Shen Yi's beautiful eyes were filled with shock.
This way of fighting made no sense—how could Tom pull out a hammer and relentlessly pound the Violet Lightning Rabbit, landing critical hits with every strike?
Except, the one being hit wasn't the Violet Lightning Rabbit, but Jerry.
Every time, Jerry was hammered until his eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth, yet he never learned his lesson and kept getting hit again.
Finally, realizing something was wrong, Jerry ran far away, bent a nearby tree into a crescent shape, and used the rebound force to deliver a fierce kick to the Violet Lightning Rabbit.
Speaking of which, how did that tree not snap after being bent so far?
The Violet Lightning Rabbit gradually realized something was off—why was it covered in wounds from the beating, while this cat and mouse duo remained completely unharmed?
As a hundred-year Soul Beast, it possessed considerable intelligence—at least enough to know to eat when hungry and retreat to its burrow when it rained.
Suppressing the dizziness from Tom's meow-hammer strikes, the Violet Lightning Rabbit's purple markings lit up—it was time to flee.
Seeing this, Jerry picked up an ironing board many times larger than itself and hurled it at the rabbit.
Shen Yi fell silent again. How could the tiny mouth of the Violet Lightning Rabbit swallow an ironing board as big as itself without exploding?
The rabbit's eyes were equally blank—why had its body grown so large, yet it felt no discomfort?
But its simple mind couldn't process such complex thoughts. It turned and tried to scurry away on its stubby legs.
At this moment, Tom and Jerry grinned smugly. After feeding it an ironing board, did it really think it could escape?
Tom pulled out a U-shaped magnet, his feline face full of pride. The Violet Lightning Rabbit, which had transformed into a streak of purple light to flee, was yanked back even faster by the powerful magnetic force.
However, Tom was also dragged along by the pull, and the two collided mid-air, stars spinning around their heads.
Then, to Shen An's disbelief, Jerry sprinted over, grabbed the literal stars above Tom's head, and smashed them mercilessly onto the rabbit's skull.
Shen An was speechless. Seriously? Tom and Jerry truly followed no logic—even the cartoonish stars above their heads could be plucked off and used as weapons?
This was straight-up bending reality.
In the end, Jerry dragged both the unconscious Tom and the Violet Lightning Rabbit back, signaling to Shen Yi that she could finish the rabbit off.
Shen An pulled out a diaper-shaped pouch and retrieved a crude axe from it—one of the items he had drawn before.
"Here, Shen Yi. Just kill this rabbit, and you can absorb its Soul Ring," Shen An said, nudging his chin toward the rabbit.
Shen Yi took the axe, her heart pounding. If she killed this rabbit, she could finally become a Soul Master and gain the power to protect herself.
Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and swung the axe down at the rabbit.
Thud!
With one chop, the rabbit's head rolled to the ground, and a bright yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from its body.
Shen An smiled. "Just follow the method I taught you to absorb it. Don't worry, nothing will go wrong."
Shen Yi nodded firmly, then sat cross-legged and began channeling her Soul Power to draw in the ring.
Jerry, seeing the rabbit was thoroughly dead, promptly slapped Tom awake—it still wanted to eat some spicy rabbit heads.
When Shen Yi opened her eyes again, her delicate nose twitched. Something smelled amazing—what was it?
A furry paw stretched toward her, holding half a rabbit head right in front of her eyes.
Shen Yi had been about to say, "Bunnies are so cute, how could you eat them?" But Tom's cooking skills were simply too good. Instinctively, she took it and took a couple of bites.
"Shen Yi, stay here with Tom and Jerry for now. I'll go hunt for a Soul Ring and come back soon," Shen An said.
Shen Yi paused mid-chew, her mouth still full of meat, and mumbled indistinctly, "Lord Shen An, do you need my help?"
Shen An chuckled at her garbled words. "No need, I can handle it myself."
The moment she spoke, Shen Yi regretted it. Even the cat and mouse were this powerful—how much stronger must Shen An be? She was just a rookie who had only just obtained her first Soul Ring—what help could she possibly offer?
She simply nodded blankly, silently wishing Shen An success in finding a suitable Soul Ring.
Shen An's figure flickered as he hid nearby to play a retro handheld game—he was just putting on an act. He'd reappear in a few hours.
While Shen An was hiding, Tom and Jerry grew restless. They didn't stay put for long before dragging Shen Yi off to explore.
Shen An had no choice but to put down his game and follow at a distance.
Before long, Tom and Jerry zigzagged their way to the banks of a wide river.
Excited, Tom pulled out a fishing rod and bait, casting the line far into the water.
Bored, Jerry set up a tiny beach chair. Unlike Tom, who loved fishing, Jerry preferred to lounge around and wait for Tom to catch dinner.
After a moment's thought, Jerry also set up a normal-sized beach chair and gestured for Shen Yi to lie down.
Shen Yi obediently reclined, no longer questioning how Tom and Jerry could conjure so many things out of thin air—it was beyond her understanding anyway.
The moment she lay back, she let out a comfortable sigh—the allure of the beach chair was undeniable, even to a native of the Douluo Continent.
Watching from the shadows, Shen An shook his head in amusement. How absurd—they were treating the dangerous Sunset Forest like a vacation spot.
Normally, most Soul Masters would tread carefully in the Sunset Forest, hunting their prey and fleeing immediately afterward. None would be as relaxed as Tom and Jerry.
"But with two Heavenly Emperors here, it's only natural to take it easy," Shen An muttered to himself.
The water rippled as Tom's fishing skills proved impeccable—soon, a big fish took the bait.
But the line between fishing and being fished was thin.
Just as Tom excitedly tried to reel in his catch, the fish yanked him straight into the river.
Shen Yi gasped and jumped up, forgetting her own weakness, ready to dive in after him.
Jerry, equally startled, leaped into the air—defying physics—and sprinted across the surface of the water.
Not because it was worried about Tom, but because it was worried about Shen Yi.
With surprising strength for its tiny body, Jerry pushed Shen Yi back onto the shore.
Shen Yi cried out anxiously, "Jerry, Tom's in trouble! I have to save him!"
Tom was flailing wildly in the river. Jerry glanced back, facepalming.
How could it explain to Shen Yi that no matter how dire things looked for Tom, nothing bad would ever actually happen to him?
Jerry pointed at the beach chair, pushed Shen Yi back onto it, and handed her a coconut drink. Then it pointed at itself, signaling that it would rescue Tom.
Shen Yi took a sip of the coconut juice, staring blankly at Jerry as an inexplicable sense of security washed over her.
Jerry elegantly dove into the water, its legs spinning like propellers, creating massive waves as it charged toward Tom.
With a splash, it disappeared beneath the surface.
From the shore, Shen Yi could faintly hear the sounds of a scuffle—punches and kicks—before a bruised and battered fish was launched out of the water.
Yes, though Shen An refused to admit it, the fish had clearly been beaten to a pulp.
Tom, overjoyed that Jerry had come to its rescue, spotted the fish that had dragged it underwater now floating belly-up.
Ecstatic, Tom grabbed the fish—as big as itself—and sprinted back to shore, kicking up water as it ran.
In its excitement, Tom forgot it was still in the river.
Jerry, still in the water, shrugged helplessly—typical cat.
Just as it was about to swim back, its eyes locked onto a familiar pair of figures.
Jerry quickly swam ashore, only to feel a wave of heat as it stepped onto land.
Tom had already started a fire and set up a large black pot. The rabbit hadn't been enough—now it was time for fish soup.
Shen Yi sipped her drink in a daze. Why did she feel like she'd just witnessed a spectacular show? Tom and Jerry seemed to operate on a completely different wavelength from her.
Jerry tapped Tom on the shoulder. Tom turned with a scowl—couldn't it see he was busy?
But remembering Jerry had just saved it, Tom forced a smile and proudly pointed at the fish soup, signaling that Jerry could have some later.
Jerry pointed toward the riverbank and handed Tom a telescope.
Through the lens, Tom spotted two figures:
A middle-aged man with a sleazy merchant's face and square glasses.
A blond young man with a mask covering the left side of his face.
It was that group of troublemakers from Shrek Academy!
Tom lowered the telescope, and the two exchanged glances. Their eyebrows wiggled in sync as identical sinister grins spread across their faces.
Shen An smirked. These two little troublemakers were definitely plotting something.
Tom stirred the fish soup, seasoning it while donning a tiny green hat. It pulled out a blackboard and began scribbling a plan.
Jerry nodded seriously beside it, taking out paper and pen to perform complex, precise calculations while adding cryptic diagrams to the board.
Shen Yi watched, an inexplicable sense of inferiority creeping over her.
Having spent her childhood in hiding, she'd never had the chance to study like other children. While they recited lessons, she listened enviously from dark, cramped rooms.
Now, she couldn't help but admire Tom and Jerry—they seemed so cultured.
Once the plan was finalized, Tom and Jerry grabbed the telescope again, scanning the area for powerful Soul Beasts to manipulate into their scheme.
Soon, Tom found its target—a gray spider in the distance. Though inconspicuous, Tom could tell this spider meant business.
The two sprang into action, calculating Flender and the others' route and the spider's position. They gathered fishing rods, saws, and other tools to set up an elaborate trap.
Shen An sucked in a breath—they were building a mechanical contraption!
Shen Yi watched in confusion as the two vanished from sight, only to return moments later, sweating profusely.
Tom and Jerry calmly picked up ladles and sipped the fish soup. Mmm, still hot and delicious.
They served Shen Yi a bowl, and the three of them sat slurping soup contentedly.
Tom and Jerry each held a telescope, and at a certain moment, their lips curled into identical smiles.
The enemy would arrive in thirty seconds—time to activate the trap.
Tom was especially excited. This was its patented mouse-catching design—though it had failed against Jerry, that wasn't its fault. How was it supposed to know the mouse it drew on the blackboard would come to life and warn Jerry?
Shen An activated his Azure Sword Eyes to their fullest. His instincts told him something entertaining was about to happen.