Thank you to our new Patrons: Josh, Nilist, Neopolitansoso, Foolie, Resid Kuliyev, Bodybags87, Jaden Henderson, spiritwolf86, Kyle Bates, Macabre Threener, Jakob Harris, Koner !!, Elan Jones, NaasH NS, Shon Ducusin and Kai Zambrano! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 540: Temptation - Part 1 on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! It's called Douluo: Brains Over Bloodline. As always, Patrons will have unrestricted access to all of my stories including futures ones!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Seeing that the other party had finally recognized him, Ye Wen nodded in satisfaction.
Upon confirming Ye Wen's identity, Flender and Zhao Wuji both felt a wave of relief. After all, Ye Wen's reputation on the continent was quite positive.
However, the shrewd Flender still cautiously asked, "May I ask what brings Master Ye Wen here today?"
"I do have a matter to discuss with Principal Flender. Earlier, I noticed a young boy exercising at the village entrance. His aptitude is quite remarkable, and I'd like to enroll him in Tianxing Academy for cultivation. What do you think?" Ye Wen said gently.
Flender instinctively wanted to refuse. Since losing his leg, he had felt his future was bleak.
Thus, he had resolved to find top-tier young soul masters to nurture them as his disciples, ensuring they would care for him in his old age.
Oscar was the fruit of his efforts over the past few years.
A food-based soul master with full innate soul power—such a prodigy was unprecedented. Even though he wasn't a battle-type soul master, his future would undoubtedly shine brightly across the continent.
Following Oscar in his later years would make retirement a breeze.
However, Oscar, who had grown up in an orphanage and experienced the harshness of life, was unusually mature for his age. He didn't immediately agree to become Flender's disciple because he understood the significance of having full innate soul power—it gave him leverage to negotiate.
Though Flender was physically disabled, his Soul Sage-level cultivation couldn't be faked. Oscar believed that learning from Flender in the early stages would bring more benefits than drawbacks.
So, Oscar agreed to test Flender's ability to cultivate him before formally becoming his disciple.
Ye Wen could see Flender's hesitation and softly said, "Principal Flender, I understand how difficult it is to part with such a talented individual. But you must also realize that the resources at Tianxing Academy far surpass those of your own institution. If that young man studies at my academy, he could advance to become a high-ranking soul master—or even a Title Douluo—much sooner.
As compensation, here are 100,000 gold soul coins for your care of the boy during this time."
With that, Ye Wen took out a gleaming gold soul card and handed it to Flender.
Flender's greed kicked in, and he quickly accepted the shimmering card. Though he came from humble origins, Flender was adept at reading people and situations.
Given Tianxing Academy's appeal to civilian soul masters, there was a good chance Oscar might eventually transfer there on his own once he learned about it. This makeshift academy of his wouldn't be able to hold onto such talent anyway.
And with 100,000 gold soul coins, he could live comfortably until old age.
With a fawning smile, Flender readily agreed.
Oscar, on the other hand, was utterly confused. He had just finished his long-distance run and hadn't even rested when his principal handed him over to a stranger, leaving him irritated.
But upon learning about the man's social status and recalling that he had read some of his works, Oscar immediately considered becoming his disciple.
Though Oscar possessed full innate soul power, many nominal disciples nowadays had similar talents, so he wouldn't qualify as a direct disciple.
The reason Ye Wen had intervened to recruit Oscar was due to his immense potential—and the fact that he would later serve as a medium for reviving Tang San.
Moreover, in the event of large-scale warfare, an Oscar cultivated by Ye Wen to at least the Soul Douluo level would provide unparalleled logistical support.
Among the Seven Treasures of Shrek, Ye Wen considered Oscar the only normal one. Leaving such talent by Tang San's side would be a waste.
In the end, Flender secured his desired pension, and Ye Wen gained a promising genius. Both parties achieved a win-win outcome.
The second purpose of this trip was naturally to intercept Ma Hongjun, whose martial soul had yet to awaken.
In truth, Ma Hongjun wasn't inherently bad.
His issues stemmed partly from his martial soul and partly from Flender's irresponsibility as a teacher.
At the tender age of eleven or twelve, frequenting brothels had drained his body's essence. Without Tang San's intervention, the most likely outcome would have been a fate similar to Ma Xiaotao's in Douluo II—burning to death from uncontrollable evil fire.
One could argue that most of the monstrous geniuses nurtured by Shrek Academy in the original story wasted their talents.
Ma Hongjun, however, was much easier to locate than Oscar.
After all, his surname was distinctive, and Ye Wen remembered that Ma Hongjun supposedly hailed from Chicken Village.
His martial soul was a mutated chicken, hence the nickname "Evil Fire Chicken."
Later, after overcoming the negative effects of his martial soul, Ma Hongjun proved to be genuinely devoted to Bai Chenxiang. Recruiting someone like him wouldn't be a bad idea.
It didn't take long to pinpoint his location. Ma Hongjun's family seemed well-off—they had raised him plump and healthy, which explained his relatively strong innate soul power.
Ye Wen briefly explained his intentions and helped Ma Hongjun awaken his martial soul prematurely. The family was overjoyed, as their lineage had always consisted of powerless chicken martial souls.
Why didn't the parents question the premature awakening? Simple—they were uneducated. As long as the awakening granted soul power, they were satisfied.
Of course, Ye Wen's precise control of divine power ensured the child wouldn't suffer any harm.
(A/N: Ma Hongjun was younger than Tang San and initially had two levels less soul power upon his debut. This was likely due to a delayed awakening, missing the civilian soul master awakening day and having to wait until the next year—though Flender intercepted him.)
Ye Wen projected the emblem of his Sage status, and the family felt as if a torrent of wealth had descended upon them.
Who would dare refuse? Anyone who tried would have their heads twisted off.
Ma Hongjun's parents, quite bold themselves, readily agreed.
The family happily prepared to move, though they didn't have many valuable possessions. Ye Wen even gifted them a storage-type soul tool to store their belongings temporarily.
"Both the Evil Fire Chicken and the Perverted Sausage are now under my control. Let's see how you, Tang San, will assemble the future Seven Treasures of Shrek to fend off Qian Renxue's pursuit," Ye Wen sneered.
However, relocating such a family over a long distance posed risks. Ye Wen arranged for the Spirit Hall to transport Ma Hongjun's parents to Tianxing Academy.
As for Ma Hongjun and Oscar, they would stay by Ye Wen's side to focus on training.
Oscar had been running to strengthen his body in preparation for absorbing stronger soul rings—a necessary step given the relationship between his strength and soul ring absorption.
Flender's methods, however, were stingy and inefficient.
As for Ma Hongjun, his innate soul power was at level 9. With a bit of cultivation, he would soon reach level 10. Conveniently, they could head to the Spirit Hunting Forest near Noding City to hunt for soul rings.
Having accomplished his mission, Ye Wen returned to the Tianxing Villa.
It was no surprise that the first three members of Shrek's Seven Treasures were lustful devils. Upon seeing Ye Wen's adorable daughters, their eyes couldn't tear away.
Don't overthink it—they simply enjoyed playing with pretty girls.
In real life, few people willingly approached those who were unattractive. Humans were visual creatures after all. While the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" held truth, humans often ignored it.
The three little ones gained two new friends and happily played together.
Watching this heartwarming scene, Ye Wen's mood brightened considerably.
However, the start of the Notting Academy term was approaching. It seemed the gears of fate were truly beginning to turn.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow