Shrek City

Four days later, outside the south gate of Shrek City.

"Brother Chen, Yuhao, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, since you're not planning to register yet, we'll part ways here. We'll be waiting for you at Shrek Academy. If you need anything, you can come to us for help."

Beibei said goodbye to Chen Junting and the other three, with Tang Ya beside him.

Tang Ya, meanwhile, looked at Huo Yuhao with obvious reluctance.

More precisely, she had her eye on his grilled fish.

Then Chen Junting and the other three entered Shrek City.

Their destination was the Nine Treasures Pavilion.

As the four made their way through the crowded streets, they began talking about the Tang Sect. Beibei and Tang Ya had been with them until just now, so they could hardly have spoken freely in front of them.

"I didn't expect the Tang Sect to have only two people left."

"Sister Xiaotian, wasn't the Tang Sect once the greatest sect in the world?"

Hearing Ning Tian's remark, Huo Yuhao voiced his confusion. His mother had told him the Tang Sect was the greatest sect on the continent, but after spending the past few days with Brother Bei and Sister Xiao Ya, he could see that this "greatest sect" had fallen on hard times.

Before Ning Tian could answer, Wu Feng burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Huo Yuhao, how old is your information? The greatest sect? They lost that title ages ago."

Wu Feng patted her chest as she laughed. Her fiery manner and budding figure drew repeated glances from passersby.

Even Huo Yuhao blushed.

Whether from embarrassment... or something else...

"Sister Feng, watch yourself."

Ning Tian's words worked perfectly. One short sentence was enough to make Wu Feng rein herself in. Ning Tian then turned to Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, the Tang Sect fell into decline four thousand years ago. If we hadn't met Senior Brother Beibei and Senior Sister Tang Ya, we might have thought it had ceased to exist entirely. Even its ancestral estate was taken by some obscure little sect."

"What!?"

Huo Yuhao finally realized why they had laughed.

The sect that had once ranked first on the continent had long since sunk to the bottom. No wonder Wu Feng had laughed so hard.

He found himself comparing the Tang Sect with the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, which he had joined. Almost without thinking, he said, "Looks like our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is much stronger."

"Of course."

Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Chen Junting all wore proud expressions.

As they talked further, the reasons for the Tang Sect's decline became clear. Chen Junting summed it up. "The Tang Sect's mistake was failing to move with the times. It clung to its old ways and refused to change. The tide of the world rolls on: follow it and prosper; resist it and perish."

Huo Yuhao couldn't help saying, "Our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is different. We keep up with the times. One day, we'll be the greatest sect in the world."

"Exactly."

Ning Tian and Chen Junting exchanged a smile at the sight of him. They could tell Huo Yuhao had begun to feel that he belonged to the sect. He had accepted the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in his heart, rather than staying only out of gratitude to them...

"By the way, Huo Yuhao."

As they neared the Nine Treasures Pavilion, Wu Feng suddenly spoke up.

"What are you planning to do next?"

"What am I planning to do?"

Huo Yuhao looked blank.

Wasn't he going to Shrek Academy too?

Seeing his expression, Ning Tian sighed in exasperation—at Wu Feng, not him. "Sister Feng, have you not been paying attention to what Brother Junting and I planned? We're taking Yuhao to Shrek Academy with us."

"What!?"

Before Huo Yuhao could react, Wu Feng looked puzzled. "Ning Tian, if I remember right, doesn't Shrek Academy require applicants to be eleven years old and at level fifteen? Huo Yuhao can't get in with his current cultivation, can he?"

Wu Feng's words doused the excitement in Huo Yuhao's heart. Back in the Star Dou Forest, when he had learned that Brother Junting and the others were going to study at Shrek Academy, he had imagined joining them at the continent's foremost Soul Master Academy. But faced with reality...

Wu Feng's words snuffed out that dream.

"Forget it, Sister Xiaotian. I'll just..."

Huo Yuhao waved a hand dejectedly. He didn't want to cause Ning Tian trouble. He had joined the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but they had already done so much for him.

"Yuhao, you don't need to worry about that."

Ning Tian saw his hesitation and waved a hand.

"There are some things Sister Feng doesn't know. The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has deep ties to Shrek Academy, so the Outer Academy gives us certain privileges—including one admission slot that doesn't require an entrance exam. Of course..." Ning Tian's tone suddenly grew serious.

But before she could continue...

"Xiao Tian, I don't recommend using that slot."

"Huh?"

Chen Junting, walking beside Ning Tian, had interrupted her. All three turned to look at him.

"Brother Junting, what do you mean?" Ning Tian didn't think Chen Junting wanted to keep Huo Yuhao out of Shrek Academy. He had another reason.

"Anyone admitted without taking the entrance exam is bound to get strange looks. That can be hard to bear." Chen Junting turned his sharp gaze on Huo Yuhao. It made Huo Yuhao feel as though his insecurities had been laid bare. "Can you handle people talking behind your back?"

"I can handle it, Brother Junting."

The thought made Huo Yuhao's eyes dim. But if studying at Shrek Academy meant he might not fall even further behind Brother Junting and the others, he was willing to grit his teeth and endure it.

"You don't have to."

Chen Junting shook his head and explained.

"After taking the Profound Water Pill, your cultivation reached about the peak of level twelve. With how diligently you've trained these past few days, you've probably reached level thirteen. As for the remaining two levels..."

He pointed to the Storage Soul Tool belt at Huo Yuhao's waist.

"Didn't I give you two more Profound Water Pills?"

"It's been five days since you took the first pill, so you should have absorbed most of its effects. You can take the second now and break through to level fourteen. Then have a Soul Master from the sect help you refine part of its medicinal power. You should be able to take the third pill before registration for new students closes and reach level fifteen. That way, your foundation won't become unstable."

"Thank you, Brother Junting!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Given a choice, who would want to endure everyone's strange looks?

"As long as you understand what to do."

Just then, the four reached the entrance to the Nine Treasures Pavilion.

The moment Huo Yuhao stepped inside and saw what it held, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's wealth stunned him.

Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones, top-grade Soul Tools, Heaven and Earth Treasures...

Every precious cultivation resource he could imagine seemed to be there!

Even the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, asleep in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, was awakened by the Soul Power radiating from those treasures. His excited cries echoed through Huo Yuhao's mind...

"Yuhao! Joining this sect was worth it! With these resources and the Second Martial Soul I'll find for you later, you'll definitely become a god someday! Trust me!"

"Brother Sky Dream, these are for sale."

"I know that. I'm saying that if this sect is this rich, it won't be stingy with the resources it gives you."

"Sky Dream..."

Before Huo Yuhao could finish, Chen Junting and the two girls stopped. Chen Junting walked over and patted his shoulder. "Yuhao, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Huo Yuhao quickly came back to himself and assured them nothing was wrong.

Chen Junting didn't press him. Instead, he said, "Wu Feng will take you to eat in a bit. Since Ning Tian personally recruited you, you'll receive the same treatment as Wu Feng for now, including high-quality food. After you eat, have Wu Feng find someone to melt the Millennium Whale Rubber she gave you. It'll strengthen your body."

"But be careful!"

Chen Junting's tone suddenly turned grave.

"Whale Rubber is an aphrodisiac. Make sure there are no women around when you take it. Otherwise..."

"An... aphrodisiac!?"

Huo Yuhao's mind went blank at the word.

But he understood what might happen if a girl were nearby when it took effect, so he hurriedly nodded and promised to be careful.

Chen Junting then had Wu Feng take Huo Yuhao away so he could raise his cultivation and strengthen his body before Shrek Academy closed registration for new students.

He and Ning Tian headed in another direction.