With his mind made up, Huo Yuhao no longer hesitated.
He carefully put away the Shrek Token and the letter, then thoroughly checked the other resources in his ring space, especially the Mystic Water Pills and Soul Ascension Pills that were crucial at this stage.
After determining his direction, he set off with firm steps toward Shrek Academy.
Most of the Star Dou Great Forest lay within the Star Luo Empire, with only a small portion extending into the Heaven Dou Empire.
Shrek Academy, meanwhile, stood northwest of the Star Dou Great Forest. Geographically, the straight-line distance between them wasn't all that great.
But a straight line often meant the most dangerous route.
The depths of the Star Dou Great Forest directly facing Shrek Academy contained the most powerful Soul Beasts. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were everywhere, and terrifying beings at the hundred-thousand-year level were no mere legend.
With Huo Yuhao's Soul Power barely in the teens, heading straight through that region would be no different from courting death.
So he had to take a detour.
That detour turned into a long journey of nearly a thousand li. Huo Yuhao traveled along the border between the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest and human settlements, choosing the safer routes and pressing on day and night.
He drank from mountain springs, ate dry rations or hunted small animals when hungry, and found secluded spots to rest and cultivate at night.
He braved the elements and crossed mountains and rivers. For a boy of only eleven, the hardships were beyond words.
Yet Huo Yuhao's face remained calm, almost indifferent. He had already experienced all this in his previous life, so it naturally meant little to him now.
During those two or three days on the road, Huo Yuhao seized every second and never let up.
The cultivation method he practiced was not any meditation technique known on the Douluo Continent. In his previous life, after unifying the continent, he had poured countless hours into drawing on the strengths of many schools and combining them with his profound understanding of the Heavenly Dao and the essence of Soul Power. In the end, he had created a supreme cultivation art of his own.
He had named it the Dao Heaven Technique.
"The Dao follows nature; heaven and man are one."
These eight words were the very heart of the technique.
It treated the cultivator as a self-contained, complete little world. Guided by the technique, the cultivator opened hidden acupoints within the body and linked the extraordinary meridians with the finer channels, allowing Soul Power to circulate like the stars moving through the heavens—revolving without end, sustaining itself, a universe unto itself.
The Dao Heaven Technique had three profound core effects:
First, it cleansed the marrow and purged the body, rebuilding the foundation.
From the very beginning, it gently yet thoroughly expelled years of accumulated impurities, toxins, and hidden injuries from the body, gradually bringing the cultivator's physique closer to a pure, unblemished "innate body," in harmony with nature.
This greatly improved physical strength, reaction speed, and recovery, while laying the firmest possible foundation for every breakthrough to come.
Second, it refined Soul Power, favoring quality over quantity.
The Soul Power cultivated through the Dao Heaven Technique surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same level who practiced ordinary meditation techniques in purity, density, and compatibility with the cultivator.
A single measure of Soul Power cultivated through the Dao Heaven Technique often contained enough energy and explosive force to equal several measures of an ordinary Soul Master's Soul Power.
This meant that in battles at the same level, his Soul Power would last longer and strike with far greater force.
Third, it nourished the source and defied fate.
This was the most heaven-defying aspect of the Dao Heaven Technique.
With long-term practice, Soul Power and spiritual power would naturally nourish and strengthen the cultivator's life source and soul source, gradually and continuously raising his Innate Soul Power from its very roots!
Though the process was extremely slow and required years of accumulation, it truly offered those with poor talent a way to make up for their shortcomings and catch up—a technique that could defy fate itself!
Whenever he had a spare moment on the road, Huo Yuhao circulated the Dao Heaven Technique.
In just two or three days, the technique had already begun to show results.
His skin, once sallow from long-term malnutrition, now glowed with a healthy fairness. The slight impurities accumulated in his body were quietly expelled, and a fresh, clear air seemed to radiate from him.
Though he was still thin, his calm resolve—far beyond his years—combined with the freshness brought on by the initial cleansing made him stand out from the crowd.
That day, Huo Yuhao followed a main road out of a dense forest, and the view suddenly opened up before him.
A vast, boundless plain stretched out before him. Near its eastern center stood a towering, imposing city, crouched upon the earth like a slumbering ancient beast.
Its walls rose high and stretched on without end. Even from a great distance, he could feel their immense presence and the weight of history.
Shrek City! One of the greatest cities on the continent, a sacred land for Soul Masters and a commercial hub with a population of over two million!
Shrek Academy did not stand in the city center. Instead, it occupied the eastern district, which faced the Star Dou Great Forest. This made it convenient for students to gain experience while also allowing the academy to serve as a lookout and defensive bulwark.
Broad roads connected Shrek City to every direction, making it easy to travel in and out.
The city was not only home to Shrek Academy; it was also the most important commercial hub at the junction of the three former empires of the Douluo Continent.
Thanks to Shrek Academy's extraordinary status and formidable deterrence, Shrek City enjoyed excellent public order, fair trade, and an impeccable reputation. Merchants from all three empires often chose it for major cross-border deals. Over time, it had become a golden land where wealth and opportunity converged.
The city's southern, western, and northern gates were open to all merchants and civilians. Only the eastern gate belonged exclusively to Shrek Academy, and ordinary people were not permitted to pass through freely.
Huo Yuhao did not linger outside the city. He headed straight for the eastern gate.
In his previous life, when he had led the Sun Moon Army in razing Shrek, he had personally set foot on every inch of the academy's grounds, inspected every building and every gate, and even destroyed them.
Now that he had returned to this old haunt, everything felt so familiar—and carried a faint, icy sting of irony.
Before he even reached the eastern gate, the bustle of the place washed over him. More than five thousand people had gathered outside, packed shoulder to shoulder.
Sharp-eyed vendors had already set up all kinds of stalls, hawking their wares. Calls to customers, haggling, and children's laughter mingled into a noisy, lively roar.
Many young Soul Masters had come with their elders or in groups, their faces bright with excitement, anticipation, or nerves. Clearly, most were there to apply to Shrek Academy or accompany someone who was.
At the eastern gate, more than a dozen young men and women in yellow uniforms were keeping order and checking visitors. A complex green emblem was embroidered on their chests—the standard uniform of second- and third-year students in Shrek Academy's Outer Courtyard.
The students all looked solemn, their eyes sharp and movements crisp. They gave off the unmistakable air of Shrek elites, brimming with confidence and pride.
As Huo Yuhao made his way through the crowd toward the gate, a well-featured male student with a steady gaze immediately stepped forward and raised a hand to stop him. He began in a clear, bright voice, following routine procedure: "Young man, please wait. This is a special passage for Shrek Academy. May I ask what you're here for?"
His eyes quickly swept over Huo Yuhao. Though Huo Yuhao's clothes were plain, his distinctive bearing and calm gaze kept the student from showing him the slightest disdain.
Huo Yuhao stopped and looked up at the student. His voice was steady and clear. "I'm here to apply to Shrek Academy."
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