Chapter 8: Wang Dong

"Hey! Move aside, you people in front! Make way!"

An impatient voice rang out from within the two lines of the human wall. A youth with powder-blue hair fought his way through the gaps in the crowd. Although he appeared to be roughly the same age as Huo Yuhao, the strength in his hands was shockingly excessive. Pushing his way through, he carved out a path and emerged from the crowd.

"Tsk, what is everyone doing? How could it get this congested at the main gate?"

The youth stood in the middle of the road, adjusting his clothes while scanning his surroundings with a probing gaze. Finally, his eyes locked onto Huo Yuhao, who was leaning on a wooden staff, and he let out a startled, "Oh?"

"What are you..."

The youth looked at Huo Yuhao’s disheveled appearance with surprise, but his attention was immediately drawn to the several people lying scattered on the ground by the gate. While his perception wasn't refined enough to judge their specific cultivation levels, the colors of their school uniforms clearly indicated their grade.

"New second- or third-years? They must be at least at the two-ring level, right?"

The youth stared blankly at the chaotic scene, instinctively raising a hand to cover his open mouth, but then he suddenly gave a start, realized something, and hurriedly pressed his hands down into his pockets.

Huo Yuhao, who had been observing him, blinked. He couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the youth in front of him had just displayed a flicker of delicate, feminine mannerisms.

"Ahem... did you do this?"

The youth hurriedly composed his expression and posture, gesturing with his chin toward the four people sprawled on the ground. Four Great Spirit Masters—such a terrifying lineup was something that, if he were to face it, would likely require him to add one or two spirit rings to his Clear Sky Hammer first.

"Yes." Huo Yuhao nodded. After a moment of thought, he added, "It was just luck. If we had fought for real with weapons and skills, I would never have won."

If those students hadn't been so arrogant as to attack without even activating their martial spirits, he wouldn't have been able to handle them. No matter how powerful his Spiritual Detection was, his physical speed had its limits; if his body couldn't keep up with his mind's commands, he would just be asking for a beating.

"Hey! That’s still impressive! Even with a sneak attack, a typical Spirit Grandmaster wouldn't be able to take down four two-ringers in one go!" The youth exclaimed in admiration. He reached out as if to pat Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, but caught a whiff of fishy odor coming from him. He tightened his expression and used his elbow to nudge Huo Yuhao’s arm instead. "But, have you thought about how to deal with the aftermath of causing trouble here? This is Shrek Academy! If they really want to come after you, even a Titled Douluo backing you wouldn't be able to stop them!"

The youth leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a mysterious whisper. "Hiss... you're so daring, you wouldn't happen to be from some hidden sect, would you?"

Hidden sect...

Huo Yuhao felt a mix of amusement and frustration. He didn't know what this guy was thinking to label him with such a grand background. "I don't have that kind of background. I just wanted to join Shrek Academy."

"And you still dared to start a fight!?" The youth’s eyes widened.

"He insulted my family first," Huo Yuhao said, a flicker of coldness in his eyes.

"Then it's fine... he deserved it." The youth curled his lips. If someone had cursed his two dads, he would have fought them to the death on the spot. "Tsk, tsk... you’ve got some guts. From now on, you can be my little brother! With me covering you, a small thing like getting into Shrek is something I can easily handle for you!"

"Enrollment?" Huo Yuhao looked at him with a strange expression as he boasted. "Who are you? To have such a powerful background?"

"Heh heh, you don't need to know that. Just know that my name is Wang Dong!" Wang Dong grinned. "How about it? Want to consider calling me 'Big Brother'? If you say it nicely, I might even be able to help you cover your tuition for the next few years."

"This..." Huo Yuhao was tempted for a moment, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. "I think I'll pass..."

Just then, a thunderous roar erupted from the gate, cutting off their conversation.

"Who is it! Who dares to cause trouble at the gates of Shrek?"

Several students in their mid-teens walked out of the gate. The leader swept his cold gaze over the messy scene, his eyes finally settling on Huo Yuhao, tracing the path of the scattered fish corpses. "Kid, you're the one causing trouble here, right?"

Although Huo Yuhao’s age surprised him, there were many geniuses at Shrek Academy. He had seen two three-ring Spirit Grandmasters enroll just a few days ago, so another one like Huo Yuhao wasn't entirely unacceptable.

"That's right." Huo Yuhao’s eyes glowed faintly as he looked at him calmly. "But first, I must correct one thing: he was the one who provoked me first. I only came here to see if I had a chance to enroll."

The student was momentarily stumped, his gaze meeting the White Wolf’s for a few seconds before the wolf looked away, feeling guilty.

So it really was you guys who started it.

The student’s face darkened, but he still spoke with a resonant voice. "Even if there's a reason, they are still students of Shrek Academy, and this is where Shrek handles admissions. Starting a conflict here inevitably tarnishes the academy's reputation!"

"I won't bully you. I won't use any spirit skills—let's have a match! If you win, the four of them will each pay you ten gold spirit coins, and I will personally handle your enrollment process. If you lose, you will kneel down and apologize!"

The student pulled at his collar and took off his outer coat, revealing a robust physique. "Well? Do you accept or not?"

Huo Yuhao gripped his wooden staff tightly, his expression solemn. "Fine."

"Hey, hey...?" Wang Dong, standing beside him, tried to intervene. "Are you serious? Just looking at his age, he’s definitely a four-ring Spirit Ancestor! The senior students at Shrek are the top of their level, hand-picked through layers of selection—they aren't easy to deal with!"

If nothing else, the bonus provided by a four-thousand-year spirit ring alone far exceeded all his previous rings combined. Even without using spirit skills, the physical disparity was immense.

"If he wants to fight, I will fight him." Huo Yuhao’s gaze sharpened. "Being afraid of trouble is never a good choice."

Though dangerous, this was his chance to enroll. Shrek Academy held the title of the continent's premier academy. Even if the teachers inside were good-for-nothing thugs, the various rare resources concentrated within were incomparable to the outside world. Only here could he grow as much as possible.

"Are you ready?" The student opposite him bared his teeth. A turtle-shell-shaped shield appeared on his arm, and four spirit rings rose into the air. "Black Tortoise manifestation! My name is Xu Sanshi, please enlighten me!"

"Huo Yuhao."

Huo Yuhao walked out a few steps, leaning on his wooden staff. A single, glowing white spirit ring hovered behind him, and his eyes began to shine with brilliance.