With Du Weilun, the dean of students of the Outer Court, personally leading the way, Huo Yuhao's enrollment procedures were handled exceptionally smoothly. No one dared to question his lack of a recommendation letter with the head of the department standing right there.
Finally, Du Weilun escorted Huo Yuhao to a simple and ancient white building; this was the dormitory for the Outer Court freshmen. The structure looked as though it had stood for centuries, weathered but sturdy.
Du Weilun gave a few more instructions, and seeing Huo Yuhao respond with a calm expression, he finally took his leave with a complicated heart. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the boy's impossible spirit rings.
Huo Yuhao stood before the dormitory building, his gaze sweeping across this unfamiliar environment. He stood still for a moment, absorbing the atmosphere of the place that would be his home for the foreseeable future.
Out of a habitual vigilance in unfamiliar surroundings, with a slight thought, his formless and substanceless Mental Detection quietly spread out. He needed to know exactly who and what was nearby.
However, just as his mental force swept across the area in front of the building, his footsteps paused almost imperceptibly. He felt a presence that shouldn't have been there.
To one side of the dormitory entrance sat an old reclining chair. It was a modest piece of furniture, looking almost as old as the building itself.
On the chair lay an old man dressed in faded grey cloth clothes, with white hair and beard, and a face full of wrinkles. He looked like he was one step away from the grave.
His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling slightly, looking like an ordinary old man dozing in the warm sun, completely out of place with the vibrant youthful atmosphere surrounding him. He seemed to be ignored by everyone passing by.
Previously, Huo Yuhao had only taken a fleeting glance and hadn't paid it any mind. He had dismissed the man as a mere caretaker.
But at this moment, the information fed back by his Mental Detection caused his heart to jerk violently! His spiritual sense screamed a warning that his eyes refused to believe.
Inside that seemingly withered and frail shell, there actually lurked a boundless energy as vast as a sleeping volcano, unimaginable in its magnitude! The sheer density of the power made his own spiritual sea ripple.
The purity and condensation of that energy far surpassed the Yan Shaozhe he had seen today. It was like comparing a bonfire to the sun.
The majesty of its volume and the essence of its quality were such that, in his impression, only the Atlas Douluo Yun Ming from ten thousand years later had ever given him a similar feeling. It was a level of power that stood at the very apex of humanity.
This is an... Ultimate Douluo?!
A light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes as thoughts raced through his mind, but his face showed not the slightest hint of anything unusual. He maintained his mask of indifference perfectly.
He seemed to just casually look over the dormitory building, then with a normal expression, he set off and walked straight toward the dormitory's main entrance. He passed the old man without a second look.
Just as Huo Yuhao's figure disappeared into the dormitory entrance... the grey-robed old man on the reclining chair slowly opened his eyes. There was no cloudiness in them now.
Those seemingly cloudy eyes now had a sharp, lightning-like glint flash through them. The air around the chair seemed to vibrate for a split second.
The old man's aged gaze turned thoughtfully toward the hallway where Huo Yuhao had disappeared, his lips moving slightly as he murmured in a voice only he could hear.
"What an astounding physical Foundation; blood and Qi as vigorous as a Dragon, bones and muscles as refined as iron."
"And that mental force... tsk tsk, incredible, simply incredible!"
"It seems... among this year's freshmen, a true Little freak has arrived."
Huo Yuhao's dormitory number was 108. He pushed open the slightly mottled wooden door, and a gust of stale air mixed with dust and the scent of old wood puffed into his face. The room clearly hadn't been used in a long time.
The layout inside the room was simple to the point of being crude; everything looked full of a sense of age, which seemed somewhat mismatched with the resounding title of the 'number one academy on the continent'. It consisted of two hard beds, two desks, and two wardrobes.
However, Huo Yuhao was not a Young Master who had been pampered since childhood, so he didn't have many requirements for the dormitory. He had slept in far worse places during his travels.
He walked straight to the window and pushed open the somewhat stiff frame, letting the fresh air from outside circulate in. Sunlight spilled into the room, illuminating the dancing dust motes.
Then, a majestic mental force gushed out from between his brows, evenly sweeping across every corner of the dormitory. He didn't need a broom to clean this space.
Wherever the mental force passed, the accumulated dust, spiderwebs, and small debris were gathered as if by invisible hands and 'sent' out through the open window. It was a display of control that would have made a high-level Spirit Master weep.
In just a few breaths, the entire interior of the dormitory was completely refreshed. The wooden surfaces gleamed as if they had been polished.
After placing his prepared sheets and bedding on the bed, Huo Yuhao sat down, and the image of the old man from outside surfaced in his mind again. He began to connect the dots.
Combining this with the records he had seen in the Spirit Pagoda's historical materials from ten thousand years later, if his judgment was correct, that old man on the reclining chair should be the current master of the Sea Gods Pavilion, the Dragon God Douluo—Mu En! He was the guardian of the academy's soul.
He hadn't expected that just as he entered the academy, he would come face to face with this legendary figure standing at the Peak of the continent. It was a dangerous encounter for someone with his secrets.
However, Huo Yuhao only thought about it briefly; it didn't cause too much of a stir in his heart. He had dealt with gods before; a demigod did not intimidate him.
His gaze instead fell upon the opposite bed, which was still empty. He wondered who his companion would be in this life.
According to the records from ten thousand years later, his roommate should be his future wife, Tang Wutong. The thought brought a rare softness to his eyes.
Of course, right now she should have entered the academy disguised as a boy, using the alias Wang Dong. She was a master of disguise, though her true nature often bled through.
But now that his original trajectory of fate had changed, it wasn't certain if this roommate would still be Wang Dong. Fate was a fickle thing, easily diverted by a single pebble in the stream.
Huo Yuhao waited until noon, but no one arrived. He used the time to meditate and stabilize his newly acquired spirit power.
When he went to the cafeteria for lunch, the scene there once again refreshed his understanding of Shrek Academy. It was a place designed to maximize efficiency and minimize comfort.
In the massive dining area, voices were buzzing and aromas filled the air, yet looking around, there wasn't a single chair! It was a bizarre sight to anyone accustomed to civilized dining.
All the students were holding their food trays, all standing as they ate. They looked like a herd of cattle being fed in a hurry.
He also asked some senior students about it; apparently, the academy did this so students would finish eating quickly to save time to Cultivate. Everything here was subservient to the pursuit of power.
Knowing the reason, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. How much time could really be saved by rushing through a meal? It seemed more like a way to condition the students to endure hardship.
The afternoon passed by quickly. After eating dinner, the sky outside gradually darkened, and Huo Yuhao thought his roommate wouldn't be coming today. He prepared to settle in for the night.
However, not long after, the old wooden door of the dormitory made a slight scraping sound and was pushed open from the outside. A new presence entered the room.
A figure walked in, with their back to the dim yellow light of the corridor. They moved with a lightness that suggested a high level of agility.
The newcomer was a youth with a somewhat slender build. They carried a small bag, looking around the room with a critical eye.
He closed the door behind him and turned around, the soul tool light in the room illuminating his face. The soft glow revealed his features clearly.
Huo Yuhao's gaze instantly froze. His heart gave a sudden, painful thump.
It was an extremely delicate face, one that could even be described as 'beautiful'. It was a face that haunted his memories and fueled his dreams.
The skin was white and smooth, almost translucent, and the features were as exquisite as a carefully carved work of art. Even in male clothing, the person's natural charm was undeniable.
But what drew the most attention was his soft, drooping short hair and those clear, bright eyes... they were both an extremely rare pinkish-blue! The color was unique, like the sky at dawn.
Looking at the other person, Huo Yuhao's heart felt as if it had been lightly tapped by something. An uncontrollable flash of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by a surge of immense joy in his heart.
Pinkish-blue hair!
Pinkish-blue eyes!
If he remembered correctly, his future wife Tang Wutong's pupils and hair color were pinkish-blue! It was the signature trait of the Sea God's daughter.
There was no doubt about it; even though his trajectory of fate had changed, the two of them had still become roommates! The universe seemed to be correcting itself in the most pleasant way possible.
A surge of unprovoked excitement rose in Huo Yuhao's heart. What do you call this? This is what you call destiny! He almost laughed out loud at the sheer perfection of the moment.
Seeing the indescribable excitement on Huo Yuhao's face, and meeting those bright eyes that seemed to hold the stars, Wang Dong felt his cheeks grow inexplicably hot. He felt as though he were being seen through.
That gaze was too direct, as if it carried a physical warmth, making him feel a wave of unease. He shifted his weight, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
His heartbeat quickened uncontrollably, and a mixture of bashfulness and slight anger surged up. He didn't like being stared at so intensely by a stranger.
Wang Dong subconsciously tilted his head, avoiding that overly 'fiery' gaze. He put on a mask of annoyance to hide his flustered state.
A hint of annoyance flashed in her pinkish-blue eyes, and her voice rose intentionally: "Hey! You... don't look at me like that!"
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao immediately realized that his display of emotion just now had been too obvious. He had let his guard down in the presence of his beloved.
He quickly suppressed that excitement which was almost overflowing and adjusted his facial expression. He forced himself back into the role of a polite, indifferent student.
A friendly smile appeared on his face as he took the initiative to say, "Hello, I'm Huo Yuhao. Pleased to meet you."
Wang Dong tilted his chin up slightly, his tone carrying a natural arrogance: "I'm Wang Dong." He spoke as if he were doing Yuhao a favor by introducing himself.
Immediately after, he cleared his throat and said with a quite serious expression, "Even though we're roommates, there are a few rules you have to remember first."
"First, you're not allowed to bring people back to the dorm casually, especially random people!"
"Second, you're not allowed to be naked in the dorm!"
"Third, no snoring at night, it affects my rest!"
"Fourth, don't disturb me when I'm doing things!"
"Fifth, from now on, the cleaning of the common areas in the dorm is your responsibility, but..."
He emphasized his tone: "You are absolutely forbidden from touching my bed or personal belongings! Did you hear me?"
Huo Yuhao listened quietly, understanding everything in his heart. He knew the secrets behind these rules.
Knowing the other party was a girl, he completely understood the first few rules and even thought they were reasonable. He would never dream of disrespecting her privacy.
However, when he heard the other party almost 'tyrannically' push all the cleaning work onto him, Huo Yuhao's bright black eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He couldn't let her become too spoiled.
In his mind, some words Aunt Leng had said to him instantly flashed by. She had been quite vocal about his future relationships.
"Little Yuhao, when dealing with girls, sometimes you can't just keep giving in."
"When it's time to be reasonable, be reasonable; when it's time to stick to your principles, you must stick to them."
"Especially when meeting for the first time, it's important to establish the boundaries of the relationship. If you're too 'docile', be careful of being 'walked all over' in the future."
Although Aunt Leng's words had been teasing at the time, Huo Yuhao felt they made quite a bit of sense. He didn't want a relationship built on servitude, but on mutual respect.
Thinking of this, the smile on Huo Yuhao's face didn't fade as he looked at Wang Dong and said, "The first four rules, I completely agree and will follow them."
"However, as for this fifth rule..."
"The dormitory is a place where two people live together, so cleaning should be the responsibility of both people."
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