The Divine Realm of Douluo.
"Damn that God of Destruction!"
A blue-haired man gripping a golden trident spoke with a dark expression. He was supposed to be the acknowledged leader of the Divine Realm—the one appointed by the two great God Kings of Good and Evil.
Then, as if remembering something, he slowly let out a breath.
Fortunately, thanks to the preparations he had left behind on the Douluo Continent, everything within that plane remained firmly under his control.
…
"Sir, why is it that when a girl dresses as a boy she's called heroic and dashing, but when a boy dresses as a girl he's mocked as effeminate?"
"That depends on the intent. If a man disguises himself as a woman to get close to a lustful enemy and assassinate him, that's still heroic."
"Then if a girl can disguise herself as a boy and live in the boys' dorm, does that mean a boy could dress as a girl, do nothing at all, and live in the girls' dorm?"
Mu En: "…"
At the entrance of the white dormitory building, an elderly man in gray cloth robes reclined half-lying on a chair. His face was deeply wrinkled, his body frail, looking as though he could be carried off by the wind at any moment.
Beside him stood a refined-looking young boy with black hair and black eyes. A few messy strands stuck up from his head as he carefully peeled a banana with slender, pale fingers, asking his question with complete seriousness.
"If you want to be expelled, feel free to try," the old man replied in a slightly hoarse voice, amusement hidden beneath it.
"I was joking! I paid ten gold soul coins to enroll!" The boy's clean, delicate face showed genuine pain at the thought.
An Zhen truly felt the sting.
Although Shrek Academy hadn't raised tuition in ten thousand years—remarkably generous, considering it had grown from a tiny village into the continent's top academy—it was still an overwhelming burden for someone with his background.
A transmigrator. An orphan.
At six, his innate full soul power had caught the attention of the Hongchen family of the Sun Moon Empire, who took him in. At ten, he applied—through his adoptive grandfather, Jing Hongchen—to study at Shrek Academy and learn more about soul masters. After various arrangements, he entered under the identity of an orphan recommended by a main-city lord from the Douling Empire, who valued his talent.
An orphan had no family fortune.
The city lord provided some support—but it wasn't enough.
And tuition was non-refundable.
"Grandpa, want a banana? You can still chew it, right?"
He cheerfully stuffed the peeled fruit into the old man's thin, withered hand. The reluctant elder accepted it helplessly. The two looked like a grandfather and grandson enjoying the sun together.
"I'm not actually a dorm supervisor," the old man muttered.
"Listen to you—like I'm bribing you or something. Can't it just be respect for the elderly?"
What normal teenage boy wouldn't be curious about the girls' dormitory?
The sun climbed high in the sky.
Under its warm glow, the old and the young lay quietly in their chairs, enjoying the rare good weather. Students passing by paid them little attention, assuming they were relatives of faculty members.
"Hello, Grandpa. I'm a new student here to move into the dormitory. Would you like to check my badge?"
A soft, respectful voice sounded.
Without lifting his head, the old man extended a trembling hand. "Badge and dorm key."
Whoosh—
Two objects traced a neat arc through the air—then landed squarely on someone's peacefully sleeping face.
"Mmm…"
An Zhen opened sleepy eyes and fumbled for what had disturbed his nap.
A badge. A key.
"Room 108?"
He read the number aloud.
"Young people shouldn't be as lifeless as these old bones of mine," Mu En said with a faint, kindly smile.
"Lack of sleep stunts growth," the nearly 1.6-meter-tall eleven-year-old declared solemnly. "This is for my health."
"Mm."
The old man nodded and closed his cloudy eyes again.
…
Who told me to respect my elders?
With visible reluctance, An Zhen stood up.
He lightly pushed the reclining chair. The next instant, space rippled—and the large chair that could hold two people vanished.
"This is…?"
His gaze landed on the small figure before him, and his gemlike pupils widened slightly.
She looked only about 1.4 meters tall—noticeably underdeveloped in a continent where most youths matured early. Her clothes were faded from washing but clean. She had short, ocean-blue hair cut to ear length, fair skin, delicate features, and gently arched brows.
Most striking were her eyes—clear as autumn water, bright as the stars, as though they could speak.
Where did this little cutie come from?
"You have beautiful eyes," An Zhen said honestly, not looking away.
"Th-thank you…"
The shy girl lowered her head, thin fingers clutching the hem of her plain clothes.
"I'm An Zhen. A first-year student."
"H-Huo Yutong," she replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. Gathering courage, she lifted her sparkling gaze to meet his confident black eyes—only to look away again. "I'm also a first-year."
"Come on. I'll show you."
He took her slender wrist and led her toward the first-floor dorm room.
Startled, Huo Yutong froze for a moment, like a puppet being gently pulled along.
After they left, a tall figure silently appeared behind Mu En. A refined middle-aged man bowed respectfully.
"Teacher."
"I wanted to spend time with energetic youngsters and feel some youthful spirit," Mu En said, smiling fondly. "Instead, I ended up with such a lazy little fellow."
Despite his words, his expression was that of a doting grandfather.
"An Zhen. Orphan. Eleven years old. Rank 23 Great Soul Master. Martial Soul: World. Possesses extremely strong emotional influence—others lower their guard around him even when aware of it."
"Shao Zhe, you're overthinking," Mu En replied gently. "Don't use an adult's suspicions to judge a child. Humans are social creatures. Why resist the world's warmth?"
"…Yes."
The middle-aged man smiled awkwardly. "I just find the child rather special."
…
The key turned in the lock.
An Zhen stopped Huo Yutong before she entered. With a flick of his hand, a gust of wind swept through the room, scattering stale air and sending dust swirling.
"These dorms haven't been used in a while. Wait here—I'll handle it."
The dust gathered neatly into the corners. He opened the windows to ventilate.
"The living conditions for ordinary students really aren't great," he muttered.
The room was barely ten square meters. No private bathroom. It reminded him of his university dorm in his previous life—except that at least his old dorm had air conditioning. This was the continent's number one academy. Every student here was considered a genius outside.
Frugal traditions really did carry on.
"Thank you, Brother An Zhen," Huo Yutong said gratefully.
"It's nothing. Just a small effort," he replied. "Though my control over water isn't strong yet—you'll have to finish the cleaning."
"You can control water too? Brother An Zhen, your martial soul is amazing," the blue-haired "boyish" girl said sincerely. Feeling his kindness, her earlier timidity eased, and curiosity flickered in her eyes. "My martial soul is Spirit Eyes. What's yours?"
"World."
Customization Mode.
An Zhen silently added the last two words in his heart.
A power that probably belonged more in certain… less serious genres.