Douluo Continent, Heavenly Soul Empire, Xuanming Sect.
Heart-wrenching funeral music echoed throughout the vast, reclusive sect, signaling the passing of an important figure within.
"Third Young Master, Third Young Master, please wake up. Don't fall asleep."
"Young Master, Young Master, please hold on. Something happened to the young lady; you can't have another accident."
In a room with an ancient aesthetic, Xu Tianxi lay on the bed, his mind hazy, as two anxious and sorrowful voices faintly reached his ears.
Having just transmigrated and not yet grasping the situation, Xu Tianxi ignored them. He kept his eyes closed, sorting through the chaotic information flooding his mind.
He was originally a post-2000s college student who worked part-time as a security guard during winter break, spending his free time reading novels and browsing Zhihu. While welcoming a homeowner back one day, a speeding delivery driver suddenly rushed in. He reached out to stop the vehicle, was knocked to the ground, and his head hit the pavement. Then he lost consciousness.
When he woke up, he mysteriously found himself here, and a surge of jumbled memories flooded his mind.
Douluo Continent... Heavenly Soul Empire... the reclusive Xuanming Sect... the current Third Young Master of the Xuanming Sect, with a half-brother named Xu Sanshi...
Good heavens, trying to stop a delivery car got me sent to the Douluo Continent!
And it was during the Douluo II era, a period of unprecedented change, where the Tang Buddha, a divine king, displayed his mighty powers, even tearing apart his own daughter just to reel in the Child of the Plane to be his dog!
As a post-2000s individual, it was perfectly normal to be exposed to web novels. He had dabbled in the works of the five great supremes, such as Maomao, Tang San, and others.
Back in junior high, he had heard about the first part of the Tang family's Douluo Continent and sought it out. He remembered his eyes lighting up as he read, truly feeling it lived up to its reputation. The concept of Soul Rings felt so novel.
When Yuhao came online in the second part of the Tang family's Douluo Continent, he had been filled with anticipation by the early power-ups. But then the Clear Sky Sect suddenly used explosives to destroy Electrolux, which made his eye twitch.
Alright, it's common for elders to meet misfortune while the protagonist is developing; it's not surprising to push the plot and introduce Soul Spirits.
At his young age, he didn't understand it, but he was greatly shocked.
Later, when the earth-shattering plot of Qiankun Love Questioning Valley was revealed, he read it with a bewildered expression...
After that, he just felt nauseous. He instinctively felt that Tang God King, the protagonist of the previous book, seemed to have become a villain, though that feeling wasn't yet certain.
As an adult, having spent a long time on Zhihu and similar platforms, he confirmed his suspicion—he wasn't just seemingly a villain; he was the world's number one schemer!
In the Douluo II era, Shrek, which had erected a statue of the Tang God King, replaced the Martial Soul Hall. But as long as power wasn't used properly, the difference between them and the Martial Soul Hall was incomprehensibly vast.
And the original owner lying here was also a tragedy that was difficult to describe, with Shrek Academy playing a major role...
Although I don't know why I came here, since I'm here, I might as well try to adapt. Maybe if I become a god one day, I'll have a chance to find my way back. But I must absolutely not be caught by Tang God King and made his dog. Let Yuhao enjoy that blessing; I absolutely cannot bear it...
Phew—
Exhaling deeply, Xu Tianxi rested a hand on his forehead, propping himself up on his elbows from the mattress. He opened his still somewhat red eyes, and two men, one old and one young, who looked like family servants, came into view.
The one calling him "Third Young Master" was a child who looked to be five or six years old, named Chen Wu. He was the personal attendant assigned to him by the Xuanming Sect, whose ancestors had served the sect for five generations.
His older brother, Chen Wen, was the personal attendant of his cheap older brother, Xu Sanshi. In the original novel, Chen Wen even helped Xu Sanshi find Jiang Nannan to perform her Martial Soul Second Awakening ceremony.
The one calling him "Young Master" was an old man with a face full of wrinkles. In his memories, he was an old servant brought to the Xuanming Sect by his former mother, and he called him Yue Lao.
Now that he thought about it, that address was quite unique.
Seeing Xu Tianxi awaken, both immediately turned from grief to joy. Yue Lao burst into tears, his rough hands tightly gripping Xu Tianxi's wrist, sobbing softly:
"Young Master, you scared me to death! The young lady's accident was already a bolt from the blue. If something happened to you too, this old servant wouldn't have the face to see the master even in the afterlife..."
Yue Lao's grip on Xu Tianxi's hand was a bit painful, so he had to gently comfort the overly emotional old man to let go.
"Yue Lao, please rest assured. I'm still alright. Didn't I just wake up? It's fine, it's fine..."
Yue Lao released his hand but still asked with concern:
"Young Master, are you truly alright? You fainted from crying in front of the young lady's spiritual tablet earlier; you truly scared this old servant to death."
Xu Tianxi, his eyes red, waved his hand, indicating he was fine, but his pale face offered little reassurance.
Chen Wu took a breath, forced a smile, and comforted Yue Lao:
"Yue Lao, don't worry. Since Third Young Master has woken up, he's definitely fine. Besides, you've already sent someone to fetch the Black Tortoise Divine Pill. That's a divine pill that can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones."
Upon hearing this, Yue Lao's expression softened slightly. Having been in the Xuanming Sect for many years, he naturally knew the depth of the Xuanming Sect's alchemy skills.
The famous Mystic Water Pill was produced by the Xuanming Sect, and the Black Tortoise Divine Pill was an even more top-tier healing sacred medicine, capable of saving a life even in critical danger.
However, this pill could save the Young Master, but it couldn't save the young lady...
Seeing the sorrowful expressions on their faces, Xu Tianxi didn't know what else to say, so he changed the subject. "Yue Lao, I heard that Shrek Academy sent someone to return my mother's body. Do you know who came?"
Yue Lao frowned in thought for a moment, then looked up and replied:
"This old servant heard that the one who came this time is Yan Shaozhe, the head of Shrek Academy, and a female Inner Courtyard student named Zhang Lexuan, with whom the young lady had a good relationship in Shrek's Inner Courtyard. They came to apologize to our Xuanming Sect..."
As he spoke, red veins appeared in his eyes, and a strong sense of resentment and grief surged in his voice. He clenched his fists and cursed:
"Hmph! This old servant thinks this so-called number one academy in the world is nothing special if they can't even protect their own students!
The young lady was their academy's top disciple, the senior sister of the Inner Courtyard, yet she met with an accident while hunting Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. I don't know what those Titled Douluo from their academy are even good for..."
What are they good for? Being greedy and messing things up, obviously.
Xu Tianxi fell silent for a moment, thinking to himself that his former mother truly had terrible luck.
Under normal circumstances, although Shrek Academy acted domineeringly, using Inner Courtyard disciples as expendable resources and enforcing laws across nations, they would also try their best to protect their safety.
Xu Tianxi's mother, Kong Xiyue, was the leader of the previous generation of the Shrek Seven Devils. She once led the Shrek Academy team to a great victory over the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy in Mingdu. Before her death, she was an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo and a graduated senior disciple of the Inner Courtyard, as well as the second wife of the Xuanming Sect Master.
Before she left, a group of Inner Courtyard disciples were going to acquire Soul Rings for advancement. Among them was a junior sister, Zhang Lexuan, who had an excellent relationship with Kong Xiyue and exceptional talent. Zhang Lexuan was the leader of the previous generation of the Shrek Seven Devils and had visited Xu Tianxi several times with Kong Xiyue, leading Xu Tianxi to call her "Aunt Xuan."
Two months ago, Kong Xiyue coaxed Xu Tianxi, saying, "Once Mother gets an Eighth Soul Ring for your Aunt Xuan, I'll come back from Shrek and be with you every day."
Xu Tianxi asked if there would be any danger, and Kong Xiyue smiled, saying there wouldn't be, that Shrek Academy would send Titled Douluo to secretly watch over them, and that Xu Tianxi should wait for her return without worry…
As Kong Xiyue said, a group of twelve Inner Courtyard disciples went to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts, and Shrek indeed took it very seriously.
So seriously, in fact, that they dispatched Xuan Zi, the Gluttony Crown, who was about to become the Sea God Pavilion Master and was the second strongest individual in the Sea God Pavilion with a cultivation level of Level 98 Super Douluo, to personally protect them undercover!
Then, as expected, something went wrong. Xuan Zi neglected his duty and failed to guard the students. The twelve Inner Courtyard disciples were attacked by a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast, struggling without support. Eight of them perished before they managed a tragic victory.
Xu Tianxi's mother was said to have bravely sacrificed herself to protect her junior disciples. While her death was noble, from Xu Tianxi's perspective, it was a truly unjust demise.
If she hadn't died, with her talent as the leader of a generation of Shrek Seven Devils and the resources provided by the Xuanming Sect, becoming a Titled Douluo would have been no problem at all. Even challenging Super Douluo would have been worth a try.
But now, it was all gone…
"Old Xuan, you old fool, why couldn't you do something useful? You're so good at harming people, I'll make you pay for it sooner or later…"
The thought of seeking revenge on Xuan Zi immediately brought a sense of ease to Xu Tianxi's mind. His thoughts became much clearer, and all his memories were neatly organized.
Clearly, this was taking on the karma of this life. Xu Tianxi didn't know what kind of transmigration this was, but since he was here, and as the saying goes, past and present are all me, settling the score with Old Xuan later was the right thing to do.
In this Douluo Continent, where bloodline largely determined everything, even though Xuan Zi was a Level 98 Super Douluo, Xu Tianxi didn't feel he had no chance of eliminating him.
His father in this life was the current Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect, a Titled Douluo, and his mother was the leader of a generation of Shrek Seven Devils. Unless his character was as bad as Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's, he would undoubtedly awaken a top-tier Martial Soul.
With a powerful Martial Soul and a good upbringing, his Innate Soul Power wouldn't be low even if it started low. Moreover, Xu Tianxi had already taken several Mystic Water Pills, which could increase Innate Soul Power, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had Innate Full Soul Power.
In the original work, Yuhao's rise was greatly aided by the transformation of his physical talent by two Mystic Water Pills, which increased his cultivation speed by more than five times.
However, while one should strategically underestimate the enemy, tactically one must take them seriously. Even if Old Xuan was a scoundrel, he was still a top-tier powerhouse on the continent. Even if Xu Tianxi cultivated diligently for decades, he might not catch up to him.
And given Shrek Academy's power and status, and the Sun Moon Empire's threat to the original Douluo Three Kingdoms, if Xu Tianxi, a citizen of the Heavenly Soul Empire, showed any hostility towards them, he would certainly be suppressed, or even killed, by the higher-ups of Shrek Academy and the Three Great Empires.
Clearly, revenge wouldn't be possible in the Heavenly Soul Empire, unless he could cultivate to a level that completely overwhelmed Xuan Zi, making the Douluo Three Kingdoms abandon Shrek Academy for him, and making Shrek Academy unable to resist his revenge.
Xu Tianxi thought seriously about it and felt that this matter was too difficult. It might not even be achievable before the Douluo Three Kingdoms were pushed into the sea by the Sun Moon Empire. Perhaps…
He should directly defect to the inevitably victorious Sun Moon Empire before the Douluo Three Kingdoms were pushed into the sea!
"Anyway, I don't want to go to Shrek Academy and fight hundreds of people for one washroom, and I certainly don't want to be targeted by Tang Buddha. It's better to sneak into the relatively more developed Sun Moon Empire in a few years. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy seems to offer single suites to its students, and their firepower coverage aligns more with my aesthetic…"
Xu Tianxi recalled the original work, weighing the pros and cons. He quickly realized that Shrek Academy, apart from the Golden Tree, had nothing truly unique. Going there for an epiphany might inexplicably brand him with the Tang Sect's mark, and he now avoided Tang Buddha like the plague.
That guy wasn't like Xiao Huohuo from the other side. Xiao Huohuo, upon learning he was a fellow traveler, would likely support a junior with "tears in his eyes." If Tang Buddha discovered Xu Tianxi, a transmigrator, he'd probably shoot him in the back, and if he didn't die, he'd keep going.
As for the Soul Bones and secret techniques, only absolute insiders could learn them. In the original work, Yuhao, apart from Mu En's guidance and the Dragon Pill, received no benefits from Shrek. Instead, he constantly supported Shrek and the Three Kingdoms, risking his life repeatedly, having long since repaid Mu En's kindness.
And even then, he still had to be the son-in-law and tool for countless ages to Tang Buddha, the ancestor of Shrek. Shrek's kindness truly seemed endless.
If he, without any cheats, were to take Mu En's gold in place of Yuhao, he would probably also be targeted by Tang Buddha and taken in as a dog.
In summary, the moment he thought of defecting, the world instantly opened up!
Just then, a creaking sound and footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Three distinct auras flowed into the room.
The sound of Yue Lao cursing Shrek abruptly ceased. The master and two servants looked out together and saw three figures, two men and one woman, walking in.
The woman wore a moon-white robe that accentuated her graceful figure. Her delicate face was flawless and fair, and she appeared to be around twenty years old. Her demeanor was quiet and gentle, making her unforgettable, though her pale complexion hinted at a certain frailty.
"Tianxi, Aunt Xuan is so sorry for you, so sorry for your mother, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
Zhang Lexuan rushed to the bed and tightly grasped Xu Tianxi's still somewhat tender wrist. Large tears streamed down her face as she sobbed softly, as if seeing Xu Tianxi brought back some painful memory.
Xu Tianxi looked at his twice-suffering hand, thinking to himself that these people on the Douluo Continent really had no sense of moderation in their strength.
The woman before him, whom he remembered visiting him several times at the Xuanming Sect and who called herself Aunt Xuan, was undoubtedly Zhang Lexuan, the contemporary senior disciple of Shrek Academy—the only one who wasn't a beneficiary, strictly speaking, of that tragic incident.
As for the two old men behind her…
Xu Tianxi's gaze fell. Chen Wu and Yue Lao immediately stepped forward to bow when they saw the clearly older, ink-robed man among the two. This ink-robed elder was clearly from the Xuanming Sect, and Xu Tianxi remembered having many interactions with him.
He had once called himself "Grandmaster" in front of Xu Tianxi, was his mother's teacher, and seemed to be an old mischievous sort.
The other white-robed old man exuded a gentle, radiant aura with every step, though his expression was somewhat grim, and his gaze towards Yue Lao was rather unfriendly.
With Light Soul Power, and accompanying Zhang Lexuan, with a grim expression, this person was likely Yan Shaozhe, the Dean of Shrek Academy.
"My nominal Grandmaster should be here to see me, but I don't know what he thinks about Shrek and this incident. Yan Shaozhe's grim expression probably means he heard Yue Lao cursing them…"
"Since that's the case, I'll take this opportunity to test my nominal Grandmaster's attitude…"
Xu Tianxi made up his mind. He forced a smile at the white-robed elder and asked,
"May I ask, Senior, are you the Dean of Shrek Academy?"