Qingtian Douluo and Holy Spirit Douluo

Shrek Academy was not unfamiliar to Huo Yuhao.

Out of curiosity and longing for this academy that had endured for Ten Thousand Years Ago and was hailed as the continent's foremost institution, he had previously asked Leng Yaozhu to bring him here for several visits.

However, those visits had only involved wandering around the Outer Court. This time, Leng Yaozhu brought Huo Yuhao directly to Sea God Island in the Inner Court!

In stark contrast to the technological feel of the Outer Court, Sea God Island exuded an ancient solemnity accumulated over ten thousand years.

Amid towering ancient trees, the pavilions and towers mostly followed architectural styles from Ten Thousand Years Ago—upturned eaves and bracket sets, gray tiles and blue bricks, all steeped in the vicissitudes and weight of history.

Although Leng Yaozhu was not part of Shrek Academy's system, her prominent status as Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda naturally ensured that her visit proceeded without obstruction.

At last, the two stopped outside an ordinary-looking yet tranquil Small Courtyard at the center of Sea God Island.

The instant they came to a halt...

"Creak!"

The tightly shut courtyard gate silently opened inward on its own.

A figure slowly stepped out from within.

He was a young man who appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in a simple white robe.

His features were handsome, his bearing gentle, and a faint, warm smile rested at the corners of his lips.

Yet when his gaze fell upon Leng Yaozhu, an almost imperceptible trace of evasiveness flickered in the depths of his Eyes.

"Yaozhu? Why did you... suddenly come here?"

Leng Yaozhu remained as calm as the surface of a late-autumn lake, without a ripple.

Meeting his gaze, she said evenly, "I heard Ya Li mention that you recently took in an exceptionally gifted disciple."

"As it happens, I also have a disciple with decent talent."

"So today, I specifically brought him here to give the two children... a chance to get acquainted."

Before coming, Huo Yuhao had already known who they were visiting today.

He stepped forward half a pace and bowed respectfully without losing his composure.

"Greetings, Crown Prince Qingtian."

That was right. The man standing before Huo Yuhao was Yun Ming, the Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion, the Qingtian Douluo known as the continent's strongest man!

Only then did Yun Ming truly turn his gaze to Huo Yuhao, his Eyes carrying both scrutiny and curiosity.

With his discernment, he could naturally tell that this boy possessed a solid foundation, refined Soul Power, and a steady bearing far beyond his years. He truly was extraordinary.

His gaze swiftly swept over Leng Yaozhu's calm, expressionless face again, and a trace of helplessness flashed deep in his Eyes.

Then, the warm smile that made others feel like a spring breeze once more spread across his face. He stepped aside, clearing the way, and made an inviting gesture.

"Please, come in!"

Huo Yuhao followed Leng Yaozhu into the Small Courtyard. It was not large, but it had been kept very cozy.

The flower beds were planted with many exotic flowers and herbs whose names he did not know. Though it was late autumn, they remained lush and vibrant, giving off an elegant fragrance.

A bluestone path wound through the courtyard. In one corner, a simple wooden swing hung quietly, with several strands of emerald vines even wrapped around its ropes.

Just as they reached the middle of the courtyard, the door of the plain Small House ahead opened gently, and a graceful figure stepped out.

She wore a fitted green gown, its hem swaying lightly like the tenderest leaves of spring.

Her smooth dark-green hair draped over her shoulders, the ends curling slightly.

Her beauty was breathtaking, her skin fair as snow and her features picturesque. Most striking of all were her jade-green Eyes, gentle and clear, as though they contained boundless vitality.

A natural, tender smile hung on her face. Simply standing there, she seemed to bring a spring breeze with her, making others instinctively feel close to her.

Huo Yuhao knew that this was Yun Ming's wife, Ya Li—the Holy Spirit Douluo, praised as the continent's most beautiful woman and also its foremost healing-type Soul Master!

Ya Li walked briskly to Yun Ming's side and, without drawing attention to it, gently looped her arm through his.

Then she looked softly at Leng Yaozhu. "Yaozhu, you're here. Don't keep standing in the courtyard. Come inside and let's talk."

Her tone was familiar, as though she were receiving a close friend who often visited.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze swiftly passed over Ya Li's arm around Yun Ming's, but her expression did not change in the slightest. She merely nodded. "Mm."

After entering the house, the four of them took their seats. Huo Yuhao's gaze shifted among the three of them, and he could not help feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat off.

"Ahem."

A light cough broke the silence.

Yun Ming's gentle gaze fell on Huo Yuhao as he spoke first, breaking the quiet in the room.

"I had long heard that you, Yaozhu, had taken in a genius disciple. Today, I've finally met him."

At those words, Leng Yaozhu's slender brows lifted ever so slightly.

She set down her teacup and smiled without the slightest hint of politeness. "Pavilion Master Yun flatters him. But Yuhao truly is a genius."

She deliberately stressed the word "genius."

Then she added, word by word, "The strongest genius... I, Leng Yaozhu, have ever seen in my life!"

Not long ago, she had happened to meet Ya Li. Whether intentionally or not, Ya Li had mentioned that Yun Ming had recently taken in a disciple of extraordinary talent.

The pride in her words, like she was showing off her own child, made Leng Yaozhu's heart tighten, even stirring up a competitive impulse.

Of course, bringing Huo Yuhao here today was not merely to vent her frustration.

She was also preparing for the trouble that might arise once Huo Yuhao's identity was exposed!

Although Shrek Academy, with its twenty-thousand-year legacy, had plenty of problems of its own, Yun Ming, the Sea God Pavilion's Pavilion Master, was still someone she could trust.

After all, Huo Yuhao was one of Shrek Academy's Seven Monsters Ancestors. If trouble arose later, given Yun Ming's character, he should not stand by and do nothing.

Naturally, Yun Ming and Ya Li, seated across from her, had no way of knowing about the long-term plans in Leng Yaozhu's heart.

Upon hearing Leng Yaozhu's utterly unreserved claim of having the "strongest genius," Ya Li showed no displeasure or doubt.

Her gentle gaze settled on Huo Yuhao, carrying just the right amount of curiosity.

"Oh? Your Personal Disciple is named 'Yuhao'?"

Her slender finger lightly tapped her chin, and a glimmer flashed through her emerald Eyes. "That name happens to be the same as Spirit Ice Douluo, the legendary Founder of the Spirit Pagoda!"

As Leng Yaozhu's Personal Disciple, Huo Yuhao had always kept a low profile.

Moreover, under Leng Yaozhu's orders, the name Huo Yuhao had only spread within a very small circle among the upper ranks of Spirit Pagoda Headquarters. Almost no one outside knew the specific name of the Vice Tower Master's disciple.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze slowly shifted from Yun Ming's face to Ya Li's flawless features.

The smile at the corner of her red lips deepened slightly, and she said with casual frankness, "Not only do they share the same given name, they share the same surname as well. My disciple is also called Huo Yuhao!"

The moment those words fell, Yun Ming and Ya Li's gazes instantly converged on Huo Yuhao!

Douluo Continent was vast beyond measure, home to billions of people. It was hardly unusual for people to share the same name and surname.

But Leng Yaozhu was the Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda, and her Personal Disciple shared the exact same name as Spirit Ice Douluo, the Spirit Pagoda's Founder. That was enough to make anyone wonder.

Naturally, Yun Ming and Ya Li would never have imagined that the Huo Yuhao before them was precisely the Spirit Ice Douluo from Ten Thousand Years Ago—the shared ancestor of Shrek Academy, the Spirit Pagoda, and the Tang Sect.

Yet the surprise in their eyes vanished in an instant, and neither dwelled too much on the name.

Yun Ming then said, "It's good for young people like them to interact more."

He looked at Ya Li and asked, "Where has that girl Na'er run off to this time?"

Ya Li smiled. "Who knows where she's gone off to play? She only ever goes to a few places. I'll go bring her back!"

With that, Ya Li rose and headed outside.

Meanwhile, the name echoed in Huo Yuhao's mind. Na'er... that should be a girl's name, right?