Eight-Hundred-Year First Ring, Meeting Huo Yuhao for the First Time

Yuwen Tuo was quite satisfied with this choice.

After all, it was fire. He did not want anything flashy; strong offensive power was enough.

With Gong Changlong, the Titled Douluo known as the Beast King, present, there was no need for any battle. Gong Changlong could use the Beast King's pressure to render him unable to move, so naturally, he could also suppress a soul beast that was less than a thousand years old.

His martial soul was somewhat similar to the Mighty Lion Douluo, Spirit Hall's Fourth Worshipper ten thousand years ago. He possessed considerable suppressive power over beasts with insufficient cultivation, as well as soul masters with Beast Martial Souls.

"Thank you!" Yuwen Tuo did not stand on ceremony or insist on fighting it himself to obtain the soul ring.

He did not lack combat experience. Back when he fought the demon race, he had killed no small number of demons.

Flames gathered in his palm and converged at his fingertips. With a single thrust of his finger, the firelight became like a sharp blade and instantly pierced the immobilized Flame Blade Demon's heart. This move was the Mystic Sun Blazing Sun Finger from the Divine Fire Method.

Gong Changlong silently praised him. "What fine finger technique. This child has no soul ring yet, so this technique certainly cannot be a soul ring skill from his martial soul. Could it be a Self-Created Soul Skill? To create such a soul skill at merely twelve years old—he truly is a genius."

He thought of many things as well. Trapped in the inner court for six years, there had been no point in cultivating Soul Power; Ma Xiaotao would soon absorb it anyway.

It seemed that, because of this, the boy had pondered over a Self-Created Soul Skill out of sheer boredom.

Yuwen Tuo could not be bothered to explain anything to Gong Changlong. He walked over to the Flame Blade Demon's corpse. Once the yellow soul ring had formed, he gave it a slight pull with his Soul Power and drew the soul ring onto his body.

He immediately sat cross-legged, circulated his Cultivation Power, and endured the soul ring's impact on his body.

A mere century-old soul beast's soul ring was not particularly powerful, nor did it possess anything as advanced as Soul Shock. At most, it carried a trace of blade-like resentment that stimulated Yuwen Tuo's body.

But within Yuwen Tuo's Sea of Consciousness, his second martial soul, the Noble Carriage Sword, slashed down with a single strike, cleaving apart all the resentment filled with hatred.

To outsiders, it simply appeared as a flash of golden light around Yuwen Tuo's body. He had immediately passed through the most difficult stage of a soul master absorbing a soul ring.

Gong Changlong was startled. "This child is absorbing this soul ring far too easily. He has already withstood the Soul Power impact and begun absorbing the Soul Power within the soul ring to advance, as well as form a soul skill? It is an over-limit soul ring, after all."

Within his Sea of Consciousness, Yuwen Tuo looked at the Noble Carriage Sword hovering in the air.

"Moved by my will, resonating with my soul. Haha, just as I thought—you are not that Noble Carriage Sword from before, nor are you a Weapon Soul. I imagine that when that fellow sees me, he will be very excited." Yuwen Tuo laughed.

About half an hour later, Yuwen Tuo awoke from meditation. The soul ring's power contracted and withdrew into his body.

Yuwen Tuo said, "Senior Beast King, can I obtain my second soul ring here as well?"

This brat has reached level twenty. Though Gong Changlong was surprised, he did not find it too strange.

After all, he had no idea how many times Yuwen Tuo had completed the cultivation interval from level ten to level twenty.

Over the past six years, he had reached level twenty at least dozens of times, only for Ma Xiaotao to drain him again afterward.

Though his cultivation had fallen short countless times, Yuwen Tuo's foundation had only grown stronger. Cultivating from level ten to level twenty was no longer difficult for him at all.

Even if Ma Xiaotao crippled his cultivation again tonight, he would likely recover it within a few days.

"Kid, you have only just obtained your first soul ring, and your foundation is not yet stable. You should go back and properly consolidate your cultivation first before returning." Gong Changlong admired the strength of Yuwen Tuo's foundation inwardly, but what came out of his mouth meant the exact opposite.

There was no helping it. He had to find an excuse to refuse.

Yan Shaozhe had only instructed him to allow Yuwen Tuo to choose a fire-type soul beast here for his first soul ring.

He had not permitted him to hunt two soul rings in succession. Without the dean's approval, he would not make that decision on his own.

"By the way, kid, what is your first soul skill?" Gong Changlong asked, changing the subject.

"It increases attack power. Nothing special. Fine, I'll come back after consolidating my cultivation." Yuwen Tuo kept it brief and did not wish to explain in detail.

Since he could not obtain his second ring right away, he did not force the matter. In any case, he had not placed much hope in Shrek Academy.

"Mm, then go complete your enrollment registration at the outer court first. Young man, you are still so young. Do not be so gloomy. Be more enthusiastic about the people and things around you, and make a few more friends," Gong Changlong advised.

"Understood, Senior Beast King. Thank you for today. See you around!" Yuwen Tuo waved as he left the Beast Fighting Arena.

He was not actually gloomy; he was merely indifferent toward people he did not care about.

When he had been with his master, or when he had come to this world and spent time with the grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, and elders in the village, he had been as warm and passionate as a little sun.

Unfortunately, he could not muster that enthusiasm in this place.

After coming outside, despite having stayed at Shrek Academy for six years, this was Yuwen Tuo's first true look at Shrek City.

Shrek Academy was built upon the Li Ma Plains and covered an extremely vast area. It was itself a city, known as Shrek City. On the Douluo Continent, Shrek City was one of the foremost major cities, home to more than two million people. Shrek Academy held independent governing authority over the city and did not need to pay taxes to any nation. This alone was something no other academy in any country, including the three great empires, could compare with.

Shrek Academy was not located in the center of Shrek City, but in its eastern district, because that side faced the Star Dou Forest.

Shrek City had transportation routes extending in all directions. It had long become one of the most important cities on the Douluo Continent and the commercial center of the continent's three great empires.

The south, west, and north gates of Shrek City were open to the public, but the eastern side belonged exclusively to Shrek. No one other than academy students was permitted to enter.

When Yuwen Tuo arrived at the eastern gate, he heard several people talking as soon as he approached. One of the names caught his attention.

"Junior Brother, the academy's new student enrollment days are right around now. Your luck is good—you caught the last train. And our Tang Sect receives special treatment. Otherwise, ordinary new students not only have to pass an assessment, they must also have a recommendation letter from a city lord of one of the three great empires. Around this time of year, Shrek City is at its liveliest. If you have time, you can take a look around and familiarize yourself with the place," said a man with a deep, rich voice.

Yuwen Tuo instinctively turned his head and looked at the three people walking over.

A valiant-looking man and a pretty young girl wore blue clothes.

There was also a younger, thin and frail boy dressed in gray.

They should be Tang Ya, Bei Bei, and Huo Yuhao, the protagonist of the original story.