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Gu La returned silently to the Peerless Tang Sect timeline. First, he carefully sealed his own aura and subtly surveyed the world.
He found that, aside from minor unrest in the Great Star Dou Forest due to the temporary disappearance of the Auspicious Beast, the continent's overall situation remained unchanged. Clearly, Di Tian, upon confirming the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's safe return, had chosen not to escalate matters.
Slightly reassured, Gu La resumed his life at Shrek Academy.
The cultivation during the Demon Island trials, combined with the evolutionary feedback from the Primordial Tree spirit soul, had propelled his soul power two levels upward—to Level 69.
His primary purpose in participating in this exchange was to travel to the Sun Moon Empire, seeking rare plant species that might exist there—and, of course, to experience foreign landscapes and culture.
Naturally, if he could "accidentally" encounter a few evil soul masters along the way and use them to break through to Level 70… that would be perfect.
The day of departure arrived.
Gu La distributed several completed Evolution Watches—some to the Star Luo Empire's representative, others to Yan Shaozhe.
Technically, Evolution Watches were soul guidance devices, falling under the jurisdiction of the Soul Engineering Department. But the Soul Engineering Department lacked the financial might of the Soul Master Department. It could not afford the high-grade soul bones needed as "processing fees." Thus, Yan Shaozhe personally assumed full responsibility.
Upon learning that Gu La possessed a leftover fragment of the Light Unicorn soul bone, Yan Shaozhe paid dearly out of his own pocket to commission a custom Evolution Watch. The final result: a half-level soul power boost.
He had been stuck at Level 95 for years and hoped this device would let him feel the surge of awakened Soul potential—perhaps even unlock the path to Level 96.
Though Gu La privately doubted Yan Shaozhe could break through with it, he never turned away a paying customer.
The escort team for this exchange—consisting of Gu La, Huo Yuhao, Gu Tong, and eight others, all at least fifth-grade Soul Engineers—was led by Yan Shaozhe himself, with Fan Yu representing the Soul Engineering Department.
The academy equipped every student with top-tier defensive soul guidance devices. Gu La and Huo Yuhao, in particular, received eighth-grade defensive soul guidance devices "acquired" from Jing Hongchen.
The group arrived at the Sun Moon Empire's border. Jing Hongchen waited there personally, flanked by Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
The two academy heads exchanged polite words laced with hidden daggers, then formally exchanged student delegations.
Jing Hongchen's gaze lingered longest on Gu La.
His motivation for promoting this exchange was twofold: partly to allow his grandchildren to learn from Shrek—but primarily, he coveted Gu La himself.
Over a year had passed since the Dueling Tournament. The core principle of the Evolution Watch—soul bone fragments + specialized array + catalyst—was no longer a secret.
But the man who conceived such a revolutionary design… and executed it? His Soul Engineering talent was monstrous.
And his dual Ultimate attributes? Pure gold.
Jing Hongchen's desire to recruit him was overwhelming.
With the Mingde Hall's Hall Master personally leading the delegation, their journey was seamless. Soon, they arrived at Sun Moon's capital—Mingdu.
It was a metropolis far beyond their wildest imagination.
Sky-piercing soul guidance device towers. Rivers of soul guidance device vehicles. Radiant, ever-changing soul guidance device lighting. Everywhere he looked, the evidence of hyper-advanced soul guidance device civilization.
Most astonishing: the imperial capital had no walls whatsoever. A testament to Sun Moon's absolute confidence in its own strength.
Huo Yuhao and the others from the Three Nations were awestruck. Even as they tried to mask it, their eyes betrayed their wonder and disbelief.
Jing Hongchen observed their reactions with quiet satisfaction. This was precisely what he wanted—to awe these "backward" region geniuses with Mingdu's splendor.
Yet when he turned to Gu La, he froze.
Gu La's eyes held only mild curiosity and appreciation—as if he were admiring a fine piece of art. There was no shock. No awe. No loss of composure.
Just… calm.
A calm born of having seen greater things.
Jing Hongchen's heart lurched.
This boy's temperament… is this deep? Or has he already witnessed something beyond imagination?
He could not possibly conceive that Gu La hailed from ten thousand years in the future—where soul guidance device technology had evolved into something approaching science fiction. Mingdu, for all its brilliance, was still primitive by comparison.
Pushing aside his thoughts, Jing Hongchen led them to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
A sharp-eyed, efficient middle-aged man awaited them at the gates.
"This is our Chief Instructor, Lin Jiayi," Jing Hongchen introduced.
He exchanged a few words with Lin Jiayi, then departed with Fan Yu—senior officials no longer involved in the nitty-gritty.
Lin Jiayi warmly distributed maps, dormitory keys, and temporary identification badges to each Shrek student, then led them on a tour.
Ye Xiaosheng, the highest-level Soul Engineer among them, naturally took the lead in conversation with Lin Jiayi.
Gu La glanced at his map. The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy's grounds were even larger than Shrek's. Its internal zoning was extraordinarily complex.
Lin Jiayi guided them to the central plaza.
It was currently the time for new student physical evaluations. Dozens of peculiar soul guidance devices—soul guidance device Physiological Scanners—stood in neat rows.
Lin Jiayi smiled and suggested, "Since you're here to exchange and learn, our academy would also benefit from collecting baseline data on your students—so we can assign suitable courses and mentors."
"How about starting with the physical test? Let our new students see what makes Shrek's geniuses exceptional." His tone was courteous, but the challenge was unmistakable.
The scanner was a towering transparent crystal column.
Before anyone could respond, Lin Jiayi continued: "Simply stand relaxed on the platform. The scanner emits a white beam—it rapidly measures dozens of parameters: physical strength, resilience, soul power fluctuations… highly accurate."
Huo Yuhao's heart sank.
His body had been modified multiple times—especially by the Life Gold essence. His physical strength far surpassed peers of his level. His spiritual power was monstrous.
He immediately began draining his spiritual power, desperately suppressing it to "reasonable" levels. He whispered to He Caitou, concerned.
Gu La narrowed his eyes. He faced the same problem.
His body had undergone countless refinements—feedback from Groudon's origin, especially the nourishment from the origin of life—his physical parameters were absurdly high.
He could seal his soul power and bloodline fluctuations, even temporarily suppress his spiritual power. But his muscle density, bone structure, basic physical attributes? Those couldn't be altered on the spot.
In an instant, he considered using his evolved Myriad Forms of the Forest to hypnotize everyone on the plaza. But he glanced around—at the bustling crowd of Sun Moon students and instructors—and sighed inwardly.
Lin Jiayi had deliberately chosen this crowded moment. He had no confidence he could avoid detection—especially not by Tianmeng Ice Worm or Electrolux within Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea. He discarded the idea: too risky, too exposing.
In a flash, he devised a solution.
He subtly activated his soul power—his fourth evolved soul skill: Forest Avatar.
Using the crowd as cover, his true body vanished in a microsecond—reappearing behind a nearby building. What remained on the platform was a shadow-constructed avatar—possessing half his combat power.
But that wasn't enough.
The avatar stood still, feigning curiosity toward the scanner. Secretly, it activated a weakened version of Forest Avatar again—creating a second, even weaker avatar.
The original avatar then dissolved.
This cycle repeated several times.
Finally, a single avatar remained—one possessing only a small fraction of Gu La's true power, but whose physical attributes had been meticulously calibrated: just above Soul Saint level—perfectly matching his publicly declared Soul Emperor status, and one full level higher than Huo Yuhao's Level 60.
The entire process took less than a heartbeat. Hidden by the impending shock of Huo Yuhao's test, it went entirely unnoticed.
Now, Ye Xiaosheng stepped forward as the first volunteer.
The white beam swept over him.
The instructor read off the data rapidly:
"Physical Strength: Level 54. Physical Resilience: Level 61. Soul Power Fluctuation: Level 62. Height: 1.82 meters. Weight: 81 kg. Left arm length… no soul bone enhancement."
"Overall: Soul Emperor. Physical Strength: Soul Emperor. Physical Power: To be assessed."
Ye Xiaosheng felt as if stripped naked. He stepped down, face pale.
Next came Huo Yuhao.
When the results flashed: "Soul Power: Soul Elder. Physical Strength: Soul Emperor-level," the crowd erupted.
One Sun Moon instructor blurted out, "Monster!"
Huo Yuhao remained calm, delivering a practiced line:
"Shrek Academy is known as the Monster Academy. Our students are naturally monsters."
He stepped down, but the shockwave had already spread.
All eyes turned to the final, untested student—the one rumored to possess Ultimate Attributes: Gu La.
The avatar walked onto the platform, expression serene.
The white beam scanned.
The recording instructor stared at the crystal column. His eyes bulged. His voice cracked with disbelief:
"Physical Strength: Level 70. Physical Resilience: Level 72. soul power Fluctuation: Level 43. Height: 1.82 meters. Weight: 75 kg. Left arm length… enhanced by right palm bone."
"Overall: Soul Saint. Physical Strength: Soul Saint. Physical Power: To be assessed."
Silence.
Absolute, suffocating silence.
If Huo Yuhao's data had stunned them, Gu La's was pure terror.
A Soul Ancestor-level soul power… with Soul Saint-level physical strength?
This wasn't a monster.
This was a violation of every known law of Soul Masters.
Are all of Shrek's students like this?
Do we… even have a chance to surpass them?
Fear, confusion, and despair spread across the faces of Sun Moon students.
Lin Jiayi's smile froze. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
He'd intended to inspire his students with Shrek's brilliance.
He hadn't meant to shatter their confidence completely.
He cleared his throat, forced a laugh, and quickly shifted focus.
"Let's continue—next student, please."
Fortunately, the following students, while still outstanding—outpacing their Sun Moon peers by a noticeable margin—remained within the realm of "credible" and "achievable."
As the Sun Moon students' expressions slowly relaxed, their determination flickering back to life, Lin Jiayi wiped his brow in silent relief.
All of this, unseen, was observed by Gu La's true body, hidden in the shadows.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled on his lips.
Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi wanted to use Shrek to motivate their students?
He'd be happy to oblige.
He simply… slightly overdid it.
He loved seeing the moment someone's calculation collapsed—when their smug confidence turned to stunned disbelief.
After all tests were completed, Lin Jiayi suppressed his inner turmoil and forced a smile.
"Now, let's move to the next test—Power Assessment."
A row of complex soul guidance devices stood here, each centered around a massive wall embedded with shock-absorbing metals, energy-conducting alloys, and soul guidance device gems.
"This is the Power Tester," Lin Jiayi explained. "No soul power may be used. Only raw physical strength. Strike the central target with your full force. The device calculates pure power output based on impact and vibration feedback."
This time, Gu La did not use an avatar.
He had absolute confidence in controlling his output.
Huo Yuhao went first. He knew his strength—shaped by Life Gold and Ice Emperor's soul bone—far exceeded a Soul Elder's. He consciously restrained most of his power.
Thud.
The display flashed: "Power Level: 55."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
A Soul Elder with Soul King-level pure strength.
Another confirmation of "Monster Academy." The Sun Moon students' faces grew heavier.
Now, Gu La stepped forward.
He stood calmly before the tester. He mimicked Huo Yuhao's "restraint," yet subtly exceeded it.
His muscles tensed slightly. His waist twisted. He swung his fist—appearing casual, almost lazy.
But at the moment his knuckles touched the target—
The explosive force within him erupted like a buried volcano.
Then—just as it reached its peak—it was violently restrained, pulled back.
The entire motion was too fast to see.
To observers, it looked like a simple punch.
BOOM!
A deeper, more resonant, penetrating thunder cracked through the air. The entire tester trembled. The embedded gems flickered wildly.
The display flashed, scrolled, then froze:
"Power Level: 62nd."
Soul Emperor-level pure strength!
Another collective gasp.
If Huo Yuhao was a monster…
Gu La was a walking natural disaster.
Soul Ancestor-level soul power. Soul Saint-level physical strength. Soul Emperor-level raw power.
It shattered their understanding of Soul Masters entirely.
Lin Jiayi's smile twitched. He forced it back. "Shrek's students… truly live up to their reputation."
He felt he'd brought them here just to deliver continuous psychological blows.
Gu La calmly withdrew his fist, as if he'd merely brushed off dust.
He was satisfied.
He had shown sufficient excellence—without being absurd.
After all…
He was still just a weak little four-ring Soul Ancestor, wasn't he?
The final test: Reaction Speed.
The arena was a large square platform, divided into sixteen alternating light-dark squares.
Lin Jiayi explained: "Stand at the center. When the test begins, lights will flash randomly. You must quickly slap the glowing squares to extinguish them."
"The speed increases gradually until you miss. This tests reaction time, body coordination, and burst speed."
For the Shrek students, unfamiliar with this device, it was a disadvantage.
They needed time to learn the rhythm, the force required—too light, and the light wouldn't go out; too hard, and they couldn't retract their hand fast enough.
Most performed merely decently—some even lagged behind well-prepared Sun Moon freshmen.
Huo Yuhao seemed distracted. Ever since seeing the scanner, he'd devoted half his spiritual power to obsessively memorizing the internal structure, core arrays, and energy flows of the three devices.
His focus was split. His performance was average—causing some Sun Moon students to breathe easier. Finally… he's normal.
Now, Gu La stepped onto the platform.
His eyes were calm.
With his spiritual power and body control, this test should be effortless.
But he changed his mind.
'Being too perfect looks fake. A true genius must have flaws. Otherwise, you're not a genius—you're a monster.'
His mind raced.
'And if I'm flawless… how will the shadows dare to come after me?'
A faint, unreadable smile flickered in his eyes.
Playing the fool? Sure.
Though his "fool" was a little… bulky.
But he was eager to see if any overconfident "tiger" would leap out to bite.
The test began.
Lights flashed—slowly, then faster.
Gu La deliberately lagged half a beat behind his actual perception.
Sometimes he lunged clumsily at the wrong square. Then, "frantically," corrected himself.
He precisely controlled his error rate.
His final score: an excellent, but not elite, level—equivalent to a skilled Soul King-level Agility-type combatant.
Still impressive. Still intimidating.
But compared to his earlier inhuman stats?
It was a relief.
The Sun Moon students exhaled.
Lin Jiayi finally allowed himself a silent sigh of relief. At least one category wasn't crushed.
He quickly declared the tests over and led the Shrek students to their dorms.
Gu La walked with the crowd, face serene.
But deep within him, a quiet anticipation stirred.
'Feigning weakness… the bait is cast.'
'Now, let's see… who among the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy is bold enough to bite?'
He turned his gaze toward the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
'Especially… you, ambitious Crown Prince.'
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