This teacher was fine and slim, and had the allure of a female. However, he was bearded with a face full of facial hair. His appearance was a little glaring and shocking to the eyes.
Xian Lin’er said, “Let me introduce to the two of you. This is teacher Gao Sheng, and he’s responsible for guiding you guys in the art of makeup and the art of concealment. Learn from him.”
He Caitou mumbled pitifully, “Dean Xian, are you letting us rest for a little while before we continue our lessons? We will be more efficient that way. We have consumed too much soul power.”
Xian Lin’er snapped, “This will be the last time I hear you whine. Every minute that you have is precious. You don’t need soul power to learn the art of makeup and the art of concealment. You will naturally recover your energy and your soul power during the process. Begin, teacher Gao. Fan Yu, you will stay here to monitor them. If they slack off even a little bit – hmph!”
Gao Sheng walked elegantly before the two of them and made the gesture of a cymbidium with his right hand. He said softly, “My two students, you will learn the art of makeup and concealment from me for one full year, starting today. Oh, yes. Huo Yuhao will spend a little less time learning the art of makeup. You will attend four lessons for about a month, and all you have to do is understand a little bit. However, you have to learn the complete art of concealment.”
This teacher’s fine and soft voice gave Huo Yuhao and He Caitou goosebumps. They would rather face swarms of soul beasts than listen to Teacher Gao speak.
Fan Yu’s facial muscles were also faintly twitching not far away from them. If he wasn’t aware that teacher Gao was especially adept with the art of makeup and concealment, he probably would have slapped him right across the face. Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo were already gone by this time.
Gao Sheng giggled femininely, and suddenly spun around. When he turned back, both He Caitou and Huo Yuhao felt their eyes brighten. The enormous beard on Gao Sheng’s face was gone, and a pretty and exquisite face appeared before the two of them – this look was more compatible with his feminine and elegant frame.
Gao Sheng patted his chest with both hands. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou watched with widened eyes and slack jaws as two supple, firm and round humps suddenly protruded from Gao Sheng’s originally flat chest. The humps even looked a little elastic and bouncy.
He raised his butt, and his originally flat buttocks suddenly became a lot bigger than before. His hips gradually lifted upwards, and when juxtaposed with the two perky humps that had appeared on his chest before, he transformed into a perfect body.
“How’s that? It’s magical, isn’t it?”
Gao Sheng spoke again just as Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were immersed in the incredible transformations that were happening before their eyes, and he frightened these little fellas once more. His initial feminine and giggly voice actually became a deep male baritone. The pairing of this voice with his alluring and sexy build made Huo Yuhao feel like even his heart was starting to twist into knots. However, he had to admit that teacher Gao Sheng had left an extremely strong impression in his mind.
Gao Sheng smiled and said, “Making a male into a female, and without any loopholes at all. This is an extremely high level. At its peak, the art of makeup can transform a person into anything – sometimes you can even transform into a soul beast and not have your cover blown. I will impart some tips and tricks to you today. For example, how to increase my bust like I just did.”
“……”
Fan Yu sprang to his feet and said, “I’m going to get some fresh air, Teacher Gao.” With that, he immediately turned around and walked out without a single moment of hesitation.
Gao Sheng’s smile was very terrifying to Huo Yuhao and He Caitou.
Gao Sheng tortured Huo Yuhao and He Caitou all the way until lunchtime. When the two of them walked out from the Testing Area, even their eyes had become a little lackadaisical.
Teacher Gao’s pedagogy couldn’t just be described as extraordinary. From the beginning to the end, they had no idea which voice was Teacher Gao’s actual voice, and they weren’t sure what Teacher Gao’s real appearance was like.
Gao Sheng displayed the magic of the art of makeup to them over the span of more than an hour. Gao Sheng’s appearance changed eleven times during the process, and every transformation was drastic, and with incredible speed and agility.
The art of concealment was to be learned together with the art of makeup. Both Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were stuffed with voluminous knowledge and information even though this was only one lesson. Teacher Gao adjusted their bodies and enabled them to truly experience what it felt like to transform… Gao Sheng only conducted one lesson every week, but he told them that he would conduct an assessment based on this lesson’s teachings. If they couldn’t pass his assessment, then he would transform into his original elegant frame with a bearded face, and he would hug them while taking a stroll around Shrek Plaza… and it would be the look with a perky chest and buttocks, with a face full of facial hair… Huo Yuhao and He Caitou reoriented themselves only after they finished lunch. Fan Yu told them that they would have thirty minutes to rest and digest what they had learned in the morning. Fan Yu would take over for the subsequent lesson in the afternoon, and this lesson would be about the forging and designing of soul tools that were considered imperative for soul engineers.
The speed of imparting knowledge was clearly a lot faster than before, especially for Huo Yuhao. Fan Yu couldn’t be bothered with the two-year gap between Huo Yuhao and He Caitou during his afternoon lesson, and started his lesson directly from Class 3 soul tools. All sorts of information and knowledge that was comparable in volume to the art of makeup that they had encountered for the first time in the morning was shoved into their heads.
After the day was over, Huo Yuhao’s mind was turbid and in a complete mess even though he was a spirit-type soul master. He had learned too many things, and they would have a hands-on lesson in forging soul tools tomorrow, along with multiple other lessons. The fatigue in his mind was even more agonizing than the physical exhaustion. When they were brought to the canteen that was specially prepared for them in the Soul Tool Department, the two of them felt as if they could crumble and collapse at any time.
However, they were pleasantly surprised – dinner was sumptuous and wholesome!
Dinner filled up a large table, and was prepared just for the two of them. They had never seen most of the glittering and dazzling foods on the table, and the fragrant smell of food triggered their voracious appetites.
However, their excitement was short-lived, and disappeared very soon. A teacher that was responsible for their diet arrived beside them and started teaching them how to eat.
Yes, teaching them how to eat!
Did eating require guidance?! This was the first thought that appeared in Huo Yuhao and He Caitou’s minds. The person before them seemed around thirty years old, and she wore a white chef’s hat on her head while a clean white gown draped from her body – this extremely pretty middle-aged lady gave them the answer.
“The foods you see before you aren’t normal – I have specially selected them. Oh, yes, let me introduce myself. My name is Lu Xiaoxiao, and I am the number one nutritionist in the academy. I specialize in the various combinations and compatibilities of exotic foods and ingredients. Many different precious ingredients have to be used at different maturities, and you have to follow a specific order if you use several top-tier ingredients at the same time. Otherwise, their nutritious value will be affected. I will be responsible for your dinners from today onwards, and you will follow my guidance strictly when you eat. You can consider this a co-curricular lesson. I don’t require you to learn everything, but you must at least learn to discern and distinguish.”
“Pick up the teacup in front of you. This is produced from the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin found in the Dou Ling Empire’s East Coast, and it’s a very special seafood. In order to preserve its taste and the rest of its nutrition, we have expended much energy and effort to transport it as fast as possible through the ocean. Finish it immediately with a spoon. This is your first dish, and I will explain its effects and nutrition while you guys eat.”
Huo Yuhao lifted the teacup before him and opened it. A dense fishy smell immediately wafted into his face. How would he describe it? The smell was like a macerated and stinky salted fish that was left to fester in a hot and humid environment for at least ten days.
He Caitou’s originally tanned skin seemed to grow pale in an instant. Huo Yuhao exclaimed in shock, “How is this thing still moving?!”
Lu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes and said, “Of course it’s still moving, dumbass. Didn’t I just say that we have to preserve its original nutrients by keeping it fresh? Therefore, we have to eat it raw. If we eat it after killing it, its nutrients will be damaged and tainted. This is a rare top-tier food that can nourish the soul. Every single one is incredibly pricey, and it’s extremely difficult to come across even a single one. If it weren’t for the academy’s requirements, do you really think I could bear to let you guys eat it? If this were sold in the big cities, or even within Shrek City, a single one could fetch thousands of golden soul coins. You will experience its mystical effects once you consume it. Hurry up, don’t wait for it to die.”
That smell… eating it alive… this… Huo Yuhao felt his stomach starting to churn vigorously, and his face turned ghastly pale.
Lu Xiaoxiao’s expression turned cold when she saw that the two of them didn’t move a single inch. She snapped the fingers of her right hand. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou both saw that this “number one nutritionist” in the academy, teacher Lu, seemed to have eight soul rings, which flickered once before the two of them realized they were immobilized – as if the entire space around them had been frozen and arrested.
Lu Xiaoxiao casually came before the two of them and picked up a spoon from the table before she grabbed He Caitou’s chin and forced his mouth open. Then, she picked up the teacup and used the spoon to scoop out the thing inside…
It was a green sticky ball, and nothing seemed to be left inside the teacup once she scooped it out. It looked like a giant ball of snot… and it was squirming.
Lu Xiaoxiao moved incredibly quickly. She raised her wrist and stuffed this ball of snot into He Caitou’s mouth, and He Caitou immediately felt as if his entire mouth was filled up. That sticky, moist, slimy, and stinky “snot” suddenly started to squirm vigorously.
Lu Xiaoxiao lifted her wrist and pressed He Caitou’s jaws together. The “snot” was swallowed just like that, with a gurgle.
He Caitou’s face turned from black to white, from white to green, and then from green to purple, and then… he fainted.
A day’s worth of taxing lessons had already made him both mentally and physically exhausted. He couldn’t take this torturous experience, and his body reacted naturally – he just collapsed onto the ground.
Lu Xiaoxiao frowned and grumbled, “Useless.”
She snapped her fingers again as she spoke, and Huo Yuhao regained his ability to move. He was infuriated and blurted out, “You should try it yourself! This isn’t something for humans to eat!” He was just about to toss the teacup away as he raged.
Lu Xiaoxiao raised her wrist and caught Huo Yuhao’s hand, and she muttered coldly, “I really do want to try, but I can’t. The Spiritcharm Sea Urchin truly doesn’t taste nice at all, but good medicine always tastes bitter. You think the academy is trying to harm you by allowing me to set a dinner table for you guys? The academy has expended so many resources on you two, but you two are just going to crumble from something that tastes bad? So much for the academy treating you two like gifted elites. I won’t force you to eat – if you don’t eat it, then scram. However, don’t count on me to select foods for you anymore. You have to choices: eat the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin, or throw it at my face. I am giving you this opportunity.”
Lu Xiaoxiao let him go as she spoke and took a step back.
Huo Yuhao glanced at the teacup in his hands, and then at the ice-cold but composed Lu Xiaoxiao. He took a deep breath and decisively raised the teacup to his mouth, used the spoon to scoop the thing inside into his mouth, and swallowed forcefully.
He suddenly felt as if there was an inexplicably terrifying smell that coursed over his entire body in an instant. All the sweat glands on his body seemed to open, and the vigorous sensations stimulated his body until he started to shiver and quiver involuntarily. He gritted his teeth and forcibly resisted that disgusting and revolting feeling that made him feel like throwing up.
This shuddering lasted for almost twenty seconds. Then the repugnant sensations were suddenly gone, and a breeze of cold air rushed through his brain.
He had originally felt as drowsy and exhausted as could be, but now his brain felt as if it had suddenly been splashed by a bucket of cold water, and he shivered from the chilly sensation. Huo Yuhao immediately felt as if vitality had returned to his body, and his senses were fresh once again. His spirit felt smooth, and all the abhorrent emotions became a lot better than before. Furthermore, he realized that his second mental sea’s spiritual power was recovered at a much higher speed than before, and the exhaustion in his mind was alleviated to an incredibly large extent.
“I’m sorry, Teacher Lu. I was wrong.” Huo Yuhao bowed respectfully toward Lu Xiaoxiao. This wasn’t just because of the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin’s magical effects – it was also because of what Lu Xiaoxiao had said to him before that.
The academy had given so much for them, and he couldn’t take this trivial suffering? If that was the case, then were they still worth the academy’s attention and resources?
Lu Xiaoxiao woke He Caitou, and he immediately felt the changes happening in his body. The revolting sensations had disappeared during his brief moment of unconsciousness.
“The second dish – the Peony Lobster. This dish is also best eaten when still raw. However, it can also be eaten after killing it, and eating it alive isn’t necessary. I will prepare it, and you guys will finish it immediately.”
Lu Xiaoxiao opened two golden covers as she spoke, and both white porcelain plates had a lobster that was about as long as a palm. They were still struggling and moving around, but some unknown force was restricting them, and they couldn’t leave the plate.
A small and nimble silver dinner knife suddenly appeared in Lu Xiaoxiao’s hands – and then, Huo Yuhao and He Caitou witnessed a brutal sight.
From their perspectives, the two living lobsters looked like they were shedding their own shells, and their bodies swiftly broke apart into pieces, before piece after piece of thin lobster meat landed on the meal plates before Huo Yuhao and He Caitou.
“Finish them immediately. You will feel the magical effects of this exquisite delicacy.”
Huo Yuhao had learned his lesson. He didn’t hesitate at all as he immediately impaled a piece of meat using his fork and placed it in his mouth.
The thin lobster meat was pink in color, and its appearance had an inexplicable allure. The meat melted in his mouth, and was converted into a clear and sweet juice that carried the fresh tastiness of seafood as it slid into his stomach.
If the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin was incredibly unpalatable, then the Peony Lobster was extremely delicious. A warm feeling coursed through his body from his innards as the lobster meat entered his stomach. His pores opened once again, but this was a smooth and comfortable release, as if his entire day’s exhaustion and fatigue were gradually receding.
He Caitou hesitated a bit more compared to Huo Yuhao, but he ate his food in the end. The two of them started to enjoy their dish, and didn’t seem like they were getting tired of it. The two Peony Lobsters suddenly became part of their nutrients in the blink of an eye.
“The Spiritcharm Sea Urchin is only produced in a tiny patch of ocean within the Dou Ling Empire’s East Coast, and it’s not considered a soul beast. However, it’s a delicacy that’s coveted by all soul beasts. Soul beasts can unlock their intelligence and be inspired after eating it, and cultivating will become a lot smoother and more efficient. Legend has it that if a soul beast can eat a hundred Spiritcharm Sea Urchins, this soul beast will have the intelligence of a ten thousand year soul beast. For human soul masters, Spiritcharm Sea Urchins can nourish our souls and increase our ability to absorb and understand. Simply put, it boosts your spiritual power and helps you to resist spiritual fatigue so that you can become smarter.”
“In comparison, the Peony Lobster got its name because its fresh red tail is beautiful when it opens, and looks like a peony flower. Even though it’s also a top-tier ingredient, it’s actual value is nothing compared to the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin. It contains clean and enriching nutrients, and can be absorbed directly. It helps with restoring your physical strength, and also refines and boosts your physique. You guys should be able to eat one every day from now on, but I only have ten Spiritcharm Sea Urchins left in storage, so we’ll see if you guys get lucky.”
The two Peony Lobsters were gobbled down just as Lu Xiaoxiao finished her explanation. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou look on with astonishment – both Peony Lobsters were suddenly complete again. They had devoured the lobster meat, but the shell had been pieced back together, as if the lobsters were still alive. The shell was just sitting there in the center of the plate, vivid and lifelike. This teacher Lu was obviously a perfectionist!
“The third dish…”
The subsequent dishes gradually became Huo Yuhao and He Caitou’s food while Lu Xiaoxiao explained them to them. The two of them were not used to it at first, but they gradually adapted to their dinner. Not everything was unpalatable, but there were quite a few dishes that just tasted terrible… The two of them felt in awe after consuming every single dish on the table. They had eaten so many things, yet they didn’t feel bloated at all. Their spirits were as high as ever, and their bodies had recovered to their peak condition, and perhaps even a little more than that.
Lu Xiaoxiao said, “Different areas produce different foods. Not all exotic foods are ridiculously expensive. When you find yourselves in a dire situation, you need food to restore your strength. This is when nutritional knowledge will be extremely beneficial – I hope you guys will remember that. Alright, come back tomorrow evening.”
“Thank you, teacher Lu.” From their initial anger to their delightedness and submission at the end, both Huo Yuhao and He Caitou faintly felt as if they were in a different world.
Shrek Academy’s exemplary qualified teachers were proven to them one step at a time.
The two of them departed the special canteen prepared for them. Fan Yu was already waiting outside, and he said, “I’m sure you have regained your energy. Learn with me for another hour, and then I will send you two back to consolidate what you have learned. I forgot tell you that it’s extremely difficult to meditate after eating so many top-tier foods, so you need to consolidate your knowledge while you still feel nourished and invigorated, so that you can master the subject and integrate what you have learned tomorrow.”
Reality proved that Fan Yu wasn’t exaggerating. Huo Yuhao tried as hard as he could, but he couldn’t meditate at all after he returned to the Sea God’s Pavilion. He ended up contemplating what he had learned today for over an hour, and only started cultivating with Wang Dong at around midnight.
Huo Yuhao’s life suddenly became enriched, fulfilling, and wholesome from this day onwards. His studies in the outer courtyard were the most stressful, and he would have to absorb large volumes of information three days every week. He Caitou was worse off, and he was immersed in the same level of strenuous studies all seven days of the week.
Elder Mu’s teachings were different. Elder Mu didn’t ask them to memorize anything, instead placing greater emphasis on guidance and advice. Most of the time, Elder Mu would make some ambiguous description and explanation, enough to bring out the crux of the issue before he left Huo Yuhao to ponder by himself. Elder Mu’s intentions were clear – he believed that only things that you deliberated by yourself would be most easily absorbed, and these things would truly become part of you. Elder Mu had accumulated over two hundred years of knowledge, and subconsciously influenced Huo Yuhao over this process of guidance while helping him raise his own abilities.
Time flew by during this stressful but enriching life. Huo Yuhao made rapid progress in all aspects, and even he could feel that he was improving every single day.
The Soul Tool Department would conduct an assessment every week for him and He Caitou. As the assessors became increasingly familiar with their abilities, the respective assessments became more specific and targeted. Every single instance was torturous for these two brothers, but every assessment made them more masterful of their entire weeks’ worth of knowledge. A single lapse of effort would be revealed during the assessment, and every assessment was targeted at the content they had covered in the past week. The Soul Tool Department’s authorities could be said to have gone to painstaking lengths and effort for the two of them.
Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power grew at the fastest rate. With his second spiritual sea, his spiritual sea expanded at a speed conspicuously faster than before, and his spiritual power also became more compact and condensed. The first of the Skydream Iceworm’s ten seals was finally opened to Huo Yuhao, and he allowed Huo Yuhao to absorb the vast spiritual power contained within.
The Eye of Destiny’s mystical effects gradually proved their worth, especially with regards to soul tools. Huo Yuhao could skip two levels in his work with the Eye of Destiny. Of course, he required Wang Dong’s soul power to support him, and the Golden Light’s regenerative capabilities to accomplish this feat. Even so, Huo Yuhao’s mastery with forging soul tools quickly caught up with He Caitou’s standards.
The only thing that made Huo Yuhao melancholic was his soul power’s growth. He consumed large amounts of nutrients every day, but the academy was aware that they couldn’t affect his future breakthroughs, so they didn’t feed him any medicine that could boost soul power. Wang Dong’s cultivation progressed rapidly with the Haodong power, but Huo Yuhao was limited by his Ultimate martial soul. Even though the Life Gold had refined and remade his body, his soul power growth was not even half as quick as Wang Dong’s.
Huo Yuhao wasn’t discouraged by this, however. At the very least, his cultivation was still improving every day, and he didn’t even spend too much time thinking about his slow growth in cultivation – there were just way too many things he had to learn.
Bei Bei decided to visit the Heavenly Soul Empire’s capital city, Heaven Dou City, to find Tang Ya right before the inner courtyard entry examination, but didn’t find a single trace of her, as if she had vanished from the face of the earth.
This dealt a huge blow to Bei Bei. He channeled all his energy and focus on cultivation when he returned, and tried his best to raise his own standards so that he could numb himself. He gave himself a tremendously high target every month, and gave himself twenty days to reach his target while he spent the remaining ten days searching for Tang Ya outside.
The smile on Bei Bei’s face never surfaced, and his typical elegance and scholarly air became tinged with a little despondence.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan made it into the inner courtyard through their constant effort and unwavering perseverance. Their cultivations soared after closed-door cultivation within the inner courtyard – Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi broke through to the fifth ring first, and became powerful Soul Kings.
He Caitou wanted to complete the Ultimate Soldier Plan with Huo Yuhao, so he didn’t take part in the Soul Tool Department’s inner courtyard entry examination. From the Soul Tool Department’s perspective, whether he or Huo Yuhao participated in the entry examination wasn’t important anymore.
More than a year passed just like that, while Shrek’s Seven Monsters improved in all aspects. He Caitou and Jiang Nannan’s soul power both reached Rank 49, and they were only a hair’s breadth away from becoming Soul Kings. Wang Dong’s speed of improvement was even more frightening – over more than a year, his soul power reached Rank 44, and he managed to obtain his fourth soul ring.
Xiao Xiao was a little slower than Wang Dong, but she still broke through Rank 44 and earned her fourth soul ring as well.
Of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters, only Huo Yuhao remained a Soul Elder. Even though he gave his all to cultivate, and even with the help of the academy’s resources, his soul power had just broken through Rank 38.
However, nobody would ever dare to underestimate Huo Yuhao’s Rank 38 soul power. His soul power after breaking through to Rank 38 was comparable to Xiao Xiao’s, who was already at Rank 44, and his Ultimate Ice’s formidable power was becoming increasingly conspicuous.
Huo Yuhao’s rate of growth was relatively slower, but it didn’t affect his natural talent with soul tools. Following his improvements in soul power and in addition to his Ultimate Ice, he was beginning to design and forge his own authentic soul tools. He was recognized as a Class 5 soul engineer, and obtained the Class 5 soul engineer badge with flying colors. Yes – only Soul Kings should be Class 5 soul engineers.
He could only forge ice-type soul tools that only he could operate even when he was forging Class 5 soul tools. These soul tools could only be activated with Ultimate Ice soul power, but one had to admit that he was making history in the world of soul engineers. Huo Yuhao was only Rank 38, but his overall strength could easily rival that of a Soul King.
The Douluo Continent was relatively peaceful over this year and a half. The Sun Moon Empire’s restlessness and their eagerness for action disappeared, the Body Sect that had appeared at Shrek Academy vanished as quickly as they came, and they didn’t create any more disturbances on the Continent. Huo Yuhao still found out about Ma Xiaotao in the end, and he grieved for several days because of it, while he only gradually recovered after listening to Elder Mu’s consolations and guidance. He swore that he would find his sister and bring her home.
Shrek Academy, Sea God’s Island, Sea God’s Pavilion.
Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong were standing side by side in silence.
Elder Mu was lying down quietly on his reclining chair. More than a year had gone by, and Elder Mu no longer had any hair. His life energy was reaching the end of its path, and even his eyes rarely opened. If Huo Yuhao and the others didn’t know, they would have never expected or imagined that this old man on his last legs was Shrek Academy’s number-one powerhouse – the Ultimate Douluo, the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En.
Elder Xuan stood silently beside Elder Mu. Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei’er, Xian Lin’er, Qian Duoduo and the other elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion were standing with him.
Elder Xuan looked a little aggrieved and mournful. He only felt a little better after looking at the seven children before him, as he could feel a thread of solace and comfort through them.
Sixty-seven inner courtyard disciples sat cross-legged outside the Sea God’s Pavilion. The person sitting at the forefront was a young girl about twenty-five to twenty-six years of age, and her flowing black hair draped down to her waist. Her sharp and defined face was fair and impeccable, and her four fingers on both hands were interlaced, while her thumbs pointed out and against each other as she placed her hands on her calf in a crossed-legged position. This peaceful and sweet-tempered disposition made a strong impression.
Not a single one of the other sixty-six inner courtyard disciples were more than thirty years old. They formed ten rows, and everyone had the same posture as she did. Dai Yueheng was in the second row behind her. Ling Luochen, Chen Zifeng, Xi Xi, and Gong Yangmo, people who Huo Yuhao was familiar with, were also amongst the ranks. Their differences in cultivation determined their seating position, so Dai Yueheng was worthy to sit in the first row, while the others were positioned towards the back.
The young girl in front of everyone gradually opened her eyes. Her bright and prudential pupils flowed with deep sadness and sorrow.
“Are you really leaving us, Elder Mu?” Zhang Lexuan asked herself in her heart as she took a deep breath. As Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard’s chief disciple, she had interacted with Elder Mu far more than the other inner courtyard disciples had, and it was natural that her sentiments ran a lot deeper than the others. She really didn’t want to accept this fact, but reality was right before her eyes. Today, she could only be here to see Elder Mu off on his final journey.
Two rows of crisp tears trickled down Zhang Lexuan’s perfect face.
Dai Yueheng’s gaze was fixed on Zhang Lexuan from beginning to end. There was an unspoken rule within Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard: everybody had to address the chief disciple as ‘big senior brother’ or ‘big senior sister’. There was no question – Zhang Lexuan was revered amongst the inner courtyard disciples, while her population and popularity was unrivaled and incomparable. She was also secretly admired by many male students as they fantasized about her. However, she had never really interacted with the other students, and she channeled all her energy and effort into cultivation. Zheng Lexuan was only twenty-six years old, and she had participated in two seasons of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. She was team leader in both seasons, and she defeated her opponents like a knife through butter.
More frightening was the fact that she had made history in Shrek Academy’s three thousand years of existence. She was only twenty-six years old, but she was a powerful eight-ringed Douluo. She reigned supreme over the entire Shrek Academy, and even Ma Xiaotao was but a little immature girl before her. Zhang Lexuan was the only person within the inner courtyard that Ma Xiaotao respected from the bottom of her heart.
Even though Zhang Lexuan was more than six years older than Dai Yueheng, this big senior sister had always been the goddess of his dreams. She was even his true motivation for working so hard at his cultivation. He thought that if he could surpass his big senior sister in cultivation, or if he could even usurp her status as chief disciple, perhaps he would have a chance.
However, this chance had already slipped through his fingers by now. After the conclusion of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, Dai Yueheng officially graduated from Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard, after which he returned to the Star Luo Empire and joined the military, where he was currently a regimental commander. He had had to return to the academy to settle some administrative matters, and coincidentally arrived at the same time as Elder Mu’s passing – how could he not remain to send him off?
He personally witnessed Huo Yuhao and the other six walk into the Sea God’s Pavilion. He was filled with shock and surprise – even Zhang Lexuan, the inner courtyard’s chief disciple, couldn’t personally be there to send Elder Mu off, yet Huo Yuhao and the others could… inside the Sea God’s Pavilion.
Elder Mu gradually opened his eyes. His dusky and hazy eyes suddenly became incredibly clear, and his pupils were tainted a dark blue color, as if they were portals to the deepest and darkest parts of the boundless ocean.
His eyes slowly shifted to the Bei Bei, who was standing on the leftmost side. His gaze gradually moved sideways, and paused momentarily on He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong. His eyes paused for the longest time on Huo Yuhao.
Tears poured uncontrollably from Huo Yuhao’s eyes. He was fourteen years old by now, and he was more than a meter and eighty centimeters tall. His physique wasn’t that robust or sturdy, but his body ratio was balanced, and he looked like he was full of life and vitality. His eyes were resolute and determined, and his Spirit Eyes were nimble and deep – there was even a subtle quality that intimidated others. If his features weren’t immature and adolescent like that of a youth, he would have easily been mistaken for a grown adult.
Wang Dong’s sockets were moist, and tears welled up in his eyes. He was more than a meter and seventy centimeters tall, and his handsome face could be described as exquisite. As he grew older, the lines on his face became gentler, while his big and powdery-blue eyes sparkled. His long and curly eyelashes were dripping with tears. Only Jiang Nannan amongst the others could rival him in terms of physical appearance. They were all Elder Mu’s final disciples, and Wang Dong sobbed wildly as well.
This teacher was fine and slim, and had the allure of a female. However, he was bearded with a face full of facial hair. His appearance was a little glaring and shocking to the eyes.
Xian Lin’er said, “Let me introduce to the two of you. This is teacher Gao Sheng, and he’s responsible for guiding you guys in the art of makeup and the art of concealment. Learn from him.”
He Caitou mumbled pitifully, “Dean Xian, are you letting us rest for a little while before we continue our lessons? We will be more efficient that way. We have consumed too much soul power.”
Xian Lin’er snapped, “This will be the last time I hear you whine. Every minute that you have is precious. You don’t need soul power to learn the art of makeup and the art of concealment. You will naturally recover your energy and your soul power during the process. Begin, teacher Gao. Fan Yu, you will stay here to monitor them. If they slack off even a little bit – hmph!”
Gao Sheng walked elegantly before the two of them and made the gesture of a cymbidium with his right hand. He said softly, “My two students, you will learn the art of makeup and concealment from me for one full year, starting today. Oh, yes. Huo Yuhao will spend a little less time learning the art of makeup. You will attend four lessons for about a month, and all you have to do is understand a little bit. However, you have to learn the complete art of concealment.”
This teacher’s fine and soft voice gave Huo Yuhao and He Caitou goosebumps. They would rather face swarms of soul beasts than listen to Teacher Gao speak.
Fan Yu’s facial muscles were also faintly twitching not far away from them. If he wasn’t aware that teacher Gao was especially adept with the art of makeup and concealment, he probably would have slapped him right across the face. Xian Lin’er and Qian Duoduo were already gone by this time.
Gao Sheng giggled femininely, and suddenly spun around. When he turned back, both He Caitou and Huo Yuhao felt their eyes brighten. The enormous beard on Gao Sheng’s face was gone, and a pretty and exquisite face appeared before the two of them – this look was more compatible with his feminine and elegant frame.
Gao Sheng patted his chest with both hands. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou watched with widened eyes and slack jaws as two supple, firm and round humps suddenly protruded from Gao Sheng’s originally flat chest. The humps even looked a little elastic and bouncy.
He raised his butt, and his originally flat buttocks suddenly became a lot bigger than before. His hips gradually lifted upwards, and when juxtaposed with the two perky humps that had appeared on his chest before, he transformed into a perfect body.
“How’s that? It’s magical, isn’t it?”
Gao Sheng spoke again just as Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were immersed in the incredible transformations that were happening before their eyes, and he frightened these little fellas once more. His initial feminine and giggly voice actually became a deep male baritone. The pairing of this voice with his alluring and sexy build made Huo Yuhao feel like even his heart was starting to twist into knots. However, he had to admit that teacher Gao Sheng had left an extremely strong impression in his mind.
Gao Sheng smiled and said, “Making a male into a female, and without any loopholes at all. This is an extremely high level. At its peak, the art of makeup can transform a person into anything – sometimes you can even transform into a soul beast and not have your cover blown. I will impart some tips and tricks to you today. For example, how to increase my bust like I just did.”
“……”
Fan Yu sprang to his feet and said, “I’m going to get some fresh air, Teacher Gao.” With that, he immediately turned around and walked out without a single moment of hesitation.
Gao Sheng’s smile was very terrifying to Huo Yuhao and He Caitou.
Gao Sheng tortured Huo Yuhao and He Caitou all the way until lunchtime. When the two of them walked out from the Testing Area, even their eyes had become a little lackadaisical.
Teacher Gao’s pedagogy couldn’t just be described as extraordinary. From the beginning to the end, they had no idea which voice was Teacher Gao’s actual voice, and they weren’t sure what Teacher Gao’s real appearance was like.
Gao Sheng displayed the magic of the art of makeup to them over the span of more than an hour. Gao Sheng’s appearance changed eleven times during the process, and every transformation was drastic, and with incredible speed and agility.
The art of concealment was to be learned together with the art of makeup. Both Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were stuffed with voluminous knowledge and information even though this was only one lesson. Teacher Gao adjusted their bodies and enabled them to truly experience what it felt like to transform… Gao Sheng only conducted one lesson every week, but he told them that he would conduct an assessment based on this lesson’s teachings. If they couldn’t pass his assessment, then he would transform into his original elegant frame with a bearded face, and he would hug them while taking a stroll around Shrek Plaza… and it would be the look with a perky chest and buttocks, with a face full of facial hair… Huo Yuhao and He Caitou reoriented themselves only after they finished lunch. Fan Yu told them that they would have thirty minutes to rest and digest what they had learned in the morning. Fan Yu would take over for the subsequent lesson in the afternoon, and this lesson would be about the forging and designing of soul tools that were considered imperative for soul engineers.
The speed of imparting knowledge was clearly a lot faster than before, especially for Huo Yuhao. Fan Yu couldn’t be bothered with the two-year gap between Huo Yuhao and He Caitou during his afternoon lesson, and started his lesson directly from Class 3 soul tools. All sorts of information and knowledge that was comparable in volume to the art of makeup that they had encountered for the first time in the morning was shoved into their heads.
After the day was over, Huo Yuhao’s mind was turbid and in a complete mess even though he was a spirit-type soul master. He had learned too many things, and they would have a hands-on lesson in forging soul tools tomorrow, along with multiple other lessons. The fatigue in his mind was even more agonizing than the physical exhaustion. When they were brought to the canteen that was specially prepared for them in the Soul Tool Department, the two of them felt as if they could crumble and collapse at any time.
However, they were pleasantly surprised – dinner was sumptuous and wholesome!
Dinner filled up a large table, and was prepared just for the two of them. They had never seen most of the glittering and dazzling foods on the table, and the fragrant smell of food triggered their voracious appetites.
However, their excitement was short-lived, and disappeared very soon. A teacher that was responsible for their diet arrived beside them and started teaching them how to eat.
Yes, teaching them how to eat!
Did eating require guidance?! This was the first thought that appeared in Huo Yuhao and He Caitou’s minds. The person before them seemed around thirty years old, and she wore a white chef’s hat on her head while a clean white gown draped from her body – this extremely pretty middle-aged lady gave them the answer.
“The foods you see before you aren’t normal – I have specially selected them. Oh, yes, let me introduce myself. My name is Lu Xiaoxiao, and I am the number one nutritionist in the academy. I specialize in the various combinations and compatibilities of exotic foods and ingredients. Many different precious ingredients have to be used at different maturities, and you have to follow a specific order if you use several top-tier ingredients at the same time. Otherwise, their nutritious value will be affected. I will be responsible for your dinners from today onwards, and you will follow my guidance strictly when you eat. You can consider this a co-curricular lesson. I don’t require you to learn everything, but you must at least learn to discern and distinguish.”
“Pick up the teacup in front of you. This is produced from the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin found in the Dou Ling Empire’s East Coast, and it’s a very special seafood. In order to preserve its taste and the rest of its nutrition, we have expended much energy and effort to transport it as fast as possible through the ocean. Finish it immediately with a spoon. This is your first dish, and I will explain its effects and nutrition while you guys eat.”
Huo Yuhao lifted the teacup before him and opened it. A dense fishy smell immediately wafted into his face. How would he describe it? The smell was like a macerated and stinky salted fish that was left to fester in a hot and humid environment for at least ten days.
He Caitou’s originally tanned skin seemed to grow pale in an instant. Huo Yuhao exclaimed in shock, “How is this thing still moving?!”
Lu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes and said, “Of course it’s still moving, dumbass. Didn’t I just say that we have to preserve its original nutrients by keeping it fresh? Therefore, we have to eat it raw. If we eat it after killing it, its nutrients will be damaged and tainted. This is a rare top-tier food that can nourish the soul. Every single one is incredibly pricey, and it’s extremely difficult to come across even a single one. If it weren’t for the academy’s requirements, do you really think I could bear to let you guys eat it? If this were sold in the big cities, or even within Shrek City, a single one could fetch thousands of golden soul coins. You will experience its mystical effects once you consume it. Hurry up, don’t wait for it to die.”
That smell… eating it alive… this… Huo Yuhao felt his stomach starting to churn vigorously, and his face turned ghastly pale.
Lu Xiaoxiao’s expression turned cold when she saw that the two of them didn’t move a single inch. She snapped the fingers of her right hand. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou both saw that this “number one nutritionist” in the academy, teacher Lu, seemed to have eight soul rings, which flickered once before the two of them realized they were immobilized – as if the entire space around them had been frozen and arrested.
Lu Xiaoxiao casually came before the two of them and picked up a spoon from the table before she grabbed He Caitou’s chin and forced his mouth open. Then, she picked up the teacup and used the spoon to scoop out the thing inside…
It was a green sticky ball, and nothing seemed to be left inside the teacup once she scooped it out. It looked like a giant ball of snot… and it was squirming.
Lu Xiaoxiao moved incredibly quickly. She raised her wrist and stuffed this ball of snot into He Caitou’s mouth, and He Caitou immediately felt as if his entire mouth was filled up. That sticky, moist, slimy, and stinky “snot” suddenly started to squirm vigorously.
Lu Xiaoxiao lifted her wrist and pressed He Caitou’s jaws together. The “snot” was swallowed just like that, with a gurgle.
He Caitou’s face turned from black to white, from white to green, and then from green to purple, and then… he fainted.
A day’s worth of taxing lessons had already made him both mentally and physically exhausted. He couldn’t take this torturous experience, and his body reacted naturally – he just collapsed onto the ground.
Lu Xiaoxiao frowned and grumbled, “Useless.”
She snapped her fingers again as she spoke, and Huo Yuhao regained his ability to move. He was infuriated and blurted out, “You should try it yourself! This isn’t something for humans to eat!” He was just about to toss the teacup away as he raged.
Lu Xiaoxiao raised her wrist and caught Huo Yuhao’s hand, and she muttered coldly, “I really do want to try, but I can’t. The Spiritcharm Sea Urchin truly doesn’t taste nice at all, but good medicine always tastes bitter. You think the academy is trying to harm you by allowing me to set a dinner table for you guys? The academy has expended so many resources on you two, but you two are just going to crumble from something that tastes bad? So much for the academy treating you two like gifted elites. I won’t force you to eat – if you don’t eat it, then scram. However, don’t count on me to select foods for you anymore. You have to choices: eat the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin, or throw it at my face. I am giving you this opportunity.”
Lu Xiaoxiao let him go as she spoke and took a step back.
Huo Yuhao glanced at the teacup in his hands, and then at the ice-cold but composed Lu Xiaoxiao. He took a deep breath and decisively raised the teacup to his mouth, used the spoon to scoop the thing inside into his mouth, and swallowed forcefully.
He suddenly felt as if there was an inexplicably terrifying smell that coursed over his entire body in an instant. All the sweat glands on his body seemed to open, and the vigorous sensations stimulated his body until he started to shiver and quiver involuntarily. He gritted his teeth and forcibly resisted that disgusting and revolting feeling that made him feel like throwing up.
This shuddering lasted for almost twenty seconds. Then the repugnant sensations were suddenly gone, and a breeze of cold air rushed through his brain.
He had originally felt as drowsy and exhausted as could be, but now his brain felt as if it had suddenly been splashed by a bucket of cold water, and he shivered from the chilly sensation. Huo Yuhao immediately felt as if vitality had returned to his body, and his senses were fresh once again. His spirit felt smooth, and all the abhorrent emotions became a lot better than before. Furthermore, he realized that his second mental sea’s spiritual power was recovered at a much higher speed than before, and the exhaustion in his mind was alleviated to an incredibly large extent.
“I’m sorry, Teacher Lu. I was wrong.” Huo Yuhao bowed respectfully toward Lu Xiaoxiao. This wasn’t just because of the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin’s magical effects – it was also because of what Lu Xiaoxiao had said to him before that.
The academy had given so much for them, and he couldn’t take this trivial suffering? If that was the case, then were they still worth the academy’s attention and resources?
Lu Xiaoxiao woke He Caitou, and he immediately felt the changes happening in his body. The revolting sensations had disappeared during his brief moment of unconsciousness.
“The second dish – the Peony Lobster. This dish is also best eaten when still raw. However, it can also be eaten after killing it, and eating it alive isn’t necessary. I will prepare it, and you guys will finish it immediately.”
Lu Xiaoxiao opened two golden covers as she spoke, and both white porcelain plates had a lobster that was about as long as a palm. They were still struggling and moving around, but some unknown force was restricting them, and they couldn’t leave the plate.
A small and nimble silver dinner knife suddenly appeared in Lu Xiaoxiao’s hands – and then, Huo Yuhao and He Caitou witnessed a brutal sight.
From their perspectives, the two living lobsters looked like they were shedding their own shells, and their bodies swiftly broke apart into pieces, before piece after piece of thin lobster meat landed on the meal plates before Huo Yuhao and He Caitou.
“Finish them immediately. You will feel the magical effects of this exquisite delicacy.”
Huo Yuhao had learned his lesson. He didn’t hesitate at all as he immediately impaled a piece of meat using his fork and placed it in his mouth.
The thin lobster meat was pink in color, and its appearance had an inexplicable allure. The meat melted in his mouth, and was converted into a clear and sweet juice that carried the fresh tastiness of seafood as it slid into his stomach.
If the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin was incredibly unpalatable, then the Peony Lobster was extremely delicious. A warm feeling coursed through his body from his innards as the lobster meat entered his stomach. His pores opened once again, but this was a smooth and comfortable release, as if his entire day’s exhaustion and fatigue were gradually receding.
He Caitou hesitated a bit more compared to Huo Yuhao, but he ate his food in the end. The two of them started to enjoy their dish, and didn’t seem like they were getting tired of it. The two Peony Lobsters suddenly became part of their nutrients in the blink of an eye.
“The Spiritcharm Sea Urchin is only produced in a tiny patch of ocean within the Dou Ling Empire’s East Coast, and it’s not considered a soul beast. However, it’s a delicacy that’s coveted by all soul beasts. Soul beasts can unlock their intelligence and be inspired after eating it, and cultivating will become a lot smoother and more efficient. Legend has it that if a soul beast can eat a hundred Spiritcharm Sea Urchins, this soul beast will have the intelligence of a ten thousand year soul beast. For human soul masters, Spiritcharm Sea Urchins can nourish our souls and increase our ability to absorb and understand. Simply put, it boosts your spiritual power and helps you to resist spiritual fatigue so that you can become smarter.”
“In comparison, the Peony Lobster got its name because its fresh red tail is beautiful when it opens, and looks like a peony flower. Even though it’s also a top-tier ingredient, it’s actual value is nothing compared to the Spiritcharm Sea Urchin. It contains clean and enriching nutrients, and can be absorbed directly. It helps with restoring your physical strength, and also refines and boosts your physique. You guys should be able to eat one every day from now on, but I only have ten Spiritcharm Sea Urchins left in storage, so we’ll see if you guys get lucky.”
The two Peony Lobsters were gobbled down just as Lu Xiaoxiao finished her explanation. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou look on with astonishment – both Peony Lobsters were suddenly complete again. They had devoured the lobster meat, but the shell had been pieced back together, as if the lobsters were still alive. The shell was just sitting there in the center of the plate, vivid and lifelike. This teacher Lu was obviously a perfectionist!
“The third dish…”
The subsequent dishes gradually became Huo Yuhao and He Caitou’s food while Lu Xiaoxiao explained them to them. The two of them were not used to it at first, but they gradually adapted to their dinner. Not everything was unpalatable, but there were quite a few dishes that just tasted terrible… The two of them felt in awe after consuming every single dish on the table. They had eaten so many things, yet they didn’t feel bloated at all. Their spirits were as high as ever, and their bodies had recovered to their peak condition, and perhaps even a little more than that.
Lu Xiaoxiao said, “Different areas produce different foods. Not all exotic foods are ridiculously expensive. When you find yourselves in a dire situation, you need food to restore your strength. This is when nutritional knowledge will be extremely beneficial – I hope you guys will remember that. Alright, come back tomorrow evening.”
“Thank you, teacher Lu.” From their initial anger to their delightedness and submission at the end, both Huo Yuhao and He Caitou faintly felt as if they were in a different world.
Shrek Academy’s exemplary qualified teachers were proven to them one step at a time.
The two of them departed the special canteen prepared for them. Fan Yu was already waiting outside, and he said, “I’m sure you have regained your energy. Learn with me for another hour, and then I will send you two back to consolidate what you have learned. I forgot tell you that it’s extremely difficult to meditate after eating so many top-tier foods, so you need to consolidate your knowledge while you still feel nourished and invigorated, so that you can master the subject and integrate what you have learned tomorrow.”
Reality proved that Fan Yu wasn’t exaggerating. Huo Yuhao tried as hard as he could, but he couldn’t meditate at all after he returned to the Sea God’s Pavilion. He ended up contemplating what he had learned today for over an hour, and only started cultivating with Wang Dong at around midnight.
Huo Yuhao’s life suddenly became enriched, fulfilling, and wholesome from this day onwards. His studies in the outer courtyard were the most stressful, and he would have to absorb large volumes of information three days every week. He Caitou was worse off, and he was immersed in the same level of strenuous studies all seven days of the week.
Elder Mu’s teachings were different. Elder Mu didn’t ask them to memorize anything, instead placing greater emphasis on guidance and advice. Most of the time, Elder Mu would make some ambiguous description and explanation, enough to bring out the crux of the issue before he left Huo Yuhao to ponder by himself. Elder Mu’s intentions were clear – he believed that only things that you deliberated by yourself would be most easily absorbed, and these things would truly become part of you. Elder Mu had accumulated over two hundred years of knowledge, and subconsciously influenced Huo Yuhao over this process of guidance while helping him raise his own abilities.
Time flew by during this stressful but enriching life. Huo Yuhao made rapid progress in all aspects, and even he could feel that he was improving every single day.
The Soul Tool Department would conduct an assessment every week for him and He Caitou. As the assessors became increasingly familiar with their abilities, the respective assessments became more specific and targeted. Every single instance was torturous for these two brothers, but every assessment made them more masterful of their entire weeks’ worth of knowledge. A single lapse of effort would be revealed during the assessment, and every assessment was targeted at the content they had covered in the past week. The Soul Tool Department’s authorities could be said to have gone to painstaking lengths and effort for the two of them.
Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power grew at the fastest rate. With his second spiritual sea, his spiritual sea expanded at a speed conspicuously faster than before, and his spiritual power also became more compact and condensed. The first of the Skydream Iceworm’s ten seals was finally opened to Huo Yuhao, and he allowed Huo Yuhao to absorb the vast spiritual power contained within.
The Eye of Destiny’s mystical effects gradually proved their worth, especially with regards to soul tools. Huo Yuhao could skip two levels in his work with the Eye of Destiny. Of course, he required Wang Dong’s soul power to support him, and the Golden Light’s regenerative capabilities to accomplish this feat. Even so, Huo Yuhao’s mastery with forging soul tools quickly caught up with He Caitou’s standards.
The only thing that made Huo Yuhao melancholic was his soul power’s growth. He consumed large amounts of nutrients every day, but the academy was aware that they couldn’t affect his future breakthroughs, so they didn’t feed him any medicine that could boost soul power. Wang Dong’s cultivation progressed rapidly with the Haodong power, but Huo Yuhao was limited by his Ultimate martial soul. Even though the Life Gold had refined and remade his body, his soul power growth was not even half as quick as Wang Dong’s.
Huo Yuhao wasn’t discouraged by this, however. At the very least, his cultivation was still improving every day, and he didn’t even spend too much time thinking about his slow growth in cultivation – there were just way too many things he had to learn.
Bei Bei decided to visit the Heavenly Soul Empire’s capital city, Heaven Dou City, to find Tang Ya right before the inner courtyard entry examination, but didn’t find a single trace of her, as if she had vanished from the face of the earth.
This dealt a huge blow to Bei Bei. He channeled all his energy and focus on cultivation when he returned, and tried his best to raise his own standards so that he could numb himself. He gave himself a tremendously high target every month, and gave himself twenty days to reach his target while he spent the remaining ten days searching for Tang Ya outside.
The smile on Bei Bei’s face never surfaced, and his typical elegance and scholarly air became tinged with a little despondence.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan made it into the inner courtyard through their constant effort and unwavering perseverance. Their cultivations soared after closed-door cultivation within the inner courtyard – Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi broke through to the fifth ring first, and became powerful Soul Kings.
He Caitou wanted to complete the Ultimate Soldier Plan with Huo Yuhao, so he didn’t take part in the Soul Tool Department’s inner courtyard entry examination. From the Soul Tool Department’s perspective, whether he or Huo Yuhao participated in the entry examination wasn’t important anymore.
More than a year passed just like that, while Shrek’s Seven Monsters improved in all aspects. He Caitou and Jiang Nannan’s soul power both reached Rank 49, and they were only a hair’s breadth away from becoming Soul Kings. Wang Dong’s speed of improvement was even more frightening – over more than a year, his soul power reached Rank 44, and he managed to obtain his fourth soul ring.
Xiao Xiao was a little slower than Wang Dong, but she still broke through Rank 44 and earned her fourth soul ring as well.
Of the Shrek’s Seven Monsters, only Huo Yuhao remained a Soul Elder. Even though he gave his all to cultivate, and even with the help of the academy’s resources, his soul power had just broken through Rank 38.
However, nobody would ever dare to underestimate Huo Yuhao’s Rank 38 soul power. His soul power after breaking through to Rank 38 was comparable to Xiao Xiao’s, who was already at Rank 44, and his Ultimate Ice’s formidable power was becoming increasingly conspicuous.
Huo Yuhao’s rate of growth was relatively slower, but it didn’t affect his natural talent with soul tools. Following his improvements in soul power and in addition to his Ultimate Ice, he was beginning to design and forge his own authentic soul tools. He was recognized as a Class 5 soul engineer, and obtained the Class 5 soul engineer badge with flying colors. Yes – only Soul Kings should be Class 5 soul engineers.
He could only forge ice-type soul tools that only he could operate even when he was forging Class 5 soul tools. These soul tools could only be activated with Ultimate Ice soul power, but one had to admit that he was making history in the world of soul engineers. Huo Yuhao was only Rank 38, but his overall strength could easily rival that of a Soul King.
The Douluo Continent was relatively peaceful over this year and a half. The Sun Moon Empire’s restlessness and their eagerness for action disappeared, the Body Sect that had appeared at Shrek Academy vanished as quickly as they came, and they didn’t create any more disturbances on the Continent. Huo Yuhao still found out about Ma Xiaotao in the end, and he grieved for several days because of it, while he only gradually recovered after listening to Elder Mu’s consolations and guidance. He swore that he would find his sister and bring her home.
Shrek Academy, Sea God’s Island, Sea God’s Pavilion.
Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong were standing side by side in silence.
Elder Mu was lying down quietly on his reclining chair. More than a year had gone by, and Elder Mu no longer had any hair. His life energy was reaching the end of its path, and even his eyes rarely opened. If Huo Yuhao and the others didn’t know, they would have never expected or imagined that this old man on his last legs was Shrek Academy’s number-one powerhouse – the Ultimate Douluo, the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En.
Elder Xuan stood silently beside Elder Mu. Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei’er, Xian Lin’er, Qian Duoduo and the other elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion were standing with him.
Elder Xuan looked a little aggrieved and mournful. He only felt a little better after looking at the seven children before him, as he could feel a thread of solace and comfort through them.
Sixty-seven inner courtyard disciples sat cross-legged outside the Sea God’s Pavilion. The person sitting at the forefront was a young girl about twenty-five to twenty-six years of age, and her flowing black hair draped down to her waist. Her sharp and defined face was fair and impeccable, and her four fingers on both hands were interlaced, while her thumbs pointed out and against each other as she placed her hands on her calf in a crossed-legged position. This peaceful and sweet-tempered disposition made a strong impression.
Not a single one of the other sixty-six inner courtyard disciples were more than thirty years old. They formed ten rows, and everyone had the same posture as she did. Dai Yueheng was in the second row behind her. Ling Luochen, Chen Zifeng, Xi Xi, and Gong Yangmo, people who Huo Yuhao was familiar with, were also amongst the ranks. Their differences in cultivation determined their seating position, so Dai Yueheng was worthy to sit in the first row, while the others were positioned towards the back.
The young girl in front of everyone gradually opened her eyes. Her bright and prudential pupils flowed with deep sadness and sorrow.
“Are you really leaving us, Elder Mu?” Zhang Lexuan asked herself in her heart as she took a deep breath. As Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard’s chief disciple, she had interacted with Elder Mu far more than the other inner courtyard disciples had, and it was natural that her sentiments ran a lot deeper than the others. She really didn’t want to accept this fact, but reality was right before her eyes. Today, she could only be here to see Elder Mu off on his final journey.
Two rows of crisp tears trickled down Zhang Lexuan’s perfect face.
Dai Yueheng’s gaze was fixed on Zhang Lexuan from beginning to end. There was an unspoken rule within Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard: everybody had to address the chief disciple as ‘big senior brother’ or ‘big senior sister’. There was no question – Zhang Lexuan was revered amongst the inner courtyard disciples, while her population and popularity was unrivaled and incomparable. She was also secretly admired by many male students as they fantasized about her. However, she had never really interacted with the other students, and she channeled all her energy and effort into cultivation. Zheng Lexuan was only twenty-six years old, and she had participated in two seasons of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. She was team leader in both seasons, and she defeated her opponents like a knife through butter.
More frightening was the fact that she had made history in Shrek Academy’s three thousand years of existence. She was only twenty-six years old, but she was a powerful eight-ringed Douluo. She reigned supreme over the entire Shrek Academy, and even Ma Xiaotao was but a little immature girl before her. Zhang Lexuan was the only person within the inner courtyard that Ma Xiaotao respected from the bottom of her heart.
Even though Zhang Lexuan was more than six years older than Dai Yueheng, this big senior sister had always been the goddess of his dreams. She was even his true motivation for working so hard at his cultivation. He thought that if he could surpass his big senior sister in cultivation, or if he could even usurp her status as chief disciple, perhaps he would have a chance.
However, this chance had already slipped through his fingers by now. After the conclusion of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, Dai Yueheng officially graduated from Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard, after which he returned to the Star Luo Empire and joined the military, where he was currently a regimental commander. He had had to return to the academy to settle some administrative matters, and coincidentally arrived at the same time as Elder Mu’s passing – how could he not remain to send him off?
He personally witnessed Huo Yuhao and the other six walk into the Sea God’s Pavilion. He was filled with shock and surprise – even Zhang Lexuan, the inner courtyard’s chief disciple, couldn’t personally be there to send Elder Mu off, yet Huo Yuhao and the others could… inside the Sea God’s Pavilion.
Elder Mu gradually opened his eyes. His dusky and hazy eyes suddenly became incredibly clear, and his pupils were tainted a dark blue color, as if they were portals to the deepest and darkest parts of the boundless ocean.
His eyes slowly shifted to the Bei Bei, who was standing on the leftmost side. His gaze gradually moved sideways, and paused momentarily on He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong. His eyes paused for the longest time on Huo Yuhao.
Tears poured uncontrollably from Huo Yuhao’s eyes. He was fourteen years old by now, and he was more than a meter and eighty centimeters tall. His physique wasn’t that robust or sturdy, but his body ratio was balanced, and he looked like he was full of life and vitality. His eyes were resolute and determined, and his Spirit Eyes were nimble and deep – there was even a subtle quality that intimidated others. If his features weren’t immature and adolescent like that of a youth, he would have easily been mistaken for a grown adult.
Wang Dong’s sockets were moist, and tears welled up in his eyes. He was more than a meter and seventy centimeters tall, and his handsome face could be described as exquisite. As he grew older, the lines on his face became gentler, while his big and powdery-blue eyes sparkled. His long and curly eyelashes were dripping with tears. Only Jiang Nannan amongst the others could rival him in terms of physical appearance. They were all Elder Mu’s final disciples, and Wang Dong sobbed wildly as well.
