Zhou Yi's sharp, unpleasant voice cut through the students' murmurs. "Enough. This time is different from before — a sudden change of plans."
"You don't need to worry too much. Losing the selection won't bring punishment. You'll be competing alongside the third-, fourth-, and fifth-year students of both the Martial Soul and Soul Tool Departments. As second-years, just do your best."
"Still, there will only be about thirty participants total, and only seven will be chosen for a special mission. So at least don't embarrass me — try not to get completely wiped out."
"Alright, go back to class. Study, train, and keep your state steady."
The students filed out of Zhou Yi's office.
"Yuhao, what do you think this is about?" Wang Dong asked as they walked. "It looks pretty serious — it's affecting every year from second to fifth."
Yuhao shook his head. "No idea. Don't overthink it. Just train normally. We second-years at least have the numbers, right? Over ten of us out of thirty or so."
He found it almost amusing. No wonder Shrek Academy had lowered the bar for pre-selection; aside from the second years, the higher grades didn't have much talent left.
The Academy, despite absorbing the resources of the entire Douluo Continent, had clearly hit a weak generation. Only the newer classes showed promise.
And likely, Elder Xuan's "contributions" hadn't helped — his leadership had already seen several inner-court students perish during what should have been safe spirit-beast hunts.
For the next few days, Yuhao focused solely on absorbing the lingering energy of the magic potion. He discovered subtle changes within his body — his blood energy was steadily growing stronger.
In his dormitory, Yuhao sat cross-legged inside a wooden barrel filled with a strange medicinal liquid.
Shrek Academy offered private cultivation chambers, but renting one cost a fortune in gold soul coins, even for core disciples. Yuhao found it painful to spend that much, especially since Wang Dong had taken leave for her own closed-door training, leaving him the dorm to himself.
The potion was his own mix, redeemed from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's merchant branch in Shrek City. He'd also exchanged some funds for future plans.
The ingredients — Scarlet Blood Vine, Bone-Purifying Wood, and Marrow-Washing Grass — were common, typically used to temper the bodies of low-level Spirit Masters. For Yuhao, though, they would serve as catalysts, stimulating his body to better digest the magic potion's energy.
Under the simultaneous stress and healing of the potion, Yuhao's flesh was being broken down and rebuilt. His Eye of Truth recorded every minute change, helping him analyze the internal structure of his body.
Though all Spirit Masters shared roughly similar physiology, differences arose from lineage, martial soul, training methods, and environment. Yuhao sought to map these nuances — and reshape his body piece by piece to better suit his ideal form.
His hair had grown long and black, reaching his waist. With a mental blade formed from spiritual power, he trimmed it back to its usual length.
"Barely a success," he sighed. "Thanks for keeping watch, Elder Yi. You can rest now."
Electrolux's aged voice carried a hint of helplessness. "You reckless child… manipulating energy to reshape flesh outside the meridians is extremely dangerous. One misstep and you could cripple your body, let alone trying to rebuild it from the root."
Yuhao chuckled. "Heh, but I'm fine, aren't I? And it worked somewhat, didn't it?"
Examining a strand of his hair through the Eye of Truth, he noted its enhanced structure — denser and more resilient than ordinary hair. Using his spirit power to fuse vitality and soul energy, he had strengthened it at a fundamental level.
Rather than tampering with vital organs, hair was the safest testing ground. Drawing inspiration from Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo's hair-based martial souls, Yuhao mimicked their structure. The result wasn't a true hair martial soul, but his hair was now far tougher than that of any normal Spirit Master.
This wasn't simply external reinforcement — the molecular composition itself had changed. Where most people relied on external power to bolster weak flesh, Yuhao's foundation was itself evolving.
It was no wonder spirit beasts possessed stronger bodies than humans of equal rank; their base structure was fundamentally superior. Unless a human's martial soul itself reconstructed the body, beast-flesh would always surpass human flesh — even at the divine level.
Yuhao hadn't achieved a qualitative transformation yet, but the success with his hair meant he could advance further in stages.
Still, it was only a partial success. His current soul power and blood energy were limited; the magic potion's reserves could only support minor experiments like this, not full-body restructuring.
His ultimate goal remained the True Body Martial Soul — using the Eye of Truth as the core to gradually transform his entire body into part of his martial soul, attaining perfect synergy between flesh and spirit.
When he rose from the barrel, wiping away the residue, his entire skin gleamed faintly red, smooth and delicate like that of a newborn. The outer layer was newly regenerated tissue; the old had been stripped away by the Scarlet Blood Vine's medicinal power.
The potion itself had turned black — completely depleted.
"Still too poor," he muttered. "If I could afford another hundred rounds, I'd fully absorb the potion's energy."
But he had to save some gold for the upcoming Demon-Eating Spirit Blade auction.
Even so, his physique had now reached the level of a Spirit Ancestor, and his soul power was on the verge of advancing another rank.
The next day, Wang Yan addressed the class. "Everyone else is dismissed. Core disciples, stay behind. You'll accompany me to the Battle Arena."
The core students gathered. Yuhao glanced at Wang Dong through the Eye of Truth — her body appeared normal, except her hands glowed faintly jade-like, with energy still lingering in them.
So… she's finally starting to use that hammer? Yuhao mused.
Wang Dong, unaware of his thoughts, leaned closer. "I wonder how this selection's going to work. If it's team battles again, we could join up with Xiaoxiao, right?"
Yuhao nodded, though silently. If Elder Xuan was organizing it, things would be far less orderly than she imagined. Survival would depend on one's own fortune.
Before long, the second-year core disciples arrived at the Battle Arena, joined by higher-grade counterparts.
Yuhao spotted Ning Tian among them and nodded politely. He remembered their earlier deal — and her message through the sect's merchant, asking him to help her stand out in this selection.
So she's figured it out too… he thought. Seven chosen disciples, age limits, and the timing — anyone with half a brain could connect the dots.
In truth, the power gap wasn't too great. Aside from Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou, who were four-ringed, most others were at three rings, and the second-years mixed between two and three.
When everyone had arrived, an old man shuffled in, wine gourd in one hand, chicken leg in the other — unmistakably Elder Xuan.
"Little Wang, everyone here?" he asked lazily.
"All present," Wang Yan replied. "Twenty-six Martial Soul Department core disciples from second to fifth year. As for the Soul Tool Department — only one, the rest were screened out."
The arena had been fully cleared for this event.
Elder Xuan took a swig of wine, then waved his free hand. "The rules are simple."
"I call it a Free-for-All Battle. Inside this arena, you can fight however you like — no restrictions. Anyone who yields or is forcibly removed is eliminated. The last seven standing are the winners."
"Alright, teachers, out. Once I say start, you can go wild."
"What—!?" Wang Dong blurted, instinctively moving closer to Yuhao. Xiaoxiao did the same.
Across the field, Ning Tian quickly pulled Wu Feng toward Yuhao's side as well. She had grasped the situation instantly.
The instructors left, Elder Xuan raised his gourd, and his booming shout echoed through the arena—
"Begin!"
Then he vanished.
Twenty-seven core disciples remained.
Yuhao swept his gaze over the field — then immediately released a full-power spiritual shock straight at He Caitou.
Don't ask why. When chaos erupts, you hit the troublemaker first.
Among all present, the strongest were only four-ring Spirit Ancestors, and He Caitou was both a four-ring and a Soul Engineer.
At this stage, a Soul Engineer's firepower could be terrifying — and Yuhao wasn't interested in testing soul tools versus hidden weapons.
Clutching his head, He Caitou didn't collapse, but his charged attack fizzled. The sudden mental blast caused his soul power to rebound, throwing his rhythm into chaos.
Seeing his four spirit rings flash, the others' eyes widened in surprise — no one had realized the quiet, hulking Soul Tool student was a four-ring powerhouse.
But with his concentration broken, several nearby disciples seized the chance, activating their martial souls and rushing him.
After all, he was the only one from the Soul Tool Department, and unfamiliar to everyone else. Who better to gang up on first?
And so, He Caitou, unlucky and surrounded, became the first to be eliminated — struck down before he could even fight back.
A tragic start for the Soul Tool Department's reputation at Shrek Academy.
(End of Chapter)