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Although Xiao Jin had excellent control over his strength, the single slap he delivered was still highly intimidating. Xiao Yan was left dizzy and feeling as if his body had been knocked apart, with waves of pain coursing through him.
He then clearly saw the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear across from him reveal a very human-like expression of disdain.
Too weak…
Xiao Yan: "…"
He wanted to throw in a few sarcastic remarks, but upon noticing he was now outside the assessment zone—knocked out of bounds—he swallowed his frustration and gloomily returned to the rest area. Whether he passed or not was now another question entirely.
A few girls surrounded him, and their concerned tones helped Xiao Yan feel a bit better.
"Elder Gong, so… did he pass?"
Many of the assessment teachers wore troubled expressions. Elder Gong had said Xiao Yan only needed to last one minute to pass, but he hadn't even lasted five seconds.
However, if they didn't pass him, they would be the ones who had violated the rules first. Throwing in a soul beast with power comparable to a ten-thousand-year one was clearly against the assessment's standards.
"Let him pass. That group of fourth-years, even with Soul Ancestors among them, didn't fare much better against Xiao Jin," Elder Gong waved his hand nonchalantly.
He only wanted to teach the kid a lesson; there was no need to actually fail him.
"Base score, one hundred. Combat technique… twenty-five."
Elder Gong smacked his lips as he spoke.
"Then I'll give one hundred twenty-five."
"One hundred thirty."
"One hundred thirty-four."
"…"
After some back-and-forth, the teachers settled on a final score: one hundred thirty-one points. (For reference, Dai Huabin had scored one hundred forty-five—full marks for his base score and forty-five for combat technique.)
The kid had a strong fighting spirit, daring to charge head-on even at a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear. Unfortunately, he got beaten so badly his own mother wouldn't have recognized him.
As the score was announced—
Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief, though he still looked unhappy. He had planned to prove his strength by slaying a beast, relishing the incredible thrill of tearing a soul beast apart with his blood-burst ability. The popularity he would've gained would have been a nice bonus. Had his intentions been seen through?
He had been played by those scheming capitalists. How frustrating...
…
"Want to give it a try yourself?" Elder Gong chuckled.
"I'm not the one being assessed," Su Wen shrugged.
"Elder, don't you forget—half a month's food expenses for my three pets."
The rest of the matches were uneventful.
Most featured soul beasts of only three to four hundred years. The combat styles were even duller—dragged-out battles of attrition. Among the nearly one hundred candidates, people like Xiao Yan who dared to charge head-on were a rarity.
Su Wen waved his hand and turned to leave.
"Relax. My Great Spirit Arena isn't short on a little feed," Elder Gong grumbled.
"If you're feeling so generous, why not just cover their food for the next few decades?" Su Wen teased.
"Hmph~" Elder Gong went silent and focused on the assessments.
…
Sea God Island.
Inside the Golden Treehouse.
Su Wen sat cross-legged on his bed, toying with the black-gold card Yan Shaozhe had given him, his expression contemplative.
The reason was simple: he was poor.
There were still over two million gold soul coins on the card—enough for a typical family of three to live a lavish life for a lifetime. But for his three gold-devouring beasts, that amount might only last a year or two.
He could ask the academy for money. After all, the fact that he lived on Sea God Island already spoke volumes. For instance, if he asked Elder Lin from the Treasure Pavilion, a steady stream of funds would flow to him. But he preferred to find some entertainment to spice up his otherwise dull life.
Although he had already decided to throw his pets into the Star Dou Great Forest or the nearby Sunset Forest once they grew stronger, he had to keep them by his side for now.
"Time to earn some money?"
Su Wen murmured to himself.
If a transmigrator wanted to make money in another world, the most common methods involved producing daily necessities like soap or paper. But that wouldn't work in the Douluo Continent. With the popularization of soul tools, this world was surprisingly similar to his previous one, aside from its Western fantasy-style elements.
That left… food.
Su Wen's eyes lit up.
Things like milk tea and ice cream, which were popular worldwide in his past life, might seem ordinary to those accustomed to them. But if introduced to this world… they might just cause a sensation. The cuisine on the Douluo Continent was a mix of Eastern and Western styles but remained quite traditional. Even beverages were rare, and people didn't seem particularly indulgent when it came to satisfying their palates.
He had never encountered anything like ice cream here.
"Should I… give it a shot?"
A base made from egg yolks and sugar required some technique, but not much; it was something he could figure out through trial and error. As for various flavors of ice cream (or milk tea), it was just a matter of adding different fruits and ingredients to that base.
No sooner said than done. At worst, it would just be a fun way to amuse himself.
Su Wen smacked his lips.
…
"Well, look who's here! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit to my Treasure Pavilion? Running low on money?"
On the top floor of the Treasure Pavilion.
Su Wen sat across from an elderly woman in an elegant gown with pale cyan patterns—an outfit that clearly showcased the pavilion's prestige. Her expression was gentle as she smiled at Su Wen.
"Please don't mock me, Elder. I am indeed short on funds."
Su Wen took a sip of his tea. It was bitter and astringent. He nonchalantly put the cup down.
The pretty attendant standing behind the elder covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.
Su Wen sighed dramatically.
"But I'm not here to borrow money."
"Oh?" A trace of surprise flashed in the old woman's eyes. She had been keeping an eye on Su Wen. This young man knew the Treasure Pavilion was Shrek Academy's financial backbone, handling seventy to eighty percent of the academy's cash flow. For him, they could provide not just a few million, but tens of millions in an emergency.
And his soul beasts were veritable money-shredders; not even Gong Changlong's Great Spirit Arena could afford to keep them fed. If this young man wasn't here to borrow money, what was he up to?
"I'd like to ask for a plot of land in Shrek City, preferably in a location with the highest possible foot traffic," Su Wen continued.
"You want to earn your own money?" The old woman's expression softened into a knowing smile.
It might be good to let the boy learn a lesson from the real world.
"Shrek City has a population of over ten million, with merchants from every corner of the continent. All the top powers have a presence here. The daily flow of money through the city is in the tens of millions of gold soul coins. But whether you can actually put that money into your own pocket… well, that's not so easy," she said with a smile.
However, she didn't try to dissuade him. In a gentle tone, she gave an order.
"Wenlu, as it happens, a shop's lease on Third Street in the East District is about to expire. We won't be renewing it. Notify them to vacate the premises within three days, or they will face the consequences."
"Yes…"
A young woman behind her bowed slightly and turned to leave.
A faint smile appeared on Su Wen's face.
The East District was where the Treasure Pavilion itself was located. Being close to Shrek Academy, its streets were lined with branches of the continent's most famous businesses. The foot traffic was terrifyingly high.
"Alright, the land is yours. Now, may an old woman ask what kind of business you're planning to start?" Elder Lin asked with a chuckle.
"Beverages!"
Su Wen instinctively took another sip of tea and grimaced from the bitterness.
He really couldn't get used to this stuff. Then again, maybe he just wasn't old enough for it…
(End of Chapter)