A Life Soul Ring?!
A glint of sharp light flashed in Mu En's eyes.
"If it's a Life Soul Ring, then it makes sense."
"Old Ancestor, what is a Life Soul Ring?" Bei Bei asked with confusion.
Yan Shaozhe also looked curious.
Huo Yuhao hesitated for two seconds, then followed the group formation, also wearing a curious expression and respectfully asked,
"Please enlighten me, senior. I only know that my first soul ring turned into a Life Soul Ring, but I don't really understand what makes it special."
Facing the curiosity of the three, Mu En didn't beat around the bush and began to explain directly.
"A Life Soul Ring is an extremely rare and special type of soul ring. It can evolve as the soul master's body strengthens, but each evolution requires specific external stimuli.
Ten thousand years ago, the ancestor of Shrek Academy, Sea God Tang San, once obtained a Life Soul Ring and successfully evolved it into a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!"
The moment they heard that the Life Soul Ring was something a god-king had obtained, and that it had the potential to evolve into a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, both Bei Bei and Yan Shaozhe's breathing became visibly rapid.
Even for an institution as powerful as Shrek Academy, not everyone could possess a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
Moreover, hunting one today wasn't as easy as it used to be.
Longing flashed in Bei Bei's eyes. A hundred-thousand-year soul ring — what soul master wouldn't desire one?
He still had six empty soul ring slots. If all could be Life Soul Rings, wouldn't he potentially gain six hundred-thousand-year soul rings in the future?
Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but ask,
"Teacher, why have I never heard of Life Soul Rings before?"
If he had known, he might've worked harder when he was younger. Now, it was too late.
Still, he might be able to help his disciple, Ma Xiaotao.
Mu En glared at Yan Shaozhe in annoyance.
"The method to obtain a Life Soul Ring is extremely special and unclear. Ancestor Tang San only obtained his Blue Silver Grass Life Soul Ring because the Blue Silver King willingly sacrificed itself for him — it's almost impossible for others to replicate.
Besides, no one ever hid this from you. If you had spent more time in the library reading soul theory books, you would've known about Life Soul Rings."
Yan Shaozhe looked embarrassed and lowered his head.
Not into theory research — is that his fault?
Most of Shrek's people weren't too interested in theoretical studies. Only those with less talent but unwilling to give up soul master cultivation would choose to study theory.
Even gifted soul masters only read theory related to their own martial souls, and if they were stuck, they'd just ask their teacher.
Mu En naturally understood this situation.
But he couldn't change it, because it was the mainstream thought on the Douluo Continent. There was little hope of changing the environment.
His own understanding of Life Soul Rings came from intentionally studying the books of a certain "great master."
Unfortunately, that master's works were notoriously vague on the key points.
Like reading about Liu Bei preparing for battle, only to have 10,000 words suddenly skipped right before he lifts his spear.
As a later reader, Mu En wanted to say, "Great master, stop holding back!"
But the truth was — that "great master" only had that little knowledge, most of it second-hand.
"Yuhao likely had his first soul ring transformed into a Life Soul Ring during the full awakening of his martial soul, and the same event likely stimulated the ring to evolve to a thousand-year level," Mu En guessed aloud.
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Yes — that's exactly how it happened.
Bei Bei, now aware of the impossibility of replicating the Life Soul Ring, felt some disappointment. He then asked with concern,
"Ancestor Xuan, you mentioned the Life Soul Ring needs external stimulation to evolve — would that endanger Yuhao's life?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Mu En admitted, "but don't worry. Shrek Academy can guarantee Yuhao's safety."
Mu En could tell Bei Bei deeply cared for Huo Yuhao. From beginning to end, Bei Bei had been protective and concerned — clearly, Yuhao now had a place in his heart.
"A friendship forged through shared trials, perhaps? That's fine. After Tang Ya's departure, Huo Yuhao can fill the emotional void for Bei Bei and deepen Yuhao's ties to Shrek Academy," Mu En thought.
Don't misunderstand — Mu En hoped that Bei Bei's friendship with Huo Yuhao would replace his romance with Tang Ya, not go beyond friendship.
Brotherly love replacing romantic love could still ease Bei Bei's sorrow.
Mu En himself had once had an "unbreakable" brotherhood and a "beautiful" love... but those memories were too painful to recall.
Huo Yuhao quickly thanked Mu En,
"Thank you, senior, for your care."
In truth, Huo Yuhao didn't need Shrek's protection. With a hundred-thousand-year Ice (Snow Lotus), it was almost impossible for him to die. Plus, his Life Soul Ring had already evolved and didn't require further stimulation.
But showing gratitude was necessary.
Mu En looked at Yuhao and smiled,
"No need to thank me yet. If you want Shrek Academy to guarantee your safety, you must first join the Academy.
Yuhao, are you willing to join Shrek Academy?"
Yuhao immediately nodded.
"Of course! Shrek Academy is a sacred place in the heart of every soul master!"
Smiles appeared on both Mu En and Yan Shaozhe's faces.
Joining Shrek Academy didn't just mean studying there — it meant joining the institution's faction. After graduation, one would remain and serve Shrek Academy.
But neither of them explained that part.
Bei Bei was overjoyed and thanked Mu En,
"Thank you, Ancestor Xuan!"
He believed Mu En was the one giving Yuhao the opportunity.
Huo Yuhao smiled as well.
Because the moment he agreed to join Shrek Academy, a Shrek-themed auspicious cloud descended and merged into his destiny — significantly boosting his luck.
If the situation weren't inappropriate, Yuhao would've started cultivating on the spot to test how much the Shrek Luck Cloud enhanced his training.
After Huo Yuhao agreed, Mu En instructed Yan Shaozhe,
"Shaozhe, take Yuhao to the freshman class in the outer courtyard. He probably has a lot of basics to catch up on."
Mu En remembered Bei Bei had said Yuhao had never attended school.
Yan Shaozhe accepted immediately.
"Yes, teacher!"
Mu En then kept Bei Bei behind.
"Bei Bei, stay and tell me about your recent trip to the Extreme North. I haven't traveled in a long time and would like to hear some news."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Huo Yuhao withdrew his Ice Jade Empress Centipede martial soul. After saying goodbye to Bei Bei, he followed Yan Shaozhe away.
Mu En retracted his gaze from their departing figures and silently transmitted a few words.
Though he had chosen Yuhao, he hadn't fully given up on Ma Xiaotao. If Yan Shaozhe could earn Yuhao's trust and persuade him to help Ma Xiaotao, they might be able to save her life.
Even if this generation's Evil Fire Phoenix couldn't succeed, with the help of Yuhao's Ice-type martial soul, the next generation could avoid the same dangers.
It was even possible that Shrek Academy could one day boast two stable and powerful inheritable martial souls.
After all, according to Yuhao, his ultimate ice martial soul could be passed down, and the Evil Fire Phoenix could also be inherited.
Yan Shaozhe flew with Huo Yuhao toward the outer courtyard, his expression somewhat complicated.
Mu En had just transmitted to him:
"Don't rush Yuhao into meeting Ma Xiaotao. First, observe his character. Make him feel a sense of belonging to Shrek before bringing up anything else."
"To take, one must first give."
Shaozhe knew Mu En was right, and could only suppress his inner anxiety.
Ma Xiaotao could still hold on for a while, but the longer they delayed, the worse it would be for her future. Shaozhe didn't know how long he could keep waiting.
Very soon, Yan Shaozhe personally brought Huo Yuhao to the outer court's administrative building.
With the Dean of the Martial Soul Department personally overseeing things, Huo Yuhao's enrollment went off without a hitch — everything was arranged thoroughly and clearly.
The director of teaching for the outer court's Martial Soul Department, Du Weilun, was also introduced to Huo Yuhao — a special student whose enrollment was being personally handled by the dean.
Du Weilun was around fifty years old, tall, with a stern face and no beard, his expression habitually cold and serious.
Yet, Huo Yuhao surprisingly saw a trace of kindness on his face.
Du Weilun (internally): "Do I dare not be kind?"
Yan Shaozhe personally helped with the admission — though he didn't say much, it was as if everything had already been said.
Even a prince of the Empire wouldn't receive this kind of treatment!
With the dean stepping in personally, Du Weilun, as the director of teaching, naturally accompanied them the entire time.
After completing the admission process, Huo Yuhao received the key to his dorm room — a single-person room.
Actually, Shrek Academy doesn't enroll a particularly large number of students each year.
After all, the strict requirements of talent and a letter of recommendation from a city lord eliminate a huge number of applicants — especially most students from commoner backgrounds who don't even get the chance.
So, under normal circumstances, there are already extra dorm rooms at Shrek Academy.
Moreover, some freshmen had already been expelled by a certain old witch since the school year began, leaving even more rooms vacant.
So it was easy to assign Huo Yuhao to a single room.
While arranging his class, Du Weilun suddenly thought of that old witch, and his heart tightened. Without changing his expression, he quietly moved Huo Yuhao from Class 1 to Class 2.
Not because Class 1 wasn't excellent, but because Class 2 was more "cost-effective."
At the very least, it avoided the risk of any strange incidents caused by that old witch. If any issues arose, even if they had nothing to do with Du Weilun, he'd be blamed anyway.
Yan Shaozhe didn't really care which class Huo Yuhao was placed in.
There were ten freshman classes for now, but that was temporary. Only after the freshman exam in three months would the remaining four classes be considered true Shrek students.
So the current freshman classes were just a transitional arrangement — there was no real hierarchy between them, and the curriculum was basically the same.
All Yan Shaozhe requested was a private dorm room for Huo Yuhao.
He insisted that Huo Yuhao should feel the special treatment from Shrek Academy.
Also, not letting Huo Yuhao share a room with others was part of Yan Shaozhe's strategic planning.
If Huo Yuhao's roommate happened to be an independent soul master or someone who'd stay with Shrek, that was fine.
But if the roommate belonged to another powerful faction, or ended up joining one later, it might influence Huo Yuhao's future decisions. If someone stole him away, Yan Shaozhe would be devastated.
Never underestimate the power of roommates.
People who live together for five years often form deep bonds — maybe not to the point of life-and-death brothers, but at least they'd be very close.
And Huo Yuhao had only verbally agreed to join Shrek. He hadn't truly committed yet. No one could guarantee he'd stay.
After everything was arranged, Du Weilun personally escorted the two out of the building.
Before parting ways, Yan Shaozhe gave Huo Yuhao a warm smile.
"Little Yuhao, just join this year's freshman classes for now. If you have any questions or run into any trouble, feel free to come find me. If you can't find me, look for Director Du — he's the director of teaching and can contact me anytime."
Du Weilun (internally): "Got it, Dean — anything with Huo Yuhao, I'll report straight to you!"
"I'll have someone bring your luggage and daily necessities later. For tonight, just get some rest. Tomorrow morning, I'll personally help you obtain your second soul ring."
"Understood. Thank you, senior!" Huo Yuhao quickly and obediently thanked him.
Yan Shaozhe chuckled,
"Don't keep calling me 'senior.' Just call me Uncle Yan from now on."
"Alright, Uncle Yan."
"Good." Yan Shaozhe nodded, satisfied.
One step closer.
If things went smoothly, in the future it'd be "teacher," then eventually… "father-in-law." That'd be perfect.
An ultimate ice attribute soul master was Ma Xiaotao's ideal match — Yan Shaozhe had already planned things out.
Afterward, Yan Shaozhe hurried off. He needed to head to the Beast Dueling Grounds to chat with Old Gong about Huo Yuhao's soul ring.
Although he had already agreed to help Huo Yuhao get his second ring, in reality, he hadn't prepared the soul beast yet.
If he wanted to get it done by tomorrow morning, his only option was to choose from the soul beasts in Shrek Academy's Beast Dueling Grounds.
Fortunately, there were suitable ice attribute soul beasts there.
This was both a gesture of goodwill and a way to demonstrate Shrek Academy's strength.
Shower him with benefits and power.
As long as they left Huo Yuhao dazzled, would he really not stay at Shrek Academy?
Actually, if Huo Yuhao only needed a hundred-year soul ring, Yan Shaozhe could just take him to the Beast Dueling Grounds in the morning.
The Dean of the Martial Soul Department certainly had that much pull.
But judging from Huo Yuhao's innate soul ring, it looked to be at the two-thousand-year level. That meant his second soul ring would also need to be at least a thousand years.
If he gave Huo Yuhao a hundred-year ring, Mu En might personally come beat him up.
Even though the Beast Dueling Grounds had ten-thousand-year beasts, the thousand-year ones were still rare and valuable. He needed to coordinate with Old Gong ahead of time.
Otherwise, if they were turned away tomorrow morning — wouldn't that be awkward?
Yan Shaozhe believed that Old Gong would understand — after all, this was an investment in a soul master with an ultimate ice attribute Martial Soul — it was all for the future of Shrek!
"Little Yuhao's talent is truly extraordinary — first and second soul rings both at the thousand-year level. In the future, the first ring might even evolve into a hundred-thousand-year ring..." Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but marvel on the way to the Beast Dueling Grounds.
He could already imagine how shocking it would be once Huo Yuhao matured, possessing one extra hundred-thousand-year soul ring compared to others.
An ultimate attribute soul master was already peerless among his peers. Add a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, and Shrek Academy's future would be secure.
And Ma Xiaotao wouldn't have to wait too long.
Although the other two ultimate attribute soul masters Shrek had trained in the past weren't quite like Huo Yuhao, his Martial Soul had mutated, after all.
Don't ask. Just blame it on a mutated Martial Soul.
Still, Yan Shaozhe had some concerns.
If the mutation had serious flaws, that could be a real problem...
After Yan Shaozhe left, Du Weilun kindly approached Huo Yuhao.
"Student Huo, I'll take you to your dorm. You're new here, so I assume you're unfamiliar with the campus?"
"That's right. I'll be troubling you then, Director Du," Huo Yuhao said obediently.
"No trouble at all." Du Weilun smiled.
He liked well-behaved kids.
Soon, Du Weilun brought Huo Yuhao to his assigned room.
Huo Yuhao got his first look at Shrek Academy's dorm buildings.
How to describe it? Not as good as a college dorm.
Still, there was no one inside, since it was class time for freshmen.
When they reached the room—
Yep, just like in the original novel: a double room that hadn't been cleaned.
Du Weilun was about to clean the room himself, but Huo Yuhao politely declined and simply asked for a set of cleaning tools.
Once Du Weilun left, Huo Yuhao cleaned up the room himself, working up a sweat but quickly transforming it into a neat and tidy space.
Afterward, the school staff delivered the luggage and daily essentials Yan Shaozhe had mentioned — including a storage-type Soul Tool!
Its capacity wasn't huge, just one cubic meter, but inside was a Shrek Academy freshman uniform and 100 gold soul coins.
"Yan Shaozhe is being way too good to me…"
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao's spidey senses tingled.
Even though he knew Yan Shaozhe was targeting his ultimate ice Martial Soul, he still couldn't help but feel like something sketchy was going on.
"I'm still just a kid!"
Bros, I'm drenched in sweat…
"Brother Hao, are you afraid that Yan Shaozhe will beat you down?"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm finally dared to poke his head out. But the moment he did, he was already winking at Huo Yuhao.
A giant silkworm making such expressive, humanlike gestures—he was really pushing it.
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes and didn't joke around with Tianmeng. Instead, he voiced his concerns seriously.
"I'm afraid Yan Shaozhe might kill the goose that lays the golden eggs—strike at me prematurely and use me to trade for Ma Xiaotao's future. After all, judging from the original story, Yan Shaozhe is not someone with long-term vision."
If Yan Shaozhe had any foresight at all, Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department wouldn't have developed so slowly.
In the original, if it weren't for Huo Yuhao being the protagonist blessed by fate, the Soul Tool Department of Shrek wouldn't have had any chance to rise.
Rise?
Might as well go dig manure—
At least it'll be nourishing.
As for Fan Yu, supposedly the most promising person at Shrek Academy to become a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, and originally touted as the top Soul Engineer of the Three Nations?
He was a joke, just like the Grandmaster a thousand years ago.
They're both like turtles in shallow water—too many bosses in a pond too small.
Even if the original work isn't identical to reality, it's still a useful reference.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was visibly nervous after hearing Huo Yuhao's analysis. "Brother Hao, well… we've already got Shrek's Lucky Cloud. If it doesn't work out, we could just run!"
"No, Tianmeng, I want more!" Huo Yuhao raised his hand in a grabbing motion, his eyes flashing with a strange glint—a desire named greed.
This tiny bit of Shrek's Lucky Cloud—who was it enough for?
Huo Yuhao had just joined Shrek Academy, and the portion of Shrek's fortune he'd received wasn't much larger than what Bei Bei had, and that was only because of his extreme-attribute spirit that earned him extra attention.
Only by continuously elevating his status within Shrek Academy could Huo Yuhao enlarge his share of the Shrek Lucky Cloud and draw in more of the academy's destiny for himself.
Otherwise, with just this small piece, he wouldn't be able to consume all of Shrek's fortune even in centuries. Worse, if something went wrong with Shrek's fortune, it could backfire and hurt him instead.
Even with protection from the World's Lucky Cloud, it would be like a toad—it might not bite, but it was disgusting.
Either don't act—
Or go all the way!
If there's ever a chance to seize the Golden Ancient Tree...
Tsk...
Suppressing the thoughts swirling in his heart for now, Huo Yuhao decided to deal with his own business.
Tianmeng didn't say anything further, and obediently began keeping watch around Huo Yuhao.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm: Brother Hao dares to fly, Tianmeng will always follow!
No matter what Huo Yuhao planned to do, they were now bound together. Only by Huo Yuhao growing stronger could Tianmeng live better.
Huo Yuhao pulled the curtains closed.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and put on a storage bracelet on his left wrist.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had already examined the bracelet with his spiritual power—it hadn't been tampered with.
The silver bracelet was inlaid with an ice-blue gemstone, making it look especially exquisite, matching Huo Yuhao's current appearance perfectly.
Now that he had his own soul tool for storage, Huo Yuhao no longer planned to hide things awkwardly.
He pulled open his shirt collar, raised his left hand, and a sharp ice blade condensed at his fingernail.
The next second—
Splurt—
He stabbed his hand into his chest like a dagger, forced his way between his ribs, and began digging around his heart.
The intense pain made Huo Yuhao's face twitch instinctively.
Even though Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had seen him do this before, he was still terrified and covered his eyes.
When Huo Yuhao pulled his hand out from his heart, he was holding two items.
They were a miniature shed skin and Bei Bei's storage ring.
That's right—Huo Yuhao had hidden these two items inside his heart!
The shed skin was the only treasure in his possession capable of concealing other objects.
So, he'd used it to wrap the 100,000-year Snow Lotus, and hid Bei Bei's storage ring inside the lotus.
This ensured that anyone probing Huo Yuhao with soul power would detect nothing—neither the skin, the lotus, nor the ring—unless they physically opened up his chest and looked inside his heart.
Before coming to Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao had already made these preparations—just in case.
"Brother Hao, you're insane," Tianmeng Ice Silkworm exclaimed in awe.
"Be ruthless to yourself today, so you can be ruthless to your enemies tomorrow." Huo Yuhao's face was pale, but he managed a twisted smile.
Looking at the horrible state of his chest, he felt a bit emotional.
"Back when I was in college, even a little scratch would make me panic for half a day. Who would've thought that after transmigrating, I'd be digging into my heart like it's nothing?"
No doubt influenced by the memories of Pudu Cihang.
Huo Yuhao didn't move. The 100,000-year Snow Lotus had already started healing his injuries.
Its roots extended from his chest, absorbing all the spilled blood like plant roots sucking water.
Once the roots withdrew, the wound on Huo Yuhao's chest instantly closed, not even leaving a scar. All the blood that had spilled was completely cleaned up.
Even the bloodstains on his clothes had been thoroughly licked clean.
"Not bad. Pretty thorough cleanup." Huo Yuhao couldn't help but praise, and his complexion visibly improved.
Then, he put the shed skin and storage ring into his new bracelet.
He'd already gone through Bei Bei's belongings in the storage ring.
Medicinal herbs, drugs, and gold soul coins—he kept those.
Clothing—he threw them away in the Far North.
Most of the other items were junk and were tossed out along with the clothes.
However, he did keep the love letters between Bei Bei and Tang Ya.
Such ordinary letters were mostly useless—but if they ever were useful, they'd be worth more than gold.
In addition, there was the special crystal he'd found in the Far North—believed to be the soul core of a 100,000-year-old dual-attribute Light and Ice dragon-type soul beast. Tianmeng had confirmed that a sleeping dragon soul was sealed inside.
The crystal wasn't useless to Huo Yuhao.
Aside from its Ice attribute benefiting his exotic Frost Centipede martial soul, the Light attribute could also support his own body.
Don't forget—Huo Yuhao's White Tiger bloodline was of the Light attribute!
Still, since he wasn't confident in taming the sleeping dragon soul yet, he had to hold off using it for now.
Waking it up prematurely would cause a lot of trouble.
After sorting everything out, Huo Yuhao sat in a meditation pose on the bed.
"Time to test the luck I gained today."
The Shrek Lucky Cloud had doubled his overall fortune.
Under Huo Yuhao's conscious control, most of the luck was concentrated in the middle section of his Martial Soul projection, with a smaller portion in the lower section. The upper section received none.
As always—don't let that old geezer Dai Hao get a single benefit.
Although the Martial Soul projection belonged to Huo Yuhao, the distribution of fortune across the upper, middle, and lower regions would influence his parents and elders, wives and friends, and descendants, respectively.
Unlike others who could only passively receive Shrek's luck—its distribution dependent on their life fate—Huo Yuhao could actively manipulate it.
With increased luck, his most direct benefit came when practicing the Demonic Buddha Technique—his speed noticeably increased.
However, there was no boost to his soul power cultivation.
That's because soul power speed depends on talent, not fortune.
Besides, Huo Yuhao was already cultivating at the speed of someone born with full innate soul power.
But fortune still plays a role in cultivation—especially in breaking bottlenecks. The more luck you have, the easier it is to advance past limitations, and vice versa.
People with innate soul power of 8, 9, or even 10 all had a chance to become Titled Douluo.
Whether they succeed depends on their luck.
Not enough luck, and even a genius can get stuck forever.
But with sky-high luck, even someone with only innate soul power of 1 could become a god!
Huo Yuhao became engrossed in his cultivation.
The night passed slowly in his meditation.
Night.
Seagod Pavilion, Mu En's room.
Beibei was staying here tonight and had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Recently, Beibei had been overwhelmed with fatigue and grief. Now that he was back by Mu En's side, he could finally rest peacefully.
A faint golden aura enveloped Beibei's body—Mu En was channeling the power of the ancient golden tree to nourish and accelerate Beibei's recovery.
Mu En himself lay on a reclining chair, brow furrowed.
Beibei could sleep soundly, but Mu En could not.
From Beibei's account, they had long since become separated from Xuanzi. Beibei thought Xuanzi had returned ahead of them, but in reality, he was missing.
Mu En: "Good news—Huo Yuhao and Beibei are safe. Bad news—Xuanzi is gone!"
Xuanzi had encountered the Titan Snow Demon King, one of the three great kings of the Extreme North. The fact that Beibei and Huo Yuhao made it back alive was a blessing from their ancestors.
But Xuanzi was nowhere to be found.
This gave Mu En a strong sense of foreboding.
At this time, Xuanzi was more important to Shrek Academy than even Huo Yuhao or Beibei. After Mu En's departure, Xuanzi was meant to be Shrek's strongest guardian and the greatest protector of Yuhao and Beibei's growth.
Even if Xuanzi wasn't in mortal danger, something had clearly delayed him.
And perhaps due to his intuition as a powerful cultivator, Mu En had a gut feeling—the Extreme North was about to erupt in chaos!
"No. I must send someone to check out the situation in the Extreme North…"
At the same time, in the core region of the Extreme North—
A figure wrapped in earthy-yellow soul power was desperately fleeing through the wind and snow.
It was none other than Xuanzi!
But Xuanzi looked utterly wretched. He was covered in wounds, his clothes tattered as if he had been sliced by thousands of blades. Still, he continued eating.
Due to limited conditions, Xuanzi could only gnaw on soul beasts raw.
The reason he couldn't even stop to eat properly, forced to run with a bowl in hand, was the figure chasing him through the blizzard.
"Damn it, the Ice Empress is still chasing me!" Xuanzi cursed aloud.
"Human! Stop!" came the Ice Empress's cold voice from the storm.
Xuanzi replied defiantly, "Catch me if you can!"
"You seek death!" the Ice Empress roared.
Half a month ago, after losing track of Huo Yuhao and Beibei, Xuanzi went berserk and rampaged through the Extreme North, slaughtering soul beasts.
This provoked the wrath of the three kings of the Extreme North, and Xuanzi narrowly escaped with his life.
Severely injured, he instinctively found a safe place and collapsed into a deep sleep.
He didn't know how long he slept.
When he finally awoke, he was lost in the Extreme North and could only pick a random direction and move forward.
With his level 98 strength, he aimed to cross the region entirely.
In theory, it was possible.
Unfortunately, he ran into the Ice Empress again.
She had been the one who severely injured him before.
Recognizing him, the Ice Empress immediately attacked, intending to capture him alive.
After half a month without finding the 100,000-year-old Snow Lotus, the Ice Empress was irritable and wanted to interrogate Xuanzi.
Though he didn't know about the Snow Lotus, Xuanzi knew that if he were caught, he'd suffer greatly.
So began the chase.
The Ice Empress unleashed attacks from behind, trying to stop him.
Even when wounded, Xuanzi didn't dare retaliate—he just snatched nearby soul beasts to eat raw, replenishing his energy.
After all, having just awakened from a coma, he was starving.
Worse, Xuanzi sensed reinforcements coming.
He could feel a terrifying presence rapidly approaching behind the Ice Empress.
After finishing off a soul beast, he didn't dare waste even a second to find another.
Now, seeing that he was about to escape the Extreme North, Xuanzi sped up.
"Hmph! Extreme North! Ice Empress! I'll remember this!"
A new day begins—with strength.
At dawn.
Huo Yuhao stopped circulating his energy, exhaled deeply, and slowly opened his eyes.
Two sharp beams of icy light shot from his gaze.
Snowflake-shaped patterns shimmered in his pupils.
After fusing with the 100,000-year-old Snow Lotus, his Spiritual Eye martial soul had been enhanced. Its potential had been unlocked, and it now possessed the power of ice and snow.
Now, Yuhao had fully grasped this ice-snow power within his Spiritual Eyes and could begin developing custom soul techniques.
"Unfortunately, I still need to create my own techniques—I didn't awaken any divine powers. But then again, these eyes are still just mortal eyes, albeit with some special abilities—not at the level of divine awakenings," Yuhao thought.
After all, eyes capable of awakening divine powers were extraordinary.
Still, Yuhao's eyes were martial soul-based and held great future potential.
But that was just part of last night's gains.
His main achievement: he had officially stepped onto the path of cultivation!
Not the path of a soul master, but that of a cultivator.
Previously, he had merely grasped the methods of cultivation. Now, stepping onto the path meant he had attained a cultivation realm.
Cultivation in Pudu Cihang World
That world uses Fruition Realms - a completely different system from normal xianxia cultivation.
Key Difference:
Normal Xianxia: Get stronger → Advance to next realm
Fruition Realms: Advance to next realm → Then gain power
The Demonic-Buddha Method (Heretical Buddhist Path)
This cultivation style comes from Buddhist practices, so it uses Buddhist ranking terms:
Śrāmaṇera (Novice Monk) - Just starting out
Sotāpanna (Stream-Enterer) - First real step toward enlightenment
Sakadāgāmi (Once-Returner) - Only one more life before freedom
Anāgāmi (Non-Returner) - Won't be reborn in mortal world again
Arhat (Worthy One) - Final mortal stage, breaks reincarnation cycle
Bodhisattva (Enlightened Being) - Helps others after ascension
Buddha (Fully Awakened) - Highest possible state
Becoming an Arhat means crossing from:
Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle - mortal realm training)
To Mahayana (Greater Vehicle - post-ascension power)
Mundane Titles (What people call them in daily life):
Bhikkhu (Full Monk)
Dharma Master (Teaching Monk)
Chan Master (Meditation Expert)
Arhat (Living Saint) - Rare in human world
Each realm has different stages and meanings.
Currently, Huo Yuhao is at the Sotāpanna stage—a little bhikkhu.
Previously, he was just a lay practitioner. Had he shaved his head, he could've been called a Sāmaṇera (novice monk).
Fortunately, the Demonic-Buddha Method isn't orthodox—no chanting or rituals—otherwise, becoming a bhikkhu would require shaving his head and observing strict precepts.
After all, "bhikkhu" is a title for a fully ordained monk.
So what's the benefit of becoming a bhikkhu?
Frankly, not much in terms of raw combat power.
The main gain is stronger mental focus and firmer willpower.
In soul master terms: mental strength increased to 110%, boosting the power and effect of spiritual-type soul skills.
The next stage, Dharma Master, will bring clear combat gains and enhance spellcasting.
The Chan Master stage is even more powerful—one's blood begins transforming into gold, granting access to more profound divine techniques.
If he can reach Arhat, that's a major breakthrough. He will have achieved a golden body and can prepare for ascension.
Pudu Cihang, before seeking to transform into a Celestial Dragon, was likely at the Arhat level.
Mahayana stages include Arhat, Bodhisattva, and Buddha.
Yes—Arhat straddles both Hinayana and Mahayana.
It's the peak of Hinayana and the entry to Mahayana.
Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are beyond the mortal realm.
Without immense merit, destiny, enlightenment, and powerful backing, aspiring to become a Bodhisattva or Buddha?
Forget it. Go to bed.
Reaching Arhat is still an attainable goal for ordinary cultivators.
Of course, Fruition Realms don't define combat strength—they're buffs to oneself.
Cultivators can still train in other methods to boost power.
Didn't Huo Yuhao also train in demonic arts outside the Demonic-Buddha Method?
After waking up, Huo Yuhao quickly took care of his personal hygiene and put on the new Shrek Academy freshman uniform.
It wasn't long before Yan Shaozhe knocked on Huo Yuhao's door.
As soon as the door opened, Huo Yuhao was greeted by Yan Shaozhe's warm smile.
"Good morning, Uncle Yan," Huo Yuhao greeted proactively.
Yan Shaozhe was very pleased by the way Huo Yuhao addressed him, and his smile grew even warmer.
"Good morning, Little Yuhao. How did you sleep last night?"
"Very well! It's been a long time since I've slept that comfortably," Huo Yuhao replied, giving a thumbs-up.
"That's good to hear."
Yan Shaozhe nodded with a smile. "Since you're ready, let's go get your second spirit ring."
"Alright, Uncle Yan," Huo Yuhao nodded mechanically.
Don't ask — whatever it is, it's "Alright," "Okay," or "I'll leave it to you."
The goal was to be obedient and sensible.
Yan Shaozhe led Huo Yuhao out of the freshman dormitory.
When they arrived yesterday, it was during class time, so Huo Yuhao hadn't seen any other freshmen.
And now, heading out again, he still didn't see any.
But the other dorms were no longer empty — it just wasn't time to get up yet.
…
Yan Shaozhe didn't rush to take Huo Yuhao directly to the Beast Battle Zone.
Instead, he first showed him around Shrek Academy in the early morning, letting him witness its morning atmosphere. They also had breakfast together.
Not in the student cafeteria — but the faculty cafeteria.
In short, Yan Shaozhe was giving Huo Yuhao special treatment.
He even gave Huo Yuhao two drumsticks.
Looking at the drumsticks in his bowl, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. A thousand years ago, a certain "Master" also used chicken legs to curry favor with a future God King.
"So tasty!"
Huo Yuhao was savoring every bite.
Come to think of it, since crossing over, he hadn't eaten anything truly delicious.
Even when traveling with Bei Bei, their meals were bland and simple.
So far, the best food he'd had in this world — aside from these drumsticks — was the fish he grilled himself.
But even these drumsticks weren't ordinary. They were from thousand-year-old chicken-type spirit beasts, expertly prepared by the chef. The flavor was absolutely divine.
Yan Shaozhe was very satisfied with Huo Yuhao's reaction.
After breakfast, students had started leaving their dorms to begin morning training on campus.
Only then did Yan Shaozhe take Huo Yuhao toward the Beast Battle Zone.
On the way, he explained:
"The Beast Battle Zone lies south of the Spirit Battle Zone. Behind those gray castle-like walls is the largest facility in Shrek Academy — both in area and scale."
"Inside are all kinds of spirit beasts that the academy has captured over many years. They're used exclusively by senior students for training and practice."
From a distance, Huo Yuhao could already see the towering walls of the Beast Battle Zone. He could faintly hear the roars of spirit beasts from behind the walls.
The Beast Battle Zone covered as much land as all the Martial Soul buildings, dormitories, and Shrek Plaza combined.
Across the entire Douluo Continent, very few institutions could afford to raise spirit beasts like this. And on this scale, only Shrek Academy had achieved it. Even the imperial families of major empires wouldn't attempt such a thing.
Raising spirit beasts was no easy task — they had to preserve their wildness, accommodate different dietary needs, ensure safety, and be trained to obey.
The cost of this was so immense that regular spirit master academies wouldn't even dare to dream of it.
A full third of Shrek City's tax revenue went to supporting the Beast Battle Zone.
It was clear just how massive the investment was.
Looking at the imposing facility, Huo Yuhao suddenly had a bold idea:
"If we destroy the Beast Battle Zone and release the untamed spirit beasts, it would throw Shrek Academy into chaos. Most importantly, it would cause them a huge financial loss!"
"Brilliant!" the Skydream Iceworm chimed in like a loyal sidekick.
If the Beast Battle Zone were destroyed, all past investments would be wasted.
Would Shrek still dare to pour vast sums of gold soul coins into rebuilding it?
And if they did, they'd have to temporarily divert funds from other areas — affecting the Academy's overall operation.
Because of this risk, the Beast Battle Zone was guarded by many powerful protectors.
As they approached, Huo Yuhao activated his Aura Sight.
He couldn't clearly see Shrek Academy's overall fate energy due to being inside the academy, but he could see the energy surrounding the Beast Battle Zone.
Several martial soul avatars appeared above it — each one representing a Title Douluo!
Entering the Beast Battle Zone.
The zone was divided into two main areas.
Students could enter and observe the outer area — the Beast Arena.
But the inner area, used for holding the spirit beasts — called the Beast Pens — was off-limits to students.
That's exactly where Yan Shaozhe and Huo Yuhao were headed.
After passing the circular Beast Arena building, they arrived at an open area near the Beast Pens.
A fierce, primal aura filled the air — though no spirit beasts were visible. That was because a large number of soul tools around them were keeping the dangerous beasts restrained.
When they arrived, someone was already waiting.
At the front stood an old man with a red, date-like face, tall stature, and striking red hair.
It was none other than Gong Changlong, the manager of the Grand Beast Arena and a character from the original story. His Title: Beast King.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Elder Gong," Yan Shaozhe stepped forward and greeted him with a smile.
Huo Yuhao hurriedly bowed as well.
Huo Yuhao: I don't know what's going on, but bowing is always a safe bet.
In terms of status and power, Gong Changlong wasn't quite on Yan Shaozhe's level.
Gong was a standard Title Douluo below level 95 and only a reserve member of the Sea God's Pavilion.
Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe was already a 95+ Title Douluo, Dean of the Martial Soul Department, an official Pavilion member, and a disciple of Mu En.
Even so, Yan Shaozhe still treated Gong with respect — because of his seniority and the tremendous effort he put into managing spirit beasts, which had slowed his cultivation.
Gong had sacrificed much for the Beast Battle Zone, and Yan Shaozhe had to honor that.
Gong didn't put on airs. Instead, he laughed heartily and greeted them warmly:
"Dean Yan, I've been expecting you."
He then turned to look at Huo Yuhao.
"So this is the child with the ultimate ice attribute martial soul you mentioned?"
"That's right," Yan Shaozhe said, withdrawing his hands from the bow and introducing the two.
Huo Yuhao bowed again. "Greetings, Elder Gong. I am Huo Yuhao."
Suddenly, Gong raised his hand, infused it with soul power, and pressed it against Huo Yuhao's shoulder.
Caught off guard, Huo Yuhao tensed up.
Luckily, Gong quickly withdrew his hand. He had only used soul power to assess Huo Yuhao's physical strength — not to pry into his secrets.
"As expected of someone with an ultimate ice martial soul — even better than you described, Dean Yan. He already has the physique of an average Spirit Elder. He can probably handle a two-to-three-thousand-year-old spirit ring. What a little monster!" Gong marveled, showering praise.
Yan Shaozhe continued smiling, clearly in a great mood.
The stronger Huo Yuhao was, the sooner they could cure Ma Xiaotao.
Huo Yuhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, wearing a modest smile.
"You flatter me, Elder Gong."
But in his mind, he was urgently signaling to the Skydream Iceworm:
"Brother Tianmeng, danger's over — let the old man live."
Only then did the Skydream Iceworm carefully lower its spiritual core.
He had almost self-destructed his origin.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but complain a little — for someone his age, Gong Changlong was too impulsive. Next time he might not be so lucky. Better be more careful in his next life.