“Everyone, make sure you warm up thoroughly and be careful not to get injured.
Today’s morning practice will focus mainly on recovery and adaptation training.”
On the martial arena early in the morning, Teacher Mu Jin’s gentle voice was like a soft breeze, putting the sixteen students of Class 5 much at ease.
“Stand up straight, all of you!
Trash!
A bunch of useless trash!”
In stark contrast was a sharp, grating roar from across the field.
Huo Yuhao turned toward the sound.
On the other side of the arena, another team of new students stood perfectly straight, silent as the grave.
In front of them stood a thin, small, ugly old woman, hands on her hips, spraying saliva as she berated the students.
“I’ll say it one more time!
I don’t care what kind of hotshot genius you were back in your hometowns or how spoiled you were!
Once you’re under my, Zhou Yi’s, watch, you’re all worthless garbage!
I only expect two words from you: obedience!
Absolute obedience!
Anyone who can’t manage that can pack up and get out right now!”
Zhou Yi—the Shrek Academy Outer Courtyard’s most famous and feared “Devil Teacher.”
The students of Class 1, including Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya, all had grave expressions, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Just yesterday, they had been gloating over being assigned to a top class, but today Zhou Yi’s brutal show of authority had crushed every bit of their pride.
“See that?” Wang Xiaoli whispered beside Huo Yuhao.
“That’s the head teacher of Class 1, Teacher Zhou Yi.
I heard she expels more new students every year than all the other classes combined.”
“Yeah,” Huo Yuhao replied, but his gaze was irresistibly drawn to Class 1’s ranks.
An old friend was there.
His eyes slowly swept through the crowd, searching.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao’s gaze locked in place.
Without warning, his heart skipped a beat, then began to pound violently, thumping heavily in his chest.
Among the silenced, trembling new students, one figure stood out remarkably.
She had flowing, pinkish-blue hair that caught the morning light with a dreamlike radiance.
Her tall, slender frame wore the Shrek Academy uniform, which, far from dampening her breathtaking charm, only heightened her heroic and spirited aura.
Her skin was white as jade, her features refined like a deity’s finest masterpiece.
Above all, those large pinkish-blue eyes were clear and bright, carrying a proud and resolute spark beyond her years.
At this moment, she tilted her head slightly, whispering something to a petite girl beside her who possessed the Three-Life Soul-Calming Tripod martial soul.
A faint smile played at the corners of her lips, confident and dazzling.
Wang Dong’er…
It really was her.
Even across half the arena, even surrounded by over a hundred students, only that blue-haired figure remained in Huo Yuhao’s eyes.
Since his rebirth, he had maintained a calm and composure far beyond his age.
Whether facing the temptation of the Skydream Ice Worm or Gu Yuena’s reliance on him, he had remained unfazed—at least on the surface.
But the moment he saw Wang Dong’er, the emotions he had forcibly suppressed in the depths of his soul erupted like a bursting dam.
The love etched into his very bones from his past life, the deep regret of failing to protect her, the longing that ten thousand years of godhood had failed to erase—all surged into his mind at once.
*Why…*
*Why does my heart beat so fast at just the first sight of her?*
*Dong’er…*
Huo Yuhao’s breathing grew slightly hurried.
Subconsciously, he took half a step forward, a look of obsession and tenderness creeping into his eyes that he himself didn’t even notice.
“…”
Beside him, Gu Yuena picked up on Huo Yuhao’s abnormality instantly.
She followed his gaze, her silver eyes clearly reflecting the figure with flowing pinkish-blue hair.
Expressionless, the cool silver depths of her eyes nevertheless flickered with a quiet, extreme coldness.
The hand clutching the corner of Huo Yuhao’s clothes unconsciously tightened a bit more.
On the other side of the arena:
“Dong’er, that boy from Class 5 seems to be staring at you,” Xiao Xiao whispered, nudging Wang Dong’er gently with her elbow.
“He’s actually pretty good-looking, and he has such a composed vibe.
Could he…
be interested in you?”
“Hmm?” Following Xiao Xiao’s gaze, Wang Dong’er met Huo Yuhao’s deep eyes.
Their eyes locked.
Wang Dong’er paused briefly.
It was a bizarre sensation. Find the original chapter at g.com.
The boy’s gaze was immensely complex—filled with awe, nostalgia, joy, and a deep, lingering…
devotion?
Though it was clearly their first time meeting, looking into his eyes sparked an inexplicable sense of familiarity in her heart—as if they had gazed at each other like this a long, long time ago.
She quickly snapped back to reality and gave Xiao Xiao’s head a light knock, feigning anger.
“Stop talking nonsense!
He’s probably just observing the Class 1 students.
His gaze is completely open—he probably just wants to make friends.”
Even as she said it, an imperceptible blush rose uncontrollably on her cheeks.
Just then, Zhou Yi’s sharp voice barked again.
“Alright!
Talk is cheap!
Teacher Mu Jin, since both our classes are practicing together this morning, how about letting my little brats have a friendly sparring match with your students?
Let’s show them what real skill looks like!”
Teacher Mu Jin smiled gently.
“Sounds fine, Teacher Zhou.
We’ll keep it friendly so the kids can get to know each other better.”
With a command from both teachers, the combat drill officially began.
The rules were simple: students from both classes were paired randomly through a lottery for one-on-one matches.
When Huo Yuhao saw the name of his drawn opponent, he couldn’t help a wry smile.
Sometimes, fate really was impossible to dodge.
His opponent was none other than Wang Dong’er.
In the center of the arena, the two stood facing each other.
“Hello,” Wang Dong’er spoke first, her crisp, pleasant voice carrying a youthful frankness.
“Class 1, Wang Dong’er.
Martial soul: Radiant Butterfly Goddess.
Level 25 Power Attack System Battle Soul Master.”
“Class 5, Huo Yuhao.” Huo Yuhao’s voice remained calm, though he could sense a faint, imperceptible tremor in his own vocal cords.
“Martial soul: Spirit Eyes.
Level 27 Control System Battle Soul Master.”
“Spirit Eyes?” Wang Dong’er was slightly surprised.
Body martial souls were already rare, but having eyes as a martial soul was unheard of.
As Teacher Mu Jin called out “Begin,” Wang Dong’er didn’t hesitate for a second.
*Hum—*
A gorgeous blue-violet light erupted behind her back as a pair of massive, magnificent butterfly wings unfolded instantaneously.
Golden patterns shimmered on the wings with a holy radiance; with every flap, specks of golden dust floated into the air.
The Radiant Butterfly Goddess!
Gasps echoed across the entire arena.
A martial soul this beautiful was the dream of almost every female student.
Wang Dong’er’s form instantly became elusive.
With a flap of her wings, she turned into a streak of blue-purple light, darting straight toward Huo Yuhao.
Her right hand was pressed into a palm-blade coated in a pale golden glow.
Butterfly Goddess Light!
Facing this swift charge, Huo Yuhao merely stood quietly in place.
With Spirit Eyes activated, every move Wang Dong’er made and every fluctuation of her soul power became crystal clear to him.
Even the trajectory of her next attack was perfectly predicted by his Spiritual Detection.
The instant Wang Dong’er’s palm-blade was about to touch his clothes, Huo Yuhao moved.
His movement wasn’t fast—he simply took a small step to the left—yet at an inconceivable angle, he narrowly dodged her confident blow.
*Huh?* Surprise flickered in Wang Dong’er’s eyes.
She knew how fast she was.
He was clearly just a Control System Soul Master—how could he dodge so effortlessly?
Undeterred, she twisted nimbly in midair.
Her stunning wings whipped around like twin celestial blades, bringing a fierce gale sweeping toward him.
However, no matter how fierce or tricky her attacks were, Huo Yuhao always reacted half a step ahead.
With minimal movement, he dodged each strike with effortless ease.
To onlookers, it looked as though Wang Dong’er was dancing gracefully around Huo Yuhao while he casually strolled through a garden.
Between her attacks and his dodges, a bizarre, harmonious beauty emerged.
“This Huo Yuhao…
is so strong!”
“It’s not just strength, it’s bizarre!
“That Class 1 girl’s martial soul is amazing, so why can’t she land a hit on him?”
The Class 1 students buzzed with chatter.
Even Zhou Yi’s harsh face showed a hint of genuine interest.
As the fight went on, Wang Dong’er grew increasingly shocked.
She felt like a puppet on strings, every move completely mapped out and controlled by him.
It was infuriating.
“I don’t believe this!” she shouted softly, her second soul ring bursting into light!
Butterfly Goddess Light!
A brilliant golden glow erupted from her body, forming a shockwave ring that instantly enveloped Huo Yuhao.
This was not merely a physical impact—it carried a spiritual shock effect as well.
However, the moment that spiritual pressure surged into Huo Yuhao’s mind, it vanished like a stone dropped into the ocean.
Compared to the Skydream Ice Worm’s million-year spiritual origin, this tiny mental shock didn’t even qualify as a tickle.
*Now!*
A purple light flashed in Huo Yuhao’s eyes.
Soul Shock!
An invisible blade of spiritual force stabbed precisely into Wang Dong’er’s mind.
He controlled it with delicate precision, capping its power to match a full strike from an ordinary Soul Venerable—just enough to briefly daze her without causing any harm.
“Ugh!”
Wang Dong’er felt a sharp, needle-like pain pierce her brain.
Her body stiffened violently, her movements grinding to a temporary halt.
In high-level combat, a split-second opening was fatal.
Huo Yuhao’s figure glided forward like a ghost, appearing right in front of her.
Extending his right index finger, he tapped it lightly against her smooth forehead.
The cool touch snapped Wang Dong’er back to her senses immediately.
She stared blankly at Huo Yuhao inches away, looking into those eyes as deep as a starry night, completely forgetting to react.
The entire arena fell silent.
No one expected the match to end like this.
A Control System Soul Master from Class 5 had effortlessly defeated a Class 1 genius with a top-tier martial soul.
“You lose,” Huo Yuhao said softly, drawing back his finger.
Wang Dong’er finally snapped out of it.
She puffed out her cheeks with a bit of dissatisfaction, but acknowledged it frankly: “I lost.
Your soul skill…
is very interesting.”
When the sparring drill concluded, Class 5 pulled off a slight victory over the overall stronger Class 1, with the biggest contributor naturally being Huo Yuhao and his effortless win.
Teacher Mu Jin couldn’t stop smiling, while Zhou Yi, dark-faced, gave the Class 1 students another harsh scolding.
After the morning drill disbanded, Huo Yuhao didn’t leave right away.
Watching Wang Dong’er as she prepared to leave with Xiao Xiao, he hesitated for a moment before gathering his courage to walk over.
“Hello.”
At the sound of his voice, Wang Dong’er and Xiao Xiao turned back simultaneously.
“It’s you?” Seeing Huo Yuhao, curiosity flashed through Wang Dong’er’s pinkish-blue eyes.
“My name is Huo Yuhao.” Huo Yuhao held out his hand, forcing what he hoped was a warm smile onto his face.
Wang Dong’er paused briefly, then cheerfully extended her hand to give his a light shake.
“I’m Wang Dong’er!
That fight earlier wasn’t satisfying enough—your soul skill counters me too hard.
Let me spar with you properly next time!”
“Okay,” Huo Yuhao nodded.
A thousand words rushed to his tongue, yet only that single word escaped.
*It’s so good to touch her hand again.*
Standing silently not far behind Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena watched without a word, her silver eyes revealing no emotional ripple whatsoever.
***
He returned to Class 5’s classroom, his emotions still churning.
The joy of reunion washed over his heart, keeping him somewhat distracted for the entire morning.
Sitting at his desk, scenes of Wang Dong’er’s every smile and expression replayed continuously in his mind, causing the corners of his lips to curve up unconsciously.
He failed to notice that Gu Yuena beside him had been staring at him for a long time.
Finally, during a class break when the surrounding students went outside, leaving only the two of them in the room, Gu Yuena turned her head to look at him expressionlessly.
Her voice was as cold as ever, flat and devoid of emotion, yet it made the temperature in the classroom drop a few degrees.
“That blue-haired girl…”
“Do you know her?”