"A New Beginning"

After Long Yao returned to the inn, he lay down on the bed. "First contact complete. Current situation is good... Tang San..." Long Yao paused, then said slowly, "Tang San has noticed." He gave a light laugh, as if to say it did not matter at all. After washing up, Long Yao lay on the bed and fell deeply asleep, looking forward to the next day's entrance ceremony.

Dawn broke. The first ray of morning light was like a golden sword, splitting open the thin mist shrouding Shrek City. When Long Yao opened his eyes again, the world outside the window was already growing noisy. A new day had begun.

A night of peaceful sleep left him full of energy. After a simple wash, he changed back into the black-and-white casual clothes from yesterday, looking bright and spirited. He did not linger at the inn, but left Rose and Griffin directly, merging into the bustling stream of people in the early morning as he headed toward the holy land in the hearts of Continent Soul Masters—Shrek Academy.

When he arrived at the academy gates, the sight before him truly left him amazed for a moment.

"Phew, there are so many people."

Before the academy's grand, fortress-like main gate, a dense sea of people had already gathered. Thousands of youths and maidens, accompanied by their families, had gathered here with longing and nervousness in their hearts. They came from all corners of the world, dressed in all kinds of clothing, and every face was filled with yearning for the future. The noisy discussions, parents' anxious reminders, and the youths' irrepressibly excited talking sounds merged into a tremendous wave of sound that shot straight into the clouds.

At the academy entrance, the two enormous statues standing dozens of meters tall—belonging to the leader of the First Generation Shrek Seven Devils, Evil Eye White Tiger Dai Mubai, and Sea God Tang San—stood silently in the morning light, wordlessly watching these juniors who had come to follow in their footsteps. They were filled with an air of solemn grandeur.

Long Yao did not squeeze in with those people. To him, the normal registration process was far too tedious. He merely watched with interest for a while, then his figure swayed slightly, the tip of his foot tapped lightly against the ground, and his entire body rose soundlessly from the ground like a weightless feather. His movements were light and swift. Amid the crowd's cries of surprise, his figure traced an elegant arc through the air and landed steadily atop the academy's wall, which stood dozens of meters high.

The view from this spot was excellent, enough to take in everything in the square below. He did not care at all about the gazes cast up from below—whether astonished, awed, or jealous—and leisurely lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand, looking completely relaxed, like Watching the Fun Doesn't Mind the Chaos.

At the same time, his thoughts sank into the system.

[Highest Priority command received: searching for the current whereabouts of Target Person "Huo Yuhao"...]

[Subtask: confirm whether he has made contact with "Bei Bei" and "Tang Ya".]

[Subtask: confirm whether he has fused with "Sky Dream Ice Silkworm".]

[Connecting to causality probe... Data returning in real time...]

A dynamic image, like the clearest live broadcast, instantly unfolded in his mind.

[Target Person real-time activity: Huo Yuhao] Image scene: Outskirts of Star Dou Forest, Mixed Zone. The sky was dimly bright. Damp mist filled the forest, brimming with danger and the unknown.

Huo Yuhao looked even more wretched than he had yesterday. His whole body was covered in mud and dew, several bloody scratches cut by branches marked his face, and he was panting heavily, his back against a big tree, his eyes full of exhaustion and hunger. He had gone an entire day and night without eating, relying solely on an obsessive desire for revenge to support himself.

Just as he was about to pass out, two figures appeared in his line of sight. One male and one female, both fifteen or sixteen years old. The boy was handsome and gentle, dressed in a blue fitted outfit—it was Bei Bei. The girl was petite and delicate, dressed in black leather, looking valiant and spirited—it was Tang Ya.

"Little brother, are you okay?" Bei Bei was the first to notice him and quickly walked over, a concerned smile on his face.

Huo Yuhao looked at them warily, tightly clutching the White Tiger Dagger his mother had left behind.

The conversation in the image entered Long Yao's mind clearly. With his gentle attitude and a few fragrant roasted cakes, Bei Bei successfully opened Huo Yuhao's tightly shut heart. After learning that Huo Yuhao was also a Soul Master and had no home to return to, Tang Ya was somewhat hesitant at first, but in the end, under Bei Bei's persuasion, she agreed to let him join their "Tang Sect," which was almost nothing but an empty shell.

Just as the three of them reached an agreement and Huo Yuhao excitedly knelt to acknowledge them as his masters, a savage beast roar shattered the forest's quiet. A ten-year soul beast over three meters tall, covered in gray fur and shaped like an ape—the Wind Baboon—roared as it charged toward them.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya immediately assumed combat stances, preparing to meet the enemy.

And at that very moment, the system's image suddenly flickered violently. An invisible golden spiritual fluctuation, vast as the sea, surged awake like a giant beast and instantly enveloped the entire area!

[Warning! Ultra-high-energy spiritual source detected awakening!]

[Target: Million-Year Soul Beast "Sky Dream Ice Silkworm" has locked onto Huo Yuhao!]

["The gears of fate" have begun to turn...]

[Real-time status update: Contact with Bei Bei and Tang Ya—completed. Fusion with Sky Dream Ice Silkworm—about to occur.]

[Huo Yuhao - Character Status Panel]

Current Location: Outskirts of Star Dou Forest, near the Wind Baboon nest

Age: 11 years old

Height: 155 cm

Hairstyle and Hair Color: black short hair, messy

Eye Color: ink blue

Martial Soul: Spirit Eyes

Soul Power Level: Rank 10 (Soul Master)

Number of Spirit Rings: 0

Spirit Ring Color: none

Spirit Skills: Spirit Detection, Spirit Sharing

Soul Spirit: none

The image disappeared, and Long Yao's consciousness returned to reality. He lay atop the wall, the corners of his mouth curving into an understanding smile. Everything was still developing according to the script he knew so well. In that case, it was time for his own script to begin as well.

His gaze turned once more toward the crowded human tide below, and he began searching patiently.

Before long, one figure successfully drew all of his attention.

Among the bustling crowd of examinees, all wearing different expressions, that "youth" with pink-blue short hair looked so out of place. She had no family accompanying her and was alone, yet there was not the slightest trace of nervousness or unease about her. She merely carried a small bundle on her back, folded her arms across her chest, and stood there with an arrogant expression, looking at the ordinary people around her as though they were mere common folk. Her beautiful brows were slightly furrowed, as if she found this crowding and noise extremely irritating.

Her outstanding appearance and unique bearing made her seem like a proud white swan among the crowd. The young men and women around her subconsciously cleared a small space for her. Some lovestruck maidens were secretly casting adoring glances at her with flushed cheeks, while some youths who thought highly of themselves felt ashamed of their own inferiority the instant they saw her and silently lowered their heads.

As if sensing an intense gaze, Wang Dong, who had been somewhat impatient, inexplicably raised her head.

Her gaze crossed countless bobbing heads and landed precisely on the top of that high wall.

Then she saw the black-clad youth lying sideways atop the wall, looking at her with great interest.

Sunlight plated him with a golden edge. The breeze stirred his short black hair. The smile at the corner of his mouth was just like last night, carrying a hint of playfulness and a hint of understanding, as if he had known long ago that she would be here, and as if he had known long ago that she would look over.

Their eyes met.

Wang Dong's pupils suddenly contracted. It was that guy from yesterday! The annoying jerk who had knocked away her Candied Hawthorn!

A blush instantly rose across her small face, and it was hard to tell whether it was from anger or embarrassment. She had not expected to meet him again here, in this way. That lofty posture of his, looking down over All Beings, stirred an inexplicable sense of defiance in her heart.

She gave a heavy "hmph," quickly turned her head aside, straightened her little chest, and put on a proud look that said, "I didn't see you at all." But her slightly trembling eyelashes and the little fists she had clenched without realizing it betrayed the unrest in her heart.

[Master of Slacking]: Wow! Is this really a "chance encounter," Streamer? I'm seriously suspecting there's a script!

[Oh Yeah Luoyou]: What do you know, upstairs! Streamer transmigrated here! Go on, be jealous! Though I'm jealous too... waaaah, let me cry all alone, sob sob sob.

[Rich Women Love Me]: Little Brother came to attend the enrollment meeting, huh? You timed this perfectly~

One envious, jealous Danmu after another slid across the Livestream Room. Of course, only Long Yao could see the big screen; the others could neither sense it nor see it.

The Livestream Room kept urging Long Yao to hurry up and register. "No rush. It's not time yet, and there are already so many people." He looked as if he were muttering to himself, but in reality, he was interacting with his fans.

[Rich Women Love Me] tipped a [Hallucinatory Perfume] worth 9999! Hurry and make Wang Dong fall head over heels!

Long Yao looked at the tipped item on the screen, the corner of his mouth twitching. He sighed inwardly. Tang San is up in the heavens watching me the whole time, you know.

Time: Douluo Calendar Year 2030 Season: Autumn Next morning, 7:30

Location: Shrek Academy, on the outer wall by the main gate

Viewers: 25,781

Equipment: Vast Sea Ring

Items: Silver Soul Coin x9, Copper Spirit Coin x90

First Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear [Traits: Armor Breaking, Soul Devouring, Penetration]

Second Martial Soul: Chaos Holy Dragon (Hidden) [Traits: Strength, Time, Space]

Soul Power: Level 45 (Soul Ancestor) [Status: Shielded by Vast Sea Ring, External Perception is Level 24]

Soul Rings: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Soul Ring (Yellow Hundred-Year), Second Soul Ring (Purple Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black Ten-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Black Ten-Thousand-Year)

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Soul Ring (Black Thirteen-Thousand-Year), Second Soul Ring (Black Twenty-Eight-Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black Forty-Six-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Rose Gold Hundred-Thousand-Year)

Soul Skills: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Soul Skill: Swift Shadow Stab, Second Spirit Skill: Whirlwind Spear, Third Spirit Skill: Armor Breaking Spiral, Fourth Soul Skill: Thousand Spirit Spear Rain

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Soul Skill: Star Ring, Second Soul Skill: Holy Dragon Claw, Third Soul Skill: Void Claw, Fourth Spirit Skill: Time and Space Roar

Soul Bones: None

Soul Spirits: None

Reward Stash: [Million-Year Spirit Beast Inverse Scale] [Hallucinatory Perfume]