First Steps into Shrek

After Huo Yuhao said that, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm visibly hesitated for a moment before speaking in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.

"All right, let's leave that aside for now. I caused quite a stir when I sacrificed myself to you just now. Hurry up and get out of here first."

Huo Yuhao nodded. He was no clueless novice like the Huo Yuhao in the original story. Of course he knew what formidable creatures the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had stirred up.

After leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, Huo Yuhao found a Carriage Hire and hired a carriage bound straight for Shrek City.

Although he had already made it clear to Dai Hao that he would go by the surname Huo at Shrek, he was still a son Dai Hao had acknowledged, and he had plenty of ready cash.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm remarked with interest, "Who would've guessed? You're dressed in rags, but you've got quite a bit of money."

Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes and answered the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his Sea of Consciousness.

"Has it occurred to you that I'm dressed in rags because these are little souvenirs from my trek through the Star Dou Great Forest to meet you?"

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm replied in a peculiar affected tone.

"Oh, my dear sir, please don't make soul hunting sound so tender and romantic."

Huo Yuhao chuckled, then leaned his head against the carriage wall and closed his eyes, ignoring the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his Sea of Consciousness.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm took no offense at Huo Yuhao's behavior. He merely muttered, "Well, look at that. You're even lazier than me."

A few days later, the carriage stopped outside Shrek City.

That was as far as the permits available to this carriage could take it.

This could also be considered the beginning of the Shrek Academy Compliance Test. Carriages from most cities were not authorized to enter Shrek City.

Even around Shrek City, social rank had already begun flexing its muscles. Some carriages could stop a few miles away, while others had to stop dozens of miles away.

Since Huo Yuhao had secured his carriage through money alone, it naturally fell into the farthest category. He still had roughly half a day's walk before he could reach Shrek Academy.

Fortunately, nothing particularly troublesome happened along the way. Huo Yuhao quietly followed the crowd heading toward Shrek City and entered with them.

He first bought daily necessities in the city, then entered Shrek Academy with his recommendation letter.

Once he reached Shrek Academy, everything became much smoother. Huo Yuhao soon completed the enrollment procedures and received his freshman uniform and dormitory key.

It was still Dorm Room 108. Huo Yuhao pushed the door open and immediately coughed twice as a cloud of dust choked him.

After sighing, he resigned himself to his fate, took out his cleaning supplies, and gave the room a quick cleaning.

Following the logic that he already had the money and might as well put it to use, Huo Yuhao washed his face after cleaning the dormitory, then went to the cafeteria's most expensive counter—the one that measured its prices in Gold Soul Coins—and bought two dishes, a soup, and a serving of polished rice.

Shrek's cafeteria really did have something going for it. The money certainly wasn't wasted.

The two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, along with the rice and soup, had all come from things with soul rings.

The meat dish was made from the stewed tendons of some special soul beast, garnished with potatoes and carrots. It even had a hint of curry flavor.

The vegetable dish explicitly used a Hundred-Year Soul Beast of the plant type called a Snow Mountain Celestial Lotus, which possessed exceptionally vigorous vitality.

One bite made him feel as though liquid life force was flowing through his body.

As for the soup, the most expensive item, it was even more astonishing. It was actually made with Red Jade Shrimp, which, according to the lore established later in the story, could only be caught by a Super Douluo.

Although the bowl contained only half a shrimp, the name Red Jade Shrimp alone made it worth its price of ten Gold Soul Coins.

This truly was Shrek at the height of its power. The things it served were downright outrageous.

Huo Yuhao glanced above the counter. As the most expensive counter, it had its own Soul Tool Screen displaying the next day's menu, allowing students to plan ahead whether they would eat in the cafeteria.

The next day's offerings were no small potatoes either. The vegetable dish featured a fungus said to nourish the soul, while the soup was brewed from a Diamond Tiger's penis.

The meat dish was tiger meat too... Even the corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth began to twitch.

Soul beasts that could force ordinary soul masters outside into a battle of life and death could end up here as ingredients served on a plate.

Ultimately, the Douluo Continent was still a world where strength reigned supreme.

But Huo Yuhao's reflections were soon replaced by the delicious food. Today's dishes were all quite helpful for cultivation and could be considered excellent dietary supplements.

Fortunately, he had the White Tiger Duke backing him. The money Dai Hao had given Huo Yuhao was more than enough even if he splurged on the most expensive food at every meal. Clearly, Dai Hao had already known roughly what Shrek's cafeteria charged.

After eating and drinking his fill, Huo Yuhao was about to get up and leave when he saw Dai Huabin walking into the cafeteria with Zhu Lu, chatting and laughing.

As they passed each other, Dai Huabin could not help looking back. Zhu Lu, beside him, asked in confusion.

"What's wrong, Huabin?"

Dai Huabin scratched his head, studying Huo Yuhao's retreating figure as he murmured, "I keep feeling like I've seen him somewhere before. There's something strangely familiar about him."

Zhu Lu looked at Huo Yuhao's retreating figure, then said to Dai Huabin, "He's wearing the same uniform as us, so he's a freshman this year too. Maybe you crossed paths on the way here, and that's why he seems familiar."

Dai Huabin nodded, then turned back to Zhu Lu. "That's certainly possible. We'll see. Anyway, if he isn't expelled within these three months, there's a good chance we'll face him in the Freshman Assessment three months from now."

Zhu Lu nodded. Dai Huabin, however, was not as extravagant as Huo Yuhao. He merely ordered two dishes from a mid-priced counter.

The next morning, Huo Yuhao stretched, then glanced at the empty bed beside him.

According to the original story, Wang Dong should arrive in the morning, around this time. But now that he had transmigrated into Huo Yuhao, both his martial soul and the treatment he received had changed.

Huo Yuhao could not say whether there would be other butterfly effects. He could only take things one step at a time.

After considerable thought, Huo Yuhao finally decided not to sit around waiting for Wang Dong. Instead, he would first take a look around the campus.

After training under the White Tiger Duke for the past few years, Huo Yuhao had developed the habit of surveying his surroundings whenever he arrived somewhere new and familiarizing himself with every route.

Since he was on the ground floor, he first inspected the dormitory window. Jumping out through it would land him in a flower bed in front of the dormitory.

If he made a habit of jumping out that way, he would certainly be paying fines until he was stuffed with them. But in a genuine emergency, it could serve as an alternative escape route.

Next, Huo Yuhao went into the corridor to examine the floor plan Shrek had drawn up for the entire floor, then headed downstairs...