As soon as Huo Yuhao stepped inside, he could tell the place was different. Most of the goods were Soul Tools, though their functions were rather outdated. To Huo Yuhao, they were all antiques, like the books.
There was only one person in the shop, a middle-aged man who was presumably the owner. He was lying in a rocking chair, swaying back and forth as it creaked.
As for his appearance... How to put it? The only words Huo Yuhao could think of were "old fox."
He casually surveyed the wares. His gaze paused for a moment on a crystal the size of a human head, then he looked away expressionlessly.
"Boss, how much is this?" Huo Yuhao casually picked up an item and asked.
"One hundred Gold Soul Coins."
The owner didn't even look up, answering lazily.
Xiao Wu was stunned. She looked at the ordinary handicraft in Huo Yuhao's hand.
"This is a scam! Why don't you just rob people?!"
"Everything in my shop starts at one hundred Gold Soul Coins. If you don't want it, you can leave." The middle-aged owner opened his eyes and glanced at Xiao Wu.
Huo Yuhao gently shook his head at Xiao Wu. After setting down the handicraft, he picked up another Soul Tool. It was long and cylindrical, with glass in the middle.
"Boss, how much for this one?"
Huo Yuhao raised the Telescope Soul Tool in his hand.
"One hundred Gold Soul Coins."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, then pointed at the head-sized crystal. "Is that one also one hundred Gold Soul Coins?"
"Yes."
"I'll take both. Two hundred Gold Soul Coins in total."
As he spoke, he quickly paid while Xiao Wu stared at him in a daze, then took the two items and led her out of the shop.
"Heh, clever kid."
Only then did the middle-aged man realize he'd been played. He shook his head with an amused smile, not taking it to heart, and closed his eyes again. The creaking resumed throughout the shop.
They had barely taken a couple of steps outside when Xiao Wu couldn't hold back any longer.
"Yuhao, why'd you buy these two pieces of junk? And for two hundred Gold Soul Coins!"
Her voice was full of anguish, as if she'd lost her life savings.
"Heh, that yellow, muddy lump inside the crystal is a rare Crystal Plate. I can use it to make a Soul Tool. We really struck gold this time."
When Xiao Wu heard that they'd struck gold, she immediately perked up. She didn't care whether it was rare; she was happy as long as they'd gotten a bargain.
The two didn't go shopping again. Huo Yuhao led Xiao Wu back to the hotel.
As soon as Huo Yuhao entered the room, he quickly shut the door and drew the curtains. The room immediately grew dim.
"???"
Xiao Wu's heart started racing. Hadn't he said they were going to look at a treasure? What was he doing?
Before Xiao Wu could let her imagination run wild, Huo Yuhao took out the crystal. The tattoo of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion appeared on his back, and waves of icy air streamed from his body. The room's temperature dropped, and an awe-inspiring aura of a Ferocious Beast surged forth.
Crystalline ice formed over both of Huo Yuhao's hands. Then he suddenly exerted his strength.
In an instant, countless cracks spread across the crystal. Under Huo Yuhao's continued pressure, it finally gave way and shattered with a bang.
After brushing away the excess crystal, Huo Yuhao revealed the golden grains in his hand. They were about the size of grains of rice and glimmered faintly.
Curious, Xiao Wu pinched up one and examined it. "Is this the Crystal Plate you were talking about?"
"That's right. Try injecting it with Soul Power." Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded.
Watching the tiny gold grain turn into a needle as thin as a strand of hair, Xiao Wu exclaimed excitedly, "Wow! That's amazing. Looks like we really did strike gold."
"With these gold grains, even a simple glove would be dangerous. If you inject Soul Power the instant you land a hit, even a casual swipe could tear off a chunk of flesh."
Huo Yuhao briefly explained how it worked. Xiao Wu imagined the scene and couldn't help shuddering.
"Yuhao, you absolutely can't use this against me!"
"Of course. I'd never use it on one of our own."
Early the next morning, the three met in the hotel lobby. After a simple breakfast, they set off for Shrek Academy.
They left the city and headed south. Fields spread out along the roadside.
The boundless fields lifted all their spirits, and faint smiles appeared on their faces.
"There's a village up ahead. Let's go ask for directions."
Xiao Wu pointed ahead. Thanks to his Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao had already gotten a clear look at the village. He smiled and reminded them, "That's Shrek Academy."
"Huh?? It's this shabby?"
Xiao Wu and Tang San couldn't believe it, but they knew how sharp Huo Yuhao's eyes were. He had no reason to lie to them from so close by.
Tang San suggested helplessly, "Can't be helped. Let's go see what it's like."
As they got closer, the two saw a wooden archway and a battered plaque. They were both momentarily dumbstruck.
"You were right... Is this even an academy? It's not as nice as Notting Academy."
Huo Yuhao's words from when they'd first entered the city still rang in their ears.
"This is practically a scam..." Xiao Wu said with a long face.
Though the academy was shabby, plenty of people had come to apply because of its reputation. The three joined the end of the line.
They heard the parents and children ahead of them grumbling about the dilapidated school. Xiao Wu kept nodding along beside them. They were voicing exactly what the three of them were thinking.
Huo Yuhao paid no attention to the crowd. He activated Spiritual Detection Sharing with the other two, and their attention soon shifted to the front of the line, where a table marked "Registration" stood.
They also saw the lazy old man take the money, reject an applicant, and refuse to give the fee back.
"..."
Xiao Wu was stunned. Even Notting Academy wasn't this brazen. This place was a den of bandits!
Huo Yuhao frowned too. He hadn't expected Shrek Academy to be like this at its founding, and he felt a little disappointed.
The child's father was about to demand justice when the old man waved his hand.
Dai Mubai, standing beside him, stepped forward like a lackey, acting as the enforcer. The swelling and bruises on his face had yet to fade completely.
Even though he showed off his three Soul Rings, the swelling and bruises greatly diminished the impact.
Even so, he was a bona fide Soul Elder. Under his threat, many people left the line, allowing the three to move forward much faster.
As more and more applicants failed to meet the requirements, the three learned Shrek's admission standards.
Applicants had to be under thirteen and have Soul Power of at least level twenty-one.
The Soul Power requirement alone was the graduation standard for intermediate Soul Master Academies.
Tang San remarked, "As expected of Monster Academy!"
It was almost their turn. Dai Mubai, standing beside the old man, caught sight of Huo Yuhao, and a flicker of alarm passed through his eyes.
He turned his head, pretending he hadn't seen the three.
The girl in white in front of them passed the preliminary test. Dai Mubai hurriedly took the opportunity to escort her into the school, avoiding an awkward encounter with Huo Yuhao.
At last, it was Tang San's turn.
Huo Yuhao, standing at the back, suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind. He turned around and saw a girl dressed in black.
She had a curvy figure and a cold expression. Her whole body radiated an aura that warned others to keep their distance.
An ancestor?
There was still some difference, but her figure and beautiful face already bore the faint outlines of what his ancestor had looked like in his previous life.
"Do you know me?"
The cold girl had caught Huo Yuhao's gaze, and confusion flickered in her eyes.
"No. Sorry, I mistook you for someone else..." Huo Yuhao shook his head. Suddenly, his arm hurt. He looked over and saw Xiao Wu pouting at him jealously.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and gave a wry smile.
Just then, Tang San paid thirty Gold Soul Coins and registered all three of them.
"All right, hold out your hands."
Once the three had held out their hands, the old man checked their bone age one by one.
When he examined Huo Yuhao's bone age, the old man abruptly opened his eyes and stared at him.
"Did I pass?"
The old man smacked his lips thoughtfully and waved a hand, murmuring, "What a little monster..."
His voice was quiet, but several people nearby still heard him.
Xiao Wu and Tang San didn't react. They were already used to it. Zhu Zhuqing, standing behind them, studied Huo Yuhao curiously.
She hadn't seen the old man so shocked by anyone else. This young man must be extraordinary...
"Next, release your Martial Souls."
Two Soul Rings rose beneath Tang San and Xiao Wu. The old man nodded, then turned to Huo Yuhao and his pupils contracted.
There were quite a few onlookers present. When Huo Yuhao's eyes turned gold and a black ring appeared, three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—slowly rose beneath him. The entire area fell silent. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
"This... If he passed the bone-age test, he can't be thirteen yet, right? What kind of monster is this??"