Chapter 6: The Beginning of a Changed Fate – Ju Zi
The timeline moves forward.
"Lord, I failed to uncover the true source behind the two bell sounds," Di Tian reported respectfully.
The Silver Dragon King didn't appear surprised. Those bell sounds, infused with a mysterious power of Destiny, could easily distort perception. Even she couldn't discern their origin, so how could Di Tian possibly find the truth?
"[Destiny]... [Strong Luck]..." The Silver Dragon King's dragon eyes were half-lidded as she contemplated the possible connection between the two forces.
"Since it can appear twice in a short period, it will appear again. Moreover, the destiny and luck of Douluo Star have changed."
She felt this might be her chance. But the wounds on her body were still being ravaged by the power of laws. To avoid drawing attention from the God Realm, this was not the time for her to act.
"Next time… the next time the bell rings again, I must uncover the truth."
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Mingdu.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
After a long, dusty journey, Huo Yuhao finally arrived. As he gazed upon the futuristic metallic architecture of the academy—a stark contrast to the cities he had passed through in the Star Luo Empire—he couldn't help but feel awed.
Putting aside politics, just in terms of technological advancement, the Sun Moon Empire was undoubtedly in a league of its own—generations ahead of the original three nations of the Douluo Continent.
And this gap would only continue to widen with time.
What a pity… There were so few within the Douluo Three Kingdoms who could see this reality. Even Shrek Academy still viewed soul guidance devices with disdain.
"Wake up, Tianmeng. We've arrived."
In the spiritual sea, the Tianmeng appeared in the form of a cute little girl wearing platinum pajamas. She yawned, stretched lazily, and rubbed her eyes upon hearing Huo Yuhao's voice.
"We're finally here... I'm exhausted."
Huo Yuhao twitched his lips.
"Tianmeng, doesn't your conscience hurt when you say things like that?"
"What? Sleeping takes skill, too, okay? Why don't you try beating my sleeping record, Yuhao?"
"No thanks."
Even if he could live that long, waking up in the Legend of the Dragon King era would be a nightmare.
Tianmeng, now gazing at the academy's futuristic buildings, couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.
"Yuhao, is this the Sun Moon Empire you said was most suited for your future?"
"I must say, you humans are blessed. That innate intelligence, favored by the heavens, is something we soul beasts could never compare to, even after tens of thousands of years."
"What takes soul beasts ten or even a hundred thousand years to gain, humans are born with. If not for the limitation of lifespan, I don't see how soul beasts could compete with humans."
"But even so, with time, humans—heaven's favored children—will continue to grow stronger. The existence of soul rings makes the conflict between humans and soul beasts irreconcilable. In the end, soul beasts will inevitably be buried in the dust of history."
Huo Yuhao said quietly, "There's no need to be so pessimistic, Tianmeng. There will be a way."
He didn't claim he would resolve the human–soul beast conflict. That wasn't something he could afford to fantasize about right now. His current priority was to grow stronger—to secure a place for himself in this world.
Tianmeng quickly bounced back to her usual self, wriggling around and shaking off her previous thoughts. She didn't believe in worrying about the future. Her goal was simple—to create a god, to stand with Yuhao through life and death, and eventually live together with her beloved Bingbing. She felt pity for weaker soul beasts, but not for the bastards who tried to drain her origin.
"Let's go, Yuhao! Let this be the first step toward our new destiny!"
Helpless before Tianmeng's eternal optimism, Huo Yuhao adjusted his emotions, hypnotized himself using the Spiritual Interference Domain, mentally reviewed the lines he'd prepared along the way, and finally approached the main gate of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
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"Halt. Only students and staff of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy may enter."
The guard noticed him immediately. After getting a good look at Huo Yuhao's appearance, he couldn't help but mutter in his heart:
Damn… where'd this ridiculously handsome guy come from?
"Excuse me. Could you please notify the Academic Affairs Department? I missed the academy's enrollment period due to some special circumstances. I'd be very grateful."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao subtly slipped the last of his soul coins into the guard's pocket.
The guard's expression changed instantly. Feeling the weight of the coins in his hand, his attitude shifted from envy to flattery.
"No problem, no problem. But I'll say this upfront—once the instructor comes, there's no guarantee they'll accept you. If your age or talent doesn't meet the requirements, there's nothing I can do."
"Understood." Huo Yuhao nodded earnestly.
"Alright, wait here."
The guard picked up his soul guidance communicator and relayed the message to the Academic Affairs Office. Huo Yuhao waited calmly. This was all part of his plan. After all, the official recruitment period had ended over half a month ago. He had to use a few unofficial tricks to get their attention.
His presence didn't go unnoticed. Several idle upper-year students nearby were already watching him.
Why? Because Huo Yuhao's looks were simply too striking.
Thanks to Tianmeng's earlier "facial optimization," his appearance had gone from a weakness to his most eye-catching asset.
Even during his journey from the Star Luo Empire to the Sun Moon Empire, Huo Yuhao had kept his Spiritual Interference Domain active to disguise himself as a local. This not only helped him blend in but also saved him from countless unnecessary troubles.
"Yuhao, two human female soul masters are looking at you."
Upon Tianmeng's reminder, Huo Yuhao casually glanced in their direction.
Not far away, a lively girl with twin ponytails, her cheeks blushing, nudged the elegant girl beside her and whispered:
"Ju Zi, look! That guy over there is super handsome~"
The girl called Ju Zi absentmindedly tucked her long hair behind her ear, revealing a slender, porcelain-white nape. She followed her friend Ke Ke's gaze and just happened to lock eyes with Huo Yuhao.
Their expressions were calm, revealing nothing unusual.
Ju Zi looked away, tapped Ke Ke on the nose, and said lazily:
"Yes, yes, he's handsome, alright? But we finally got a day off—stop drooling over boys. He's probably just a little junior. I doubt he'd be interested in an 'old woman' like you."
"Ahhh! I'll fight you, you rotten Ju Zi! Who're you calling old?!"
Ju Zi ignored her, smiling indulgently as she pulled Ke Ke away.
Yes, she had been stunned for a moment when she saw that boy's face—but that was all. Ju Zi's ideal future partner had to be someone with top-tier cooking skills. She couldn't care less about the rest.
Besides, he didn't even look like a student at the Academy. Not worth thinking about. One day of rest, then back to researching soul guidance devices.
Ju Zi, the Goddess of War and Empress?
Of course, Huo Yuhao recognized the two at a glance. But that didn't mean anything would come of it.
Help him?
Sorry. Not everyone is like the Blue Silver Saintess, willing to invite him into the Tang Sect at first sight and hand over an entrance token to Shrek Academy like it were fate.
Maybe they'd meet again someday. But for now, they were nothing more than strangers passing by.
Soon, a middle-aged man with a kind face walked out of the Academy. He looked to be in his fifties, slightly overweight, and wore a stern expression.
"I'm Lin Jiayi, Director of the Teaching Department. You're the one who missed the Academy's enrollment?"
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End of Chapter