Huo Yuhao reined in his aura and turned to look.
Two figures—a man and a woman—came speeding over. The man was refined and handsome, while the woman was petite and charming. They were Bei Bei and Tang Ya.
"Little brother, are you all right? There seemed to be a powerful surge of Soul Power here just now." Bei Bei asked warmly, his gaze warily sweeping the surroundings.
Huo Yuhao brushed the dust off his clothes, his expression calm. "I'm fine. It seemed like two powerful Soul Beasts passed by just now. They've already left."
Tang Ya blinked her big eyes and looked Huo Yuhao over curiously. "Little brother, you came all alone to such a dangerous place as the Star Dou Great Forest. Where's your family?"
Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes and said flatly, "I'm an orphan. My family's all dead."
"Oh? That's great!" Tang Ya blurted out, even showing a hint of excitement.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Though he already knew the story, hearing her say it with his own ears still made Huo Yuhao roll his eyes.
What the hell!
To put it kindly, Tang Ya was innocent and carefree. To put it bluntly, she was an idiot.
She was always talking about restoring the Tang Sect, but all she ever did was act cute and flirt. She had no plan whatsoever for rebuilding the sect, and was completely lost in daydreams about her ancestors' glory.
"Xiao Ya!"
Bei Bei tugged helplessly at Tang Ya's sleeve and apologized to Huo Yuhao. "Sorry, little brother. Xiao Ya didn't mean it that way. She just—"
"It's fine!" Huo Yuhao cut him off and turned to leave. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
"Hey, hey, don't go!" Tang Ya hurriedly stopped him, rubbing her hands together with an eager look. "Little brother, since you're an orphan, would you be interested in joining our sect? Our sect was once the number one sect on the continent—the Tang Sect!"
Huo Yuhao stopped and looked at her like she was an idiot. "The Tang Sect? The one whose headquarters got seized, leaving only a handful of members?"
Tang Ya's smile froze, as if she'd been choked. "Y-You know about that?"
"Is that so hard to know?" Huo Yuhao scoffed. "Everyone on the continent knows the Tang Sect has fallen into decline. If I joined you, would I be doing charity?"
"You're talking nonsense!" Tang Ya flushed with anger. "The Tang Sect has ten thousand years of history! Our ancestor was Sea God Tang San! As long as we work hard, we can restore the Tang Sect's former glory!"
Bei Bei frowned too. Though he thought Huo Yuhao's words were harsh, he patiently tried to persuade him. "Little brother, your Martial Soul seems to be your eyes, with a Mental Attribute. Our Tang Sect has a secret art called the Purple Demon Eye that's perfect for you to cultivate. And the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons are second to none..."
"Hold it."
Huo Yuhao raised a hand to stop Bei Bei's sales pitch, his gaze turning sharp.
Though the two of them had helped him in the original story, that had been on the condition that Huo Yuhao worked like an ox for them.
In this life, he didn't want to owe anyone anything, much less get entangled in the Tang Sect's affairs.
"Since you brought up Tang San, I have a question." Huo Yuhao's voice turned cold, but his words remained clear and measured. "Tang San became a god ten thousand years ago and sits high above the world. Has he ever done anything for your Tang Sect? If he has, why has the sect fallen so far?"
"And then there are your so-called Hidden Weapons." Huo Yuhao pointed to the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at Bei Bei's waist. "In an age when Soul Tools are advancing rapidly, you're still treating lumps of iron from ten thousand years ago like treasures. They have short range, little power, and are cumbersome to use. What are they good for besides ambushes? Admit it—the times have left Hidden Weapons behind."
"You—!" Tang Ya trembled with rage. The Tang Sect was her faith, and Tang San was her god. Huo Yuhao's words were like someone digging up her ancestors' graves.
"Little brother, that's too much." Bei Bei's expression darkened, faint arcs of lightning flickering over his body. "You don't have to join us, but you can't insult the Tang Sect. Looks like I'll have to teach you some manners on behalf of your elders."
As he spoke, Bei Bei stepped forward and reached out with his dragon claw, intending to seize Huo Yuhao.
"Teach me a lesson? You think you're up to it?"
Huo Yuhao snapped his head up. His black eyes instantly transformed into ancient, mysterious Golden Eyes, and a terrifying pressure erupted from the depths of his soul!
"Get lost!"
As Huo Yuhao spat out the words, Bei Bei and Tang Ya felt a clap of thunder explode in their minds. A terror that rose from the depths of their souls seized their hearts.
Their bodies stiffened at once. Their gazes went blank, and even their Soul Power stopped flowing.
While the two of them were frozen, Huo Yuhao gave a cold snort, flashed away, and vanished.
A full three seconds later, Bei Bei finally came to his senses, drenched in sweat. His eyes were filled with shock. "Such terrifying mental strength... I think I just saw that his Soul Ring was purple!"
The Divine Realm, Sea God Hall.
Tang San, who had been watching the lower realm, instantly darkened his expression.
"Arrogant brat! How dare you slander the Tang Sect and the secret arts I left behind!"
Tang San gripped his trident so tightly that his hand turned white. He hadn't expected that the child of destiny born from Douluo Continent's ten thousand years of history would be such a traitor.
"Huo Yuhao, do you think you can escape my grasp? As long as you remain on Douluo Continent, you're destined to become my pawn!"
[Ping! Detected Sea God Tang San experiencing anger (This brat actually looks down on my legacy!). Anger Points +500.]
Huo Yuhao was traveling when he heard the system notification, and his mood lifted.
"Five hundred Anger Points. Looks like Father-in-law still needs to work on keeping his temper in check."
He'd originally planned to go to the Body Sect or the Sun Moon Empire, since either would be a better place for him to develop.
But then he reconsidered. How could he farm Tang San's Anger Points if he left Shrek? And how could he "look after" his dear daughter, Wang Dong?
The most dangerous place was the safest. Besides, stirring up trouble right under Tang San's nose—that was what made it exciting!
"System, I need a [Shrek Academy Admission Recommendation Letter]."
[Ping! Spent 100 Anger Points. Exchange successful. This recommendation letter was issued by the Shrek City Lord's Mansion and has a clean background. Please use it without worry.]
Two days later, Shrek Academy.
Thanks to the recommendation letter provided by the system, Huo Yuhao passed registration without a hitch. Unlike in the original story, he didn't need to use the Tang Sect's back door.
Freshman dormitory, Room 108.
Huo Yuhao gave the room a quick tidy, chose a bed by the window, and sat cross-legged to begin cultivating.
By evening, the setting sun cast its fading light across the windowsill.
"Creak—"
The dormitory door opened. Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and saw a slender youth with exceptionally fair skin walk in.
The youth had short pink-blue hair, large, lively eyes, and long eyelashes like two little fans.
He wore a white school uniform and walked in with an air of pride.
Their eyes met.
Huo Yuhao's lips curved slightly into a "kind" smile.
"Hello, roommate."
Wang Dong looked at the unsettlingly grinning fellow in front of him. For some reason, a chill suddenly ran up his spine.
Before you continue