Fiery Red Figure

It took a full hour before Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong finally finished their work.

All the grime on the beds had been cleaned away, and the entire dormitory was instantly refreshed.

Though she had been busy for a long time, Wang Dong did not feel tired in the slightest. Instead, she felt fulfilled.

After absorbing the Profound Water Pill all night and then tidying up the dormitory, dawn was already about to break.

After Huo Yuhao's improvements, although the Truth-Shattering Eye Technique had diverged from the Purple Demon Eyes, its early-stage cultivation still required absorbing purple qi. However, Huo Yuhao had also deduced a method of nurturing it himself.

By absorbing purple qi, one could consolidate the early stages of cultivation. During the later stages, one could slowly improve through the nurturing method Huo Yuhao had deduced.

This method eliminated the need to rely on opportunities such as Immortal Grade treasures for later breakthroughs, as Tang San had.

Whether it was his past self or Tang San, both had relied on all kinds of fortunate encounters to raise the Purple Demon Eyes so rapidly. Otherwise, if they had depended solely on absorbing purple qi, who knew how long they would have needed to cultivate?

Of course, being able to improve the Truth-Shattering Eye Technique through methods other than absorbing purple qi was one thing, but Huo Yuhao had no intention of missing out on those opportunities because of it.

Not to mention the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes, a place that had once brought him immense pain.

At that time, all his feelings and emotions had turned into utter bullshit in the final moments.

Tang Wutong, that "daughter" Tang San had personally fused together, would have no chance to appear again in the future.

The only one who would remain was Wang Dong'er, who would follow closely at his side every step of the way.

As dawn approached, Wang Dong watched Huo Yuhao cultivate with utter focus and gradually became entranced.

Something was wrong with her memories. She could not even recall why she had come to Shrek Academy.

Now, the person closest to her was instead Huo Yuhao, this "roommate."

Yet Huo Yuhao had already seen through her identity. How was she supposed to conduct herself from now on?

Carrying such anxious, conflicted feelings, Wang Dong stared blankly at Huo Yuhao.

The morning air was always fresh. Huo Yuhao rose early every day, making Wang Dong, who had already grown familiar with him, feel somewhat ashamed.

After finishing their morning cultivation, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong headed straight to the cafeteria for breakfast.

It was still that eye-catching little square table, except this time, another Small Stool had been added beside the two Small Stools.

Looking at Xiao Xiao, who had shown up uninvited, Wang Dong's teeth itched. Even her fear over her scrambled memories had faded considerably.

Now that she had gotten familiar with them, she really had no reservations at all!

Meanwhile, Xiao Xiao looked at Wang Dong, whose appearance and attire had changed somewhat. Her large eyes shifted, and she immediately understood that Wang Dong no longer intended to conceal her identity.

After eating, the three of them set off together. Huo Yuhao walked in front, while Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong each followed behind him.

Since the three of them had been the first to arrive at the cafeteria, there had not been many people then.

Now that they were leaving, they saw quite a few new students streaming out of the dormitory buildings and rushing straight toward the cafeteria.

The clamor of the new students formed a stark contrast to the tranquility around Huo Yuhao's group.

After being transformed by the Profound Water Pill, Huo Yuhao's Soul Power had already reached nearly Level Eighteen.

At this point in his previous life, he had only just reached Level Thirteen. He had even been two levels short of Shrek Academy's admission requirement.

There were still three months until the New Student Assessment. Three months was more than enough time for him to cultivate to Level Twenty.

Although Soul Power blocked by a Soul Ring could not break through a certain limit, it could still be accumulated continuously before that limit.

After the New Student Assessment ended, he could take advantage of the holiday to reap a good harvest in the Extreme North.

What he intended to do in this life was not merely obtain his Second Martial Soul and second Soul Ring.

As he thought, Huo Yuhao suddenly came to a stop.

A gentle, misty dampness mixed with the fresh air and drifted into their noses. The three, who had been walking with their heads lowered, finally realized that they had arrived at the shore of Sea God Lake.

"Sea God Lake..." Huo Yuhao murmured.

In his previous life, he had first met Ma Xiaotao here by Sea God Lake.

Just as he had made many mistakes in his previous life, Ma Xiaotao had done the same.

However, no matter what, as one of the people who had treated him best in his previous life, Huo Yuhao still held a measure of tolerance and indulgence toward Ma Xiaotao.

In his previous life, Ma Xiaotao had overused her Evil Fire during a match. The Sword of Judgment wielded by Ma Rulong, captain of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy team, had triggered a backlash from her Evil Fire, which consumed her personality.

Later, she had been taken by the Holy Spirit Cult and used as a tool for slaughter.

But this time, he would not let the Holy Spirit Cult take Ma Xiaotao away again.

At the lowest levels of the Holy Spirit Cult were mostly commoners unable to awaken martial souls, orphans displaced by war, and those...

But among the Holy Spirit Cult's upper ranks, there were very few who had acted against their will.

Cult Leader Zhongli Wu was evil through and through. Grand Supreme Leader Ye Xishui was a mentally unstable madwoman who had also committed many evil deeds. As for Long Xiaoyao, who had once helped Huo Yuhao, although he was the most normal person in the Holy Spirit Cult, he was not without fault either.[1]

For the sake of Long Xiaoyao's kindness toward him, Huo Yuhao could spare him some consideration. But for a heinous villain like Zhongli Wu, whether for his own Ming Sect or for Tang Hao, the "Holy Emperor" who had remained hidden all along, Huo Yuhao had to eliminate him.

"So this is Sea God Lake! It's so beautiful!"

At that moment, Wang Dong also noticed the scenery of Sea God Lake and could not help sighing in admiration.

She took a deep breath and stretched her body with all her strength. Her movements pulled her shirt upward, revealing a beautiful view.

Xiao Xiao also praised the scenery of Sea God Lake, her expression shifting slightly.

Sea God Lake covered an enormous area. Even from here, one could sense its vastness, greater than Shrek Academy's main campus.

A hazy mist could still be seen over the distant water.

Amid that watery fog, the vague silhouettes of buildings could faintly be made out.

That was where Shrek's Inner Court was located, and also the center of Sea God Lake: Sea God Island.

The most central place in all of Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion, stood on Sea God Island.

Just then, Xiao Xiao pointed toward the depths of Sea God Lake. "Is that an Inner Court senior?"

Huo Yuhao looked in the direction of her voice and saw a fiery red figure racing toward them across the lake's surface.

Even without using his Spirit Eyes, Huo Yuhao knew that it had to be Ma Xiaotao.

So it happened to be today? Huo Yuhao pondered silently. Unlike in his previous life, he was not particularly worried about Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire going out of control now.

Note [1]: Ye Xishui's mental instability is directly stated in the original text.