After receiving the cultivation technique Innate Meditation Technique as a generous gift from Elder Ye, Huo Yuhao decisively abandoned the Mysterious Heaven Skill and began training in the new method. While this might seem a bit shameless, why not cultivate a better technique when it's available?
He had only recently joined the Tang Sect and didn't have deep emotional ties to it like Tang Ya, who had been indoctrinated since childhood. So giving up the Tang Sect's technique didn't make him hesitate at all.
And once he started cultivating it, he discovered that this Innate Meditation Technique was far superior in terms of efficiency alone—it was many times faster than the Mysterious Heaven Skill! And that was even with his current weak body and underdeveloped meridians holding back its full potential.
As his physique improved over time, it was easy to imagine that the already terrifying cultivation speed would only increase further.
Just how terrifying was this technique?
Feeling his strength rise at a pace he had never dared to imagine, Huo Yuhao was practically dizzy with happiness.
He truly felt that his luck had taken a miraculous turn for the better.
First, he had received a once-in-a-lifetime sacrifice from Brother Tianmeng and obtained an unprecedented million-year soul ring. And now he had Elder Ye guiding him and bestowing him with an extraordinary cultivation method from another world.
These were things he never even dared to dream of before.
It was as if all the misfortunes he had suffered until now had only been paving the way for this incredible good fortune. From now on, his rise would be unstoppable!
Seeing how diligently Huo Yuhao trained every day, both Tang Ya and Bei Bei nodded in satisfaction, thinking the Tang Sect had finally found a worthy successor. They had no idea that he wasn't even cultivating the so-called Mysterious Heaven Skill.
Huo Yuhao hadn't told them either. First, it involved a personal secret. Second, it would be incredibly disrespectful to blatantly abandon the sect's cultivation method right after joining. That just wouldn't sit well.
He was certain that If he actually said it out loud, Tang Ya would probably strike him down on the spot as a traitor to the sect. After all, from the so-called Tang Sect rules he had learned upon joining, he understood very clearly that this sect was no benevolent society. Once you entered the Tang Sect, it was like plunging into a deep ocean.
At this stage, he didn't want to dig his own grave.
So he decided to just bluff his way through.
Fortunately, the Innate Meditation Technique was extremely inclusive. From the moment he began cultivating it, the Mysterious Heaven Skill had already been absorbed into it. In other words, if he wanted, he could easily simulate the appearance of practicing the Mysterious Heaven Skill to deceive others.
On top of that, he could continue training in the Tang Sect's secret techniques without any conflict at all—in fact, their power would be even greater! The Innate Meditation Technique's inclusiveness far surpassed that of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Even though the names differed by only one character, the difference between them was like night and day!
After several days of travel,
Huo Yuhao and his two companions finally arrived at the location of Shrek Academy.
Rather than calling it a school, it would be more accurate to say it was a city.
Massive walls stretched out to the sides, and Shrek Academy, built on the Liming Plains, occupied a vast area. It was effectively a city in its own right, known as Shrek City.
On the Douluo Continent, Shrek City was one of the top-tier metropolises, home to over two million residents. The Academy held autonomous governance over the city and didn't pay taxes to any nation. It was like a nation within a nation.
Shrek Academy itself wasn't located in the center of Shrek City, but rather in the eastern part, facing the direction of the Star Dou Forest.
Under Bei Bei and Tang Ya's guidance, Huo Yuhao arrived outside the city's eastern gate. The area was bustling, with at least five thousand people gathered and countless merchants drawn by the event.
"Little junior brother, we've arrived just in time for the Academy's new student intake. You'll be part of this year's cohort—three years behind me and Xiao Ya. These regular applicants not only have to pass an entrance exam, but also need recommendation letters from at least a major city-level authority of one of the three great empires. This is always the busiest time of year here in Shrek City," Bei Bei explained.
Huo Yuhao asked in a low voice, "Senior brother, is the exam really difficult?"
Bei Bei hesitated, then instinctively looked toward Tang Ya. Tang Ya spoke directly, "He'll find out sooner or later. It'll give him motivation to work harder, so just tell him. Xiao Yuhao, there are two requirements to enter Shrek Academy's outer courtyard. First, you must be under twelve years old. Second, your soul power must be no lower than Rank 15. From a purely exam-based perspective, you currently don't meet the standard."
She didn't bother urging Huo Yuhao to work harder—he was already working harder than anyone else.
"Fifteen ranks before the age of twelve…"
Huo Yuhao muttered to himself. But in his heart, he didn't feel it was difficult. If it had been before, he truly would have lacked confidence. But now that he had the Innate Meditation Technique, his cultivation speed was like having a cheat code—it was unbelievably fast!
Doing a rough calculation in his head, he realized that raising his soul power from Rank 11 to Rank 15 within three months might actually be possible. He could only say that the technique Elder Ye had given him was truly insane!
With this newfound confidence, Huo Yuhao didn't ask any further questions. Whatever he needed to know, he would learn eventually—no need to rush. He had already learned the basic facts before arriving.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya led Huo Yuhao around the crowd to the side of the eastern city gate. There, they saw more than a dozen young men and women around their age standing guard, all wearing yellow training uniforms with a green emblem on the chest—Shrek Academy's uniform for second- and third-year outer courtyard students.
The moment they saw Bei Bei, the students stood respectfully. "Senior Brother Bei, welcome back!"
Bei Bei smiled and greeted them all, then spoke a few words to the leader of the group. That student glanced at Huo Yuhao and nodded. "If Senior Brother Bei vouches for him, there's no need to question it. Take this junior inside for registration."
Bei Bei raised his thumb with a grin. "Thanks. I'll treat everyone to something good later."
The young man laughed heartily. "You said it! We won't let a chance like this slip away."
Bei Bei gave him a high-five. "I won't disappoint you all." With that, he and Tang Ya led Huo Yuhao through the eastern gate—the symbolic entrance to Shrek Academy.
Inside, the Academy wasn't as solemn and majestic as Huo Yuhao had imagined. Instead, it was beautifully landscaped, lush with various kinds of vegetation.
As they walked along the wide avenue, no matter where he looked, he could see at least ten different types of plants, all clearly pruned with care. Two hundred meters ahead, several massive statues blocked the view.
There were ten statues in total, each standing ten meters tall, sculpted from the hardest granite.
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