The majority of the Great Star Dou Forest is located within the borders of the Star Luo Empire, with only a small portion extending into the Heavenly Soul Empire. Shrek is situated to the northwest of the forest, not particularly far away.
The reason Tang Ya and Beibei entered from the south was that powerful soul beasts were relatively scarce in that direction, making it much safer. Consequently, after leaving the Great Star Dou Forest from the south, they needed to bypass the entire forest to return to Shrek Academy.
During this journey, the two traveled with Huo Yuhao by day and meditated at night to increase their soul power. Huo Yuhao did the same.
Normally, he should have been overjoyed to enter Shrek Academy, hailed as the number one institution on the continent. However, after several days of travel, he found himself unable to feel any happiness at all.
He discovered that while Beibei and Tang Ya had accepted him into the Tang Sect, they were not "playing" with him at all. They had promised that upon joining the sect, he could learn the Tang Sect's secret techniques, but instead, they focused entirely on their own cultivation.
They didn't include him when they practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill at night, nor did they bring him along for the Purple Demon Eye practice in the morning. Huo Yuhao found it difficult to take the initiative and ask.
Furthermore, Huo Yuhao noticed that ever since Feng Piaoling had called him an ungrateful wolf that day, Beibei and Tang Ya had stopped being so kind to him. It wasn't exactly coldness, but the gaze they cast upon him often held a hint of scrutiny.
The Tian Meng comforted him, "Alright, little Yuhao. It's only natural they would act this way after hearing that devious brat's provocations. Don't take it to heart; keep an open mind."
"As long as you behave yourself normally, Tang Ya and Beibei will eventually let go of their suspicions and teach you the Tang Sect's secrets. You must obtain them; after all, they were left behind by the Sea God Tang San ten thousand years ago. Even if they are incomplete as that Feng Piaoling claimed, they will still be of great help to you. As for Feng Piaoling, he's definitely finished now. Why bother arguing with a dead man?"
Huo Yuhao nodded heavily. Barring any accidents, Feng Piaoling was likely dead in some remote corner of the forest. Indeed, there was no need to stay angry at a corpse.
Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but look back at the direction they had come from, feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
By now, they were not far from Shrek City, where the academy was located. They would arrive in an hour at most. According to Tang Ya and Beibei, today happened to be the day for Shrek's admissions, and the new academic year would officially begin three days later. If he missed today, he would have to wait until next year to apply.
Feng Piaoling was already over eleven years old, and the entry age for Shrek could not exceed twelve. This meant that if he missed today, Feng Piaoling would never be able to join Shrek Academy.
Thinking that his rival had already fallen, Huo Yuhao's mood brightened considerably, and he became much more cheerful. Walking ahead, Beibei and Tang Ya looked back at Huo Yuhao smiling to himself and, after exchanging a glance, both frowned simultaneously, lost in thought.
Shrek Academy is located in Shrek City, at the intersection of the Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling empires. Shrek City has four gates—East, West, South, and North. The East Gate is exclusive to Shrek Academy and can only be entered by its members, while the other three gates are open for free passage to travelers.
An hour later, the trio finally reached Shrek City. Led by Beibei and Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao arrived at the East Gate.
Currently, the area outside the East Gate was even more crowded than the city interior, with at least five or six thousand people gathered. Numerous vendors, sensing the opportunity of the Shrek freshman registration day, had already moved into action.
As they passed the various stalls and prepared to enter the East Gate, Tang Ya whispered a few words into Beibei's ear. Beibei suddenly turned around and said to Huo Yuhao:
"Junior Brother Huo, we have arrived at Shrek Academy. Teacher Xiao Ya and I have discussed it, and we plan to officially begin teaching you the Tang Sect's secret techniques starting tomorrow."
This was a result of necessity. In the past, it didn't matter; because they lacked funds, Tang Ya would sell the Tang Sect's entrance recommendation every year. Whether those people remained in the academy after the three-month freshman assessment or were eliminated and dropped out had nothing to do with the Tang Sect.
But now, Huo Yuhao was a member of their Tang Sect. Although he had a "criminal record" of potential betrayal, if he were actually eliminated because he couldn't pass the freshman exam, it would be the Tang Sect that lost face. Considering this, they had no choice but to teach Huo Yuhao the secret techniques.
Of course, there would be reservations. For example, regarding the Mysterious Heaven Skill, they only planned to teach the first three layers—the maximum level Huo Yuhao could currently cultivate. This would ensure he didn't feel resentment while still keeping him in check. As for the most important hidden weapons, they planned to hold off entirely. Everything would wait until after Huo Yuhao passed the freshman assessment.
Huo Yuhao was unaware of Beibei and Tang Ya's calculations. Hearing that he could finally cultivate the Tang Sect's secrets, an excited smile immediately broke across his face.
Just as he was about to follow Beibei and Tang Ya into Shrek Academy, a commotion suddenly erupted in the bustling market behind them. This was followed by the gasps of admiration from the girls attending the registration and the disgruntled murmurs of the boys.
"Wow, look! That boy is so handsome. Is he here for the Shrek registration too?"
"Hmph, what's the big deal? He's just a pretty boy. To enter Shrek Academy, you have to let your strength do the talking in the end."
The trio instinctively turned to look, only to see an exceptionally handsome youth of about eleven or twelve years old walking toward them.
He wore a simple, slim-fitting green robe. His long hair fell like a waterfall, and he possessed pure, pitch-black pupils without a hint of impurity, a high and heroic bridge of his nose, and features so perfect they were beyond reproach. Wherever he passed, everyone from sixty-year-old vendors to eleven-year-old freshmen was captivated.
The girls almost universally had hearts in their eyes, while the boys all wore expressions of displeasure. Those without female companions were alright, but those with partners felt, in an intangible way, as if they were wearing a green hat. Had this not been Shrek Academy where fighting was prohibited, they would have been tempted to strike him out of pure irritation. Who told this guy to have such a "punchable" (girl-attracting) face?
Even Tang Ya was dazed, nodding instinctively as she murmured under her breath with a slight blush, "That annoying guy... he seems to have become even more handsome after absorbing his soul ring."
The "annoying guy" Tang Ya spoke of was none other than Feng Piaoling. After stabilizing his cultivation, he had bathed, changed his clothes, and rushed here at his maximum speed. He arrived neither too late nor too early, reaching the gates just before noon on the second day. Most others were arriving around this time; even if they were early, it wasn't by much.
Seeing Feng Piaoling, Beibei did not show an expression of surprise. However, because of Feng Piaoling's earlier words in the forest that insulted the Tang Sect's ancestors—and because he was making Tang Ya act like a fangirl—Beibei instinctively felt a surge of resistance and hostility toward him.