Yu Xiaogang: Mention My Name and You're One of the Shrek Seven Devils

Bei Bei suppressed his shock and strode forward. "Junior, recover your Soul Power. I'll stand guard."

He and Tang Ya knew the value of a Body Martial Soul. It was already this powerful. If it underwent a second awakening someday, how strong would it become?

Gu Mingyuan did not refuse. He sat down cross-legged and drew the deep yellow Soul Ring into his body.

Huo Yuhao stood quietly to one side. In his spiritual sea, Yu Xiaogang watched the outside world with his hands behind his back.

"He has a death wish." Yu Xiaogang scoffed.

"The theoretical limit for a second Soul Ring is 764 years. Yet he dares to absorb a 900-year Soul Ring, far beyond that limit. Just watch. He'll burst apart and die before an incense stick burns down."

Huo Yuhao blinked, then hesitantly replied in his mind, But Master... my first Soul Ring is a million years old. Doesn't that exceed the theoretical limit too?

His spiritual sea fell silent.

Yu Xiaogang's hands stiffened behind his back. For a long while, he could not squeeze out a word.

"Pfft—hahahaha!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rolled around laughing on a slab of floating ice nearby. "You're killing me! What theoretical limit? Does that lousy theory of yours even work?"

Outside, Gu Mingyuan's absorption went smoothly.

In less than an hour, the deep yellow Soul Ring settled firmly around him.

[Ding—]

[Host has successfully absorbed his second Soul Ring. Talent selection begins.]

A streak of blue light flashed through the depths of Gu Mingyuan's consciousness.

[Blue trait: Serious Punch.]

[Serious Punch: Dispense with flashy moves and aim to kill in one strike. The first punch the host throws in each battle deals double damage.]

Gu Mingyuan's interest stirred. The trait was only blue, but it was highly practical.

Combined with the inherent strength of his Golden Jade Body Martial Soul and the various boosts from his first Soul Skill, that opening punch could catch any opponent off guard. It would serve him well in both a head-on fight and an ambush.

Besides, he had now gained a second Soul Skill: Jade-Shaking Force.

[Jade-Shaking Force: Golden markings store the force of damage taken or the recoil when the user's attack is blocked, then add it to the next strike.]

If he held back his punch at the start of a fight, he could build up power with his second Soul Skill. Then he really might become a One-Punch Man.

He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. "Thank you all for standing guard."

"No need to thank us." Tang Ya came closer and looked him up and down as though they were old friends. "You really absorbed a 900-year Soul Ring! Junior Gu, come on, what's your second Soul Skill?"

Gu Mingyuan smiled but did not take the bait. "You'll see it when the chance comes, Senior."

Tang Ya rolled her eyes. "Keeping me in suspense, are you? Just wait until you get to the academy and need your senior to back you up. Then you'll come asking."

Bei Bei stepped forward and clapped his hands. "All right, Xiao Ya. We've got the Soul Rings we came for. Let's leave Star Dou Great Forest first."

Tang Ya folded her arms and lifted her chin. "Call me Teacher."

Resignation flashed in Bei Bei's eyes. He slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Of course, Teacher Xiao Ya. Let's go."

Huo Yuhao stared from the side, clearly unprepared for the sudden intimacy.

Tang Ya turned and caught his stunned expression. Her cheeks reddened, and she glared at him. "What are you looking at? Never seen a teacher and student dating before?"

The group pressed on and finally reached Shrek City.

It was enrollment season, and a long line stretched outside the city.

"Senior Bei, Senior Xiao Ya, I'll go join that line to register." Gu Mingyuan pointed to the assessment queue for ordinary new students. Huo Yuhao had a Tang Sect recommendation that exempted him from the exam, so he could take the special admissions route and skip the preliminary test.

Before Gu Mingyuan left, Bei Bei called out to him.

"Junior Gu." Bei Bei looked at him, a hint of earnest fighting spirit in his eyes. "Once we've settled in at the academy, would you like to spar sometime?"

Gu Mingyuan was a little surprised that Bei Bei had challenged him. It seemed this senior was still curious about him and wanted to test his strength.

He nodded readily. "Sure. I look forward to learning from you, Senior Bei."

After watching Gu Mingyuan leave, Bei Bei and Tang Ya took Huo Yuhao straight through the gates of Shrek Academy.

Two hundred meters down the broad avenue, ten enormous granite statues stood in the center of a square, a striking sight at first glance.

"Yuhao, the people up ahead are Shrek Academy's earliest founders." Bei Bei pointed to the foremost statue, a smiling old man in glasses. "That's Dean Flender."

Then Bei Bei's gaze shifted to a statue on Flender's left, pride entering his voice. "And this is one of my ancestors, Yu Xiaogang, the master of Martial Soul theory who was renowned across the continent."

Huo Yuhao followed Bei Bei's pointing finger and froze.

The man in the statue had short, flat hair, a lean build, and his hands clasped behind his back. The sculptor had clearly flattered his features, but that affected pose, those familiar brows and eyes... he looked unmistakably like the remnant soul that lectured Huo Yuhao in his head every day!

Brother Bei's ancestor really had been living in his spiritual sea all along?

"See? See that?"

Yu Xiaogang instantly perked up in the spiritual sea. "I, Yu Xiaogang, am the Master! The God-Teacher! They even put my statue at the entrance to Shrek Academy!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, as though he had finally recovered all the face he had lost earlier. "Yuhao, remember this! At Shrek Academy, all you have to do is mention my name. Getting the academy's leaders to make you one of the Shrek Seven Devils would be nothing! Back in my day..."

Yu Xiaogang launched into a rambling account of the past in the spiritual sea and could not stop talking.

Nearby, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm watched Yu Xiaogang bounce around, deep in thought.

Before, he had thought this remnant soul could barely hold a form and was good for nothing but boasting. Now it seemed his claim to be one of Shrek's founders was true.

Then perhaps his claim to be the God-Teacher was true as well. The question was how much he had actually contributed to those people becoming gods.

A sly gleam flashed in Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's eyes.

That flat-haired man could not get out on his own. But what if... Sky Dream Ice Silkworm used his immense spiritual power to disguise him and project his remnant soul into the outside world?

A living "founding ancestor" would suddenly appear.

With that figure behind him, Yuhao could do as he pleased at Shrek Academy. He could even lecture the current dean like a grandson!

It would help his plan to create a god, too. The thought made Sky Dream Ice Silkworm more confident about the future, and he even found Yu Xiaogang a little less irritating.