"Hmm, Flame God Eyes? That certainly is an imposing name." After hearing Huo Yuhao's explanation, Yao Lao stroked the beard beneath his chin and nodded.
"To think the Flame Mantra actually mutated your martial soul. What an unexpected windfall. Excellent. It seems your Flame God Eyes possess not only their original mental attribute, but also the Flame Mantra's fire attribute."
After speaking, Yao Lao took out the translucent purple ring he had just found and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
"That was the resting place of the powerful expert you said you wanted to find. This was his only possession. I've already reburied his remains."
Huo Yuhao took the translucent purple ring. It was clearly a soul tool storage ring. After extending his soul power into it, he took out everything inside.
Since it was a storage soul tool from several thousand years ago, the ring's storage capacity was not large-only about ten cubic meters.
There were few things inside, either. Aside from some clothing, there was only a red card, a token, and several letters.
Opening the letters, Huo Yuhao confirmed the soul master's identity. He had been a powerful Soul Douluo of the Body Sect several thousand years ago, named Yu Chuan.
Back then, the Body Sect had entered the Star Dou Great Forest and wantonly slaughtered hundred-thousand-year soul beasts precisely to obtain ninth soul rings for him and several other Soul Douluos in the sect.
As for the red card, it was a stored-value card accepted at all major banks across the continent. Several thousand years had passed, however, so whether it could still be used remained unknown.
The most important item was the token. Forged entirely from black iron, it bore the carved head of a plump humanoid monster on its front, with the large word "Shrek" beneath the portrait.
When he turned the token over, its back bore only a single character: "Grace."
"A Shrek Grace Token?!" Huo Yuhao was instantly startled. "Anyone holding this token can enter Shrek Academy without taking the entrance exam?"
Several thousand years ago, the Sun Moon Continent had collided with the Douluo Continent, and the Sun Moon Empire had launched a massive invasion of the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
To unite the major powers of the soul master world against the Sun Moon Empire's invasion, Shrek Academy had once issued a hundred Shrek Grace Tokens to the soul master families that participated in the fighting. Any family holding one could send a member of its younger generation to Shrek Academy without an entrance exam.
The original owner of his body had overheard this mentioned in idle conversation at the Duke's Mansion. He had never imagined that he would actually obtain a Shrek Grace Token today.
The Body Sect also fought against the Sun Moon Empire's invasion. As a powerful Soul Douluo of the Body Sect, the Shrek Grace Token this man possessed should be genuine, Huo Yuhao thought.
Every soul master on the Douluo Continent knew that admission to Shrek Academy's Outer Academy had two requirements. First, applicants could be no older than twelve. Second, their soul power had to be at least rank fifteen.
Most importantly, they also needed a recommendation letter from someone of at least the rank of a major city's governor in one of the three great empires.
In other words, talent alone was not enough. You needed connections, too.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao had only entered Shrek Academy by riding on the Tang Sect's exam-exempt admission quota.
It was precisely because he had accepted the Tang Sect's favor from the outset that Huo Yuhao had sunk deeper and deeper, eventually becoming the Tang family's loyal hound.
He had deliberately made the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm choose a different location to fuse with him so that he could avoid Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
After all, the Tang Sect was like excrement. Once it stuck to you, things became disgusting and unlucky.
According to his original plan, he should have gone to enroll at a soul master academy in one of the three great empires' imperial capitals.
As for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, for one thing, it was too far away. Reaching it would require crossing more than half the Douluo Continent.
On top of that, the Mingdou Mountain Range stood in the way. With troops guarding it heavily, Huo Yuhao would find it difficult to slip through, so that option would have to wait.
Yet now, by an uncanny coincidence, a Shrek Grace Token had appeared in his hands. He could not help carefully considering whether this was truly a coincidence or part of that lord's plan.
Forget it. Since things have come to this, there's no harm in studying at Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao thought with wry amusement, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
If the appearance of this Shrek Grace Token was merely a coincidence, that was one thing. But if God King Tang had deliberately arranged it, abandoning his chance to enter Shrek Academy and going elsewhere would only look more suspicious.
Do not imagine that God King Tang was someone who cared about saving face. Dare to disobey his arrangements, and would you believe Lord Sea God might descend in person to write you a recommendation letter and send you to Shrek?
Furthermore, the original Huo Yuhao had given him a second life. He ought to help the boy make up for some of his regrets and carry out the revenge he had yearned for all along.
And within Shrek Academy was precisely one of the targets of Huo Yuhao's revenge: the White Tiger Duke's legitimate son, Dai Huabin.
With this life as payment, this is the last assignment I'll accept as an assassin. Rest assured. I'll kill everyone who deserves to die for you, and settle every matter that deserves to be settled, Huo Yuhao silently vowed.
At that thought, Huo Yuhao seemed to feel a trace of negative emotion hidden deep within his soul scatter on the wind.
Those were the regrets and resentments of the original owner-the young boy who had suffered endless humiliation in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
"It seems you've made your choice." Yao Lao had been watching Huo Yuhao beside him all along. Now he spoke with a smile. "In that case, shall we set off?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"Wait. Before we leave, I still have a few things to teach you." Yao Lao extended a finger and gently touched Huo Yuhao's forehead.
A slight pain pierced his head, and Huo Yuhao suddenly sensed a flood of information pouring into his mind. The sudden influx immediately made his head feel swollen.
"Eight Extremes Collapse: A Black-tier High-grade Dou Technique for close-range attacks, renowned for its overwhelming offensive power. When mastered, its attacks conceal eight layers of force. With all eight stacked together, its might rivals an Earth-tier Low-grade Dou Technique!"
"Heavenly Net Art: A Black-tier High-grade Dou Technique focused on movement, with twelve levels in total. Upon reaching the tenth level, the practitioner can manifest Heavenly Net Wings through their cultivation, transforming it into an exceptionally rare flying dou technique. At the twelfth level, its speed is no less than that of an Earth Tier Low Grade movement dou technique."
Receiving the inheritances of two great dou techniques in an instant left Huo Yuhao's mind reeling. If he truly mastered them both, who among those of the same rank could still stand against him?
"Stop being so astonished. Though these two dou techniques don't demand particularly high cultivation, they require considerable physical strength. Eight Extremes Collapse, in particular, is a technique for close-quarters combat. Look at those skinny arms and legs of yours. If you force yourself to use it, I'm afraid the first thing to tear will be your muscles, not your opponent." Yao Lao's indifferent words were like a basin of cold water, thoroughly dousing Huo Yuhao's excitement.
That was right. The original owner had long gone without enough food or warm clothing in the Duke's Mansion. Malnutrition had left him with only rank-one innate soul power. Practicing Eight Extremes Collapse with such a constitution would probably cripple him first.
"How can I improve my physical strength?" After pondering briefly, Huo Yuhao asked eagerly.
"As your cultivation grows stronger, your body will strengthen along with it. Of course, if you want faster results, you'll need some external stimulation." Yao Lao narrowed his eyes, a hint of ill intent seeming to gleam in his aged gaze.
"What kind of external stimulation?" Looking at Yao Lao's sly grin, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Taking a beating! The harder, the better!"
"In a little while, I'll take you through the forest to find some medicinal herbs. Combined with the blood essence of the soul beasts around here, they should let me refine some Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid for you. While we're traveling, I'll temper your body to its utmost limits. I hope you'll prepare yourself mentally."
Yao Lao gave a sinister chuckle, and Huo Yuhao's little face immediately fell.
Before you continue