Huo Yuhao didn't answer. He gently set the token on a clean rock nearby, then turned his gaze to the ancient letter.
The letter's cover was made of ordinary kraft paper. Age had turned it yellow and brittle, and its edges showed slight wear and curling.
A piece of dark red sealing wax firmly sealed the flap. It bore no markings, but seemed to contain some special material. Despite the passage of time, it remained intact, with no sign of cracking or crumbling.
Huo Yuhao extended two fingers, gathering a barely perceptible trace of Soul Power at his fingertips, and gave the wax a gentle pinch.
"Crack."
With a faint snap, the dark red wax shattered and fell in tiny fragments.
He carefully unfolded the yellowed letter.
The paper was a little finer than the cover, but it too bore the marks of time. The ink had faded somewhat, yet the writing remained clear.
The words weren't printed, but handwritten in the standard script of the Douluo Continent. The strokes were steady and forceful, carrying the composure and formality of someone long accustomed to a position of authority.
Huo Yuhao quickly scanned the letter:
"Whoever finds this token shall know its worth."
This token is called the Shrek Token. One hundred and twenty years ago, Shrek Academy created and distributed it as a keepsake to repay outstanding heroes who had offered aid in the academy's hour of need, or made distinguished contributions to the Soul Master World.
The token was carved from seven rare metals by a Titled Douluo of the academy at the time. Only one hundred were made, each bearing a unique mark that cannot be replicated.
Whoever bears this token shall be regarded as Shrek Academy's honored guest and lifelong friend.
Their descendants, disciples, or designated representatives may present this token at Shrek Academy at any time and enjoy the following privileges:
One: Exemption from all entrance examinations.
Two: All ordinary admission requirements, including Soul Power Level, age, background, and letters of recommendation, shall be waived.
This token is not registered to a name. It recognizes the token, not the person. Whoever presents it, Shrek shall honor its promise.
—Seal of Shrek Academy
Note: This old man happened upon this token while exploring an ancient ruin. It must have been left behind after its original owner perished.
I have no wish to call in a favor, nor do I have any suitable descendants or disciples who might benefit from this opportunity.
It is useless to me, yet too precious to discard, so I have sealed it away here for someone destined to find it.
Should some talented person of a later generation discover it, I hope they will put it to good use.
—Left by an Unknown Author
The letter wasn't long, but it clearly explained the token's origins, purpose, and privileges.
In simple terms, it was a "super express pass" into Shrek Academy, one that bypassed every rule.
Yet after reading the letter, Huo Yuhao felt no joy or relief. Instead, a bone-deep chill rose within him, like the frigid winds of the Extreme North suddenly flooding his chest. Even his fingers stiffened around the paper.
He slowly raised his head. His gaze seemed to pierce the dense layers of treetops and turn toward the lofty, unfathomable sky, as if it concealed endless schemes. A colossal wave surged silently through his heart:
"Brilliant, Tang San... Brilliant, Sea God..."
In his previous life, when he obtained this Soul Guidance Ring, it hadn't contained this token or the letter!
If he'd had this Shrek Token back then, why would he have struggled to survive on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, cultivating alone for half a year before breaking through to level twenty?
He could have gone straight to Shrek Academy and begun his cultivation under the best possible conditions!
Then there was the so-called "original plot" in Wang Teng's memories. In that arranged "script," he had gladly accepted Tang Ya's invitation to join the Tang Sect, then "naturally" entered Shrek Academy through the Tang Sect's quota as a "specially admitted student." That was how his fated meeting with Tang Wutong began, along with their growing closeness—and his gradual loss of control over his own life.
Now, he had directly and decisively refused Tang Ya's invitation, cutting off the "usual script" route into Shrek through the Tang Sect.
And with only level twelve Soul Power and no letter of recommendation from a city lord, by all ordinary standards he was completely barred from Shrek Academy's gates. He had entirely broken away from that predetermined path of fate.
So where had this Shrek Token come from—one that had "conveniently" appeared in a corner he'd never found in his previous life, at just the "right" moment, with a function that "perfectly" compensated for his current "shortcomings"?
The answer was almost obvious: this was very likely a "contingency measure" or "new bait" that the lofty Sea God Tang San had "temporarily" dropped into the ring the instant he noticed the "script" going awry and his "pawn" about to leave the board, using some unfathomable means!
The goal was to pull this "disobedient" pawn back onto the predetermined board, steering him toward Shrek Academy—and toward the carefully prepared, tender trap called "Tang Wutong"!
Once he understood this, Huo Yuhao's fingers tightened around the token until his knuckles turned faintly white.
Its cold touch now seemed to carry a serpent's clammy, venomous chill.
There seemed to be only two paths before him:
First, obey Tang San's arrangements, take the token, and go to Shrek Academy "of his own free will," stepping back into that carefully woven net of fate.
Second, ignore it, toss the token aside as worthless, and keep to the path he'd planned—a road of revenge and strength independent of Shrek and the Tang Sect.
Yet Huo Yuhao dismissed the second path almost at once.
Given what he knew of Tang San's character and methods, if he ignored the token now, kept doing as he pleased, and broke entirely free of his control... then he would no longer be merely a "pawn in need of guidance." He would immediately become an "anomaly that had to be eliminated"!
And then, he feared, he would face not subtle "guidance" and "arrangements," but something far more direct and brutal: "elimination."
Just as in his previous life, when he had condensed a Demi-God Position and was besieged by Niu Tian, Tai Tan, and the Great Enshrined of Sea God Island—only this time it might come sooner and hit harder!
With his current paltry dozen or so levels of Soul Power, he would have no chance of surviving the attention of that level of "divine will."
"So... it looks like I have a choice, but there's really only one path." Huo Yuhao sneered inwardly. The cold smile never reached his eyes; instead, his gaze grew even more inscrutable. "I have to go to Shrek Academy... at least, on the surface, I have to 'give him what he wants.'"
But Huo Yuhao wasn't the sort to let others pull his strings.
If he had no choice but to go, then he would find his own rhythm within that "no choice" and plant his own seeds for the future!
A bold, audacious plan quickly took shape in his mind.
"If I can get in... I can naturally 'drop out' too." Huo Yuhao's gaze returned to the Shrek Token in his hand, sharp as a blade. "With the 'talent' I'm 'showing' now, getting into Shrek might be possible. But getting 'disciplined' out—or even 'expelled'—in a way that 'follows the rules' isn't impossible either."
He would put on a show for Tang San.
A performance in which he was "reasonably talented but rebellious and hard to manage, until Shrek finally gave up on him."
He would use his time at Shrek to secure some early resources, while subtly "revealing" a few "problems," such as being "incompatible" with the academy's principles... and then leave Shrek in a relatively "reasonable" manner.
That way, he would have "obeyed" Tang San's "arrangements" to some extent, avoiding being immediately wiped out as an "anomaly," while buying himself time and early resources for his later independent actions.
More importantly...
A cold glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. There was another enemy from his previous life at Shrek Academy—Dai Huabin!
The legitimate son of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, who had indirectly caused his mother's death and regarded them as less than dirt!
In his previous life, Huo Yuhao had avenged himself, and the White Tiger Duke Mansion had been razed to the ground. Dai Huabin had naturally met his end as well.
But in this life, his enemy was still alive—and currently "furthering his studies" at Shrek Academy.
"Dai Huabin..."
Huo Yuhao whispered the name, murderous intent churning silently in his chest.
Going to Shrek might give him the chance to deliver the destruction this enemy deserved—early.
Before you continue