Douluo Continent: Starting with a Tom Cat

"Although he didn't use his soul power, he was obviously in bad shape. But my fist was actually pierced to the bone. His martial soul was too domineering. I have never seen anything comparable to it."

"I doubt that even the Seven Kill Sword, which is famous throughout the continent, can compare with it."

Flander fell silent. To be able to injure a high-level Soul Saint, and not just break the skin but penetrate to the bone, he had some doubts about whether his student would be able to get revenge in the future.

Ugh!

-

Early in the morning, Chef Tang put on his chef's robe and tall chef's hat, and busied himself in the kitchen. Today, there was an extra mouth to feed at home, so he had to cook two more dishes.

Shen An was too tired yesterday, so he went to bed early. Now that he got up, he subconsciously glanced at his reputation value.

How much!

The reputation value, which was originally zero, is now as high as 30,000. It should be noted that the teahouse's reputation growth has slowed down, after all, Soto City is only so big.

In other words, just the two battles in the Arena yesterday brought him such a high amount of fame.

Of course, this was inseparable from Pang Tao's publicity efforts, and Shen An made a deal with him before leaving regarding future cooperation with the Soul Arena.

Pang Tao coveted the prestige of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Shen An's unparalleled strength, while Shen An saw the opportunity to gain fame through the Soul Arena. The two hit it off immediately.

Ning Rongrong lazily went out, quickly washed up, and smelled the aroma of food. Her eyes lit up, and she thought happily:

"It smells so good just from the aroma. I didn't know Shen An had this skill. A man who can cook is a real plus."

It wasn't until she went downstairs that she realized, wow, it was the diligent and hardworking Master Tang, the all-around housekeeping cat.

At the dinner table, Shen An originally planned to talk to the two of them about Shrek Academy, since they had beaten them so badly that there was no possibility of mediation.

As a result, the two girls ate so much that their cheeks were bulging and they didn't have time to talk. Tom's cooking was so delicious that they didn't have time to talk.

Helpless, Shen An could only pick up his chopsticks and use them like swords, bringing out the speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness of swordsmanship to the fullest. There was no other way; otherwise, they would eat all the food.

The food on the table was completely devoured. Ning Rongrong comfortably reclined in her chair, patting her slightly rounded belly, and remarked with a sigh:

“Shen An, no wonder you won’t sell Tom. There’s no other cat as versatile as Tom on the entire continent.”

Shen An coughed twice: "Even if Tom can't do anything and destroys the house every day, I still won't sell him."

When Tom heard Ning Rongrong's praise, he first showed a satisfied and proud smile, and was about to wave his hand to modestly indicate that he was just an ordinary house cat.

Upon hearing Shen An's words, she looked at him with deep emotion and said, "If you say that, I'll be so happy. I'm most afraid of being kicked out of my home or being sold."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Tom with twitching lips. This silly cat, Shen An just said a few words and you're already this moved. You're too easy to fool.

However, Zhu Zhuqing also believed that Shen An would never sell Tom, and there seemed to be a strange bond between the two of them.

"But speaking of which, are you two really going to continue your studies at Shrek Academy?" Shen An steered the conversation back on track.

Before the two could speak, Shen An continued:

“Those Shrek members had inherent personality flaws. In the Soul Arena, before Zhu Qing had any enmity with them, she was almost injured by a sneak attack.”

“Yesterday, I beat them so badly that if you insist on going, regardless of whether the teachers at the academy have any complaints about you, your experience at the academy will not be pleasant.”

"Moreover, none of them are weak. If they were to deliberately retaliate and do something ruthless in the future, and I wasn't around, you would be in great danger." Shen An said this rather tactfully.

Moreover, these words were mainly meant for Zhu Zhuqing. Ning Rongrong had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School behind her, so Shrek Academy didn't dare to go too far. Zhu Zhuqing, however, was different.

Moreover, Ning Rongrong's decision was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, and she will eventually go back to her original school after the conflict. But Zhu Zhuqing can keep trying to become stronger. Where can she go after leaving Shrek Academy?

As expected, Ning Rongrong seemed indifferent; for her, going or not going was up to her.

On the contrary, Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip lightly, caught in a dilemma, whether to stay or leave was just a matter of a thought.

Shen An was right; he was always thinking of her. She was moved.

Chapter 52 Zhu Zhuqing deviates from the original script

Zhu Zhuqing finally nodded slowly. Shen An was right; going back to school was indeed not a good choice.

Furthermore, as things stand, Shrek Academy, apart from its teachers having very high soul power levels, doesn't actually have any outstanding teaching methods, and its teaching environment is quite ordinary.

Ning Rongrong sighed, "Alright, alright, you've convinced Zhu Zhuqing, so I won't go. I was originally planning to see how miserable those people were and mock them a bit."

Shen An's lips twitched. This little devil hadn't been beaten enough. She should at least wait until she had a strong person protecting her before she went around showing off.

If she happens to run into someone who's stubborn and just beats her up, she'll be left speechless with grief. Shen An thinks that little lecherous tiger is pretty stubborn.

"Well, I don't have any plans for the future, so how about I stay here with you for now, Shen An?" Zhu Zhuqing turned to Shen An and said.

Shen An had no objection; it was just a matter of staying. It wasn't like there weren't enough rooms, and besides, it was he who had advised her not to go, so he had to take responsibility.

Ning Rongrong looked at Shen An expectantly and said, "Shen An, I won't go. I'll just stay here with you for now. Is that alright?"

Shen An nodded slightly. There was no difference between one person and two people; there was even an empty room upstairs.

"Hehe," Ning Rongrong smiled broadly. If you ignored her willful and capricious witch nature, Ning Rongrong's looks were truly stunning.

However, Ning Rongrong has not acted willfully towards Shen An so far, which Shen An suspects is because she was almost beaten by him before.

Soon, Shen An and Tom went to prepare for the teahouse, since they still needed to open the shop. However, due to the gradual decrease in reputation value, Shen An decided to hire someone to handle it later.

At first, running a teahouse business and gaining a lot of reputation points was fine, but over time, the reputation points gradually decreased, and Shen An couldn't hold back any longer.

The teahouse remained open, attracting some new customers, but most were regulars. They only produced a limited quantity of milk tea each day, which sold out extremely quickly.

Ning Rongrong lay down and played, Zhu Zhuqing diligently cultivated, and Shen An petted the cat and admired his constantly rising fame value, all enjoying themselves immensely.

Shrek Academy is located nearby.

Although Dai Mubai's soul power was higher than Tang San's, it was Tang San who woke up first. As for Xiao Wu, she was the one with the lightest injuries and had been taking care of Tang San.

Upon seeing Tang San wake up, she immediately threw herself at him, her eyes moist, and said, "Brother, you are so badly injured, I was so scared."

Tang San's injuries had not yet fully healed, and Xiao Wu's pounce caused his wounds to ache again. However, he did not utter a sound, but simply held Xiao Wu with tenderness in his eyes.

"It's alright, I'll always be here for you," Tang San said softly.

Xiao Wu, with tears in her eyes, said, "Brother, did I cause trouble? I shouldn't have provoked Zhu Zhuqing and Shen An. They're too scary."

Upon hearing Xiao Wu mention Shen An, Tang San snorted coldly, his voice reverberating in his chest, causing pain in his sternum and a change in his facial expression.

Tang San's face darkened. Shen An was too monstrous. He never imagined that he, who had lived two lives, would be defeated by a boy of the same age.

"Shen An's talent is terrifying. Not only is his martial soul powerful and domineering, but his moves are also natural and unique. His spiritual energy seems inexhaustible."

Tang San slowly exhaled a sigh of frustration. His Blue Silver Grass was too much of a hindrance, unable to even withstand Shen An's scattered sword energy.

Thinking about his other martial soul, Tang San couldn't help but feel a little lost.

It should be noted that even the Clear Sky Hammer without any spirit rings made Shen An hesitate compared to the Blue Silver Grass. If it were equipped with a spirit skill, it might be able to fight against it.

Tang San now really wants to ask the Grandmaster when he can begin cultivating his second spirit, as relying solely on the Blue Silver Grass he possesses seems to be insufficient.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Xiao Wu called out softly when she saw that Tang San was not moving.

Tang San shook his head and said, "It's alright. I'll remember this grudge and repay him a hundredfold in the future."

"If he dares to hurt you, then he should be prepared to die," Tang San said in a sinister voice, but Xiao Wu's face was full of sweetness.

Tang San thought to himself:

"If we can find the materials to forge a top-tier Tang Clan hidden weapon, no matter how much Shen An attacks Wushuang, he will surely die a gruesome death."

Tang San and Xiao Wu embraced each other, their tenderness unparalleled, while Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun remained unconscious.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Dai Mubai and his companion woke up one after another. Flander stood aside and watched his two students.

Dai Mubai felt weak and powerless all over, and even the slightest movement caused him pain. Ma Hongjun was in no better shape.

The Nine-Leaf Illusory Sword is tangible but intangible, yet it is filled with sword energy. This fat man actually dared to withstand it with his physical body. Even with his soul power protecting him, he was still injured to the point of near death.

Just as Dai Mubai was about to speak, Flander waved his hand and said:

"You don't need to say anything more, just focus on recovering. Regardless of who is right or wrong in this matter, since he hurt you, you should work even harder to get revenge in the future."

Dai Mubai was deeply moved, but he was also filled with deep doubt. Could he really defeat that monster Shen An? He fought four against one and ended up completely unharmed.

Ma Hongjun even blurted out:

"Teacher, that Shen An is a fucking monster. He's invincible with a sword in his hand, and his flying sword is surrounded by sword energy. We have no chance to fight back."

"How are we going to fight him in the future?" Ma Hongjun's eyes were filled with deep fear. Just thinking about Shen An's flying sword made his whole body ache.

When Flander saw Shen An fight four opponents alone, he realized that it would be extremely difficult for his students to defeat Shen An.

However, as teachers, we should always give students some confidence.

Flanders said in a deliberately profound tone:

"Don't worry, Shen An only benefited from his martial spirit. I have already called back a close friend. With his guidance, it will be a piece of cake for you to defeat Shen An."

Seeing Flander's confidence, Dai Mubai and his companion were slightly encouraged. Since the dean said so, perhaps he really had invited a powerful figure.

Dai Mubai was about to ask another question when Flander mysteriously said, "Don't worry, you'll know when this person arrives. He's known throughout the continent for his wisdom."

Flander then told them to heal their injuries first, so that they could cultivate as soon as possible and regain their lost face.

After Flander left, Ma Hongjun wanted to change positions, but every part of his body ached, so he had to give up. He said somewhat unhappily:

"Boss Dai, Tang San and Xiao Wu really did something wrong. We got involved and got beaten up for nothing. Luckily, that person didn't mean to kill us, or we would have been crippled."

Dai Mubai naturally wouldn't mention that he would inevitably clash with Shen An because of Zhu Zhuqing, so he said:

“Fatty, Tang San and Xiao Wu are from the same academy as us, so of course we should unite against outsiders.”

Ma Hongjun pouted and said:

“Isn’t Zhu Zhuqing one of our own students? Dean Fu told us to get our revenge later, but I don’t want to face that monster again.”

Dai Mubai wanted to say something more, but when he thought of Shen An's terrifying strength, he could only clench his fists tightly.

He secretly resolved that since the strength of a Soul Master was insufficient, he would cultivate to the level of Soul Sect Master and Soul King. No matter how powerful a Martial Soul was, it could not make up for the gap in levels!

Shen An, you just wait! Dai Mubai roared inwardly.

Chapter 53 This Win-Win Situation! (Please Read On!)

The sun sets and the moon rises; it's evening again.

Shen An brought Ning Rongrong and Tom back to the Soul Arena.

Zhu Zhuqing said she would continue her cultivation. Since Shen An and Ning Rongrong had already formed a team, they could go ahead and leave; there was no need to worry about her.

Upon arriving at the Soul Arena, Pang Tao warmly greeted Ning Rongrong first, then said, "Brother Shen An is indeed punctual. Let's go in and discuss the details."

Shen An readily agreed. Yesterday, after witnessing the influence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School behind Ning Rongrong on the Soul Arena, Shen An had an idea that immediately came to mind.

He then told Pang Tao that he wanted to come to the Soul Arena more often, and that he didn't need any gold soul coins, but only hoped that the Soul Arena could promote itself more.

As the saying goes, "If you're thick-skinned, you can easily get away with something like this."

At that time, Shen An defeated his opponents without holding back, whether it was one-on-one or two-on-two, it was just a matter of one sword.

Seeing Shen An's potential, Pang Tao had an idea, so he arranged to meet with Shen An afterwards to discuss it in detail.

Shen An spoke first: "Brother Pang, I'm a very practical person. I love fame more than money. If I come to the Soul Arena, I don't need the profits. Just help me promote it. How about that?"

Pang Tao's expression was strange. Even though he had heard it yesterday, hearing it again today still gave him a refreshing and unconventional feeling.

It's unbelievable that there are such people. Everyone who comes to the Soul Arena is after fame and fortune. In the end, it all comes down to profit. Fame is just a means to serve profit.

Pang Tao had no idea that for Shen An, fame was profit. With the system, fame would turn into resources for Shen An, rather than mundane things like gold soul coins.

After a moment of contemplation, Pang Tao spoke:

"Brother Shen, here's the deal: as long as you can guarantee that you won't be defeated at the Great Soul Master level, I can make the decision to complete this deal with you. We'll share the fame and the profits."

"I will let you appear as a genius boy trained in the Soul Arena. If I defeat you, I will receive a huge reward, which will be used to spread the word and attract others to challenge me."

Pang Tao paused for a moment and then continued:

"Furthermore, if you are confident, Brother Shen, after our testing, we will allow you to fight against a low-level Soul Master. But all of this is on the condition that you cannot lose!"

“We both gain fame and profit from it. You get one and I get nine. Isn’t that a win-win situation?”

Shen An smiled, a radiant smile. He really liked this kind of cooperation, because it meant he could win twice: once from the fame and fortune of the Soul Arena, and once from the system's reward.

What is a win-win situation? I win twice and that's a win-win situation!

“Brother Pang, if I ever lose a single match to someone of the same level, I will immediately commit suicide on the stage.”