Huo Yuhao knew the route to the freshman dormitories like the back of his hand. Drawing on memories from his previous life, he followed the familiar path and soon reached his destination. As soon as he arrived, a familiar figure came into view.
At the entrance to the white building, an old man dressed in gray cloth lay comfortably in a chair, basking leisurely in the sun.
The old man looked entirely ordinary, with nothing remarkable about him, but appearances could be deceiving. Like the unassuming kitchen masters or sweeping elders in martial arts films, such reclusive experts often possessed strength beyond imagination.
At first, Huo Yuhao, like everyone else, had failed to see anything extraordinary about the old man.
Only later did he learn that this seemingly ordinary old man was actually the Sea God Pavilion Master, Dragon God Douluo Mu En, one of the Black and White Twin Holy Dragons!
The illustrious Dragon God Douluo had actually taken a position as a dormitory manager at Shrek Academy's freshman dorms, watching the entrance. It was even more outlandish than a gang boss opening a barbershop at a school. If word got out, probably no one would believe it.
Huo Yuhao walked up to him and, just as he had in his previous life, politely asked, "Hello, sir. I'm a freshman. Could you tell me where my dorm room is? Here's my badge and key." As he spoke, he held his badge and key out to Mu En.
Mu En accepted them and glanced at them. In a slightly deep voice, he said, "Room 108 on the first floor. Go on. Remember, the fourth floor is the girls' dormitory, so don't go up there."
Huo Yuhao thanked him, then turned and entered the dormitory building.
Mu En watched Huo Yuhao leave and murmured to himself, "There's something extraordinary about that boy's presence..."
The moment their eyes met, Mu En had noticed what set Huo Yuhao apart, and he found it quite admirable. "It looks like Shrek Academy is about to produce another peerless genius..."
Finding his room was easy for Huo Yuhao. After all, he had lived here for a long time in his previous life, coming and going every day. He had only asked Mu En out of politeness, to greet the elder who had once taught him.
Room 108 was a standard double room, as were most of the dorm rooms at the academy.
Huo Yuhao opened the door. The furnishings were simple: just two beds, two wardrobes, a table, and a lamp.
He placed his luggage on the table, then gently lay down on a bed. There was a little dust in the room, but he paid it no mind and soon immersed himself in his Sea of Consciousness-or, more precisely, his Time Sea of Consciousness.
Upon entering the Time Sea of Consciousness, he found that the clock was still going "clang, clang, clang."
A mighty white force spread unchecked through the space, seemingly out of control. Huo Yuhao didn't know what to do either. He thought of the change in his Martial Soul; surely it had to be connected to this clock.
Taking the attitude of treating a dead horse as though it were still alive, he activated his Martial Soul. Sure enough, the clanging gradually slowed, and the space, which had been in chaos and constantly undergoing destruction, ceased its strange activity.
A giant clock stood atop a white staircase. Huo Yuhao slowly climbed the stairs and came before it. There, he noticed four white jade pillars arranged around the clock, making it look all the more sacred and solemn.
Watching the clock hands turn, Huo Yuhao had a feeling that his Spirit Eyes could control them, but that he still needed a special opportunity.
He was full of questions, unable to understand why the giant clock was here. Was it because of the mutation of his Martial Soul? Or the condensation of the power of space and time?
But on closer thought, there seemed to be no solid evidence for either guess at present, and pondering these questions didn't seem to serve any practical purpose.
There was one thing he could be sure of, however: whatever the reason, his return to the past was inextricably linked to this mysterious giant clock.
Huo Yuhao slowly reached out and gently touched the clock. In an instant, as if summoned by some mysterious power, dazzling white light once again spilled forth. Unlike before, however, nothing else unusual happened this time. The light soon faded, and everything returned to calm.
Huo Yuhao privately thought that the mysterious clock might become a crucial trump card in the future, capable of playing an unexpected role at a critical moment. Seeing that the space within the Time Sea of Consciousness had stabilized, he decided to leave.
With a thought, his consciousness instantly arrived in the lotus space where the Third Prince resided. A faint spiritual Qi suffused the space, and a giant lotus floated within it. The Third Prince lay leisurely atop the lotus, his eyes closed and a tranquil presence emanating from him.
Huo Yuhao spoke softly. "Third Prince, sorry to disturb you. I've come to ask your advice about a few things."
The Third Prince slowly opened his eyes. His gaze seemed to see through everything as he asked unhurriedly, "Do you want to ask about the mutation of your Martial Soul?"
Huo Yuhao quickly nodded. "That's right. Please enlighten me, Third Prince. What are your thoughts on it?"
The Third Prince sat up slightly, his expression serious. "You may be right. The key to your Martial Soul's mutation most likely lies in its fusion with the power of space and time.
"The changes caused by this fusion may seem strange, but they are in fact a fortunate opportunity unique to you. Others could only dream of it, so make good use of it."
Hearing the Third Prince's words, Huo Yuhao suddenly saw the light. His tangled thoughts gradually became clear, and he no longer fixated on those questions.
At that moment, the Third Prince changed the subject. "By the way, how is your cultivation of the technique going?"
Huo Yuhao answered truthfully, "Third Prince, my cultivation of the technique has been going quite smoothly. I've kept up my breathing exercises and cultivation every day. Recently, though, I've noticed that the Soul Power in my body seems to be undergoing a transformation by some force, becoming increasingly pure."
The Third Prince nodded slightly and said calmly, "That is simply how the path of immortal cultivation works. The technique you cultivate is extremely unusual, and its mysteries are so numerous that even I cannot fully understand them. From now on, you can only rely on yourself to keep exploring and comprehending them through cultivation."
A creaking suddenly sounded in the dorm room as the door was slowly pushed open. A boy with pink-and-blue hair walked in. Huo Yuhao, who had been lost in thought, slowly opened his eyes and looked at the unexpected visitor.
The youth was delicate and refined in appearance, with fine features and a handsome face, but compared with the Third Prince's otherworldly bearing, he still fell somewhat short.
Finally here? Huo Yuhao thought.
As soon as the boy entered, he began looking around, then fixed his gaze on Huo Yuhao. His voice carried a hint of disdain. "You live in this room too, right? Look how dirty it is. Couldn't you have cleaned it up?"
He frowned slightly, a trace of contempt on his face. "No, no, you're not qualified to live with me. Get out of here, now."
A flicker of displeasure passed through Huo Yuhao's eyes. Rivers and mountains were easier to change than a person's nature; a rotten orange was a rotten orange. Perhaps hatred had caused Huo Yuhao to project his anger at Tang Wutong onto Wang Dong.
After all, she had only lost her memories; her true identity was still that of a goddess of the Divine Realm. He still remembered what she had said back then: "This is fate's arrangement."
And now, fate had arranged for him to end up in this dorm room too, regardless of whether fate was real or not.
He replied coldly, "What the hell are you? You think you're qualified to talk to me about qualifications?"
Huo Yuhao had no intention of indulging this young lady's temper. Since she had come and provoked him, he thought, he would beat her until peach blossoms bloomed all over her face, or she wouldn't know why peach blossoms were so red.
The boy's face instantly flushed red when he heard that. "What did you say? Say it again if you've got the guts! Believe it or not, I'll beat you until you're crawling on the ground looking for your teeth! Since you won't listen to reason, don't blame me for getting rough!" As he spoke, he had already taken a stance, ready to fight.
Huo Yuhao showed no fear. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he said mockingly, "Some people are always so full of themselves, thinking they're high and mighty. Little do they know that, in everyone else's eyes, they're nothing but a few rotten fish and shrimp not worth mentioning."
"What did you say?" The boy was thoroughly enraged. As soon as the words left his mouth, he abruptly raised his leg and kicked at Huo Yuhao, fast and vicious.
Faced with the sudden attack, Huo Yuhao remained unhurried and showed no intention of dodging.
He reached out and caught the boy's incoming foot with ease, as if grabbing a helpless chick. Then he teased, "Your strength is so soft and feeble, just like a girl's. What, didn't you eat before you came out today?"