Undead Calamity

In the afternoon, two figures swept across the skies above Shrek Academy.

Huo Chen landed in a secluded grove on the academy's eastern side, followed by a silver-haired old man.

The old man was tall and lean, his features refined. His white robe fluttered faintly in the wind, and an almost imperceptible aura of deathly stillness emanated from him.

It was not chilling, nor was it evil. It was a pure, ancient tranquility, as though it had drifted forth from the depths of the river of time.

"This is Shrek Academy." Huo Chen pointed toward the cluster of buildings ahead. "The continent's foremost soul master academy, with a long history and deep foundations."

Electrolux looked around, a trace of wistfulness passing through his silver eyes. "Ten thousand years have passed. Human civilization has advanced a great deal further. The buildings of my era were nowhere near this exquisite."

"Senior, I'll take you to meet someone first," Huo Chen said. "Then I'll formally introduce you to the academy."

"Your nephew?"

"Yes."

Electrolux nodded and said nothing more.

The two passed through the woods, skirted the training grounds, and arrived at the dormitory area for Class One of the first year. Huo Chen stopped in front of a detached little building and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly. Huo Yuhao stood in the doorway. His eyes lit up when he saw Huo Chen, but he soon noticed the silver-haired old man behind him, his gaze filled with curiosity and confusion.

"Uncle, this is..."

"Let's talk inside." Huo Chen pushed the door open, and the three entered.

After taking their seats in the sitting room, Huo Chen went straight to the point. "Yuhao, this is Senior Electrolux. He comes from another world. In life, he was one of the peak powerhouses of that world, known as the Undead Demigod. I went out this time specifically to invite him here."

Huo Yuhao froze. Another world? An Undead Demigod? Those concepts were far too distant from him, and he could not process them at once.

"Yuhao." Huo Chen looked into his eyes, his tone serious. "I want you to take Senior Electrolux as your master."

"Take a master?" Huo Yuhao was stunned again. "But I already have you."

"I am your uncle and your first teacher, but I cannot teach you everything," Huo Chen said.

"Senior Electrolux is proficient in undead magic, the laws of the soul, and elemental control. No one in this world can compare to his knowledge and experience. You need to learn these things if you want to go farther on the road ahead."

Huo Yuhao fell silent. He looked at Huo Chen, then at Electrolux. In the end, he rose to his feet, walked before Electrolux, and respectfully knelt down, kowtowing three times.

"This student, Huo Yuhao, pays respects to Master."

Electrolux remained seated and accepted the three kowtows before reaching out to help him up.

"Rise." His voice was hoarse yet gentle.

"Since you call me Master, I will teach you everything I know. However, I must make this clear from the outset. My cultivation methods are entirely different from this world's mainstream system. They may even run contrary to what you consider orthodox. Are you willing to learn?"

"I am." Huo Yuhao answered without hesitation.

Electrolux nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well. From today onward, you are the final disciple of I, Electrolux."

The apprenticeship ceremony was simple yet solemn. There was no incense table, no offerings, and no cumbersome formalities.

Electrolux took out a jet-black token from his robes. It was the size of a palm, with a complex runic array engraved on the front and four ancient characters carved into the back: Undead Calamity.

"This was my identification token in those days." He handed the token to Huo Yuhao.

"Possessing it signifies that you are the successor of I, Electrolux. Should you encounter descendants who practice undead magic in the future, they will know upon seeing this token that you are my disciple."

Huo Yuhao accepted the token with both hands and solemnly put it away. "Thank you, Master."

Over the next few days, Huo Yuhao attended classes as usual during the day and studied the fundamentals of undead magic under Electrolux at night.

Meanwhile, Huo Chen began making arrangements for Electrolux to receive a legitimate identity within Shrek.

Three days later, the Sea God Pavilion held an emergency meeting.

Those attending included Mu En, the master of the Sea God Pavilion, and several elder members.

When Huo Chen entered the meeting room with Electrolux, everyone's eyes fell upon the silver-haired old man.

"Everyone, this is Senior Electrolux," Huo Chen introduced directly. "A Rank 92 Titled Douluo from overseas, he is a visiting professor I specially invited to teach at Shrek."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Mu En narrowed his eyes and carefully examined Electrolux. This Limit Douluo, already over a hundred years old, had a sharp gaze that seemed capable of seeing through everything.

After a moment, he slowly spoke. "The aura around you is quite unusual. I have lived for so many years, yet I have never encountered such soul power fluctuations."

"That is because my cultivation system differs somewhat from the mainstream system of Douluo Continent," Electrolux answered calmly.

"I specialize in undead magic and the laws of the soul, with elemental control as a secondary discipline. During my time overseas, I traveled across many continents, gathering the strengths of various schools and forging my own path."

"Undead magic?" One of the elders frowned. "Isn't that the path of evil soul masters?"

"Evil soul masters?" Electrolux gave a soft laugh. "Undead magic itself has no distinction between good and evil. Used righteously, it is righteous; used wickedly, it is wicked. I can use undead magic to save people, and I can use undead magic to kill people. The key lies in the one wielding it, not in the magic itself."

The elder wanted to say more, but Mu En raised a hand to stop him.

"Sir Electrolux, I have a question." Mu En looked at him with deep eyes. "What are your conditions for being willing to teach at Shrek?"

"Conditions?" Electrolux thought for a moment before answering, "I need a quiet laboratory to research the integration of undead magic with Douluo Continent's soul power system. In addition, I need one student—Huo Yuhao. I have already accepted him as my final disciple, and I hope the academy will permit him to study under me."

Mu En was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed. The academy will arrange a laboratory for you. As for Huo Yuhao, he is Teacher Huo's nephew. So long as Teacher Huo agrees, that will be sufficient."

"I have no objections," Huo Chen said.

"Then it's settled." Mu En made the final decision. "Welcome, Your Excellency Electrolux, to Shrek Academy."

After the meeting ended, Huo Chen and Electrolux walked out of the conference room side by side.

"It went more smoothly than I imagined," Electrolux said. "I thought they would be more resistant to necromancy."

"Elder Mu is a sensible man." Huo Chen smiled. "As long as something benefits the academy, he won't reject it out of prejudice."

Electrolux nodded and said nothing more.

That evening, Huo Yuhao came to Electrolux's laboratory as usual.

Though it was called a laboratory, it was actually an independent courtyard the academy had assigned to Electrolux. It stood in the academy's northwestern corner, far from the teaching area, in a quiet and secluded setting.

Electrolux had converted one of its rooms into a workshop. The walls were covered in diagrams of various runes, while the tables held bottles and jars filled with liquids and powders of every color.

"Teacher, what are we learning today?" Huo Yuhao asked eagerly.

Electrolux picked up a transparent crystal ball the size of a fist from the table and handed it to Huo Yuhao. "Today, I'll teach you the first lesson of necromancy: sensing souls."

Huo Yuhao took the crystal ball, somewhat bewildered. "Sensing souls?"

"Every person has a soul. Soul beasts do as well, and even plants have them."

Electrolux said, "The foundation of necromancy lies in sensing and understanding souls. Close your eyes, channel your spiritual power into this crystal ball, and try to feel the faint soul fluctuations in the surrounding environment."

Huo Yuhao did as instructed, closing his eyes and channeling his spiritual power into the crystal ball.

At first, he could feel nothing. But gradually, he sensed faint fluctuations, like ripples spreading across the surface of water—weak and indistinct.

"I think I can feel something," he said uncertainly. "It's like there are some very faint things moving."

"Those are the souls of the insects in the locust tree in the courtyard," Electrolux said. "Keep expanding your range of perception."

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and spread his spiritual power even farther.

More fluctuations flooded into his senses: crickets in the grass, sparrows nesting beneath the eaves, students in the distant dormitories chatting and laughing.

Every living being possessed its own soul fluctuation. Some were strong, some weak; some bright, some dim.

"I think I can sense so many," Huo Yuhao's voice trembled slightly. "So many souls."

"Steady your mind." Electrolux's voice was like a clear stream flowing into his sea of spirit.

"Don't let those fluctuations disturb you. The key to sensing souls isn't passively receiving information, but actively filtering and understanding it."

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and steadied himself. Gradually, the chaotic fluctuations became ordered.

He could distinguish the source and nature of each fluctuation. Those were the souls of birds, bright and lively.

Those were the souls of insects, weak and fleeting; those were the souls of the distant human students, complex and ever-changing.

"Very good." Electrolux nodded in satisfaction.

"To reach this level on your first try, your talent in spiritual power truly is outstanding. That's enough for today. Go back and get some proper rest. We'll continue tomorrow."

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and returned the crystal ball to Electrolux, his gaze brimming with excitement. "Teacher, I feel like I've opened a new door."

"That door was always there." Electrolux smiled. "You simply didn't have the key before. Now, you do."

Huo Yuhao nodded vigorously, then turned and ran out of the laboratory.

Electrolux stood by the window, watching the boy's figure disappear into the night. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

The legacy of the Undead Calamity had finally found a successor.