Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.
The atmosphere in the Sea God Pavilion was no different from the previous meeting, yet it carried a heavier sense of solemnity.
Mu En, seated in the foremost position, reclined on his chair, his figure obscured from clear view.
On either side of him sat Lin Huiqun and Xuan Zi, respectively.
The four deans and vice-deans from the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department were also present, as usual.
Mu En's voice broke the silence, "Everyone, this meeting of the Sea God Pavilion is to discuss matters concerning evil soul masters. Xuan Zi, please begin. Meier, you may add any details if necessary."
"Understood, Elder Mu !" Cai Meier responded promptly.
Xuan Zi nodded, rising slowly, his tone grave. "Just yesterday, Zhang Lexuan, Huo Yuhao, and Han Ruoruo encountered a group of evil soul masters in the Star Dou Forest. This group consisted of three Soul Douluo-level Soul Masters!"
At this moment, Xuan Zi's usual carefree demeanor was replaced by utmost seriousness.
As a contemporary of Mu En and the deputy leader of the Shrek Supervisory Group, he was acutely aware of the terror posed by evil soul masters.
The rise of every evil soul master signifies the tragic deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives. Moreover, evil soul masters are notorious for their bizarre and formidable abilities, often employing insidious and vicious tactics. Throughout the generations, many inner courtyard disciples and teachers of Shrek Academy have met tragic ends at their hands.
Xuan Zi's revelation sent a wave of shock through the room.
Three Soul Douluo-level evil soul masters? Such a force could easily annihilate any second-rate sect lacking a Titled Douluo.
The sudden appearance of such high-level evil soul masters raised numerous questions: Where did they come from? How did they grow so powerful?
Evil soul masters are not common; their progression inevitably involves bloodshed and chaos, leaving traces that are hard to conceal. This is one of the primary methods the Shrek Supervisory Group uses to track their movements.
Yet, in Shrek's own territory, these three Soul Douluo-level evil soul masters appeared without warning. Was the Shrek Supervisory Group failing in its duties, or was there a hidden force aiding these malevolent beings?
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Cai Meier then added, "To be precise, they were a Soul Douluo and two level 80 Soul Saints—three brothers named Zhongli Tian, Zhongli Di, and Zhongli Ren. They entered the Star Dou Forest to obtain soul rings."
Though Cai Meier arrived late, she easily deduced this from the post-battle reports submitted by Huo Yuhao and Zhang Lexuan.
She continued, "Furthermore, based on the storage soul guides left behind by the trio, it's highly likely that these evil soul masters are not locals but come from another country—possibly the Sun Moon Empire."
Her words sparked a flurry of speculation.
Yan Shaozhe turned to Xuan Zi, "Elder Xuan, if you had intervened, those three evil soul masters would still be alive, right? We might have extracted valuable information from them."
Xuan Zi looked embarrassed, "I didn't kill them. I happened to be away at the time."
It was fortunate that Huo Yuhao and the others emerged unscathed; otherwise, he would have carried the regret for the rest of his life. The position of deputy leader of the Shrek Supervisory Group was indeed a heavy burden.
Under the questioning gazes of the others, Cai Meier also shook her head, "It wasn't me who acted. It was Lexuan and the other three who handled it themselves."
Xuan Zi's face reddened as he added, "In any case, Yuhao and the others are safe. Let's focus on these three evil soul masters now."
"Ah?" Yan Shaozhe's mouth hung open in disbelief.
Was this for real? He couldn't help but feel a pang of fear. Every time Huo Yuhao ventured out, he seemed to stumble into some major trouble. Yan Shaozhe worried that one day, Huo Yuhao might not be so lucky.
'Perhaps it was time to hint to Xiaotao to speed things up. The Ultimate Ice couldn't remain idle, and the Spirit Eye wasn't entirely out of the question...'
Returning to the topic, the group speculated about the origins of the evil soul masters, engaging in a lively discussion.
"With these three slipping through near Shrek, we must thoroughly examine whether our surveillance is adequate. Thankfully, Le Xuan and the others handled the situation well this time, but if others had encountered them, the consequences could have been dire."
"Indeed, the only good evil soul master is a dead one!"
"We must never underestimate the enemy when facing evil soul masters!"
"All evil must be brought to justice!"
Finally, Mu En rose slowly, his usually gentle eyes now cold and sharp.
He concluded in a deep voice, "These evil soul masters are no longer adversaries that ordinary members of the pervisory Group can handle. We must treat them with utmost caution. Shrek Academy's intelligence network must be mobilized to gather all relevant information!"
"Yes, Elder Mu!" the assembly responded in unison.
...
[Achievement Triggered!]
[Achieved Electrolux's 'Repairing Divine Consciousness' Achievement. Reward: Memory Gu.]
[Memory Gu: Level 5 Gu, Wisdom Path. Enhances memory recall and generates thoughts and memories.]
[Evaluation: Memories come flooding back.]
Electrolux finally came online. He sighed with emotion, "Yuhao, under the warmth of the Life Gold, my condition has improved, strengthening this wisp of consciousness that was once as fragile as a candle in the wind."
In other words, Electrolux had recovered from a prolonged state of dormancy and could now communicate with Huo Yuhao intermittently.
Electrolux smiled contentedly, "Although the recovery process is slow, it's better than nothing. I can now stay awake longer and gradually pass on the knowledge in my mind to you."
'Got it, my grandpa is online.'
Huo Yuhao then asked, "Electrolux, according to the rules of this continent, a soul master needs a soul ring to grow stronger. But since soul rings come from soul beasts, won't the fragile balance between humans and soul beasts eventually be broken?"
Today, Huo Yuhao was already contemplating the path to godhood.
Aside from divine inheritance, he couldn't rely solely on the Gu worm achievement system. Thus, there was only one path left: to believe in becoming a god.
Adhering to the principle of seizing opportunities, Huo Yuhao planned to start here.
The soul system was a good stepping stone. Even if it didn't ultimately help him ascend to godhood, it didn't matter—as long as it aided his growth.
"Artificial soul rings will suffice," Electrolux replied calmly.
"The soul rings in your world are, essentially, condensed energy. If I were at the peak of my strength, I could create soul rings with my bare hands. As for the soul skills, you could use your spiritual consciousness to mimic the origins of different soul beasts."
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Indeed, god-given soul rings should work like that. However, this method couldn't be universally applied.
Thus, Huo Yuhao shared his insights about Douluo Continent with Electrolux, proposing his ideas about souls from the original work. Souls existed independently of soul rings and soul bones. They could replace soul rings but were fundamentally different.
If Huo Yuhao from the original work had stayed in Douluo Continent and managed the Transmission Spirit Tower effectively, the subsequent development would have been far more advanced. This was akin to crossing the river by feeling the stones.
Electrolux pondered for a moment, "Wisdom soul rings, god-given soul rings, artificial soul rings... Let me think this through..."
Huo Yuhao had come to Shrek to use it as a stepping stone.
Creating a force that could influence the entire continent from scratch wasn't impossible, but Huo Yuhao didn't have the luxury of time. Thus, leveraging existing forces was essential.
Choosing Shrek Academy had six advantages:
Geographical Advantage: Shrek City was located on the edge of the Star Dou Forest, at the junction of the original three kingdoms of Douluo, offering a strategic location.
Reputation: Shrek Academy was renowned as the top martial arts institution on the continent, facilitating future plans.
Rich Heritage: The academy's deep history and resources provided a solid foundation.
Talent Pool: Shrek gathered the continent's top talents, allowing Huo Yuhao to build a strong team.
Truce with Sea God: A temporary alliance with Sea God was possible.
System Mission: It aligned with the system's tasks.
This was Huo Yuhao's century-long plan! Though he had Body martial soul for using Body Sect. His plan was to become Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion while also leading the Body Sect. With sufficient strength, Huo Yuhao could make it happen.
For now, the immediate goal was to expand his connections.
Whether it was Zhang Lexuan, groomed as the heir to the Sea God Pavilion Master, Ma Xiaotao, specially trained, or Xiao Xiao, a potential talent with a clean background and outstanding abilities—even Beibei and Tang Ya could provide significant assistance in the future.
...
"Grill—ah, no, Yuhao! It's been a while. Did you come here specifically to tell us you've changed your mind and want to join the Tang Sect?" Tang Ya nearly blurted out "grilled fish" upon seeing Huo Yuhao.
"Sorry, Senior Sister Xiao Ya, I still have no intention of joining a sect," Huo Yuhao declined with a shake of his head.
Beibei sighed helplessly, "Xiao Ya, stop asking people that."
"Hmph, call me Teacher Xiao Ya!"
"Alright, alright, Teacher Xiao Ya."
Watching their banter, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but twitch his eyelids. Was it appropriate for them to flirt so openly?
After some casual conversation, the discussion turned serious.
"Senior Sister Xiao Ya, are you confident about the entrance exam next semester?" Huo Yuhao got straight to the point.
[Tang Ya]
[Relationship: Confidant]
[Achievement Mission: Stagnant Soul Power]
It sounded a bit abstract.
Tang Ya's favorability had progressed from the third stage [Best Friend] to the fourth stage [Confidant] after just a few dinner gatherings.
Every time there was a barbecue on Sea God Island, Tang Ya arrived promptly, dragging Beibei along. Even though Huo Yuhao hadn't joined the Tang Sect, the three of them had grown quite close.
Tang Ya's resistance to delicious food was almost nonexistent. Thus, her fourth mission had refreshed not long ago. Unsurprisingly, beneath her carefree exterior, she harbored deep concerns about her Blue Silver Grass's limitations.
In the original work, after obtaining her third soul ring, Tang Ya's soul power progression had slowed significantly over the past year, barely reaching level 33.
Though she eventually entered a higher academy, graduating seemed unlikely, and joining the inner academy with Beibei was out of the question.
Feeling increasingly distant from Beibei and the dream of restoring the Tang Sect, Tang Ya eventually activated her devouring talent during the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament.
She absorbed the vitality of plants, rapidly advancing her power, but her martial soul mutated into Dark Blue Silver Grass.
When Tang Ya was born, her parents knew she harbored a hidden talent for devouring life, accompanied by a sinister aura. However, this talent remained dormant unless actively triggered.
The emergence of Dark Blue Silver Grass and her desire to protect Beibei led Tang Ya to drop out of the Academy.
While rebuilding the Tang Sect, she was discovered by the Ironblood Clan, her former enemies, and faced relentless persecution.
The once kind and sunny Tang Ya was consumed by hatred, her mind controlled by the sinister aura.
She began slaughtering Ironblood Clan disciples, devouring their vitality with her Dark Blue Silver Grass. In doing so, she became an evil soul master. She was later rescued by the Holy Spirit Cult and became one of its two holy maidens.
Interestingly, the other holy maiden in the original work was Ma Xiaotao, whose Evil Fire had activated, mutating her martial soul into a Black Phoenix. However, under Huo Yuhao's treatment, the Evil Fire was no longer a significant issue.
It was almost comical how Shrek had gathered the two holy maidens of the Holy Spirit Cult and a hidden supreme elder. With the Phoenix Saint gone, Huo Yuhao was determined to prevent the formation of the Blue Silver Saint!
After all, Tang Ya was the first to trigger an achievement task when Huo Yuhao arrived. Winning her over would also secure Beibei's loyalty. It was a win-win situation.
Seeing Huo Yuhao bring up the topic, even the usually cheerful Tang Ya hesitated, "It should be... possible, right?"
Despite her diligent efforts, her martial soul's limitations made it difficult to replicate the miracles of her ancestors. Blue Silver Grass was, after all, just Blue Silver Grass.
Noticing Huo Yuhao's half-smile, Tang Ya pouted, "You little Yuhao, teasing your senior sister like this. Don't think you're safe just because you're recommended to the inner courtyard. Don't underestimate the entrance exam!"
Huo Yuhao: 'Sorry, but being recommended to the inner courtyard does mean I can do whatever I want.'
Beibei comforted her, "Alright, Xiao Ya. Since Yuhao brought this up, he must have a solution. Right, Yuhao?"
"Really? Yuhao, do you have a solution?" Tang Ya's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together, bowing slightly. "Please help me, Brother Yuhao! Beibei will do anything!"
Beibei's face darkened, but he also looked at Huo Yuhao expectantly. "Yuhao, do you have a solution? If you can solve the cultivation issues of Blue Silver Grass, I'll be eternally grateful!"
"I do have a solution, but I'm not sure if it's feasible..." Huo Yuhao replied thoughtfully.
…
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