Most of the Star Dou Great Forest lies within the borders of the Star Luo Empire, with only a small section extending into the Heaven Dou Empire. Shrek Academy is located to the northwest of the forest, not particularly far from it.
Traveling westward, Huo Yuhao followed the main road out of a dense woodland and finally caught sight of Shrek City ahead, sprawling across the plains.
Shrek Academy was built atop the Lima Plains and occupies an enormous area—so much so that it has become a city in its own right, hence the name "Shrek City." The academy governs the city independently and is not subject to any national taxes. In other words, it functions like a rogue organization outside the reach of conventional law.
The academy itself is situated in the eastern part of Shrek City—strategically positioned to face the Star Dou Great Forest. This makes it convenient for powerful instructors to lead students into the forest to hunt soul beasts and acquire soul rings.
Shrek City is a major transportation hub, connected in all directions. It's not only the home of Shrek Academy but also the most vital commercial intersection among the three great empires of the Douluo Continent. Due to the overwhelming authority of the academy, no faction dares to stir up trouble here, making the city exceptionally safe. Transactions are fair and trustworthy, so merchants from all three empires prefer to conduct their cross-border trades here.
The southern, western, and northern gates of Shrek City are open to the public. Only the eastern gate is reserved exclusively for the academy.
Despite being restricted, the eastern gate was bustling with activity. Over five thousand people had gathered outside, creating a lively scene.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao arrives just in time for the academy's entrance exam and successfully becomes part of the new student cohort. These incoming students not only have to pass rigorous assessments but must also present a recommendation letter from at least a major city within one of the three great empires.
Today, very few remember Shrek Academy's predecessor—Blue Tyrant Academy—which once proudly admitted students from civilian backgrounds. One can't help but wonder how the academy's founder would feel about how things have changed—how prospective students now need proof of noble connections to gain admission.
In this lifetime, Huo Yuhao had neither a recommendation letter nor a special admission pass from Tang Sect. If he wanted to pass the entrance exam, he'd have to impress the examiners through sheer ability.
At the eastern gate stood over a dozen young Shrek Academy students in guard duty, all dressed in unflattering olive-green uniforms, bearing a cartoonish green monster emblem on their chests.
Seeing Huo Yuhao approach the gate, they promptly stepped forward to stop him—though their demeanor remained courteous and polite.
"Hey there, little brother. Are you here to sign up for the entrance exam?" asked the lead student, stepping up with a smile.
"Yes, I am. I'd appreciate it if you could help me register," Huo Yuhao replied, smiling nervously and pretending to be just as anxious as the other hopefuls.
Most applicants came with the weight of family expectations on their shoulders. Nervousness was understandable.
"To register for Shrek Academy, there are a few requirements," the student continued, nodding. "First, you must be under twelve years old. Second, your soul power must be at least level fifteen. And finally, you need a recommendation from at least a main city of one of the three empires. Could you show us your current soul power level?"
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. At some point, his martial soul had already activated, and his eyes—transformed into bright silver—locked onto the student's, sending a shiver down the latter's spine.
"Is that... an eye martial soul? A body martial soul?" the student murmured.
Two purple soul rings rose beneath Huo Yuhao's feet—colored via his simulated soul skill. In truth, both soul rings were platinum due to Tianmeng Iceworm's immense power, but platinum was so rare that people often mistook it for a mere ten-year ring. Using purple as a disguise was far more effective for Shrek's standards.
After all, Shrek's motto was: "We only accept monsters, not ordinary people." And after thousands of years of development, Shrek Academy undoubtedly boasted the strongest soul master faculty on the continent.
"Two thousand-year soul rings!" gasped the onlookers. Most soul masters could only manage a few hundred years for their first ring. Having a thousand-year ring for a first soul ring was a rare sign of overwhelming talent.
"Senior, I don't have a recommendation letter, but here's my personal file. Could you make an exception?" Huo Yuhao handed over his identification dossier.
The Duchess had already doctored the records of Huo Yuhao's background, so he had no concerns about publicly sharing the imperial documents.
"Please wait here," said the lead student, shooting a glance at his teammates before running off to consult a faculty member.
For these student recruiters, enrolling a genius-level applicant meant a major boost to their academic evaluations. That's why they were always courteous—missing out on a true genius could cost them dearly.
Meanwhile, one of the helpers brought over drinks and snacks for Huo Yuhao, almost treating him like royalty. Other applicants could only stare in envy.
Huo Yuhao casually found a seat and enjoyed the first-rate hospitality. After a year of living with the Holy Spirit Sect and surviving on soul beast meat and blood, actual snacks tasted heavenly.
Soon, the male student returned—this time with a young and attractive woman in tow.
"Hello there, little one. My name is Mu Jin, just a regular teacher at the academy. Mind if I take a look at your martial soul?" she asked with a professional smile.
Mu Jin? That teacher? Huo Yuhao's heart skipped. Based on his memory of the original story, she was the typical "green tea" character—sweet and manipulative on the surface, scheming underneath. A woman who once tried to insert herself into another couple's relationship. She was probably older than Zhongli Yu.
To be fair, she wasn't inferior to Zhou Yi in every way. While her natural beauty and academic credentials may have lagged behind, her teaching ability was superior. Unlike Zhou Yi, who only knew how to make students run laps like Grandmaster once did, Mu Jin produced real results.
In the original work, despite being sent to Class Two, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu were both admitted into the Shrek Inner Court under Mu Jin's guidance—an almost impossible feat after being blacklisted due to their attempt to assassinate Huo Yuhao.
That wasn't just talent—it spoke volumes about Mu Jin's competence as an educator.
Whenever Huo Yuhao and the protagonist group were away for competitions, Zhou Yi's class consistently fell behind Mu Jin's in rankings. So yes, Mu Jin was manipulative—but she also produced results. If not, how could students once officially rejected by the Inner Court manage to win their way back in?
"Hello, Teacher Mu," Huo Yuhao greeted politely, letting two purple soul rings rise beneath him again. His deep blue eyes once again turned silver.
"Indeed, it's a body martial soul! And he's already at level 29!" Mu Jin's eyes sparkled. From the records, this boy was born to a low-class servant family—yet he had reached such heights before the age of twelve. He wasn't just a genius; he was a monster.
Of course, only Huo Yuhao knew the truth. The only reason he hadn't reached level 30 yet was that Bibi Dong was still crafting his divine soul ring.
"Excellent! You can skip the recommendation letter. I'll take you to the entrance exam myself," Mu Jin said, grabbing his hand—only to pause and glance sideways in surprise.
Huo Yuhao's hand was unusually firm and heavy, with a steel-like density thanks to his year of body tempering in the blood pool. He was no ordinary child.
"Once you pass the entrance test, be sure to join my class, okay?" Mu Jin whispered sweetly, her breath warm as she leaned close.
At his age, most boys were weak to a pretty, gentle older sister type. And Mu Jin figured that Huo Yuhao had probably never even interacted with a real beauty before. She was confident she could recruit him into her class.
(End of Chapter)
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