Huo Yuhao: Since You Want to Play, I'll Play Along

Huo Yuhao did not answer. He placed the token gently onto a clean rock nearby and turned his gaze toward the ancient letter.

The envelope was made of ordinary parchment, yellowed and brittle from the passage of time, its edges slightly frayed and curled.

At the seal, a piece of dark red beeswax held it firmly shut. There were no markings on it, but the wax itself seemed to be infused with some special material; it remained intact after all these years, showing no signs of cracking or crumbling.

Huo Yuhao extended two fingers, condensed a trace of imperceptible soul power at his fingertips, and gave it a light pinch.

"Click."

With a soft sound, the dark red beeswax shattered, falling away as fine dust.

He carefully unfolded the yellowed letter paper.

The texture of the paper was slightly better than the envelope, yet it too bore the marks of time. The ink had faded somewhat, but it remained clearly legible.

The writing on the letter was not printed but handwritten in the standard script of the Douluo Continent. The penmanship was steady and powerful, carrying the composure and orderliness of one accustomed to holding a high position.

Huo Yuhao quickly scanned the contents of the letter:

"Whoever obtains this token shall recognize its value."

This token is named the 'Shrek Token.' It was specially crafted and distributed one hundred and twenty years ago by Shrek Academy to reward heroes who provided righteous assistance during the academy's times of crisis or who made outstanding contributions to the soul master world of the continent.

The token was carved from seven rare metals by a Titled Douluo within the academy at that time. A total of one hundred were made, each bearing a unique mark, making them impossible to forge.

The bearer of this token is regarded as an honored guest and a permanent friend of Shrek Academy.

Their descendants, disciples, or designated individuals may use this token to travel to Shrek Academy at any time and enjoy the following privileges:

First, exemption from all entrance examinations.

Second, disregard for all conventional enrollment requirements, including soul power level, age, background, and letters of recommendation.

This token is non-transferable by name; the token is recognized, not the person. Whoever arrives with the token, Shrek shall honor its promise.

--Seal of Shrek Academy

Note: I obtained this token by chance while exploring an ancient ruin; it was likely left behind after the original owner perished.

I have no intention of seeking repayment for favors, nor do I have a suitable descendant or disciple in need of this opportunity.

It is useless to keep and a pity to discard, so I have sealed it here, leaving it for those destined to find it.

If a talented individual of later generations obtains it, I hope they use it well.

--Left by an Anonymous Person

The letter was not long, yet it clearly explained the origin, purpose, and privileges of the token.

Simply put, this was a "super express ticket" to Shrek Academy that bypassed all rules.

However, after reading the letter, the emotion that rose in Huo Yuhao's heart was not even a shred of joy or relief. Instead, it was a bone-chilling cold, as if the freezing winds of the Extreme North had instantly flooded his chest, causing the fingers holding the letter to stiffen slightly.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of dense tree crowns, casting toward the high and unfathomable firmament that seemed to hide endless schemes. A monstrous wave surged silently in his heart:

What a Tang San... what a Sea God...

In his previous life, when he obtained this storage soul tool ring, there was absolutely no such token or letter inside!

If he had possessed this "Shrek Token" back then, why would he have needed to struggle for survival on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, cultivating alone for half a year just to break through to level twenty?

He could have gone directly to Shrek Academy and begun his path of cultivation with the most favorable conditions!

Connecting this to the so-called "original plot" in Wang Teng's memories—in that orchestrated "script," he had gladly accepted Tang Ya's invitation to join the Tang Sect, then "logically" entered Shrek Academy as a "special recruit" through the Tang Sect's quota, thereby initiating the fate of meeting Tang Wutong, getting to know her, and being controlled step by step.

Now, he had directly and decisively rejected Tang Ya's invitation, completely severing the "conventional script" path of entering Shrek through the Tang Sect.

At the same time, he only had level twelve soul power and no city lord's recommendation letter. By all logic, he should have been completely excluded from the gates of Shrek Academy, entirely deviating from that pre-set track of fate.

So, where did this Shrek Token come from—a token that "happened" to appear in a corner he hadn't discovered in his previous life, at a "perfect" moment, with functions that "perfectly" compensated for his current "defects"?

The answer was almost self-evident—it was highly likely that the high and mighty Sea God Tang San, upon sensing that the "script" had deviated and the "chess piece" was about to go off-track, had used some incredible means to "temporarily" drop this into the ring's space as a "remedial measure" or a "new bait"!

The goal was to lure him, this "disobedient" chess piece, back onto the established chessboard, toward Shrek Academy, and toward that long-prepared, gentle trap named "Tang Wutong"!

Realizing this, Huo Yuhao's knuckles turned white from the force of his grip on the token.

The cold touch now seemed to carry the venomous chill and stickiness of a snake.

There seemed to be only two paths before him:

First, to submit to Tang San's arrangements, take this token, and "willingly" head to Shrek Academy, stepping back into that meticulously woven web of fate.

Second, to turn a blind eye to it, discard the token like worn-out shoes, and continue on the path of revenge and self-strengthening he had planned for himself, independent of Shrek and the Tang Sect.

However, Huo Yuhao rejected the second path almost instantly.

Given his understanding of Tang San's character and methods, if he chose to ignore this token now and continue to act on his own, completely escaping control... then he would no longer be just a "chess piece in need of guidance," but would immediately be upgraded to a "variable that must be eliminated."

At that point, what would await him would likely no longer be this subtle "guidance" and "arrangement," but a more direct, more violent "elimination."

Just like the siege he faced from Niu Tian, Titan, and the Great High Priest of Sea God Island after he condensed his semi-god throne in his previous life—it might even be faster and more ruthless!

With his current soul power of a mere dozen levels, there was no possibility of survival under that level of "divine intent" targeting him.

"So... it seems I have a choice, but in reality, there is only one path to take." Huo Yuhao sneered in his heart, though the cold mirth did not reach his eyes, instead making his gaze even deeper and more inscrutable. "I must go to Shrek Academy... at least, on the surface, I must do 'as he wishes'."

But, was he, Huo Yuhao, the type of person to be led by the nose?

Since I have to go, I will set my own pace and lay my own groundwork within this "have to"!

A bold and crazy plan began to take shape rapidly in his heart.

"If I can join... I can also 'drop out'." Huo Yuhao's gaze fell back to the Shrek Token in his hand, his eyes sharp as knives. "With the 'talent' I've 'shown' so far, entering Shrek might be possible, but to be 'advised to withdraw' or even 'expelled' by Shrek according to the 'rules'... it's not impossible."

He wanted to put on a show for Tang San.

A play of "talent that's passable but unruly, difficult to manage, and ultimately abandoned by Shrek."

He wanted to use his time at Shrek to reasonably acquire initial resources, while cleverly "exposing" some "problems," such as being "incompatible" with the academy's philosophy... ultimately, leaving Shrek in a relatively "reasonable" manner.

This way, he would have "complied" with Tang San's "arrangement" to a certain extent, avoiding immediate elimination as a "variable," and also gaining time and initial resources for his subsequent independent actions.

More importantly...

A cold glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. At Shrek Academy, there was still an enemy from his past life—Dai Huabin!

The direct heir who had indirectly caused his mother's death in the White Tiger Duke Mansion, who treated them like dirt!

In his past life, his great revenge was achieved, the White Tiger Duke Mansion was reduced to ashes, and Dai Huabin naturally could not escape death.

But in this life, the enemy was still alive and was "deepening his studies" at Shrek Academy.

"Dai Huabin..."

Huo Yuhao whispered the name, killing intent churning silently in his chest.

Going to Shrek might also provide an opportunity to deliver the destruction this enemy deserved ahead of time.