Wang Dong froze upon hearing his words. Since childhood, no one had ever treated her like that.
In the Clear Sky Sect, she was the cherished little princess, adored by all—every movement she made could stir the entire sect. Though she wasn't malicious by nature, she had inevitably inherited some of the sect's pride and arrogance, leaving her unsure how to interact with her peers on equal footing.
And now, the first time she'd taken the initiative to speak to someone, she was met with cold indifference. For a moment, she didn't even know how to respond.
If it had been an ordinary person, she might have brushed it off. But Huo Yuhao's performance in battle had impressed her—a mere twelve-rank Spirit Master, calm and composed beyond his years, fighting even better than she had.
Moreover, he was from the Tang Sect—the Tang Sect that had always fascinated her since she'd first heard its name, once the number-one sect of the continent.
Huo Yuhao, seeing Wang Dong standing there blankly, couldn't be bothered to deal with her. He quickly ran toward the registration area—after all, their exam group had finished early, and it was best to register before the crowd built up.
Just as he crossed the Shrek Academy plaza, a familiar voice called out: "Over here, Little Yuhao, hurry!"
He looked up and saw Tang Ya and Beibei waiting for him in their academy uniforms. It seemed they'd been there for some time.
"Teacher Tang, Senior Brother Beibei, good afternoon," Huo Yuhao greeted politely.
"Hehe, Little Yuhao, let's go. Beibei still needs to take you to register. Eh? And who's this handsome little one?" Tang Ya laughed, tugging at his arm.
Then she noticed Wang Dong standing not far away—occasionally glancing their way, saying nothing, but his striking appearance made him stand out easily among the crowd.
As a Spirit Master herself, Tang Ya's hearing was sharp enough to catch even distant murmurs, and Wang Dong, of course, heard her too.
"He was my teammate in the exam," Huo Yuhao replied flatly. "Don't really know him—no idea why he keeps following me."
Tang Ya studied Wang Dong carefully. The guy's clothes and accessories were of fine quality, and his soul power was dense and restrained—obviously a top-tier new student.
Then Tang Ya smiled at Huo Yuhao. "So, Little Yuhao, did you use any of our Tang Sect hidden weapons or secret techniques in your battle? Did our Tang Sect's arts impress this little one?"
"Hehe, there are only three of us left in Tang Sect now. If you can recruit him, our numbers might double overnight!"
Her tone was playful, but she meant it half-seriously.
After all, she had witnessed Huo Yuhao's abilities firsthand. When Beibei had sparred with him the day before, she realized that Huo Yuhao's understanding of Tang Sect techniques—both in hidden weapons and inner skills—was astonishingly deep.
Were it not for his weak body and low soul power, he might have already surpassed her and Beibei in technical mastery despite only studying a few days.
That was why she thought—why not make Huo Yuhao the face of the Tang Sect's revival?
Her words stirred something in Wang Dong. As if an unseen voice whispered inside her mind:
Tang Sect… the once-great number-one sect of the continent… its hidden weapons—mystical and unrivaled… I must join them.
Almost as if entranced, Wang Dong walked up to them and said earnestly, "My name is Wang Dong. Is what you said true? You're really the Tang Sect? I want to join."
Huo Yuhao remained silent. But behind his calm gaze, his Eye of Truth was already active.
He noticed that the moment Wang Dong heard the word "Tang Sect," a golden sigil deep within her mind began to flicker—radiating faint energy that merged into her consciousness.
Strange. Really strange. Better stay far away from this.
Tang Ya was taken aback by Wang Dong's sudden seriousness. His background was clearly extraordinary, and students from powerful families were always the hardest to handle—unless their clans didn't care about them.
Beibei stepped forward, breaking the awkward silence. "It's getting late. Since this young man's also a new student, let's all head to registration first."
"Joining a sect is no small matter," he added gently. "Think it over carefully. No need to rush."
Tang Ya nodded quickly. "Right, right—let's register first."
The registration area was inside the white, gleaming freshman building at the southern edge of the plaza. When they arrived, it was packed—new students bustling everywhere, lines forming before the desks.
Please, not Class One. Please not Class One, Huo Yuhao prayed silently as Beibei paid the ten gold soul coins for his tuition.
He wasn't praying to any gods of this world, least of all the Sea God Tang San. If Tang San could hear him, he'd probably make things worse.
But fate—or Tang San's meddling—had other plans. Huo Yuhao was assigned to Class One, and worse, his roommate… was Wang Dong.
Figures. Well, I expected as much. Best to stay cautious. If things get too weird, I'll just spend nights in the library. With Tianmeng Iceworm cultivating inside me, sleep's optional anyway.
Tang Ya laughed when she saw the results. "Oh, Little Yuhao and Little Dong are roommates? How perfect! Then Yuhao, take good care of him, hmm?"
Tang Ya had already made up her mind. No matter what background Wang Dong had, the current Tang Sect had fallen so low that it had nothing to lose.
Even if recruiting him drew the attention of powerful figures, the worst that could happen was they'd take him away later.
Huo Yuhao simply nodded, not wanting to attract attention. It was clear that Tang San's unseen hand still lingered over this stage—better not make any waves.
Beibei smiled and waved. "We'll be off then. You two settle in."
"Let's go," Huo Yuhao said curtly, leading Wang Dong toward the dormitories.
Meanwhile, far above, Dragon God Douluo Mu En—an aged Limit Douluo nearing the end of his life—reclined lazily in his chair, basking in the afternoon sun and the youthful energy filling the campus.
He noticed them at once. With his vision, he could easily see their cultivation levels.
Twelve ranks, interesting. Judging by that Tang Sect belt, this one must be a special recruit.And the other—twenty-one ranks, a child from the Clear Sky Sect, no doubt. Looks like they're getting along well. Tang Ya's luck isn't bad this time.
Mu En's eyes narrowed with a faint smile, but he didn't move. He merely continued to rest in the sunlight.
Inside the dormitory, Huo Yuhao pointed and said flatly, "That bed's mine, that one's yours. We divide the room along this line. Keep your area clean, don't interfere with mine. Any problems?"
Wang Dong covered her nose—the room hadn't been cleaned in ages, and dust filled the air—but she didn't protest.
She simply nodded. "Alright."
Having fought beside him before, and wanting to join the Tang Sect, she wasn't about to argue—especially not with Huo Yuhao.
They soon unpacked. Thanks to Beibei's earlier support, Huo Yuhao wasn't as destitute as in the original timeline; at least he could afford a blanket instead of sleeping on bare wood.
After tidying up, he glanced at Wang Dong, still struggling with her luggage. "You handle that. I'm heading to the cafeteria."
Time to eat. Then—library.
Shrek Academy's first-year cafeteria was infamous: no tables or chairs. Every new student, regardless of status, had to eat standing up.
What's even the point of this? he thought. Anyone with money or power just eats outside the academy anyway. This rule only punishes commoners.
Still, he didn't linger. After a quick meal, he left for the outer courtyard library.
It took some searching, but he finally found it—and when he did, he was genuinely impressed.
After ten thousand years, Shrek's collection was vast—rows upon rows of books filling a grand, quiet hall.
Even back home, I've never seen this many in one place, he thought.
But as he began browsing, his enthusiasm faded fast.
What is this nonsense? he groaned inwardly. "Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls"? "On the Ecological Impact of Blue Silver Grass"? "The Seven Sins of Spirit Hall"? "Records of the Seven Monsters, Volumes 1–5"?
This is all garbage! Self-congratulating memoirs, unprovable theories, glorified fanfiction… no wonder no one reads here. It's like sifting gold from dung.
Still, an idea sparked. Maybe I can use my spirit abilities to study faster.
Through their mental link, he called out, Brother Tianmeng, can you conceal my spirit skill use for a moment? I want to test something.
"Huh? Oh—uh, sure, sure," the Tianmeng Iceworm replied vaguely, sounding distracted.
Picking up a random book for cover, Huo Yuhao activated Spiritual Detection.
Instantly, a vast web of perception spread across the shelves. Every word, every page—within the covered radius—was scanned in perfect detail.
With his Eye of Truth's photographic memory, he absorbed hundreds of volumes in seconds.
Then—"Ah, crap—my head!"
He staggered, shutting off his ability at once, clutching the bookshelf for balance.
Unlike in combat, this process required deep comprehension and precise memorization. The mental strain of processing so much raw information all at once was immense.
If not for his mutated martial soul and strengthened mind, his brain might have overheated entirely.
Too reckless, he thought, exhaling slowly. But the result's clear. Combining Spiritual Detection with the Eye of Truth gives absurd reading speed—but I can't sustain full power yet.
He slumped into a nearby seat, resting his head on folded arms, letting his mind settle amid the storm of data swirling in his consciousness.
Maybe… ten books at a time. That should be manageable.
(End of Chapter)