Academy Politics, Mandala Snake

Within the Spiritual Sea,

After a round of explanations and discussion, Huo Yuhao finally understood the general situation.

A Million-Year Soul Beast had actually become my First Soul Ring?

He felt a little lightheaded, finding it hard to believe he was so lucky.

"Your aptitude is indeed a bit lacking, but at least your Martial Soul has decent potential. Once I find you some more Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to strengthen your body, then get you to absorb a Second Martial Soul, you should be able to become a peerless genius in the human world."

"As for whether you can become a god... sigh, honestly, I'm not very confident. But since he said so, I can only treat a dead horse as if it were alive."

"Brother Sky Dream, I'll work hard."

Huo Yuhao nodded firmly in promise.

What he lacked least was perseverance, which was also a necessary trait for every successful person.

But in truth, he did not hold much hope or yearning for godhood. It was simply too far away. Strictly speaking, revenge was his greatest wish right now.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. Hiss..." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm stopped halfway through speaking when it noticed Zi Yao's arrival.

"What is it, Brother Sky Dream?"

Huo Yuhao asked.

"Nothing. Do you know a white-haired, purple-eyed human youth who looks around fifteen or sixteen?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm pressed.

"White Hair Purple Eyes? Ah, you mean Zi Big Brother?"

Huo Yuhao quickly recalled Zi Yao.

He really knew him...

Did that brat set me up...

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm covered its face and sighed.

But with things having come to this, it could only swallow its broken teeth. It said miserably, "Very good. Build a good relationship with him. That brat isn't simple; he'll be of help to both of us in the future."

"Got it."

Huo Yuhao nodded obediently.

"Fine, get out. I need some time alone."

The moment it finished speaking, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sent Huo Yuhao flying with a kick from his Spiritual Sea, then hid alone in a corner of the Spiritual Sea to brood.

"Mmm..."

Huo Yuhao let out a soft groan and slowly opened his hazy eyes.

The first thing he saw was Zi Yao standing before him. Zi Yao teased, "Awake? How did you end up taking a nap in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"No, I accidentally passed out while absorbing the Soul Ring."

Huo Yuhao said awkwardly.

He sat up and dusted himself off, then continued warmly, "Zi Big Brother, we're really fated. We ran into each other again."

Strangers became acquaintances after meeting twice.

This was their third meeting. He had a good impression of Zi Yao and felt closer to him now, viewing him as a friend.

"Mm, looks like you've finished absorbing your First Soul Ring. How does it feel?" Zi Yao asked casually.

"Not bad."

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Zi Big Brother, let's leave Star Dou together. We can keep each other company."

"Sure. From the outer regions, it'll only take a few hours at most to leave Star Dou anyway."

Zi Yao agreed, chatting as they walked.

"Now that you've absorbed your Soul Ring, at your age, you should probably find a faction to develop under. So, do you have any ideas?"

Huo Yuhao fell into thought.

He had never considered this question before. After all, whether he could even hunt down a ten-year Soul Ring had already been a life-or-death hurdle for him.

"Mm... if possible, I'd rather go to Shrek Academy, but I doubt I can get in."

He said somewhat embarrassedly.

Shrek Academy was the number one academy on the continent, famed far and wide. Even his mother had mentioned it many times while she was alive.

If he could receive Shrek's training, his revenge would surely have hope.

But with his Soul Power at level eleven at the age of eleven, joining Shrek Academy was nothing more than wishful thinking.

"Getting in is indeed difficult."

Zi Yao judged it from Huo Yuhao's perspective.

Soul Power was only a secondary concern.

In a world like Douluo Dalu Season 2, where geniuses were so inflated, could twelve years old and level fifteen even count as a requirement?

At most, hunting Soul Rings would be difficult, since there were no longer dedicated Soul Hunting Forests.

Shrek Academy's true admission threshold was a letter of recommendation from a City Lord of one of the Three Great Empires. That was undoubtedly the true condition that separated social classes.

Could ordinary people possibly obtain a City Lord's recommendation letter?

Of course not. Unless someone had truly outstanding talent like Jiang Nannan, a City Lord might send them to Shrek to cultivate talent.

As for ordinary commoners?

Please. Letting you awaken a Martial Soul by sheer luck was already immense mercy, and you still dared ask for a recommendation letter?

Did you want a whipping from a Noble Lord?

And those true young nobles, after being sent here for a period of training, would take up significant Imperial Positions once they returned to their respective Empires.

Nor would they hide the glory of being Shrek students.

Because that glory could likewise help their official careers proceed smoothly. Just look around: more than half the upper ranks were their senior brothers and sisters. What kind of concept was that?

It was obvious Academy Faction Politics.

Zi Yao had no favorable impression of Shrek Academy.

Yet he had to admit that Shrek had reasons for growing to its current scale.

Compared with the Tang Sect, which refused to change and remained immersed in the glory of Ten Thousand Years Ago, and the Heaven Dou Empire, which had ultimately ruined itself alive,

Shrek was the true colossal entity that had taken flight on the east wind. It could be called the Spirit Hall of ten thousand years later.

Yet it had not fulfilled the responsibilities Spirit Hall once bore. The Soul Hunting Forests were gone, and the branch halls throughout the Empires used for awakening Martial Souls had become history as well.

In an otherworldly realm that possessed extraordinary power,

the soldiers defending their homes on the front lines had not even awakened their Martial Souls. What a deeply ironic thing that was.

Suddenly,

the sounds of battle appeared ahead of them. Looking over, they saw a three-meter-long Mandala Snake, its entire body peach-pink, fighting a man and a woman.

In reality, only Beibei was facing the Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and the outcome remained undecided.

"It's Sister Xiao Ya and Brother Bei."

Huo Yuhao spoke.

Zi Yao was utterly speechless.

It seemed Buddha Ancestor Tang still had not given up on this Child of Destiny. Zi Yao was practically out of the Star Dou Great Forest already, yet they could still run into each other here.

Watching Beibei and the Mandala Snake battle fiercely without either gaining the upper hand, Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and used his new soul skill, Spiritual Detection Sharing.

Thanks to Huo Yun'er's upbringing since childhood, his temperament remained quite stable for now, and he had not yet been ruled by the hatred in his heart.

Besides, although Tang Ya and Beibei did not leave as good an impression on him as Zi Yao, he did not consider them bad people either.

Zi Yao said nothing.

After all, it was Huo Yuhao's freedom. They were only friends, and he could not overstep his bounds.

Beibei, who was battling the Mandala Snake, suddenly felt his senses brighten.

Then,

it was as though he had entered a god's-eye view. The Mandala Snake's speed slowed several times over, and he could see every contraction and expansion of muscle before each attack with perfect clarity.

"Thunder Dragon Claw!"

With his powerful offensive technique, Beibei knocked the Mandala Snake to the ground in a single strike.

"Sister Xiao Ya, Brother Bei, we meet again."

Huo Yuhao walked out from the woods with a smile.