Dao Tian Jue, Revisiting the Old Place!

With his mind made up, Huo Yuhao no longer hesitated.

He carefully stowed away the Shrek Token and the letter, then meticulously inventoried the other resources within his ring space, especially the Mystic Water Pills and Soul Ascension Pills that were crucial for his current stage.

Afterward, he identified his bearings and set off with firm, steady strides toward the location of Shrek Academy.

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

Shrek Academy is situated to the northwest of the Star Dou Great Forest; geographically speaking, the straight-line distance between the two is not outrageously far.

However, a straight line often implies the most dangerous path.

The depths of the Star Dou Great Forest directly facing Shrek Academy constitute the core region where the power of soul beasts is at its peak; ten-thousand-year soul beasts are everywhere, and terrifying hundred-thousand-year existences are by no means mere legends.

With Huo Yuhao's current soul power of only a dozen levels or so, daring to cross that region directly would be no different from seeking his own death.

Therefore, he had to take a detour.

This detour added nearly a thousand miles to his long journey. Huo Yuhao traveled along the boundary between the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest and human settlements, choosing relatively safe paths and traveling day and night.

He drank mountain spring water when thirsty, ate dry rations or hunted small beasts when hungry, and sought out hidden spots at night to rest and cultivate.

Sleeping in the open and trekking across mountains and rivers—for an eleven-year-old boy, the hardships were beyond words.

Yet, Huo Yuhao's face remained masked in a near-indifferent calm; having already experienced such things in his past life, he felt nothing of it now.

During these two or three days on the road, Huo Yuhao raced against time, never slacking for a single moment.

He was not practicing any meditation technique circulating on the Douluo Continent, but rather a top-tier cultivation method he had created himself after unifying the continent in his past life—a technique born from exhausting his heart and soul, gathering the strengths of a hundred schools, and fusing his profound understanding of the Heavenly Dao and the essence of soul power.

He named this technique the Dao Heaven Technique.

"The Dao follows nature; Heaven and man are one."

These eight words of truth were the core essence of this technique.

It treats the practitioner's own body as an independent and complete small world, using the technique to guide the opening of hidden acupoints within the body and connecting the eight extraordinary meridians and subtle vessels. This allows soul power to circulate within the body like the movement of celestial bodies, looping endlessly, self-perpetuating, and forming its own universe.

The profound mystery of the Dao Heaven Technique lies in its three core effects:

First, cleansing the marrow and cutting the hair to reshape the foundation.

At the start of cultivation, it can gently and thoroughly expel impurities, toxins, and hidden injuries accumulated in the body over many years, gradually steering the physique toward a pure, unblemished "Innate Body" that is close to the nature of heaven and earth.

This not only significantly improves physical fitness, reaction speed, and recovery ability but also lays the most solid foundation for every future breakthrough.

Second, refining soul power, where quality triumphs over quantity.

The soul power cultivated through the Dao Heaven Technique far surpasses that of soul masters of the same level practicing ordinary meditation techniques in terms of purity, condensation, and compatibility with the self.

Often, a single portion of soul power from the Dao Heaven Technique contains enough energy and explosive force to equal several portions of a regular soul master's soul power.

This means that in battles against opponents of the same level, his soul power will be more enduring and his bursts more powerful.

Third, nourishing the origin to defy the heavens and change one's fate.

This is the most heaven-defying aspect of the Dao Heaven Technique.

Long-term practice of this method allows soul power and spiritual power to naturally nourish and moisten the practitioner's life origin and soul origin, slowly and continuously raising their Innate Soul Power level from the very root!

Although this process is extremely slow and requires years of accumulation, it truly provides those with poor talent a way to make up for their shortcomings and catch up—it is a technique that defies the heavens and changes fate!

On the road, Huo Yuhao practiced the Dao Heaven Technique whenever he had a spare moment.

In just two or three days, the technique had already shown initial results.

His skin, which had appeared sallow due to long-term malnutrition, now revealed a healthy, fair luster. The slight impurities deposited in his body had been quietly expelled, and his entire being radiated a fresh and clear temperament from the inside out.

Although his frame remained thin, that composure and tenacity beyond his years, coupled with the refreshing feeling brought by this initial marrow-cleansing, made him stand out even when walking among crowds.

On this day, as Huo Yuhao followed a main road out of a dense forest, the view before him suddenly opened up.

A vast, boundless plain unfolded before him, and in the east-central part of the plain, a towering, majestic city crouched upon the earth like a sleeping ancient beast.

The city walls were high and continuous; even from a great distance, one could feel their imposing momentum and the weight of history.

Shrek City! One of the top super-cities on the continent, a holy land for soul masters and a commercial hub home to over two million people!

Shrek Academy is not located in the city center but occupies the eastern region of the city, as this side faces the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest, making it convenient for students to train while also shouldering certain early-warning and defense responsibilities.

Shrek City is connected by wide main roads to the southeast, west, and north, making it a hub of convenient transportation.

Not only is this the location of Shrek Academy, but it is also the most important commercial hub at the intersection of the three original empires of the Douluo Continent.

Because of Shrek Academy's transcendent status and powerful deterrent force, Shrek City enjoys excellent public order, fair trade, and an outstanding reputation. Consequently, merchants from the three empires often choose this place for large-scale cross-border transactions, and over time, it has become a golden land where wealth and opportunity converge.

The south, west, and north gates of Shrek City are open to all merchants and citizens; only the east gate is exclusive to Shrek Academy, and ordinary people are not permitted to enter or exit at will.

Huo Yuhao did not linger outside the city and walked straight toward the east gate.

In his past life, when he led the Sun Moon army to flatten Shrek, he had personally stepped on, inspected, and even destroyed every inch of land, every building, and every gate of this academy.

Returning to this place now, everything was so familiar, even carrying a trace of cold irony.

Before he even approached the east gate, a bustling, lively atmosphere rushed toward him. More than five thousand people were gathered outside the city gate, a sea of heads moving and jostling against one another.

A large number of shrewd merchants had long since caught wind of the event and set up all kinds of stalls here; the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and children's laughter mingled together to form a noisy, vibrant wave of sound.

Many young soul masters, either accompanied by elders or arriving in groups, had faces filled with excitement, anticipation, or nervousness—clearly, most of them were preparing to apply to Shrek Academy or were accompanying those who were.

At the east gate, over a dozen young men and women dressed in yellow athletic wear were responsible for maintaining order and conducting inspections. Embroidered on their chests was a complex green emblem, the standard uniform for second and third-year students of the Shrek Academy Outer Court.

These students each wore solemn expressions, their gazes sharp and their movements efficient, intangibly radiating the confidence and pride belonging to the elites of Shrek Academy.

As Huo Yuhao wove through the crowd and approached the gate, a male student with a refined face and steady eyes immediately stepped forward, raising a hand to block his path. He spoke in a clear, routine tone: "Little brother, please hold. This is a restricted passage for Shrek Academy; may I ask what your business is here?"

His gaze swept quickly over Huo Yuhao. Although Huo Yuhao's attire was simple, that unique temperament and the calmness in his eyes prevented the student from showing even a hint of contempt.

Huo Yuhao stopped in his tracks, lifted his eyes to look at the student, and replied in a steady, clear voice: "I am here to enroll in Shrek Academy."