"Twenty-two years old... simply incredible."
Mu En was not stingy with his praise.
After Huo Yuhao "shed his disguise," Mu En could see the youth more clearly and, to a certain extent, feel his emotions.
Mm... no malice, just a bit of wariness, but that is only natural.
The more Mu En looked at Huo Yuhao, the more satisfied he became. After a long while, he spoke:
"Child, may I ask you two questions?" His voice was steady, devoid of any force, and instead, incredibly kind.
A perfectly timed look of astonishment appeared on Huo Yuhao's face, as if he hadn't expected the legendary "Dragon God Douluo" to be so gentle.
Remaining silent, Huo Yuhao nodded.
"First question: Child, what is your purpose in coming to Shrek?"
"To find a backer and continue my research."
"Second question: Will you harm Shrek?"
"As long as Shrek does not obstruct my research, I will not."
"Is that so..." A trace of a smile drifted through Mu En's eyes.
With his Level 99 cultivation, he was confident in his ability to perceive whether Huo Yuhao's words were sincere, and in the youth's answers, Mu En found not a shred of falsehood.
Unless this child's spiritual cultivation far surpassed his own, he could not be mistaken. But how could that be possible?
"In that case, child, the gates of Shrek will always be open to you."
Mu En opened his eyes and looked at Huo Yuhao, his gaze filled with earnestness, as if making a solemn vow.
An hour later, Mu En personally convened a meeting of the Sea God Pavilion. Directly in front of the Elders, he made a promise: "As soon as he becomes a Titled Douluo, he shall be an Elder of the Sea God Pavilion."
The Elders were puzzled, but faced with Mu En's authority and their trust in him, they ultimately ratified the promise.
Once the meeting concluded, Qian Duoduo was immediately assigned by Mu En to serve as Huo Yuhao's guide.
Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er were asked to stay behind.
...
"Pffft—Crap! Are you serious?!"
Upon hearing the confirmation from Mu En's own lips, Yan Shaozhe let out a sharp, explosive cry.
"Holy crap, twenty-two years old, Level 69, and freaking Ultimate Ice! What kind of genius is this?!" For the first time, Yan Shaozhe clearly realized the true definition of "talent."
That was Ultimate Ice!
The cultivation speed for that attribute between the Soul Elder and Soul Saint stages is notoriously, ridiculously slow. To reach Level 69 Soul Power by age twenty-two meant he could almost certainly become a Titled Douluo before the age of thirty-five!
A Titled Douluo with the Ultimate Ice attribute? That's absurd!
"And he's an Class 8 Soul Engineer... I knew his 'Soul Power Storage Core' had a high-level version..."
Xian Lin'er rubbed her forehead, silently adding her own realization.
To become a Class 8 Soul Engineer with only Soul Emperor cultivation was practically a fairy tale, yet someone had actually done it!
This person didn't just have terrifying talent in the path of Soul Tools; his talent in Martial Souls was equally monstrous!
What kind of freak of nature is this?!
"The child still harbors wariness toward Shrek, but he is good-natured at heart. You must treat him well," Mu En instructed.
With at most twenty or thirty years of life remaining, he didn't have many personal ambitions; he only hoped that after he passed, Shrek would remain prosperous.
But the world is unpredictable; who can be 100% certain of the future? Mu En used to think that way.
However, Huo Yuhao's appearance was like a shot of adrenaline, allowing him to see a clear future.
Twenty-two years old, Level 69 Ultimate Ice, and a Class 8 Soul Engineer.
If that child was willing to stay at Shrek, then the academy truly had a successor.
Mu En steadied his mind, looked at the two who were still deep in thought, and spoke directly:
"Starting next year, 10% of Shrek City's revenue will be allocated as an independent research fund for that child. Furthermore, regarding the conditions he proposed earlier, grant them all.
"Also, regarding the child's true circumstances—do not reveal them to anyone, understood?"
Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er looked at each other and finally spoke in unison: "Yes, Elder Mu."
"Shaozhe, after a few days once the child has settled into the academy, take Xiao Tao to see him. He has agreed to help her suppress her Evil Fire."
Yan Shaozhe's eyes narrowed slightly as he instinctively began to ponder the deeper meaning behind Elder Mu's words. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Yes, Elder Mu."
"Alright, you may go."
The two paused for a moment, then bowed together and left.
In the meeting room, only Mu En remained.
The elderly man in his twilight years sighed softly, yet his eyes remained bright.
I hope this is the right choice.
...
Why did Huo Yuhao go to such great lengths to enter Shrek with a "smurf" identity?
It was because the emotions gathered by the alternate identity and those of the original body are calculated separately.
Now, "Master Skydream," the one who would lead Shrek's development, had successfully joined the academy.
As for his original self, it was time to consider the matter of going to the Sun Moon Empire.
With two silver-glow Soul Rings equipped with Spiritual Soul Cores, coordinated with the two great Soul Spirits, Skydream and the Ice Emperor, he had the confidence to successfully escape even if Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao attacked him together.
"Teacher, are you sure this can allow for rapid travel between Shrek City and Radiant City?"
"Theoretically, there is no problem."
In a hidden location outside Shrek City, Huo Yuhao was conversing with Elder Yi.
After being shown around Shrek by Qian Duoduo, Huo Yuhao had left immediately. However, he didn't go home; instead, he came here.
"This Spectral Demiplane can be opened anywhere in this world using a specific array. By slightly reversing the array, you can use this demiplane as a transit station to appear freely anywhere in this world—provided you have the coordinates, of course."
Electrolux spoke, then handed the reversed array to Huo Yuhao.
"This is simple," Huo Yuhao replied, and began studying the reversed array.
In his previous life, the Spectral Demiplane was only given to him after Elder Yi had passed away. At that time, he soon began focusing on Martial Soul cultivation and barely developed the demiplane.
In this life, Huo Yuhao placed great importance on its development.
While this plane was relatively monotonous and cramped, it was indeed a world independent of the Douluo Continent!
For Huo Yuhao, this plane might serve as a trump card in the future, or a very good backup plan, so it naturally deserved attention.
And now, through Elder Yi, Huo Yuhao had obtained a method for spatial teleportation using the Spectral Demiplane.
"Hm... let's try out the effect for a bit..."
Recalling the coordinates of his own home provided by Elder Yi, Huo Yuhao first entered the Spectral Demiplane using the normal array, then input the coordinates into the reversed array and activated it.
A light gate, emitting a faint gray mist and flecked with starlight, opened. Huo Yuhao stepped through without hesitation. His vision blurred for a moment, and in the next instant, he was back in the basement of his home.
"Phew... looks like there are no problems."
Huo Yuhao sighed in relief and turned to leave the basement. However, as soon as he reached the first floor, his keen Mental Power sensed an atmosphere in the living room that was practically frozen solid.
Huo Yuhao's spiritual perception caught something; his body stiffened as he looked toward the living room.
There, on one sofa, sat Skydream and the Ice Emperor.
And on the other side sat a completely expressionless Gu Yuena!