Huo Yuhao quickly ended his first soul skill activation, feeling noticeably exhausted.
Although he had just become a soul master and his physical condition had improved slightly thanks to acquiring a century-old soul ring, using this skill still consumed too much of his soul power.
He would need a significant amount of time to train and refine his control over it before he could use it efficiently.
After Zhou Sichen finished processing the corpse of the Three-Eyed Demon Ape, Huo Yuhao roasted some meat for everyone. After their meal, they set up camp for the night and, the next day, embarked on their journey to Shrek Academy.
For all four of them, this trip had been a resounding success.
Zhou Sichen had obtained the dreamlike combination of Tianmeng Iceworm and Electrolux.
Tang Ya, thanks to Zhou Sichen's guidance, had discovered her true cultivation path and even acquired a perfect third soul ring.
Her growth made Bei Bei genuinely happy because he deeply cared for Tang Ya. The stronger she became, the smaller the gap between them would be.
Huo Yuhao had received a suitable century-old soul ring, officially stepping onto the path of a soul master.
Following Zhou Sichen's advice, Huo Yuhao decided to focus on the Soul Engineering path from the very start, using powerful soul tools to complement his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul.
Although doing so might slow his martial soul cultivation, the power of soul tools would be enough to compensate for it, at least in the short term.
Furthermore, Brother Zhou had promised him—if he met certain goals, Zhou Sichen would personally teach him how to cultivate his martial soul, ensuring that he didn't fall behind.
Huo Yuhao was more than willing to take that offer.
Even though they had only traveled together for half a month, the four of them had become incredibly close, as if they had been friends for years.
Because of this, Huo Yuhao trusted Zhou Sichen wholeheartedly, believing in the path he had planned for him.
Not to mention, Tang Ya was a prime example—with Zhou Sichen's guidance, her martial soul had undergone a transformation, proving that his theories were solid.
Even Bei Bei had consulted Zhou Sichen on how to best cultivate his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul.
And after confirming some details, Zhou Sichen's advice turned out to be nearly identical to that of Bei Bei's great-grandfather.
That alone was enough to prove that his theoretical knowledge was beyond exceptional.
It took them three days to exit the Star Dou Forest.
Thanks to A'Da, they never encountered any troublesome soul beasts along the way.
After leaving the forest, Zhou Sichen recalled both A'Da and Hellfire into his soul space.
After all, riding a soul beast through human territory would attract far too much attention.
Zhou Sichen also wanted to avoid being noticed by the Holy Spirit Cult for now.
Until he had a strong enough backing, he had no intention of exposing himself prematurely.
Of course, he had already planned his escape routes. If worst came to worst, he could always join the Body Sect—as long as he revealed his Body Martial Soul, Poison Undying would probably treat him like a precious heir.
After all, Poison Undying's martial soul was similar to his own.
The four of them rented a carriage and leisurely made their way to Shrek Academy.
Right now, Shrek Academy's enrollment period was in full swing.
Countless talented young soul masters from all over the continent were making their way to Shrek Academy, the continent's number one academy.
Shrek Academy was located on the Lima Plains, not far from the Star Dou Forest.
In a way, it served as the first line of defense against the forest's soul beasts.
Over the course of ten thousand years, Shrek Academy had grown into a true giant, and the city surrounding it had developed into a metropolis comparable to the capitals of major empires—Shrek City.
Shrek City was entirely governed by the academy, operating with full autonomy.
It did not pledge allegiance to any empire, nor did it pay taxes to any government.
This was something no other academy on the continent could even dream of achieving.
Shrek City's permanent population exceeded two million, with countless travelers passing through daily.
It took Zhou Sichen's group half a month to finally arrive at Shrek City, by which time it was already the third day of Shrek Academy's enrollment period.
The academy's enrollment lasted for half a month, so they still had plenty of time.
As he gazed at the grand city before him, Zhou Sichen smiled slightly.
This wasn't his first time in Shrek City.
But this time, he was entering as a student.
Shrek Academy wasn't located at the city center, but rather in the eastern part of Shrek City.
This was because it directly faced the Star Dou Forest, ensuring a quick response to any potential threats.
Shrek City had gates in all four cardinal directions, allowing seamless transportation and trade.
It wasn't just the home of Shrek Academy—it was also one of the most important commercial hubs, strategically positioned at the borders of the three former empires of the Douluo Continent.
Thanks to the academy's presence, Shrek City had an extremely low crime rate.
Business transactions here were fair and secure, making it the preferred trading hub for merchants from all three empires.
Among the north, south, and west gates, all were open to the public.
Only the eastern gate was reserved exclusively for Shrek Academy.
Led by Bei Bei and Tang Ya, Zhou Sichen and Huo Yuhao made their way toward the eastern gate.
Although this gate wasn't open to the public, it was the busiest of them all.
At least five thousand people were gathered outside, making the scene incredibly lively.
Merchants had long since caught wind of the bustling enrollment period, setting up their stalls just outside the city walls.
The area outside the gate was even livelier than the city itself.
As Zhou Sichen and Huo Yuhao curiously observed their surroundings, Bei Bei explained:
"The academy's enrollment lasts for half a month, and today is only the third day. In a few days, the number of people here will probably double."
"Every year, this is the busiest time for Shrek Academy."
Zhou Sichen already knew this information, but Bei Bei took the opportunity to explain it to Huo Yuhao.
Shrek Academy's enrollment requirements were as follows:
Applicants must be under twelve years old.
They must have at least Rank 15 soul power.
They must have a recommendation letter from a major city.
Huo Yuhao didn't meet a single one of these criteria.
Thankfully, Tang Sect had a reserved recommendation slot, allowing him to bypass the entrance exam and enroll directly.
However, three months later, he would face a strict freshman assessment.
If he failed, he would still be expelled.
Despite this, Huo Yuhao was determined to pass.
He knew that, compared to most students, he was still lacking in power.
But with Brother Zhou's guidance, Tang Sect's secret techniques, and the support of Teacher Xiaoya and Senior Brother Bei,
he believed he could make it.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya were happy to encourage him, offering their full support.
Meanwhile, Zhou Sichen simply watched silently.
He had already done everything he could to help Huo Yuhao.
Whether Huo Yuhao would stay in Shrek Academy or not—
After all, Zhou Sichen had his own matters to handle.
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