After the official class divisions, Huo Yuhao's cultivation finally settled into a proper rhythm.
Except for the mandatory daily courses and trivial academy routines, nearly all his remaining time was spent inside Shrek Academy's Battle Arena.
Technically, first-year students weren't allowed to participate in duels—only second-years and above could officially register for challenges.
However, the spectator seats were open to all students, provided they paid a small fee in gold soul coins.
Of course, Huo Yuhao didn't have to.
His Core Disciple status granted him free access, along with other privileges:
Free meals made from low-level soul beast meat and alchemic supplements.
Access to cultivation tools and equipment without charge.
Permission to consult instructors for specialized guidance.
Monthly stipends as academic merit rewards.
In short, being a Core Disciple at Shrek meant a very comfortable existence.
And since the original "Huo Yuhao" had already been marked by the so-called Tang God, Yuhao saw no reason to refuse the benefits. What he could take, he would take—simple as that.
For eight months, he practically lived in the arena—not to fight, but to observe.
While the rule barred him from dueling, he could watch to his heart's content.
It didn't take long before the other students recognized him as "that quiet first-year who's always in the stands."
Never betting, never cheering, always watching—like a researcher dissecting data.
And that wasn't far from the truth.
The months of steady nourishment from soul beast meat, coupled with his personally refined cultivation method, had reshaped his once-malnourished body.
His frail frame had grown strong, tall, and balanced—surpassing most of his peers.
After all, how many twelve-year-olds could boast of having completely opened every meridian in their bodies, allowing soul power to circulate endlessly in a self-sustaining loop, twenty-four hours a day?
With his meridians now clear and reinforced, his innate aptitude had grown exponentially.
Combined with his soul power circuits, Yuhao's cultivation rate rivaled even those with fusion techniques or top-tier martial souls.
The academy often praised pills like the Mystic Water Pill (Xuan Shui Dan) for accelerating cultivation, but Yuhao saw through the illusion.
Those pills merely purified impurities from the body, allowing smoother soul power flow—something his perfected circulation already achieved naturally.
Thus, he had long since shed the shackles of his "Level 1 Innate Soul Power" defect.
At one point, Yuhao visited the city to quietly pawn off the White Tiger Dagger, a fifth-grade soul tool.
With the proceeds—and a bit of help from Bei Bei—he purchased a single Mystic Water Pill from Xu Sanshi.
Not to use it, of course.
Yuhao only needed a plausible excuse for his rapid progress. The pill served as a convenient cover story.
He had no intention of swallowing it—he didn't trust the unrefined pharmacology of this world. Instead, he analyzed it through his Eye of Truth, breaking down its ingredients and reverse-engineering its formula.
The pill's design was crude but fascinating: a primitive glimpse into Douluo's embryonic alchemy system.
Later, he planned to resell it elsewhere and recoup his investment.
As for the pawned dagger—he had no intention of retrieving it. Every major business in Shrek City ultimately belonged to the Academy, and his Core Disciple status guaranteed a generous rate anyway.
By his own precise measurement, Yuhao's soul power had reached Level 23.
That progress was achieved purely through Skydream Iceworm's autonomous cultivation, without relying on soul fusion or external pills—an incredible pace by any standard.
And the growth would only accelerate.
The clearer the meridians, the smoother the energy flow.
The smoother the flow, the stronger the body's capacity for energy refinement.
And the stronger the refinement, the more advanced his soul power circuits would become.
Yuhao was confident that before reaching Rank 70, his speed would surpass even those born with full innate soul power.
Beyond that? He wasn't sure yet.
After all, the next stage—condensing a Soul Core—was still far beyond reach.
For now, his research focused on how to bridge that gap.
Watching another dull match wrap up, Yuhao stretched lazily and rose to leave.
Months of observation had allowed him to record and analyze nearly every soul master who frequented the arena—down to their martial soul structures, soul ring sequences, energy pathways, and skill formation mechanisms.
He had even extracted hidden data from spectators—after all, a martial soul's presence revealed the embedded soul rings it carried.
A little analysis, and their soul skill composition became transparent to him.
But as final exams neared, the duels had grown predictable.
The arena was now filled with familiar faces repeating the same techniques, yielding nothing new.
"Yuhao! You're here again? Don't you ever get tired of watching duels every day?"
The cheerful voices of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao rang out. Both carried bags of steaming snacks from the academy's food street.
Wang Dong handed him a skewer. "Here, at least eat something while you brood."
Yuhao accepted it with a smile, taking a few bites before replying,
"Even the smallest tactical variation can spark inspiration. Observing others fight is never a waste."
Over the past eight months, the three had grown much closer—friends, comrades, and members of the same revived Tang Sect.
Wang Dong tilted her head. "You're already past Level 20, right? Have you applied for your next spirit ring yet? What kind of soul beast are you aiming for?"
"I submitted the request two days ago," Yuhao replied. "Since it's the end of term, Director Du scheduled me for the post-exam hunting expedition. As for the target—something with spiritual affinity. Maybe a Phantom-Eyed Moth for illusion, or a Bighead Spirit Ape for spiritual amplification. Ideally, I'd like an enhancement-type ability."
He shrugged. "But spirit beasts with mental attributes are rare, so I'll take what I can get."
For Yuhao, the ring itself wasn't truly important.
He had no plans to rely on the conventional "nine-skill" limit of a typical soul master.
Until he could safely manifest self-created rings, he would simply follow the world's rules and pick something that didn't draw attention.
As long as his spirit and soul power were strong, he could freely design his own soul power circuits and build custom combat techniques.
If anything, a buff-type soul skill was more useful than an offensive one—it enhanced everything else he crafted.
Wang Dong frowned slightly. "But the second-year advancement exam is all practical combat. Won't a pure support ring hold you back?"
Yuhao shook his head. "If you choose your path just to pass an exam, then you've already lost sight of what matters. Tests should reflect your journey, not dictate it."
"The truth is, the higher you climb, the less useful most attack and defense soul skills become. They're flashy early on, but in the late stages, they're just dead weight."
"Enhancement skills, on the other hand, scale infinitely. Every bit of amplification widens the gap between two equal cultivators."
"All you sacrifice is a slightly weaker early game—and even that can be offset by soul tools. Why waste a precious ring slot on a hundred-year attack skill when a few gold coins can buy you a perfectly serviceable weapon?"
He smiled faintly. "In short, long-term vision beats short-term strength."
"Enough theory talk," Wang Dong interrupted with a grin. "We're about to go on vacation—time to celebrate! You're treating us tonight!"
"Yeah!" Xiao Xiao chimed in.
Yuhao raised an eyebrow, amused. "Fine, fine. Lead the way."
Laughing, the three of them left the arena, walking side by side into the glowing streets of Shrek City.
"Finally, a free meal!" Wang Dong cheered. "I'm eating till I drop!"
"Ha! You say that every time," Xiao Xiao teased. "Rainhao eats twice as much as you now—and he's taller than you too."
"That's just because I'm holding back my strength!" Wang Dong huffed indignantly.
The setting sun painted the horizon gold as their figures disappeared into the lively cityscape.
Three young souls, only twelve years old, savoring a fleeting, carefree moment of friendship—one that would soon be nothing more than a cherished memory.
(End of Chapter)