Chapter 35: Auspicious Beast A Strange Human!
The so called "bad practices" in the academies of the Sun Moon Empire mainly referred to the low quality of teachers, acceptance of bribes, nepotism, unfair restrictions on soul tool assessments, and embezzlement of student resources. In contrast, Shrek Academy was considered superior in three major aspects, making it the clear winner compared to Sun Moon's academies.
First, Shrek Academy's teachers were all exceptionally strong and had unique teaching philosophies. No matter how extreme the circumstances, when leading teams, their casualty rates remained astonishingly low. Second, Shrek Academy upheld strict fairness policies, rejecting all forms of bribery. They showed zero tolerance for wrongdoing, and even students with connections were harshly punished if they hired assassins or engaged in criminal behavior. Third, Shrek Academy did not restrict soul tool assessments, did not discriminate against soul engineers, and was fiercely protective of its students. If a Shrek student encountered trouble, the academy would retaliate without hesitation.
For Wang Dong, at this stage of her life, these advantages seemed mostly true except for the part about not discriminating against soul engineers.
Take her money? If Fate Energy could conceal him, then... maybe he actually could accept it. After all, even though Wang Dong was standing so close to him, Tang San hadn't ordered Da Ming to capture him and send him to Shrek.
So he took the card and said in a firm voice, "Alright, I accept your apology. Don't let it happen again."
The strong must endure when facing the powerful, and right now, Huo Yuhao was undeniably weaker. More importantly, he was deeply annoyed by Tang San's interference. If Tang San hadn't meddled behind the scenes, Wang Dong wouldn't have randomly traveled to the Sun Moon Empire.
So, in his heart, he added another tally to the list of grievances against Tang San.
After that, Huo Yuhao quickly left, heading back to his academy. He needed to reveal his Ultimate Ice attribute so he could gain even greater recognition and support.
Inside his Spiritual Sea, Electrolux's voice echoed. "Yuhao, perhaps because you are the reincarnation of a god, I suspect that the golden light in your spiritual sea originates from your previous life."
"The golden light contains traces of Fate Energy… but there is also another strange power modifying it, restricting the Fate Energy from leaking out. Within that strange power, I glimpsed the shadow of scales."
"However, as your strength grows, this unknown power will also expand. The amount of Fate Energy you can borrow will increase proportionally. It's a process similar to breaking a seal as you grow stronger, you will gradually unlock greater power."
Huo Yuhao paused. Fate Energy? A strange power? Shadows of scales?
That's a lot of elements to keep track of…
No wonder he had been able to use Fate Energy to conceal himself.
Huo Yuhao was already supposed to be a "New Star born of fate." And since most isekai protagonists came with cheat abilities, it seemed like he was just a deluxe version of the original Huo Yuhao.
A small cheat doesn't count as cheating!
Given Electrolux's vast knowledge, his analysis was probably reliable.
After all, the world Electrolux came from the Divine Seal World had a ridiculous rule where becoming a god meant instant death. But one exceptional divine artifact, the Eternal and Creation Divine Seal Throne, had fallen into that world, guided by fate. Inspired by this supreme artifact, people crafted imitations a bunch of artificial "divine weapons."
Considering Electrolux's power, his ability to forge such artifacts, and his vast experience, it wasn't surprising that he had encountered strange forces like this before.
From a lore perspective, Tang San was undoubtedly stronger than Electrolux. But in terms of raw talent, Electrolux was superior. He had once been the "Son of Light", and if it weren't for the restrictions of his world, he would have undoubtedly become a god.
The mere fact that Electrolux's spirit had survived across dimensions and somehow arrived in Douluo was already insane.
Meanwhile, in Star Dou Forest
The Red King stood at the edge of a lake. As one of the Ten Great Beasts, he was renowned across the continent. His true form was a Three Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, and he had cultivated for 300,000 years. In the current soul beast era, a 300,000 year old beast was extremely rare and undeniably powerful.
Many high level human soul masters coveted his soul bones and soul rings. However, out of fear for his strength and Di Tian's reputation, they could only dream of hunting him.
And yet, despite his great power, the Red King still had his own troubles.
"Red King, aren't you supposed to keep telling stories?" A gentle, almost childlike voice echoed from behind.
Hearing this, all three of the Red King's heads simultaneously showed a helpless expression.
"Auspicious Beast… It's not that I don't want to tell stories. It's that you've already heard all the ones I know."
"I've told you about the love story between a Blue Silver Grass and a Soft Boned Rabbit, the romance of a Titan Giant Ape and an Emerald Swan, and even the tale of a Man Faced Demon Spider falling in love with the Blue Silver King…"
The Auspicious Beast, the Three Eyed Golden Lion, was deeply revered among soul beasts. She was the carrier of fate within Star Dou Forest, making her extraordinarily valuable to all soul beasts. Even Di Tian, the strongest beast, protected her with utmost care.
The problem was… she was way too lively.
She grew bored easily and longed to experience the outside world. As her personal bodyguard, the Red King had to entertain her constantly. He had spent endless days twisting human love stories into soul beast fairy tales, doing whatever he could to keep her amused.
"But Brigitte told me… that among the humans you've killed, some carried books with them," the Auspicious Beast said. "She mentioned titles like 'Lord Di Tian's Overbearing Love,' 'My Married Life with Snow Empress,' 'Ice Empress Secretly Raised a Child and Ran Away,' and 'The Romantic Chronicles of the Evil Eyed Saint.'"
"Can't you read those stories to me instead?"
The Red King almost choked on his own breath. Damn it, Brigitte, why would you tell her that?!
But he couldn't get mad at the little ancestor before him, so he could only explain patiently.
"Those… human stories are too strange." "Some of them contain very inappropriate things."
"For your own well being, we have to strictly censor the stories we read to you."
"We are only looking out for you!"
The Red King absolutely refused to let her listen to any human soul beast romance stories.
After all, what if she suddenly fell in love with a human and decided to sacrifice herself for him?!
That scenario had happened before, and the consequences had been disastrous. He wasn't about to take that risk.
"For my own good?" The Auspicious Beast blinked in confusion. Then, after a moment of thought, she reluctantly accepted the explanation.
After all, in Star Dou Forest, she was undeniably the most important existence.
Her daily life was carefree, and even if she ever faced difficulty, Di Tian and the others would always solve it for her.
Suddenly, her body stiffened.
She felt her Fate Energy stir.
A foggy vision flashed before her eyes a blurry silhouette of a human.
She couldn't see his face, but judging by his figure…
He was undoubtedly a human boy.