chu Chengzhou suddenly saw Xiao Wu, who had returned from hunting souls, walk in.
"Mm-hmm, I ate before coming back!"
Nodding, Xiao Wu then proudly raised her head and said, "Xiao Chu, your Xiao Wu sis is now a four-ring Soul Sect!"
"What did you call me?"
Chu Chengzhou's face darkened, and he said with a displeased expression.
It was clear that after Xiao Wu's soul power had advanced, her attitude had become inflated.
But Chu Chengzhou had to admit that this little rabbit's cultivation talent was extraordinary. No, to be more precise, it was Xiao Wu's cultivation talent equivalent to full innate soul power, combined with his cheat-like upgraded meditation skill, which made her soul power cultivation effects explosive.
Just five days ago, Xiao Wu, at the age of 12, had already reached Soul Power level 40.
Compared to the 29th-level Great Soul Master of the same period in the original story, she was a full level higher.
Such a monstrous cultivation talent could definitely scare a lot of soul masters.
However, Xiao Wu's official age was 17, and while a 17-year-old four-ring Soul Sect was rare, it was not unheard of on the continent, so it was not surprising.
At the same time, after Xiao Wu reached level 40, her so-called distant relative came over the next evening, left a letter, and took her to add the fourth soul ring.
Now, after hiding in some corner for four days, the little rabbit had reappeared.
"Hehe~ Brother, just a little joke to lighten the mood, don't take it seriously~!"
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue and acted cute.
"Hmph~ I know you wouldn't dare! Still calling yourself Xiao Wu sis? Can you even beat me?"
With a cold snort, Chu Chengzhou said disdainfully.
The cycle of fate, the law of retribution, Chu Chengzhou was no longer the weak "Xiao Chu" from before.
"Brother, don't talk so big. The five-thousand-year Fire Phoenix, I don't think I have a chance to defeat it."
Xiao Wu said somewhat unwillingly. With her teleportation and invincibility, the powerful Xiao Wu sis wasn't afraid of that red-feathered bird.
"How about I let Xiao Hong spar with you next time?"
Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow and showed a strange smile.
In Xiao Wu's eyes, his Fire Phoenix summoning spirit was only five thousand years old, but what she didn't know was that his Fire Phoenix had already reached the ten-thousand-year summoning spirit.
Even though Xiao Wu had advanced to the four-ring Soul Sect, the bloodline-level top-tier ten-thousand-year Fire Phoenix's strength was not comparable to a six-ring Soul Emperor, but it was certainly one of the best among the five-ring Soul Kings.
This level of power was enough to suppress Xiao Wu, who had just advanced to four rings.
"By the way, Xiao Wu, where did you go to add your fourth soul ring?"
Rubbing his chin, Chu Chengzhou asked.
"Star Dou Forest, where else could I go?"
Xiao Wu blinked her eyes.
"Then where's your relative?"
"Left already! Brother, do you want to invite my distant relative to a meal?"
"I was thinking about it, after all, your relative is my relative. It's only right to treat our elders to a meal."
"Oh~ but my relative left. Maybe next time."
Xiao Wu nodded seriously, making up a story.
"Is that so? Xiao Wu, can you answer a question that has been bothering me?"
"Ask away~"
"Xiao Wu, over the past few months, except for when we're sleeping at night, we've been together. How did you notify your relative that your soul power had already reached level 40 and then go hunting souls without me knowing?"
Chu Chengzhou asked in a mysterious tone.
"This... this..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu stammered and couldn't respond.
There was no such relative, and the story about her distant relative taking her out to hunt souls was just an excuse.
In fact, she had left Soto City, found a small inn in a place where few soul masters went, controlled her soul power fluctuations, and condensed her fourth soul ring by herself.
After advancing to the four-ring Soul Sect, she had stayed in the inn for several days before returning to Shrek Academy.
"Sigh~ Xiao Wu, I know your background is not ordinary. After all, your Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul isn't a mutated one. If there's no special background, how could your cultivation talent be full innate soul power?"
Chu Chengzhou sighed to himself.
Thud~
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu's heart trembled, and she suddenly had a bad premonition.
Could it be that her true identity as a ten-thousand-year soul beast was discovered?
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou continued, "I understand now, Xiao Wu, you must be the young miss of some fallen soul master family, right? Your family must have a powerful enemy, and your elders were worried that your talent was too good and might be secretly harmed by your family's rivals, so they had no choice but to send you to Notting Academy, right?"
"Don't worry, Xiao Wu, you are my little sister, my future wife. Even if someone offers me a ten-thousand-year soul bone, I won't betray you!"
Chu Chengzhou said this so convincingly that even he almost believed it.
Xiao Wu: Ah~ yes, yes, you're right!
"Brother~ I'm sorry!"
Seeing Chu Chengzhou turning into a daydreamer with his eyes turning red, Xiao Wu felt guilty for deceiving his feelings.
"It's okay, when we have enough strength one day and are not afraid of anyone, will you tell me your secret?"
Chu Chengzhou said as his right hand unconsciously stroked Xiao Wu's rabbit ears.
"Mm-hmm!"
Xiao Wu nodded vigorously.
T/N: Why are these chapters so long, like they went from 1000 words average to 3000 😭😭😭