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"Gurgle~"
Su Wen vaguely felt his body sinking into a lake. He couldn't move a muscle, as if something was pressing him down—like sleep paralysis. He struggled with all his might, feeling that if he didn't, he might actually die.
"Senior Sister, look! Someone's in the water!"
The voice was muffled, as if it came from above the surface.
"Ugh…"
Su Wen tried to move, flailing his limbs in a desperate attempt to signal that he could still be saved. But it didn't seem to help...
All he could do now was hope the people above would be kind enough not to let him die just after transmigrating here.
"No soul power detected—it's a child."
"Why are you wasting time? Pull him out already. He's about to drown."
"…"
Suddenly, Su Wen felt as though he'd come back to life.
His body, which had been sinking toward the bottomless depths, was suddenly yanked upward by a powerful force grabbing his arm and hauling him out of the water.
"Huff… huff…"
He gasped heavily, as though re-entering the world of the living. He heard the chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves, and the sound of a stream splashing against rocks.
"It's a little boy. And kind of a handsome one at that."
The girl who had pulled him from the stream grinned, then sat on a nearby rock. Her bright eyes casually scanned Su Wen as he lay on the ground, coughing and vomiting up water.
"Drank my fill… blegh… Just my luck. To get dropped into the Star Dou Forest right after I transmigrated… ugh…"
Su Wen vomited for a while before finally catching his breath.
Then he looked at his rescuer.
The first thing he saw was a bright red silhouette—a young girl around thirteen or fourteen years old. Despite her youthful age, her figure was unusually mature. She wore a red-and-white outfit resembling a school uniform that hugged her curvaceous frame. Her fiery red hair cascaded neatly over her shoulders, and her stunning face bore a playful smirk.
But wait, she wasn't alone!
Surrounding them were a dozen or so teenagers around sixteen or seventeen, dressed similarly to the red-haired girl. They looked like students—perhaps from one of the top academies on Douluo Continent—out here training under the guidance of their elders.
Su Wen secretly let out a sigh of relief.
He was finally saved.
Just half a month ago, he had accidentally arrived on this continent. He'd planned to make a grand entrance—stepping over Tang San and punching out the Shrek Academy elites. But reality hit hard. He'd transmigrated into the body of a six-year-old boy... right in the middle of the Star Dou Forest.
He barely survived using some half-baked wilderness survival skills he'd learned from watching short videos in his previous life. He ate bugs and grass, drank from streams, and carefully avoided brightly colored mushrooms. It was enough to keep him alive.
And maybe he'd been lucky—hiding in the dense underbrush helped him avoid becoming a soul beast's meal.
But just recently, because of his young body, he lost his balance while fetching water and was swept into the current, ending up in a deep pool at the stream's end.
Fortunately, he'd encountered this group.
Otherwise, he really might've become the first transmigrator to drown.
"Big sister…"
Su Wen forced down his embarrassment and managed a small smile.
Trying to act cute.
This was the only lifeline he had. Among the group, the red-haired girl seemed the kindest and most approachable.
"Aww, kinda cute, huh?" The red-haired girl beamed brightly and pinched Su Wen's cheek.
Then she turned to another girl. "Senior Sister, why don't we bring him with us? We've got Elder Xuan watching over us in secret—what danger could there be?"
Su Wen followed her gaze and looked at a taller, more mature woman among the group, probably around twenty years old. Though dressed similarly, her aura was far more refined. Unlike the red-haired girl's fiery vibe, hers was serene and elegant.
"So beautiful…" Even Su Wen found himself momentarily stunned.
"If fate brought us together, let's take him along," the woman said after a moment's thought. "It's nearly dusk. Zhang Yi, build a few wooden huts. We'll camp here tonight and resume our journey to the core of the Star Dou Forest tomorrow."
"Yay!"
The red-haired girl bounced with excitement.
"Kiddo, you'll sleep with big sis tonight, okay? No one will dare bully you while I'm around!"
"Oh, and call me Sister Xiao Tao~"
Ma Xiaotao made a playful face as she spoke.
"Xiao… Tao… sis…"
Su Wen's throat moved as he spoke calmly.
From the mention of "Elder Xuan," he could already guess where this elite squad came from—none other than the legendary Shrek Academy, number one on the continent for ten thousand years.
To be honest, he'd originally intended to flee to the Sun Moon Empire.
Never expected to be rescued by Shrek…
Oh well. Fate is fate.
Su Wen quickly adjusted his mindset. Whoever gives me food or smacks me around, I'll remember it clearly. Since I owe them such a huge favor, I guess I'll have to pledge myself to them…
Except…
Su Wen's face twitched.
He might not even be qualified to say that. His current body hadn't even awakened its martial soul yet. He had no idea what it was or how talented he might be. Shrek Academy might not even accept him.
...
Night.
Dark red flames licked at damp branches, crackling softly as sparks flew upward.
They cast flickering shadows on Su Wen's face.
Now that he had found a group to cling to, he couldn't help feeling conflicted. Based on the group's ages, Ma Xiaotao was likely around thirteen or fourteen, and Zhang Lexuan about twenty-one or twenty-two. That meant the original storyline wouldn't begin for another six or seven years.
But that wasn't the main issue.
The real problem? What happens when you put together the keywords: Elder Xuan, Zhang Lexuan who is a peak Soul Sage, and the Star Dou Forest?
That's right.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Elder Xuan mysteriously disappearing.
Su Wen took a deep breath.
This was the Shrek Academy's inner court elite mission with the worst casualty rate ever—bar none.
Fewer than five survived.
No wonder Ma Xiaotao had addressed Zhang Lexuan as "Senior Sister" and not "Eldest Senior Sister"—at this point, she wasn't the head disciple yet.
"Hey, kid…"
Just as Su Wen got lost in thought, a stick with grilled fish appeared in front of his mouth, releasing a rich aroma that wafted into his nose.
His nostrils twitched, and he almost drooled.
Do you even know what I've gone through these past two weeks?!
Wilderness survival had driven his standards for food down to rock bottom—anything edible was fine.
Now, this perfectly cooked, delicious-looking fish nearly snatched his soul.
"Gulp~"
He swallowed hard.
"Hurry and eat…" Ma Xiaotao smiled gently and shoved the grilled fish into Su Wen's mouth.
"Whoo…"
For an ordinary six-year-old, the fish might've been a bit hot. But Su Wen didn't care at all. Starving as he was, he instantly began gobbling it down.
The aroma of the cooked meat, the tender texture—it was bliss.
Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes shimmered with a trace of pity.
She didn't know his background, but for someone this young to appear in the Star Dou Forest wearing rags… it clearly wasn't a good story.
This is an anti-Tang San, Shrek-route story. It won't be whitewashed; many points of criticism (plotholes) will be ruthlessly exposed.
Also, this is about changing Shrek, not blending into it.
(End of Chapter)