After declining the Soul Guidance Department's invitation, Huo Yuhao left the Soul Guidance Department's experimental area.
By now, the sky was growing dark, and the slender, upright soul guide street lamps lining the wide walkway had been lit. A steady drizzle fell, the raindrops thick and rhythmic, bringing a chill to the late spring evening.
"It's raining," Wang Dong, who was walking beside Huo Yuhao, exclaimed.
She felt the rain had come at the perfect time, refreshing and washing away her fatigue.
Today marked the last day of the semester.
Wang Dong, aware of her limited talent in soul guidance devices, had officially bid farewell to Fan Yu and given up the elective. This late rain seemed to symbolize a new beginning for her.
Just as Wang Dong was about to step into the rain to feel its coolness, her gaze shifted slightly to the left.
Huo Yuhao had already handed her an umbrella.
"You should always keep some daily necessities in your soul guide storage," he said.
"...You talk too much and ruin the mood," Wang Dong replied, flipping her short pink-blue hair in mock annoyance as she took the umbrella.
Walking along the cold corridor, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of falling rain, the two made their way toward the martial arts department. They deliberately slowed their pace, savoring the moment.
"Are you going home for the holidays?" Wang Dong asked softly.
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Home? I haven't had one for a long time."
Wang Dong looked slightly startled, lowering her head and biting her red lips. "Sorry..."
"It's nothing. I'm used to it," Huo Yuhao replied.
After all, he was a stranger in a foreign land. Unknowingly, he had been at Shrek Academy for nearly a year. During that time, his relationships with everyone had grown much closer.
After a moment of silence, Wang Dong spoke again. "Why don't you come with me, Yuhao?"
Saying these words seemed to take all her strength.
Huo Yuhao glanced sideways at her, noticing her face hidden under the umbrella, though it couldn't conceal her flushed cheeks.
Fearing Huo Yuhao might misunderstand, Wang Dong quickly added, "My family has some treasures that can speed up cultivation. They might be very suitable for you."
Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Dong.
Eight months had passed, and she had grown taller, though her appearance remained somewhat ordinary.
He politely declined. "Forget it. Going home with a 'boy' during the holidays might cause rumors if word gets out."
Hearing this, Wang Dong choked for a moment before retorting angrily, "It's just a disguise! I don't dislike you yet, but I already do now! And I just can't bear the thought of you staying alone at Shrek."
Without her, there were too many competitors, and Wang Dong feared someone might sneak in during the holidays.
She had already decided to reveal her true self next semester.
This woman pretending to be a man was no easy task.
Huo Yuhao chuckled. "You can't bear to leave me? It's only a month. We'll be reunited soon. Besides, during the break, I plan to go get my fourth soul ring."
"What? You're going for another soul ring already?!" Wang Dong exclaimed, her shyness forgotten.
In just one semester, Huo Yuhao had risen from a Soul Grandmaster to a quasi-Soul Ancestor. Wasn't that a bit exaggerated?
Huo Yuhao replied modestly, "It's just luck. I took some pills and used some cultivation resources, and I managed to reach level 40."
"With such an abnormal cultivation speed, I think your talent, Yuhao, completely surpasses that of Sea God from ten thousand years ago. You have the qualifications to become a god!" Wang Dong said, looking at him with envy.
"You're not the first to say that. You have good taste," Huo Yuhao sighed, glancing at the loyal girl beside him.
In fact, because they both had twin martial souls, people often compared the two.
Huo Yuhao spoke earnestly, "So, you need to practice hard during the holidays. Don't get lazy just because you think you can easily pass next semester's promotion exam. If you fall too far behind, I won't wait for you."
Wang Dong's eyes widened. "No way! It's finally the holidays. Can't I relax a little? Are you going to take the test too?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head, somewhat exasperated. "If you fall behind one step, you'll fall behind every step. If you don't push yourself, you'll never become a true powerhouse."
Wang Dong complained, "Okay, okay, I get it. My current soul power level isn't bad—it's already level 29."
Huo Yuhao retorted, "That's because you've been practicing hard recently under my supervision. If you had maintained this level of effort since childhood, you would have become a Soul Ancestor long ago."
"Hey, you can't blame me entirely. My two uncles never pushed me to practice. If they had been like you, Yuhao, I wouldn't be as virtuous as I am now," Wang Dong said, spreading her hands helplessly.
Then she asked, "Does the Martial Soul Department agree to help you get the soul ring? This is your fourth one. Don't be as reckless as last time."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Of course. I'm a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department. I have privileges, and I plan to use them."
Wang Dong said, "That's good. Be sure to stay safe. I'll go home tomorrow and try to come back early. It's a pity my soul power hasn't reached level 30 yet, or I'd go hunt soul beasts with you. That would be great."
"It's actually not that great," Huo Yuhao sighed quietly.
He had a premonition that this trip to the Star Dou Forest would be fraught with twists and turns.
"Why not? With your talent, the academy will definitely send a Titled Douluo to protect you. Isn't it simple to capture a suitable ten-thousand-year soul beast?" Wang Dong asked, puzzled.
"You might not know this, but the academy prefers students to be self-reliant. And some Titled Douluo aren't very reliable," Huo Yuhao replied helplessly.
"Oh, I see. Just like my second uncle—some people really are unreliable," Wang Dong said, suddenly understanding.
...
For Huo Yuhao, the most important thing now was to seize the opportunity to obtain his soul ring and become a Soul Ancestor.
Although one could still accumulate soul power without a soul ring, obtaining one would strengthen a Soul Master in all aspects and significantly increase cultivation speed.
Could the cultivation speed of a Soul Elder compare to that of a Soul Ancestor? Of course not.
If a Soul Elder's soul power circulation speed was ten, a Soul Ancestor's would be at least fifteen or even twenty—a huge gap.
It was unwise to delay. If one could obtain a soul ring early, it was best to do so. This was the approach most Soul Masters took.
…
Yan Shaozhe's Office
Yan Shaozhe looked up as Huo Yuhao entered, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled. "Yuhao, what brings you here today?"
After parting ways with Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao had come directly to Yan Shaozhe to report his breakthrough to level 40.
Calmly, he said, "I've broken through to the Soul Ancestor and am preparing to obtain my fourth soul ring."
"What?!" Yan Shaozhe immediately lost his composure, standing up abruptly. "You've broken through to the Soul Ancestor? How is that possible so quickly?"
Huo Yuhao smiled gently, then released his soul power without restraint. "It's thanks to the resources provided by the academy."
Yan Shaozhe carefully sensed the soul power and was stunned. Based on the soul power alone, Huo Yuhao's strength might already rival that of a Soul King.
Was this the power of Ultimate Ice?
Wasn't it said that after reaching level 30, the cultivation speed of an Ultimate Martial Soul would slow significantly? Why was this little guy's speed only increasing?
Perhaps Huo Yuhao had already fused the head soul bone specially selected for him, and with the help of spirit-nourishing pills, it was indeed possible.
"As expected of Shrek Academy's most talented student!" Yan Shaozhe muttered to himself.
A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor!
Huo Yuhao's cultivation speed had broken Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year record. In fact, Yan Shaozhe had a hunch that Huo Yuhao wouldn't stop here—even future records might struggle to compare.
In his eyes, even the original Shrek Seven Monsters paled in comparison to the little guy before him. Well, except for the seven who had taken the Immortal herbs.
For Huo Yuhao now, the only gap was in soul rings, but that wasn't a significant issue.
His Ice Jade Scorpion Empress martial soul could definitely start with a black ring! Only Sea God could surpass Huo Yuhao in this regard.
After all, divine trials and opportunities were beyond the reach of individual talent.
It was a pity that the chance of becoming a god was so slim. Otherwise, another statue would have to be erected in Shrek Square.
Similarly, he thought of his beloved disciple's recent progress. Freed from the shackles of the Evil Fire, Ma Xiaotao's cultivation had also improved by leaps and bounds. Perhaps this was the match of twin martial soul?
For a moment, Yan Shaozhe's thoughts wandered until Huo Yuhao's voice brought him back to reality.
"So, Dean Yan, do you have any plans for my fourth soul ring?"
Yan Shaozhe coughed twice and said, "As I mentioned before, the academy has found a soul beast that suits you perfectly—a 30,000-year-old Silver Beast. It's an extinct species in the records, likely the only one on the continent, and its age is very suitable for you."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Indeed."
Although soul beasts with cultivation levels ranging from ten thousand to ninety thousand years were all called ten-thousand-year soul beasts, the gaps between them were significant.
Thirty thousand, fifty thousand, and seventy thousand years were all thresholds, corresponding to the Soul Emperor, Soul Saint, and Soul Douluo levels of soul beasts.
Each threshold represented a massive leap in strength.
Similarly, these thresholds greatly affected the strength and quality of the soul skills a Soul Master would gain after obtaining the soul ring.
"For safety, we'll have Elder Xuan lead the team," Yan Shaozhe said.
Elder Xuan? To ensure safety?
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel that the twists and turns had already begun.
…
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