Sea God Pavilion Meeting

Huo Yuhao picked up the Elucidator from his bed, drew it from its scabbard, and examined the matte black blade.

It really is a fine sword, but am I even suited for sword combat right now? More importantly, I don't know any swordsmanship.

And what is this [Douluo World] all about? I've never heard of current soul tool technology being capable of this. Uncle Baili is truly incredible; I have no idea how he managed it...

Feeling somewhat troubled, he slid the sword back into its scabbard. Huo Yuhao stopped procrastinating, sat cross-legged, and prepared to meditate.

At level 36, he was a Soul Grandmaster—neither high nor low—but he had no intention of lingering at this stage for long. Although it was unrealistic for an Ultimate Martial Soul to gain four levels of soul power in a year, he still wanted to strive for it, aiming to reach at least level 38 before the break.

Shrek Academy, Sea God Island.

At the heart of Sea God Island stood a massive wooden house built against the Golden Tree. This was the core of the island, the core of Shrek Academy, and indeed, the core of the entire Shrek City.

It was said that the resolutions passed within this Sea God Pavilion could alter the geopolitical landscape of the entire continent.

At this moment, the main conference hall of the Sea God Pavilion was silent.

Ten people sat around an oval table. At the head of the table, in the innermost position, sat a recliner. The area was shrouded in deep shadow, making it only possible to vaguely discern a figure reclining upon it.

Sitting in a prominent position was Xuan Zi, who was currently holding a chicken leg in his left hand and a wine gourd in his right, eating and drinking with leisurely ease.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin. Lin'er, you go first."

Hearing this voice, Xuan Zi symbolically set down his chicken leg and wine gourd, wiped his hands on his filthy clothes, and sat up a little straighter.

"Yes, Teacher."

A woman sitting toward the back stood up. She was about 1.7 meters tall and appeared to be only fifty years old. Her skin was fair, her black hair was neatly coiled, and her white, gold-trimmed outfit looked crisp and professional. Despite her age, one could still tell she must have been a stunning beauty in her youth.

This was none other than the Dean of the Soul Tool Department at Shrek Academy, Xian Lin'er.

Even as a woman nearing a hundred years of age who had seen all manner of geniuses in her life, Xian Lin'er could not suppress the slight tremor in her voice.

"Just as you anticipated, the talent of the student you've taken an interest in regarding soul tools is simply unheard of."

Across from her, the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, Bright Phoenix Douluo Yan Shaozhe, listened with a serious expression, while Qian Duoduo, the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department sitting beside Xian Lin'er, wore a look of unconcealed pride.

Xian Lin'er took a deep breath and said, word by word, "In one day—he only took one day to pass the examinations for the first, second, and third levels of soul tool mastery!"

"What?!"

"That would be unheard of even in the Sun Moon Empire!"

"The key point," Xian Lin'er emphasized, "is that according to him, he had never systematically studied the construction of soul tools before. He only flipped through relevant books when he felt like it, and as long as his spiritual power and soul power kept up, he would try to craft the core arrays himself."

"..."

Xian Lin'er said without hesitation, "Teacher, and fellow elders, our Soul Tool Department cannot let such a genius go! Duoduo and I have already discussed it; we want to recruit him as an inner court disciple of the Soul Tool Department immediately. The department will pour all its resources into cultivating this child, and the Ultimate Soldier Project will be centered on him."

After the silence came a flurry of hushed discussions among the elders; the world of geniuses was truly beyond comprehension.

Mu En, sitting in the main seat, raised a hand to press down, and the chaotic conference room instantly fell silent.

His voice emerged from the shadows. "Hmm, this is the same child that Lexuan recommended for direct entry into the inner court. His name is Huo Yuhao; you should all still remember him."

Upon hearing the name Lexuan, Xuan Zi's expression faltered, and he looked away with a hint of discomfort.

Yan Shaozhe raised a hand. "I did hear from Xiao Tao that this child helped her suppress her Evil Fire. She spoke very highly of him and also recommended that he be promoted directly to the inner court."

Mu En did not react, instead looking at Xuan Zi, who sat at the head. "Xuan Zi, give us your thoughts."

Xuan Zi coughed twice and stood up. "Everyone, I have my reasons and judgment for suppressing this child's recommendation to the inner court."

"First, the child's martial soul is the Spirit Eye—a spiritual type. Obtaining soul rings in the future will be extremely difficult, and it will be hard for him to show great potential. Although he is a level 36 Soul Grandmaster now, in my view, he likely consumed some heavenly treasure and sacrificed part of his future potential to reach this level."

"Second, I recall that when this brat first entered the academy, he got into a conflict with his roommate and beat the poor boy quite badly... I maintain the same stance as Elder Mu on this. If we grant him the honor of entering the inner court now, who knows what kind of trouble he might cause? I hope to temper his temperament first. Let him study in the outer court, and once his cultivation reaches the standards of the inner court, we can consider his admission."

Xuan Zi's words sounded logical, but Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo frowned, exchanging an instinctive glance.

It wasn't polite to say, but it felt as though Xuan Zi was intentionally throwing obstacles in Zhang Lexuan's path.

Ever since the major accident a year and a half ago, Zhang Lexuan had demanded more than once that the Sea God Pavilion severely punish the team leader, Xuan Zi, but Mu En had suppressed it every time.

Mu En knew he didn't have much time left and that Shrek needed strong guardians for its future development, so he had no choice but to protect Xuan Zi and sacrifice Zhang Lexuan's interests.

Both Zhang Lexuan and Xuan Zi felt deeply aggrieved; Zhang Lexuan had simply left to become a teacher in the outer court to avoid seeing Xuan Zi, while Xuan Zi seemed to resent Zhang Lexuan for her harsh criticism of him.

At this moment, Mu En's voice interrupted their silent exchange. "Let's do this: have him study in both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department simultaneously. Do not grant him the title of core disciple yet, but ensure he receives the appropriate resources."

Xian Lin'er couldn't help but interject, "But Teacher, whether it is the Martial Soul Department or our Soul Tool Department, as the studies become more advanced, they will inevitably demand more energy. Studying both at once will only hinder the child. To be a jack-of-all-trades and master of none—wouldn't that be a waste of his talent?"

Mu En smiled slightly. "You just said yourself that he learned to craft soul tool core arrays just by reading books in his spare time. That alone proves the extent of his talent. A genius must have a genius's method of cultivation. How can you be sure he cannot succeed in dual-cultivation?"

For Shrek Academy, an important Sea God Pavilion meeting concluded, and the fate of Huo Yuhao seemed to have been decided.