"Who owns this Shrek Grace Token?"
A moment later, a burly man of about fifty walked out of Shrek City. There wasn't a single wrinkle on his face, but his white hair stood like steel needles, lending him a somewhat weathered air.
His towering, imposing frame looked as though it had been carved from granite, and he stood at least two meters twenty tall. His shoulders and back were broad, and his solid muscles hadn't slackened in the slightest with age.
His bronze skin reflected a metallic sheen in the sunlight, and a strong metallic scent clung to him as well-the distinctive scent of a Soul Engineer.
"Hello, Dean Qian!" The surrounding Shrek Academy students hurriedly greeted the newcomer at the top of their voices.
Qian Duoduo, vice dean of Shrek Academy, held an exalted position in the Soul Tool Department, second only to one person. And that person was no stranger-she was his wife.
In all the sprawling Shrek Academy, there were only four deans and vice deans in total. These four could be called the academy's true pillars.
Naturally, these Shrek Academy students weren't oblivious fools. They wouldn't stupidly address Qian Duoduo as "Vice Dean Qian."
"Hello, Dean Qian. My name is Huo Yuhao, and this Shrek Grace Token belongs to me." Meeting Qian Duoduo's gaze, Huo Yuhao nodded as he spoke.
He had thought the male student guarding the city gate would, at most, fetch a teacher to verify it. He hadn't expected him to summon such a towering figure.
"Yes, I can confirm that your Shrek Grace Token is genuine," Qian Duoduo said with a nod. "Back then, Shrek Academy issued a hundred Shrek Grace Tokens in total. Thousands of years have passed, and over ninety have already been reclaimed. No one has come to enroll with a Shrek Grace Token in nearly a century, so the academy thought the rest had all been lost. I never expected to have the good fortune to see one today."
"By the way, Huo Yuhao, where did you get this Shrek Grace Token?" Qian Duoduo suddenly asked. His eyes remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, letting not even the slightest expression or movement escape him.
"I killed a Wind Baboon in the Star Dou Great Forest earlier. I found this Shrek Grace Token in a deep pit the Wind Baboon had blasted open."
Huo Yuhao's words were half true and half false, but outsiders had no way to verify them anyway. His face showed not a trace of panic or hesitation, bearing the very picture of an honest child's expression.
In his previous life, he had received professional training in fabricating lies. He certainly wouldn't reveal a flaw easily-unless he wanted the other party to see it.
"Dean Qian, I heard that Shrek Grace Tokens aren't bound to a specific user. In other words, anyone who comes to enroll with one can enter Shrek Academy without taking the entrance exam. Is that correct?"
Qian Duoduo paused briefly at his words, then nodded. "Correct. Anyone holding a Shrek Grace Token can enroll directly in Shrek Academy. However, I personally have one more question for you."
"What question?" Huo Yuhao asked, scratching his head.
"What is your Martial Soul?" Qian Duoduo asked with a genial smile. "These youngsters can't sense it, but I can tell that your mental power is unlike an ordinary person's. Come, let me see your Martial Soul."
Since he wanted to study at Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao naturally had no need to conceal his Martial Soul. His Body Martial Soul, which had undergone a second evolution, would also be his bargaining chip within the academy.
The luminous white Soul Ring spiraled up around his body once more, and Huo Yuhao's eyes abruptly changed from pitch-black to fiery red.
The previously shapeless, intangible mental fluctuations now carried a hint of scorching heat, bringing looks of astonishment to everyone around him.
"Your Martial Soul is your eyes?!" Qian Duoduo's powerful body abruptly shuddered, and he strode over to Huo Yuhao. "A Body Martial Soul? And it seems to possess a fire attribute as well?"
"That's right. My Martial Soul is called Flame God Eyes. It's a dual-attribute Martial Soul with both a mental attribute and a fire attribute," Huo Yuhao said with a nod. "Dean Qian, do you think I'm qualified to enroll in Shrek Academy?"
A brilliant gleam flashed through Qian Duoduo's eyes as he stared intently at Huo Yuhao.
Fortunately, after spending so long at rest today, he had felt the urge to move around and taken the initiative to question the lower-year student guarding the gate. Otherwise, he would have missed this treasure delivered right to his doorstep.
So what if Huo Yuhao's Soul Power was only rank eleven? So what if he only had one ten-year Soul Ring? For a Soul Engineer, none of that was a problem. He could make up for it later by taking pills!
Of course, what he didn't know was that the Black Ring on Huo Yuhao's hand housed a veritable grandmaster of pill-taking.
"Yuhao..." Qian Duoduo's formerly rugged, weathered face now bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum. "Are you interested in Soul Tools?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Of course. My dream is to become an outstanding Soul Engineer."
That could indeed be considered the truth. As a reader who had read the original work in its entirety in his previous life, Huo Yuhao naturally understood what Soul Tools meant for the future development of Soul Masters.
It was precisely because of powerful Soul Tools that the Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent would be able to leave the planet they lived on and freely explore the stars of the universe in the future.
The era of traditional Soul Masters had long since declined. If that great figure hadn't shamelessly descended to the lower realm to intervene in person, the Sun Moon Empire, which possessed the most advanced Soul Tools, would inevitably have swallowed the Douluo Three Kingdoms whole.
Knowing that combining Soul Tools with a Soul Master's own abilities was the right path, Huo Yuhao certainly wouldn't cling to old conventions like those stubborn fools in the Martial Soul Department. Once he entered Shrek Academy, he would definitely join the Soul Tool Department.
"Your dream is to become a Soul Engineer?" Qian Duoduo immediately looked astonished. "Don't you think Soul Tools are mere clever tricks and frivolous contrivances? Don't you think studying Soul Tools is a waste of a Soul Master's time?"
"Soul Tools are simply tools in our hands, and we have to control them ourselves. It was precisely because humans could use tools that we stopped living like animals, eating raw flesh and drinking blood," Huo Yuhao said, shaking his head helplessly.
"Didn't the first ancestor to discover that Soul Masters could absorb Soul Rings also learn through trial and error? Aren't the Soul Skills attached to Soul Rings tools for Soul Masters too? Are you saying the proper way for us Soul Masters to fight is to abandon Soul Skills and do nothing but brawl at close quarters?"
"Exactly! You're absolutely right! Unfortunately, those old obstinate... those elders won't listen to our advice!" Qian Duoduo excitedly patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder, clearly moved by his words.
"Yuhao, you're a fine young man." Qian Duoduo laughed heartily. "For those words alone, the Soul Tool Department's doors will always be open to you! Come, follow me into Shrek Academy. I'll personally help you complete your enrollment!"
The two entered Shrek City together. After walking two hundred meters, several enormous statues blocked their view ahead. There were ten statues in total, each ten meters tall and carved from the hardest granite.
Beside him, Qian Duoduo had already begun volunteering explanations of the statues' origins. Yet there wasn't a trace of wonder in Huo Yuhao's eyes. After all, he couldn't have been more familiar with these people.
Four-Eyed Cat Owl Flender in the middle. Yep, a veteran simp. He could even package up the woman he loved and deliver her into his romantic rival's tent. Even among simps, that was spectacularly outrageous.
On the left was Yu Xiaogang, that Grand "Master," forever spouting, "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters."
But when it came to him, he had both a useless Martial Soul and was a useless Soul Master himself. A perfect counterexample.
As for Liu Erlong on the right, she was utterly love-addled-and the kind who disregarded ethics and morality at that.
Still, Blue Tyrant Academy, the predecessor of Shrek Academy that she founded, had been one of the few advanced Soul Master Academies that accepted commoner students. Who knew how she would feel if she saw that students enrolling in Shrek Academy now had to prove their backgrounds?
In the row behind them stood the statues of the Shrek Seven Devils. Huo Yuhao deliberately averted his gaze, however, and didn't look directly at them.
After all, he didn't know whether God King Tang's statue contained a sliver of his divine consciousness. If he attracted God King Tang's attention, he would certainly have a bitter cup to drink.
The white freshman teaching building stood at the southernmost end of Shrek Academy. Huo Yuhao and Qian Duoduo passed along the southern side of Shrek Square and arrived inside it.
Since new students were currently being admitted, the freshman teaching building was especially lively. Some freshmen who had already passed the assessment were registering here.
With the illustrious Qian Duoduo, vice dean of the Soul Tool Department, leading the way, Huo Yuhao's enrollment and registration naturally went very smoothly. However, tuition for a single academic year at Shrek Academy actually cost ten Gold Soul Coins, and that didn't even include meals.
Furthermore, if a student failed an assessment and withdrew midway through the year, the tuition wouldn't be refunded.
Qian Duoduo had originally intended to pay Huo Yuhao's tuition. After all, judging by his clothes, Huo Yuhao didn't look like a child from a wealthy family.
But Huo Yuhao simply took out ten Gold Soul Coins and handed them to the teacher collecting payment. He didn't want to owe Qian Duoduo any favors. Money was easy enough to repay; favors were much harder.
The teacher at the registration desk nodded respectfully to Qian Duoduo, then handed Huo Yuhao two sets of school uniforms, a white freshman badge, and a dormitory key.
After they left the registration office, Qian Duoduo patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "Yuhao, the dormitory is behind the teaching building-the largest building in the entire academy. You can head there yourself in a little while. The new academic year doesn't officially begin for another three days, so you can use these next few days to familiarize yourself with the surroundings. Remember, if you run into any difficulties in the academy, you can come find me at the Soul Tool Department anytime."
"Yes, thank you, Dean Qian. I also hope to seek your guidance on Soul Tools in the future," Huo Yuhao said tactfully.
Having received a satisfactory answer, Qian Duoduo smiled and nodded, then left.
Huo Yuhao hefted the dormitory key in his hand. The number on it was none other than "108."
"Interesting. Then let's go meet this spoiled little princess. It should be quite entertaining."
Before you continue