Ten minutes later, with a sharp whistle, two groups of students quickly assembled in front of Mu Jin.
It was a footrace. Since using soul power was allowed, combat-type Soul Masters with strong physical foundations clearly held an advantage. Even though all non-combat-type freshmen had been equipped with soul tools, many people still cast scornful looks at them.
With the wealth accumulated over tens of thousands of years, Shrek Academy's colossal training field was large enough for over a hundred new students to line up at the same starting line.
"All freshmen, take your positions. Ready—" Mu Jin put the whistle hanging around her neck into her mouth, facing the eager students on the starting line.
"Fweee—!"
As the whistle blew, several agility-type Soul Masters charged forward, quickly widening the gap between themselves and the main group. The power-type assault Soul Masters, with explosive strength, followed closely behind. Then came the physically robust defense-type Soul Masters. Though the non-combat students activated their soul tools and dashed off the moment the whistle sounded, they initially still lagged behind the combat elite by a significant margin.
Even someone as strong as Ning Tian, with a soul power of Level 33, found herself toward the rear of the pack. But thanks to her deep reserves of soul power, the thrust from her propulsion boots kept her steadily accelerating. Soon, she passed the other non-combatants and caught up to the group of defense-type Soul Masters.
The agility-types maximized their speed advantage. By the time they completed two full laps, those at the back were only just reaching the end of their first. From this point on, endurance and willpower would be tested. In terms of raw physical stamina, the power-attack and defense types held the edge. Even after two explosive laps, they were neither red-faced nor out of breath, showing great control and efficiency.
Around the third lap, the non-combat students with sufficient soul power had caught up entirely. Many had reached the middle tier of the main pack—shocking quite a few combat-type Soul Masters who had looked down on soul tools.
Could soul tools really be changing the entire Soul Master world?
Ning Tian, drawing on her soul power, was starting to show signs of fatigue, but her position was already near the front. Many agility-types began to fall behind due to exhaustion. The lead runner now was no longer an agility-type, but rather Xie Huan Yue, whose soul power had reached Level 40.
Xie Huan Yue could hardly contain his excitement. In the past, his layers of fat would've greatly hindered his mobility. But now, having slimmed down completely, and boasting the highest soul power in the class combined with the physique of an assault-type, he surged into the lead.
By the fourth lap, Ning Tian—boosted by her soul tool—had overtaken everyone except Xie Huan Yue and was running firmly in second. The agility-types who had sprinted hard at the start now sank into the middle of the group, overwhelmed by fatigue.
Even the non-combat Soul Masters that were previously looked down upon had reached the upper ranks of the pack, relying solely on their soul tools—leaving many combat Soul Masters utterly stunned.
To stay in character, Huo Yuhao deliberately lagged far behind the others. As he passed Mu Jin, he even blew her a kiss. Judging by his relaxed, carefree expression, he was clearly holding back on purpose. When Xie Huan Yue finished his fourth lap, Huo Yuhao had just begun his third.
"This brat…" Mu Jin was fuming. Huo Yuhao had teased her every lap, and earlier had even sneaked close enough for her lips to brush against his cheek by surprise.
Enraged, Mu Jin shouted, "For today's race—last place gets no food for a whole day! And the bottom thirty aren't allowed lunch!"
"Ajin, are you serious?!" Huo Yuhao's face lit up with disbelief. The saying goes "man is iron, food is steel"—missing even one meal was unbearable! And in the Douluo world, where no one could cultivate away hunger, that was even more true. When he saw the mocking looks from the students ahead, Huo Yuhao clenched his fists.
Alright. You want to mock me, scorn me? I've been playing the fool, running slow on purpose—and you really bought it. I've been moving with style, but you choose to target me?
Though Mu Jin had noted down that Huo Yuhao's soul power was Level 29, she couldn't possibly have imagined how absurd his real strength was.
At the second awakening from the Holy Spirit Sect, Huo Yuhao had been born with innate full soul power—Level 30. After a year of training in the Blood Pool, his physique matched that of an assault-type Soul Elder. And then, with the fusion of the Skydream Iceworm, he obtained two million-year soul rings, pushing his actual soul power beyond Level 40!
He simply hadn't acquired the soul rings yet, but his soul power was already far beyond a typical Soul Elder. Bibi Dong had once said: if he weren't intentionally compressing his power, and if he had the soul rings, he might already be a Soul King.
And so, while everyone else was still running with all their strength, a black blur suddenly whooshed past.
Too fast—absurdly fast! With the help of a soul tool, Huo Yuhao's sudden acceleration surpassed even an average agility-type Soul Elder. In less than ten seconds, he completed his third lap, and without slowing down, charged into the fourth.
This guy's a monster. Ning Tian snorted softly. She had always thought of Huo Yuhao as a low-key cheater, not someone with genuine talent. But now… she saw the truth.
"Damn!" Even Xie Huan Yue, running in the lead, was shocked by Huo Yuhao's explosive burst. Still, he thought to himself: You've been hiding your power, huh? Well, I've been hiding my awakened Sun God Ape spirit too!
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to overtake Ning Tian on the fourth lap, Xie Huan Yue suddenly stopped. He planted his feet into a low horse stance, crouched forward, and pressed his right fist to the ground. His legs coiled like springs, steam rising from his body.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao nearly slipped. That stance—it wasn't just familiar, it was identical.
In the next instant, Xie Huan Yue blasted forward with a force like teleportation. His speed even surpassed that of an agility-type Soul King.
The two surged forward together, neck and neck, crossing the finish line in a blur—leaving Ning Tian behind in the dust, her hair whipping in the wind.
First place: Xie Huan Yue.
Second place: Huo Yuhao.
Third place: Ning Tian.
"Brother Huo, you've been hiding your power this whole time. That's not cool," Xie Huan Yue chuckled as he clapped Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. He knew full well—if Huo Yuhao had gone all out from the start, he'd never have taken first.
"You're not bad yourself, fatty. That god-tier martial spirit of yours really is something," Huo Yuhao grinned. Then, thinking for a moment, he pulled a round straw hat with a red ribbon from his soul tool and plopped it onto Xie Huan Yue's head. "Here, for you. It suits you."
Xie Huan Yue twitched. He didn't understand why Huo Yuhao was giving him a straw hat, but after looking at himself in the mirror Huo Yuhao handed him… he kind of thought he looked cool.
While the two chatted, the rest of the students finally finished the race. The last to arrive—a defense-type battle Soul Master—wore a face full of despair.
No lunch today for him.
"Everyone, gather!" Mu Jin coughed lightly after a short break, and the students groggily stood up.
"You've all seen it. These twenty-something non-combat students managed to achieve great results thanks to their soul tools."
Hearing this, even the most skeptical students nodded. It was undeniable. Even those who had looked down on soul tools were forced to admit it after being outperformed.
"You all know this: in the past few thousand years, soul tools have developed rapidly. The Sun and Moon Continent brought us rare materials and basic techniques. After thousands of years of advancement, soul tools are now incredibly powerful and precise. Today, even a food-type Tool Soul Master, with the right tool, can unleash force rivaling a power-type battle Soul Master—perhaps even surpassing them."
"An agility-type Soul Master holding a powerful defensive soul tool can serve as a temporary tank."
"In short, soul tools have completely changed the direction of Soul Master cultivation. The real thing being weakened is the soul ring. As long as you have enough soul power, you can make up for a weak soul ring using soul tools. That's why many now focus solely on cultivating soul power."
"This approach does work—in the short term, and especially below Level 50. But let me tell you this: Shrek does not train such Soul Masters. Because once you pass Level 50, they're trash."
The new students looked around at each other, puzzled by her words.
"You don't get it? Let me give an example. Say you're a Tool Soul Master, and you've cultivated to Level 50. I'm an agility-type Soul Master, also Level 50. You have a powerful soul tool that can threaten my life, and I have none. Who wins?"
"The answer is simple: I win. Why? Because you can't hit me with your soul tool. No matter how good your weapon is, I'll dodge everything and wear down your soul power. The stronger your tool, the more power it consumes."
"So yes, support, food, and defense Tool Soul Masters can temporarily match power-types in output with soul tools. But they don't have their battle power. You must remember this: soul tools amplify, but without physical strength, you'll always be the first to die."
"Your enemies won't spare you just because you're not a battle-type. On the contrary, they'll pick you off first."
Listening to the speech, which matched the original storyline nearly word-for-word, Huo Yuhao finally understood: Shrek Academy was now heavily focused on cultivating dual-specialization Soul Masters—especially those mastering both traditional soul techniques and soul tools.
"Now if my body is strong, and I have powerful soul tools too—that makes me unstoppable."
"Attack and defense are no longer fixed roles. Anyone in a team can be a damage dealer. But to survive on the battlefield, physical strength is still king. Unless soul tools can someday replace your body entirely, soul ring selection and body training will always be essential."
(What they didn't know: in the far future, soul tools would indeed evolve into full-body armor, mechas, and even interstellar warships…)
"For the next three months, I'll guide your physical and theoretical training—to turn you into Soul Masters with real potential."
"That's all for this morning. You're all allowed lunch today, exception granted. Dismissed. Huo Yuhao, come with me to my office."
"Long live Teacher Mu!" The students who were still sulking about missing lunch instantly erupted in cheers. Clearly, Mu Jin knew how to manage people well.
---
In the office, Huo Yuhao sheepishly rubbed the spot where Mu Jin's red lips had brushed against his cheek.
"Teacher Mu, are you… going to give me a physical exam?"
"Get out, Huo Yuhao! What is wrong with you?!" Mu Jin fumed.
(End of Chapter)
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