Shrek City, Tang Sect.
In the Black World, Huo Yuhao sat in the quiet room, his gaze fixed intently on the figure on the sky screen who was focused on crafting a spirit tool in the laboratory of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
That was another version of himself.
Also twelve years old, also with innate rank one spirit power, and also possessing the Heavenly Dream Ice Worm and Electrolux.
But that version of himself had become a first-grade Soul Engineer in less than two months.
And what about him?
"Reached the level of a first-grade Soul Engineer in two months?"
Huo Yuhao muttered to himself, the shock on his face impossible to suppress.
He had been learning spirit tool crafting for so many years and knew very well that if one's spirit power was too low, it was impossible to successfully craft a spirit tool.
That version of himself from the other World clearly only had rank one spirit power as well, so how?
"Could it be… Necromancy?"
He recalled the conversation between that version of himself and Electrolux on the sky screen just now—that was clearly a prepared excuse.
That person knew Electrolux's origins like the back of his hand and spoke of the Holy Demon Continent, Necromancy, and the method of resurrection with ease.
Huo Yuhao thought about it briefly and ruled out the influence of Necromancy; after all, he had also studied Necromancy, and he knew very well whether or not it could facilitate spirit tool crafting.
"Does this person have the ability of foresight?"
Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted slightly.
If not, how could everything be explained as being under his control?
From refusing Bei Bei and Tang Ya to heading to the Sun Moon Empire alone, to preparing medicine in advance to awaken Electrolux, every step was terrifyingly precise.
"Fortunately…"
He paused, his gaze falling on that version of himself's thin frame.
"Fortunately, his physical fitness hasn't improved yet. But with the talent he has shown, and given how wealthy the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy is, how could he lack pills to strengthen his foundation in the future?"
When that time came, that version of himself's only weakness would also be filled.
And what about him?
Huo Yuhao looked down at his own hands. These hands, after training at Shrek for three months, gritting his teeth through Zhou Yi's devilish training, and obtaining the profound water pill with Bei Bei's help, had finally raised his spirit power to rank two.
Yet that version of himself from the other World, still at rank one spirit power, already possessed a much broader future.
He couldn't help but let out a sigh.
His gaze shifted to the sky screen on the left, where the upcoming freshman assessment suddenly became glaring.
"Those things that happened during the freshman assessment at that time…"
He muttered, his eyes becoming complex.
"How did I reconcile later? Could it be…"
He didn't continue.
Because he suddenly realized that the version of himself in that World didn't need to "reconcile" anything at all.
...
Black World · Shrek Academy Freshman Assessment
Above the sky screen, the image on the left began to flow.
[The freshman assessment arrived as scheduled. As the monitor of the freshman class one, although Huo Yuhao's spirit power was still near the bottom of the class, after more than three months of hard cultivation and the help of the profound water pill, he was no longer the last.]
[Under Zhou Yi's leadership, Huo Yuhao formed a team with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, with Huo Yuhao serving as the captain.]
[After the competition began, this team displayed astonishing tacit understanding. Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection provided comprehensive command, Wang Dong's Radiant Goddess Butterfly launched frontal assaults, and Xiao Xiao's Nine Phoenix Flute provided auxiliary control. The three cooperated seamlessly, clearing obstacles all the way, and actually fought their way into the finals.]
[What was even more surprising was that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong discovered during the battle that they could execute a Spirit Fusion Skill—The Withered and the Brilliant, The Golden Road. This allowed them to turn the tide at a critical moment and ultimately win first place in the freshman assessment!]
...
Black World, Douluo Continent.
In the tavern, the commoners were watching with boiling blood.
"Good! Well fought! That spiritual detection is too powerful; it's simply the eyes on the battlefield!"
"Spirit Fusion Skill? Those two children can actually perform a Spirit Fusion Skill? This is a once-in-a-century fate!"
"First place in the freshman assessment! Huo Yuhao is about to rise!"
But some people also noticed some details: "Did you notice? That spiritual detection doesn't seem to be the power one could have with an ordinary ten-year spirit ring…"
"Nonsense, that's a million-year spirit ring, can it be the same?"
...
The commoners in the White World were also somewhat surprised to see Huo Yuhao's role among the freshmen.
"As expected of the Child of Luck, although Huo Yuhao is only a First Ring, his role is very significant!"
"Is this the function of the Spirit Eyes Martial Soul? It's truly too strong!"
"No wonder Venerable Ming is progressing so fast at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, there are reasons for everything."
...
Amidst the discussions, the image on the sky screen continued to flow:
[After the finals ended, a teacher named Teacher Wang Yan found Huo Yuhao. He developed a keen interest in Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes Martial Soul—Shrek Academy had never cultivated a Body Martial Soul before, and he wanted to study the growth potential of this kind of martial soul.]
[However, when Teacher Wang Yan took Huo Yuhao to find Xuan Zi for a final appraisal, things took a turn.]
[Xuan Zi personally examined Huo Yuhao's martial soul, checking it twice in total.]
[Then, he shook his head.]
["Innate rank one spirit power, the foundation is too poor. Although the Spirit Eyes Martial Soul is rare, its growth potential is limited." Xuan Zi's voice was calm and determined, "He was able to achieve today's results mainly because of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. Without those two children, he wouldn't have made it this far."]
[Teacher Wang Yan wanted to say something, but Xuan Zi had already waved his hand: "That's it."]
(I put the two martial soul tests together to write them, too lazy to pad the word count)
...
Black World, the cheers in the tavern came to an abrupt halt.
"What? Limited potential?"
"Just because he has innate rank one?"
"But he is the first place in the freshman assessment! First place! And you call that limited potential?!"
Someone was indignant: "Is that old fool Xuan Zi senile? The Spirit Fusion Skill has already appeared, and he still says he doesn't think highly of him?"
Others spoke up for Xuan Zi: "Xuan Zi has lived for over two hundred years and has seen more geniuses than we have eaten meals. If he says it won't work, then it probably really won't work."
"Bullshit! The Huo Yuhao in that World has already become a God King! You're telling me it won't work?"
The tavern was in an uproar.
...
[On the day the freshman assessment award list was announced, Huo Yuhao stood in the crowd, feeling a faint sense of expectation in his heart.]
[For the first-place team, according to custom, in addition to receiving a Spirit Bone, all three members should have received the status of core disciples.]
[However, when the list was read out, he was stunned.]
[Wang Dong, core disciple.]
[Xiao Xiao, core disciple.]
[Huo Yuhao… enjoys the treatment of a core disciple for one year.]
[Not a core disciple. Just "enjoys the treatment".]
[Surrounding gazes turned towards him, some sympathetic, some puzzled, some gloating. Huo Yuhao kept his head down and said nothing.]
[Wang Dong wanted to say something, but was stopped by him. He just said softly: "It's fine."]
[But at that moment, a seed was planted in his heart.]
...
Black World, Douluo Continent.
In the tavern, there was an uproar.
"What does that mean? No core disciple status for first place?"
"Just because his innate spirit power is rank one? This is bullying!"
"Enjoying the treatment for one year? Is that charity?"
Someone was so angry they slapped the table: "What kind of rules does Shrek have?! If the first place doesn't get core disciple status, then what is the point of the assessment?!"
"It's not that they didn't give it, it's that they gave it to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, but just not to him."
"Isn't that the same as not giving it!"
Others sneered: "Now you know why the Huo Yuhao in that World could become a God King, right? With this attitude from Shrek, anyone would have to leave!"
"But this Huo Yuhao on our side, he stayed…"
"What was the result of staying? Twenty-two years old, an eight-ring Spirit Douluo. The one in the other World, twenty-two years old, a God King."
The tavern fell into an eerie silence.