At the bustling gates of Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao—sitting cross-legged in cultivation—had long since sensed soone approaching.
That aura...
was so familiar it made his heart tremble.
It was exactly the sa as in his mories, yet tinged with subtle unfamiliar differences.
A faint breeze stirred by fluttering sleeves brushed against his face.
Huo Yuhao slowly raised his eyes—
and t a pair of deep blue eyes, vast as the sea.
"Hello, my na is... Wang Dong."
The mont he saw this person, ripples rose within the lake of his heart. But upon hearing the na, they stilled instantly.
He did not respond. His gaze passed over Wang Dong and shifted toward the approaching Bei Bei and the others.
When Bei Bei and his companions t his eyes, their hearts tightened. They quickly cupped their fists in greeting.
"H–hello. It’s good to see you!"
"We t in the Extre North. Do you still rember?"
Huo Yuhao gave a slight nod in acknowledgnt.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao ignored her alone, Wang Dong’s brows drew together faintly.
More and more students gathered at the academy gates.
From a distance, they watched as the six most renowned geniuses of the outer courtyard surrounded this raggedly dressed boy, whispering among themselves.
"This boy looks unkempt—what’s so special about him?"
"Could he be so famous prodigy? But it’s not recruitnt season yet!"
"I heard this trip to the Extre North suffered quite a setback—there were even casualties."
"No wonder the reserve team is missing one person. Does that have sothing to do with him?"
"Huo Yuhao, do you have business here?"
Bei Bei stepped forward with a smile.
"Need any help?"
Huo Yuhao replied softly,
"No need. Thank you."
Bei Bei nodded, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.
He hadn’t expected...
that this ruthless youth from the Extre North would be so courteous toward him.
Behind him, Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan stood arm in arm, peeking at Huo Yuhao with a mix of fear and curiosity.
They wanted to ask why he had co to the academy, yet didn’t quite dare.
At that mont—
Wang Dong’s blue eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao.
"Did we know each other before?"
Huo Yuhao t those slightly bewildered blue eyes—so different now from the pink-blue shade in his mories.
Scenes surged violently through his mind.
Ti and again, he had risked his life for Tang Wutong.
Yet her lofty God King father had always watched coldly from above.
Even under the pretense of "tests," he had carried out acts of injustice.
And later, when Tang Wutong regained her mories—
she had not stopped those unfair trials against him.
Huo Yuhao slowly exhaled.
"No."
"Alright."
"Alright."
Wang Dong nodded calmly on the surface, but an inexplicable sting spread through her heart.
Bei Bei and the others cupped their fists in farewell and turned to enter the academy gates—
though they did not go far.
Instead, they lingered at a distance to watch.
They all wanted to see—
what this mysterious boy had co here for.
The surrounding students also remained, curious about the identity of the youth who had drawn the initiative of all six outer courtyard geniuses.
...
Ti passed quietly.
About half an hour later, more than half the crowd had dispersed.
Just then—
a commotion arose from the outer periter.
Soone shouted excitedly:
"Make way! Senior Sister is here!"
Many students looked puzzled.
"Senior Sister? Which Senior Sister?"
"Could it be... that Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan? The chief disciple of the inner court, the youngest Spirit Douluo in three thousand years—a future mber of the Sea God Pavilion!"
"The levels are too far apart. It’s normal for outer courtyard students not to recognize her! Why would a legendary figure like her co here?"
Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, Xu Sanshi, and the others were equally unable to hide their shock.
Although they were reserve mbers for the Spirit Master Tournant,
even for them, getting a chance to et this senior sister of the inner court was no easy matter.
Yet today, she had personally co to the outer courtyard.
Under the gaze of countless onlookers,
the crowd automatically parted to form a path.
Dressed in black, Zhang Lexuan approached with asured steps, her face cool and luminous as the moon.
Faced with waves of reverent gazes, her expression remained calm—
until she saw the boy sitting quietly in the corner. Only then did a faint, almost imperceptible light flicker in her eyes.
Before everyone’s disbelieving stares,
she swiftly moved to Huo Yuhao’s side.
"My apologies. I was delayed by so trivial matters."
Huo Yuhao stood and shook his head.
"It’s fine. What was the result?"
Zhang Lexuan stepped slightly aside, gesturing down the path.
"Would you co with to et my teacher? He wishes to see you."
Thinking of the elder from his previous life who had cared for him in every possible way, Huo Yuhao nodded without hesitation.
The crowd once again parted.
Under silent, astonished gazes, the two walked away side by side.
When their figures disappeared from view,
the previously quiet students erupted into an uproar.
"Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan actually ca for him!"
"Did you see that?! Senior Sister practically ran to him!"
"Who exactly is that boy? Even if he’s a genius, could he possibly surpass Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan and Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao?"
"When did Huo Yuhao get acquainted with Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan?" Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan exchanged glances, each seeing deep astonishnt in the other’s eyes.
Bei Bei turned and walked toward the academy grounds.
"Let’s go."
"It seems we might be gaining a formidable teammate."
"Joining our reserve team?"
Xu Sanshi rubbed his brow in conflicted disbelief.
"With Huo Yuhao’s strength, he’d more than qualify for the main team!"
Gradually, the group dispersed.
Wang Dong took a few steps, then couldn’t help glancing again in the direction Huo Yuhao had left. She pressed her lips together and let out a soft sigh.
"What’s wrong with ...?"
...
Huo Yuhao followed Zhang Lexuan along the academy’s broad stone pathway.
Towering ancient trees lined both sides. Courtyards with upturned eaves were arranged in elegant order, and now and then a clear spring trickled past ornantal rockeries.
Students passing by imdiately stopped to salute Zhang Lexuan.
But when their eyes fell upon Huo Yuhao at her side, their astonishnt was impossible to conceal.
As they passed the boys’ dormitory,
a stooped old man slowly rose from a reclining chair and began strolling with his hands behind his back.
The students paid the dorm supervisor no mind, their attention fixed on the two youths.
At last, they arrived at a secluded garden pavilion.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao turned around.
Facing the seemingly incidental old man, he bowed deeply.
"Huo Yuhao greets Elder Mu."
When he raised his head to look at the white-haired, stooped elder, emotion flickered unmistakably in his eyes.
To him, this elder had been both teacher and father.
From the future along the original trajectory he had glimpsed...
this very old man had not only imparted his life’s knowledge without reservation, but had even paid the price of complete annihilation of his soul to help him break through the shackles of the divine realm.
Such a debt of gratitude—even if he were reborn ten thousand tis—he would never forget.
"Heh..."
Mu En smiled kindly.
Those clouded eyes settled upon Huo Yuhao,
as though they could see through everything,
making him feel montarily as if he had nowhere to hide.
Within his sea of consciousness,
Skydream and the Titan Snow Demon King both fell completely silent.
"I am certain I have never t you," Mu En said slowly, "yet you spoke my na at once."
"Lexuan told that a certain youth could glimpse the future. At first, I took it as nonsense."
Mu En stepped into the pavilion, the wrinkles on his face creasing with quiet wonder as he examined the boy before him.
"Now... I believe it."
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