Chapter 146: Wang Yan's Shock
Furina was perfectly aware that Wang Yan's words, while carrying the well-meaning intention of warning them against arrogance and impatience, also barely concealed the curiosity of a research-oriented teacher—a curiosity that was practically overflowing to the point of bursting. This was his way of "taking the long way home," attempting to pry open their mouths.
After all, in the original story, Wang Yan had once displayed an immense desire to investigate Huo Yuhao's abilities, and in the early stages, he hadn't even been entirely clear on the specific details of Huo Yuhao's martial soul.
Was this due to information barriers between Shrek's teachers, or some other reason? Furina couldn't be bothered to dig deeper. Now, with Huo Yuhao's soul ring configuration even more "outrageous," and with herself—the oddity competing solo as a Soul King—arousing such intense interest from Wang Yan was really the most natural thing in the world.
She decided to proactively offer him a step up and make the conversation a little more direct. "Alright, Teacher Wang Yan. We've taken your teachings to heart."
Furina smiled faintly, but then abruptly shifted gears. "However... aren't you curious? Curious why Huo Yuhao's seemingly ordinary white soul ring possesses such miraculous effects? Curious how I could possess such soul power at this age? And even more curious why I have the confidence to compete alone in this team assessment?"
Wang Yan paused, caught off guard, then immediately realized that his thoughts had been completely seen through by this exceedingly perceptive young woman. He coughed twice, a bit awkwardly, cleared his throat, and decided to drop all pretense. "Well... I am indeed extremely curious. I've heard that Huo Yuhao's first soul skill seems to be some kind of extraordinarily rare support-type skill related to 'prediction.' Although records of such soul skills are exceedingly few, the system of soul skills is as vast as the ocean, and martial souls differ in countless ways. Even when hunting the exact same soul beast, the soul skills different soul masters acquire can be worlds apart."
His gaze shifted to Huo Yuhao, the intensity of inquiry in his eyes deepening. "And, Student Huo Yuhao—over the course of five matches, you've only used your first soul skill. The other two soul rings have never once lit up. This honestly leaves me... itching with insatiable curiosity."
Huo Yuhao listened calmly and nodded. He then stated directly: "Teacher Wang Yan, rather than guessing... why not experience it for yourself?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a faint, pale-golden gleam flickered deep within his eyes. His first soul ring quietly lit up, and the dual effects of Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing instantly enveloped Wang Yan.
In that very instant, Wang Yan felt his entire body jolt!
He felt his perception expanding, stretching out infinitely. Every scene, every detail—within a radius of several hundred meters—presented itself within his mind with the crystal clarity of a "God's-eye view," omitting nothing, no matter how minute.
The texture of grass and bark, the flight trajectories of tiny insects, the subtle expressions of distant students... every detail was rendered with absolute precision. Even the trajectories of moving objects seemed to slow down, as if their future paths were being predicted. This sensation of absolute command over the battlefield, of perceiving the most minute details—it was utterly staggering!
"Th-this... How is this possible?!" Wang Yan burst out in shock, his face a mask of utter disbelief. "Is this truly an ability that a ten-year soul ring can bestow? Such a vast range, such extraordinary precision, such overwhelmingly domineering effects! In all my knowledge, even the most top-tier Body Martial Soul could never possibly possess such a heaven-defying support effect at just the first ring!"
What he didn't know, however, was that this was actually the result of Huo Yuhao deliberately limiting its range.
Huo Yuhao waited until Wang Yan had somewhat recovered from his shock before calmly explaining: "If a reasonable explanation must be given, then it can be attributed to the fact that my innate spiritual power far exceeds that of ordinary people, and my physical constitution, having undergone special tempering, is considerably more resilient than that of soul masters of the same rank. These factors have combined to strengthen the foundational abilities of my Body Martial Soul, Spirit Eyes. As for the deeper reasons..."
He paused, his tone sincere yet resolute, "they involve certain personal secrets that I must keep. I must ask for your forgiveness, Teacher, but I am unable to disclose them. However, regarding my second and third soul skills, I can reveal this much: the second soul skill leans more toward pure attribute assistance, while the third focuses on control."
"The future path I have chosen is that of a control-type soul master, not a pure support. The support effects of my first and second soul skills are intended to enhance my adaptability on the battlefield and my contribution to the team—to make me more well-rounded."
Listening to Huo Yuhao's lucid, clear, and goal-oriented exposition, Wang Yan felt the shock in his heart intensify even further. An eleven-year-old youth—not only possessing inconceivable abilities, but also having such a clear, profound understanding and plan for his own future path! This degree of mental maturity and wisdom far surpassed that of his peers.
He drew a deep breath, slowly nodded, and praised from the heart: "Mm. Clear thinking, a well-defined plan—truly rare. I believe that, given time, you will surely go very far along this path."
Shifting his gaze away from Huo Yuhao, Wang Yan once again looked toward the smiling Furina, awaiting her "explanation."
Furina's answer was even more direct—even carrying a hint of casual, almost nonchalant pride. "If Teacher Wang Yan has heard of the Church of the Water God, then you should also have some understanding of my identity. I, Furina, am the founder and Pope of the Church of the Water God. I am also the inheritor of the Water God's divine seat—the future Water God herself. As a divine inheritor, for my soul power to grow a little faster and my soul ring configuration to be a little more unique... is that not a perfectly normal thing?"
Wang Yan was momentarily rendered speechless by this declaration, not quite knowing how to respond. The logic seemed sound on the surface—but the word "deity" had not truly manifested on the Douluo Continent for over ten thousand years.
Ever since the first generation of Shrek Seven Devils collectively became gods and ascended to the Divine Realm ten millennia ago, in all the long ages since—no matter how many Limit Douluos of staggering, world-shaking genius had emerged in later generations, including the current Master of the Sea God's Pavilion, the Dragon God Douluo Mu En, acclaimed as the strongest in the world—not a single one had ever drawn the favor of the Divine Realm or opened a divine trial. Divine miracles had long since become unreachable legends.
This young girl before him—so young, her soul power so terrifying, her soul rings so monstrous—if she claimed to be undertaking some kind of powerful divine trial, that might perhaps explain her beyond-standard growth. But to declare herself "the Water God herself"... Wang Yan found it truly hard to accept wholesale, right here and now.
He swallowed and organized his thoughts before speaking with caution: "But divine inheritance has been severed for ten thousand years. You are so young. Although you are a food-type soul master, your soul power level is something even the Food God, Senior Oscar of the first Shrek Seven Devils, could not have hoped to match at the same age. And your soul ring configuration is completely unheard of. These things are indeed astonishing. But if you want me to immediately believe that you are already a 'god'... forgive my bluntness, but it feels... still rather hard to believe."
At this moment, within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm couldn't help but mutter: "That's exactly what I thought back then! Then the little girl went and flashed her divine trial mark, and this bro straight-up knelt—er, no, was utterly convinced!"
The cold, crystalline voice of the Ice Emperor also carried a note of agreement: "Indeed. Who would have imagined that right by Yuhao's side there's a genuine divine trial inheritor, whose soul power is already nearing the apex of the mortal realm. Though cultivation only grows harder the further one goes, this Emperor believes that for this little girl, attaining godhood is simply a matter of time."
Naturally, Furina couldn't hear the dialogue within the spiritual sea. Nor would she lightly reveal her divine mark in this place. This was not the uninhabited Far North—this was Shrek Academy. Which, to a certain degree, could be considered one of Tang San's "back gardens."
The ancient golden tree on the academy's Sea God's Island was rumored to have a profound connection to Tang San, and might even be the embodiment of his mother, Ah Yin (at least as later storylines suggested). To expose core secrets here would be no different from placing herself under unknown surveillance.
Secrets were called secrets precisely because the fewer who knew of them, the greater their value and security.
Faced with Wang Yan's doubts, Furina simply offered a cool, unconcerned smile, yet her tone carried a weight that brooked no argument. "Believe it or not, the truth remains unchanged. I am the inheritor of the Water God, and within the next ten to fifteen years, I shall ascend to the divine seat and become a true Water God—more powerful than even the Sea God and the former Water God combined."
Seeing that Furina had no intention of delving deeper into this topic, Wang Yan tactfully chose not to press further. He steered the conversation toward a more pragmatic direction. "Very well. We shall set this matter aside for now. Student Furina, could you tell me the effects of your other soul skills? Your fifth soul skill, Nut Cake, appears to be a powerful defensive skill, capable of generating a barrier that grants a major boost to defense, with a duration of about three minutes?"
"Of course," Furina answered readily. Inwardly, she chuckled to herself—every word she was about to say was "truth," only she had artfully omitted a few key details. "First soul skill: single-target healing. Second soul skill: speed enhancement. Third soul skill: dispelling a wide variety of negative statuses while providing an all-attribute amplification to allies. As for the fourth soul skill... it's area-of-effect healing."
Wang Yan listened intently, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes. Upon hearing the effects of the third soul skill in particular, he couldn't help but exclaim, "They all sound immensely practical, especially the third soul skill! Not only can it cleanse negative states, but it also provides all-attribute amplification... This effect is, in some respects, even more comprehensive and heaven-defying than the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, which is acclaimed as the number one supporting martial soul under heaven."
He then immediately posed a very practical question: "That being said, from the sound of it, your soul skill sequence seems to lean entirely toward support and recovery, lacking a skill that directly boosts attack power or grants direct offensive capability. If you were to encounter those elite teams with three-ring soul masters in the elimination rounds—facing their all-out attacks, relying purely on defense and support... wouldn't there still be a certain risk?"
Upon hearing this, Furina's smile grew even brighter, tinged with a hint of slyness. "Teacher Wang Yan, you mustn't underestimate me. Aside from soul skills, I also have soul bones! And as for what the soul bone skills are..."
She raised a finger and pressed it to her lips in a playful gesture of secrecy. "That is a secret I can't reveal! Alright, that's enough 'Q&A time' for today. We also need to rest and recover from the consecutive matches. Teacher Wang Yan, we'll take our leave now."
With that, giving Wang Yan no further opportunity to press, Furina shot a knowing glance at Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao. With perfect synchronicity, the four turned and, under Wang Yan's gaze—still in the midst of gathering his thoughts—walked briskly and lightly away from the assessment area.
Left behind where he stood, Wang Yan was lost in contemplation, his mind still ceaselessly replaying that soul-stirring experience of a soul skill moments before, along with the entire conversation still steeped in mystery.