The Depressed Huo Yuhao

The majority of the Star Dou Great Forest lies within the borders of the Star Luo Empire, with only a small portion in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Shrek Academy is located to the northwest of the Star Dou Great Forest, not particularly far from it.

The reason Tang Ya and Bei Bei entered from the south was that powerful soul beasts are relatively fewer in that direction.

It is also safer.

Therefore, after leaving the Star Dou Great Forest from the south, they needed to circle around the entire forest to return to Shrek Academy.

During this period, the two of them traveled with Huo Yuhao, spending their days on the road and their nights meditating to increase their soul power.

Huo Yuhao did the same.

He should have been happy to be able to enter Shrek Academy, known as the best on the continent.

Yet, after several days of traveling, he found himself unable to feel happy at all.

This was because he discovered that although Bei Bei and Tang Ya had accepted him into the Tang Sect, they didn't include him in anything.

They had promised that once he joined the Tang Sect, he could learn the Tang Sect's unique skills.

As it turned out, they were only concerned with their own cultivation.

They didn't include him when practicing the Mysterious Heaven Skill at night, nor did they include him when practicing the Purple Demon Eye in the morning.

Huo Yuhao didn't feel comfortable asking them about it directly.

Furthermore, Huo Yuhao noticed that ever since Feng Piaoling had called him an ungrateful wretch that day, Bei Bei and Tang Ya were no longer as kind to him.

It wasn't quite alienation, but the looks they cast his way were always tinged with scrutiny.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm comforted him: "Alright, little Yuhao, it is only natural for them to act this way after listening to that cunning brat's instigation. Don't take it to heart; try to look at things more positively."

"As long as you continue to be yourself, Tang Ya and Bei Bei will surely let go of their misgivings and teach you the Tang Sect's unique skills."

"You must obtain these things. After all, they were left behind by the Sea God Tang San ten thousand years ago. Even if they are somewhat incomplete as that Feng Piaoling claimed, they will still be of great help to you."

"As for that Feng Piaoling, he is definitely finished by now, so why bother fussing over a dead man?"

Huo Yuhao nodded heavily. Barring any accidents, that guy Feng Piaoling was already dead in some unknown corner; there was indeed no need for him to hold a grudge against a corpse.

Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but look back in the direction he had come from, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief in his heart.

At this moment, they were not far from Shrek City, where Shrek Academy is located.

They would arrive in at most an hour.

According to Tang Ya and Bei Bei, today happened to be the day for Shrek's enrollment, with the new school year officially beginning in three days.

If they missed today, he would have to wait until next year to apply for Shrek Academy.

Feng Piaoling was already over eleven years old, and the enrollment age for Shrek cannot exceed twelve.

In other words, if he missed today, Feng Piaoling would never be able to join Shrek Academy again.

Thinking that his rival had fallen, Huo Yuhao's mood became increasingly pleasant, and he even felt much more cheerful.

Walking in front, Bei Bei and Tang Ya watched Huo Yuhao giggling to himself behind them. After exchanging a glance, they frowned in unison, wondering what he was thinking.

Shrek Academy is located in Shrek City, at the intersection of the Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling empires.

Shrek City has four gates: east, west, south, and north. The east gate is exclusive to Shrek Academy, accessible only to those from the academy, while the other three gates are open for the free movement of pedestrians.

An hour later, the three of them finally arrived at Shrek City.

Under the guidance of Bei Bei and Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao arrived at the east gate.

At this moment, the area outside the east gate was even livelier than inside the city, with at least five or six thousand people gathered. Numerous merchants, seizing the opportunity of Shrek Academy's new student enrollment day, had already swarmed to the scene.

After passing a crowd of stalls and nearing the east gate, Tang Ya whispered a few words into Bei Bei's ear. Bei Bei suddenly turned around and said to Huo Yuhao:

"Junior Brother Huo, we have now arrived at Shrek Academy. Teacher Xiao Ya and I have discussed it and decided to officially begin teaching you the Tang Sect's unique skills starting tomorrow."

This was a result of necessity.

In the past, it didn't matter; because they were short on money, Tang Ya would sell the Tang Sect's exemption quotas every year.

Whether those people passed the assessment to remain in the academy after three months or were eliminated and expelled, it had nothing to do with their Tang Sect.

But now, Huo Yuhao was, after all, a member of their Tang Sect.

Although he had a history of betrayal, if he were truly eliminated because he couldn't pass the new student exam, it would be their Tang Sect that lost face.

Considering this, they had no choice but to teach the Tang Sect's unique skills to Huo Yuhao.

Of course, they would certainly hold something back.

For example, they only planned to teach him the first three layers of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, which was the highest level Huo Yuhao could currently cultivate.

This would ensure that Huo Yuhao wouldn't harbor resentment while still allowing them to guard against him.

As for the most important hidden weapons, they decided not to teach them at all.

Everything would have to wait until Huo Yuhao passed the freshman assessment.

Huo Yuhao was unaware of the plans Bei Bei and Tang Ya had made. Upon learning that he could finally cultivate the secret techniques of the Tang Sect, an excited smile immediately bloomed on his face.

Just as he intended to follow Bei Bei and Tang Ya into Shrek Academy, a commotion suddenly erupted in the bustling market behind them.

This was followed by the gasps of awe from the girls arriving for registration and the disgruntled murmurs of the boys.

"Wow, look at him! That boy is so handsome. Is he here to register for the Shrek freshman entrance exam too?"

"Hmph, what's so great about him? Isn't he just a pretty boy? If he wants to get into Shrek Academy, he'll have to prove himself with real strength in the end."

The three of them turned around instinctively to see an eleven or twelve-year-old boy with incredibly handsome features walking toward them.

He wore a simple, slim-fitting cyan robe, his long hair cascading like a waterfall. His eyes were pure, jet-black pupils without a hint of impurity, and his high, refined nose complemented his flawless facial features perfectly.

Wherever he passed, everyone from the fifty or sixty-year-old street vendors to the eleven-year-old freshmen registering for Shrek Academy was drawn to him.

Almost every woman had hearts in her eyes, while the men all wore expressions of displeasure; those without female companions were fine, but those with them felt, quite invisibly, as if a green hat had been placed upon their heads.

If it weren't for the fact that fighting was forbidden at Shrek Academy, they would have been so infuriated that they would have surely attacked him.

After all, who could blame them when the guy was born with such a punchable—yet girl-attracting—face?

Even Tang Ya was stunned, nodding subconsciously as she murmured in a low voice with a faint blush on her pretty face, "This annoying guy seems to have become even more handsome after absorbing his soul ring."

The 'annoying guy' in Tang Ya's mouth was none other than Feng Piaoling.

After consolidating his cultivation, he had taken a bath, changed his clothes, and rushed here at top speed.

He hadn't arrived too late, nor too early.

He arrived just as it was nearing noon on the second day.

Everyone else was arriving around this time as well; even if they were early, they wouldn't be by much.

Seeing Feng Piaoling, Bei Bei did not look surprised, but because of the words Feng Piaoling had spoken in the Star Dou Great Forest insulting their Tang Sect ancestors, coupled with the fact that he made Tang Ya act like a lovesick girl, he instinctively felt a sense of resistance and hostility toward him.