There was no martial soul fusion technique between Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao—naturally, none existed.
But if Mu En insisted that Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao create one...
Well, Huo Yuhao wasn't without ideas.
After all, it wouldn't take as long as making a baby.
...
Xuan Zi was also very happy to see Ma Xiaotao awaken and repeatedly praised the situation.
Only Bei Bei, after forcing a smile, quietly slipped away alone when no one was paying attention.
Bei Bei: The joys and sorrows between people are not shared—I only feel that they are noisy.
Naturally, he had grievances toward Ma Xiaotao.
But just as Xuan Zi had said before, he had to prioritize the bigger picture. Shrek Academy, after all, was the place that raised him. He had to consider the interests of the academy.
Still, he hoped—there wouldn't be a next time!
Right now, the only one he had left was his little brother, Huo Yuhao.
Bei Bei began to think about his Xiao Ya again.
"Xiao Ya, are you doing well out there? Are you safe? Please wait for me!" Bei Bei gazed into the distance, looking toward the golden ancient tree, silently praying for Tang Ya. "May the Sea God bless you."
In truth, Huo Yuhao had seen Bei Bei leave. He wanted to go after him to build rapport, but unexpectedly, Mu En used sound transmission to stop him.
That's when Huo Yuhao realized—
Everyone had seen Bei Bei leave.
And they all knew the reason why.
Yet, including Mu En, they all chose to downplay the matter.
Only Ma Xiaotao was still a little confused.
Because from the time she woke up until now, Yan Shaozhe had only told her that she had fallen into slumber due to an outbreak of her evil fire. No one had told her that she had hurt others during that outburst.
Perhaps Yan Shaozhe hoped... Ma Xiaotao would never know.
That way, she wouldn't have to carry the burden.
And as for what followed after Tang Ya left Shrek Academy—well, from the academy's side, the incident was essentially over.
...
"Teacher, I think my martial soul has undergone a transformation. The issue with the evil fire seems to be gone."
After Bei Bei left, Ma Xiaotao suddenly told Yan Shaozhe, her expression slightly excited.
This matter needed to be reported to Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe looked astonished. "Xiaotao, are you serious?!"
Mu En glanced at Huo Yuhao, then calmly said, "Shaozhe, calm down. Let Xiaotao release her martial soul. We'll know for sure once we see it."
"That's right! Quickly, Xiaotao, release your martial soul so we can see!" Yan Shaozhe urged.
"Okay, Teacher."
Ma Xiaotao nodded and activated Martial Soul Possession.
A loud, crisp phoenix cry rang out. Blazing red flames erupted and danced around Ma Xiaotao. Upon possession, a peach-pink glow lit up her eyes. Her figure became even more graceful and alluring, her curves more accentuated—she transformed into an otherworldly beauty.
Ma Xiaotao's aura also changed, becoming regal and elegant, with a hint of royal majesty.
Yan Shaozhe, familiar with her Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, immediately noticed something different.
He exclaimed, "Xiaotao! Your flames—there's no evil aura in them anymore!"
Previously, the Evil Fire Phoenix's flames were a wild, dark red.
Now they were a soft red with a pink hue—not violent, but even hotter.
Ma Xiaotao nodded with a smile, still visibly excited.
She felt that her suffering had finally ended. Though she had lost a woman's most precious thing, she had gained a better and more blessed future.
Mu En chuckled from the side, "Not only that, Xiaotao's martial soul no longer carries the madness and dominance of the Evil Fire Phoenix. It now has a noble aura, like the king of birds. Although her flame still hasn't reached the ultimate level, its temperature has increased. It should have evolved into a more advanced Phoenix-type martial soul. In the future, there's still the possibility of reaching an ultimate flame."
Xuan Zi asked, "Xiaotao, have you named your new martial soul? Want me to give it a powerful name?"
Mu En glanced at Xuan Zi, "Xuan Zi, of course this is for Xiaotao to decide herself!"
"Haha, Elder Mu, I was just joking," Xuan Zi quickly waved his hand with an awkward laugh.
Ma Xiaotao began thinking and murmured, "I was unconscious for so long... I feel like I was reborn through fire. Why don't I name it... Phoenix Reborn in Fire!"
"Phoenix Reborn in Fire? That's a great name!" Yan Shaozhe nodded with satisfaction.
After chatting a while longer, Ma Xiaotao found an excuse and slipped away first—
Because being around Huo Yuhao made her feel awkward.
Later, Mu En gave Huo Yuhao the day off.
So Huo Yuhao invited Bei Bei to leave Sea God Island and go sightseeing in Shrek City.
While they were out, Huo Yuhao asked with concern, "Big Brother Bei Bei, why did you leave earlier by yourself?"
It seemed like concern, but he was really rubbing salt in the wound.
He zeroed in on Bei Bei's weak spot and poked hard.
"Little Brother Huo, I just had something to deal with," Bei Bei smiled gently, unwilling to say more.
Huo Yuhao looked at him and smiled, "Brother Bei Bei, if you ever need help, just say the word. We're brothers, after all!"
Whether he'd actually help, though—that was another matter.
True brothers are always there in spirit... even if their phones are off.
"Little Brother Huo, I'm fine, don't worry." Bei Bei was moved again.
Huo Yuhao: Gotcha.
Inside the spiritual sea.
The Sky Dream Iceworm asked curiously, "Brother Hao, did you really solve Ma Xiaotao's evil fire problem?"
Huo Yuhao grinned mysteriously. "Solve it? No! The evil fire didn't disappear—it was just transferred."
"Transferred?" Sky Dream didn't understand.
"You'll see tonight," Huo Yuhao said with a sly laugh.
Electrolux, silently watching, rolled his eyes.
"Big bug, don't overthink it. Yuhao's bad to the core. He's not someone who'd be so kind. I bet he just transformed the evil fire into another form."
"Old El, if you keep talking like that, I'll sue you for slander!" Huo Yuhao argued loudly.
Electrolux wasn't the least bit afraid. He turned around and went back into the Ghost Banner martial soul to continue tutoring He Caitou.
With He Caitou's rising intelligence, he was now able to begin learning basic magic.
...
Night fell quickly.
Huo Yuhao no longer stayed in the room beneath the Golden Ancient Tree—after all, Ma Xiaotao was no longer in the ice coffin.
But he didn't return to the Outer Court either.
He was instead assigned to an independent villa on Sea God Island—
Receiving the treatment of an Inner Court disciple ahead of time.
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the bed, cultivating.
Although his golden core could cultivate soul power automatically, active training was still more effective.
While circulating his soul power, Huo Yuhao constantly stimulated the golden core within him.
This golden core, forged through the merging of their two powers and refined by ice and fire, was tied to Ma Xiaotao.
It was also the medium through which Huo Yuhao controlled Ma Xiaotao.
Huo Yuhao called it:
"Ma Xiaotao's Happy Egg."
Huo Yuhao trembled for the duration of two cups of tea.
He couldn't help but marvel—Ma Xiaotao was *really* resilient.
Now, he was starting to worry she might dehydrate.
Finally, as Huo Yuhao sat cultivating on his bed, he heard a loud *boom*—the villa's downstairs door was blasted open from the outside.
Without opening his eyes, Huo Yuhao could smell Ma Xiaotao's scorching aura.
Enveloped in peach-colored flames, Ma Xiaotao rushed into his bedroom, unable to hold back.
Her eyes were dazed, her face flushed.
She had clearly reached her limit.
Before Huo Yuhao could react, Ma Xiaotao pounced onto the bed, pinning him down.
"Little Peach Nephew?" Huo Yuhao feigned being startled awake, his face full of shock. "What are you doing? We can't keep making this mistake! This is a twisted love!"
Electrolux: *Hypocrite!*
Huo Yuhao: *This is called the rule of three refusals!*
Electrolux: *You've really mastered idioms, haven't you?*
Ma Xiaotao retained a shred of rationality and heard Huo Yuhao's words. She wanted to resist, but her instincts had already overwhelmed her will.
The shame of indulging herself, the guilt of forcing Huo Yuhao, the fear of their improper master-nephew relationship…
A flood of negative emotions caused Ma Xiaotao's dignity to crumble. A crystalline tear slid from the corner of her eye.
In the end, it all turned into a yearning moan.
"Give it to me~"
"No! No!"
Huo Yuhao protested verbally, but he skillfully sealed his spiritual sea and Ghost Banner martial soul, carefully placing a soul power shield around the 100,000-year-old snow lotus.
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and Golden Tortoise, abruptly locked in a dark room, were bewildered.
What just happened?
Electrolux sighed, shaking his head. "The world's morals are declining, and hearts are no longer pure. Cai Cai, you mustn't be like this."
He Caitou: "…"
"Oh, almost forgot—you're a ghost now. You don't have that ability anymore."
He Caitou: "…"
That night, nothing else happened—just deep cultivation, tempered by ice and fire.
…
The next morning, Ma Xiaotao woke up. Her body felt soft and weak, yet deeply satisfied, with a lingering sense of pleasure.
Then she looked at Huo Yuhao in her arms.
Due to their age difference, Huo Yuhao was shorter than Ma Xiaotao, who was already a tall beauty.
She gazed at his peerless face for a long time.
Ma Xiaotao let out a long sigh.
Unlike last time, she didn't scream in panic.
Because it had already happened—and this time, she was the one who initiated it.
With Huo Yuhao's looks, talent, strength, and status, he was indeed perfect for her. But their improper generational roles made it wrong.
Reluctantly, Ma Xiaotao released Huo Yuhao, slipped on her clothes, and left silently.
It was her mistake, after all.
She didn't know how to face him, only hoping he wouldn't resent her.
After Ma Xiaotao left, Huo Yuhao sat up refreshed, feeling the changes in his body.
"The effect wasn't as strong as the first time, but since both Ma Xiaotao and I are strong, my mental power and physique still improved."
He estimated that the first soul ring of his Frost Centipede martial soul had gained about a hundred years.
It was still 20,000 years away from 100,000 years. Simple math suggested…
200 times?
But in practice, it would take far more than 200 times.
The closer it got to 100,000 years, the less effective each boost would be.
A qualitative transformation was needed to break through to 100,000 years!
Huo Yuhao wasn't worried, though—he was prepared.
If all went well, his first soul ring would reach 100,000 years before the Soul Master Tournament!
He got up, washed, and took a shower.
He also released the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and the others.
"Brother Hao, what's the deal with Ma Xiaotao? Did you drug her?" the Ice Silkworm asked, still fixated on her.
He wanted to know what Huo Yuhao had done to her.
This time, Huo Yuhao didn't play coy.
"Her evil fire wasn't eradicated—it was transformed."
"When she was still frozen, I manipulated her desires, merging them with the evil fire in her body, creating this unique fire of desire!"
"Her evil fire naturally stirred her desires, which she'd suppressed for years. I just helped guide them. It was surprisingly easy."
"Her fire of desire can harm not just the body but also the mind and soul, igniting inner desires and causing loss of control. It's like a bone-scraping steel blade!"
"This is a high-level technique and flame, far stronger than her original evil fire."
"The only small flaw is that it affects Ma Xiaotao herself too."
"So, rather than calling her martial soul a Phoenix of Rebirth, it's more like a Phoenix of Desire!"
Electrolux pointed a Great Desolate Imprisoning Finger at Huo Yuhao.
"I knew Yuhao wasn't honest!"
…
Meanwhile, in the northeast of the Heavenly Soul Empire, Dragon City.
The Earth Dragon Sect's base.
*Rustle, rustle.*
A centipede clone burrowed through a tunnel, infiltrating the sect leader's residence, instantly noticed by Nan Shuishui.
After the beast tide, Nan Shuishui had promptly led her disciples back to the Earth Dragon Sect.
The Third Elder's ambush hadn't caused much impact. In fact, the Heavenly Soul Empire had provided resources and benefits as compensation and reward.
After all, the Earth Dragon Sect had joined the beast tide for the empire's sake, and Nan Shuishui had been targeted by a Titled Douluo-level evil soul master. The empire needed to show support.
It also helped win loyalty.
Though the beast tide had caused losses, the Earth Dragon Sect had gained enough resources to sustain its development for the next decade.
So, Nan Shuishui was planning to adjust the sect's future strategy.
For instance, shifting some operations to Shrek City.
She had a strong premonition that moving to Shrek City would bring better growth for the sect—and perhaps good fortune for her personally.
While pondering these plans, a centipede clone invaded her courtyard.
Her expression changed, and she rushed out, confronting the centipede clone.
But the moment she saw it, her eyes lost their spark.
The centipede clone shrank, coiling around her ankle.
Through contact, Nan Shuishui seemed to receive instructions, murmuring, "Earth Dragon Sect, Cold Spring, Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Cave, Ice Extreme Divine Crystal, Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Marrow… gather as much as possible…"
The centipede clone carried a trace of ultimate ice soul power, enough for Nan Shuishui to operate in the outer areas of the Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Cave for about ten minutes.
She could collect Ice Extreme Divine Crystals.
As for the Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Marrow, it was unlikely.
But even just some Ice Extreme Divine Crystals would suffice for Huo Yuhao's needs.
"A quiet night, tempering with ice and fire."
That line repeated three times isn't a typo — it's an emphasis.
Normally, dual cultivation shouldn't occur this frequently. But Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao are far from ordinary.
Both are extraordinarily gifted.
Even Mu En had to remind Huo Yuhao to take care of his body.
Huo Yuhao wanted to slap the old man for his disrespect.
Thankfully, Mu En had only sensed Ma Xiaotao's presence and hadn't actually eavesdropped or peeked — otherwise, Huo Yuhao might have unleashed his hidden power reserves and launched a bloody retaliation to restore his honor.
But Ma Xiaotao alone wasn't enough to exhaust Brother Hao.
Not only did Huo Yuhao have a 100,000-year snow lotus constantly nourishing his body, but the Seagod Island's ambient golden tree energy also replenished his daily losses.
Besides, Brother Hao wasn't going at it all day, every day.
Mu En, apart from his warnings, actually hoped that Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao would grow closer. Their relationship wasn't quite there yet, but their physical proximity certainly was.
However, Huo Yuhao would never make the first move. Not in this life.
As for Ma Xiaotao, her intentions remained unclear. During the day, she avoided Huo Yuhao like the plague, keeping up her fierce, flame-imbued persona. Even if they had to meet, she'd keep a cold expression.
But at night, she'd transform into a phoenix of desire — voluntarily delivering herself to his door.
She had gone from resisting to numbness to taking initiative.
Within a few days, Ma Xiaotao didn't even wait for Huo Yuhao to trigger the mechanism — she'd come knocking herself, insatiable. In front of Huo Yuhao, she became more clingy, more submissive. Her descent was faster than anticipated.
After all, the one who controls the food supply always has the upper hand.
For the sake of a proper meal, Ma Xiaotao even took the initiative to explore various new... "positions."
"So this is what they mean by contrast?" Huo Yuhao mused, feeling like he'd learned something new.
That Day
Huo Yuhao didn't train.
Instead, he was dragged off by Yan Shaozhe to help out.
With the new semester approaching, students were gradually returning, and admissions were underway.
Recruitment tasks usually went to inner and outer court students — there were merit points involved.
Ma Xiaotao was pulled in too.
It was obvious Yan Shaozhe wanted them to spend more time together, to improve their relationship.
After all, apart from Mu En, no one else knew Ma Xiaotao was sneaking into Yuhao's room at night.
But Ma Xiaotao didn't give her teacher face. She kept her cold demeanor around Huo Yuhao. Due to changes brought by her martial soul, she exuded a regal aura — like a queen — creating an invisible chasm between them.
Yan Shaozhe could only sigh in private.
Like a father frustrated that his daughter didn't fancy the perfect son-in-law he'd picked.
The new student welcome proceeded as usual.
Thanks to his god-tier looks, Huo Yuhao became the face of Shrek Academy, taking the front reception seat.
Forget the new girls — even senior students were stunned at the sight of him.
The senior girls had only heard that a first-year playboy had emerged last year — always surrounded by a harem during training sessions.
They looked down on such behavior, judging both the player and the girls who hung around him.
So young and already messing around? What about self-discipline?
But today, seeing this so-called playboy in person… they suddenly understood those girls.
And then… they wanted to become those girls.
Too bad Ma Xiaotao's death glare deterred any outer court students from flirting during work hours.
Now radiating nobility, Ma Xiaotao's phoenix-like eyes carried real authority.
Her reaction wasn't jealousy — she was an inner court student and a recruitment lead. She was in charge.
She was management — there to catch slackers.
But the newly arrived girls didn't know all this. They crowded around Huo Yuhao's desk, shyly handing over their city lord recommendation letters while trying to get to know him.
Most of the new arrivals to Yuhao's booth were female.
He, wearing a warm smile, handled the crowd with ease while mentally taking notes.
"Another crop of leeks, boys!" Huo Yuhao thought.
For the new term, Yuhao planned to expand his operations — targeting girls from other classes and grades.
Having tasted blood, he was becoming more aggressive.
Within his own class, most of the girls had already been "dealt with."
For other grades, he needed to screen more carefully.
He didn't want to cast his net too wide and draw attention, so he aimed for quality over quantity.
He evaluated them based on three criteria: luck (fortune), martial soul, and bloodline.
Those already in the academy could wait.
But these new arrivals — ripe for the picking — gave him the chance to leave a mark early.
Sadly, after a full day of filtering, very few met his standards.
None had truly extraordinary fortune.
While girls who could get into Shrek Academy generally had decent luck, none compared to the likes of Ning Tian or Dai Huabin.
Which was understandable.
This year had an unusually high number of talented and special students — several with soul king status and twin martial souls.
Big clans aren't pig farms; they don't pump out genius heirs every generation. And even Shrek doesn't accept them every year.
Mediocrity is the norm.
Don't treat the environment around children of destiny as standard.
"I'm just too damn good," Yuhao thought, a bit narcissistically.
Still, when considering martial soul and bloodline, two girls caught his attention.
One had a Pink Diamond Mammoth martial soul, and the other had a Golden Crocodile martial soul.
The Pink Diamond Mammoth is a rare female variant of the Diamond Mammoth — same power and defense, but with added spiritual attributes.
Even better, these girls didn't have the typical body shape associated with the mammoth line — instead, they had curvy, shapely figures.
A true classic martial soul. Huo Yuhao felt like he was seeing old acquaintances from ten thousand years ago.
"These martial soul lineages actually survived…" Yuhao marveled.
He chatted briefly with both girls and found they had no resentment toward Shrek Academy — in fact, they admired it.
Both were from the Dou Ling Empire and were two-ring Soul Masters.
The hatred from 10,000 years ago had long since faded with time.
No need to say more — two pseudo-holy light marks silently entered their minds.
Having failed to reel in anything inside the academy that day…
Huo Yuhao headed outside Shrek City that night to receive his delivery.
The Centipede Foot Clone had returned!
And it brought back a bag of Extreme Ice God Crystals!
It spat out a special soul device for storage, then quietly dissipated.
Huo Yuhao picked up the goods and snuck back into the academy.
Huo Yuhao had returned to his dorm in the outer courtyard.
The new semester was about to start, and he couldn't stay on Sea God Island any longer.
There were outsiders watching, after all—he had to keep up appearances.
The grand villa was no longer an option, so he had to move back into a single dorm room.
But Huo Yuhao didn't mind.
Back in the outer courtyard and without the Old Man around, Huo Yuhao dared to be a bit bolder.
As usual, he didn't turn on the lights.
He released the Skydream Iceworm's soul to keep watch around him.
From his storage soul tool, Huo Yuhao took out the Icepole Divine Crystals.
There weren't many—only fifteen.
They varied in size and shape, crystal clear and radiant, emitting a deep blue glow. Beautiful and dreamlike like immortal crystals, they lit up the dark bedroom.
Thanks to the Ice attribute of the Centipede Leg Clone, Nan Shuishui had successfully entered the well. But excavating the crystals required ultimate ice power.
Otherwise, with her abilities alone, Nan Shuishui wouldn't have been able to extract even one.
That she managed to retrieve fifteen was already the Centipede Leg Clone's limit.
Any more would've drained it to the point that it wouldn't have been able to return to Shrek City.
The storage ring had also been prepared by Nan Shuishui, though it was fairly ordinary.
Huo Yuhao carefully sensed the fifteen crystals, then his face lit up as he selected three from the pile.
"Three of them have Ice Spirits!"
The reason Icepole Divine Crystals were called "Divine" was because they had evolved to the point of possessing life.
Animals and plants have life, but when minerals and metals reach a certain quality, they too can begin to develop a life force and emotional resonance.
Though compared to flora and fauna, this was exponentially more difficult.
To put it simply: even stones and metals can "cultivate" into spirit entities, but it's incredibly rare.
This mirrored the cultivation world.
In the Douluo Continent, life born from ice was called an Ice Spirit in the Extreme North.
There were many Icepole Divine Crystals in the well, but only a few had truly developed Ice Spirits.
Without an Ice Spirit, the crystals were just high-grade materials.
Huo Yuhao's goal had been precisely those Icepole Divine Crystals that had birthed Ice Spirits—those that had become sentient!
Unfortunately, he couldn't go personally to discern them, and Nan Shuishui didn't have that ability either.
So the Centipede Leg Clone had to use the simplest method: judge by color and life aura.
The deeper the color and the stronger the life aura, the more likely a crystal was to contain an Ice Spirit and vast elemental energy.
And as it turned out, the method worked quite well.
Out of the fifteen crystals retrieved, three contained Ice Spirits.
Originally, Huo Yuhao thought he'd be lucky to get even one—it would have been enough.
Now that he had three, they would be of even greater help.
The ordinary crystals were fed to the Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
The Snowscale Beast torso bone he had acquired earlier was also fed to the Ghost Banner.
Then Huo Yuhao began processing the three crystals that contained Ice Spirits.
To make full use of these, he had to completely communicate with the Ice Spirits.
But of course, Huo Yuhao had no intention of using the method described in the original canon.
Evil cultivation methods weren't so troublesome.
He held a crystal in his hand.
The Icepole Divine Crystals were unique—despite containing immense cold elemental energy, their surface was not particularly cold, only slightly cooler than ordinary metal.
However, once soul power was injected, the extreme cold energy inside would activate violently.
If the user didn't possess ultimate ice soul power to control it, it would explode with devastating force.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao wasn't foolish enough to inject soul power directly.
Instead, he used pseudo-Buddha light and his own blood to begin refining the three crystals.
The Ice Spirits instinctively resisted.
But today, Huo-ge was going to force them into submission!
Seeing the three crystals acting up…
The Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus shook. Three tendrils burst from Huo Yuhao's chest, coiling around the crystals and binding them firmly.
Making them more "cooperative."
An hour later.
Huo Yuhao's body shuddered.
The three crystals were completely refined into a part of his body.
They floated up and fused into three of his ribs.
Not as soul bones, though.
Integrating sentient materials into the body—even rebuilding one's body using them—was a standard technique in cultivation.
Even righteous cultivators used it.
The difference was that righteous cultivators exercised restraint, while evil cultivators were greedy and unrestrained.
One married through proper ceremony. The other seized by force.
How could they be the same?
Huo Yuhao had chosen the latter.
However, he didn't erase the spirits' consciousness. He wanted their sentience.
With time, the Ice Spirits would stop resisting and become part of him, enhancing his power.
But honestly, Huo Yuhao didn't really care what the Ice Spirits thought.
Winning their hearts didn't matter. He already had their power.
A forced melon may not be sweet—but it quenches thirst.
Once the three crystals were embedded in his ribs, their ice-elemental world energy began to integrate with Huo Yuhao, enhancing both his Ultimate Ice element and physical constitution.
"Once these energies fully integrate with my body and reach a balance, my Ultimate Ice will become even stronger, and my body will also be enhanced!"
Huo Yuhao murmured to himself, ambition and greed gleaming in his eyes:
"If I could fuse these crystals into all my bones, I could gain an unmatched ice-elemental Divine Body!"
Divine Body = indestructible body = godhood.
It was a beautiful thought—but just that, a thought.
Whether he could find enough Icepole Divine Crystals with Ice Spirits was still uncertain.
But even partial fusion would benefit Huo Yuhao for life.
And there were ways to speed up the fusion process.
Huo Yuhao glanced at the dorm window.
A flicker of peach-pink flame appeared just outside.
The "accelerator" had arrived.
Today's spell-cultivation ends here…
Meanwhile, the academy's enrollment was proceeding as usual.
Huo Yuhao worked diligently to welcome new students while secretly screening for potential candidates.
Soon, it was the last day of registration.
"Is this where I sign up?"
A girl's voice suddenly rang out in front of Huo Yuhao, as crisp and sweet as a songbird, with a tone of undisguised pride.
"Yes," Huo Yuhao replied, smiling warmly—but inside, he was in turmoil.
Because…
The girl handed over her recommendation letter and introduced herself.
"My name is Jin Qiu'er. Martial soul: Golden Dragon. Rank 32 Assault System Battle Soul Master!"
Three soul rings—yellow, purple, purple—rose from her body.
She looked directly at Huo Yuhao, amusement and scrutiny in her eyes.
Above her head, her fate aura rose sky-high, rivaling Huo Yuhao's own.
The projection of her Golden Dragon martial soul floated within it.
But above the Golden Dragon…
A Three-Eyed Golden Lion's projection bared its fangs at Huo Yuhao!
The girl had a tall and slender figure.
She wore a white fitted outfit trimmed with silver, clearly of extraordinary quality.
Her golden, wavy hair cascaded down her back, reaching all the way to her perky rear, covering almost half of its curve.
A pair of golden eyes stared intently at Huo Yuhao, full of amusement.
Though her face was hidden behind a light veil, her perfect figure, proud demeanor, and expressive eyes left no doubt—her appearance beneath the veil would not disappoint.
But what Huo Yuhao focused on was the aura of fortune above her head.
After breaking through in his Qi-watching technique, he could finally see the luck of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion clearly.
It was a towering pillar of fortune.
Within the pillar were projections of the Golden Dragon martial soul and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion—one above and one below—distinct in primary and secondary roles. The projection of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was especially vivid, almost sentient, baring its teeth at Huo Yuhao and making faces—an expression of the girl's true thoughts.
Above the pillar hovered the same Celestial Auspicious Clouds as Huo Yuhao's own.
Around it swirled the auspicious clouds representing the influence of the Star Dou Forest.
Below it lay a map of the Douluo Continent, with the various soul beast habitats highlighted in bright light—especially the Star Dou Forest.
The only jarring part was an icy-blue trident symbol hidden within the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's projection, along with a faint afterimage of a girl nailed to it, as if to forcibly fuse the two together.
Twisted and grotesque.
Yet the lion's projection seemed unaware.
Finally, there were the lion's seven life attributes:
[Heaven's Mandate Upon Her!]
[Auspicious Beast of Destiny!]
[Noble by Nature!]
[Peerless Genius!]
[Calamity-Fated!]
[Cuckoo's Nest Usurper!]
[Golden Fate!]
Seeing the last two, Huo Yuhao seemed to spot a death omen star twinkling above the girl's head.
But he didn't gawk. With a calm and official demeanor, he took in all the details in an instant.
After inspecting the girl's recommendation letter and confirming its validity, he issued her a pass.
As for her deliberately revealed second purple soul ring—
Others gasped, but Huo Yuhao remained expressionless.
"Junior sister, your recommendation is in order. Please proceed with this pass to the next test. With your talent, entering Shrek Academy shouldn't be a problem."
Seeing his indifference, Jin Qiu'er (Golden Autumn) felt slightly dissatisfied and bored.
If he wouldn't even react, playing with a stick would be more fun.
Yet Huo Yuhao's indifference only stirred Jin Qiu'er's rebellious streak.
"Man, congratulations. You've successfully caught my attention!" Jin Qiu'er thought. "I still remember what happened last time! You made me lose face in front of Di Tian for so long! We have all the time in the world. One day, I'll make you kneel at my feet!"
With the true body of the Emperor Auspicious Beast and the Golden Dragon martial soul, Jin Qiu'er had every reason to be confident!
"Heh~" Jin Qiu'er sneered, took the pass, and strolled to the testing area.
Huo Yuhao maintained his polite smile. "Next."
"The Three-Eyed Golden Lion chose this time to take human form? Di Tian, are you not keeping your dog in check?!"
"The events from the original plot haven't even started yet, nor has fate led her here—so why take human form and come to Shrek Academy?"
"Three soul rings? She's clearly concealing her true power. Her looks and age are similar to mine."
"Could this be the scheme of a certain God King?"
"But since she's come to my doorstep—"
"I won't be polite!"
"Hehehe…"
The final day of admissions concluded smoothly.
A new semester had begun.
Class 1, Year 2.
The students had returned.
The girls once again gathered around Huo Yuhao.
He carefully examined them one by one and found that all had improved in strength and made progress in cultivating [Jade Nourishment Art].
Most were nearing level 30.
Some particularly wealthy girls had rapidly advanced by absorbing large amounts of jade essence and had already broken through level 30.
Thanks to this cultivation method, their appearances improved, their skin turned smooth as white jade, and their constitutions grew stronger.
As their talents and strength increased, so too did the daily fortune they produced.
Huo Yuhao decided it was time to harvest a wave of luck.
While the messy and wild had its charms, he still preferred the soft and fair.
Naturally, with Brahma Chant infiltrating their minds, the girls grew increasingly attached to Huo Yuhao.
"These little lambs should have no trouble passing the promotion exams," Huo Yuhao thought, very satisfied.
He decided to reward them with "grass" later.
Within the class, aside from Huo Yuhao's little lambs, Wang Dong, Dai Huabin, Ning Tian, and others also appeared to have made progress.
Huo Yuhao noticed Dai Huabin looking at him with battle intent and aggression.
"Oh my, isn't this 'Wobbly Bin'? Just a few months apart, and he's gotten so bold?" Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes and discreetly observed Dai Huabin.
He discovered that Dai Huabin had gained several levels over the break. After sending Tianmeng Iceworm's soul to investigate, he learned Dai Huabin had fused with a soul bone.
Huo Yuhao thought Dai Huabin had also "opened up."
Then he realized:
"Because of Dai Yaoheng's death, the White Tiger Duke's household decided to focus all resources on Dai Huabin? So now Dai Huabin wants to rise by stepping over me? Interesting."
But not very.
Dai Yaoheng's death was clearly a slap in the face to the Duke's household.
The culprit wasn't caught.
To preserve their reputation and interests, the White Tiger Duke family began pushing Dai Huabin hard, intending for him to outshine Shrek's top students and show off his unmatched talent.
This wasn't just a signal of dissatisfaction toward Shrek—it was also a message to the world: "We lost Dai Yaoheng, but we have someone even better—Dai Huabin!"
Dai Huabin did have more potential, though not by a huge margin.
To make him shine at Shrek, the family was clearly giving him a strong push.
Unfortunately, except for Wang Dong (who had seen Huo Yuhao's real strength in battle), no one else in the class knew that Huo Yuhao had already reached the Soul Ancestor level.
And Wang Dong wasn't the gossiping type—he wouldn't go around announcing it.
So from Dai Huabin's perspective, his massive power gain over break made him fully capable of challenging Huo Yuhao.
As the son of the White Tiger Duke, he must defeat all rivals to prove his family's strength!
His pride wouldn't allow fear!
He craved attention and glory!
At the start of the semester, his mother—the Duchess—had already commanded him:
Defeat all your peers and become the strongest in Year Two!
Without mourning Dai Yaoheng for even a moment, Dai Huabin had rushed to Shrek Academy!