soul land: Huo Yuhao Inheriting Centipede Immortal

Though Di Tian was furious, he ultimately didn't leave the Star Dou Forest to cause trouble for Shrek Academy.

There were many reasons why—but to Huo Yuhao, they didn't matter.

At the end of the day, the Emperor Auspicious Beast wasn't actually harmed, so Di Tian wouldn't go completely insane. If he truly dared to chase them out of the Star Dou Forest, Huo Yuhao could only say: Respect.

At that point, Compassionate Demon would have to make a surprise reappearance that very night.

As long as they were within the bounds of the Star Dou Forest, Huo Yuhao wouldn't strike at Di Tian. But once outside—who the hell did Di Tian think he was compared to Brother Hao?

Yup, Di Tian basically got to keep his life.

Even while escaping, Huo Yuhao didn't forget to bring along Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er. He had already sent them a telepathic message, and then a giant centipede burst from underground, swallowed them, and dashed away. Even the Scarlet King didn't react in time.

By the time the Scarlet King came to his senses, all he could do was dig a few furious craters in the ground. There wasn't a single trace left to find.

Huo Yuhao had already taken his group out of the Star Dou Forest.

As for whether Di Tian or the Scarlet King would be on guard against underground escape tactics next time—that was anyone's guess.

After fleeing through the night, the Variant Frost Centipede martial soul finally resurfaced in front of Shrek Academy's gates.

It spat out sixteen people. Other than Huo Yuhao, everyone looked deathly pale—even Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er weren't spared.

Though the soul didn't harm them, being inside the mutated Centipede was a deeply unpleasant experience.

And being swallowed alive by another creature, even knowing it wouldn't hurt you, still inflicted intense psychological stress.

"Thank goodness Yuhao's Centipede is a martial soul and not a real soul beast. Otherwise, we might've actually gotten digested," Xu Sanshi joked bitterly.

"Yeah, seriously. That digging skill though—it's totally an escape god-tier technique," Cao Jinxuan added.

Even Cai Mei'er had to admit, "Yuhao's martial soul is truly all-rounded—stronger than even the legendary Ultimate Attributes. If this can be passed on, Shrek Academy's undefeated legacy might continue for another 10,000 years!"

Huo Yuhao just smiled.

If the mutated Centipede could digest things, not a single person would've made it out alive.

As for revealing some of the martial soul's abilities, Huo Yuhao no longer minded. One reason was that he had already grown strong; the other was that he was now too important to Shrek Academy.

As long as he didn't show any Evil Soul Master traits and stayed within the acceptable power range, everything else could be explained as talent or fortune.

And the Academy would be more than willing to believe that.

"Thanks to Yuhao, this mission didn't end in disaster. Let's return to the Academy. Even though there were complications, we still managed to obtain two soul rings—so the hunt was a success," Xian Lin'er said.

Under the leadership of Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er, the group returned to the Academy.

Huo Yuhao and his team went to rest. When they said their goodbyes, Wang Dong seemed distracted, still reeling from being shot down twice by Jin Qiu'er.

Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er hurried into Sea God's Pavilion to report the incident.

The elders were shocked by their sudden return. But when they heard about Jin Qiu'er and Di Tian, their concern vanished—replaced by rage.

If Jin Qiu'er were in front of them, they'd have executed her on the spot.

"Ruining the Academy wasn't enough—now she's targeting our students? A beast is a beast!" Yan Shaozhe growled.

Jin Qiu'er wasn't just Shrek's enemy—she was once the student of Mu En, his own teacher. A stain on Mu En's legacy.

Xuan Zi was just as furious. But in the end, he sighed and calmed the other elders.

"Now's not the time to fight the beasts of the Star Dou Forest. I don't have much time left. I must protect Yuhao and the others."

"But we won't need to wait long. In twenty years—or even less—Yuhao will become the pillar of Shrek Academy. One day, he'll reach the heights of Elder Mu and myself—and bring justice to Shrek!"

The elders nodded in agreement, suppressing their fury as they dreamed of the future.

"Yes! When the time comes, we'll bring back Di Tian's soul bone and place it in the Sea God Pavilion as a trophy!" Elder Song declared.

Elder Zhuang nodded. "If I'm lucky enough, I hope to one day fight alongside Yuhao to exterminate the Star Dou Forest beasts!"

"These beasts are far too dangerous for humanity. The future rests on Yuhao's shoulders," Elder Lin added.

At this point, Huo Yuhao had truly become the "Hope of the Entire School."

As for Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and other talented students—they weren't even considered. Even if they became Ultimate Douluos, their strength wouldn't surpass Xuan Zi's.

Only Huo Yuhao—with his Ultimate Attributes—had the power to slay Di Tian!

The elders were now even more determined to cultivate Huo Yuhao.

Which was exactly what he wanted.

After all—how else could he prove how important he was without external threats?

Only by occasionally letting these beasts stir up trouble could he remind the old folks at Sea God Pavilion of the terror of invasion—so they'd keep showering him with resources.

Otherwise, if the old guys caught senile dementia and forgot all about their hatred, Brother Hao would be very unhappy.

Sure enough, the very next day, Xian Lin'er brought Huo Yuhao a bunch of new cultivation resources—an official reward.

The encounter with Jin Qiu'er and Di Tian had left everyone shaken—not just Wang Dong.

As a result, everyone threw themselves harder into training.

Wang Dong took leave from the Academy, returning early to the Clear Sky Sect to obtain a new soul ring and go into closed-door cultivation.

"Huo Yuhao, when I return—you better look at me with new eyes!" Wang Dong shouted before leaving, never looking back.

Huo Yuhao could only offer his blessings.

Xiao Xiao was reluctant to part with Wang Dong.

The next time they'd see each other would likely be the start of the next semester—also when the next Soul Master Tournament would be held.

From there, Huo Yuhao resumed his usual training—living that disciplined life, with daily routines and regimens.

But his clones out in the world were anything but idle.

The Third Prince had completely seized control of the Sun-Moon Empire's court and was preparing for his coronation—timed to coincide with the Soul Master Tournament to show off his dominance.

As in the original story, he changed the competition rules to allow sects to form their own teams.

This sparked excitement across the continent. Many sects began building elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Death God Envoy continued recruiting within the Star Luo Empire—quietly preparing for chaos. This time, with fewer resources, he didn't make as much noise. He recruited outlaws and used special means to control and train them.

Chaos in Star Luo was harder—not because it was stronger than the Sun-Moon Empire, but because Shrek Academy would definitely "ensure continental stability" by eliminating any unrest.

Still, the groundwork had to be laid.

Of course, the Death God Envoy remained hidden this time.

Besides killing the two Shrek inner court disciples who came looking for him, he didn't show himself—not even when two elders came hunting him.

He had something big in the works.

Coincidentally, Zhang Lexuan was currently leading a patrol of the Star Luo Empire. Fortunately, she didn't know the Death God Envoy's true identity—otherwise, she would've chased him to the ends of the earth.

Time flew by, and the holiday arrived.

This break was relatively calm, as Huo Yuhao wasn't stirring trouble—perhaps the quiet before the storm.

However, he didn't stay on Sea God Island. Instead, he took Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Wei Na on a swift tour of the three Douluo nations under the guise of training.

Along the way, they completed some Supervisory Corps tasks to boost their reputation.

Gaining prestige was secondary.

The main goal was to check on his "pawns" across the continent, harvest their progress, and make further arrangements.

The tour yielded rich rewards.

His pawns not only thrived but also recruited others, significantly increasing Huo Yuhao's harvest and advancing his comprehension of various attributes.

They also provided lists of regional talents.

Some intelligence was so detailed that even Shrek Academy lacked records.

No need for scouting in the future—just follow the map.

Thus, Huo Yuhao renamed his pawns "devotees."

Believe in Brother Hao, gain eternal life!

The final stop was the Nanmen Family in the Dou Ling Empire, home of Nanmen Yun'er.

As the eldest of the first-generation Seven Jades, Nanmen Yun'er's strength was formidable, having broken through to Soul Sage.

This wasn't just due to her compatible technique but also her potent martial soul bloodline.

Her divine beast bloodline was fully awakened—a rare feat among soul masters in the Douluo Continent.

Most crucially, Nanmen Yun'er introduced the technique to her family. While not all Jade Bluebird martial soul inheritors awakened divine beast bloodlines, several succeeded.

This included her mother, Nanmen Yuzhi, and aunt, Nanmen Yuruo, the clan leader and grand elder, respectively.

The Nanmen Family wasn't strong enough to ignore external threats, so this was kept secret. Even Nanmen Yun'er stayed secluded, her true status unknown to outsiders.

The low-profile Nanmen Family appeared unchanged.

At most, their ties with the Nine Treasure Glazed Sect, thanks to Nanmen Yun'er's friendship with Ning Tian, deepened, enabling them to purchase high-quality jade through this channel.

Due to the technique, Huo Yuhao's devotees aggressively acquired jade or dominated the jade trade.

Seventy percent of the Douluo Continent's jade business was now linked to his devotees.

But jade was finite, limiting devotee numbers. Thus, Huo Yuhao planned to adapt techniques to use other resources, expanding his devotee base.

…

Upon arriving at the Nanmen Family, the technique's influence made them utterly compliant to Huo Yuhao, if not outright worshipful.

A matriarchal clan, the Nanmen Family relegated men to low status, mostly as sons-in-law with no voice. Since the technique was female-exclusive, no woman escaped its practice.

In the clan leader's bedroom, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling the newly acquired Blue Luan bloodline merge with his phoenix bloodline, strengthening it. He nodded, satisfied.

Phoenix bloodlines were rarer than dragon ones, and the Nanmen Family's steady supply addressed this gap.

The condensation speed of his qi-blood soul ring also surged.

The Jade Blue Luan martial soul, with wind and fire attributes, aided Huo Yuhao's cultivation of those elements.

As he processed his insights, Nanmen Yun'er, her mother, and aunt waited respectfully on the other side of the bed.

Their marks showed they'd reaped significant rewards, in every sense.

Despite their exhaustion, they couldn't hide their excitement.

Nanmen Yuzhi and Nanmen Yuruo, stuck at Level 89, were pushed to Level 90 by Huo Yuhao, becoming quasi-Titled Douluos, saving them six months to a year of training.

One soul ring away from Titled Douluo status, their clan's achievement of two Titled Douluos was prestigious, especially when even the Heavenly Dragon Sect had only one.

Once they broke through, the Nanmen Family could reveal their secrets without fear, earning respect even from the Nine Treasure Glazed Sect.

If Huo Yuhao weren't the master, they'd have sent every eligible woman to his bed.

The men's opinions? Irrelevant. Both Nanmen Yuzhi and Nanmen Yuruo had husbands, but they didn't care, joining Nanmen Yun'er without regard for ethics.

Unlike the Earth Dragon Sect, where Nan Shuishui took charge after her husband's death, the Nanmen Family was purely matriarchal.

Huo Yuhao finished his meditation, opening his eyes to the three women.

They were demure and obedient.

But compared to Nanmen Yun'er's genuine deference, Nanmen Yuzhi and Nanmen Yuruo subtly flaunted their curves, almost seductively.

These naturally beautiful mature women, enhanced by the technique and awakened bloodlines, had flawless jade-like skin and a faint noble aura, now laced with mature allure.

Nanmen Yun'er, by contrast, was noticeably inexperienced, lacking even a fraction of their finesse.

Huo Yuhao saw through their intentions—they sought more favor and benefits.

Like dogs begging for scraps.

He felt no displeasure. For his devotees, he embraced tolerance, compassion, and necessary generosity.

He tossed them two beads—one cyan, one red—ordinary divine soul rings he crafted, capped at 100,000 years, imbued with wind and fire attributes, respectively.

After teaching them how to absorb the rings, he assisted, enabling both to gain 100,000-year ninth soul rings.

Though their soul power remained at Level 90, their bottlenecks vanished. Condensing a normal soul core would make them competitive with this era's Titled Douluos.

With their divine beast bloodlines and 100,000-year soul rings, they could challenge Super Douluos upon entering Titled Douluo status.

This display left them revering Huo Yuhao like a god, serving him with utmost devotion.

They were, at minimum, fanatic devotees.

Post-breakthrough, one became Blue Luan Douluo, the other Jade Douluo, achieving the feat of two Titled Douluos in one clan.

With Nanmen Yun'er's growth, a future with three Titled Douluos wasn't impossible.In the blink of an eye, the holiday was over.

Huo Yuhao and the others returned to the academy on time, without any mishaps.

The main and backup teams reunited in the inner courtyard, drawing the attention of many high-level officials and inner court disciples. With such an unprecedentedly powerful lineup, many at the academy were both concerned and proud.

During this period, the two teams received specialized guidance from the academy's top experts. The golden ancient tree had gathered the world's essence to boost their cultivation speed, and the academy had provided vast resources.

As a result, both teams had made significant progress since their joint training began.

Main team progress:

Huo Yuhao still displayed his level 76 strength.

Xu Sanshi rose by one level to 65.

Jiang Nannan broke through to 64. Though her martial spirit wasn't the strongest, her innate full soul power meant her cultivation speed was among the continent's best. Before obtaining soul rings, she had already accumulated a large amount of soul power.

Weina advanced to 66.

Wang Dong successfully obtained his sixth soul ring and jumped to level 62, possibly due to having stored significant soul power or absorbing a soul bone.

Xiao Xiao remained at 62, same as before the holiday.

Cao Jinxuan rose by one level to 54.

Backup team:

Everyone except Big Sis Bai Shanshan rose by one level.

Bai Shanshan impressively rose three levels, from 58 to 61, due to receiving a 50,000-year inherited soul bone from her clan, gaining one level from that, another with Huo Yuhao's help, and a third upon absorbing her sixth soul ring.

The elders knew the real reason behind Weina and the backup team's breakthroughs—it was Huo Yuhao. Normal training couldn't explain such synchronized and rapid improvement.

"Yuhao is basically a cheat code for cultivation," Elder Zhuang couldn't help but sigh.

"But clearly, only women benefit from it," Qian Duoduo chuckled nearby.

Yan Shaozhe also nodded slightly. To be honest, he was jealous—jealous not just of Yuhao's romantic luck, but of his… vitality. But none of the men would ever say this aloud, or there'd be chaos at home.

Their chat was always behind closed doors.

When Xian Lin'er and others glanced their way, the three men immediately put on serious expressions, watching Huo Yuhao with neutral gazes and satisfied looks.

The group assembled in the training grounds.

Xuan Zi appeared before them, nodding approvingly, and praised:

"You've all done well. This old man is proud of you. I believe that when the Soul Master Tournament begins, the whole academy will be proud of you too!"

"Today, you are proud of Shrek Academy. Tomorrow, Shrek Academy will be proud of you!"

His speech stirred the hearts of the young people present, even the bystanders' eyes sparkled.

Too inspiring—classic Elder Xuan Zi with the righteous vibes!

Xuan Zi then glanced subtly at Huo Yuhao, signaling that the two lines Yuhao gave him worked great—he might even carve them on his tombstone one day.

Although there was still time before the tournament, due to the long journey, they needed to depart early.

So just after returning to the academy, they had to prepare to leave again.

Xuan Zi personally led the group, accompanied by vice deans Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er, and five outstanding inner court disciples as instructors: Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Hua Yao, and Wu Ming.

Xuan Zi was determined—he'd like to see who dared to mess with Shrek's people this time!

In keeping with Shrek's fine tradition, carriages were forbidden for travel. But luckily, times had changed. The Soul Tool Department provided flying soul tools for the journey.

This served as a showcase for their latest innovations.

With Xuan Ziwen joining, the Soul Tool Department was rising rapidly. Even Fan Yu, a veteran Rank-8 soul engineer, now had a real chance at becoming Rank-9.

Fan Yu was too busy learning from Xuan Ziwen, so he didn't join the trip to the Sun Moon Empire.

The flight tools had all been upgraded for better speed and stability. Even martial soul users, typically disinterested in soul tools, appreciated the saved effort during travel.

The journey westward was uneventful.

Ever since Xuan Zi had gained control over his martial soul and desires, he had become unexpectedly reliable. His luck projection no longer uncontrollably devoured others' fortune—it was under control.

With several Title Douluo escorting them, nothing could go wrong—unless someone of even higher power was manipulating things in the shadows.

And perhaps, that very someone had already laid a trap in the Sun Moon Empire, waiting for their arrival.

In a few days, they reached the border. The Sun Moon Empire, having been informed in advance, sent a welcoming party.

Three Title Douluo came to receive them.

Leading the group was none other than Jing Hongchen.

He no longer had the rich, proud look of before. Now with white hair and a thinner figure, his eyes remained sharp and vigilant.

Thanks to the support of the Third Prince, he hadn't completely collapsed and was still the most respected Rank-9 soul engineer of the Empire.

Behind him stood two other Title Douluo: Mo Ying Douluo and Qing Ci Douluo. Though they appeared like mere subordinates, both were now level 95, having reaped benefits under the Third Prince's patronage—though they kept a low profile.

Both had been taught how to hide their aura, so Xuan Zi casually dismissed them after one glance, assuming they were ordinary Title Douluo, and focused on Jing Hongchen.

Xuan Zi, aware of Jing's tragic fall from grace, felt a little sympathy and decided to be polite to this suffering powerhouse.

"Jing Hongchen," Xuan Zi began, "I heard your Mingde Hall exploded. Surprised you didn't die in the blast."

Jing Hongchen's face froze, his already rare smile vanishing into a mask of frost.

But Xuan Zi chuckled heartily.

"Xuan Zi! I didn't expect you to personally escort your students. Hah, is Shrek Academy's confidence really that fragile?" Jing countered sarcastically.

"You ambushed our students back in Star Luo City. I can't afford to be careless," Xuan Zi replied, eyes narrowed, smiling without warmth.

"Don't you dare smear us!" Jing snapped, still protective of the Empire's reputation.

"You know the truth yourselves. Don't waste words. Lead the way. If anything happens to a single Shrek student during this tournament—don't blame me for losing my temper!" Xuan Zi said with domineering flair, releasing his Limit Douluo aura.

Jing Hongchen's expression changed drastically. He quickly activated his martial soul to resist the pressure.

Mo Ying and Qing Ci instantly pretended to be overwhelmed, staggering with pale faces—part of a rehearsed act. Xuan Zi would talk tough, but not act rashly.

Feigning weakness, playing the pig to eat the tiger—that was their strategy.

Seeing their pitiful reactions, Xuan Zi sneered and withdrew his aura, then boldly led the team into the Sun Moon Empire. The students behind him all wore proud expressions.

They didn't need guides—Xuan Zi knew the way to Mingdu well. Don't forget, he had once spent over half a year mingling there.

Once Xuan Zi had gone far ahead, Jing Hongchen clenched his jaw, retracted his martial soul, and followed.

"Shrek Academy… Stay arrogant. I hope you can still laugh when you see the surprise His Highness has prepared for you. I can't wait to see your faces then!"

Mingdu, Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

The Third Prince sat upright and openly in the seat that once belonged to the Emperor of Sun and Moon, listening to Qingci Douluo and Moyi Douluo report their findings upon returning to Mingdu. No one found it inappropriate.

Oh, wait—he should now be addressed as the Crown Prince.

Qingci Douluo and Moyi Douluo were reporting on the Shrek Academy battle team's lineup and performance along their journey.

Xuanzi and the others made no effort to hide their identities, because as far as Shrek Academy was concerned, with Xuanzi around, even if their strength was publicly known, who could actually defeat them?

Their presence also served as a deterrent to small-time troublemakers, preventing unnecessary conflicts.

In fact, the Third Prince knew more about Shrek Academy than anyone else. But to avoid potential exposure, all the formal procedures still needed to be followed.

In this world, nothing is absolute. When taking steps forward, no detail can be overlooked.

After the briefing, the Third Prince remained calm.

 "Just keep an eye on Xuanzi and those Title Douluo from Shrek Academy," he said. "There's no need to be overly concerned or defensive. During the Soul Master Tournament, if they really intend to stir trouble, they'll first have to consider whether they can leave the Sun and Moon Empire alive."

Qingci Douluo and Moyi Douluo exchanged knowing smiles. For this year's tournament, numerous newly-formed soul engineer regiments had been stationed around Mingdu.

Even if Xuanzi was an Ultimate Douluo, that didn't mean he was unbeatable.

"The security of Mingdu is your responsibility now. Don't worry about anything else. Just maintain order and ensure the tournament proceeds without disruptions. This cannot interfere with my upcoming coronation. If anyone causes trouble, give one warning. If there's a second offense—show no mercy. Let blood serve as a reminder to all outsiders: this land belongs to me!" the Third Prince declared calmly.

His words carried a bandit-like edge, yet somehow brought reassurance. Qingci and Moyi straightened up at his command.

He had the confidence—and the strength—to back it up.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"You may go."

After saluting, the two Douluo left.

The Third Prince rose from the rather uncomfortable chair and walked to the window, gazing out over the palace at night.

A figure quietly appeared behind him.

It was Nana.

After Juzi had been assigned her tasks by the Third Prince, Nana had stepped in to assist, also handling private communications between the Prince and Juzi.

Until now, Nana had remained hidden in the shadows.

Upon appearing, she furrowed her brows and voiced her concern:

 "The Shrek Academy group may clash with the Holy Spirit Church. If that happens, what will we do?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll act myself."

The Third Prince didn't look back. His response left Nana speechless. She didn't know the full extent of his strength—she only knew Xuanzi was an Ultimate Douluo, a peak soul master.

She couldn't help but think the Third Prince was a little too confident.

Apart from Huo Yuhao's original body and the Death God Envoy, Nana remained skeptical of everyone's strength.

The Sun and Moon Empire might appear stable and prosperous now, but many hidden threats from the past remained unresolved.

Only the underground forces had been purged—again and again.

Suddenly, the Third Prince spoke.

 "Nana, go tell Juzi that the newly-formed soul engineer regiments stationed outside Mingdu are under her command for now. She mustn't let me down."

Nana gave him a surprised look—not because he trusted Juzi (they were allies, and betrayal would be a death sentence), but because of his confidence in Juzi's capabilities.

These new regiments were the result of over half a year of planning and effort.

Initially, many frontier generals, nobles, and princes—aligned with rival factions—were not convinced by the Third Prince's authority. In the original tale, they were bought off by other princes and rejected Mingdu's rule. Even now, they couldn't quite grasp the situation.

So, the Third Prince took a month to visit the empire's border strongholds.

Many of the previously stubborn generals and nobles unexpectedly disbanded their personal forces, integrating their soul engineers into the imperial army. Others even handed over massive military funds.

This significantly boosted both the number and power of the Sun and Moon Empire's soul engineer corps.

No one in the imperial court or the Worship Hall knew what methods he used—but they didn't pry. All they needed to know was that the empire's military had become stronger.

After all, the more you know, the closer you are to death.

The Third Prince was even more ruthless and decisive than the late Emperor and the former Crown Prince Xu Tiannan—and stronger, too.

From that point, the military followed one voice only: his.

There were no deals—just true submission.

This gave rise to the "Newly-Formed Soul Engineer Regiments."

With a larger pool of personnel, the Third Prince began reforming the army.

The Five Great Regiments of the "Empire's Hand" were preserved and replenished, all under his control, with loyalists in key positions.

He also created a sixth regiment: "The Empire's Reverse Scale."

Though called a regiment, its numbers were small. It was a special forces unit, requiring members to be either Class-8 soul engineers or eight-ring Soul Douluo. Each member was taught specialized cultivation techniques and combat arts, making them vastly superior to others of similar level. Their funding even surpassed that of the Beast King Corps.

Now, the Reverse Scale was the sharpest sword in the Prince's arsenal.

Its motto: "Touch the Empire's Reverse Scale—die."

The court and the Worship Hall knew little of its actual power. Though rarely deployed, its missions were always shockingly effective—yet no eyewitnesses had ever survived.

Commanders and deputies from all major regiments had undergone training in the Reverse Scale. Upon return, their strength had increased significantly, and they spoke of it with both reverence and fear.

No one knew what they had experienced there.

Beyond these six main regiments—

The regional "Eight Direction Regiments" were reorganized into the "Ten Direction Regiments," with two new additions. Each now numbered 800 soldiers.

All regiment leaders and deputies also trained in the Reverse Scale and returned significantly stronger—absolutely loyal to the Prince.

Below the Ten Direction Regiments were regular soul engineer regiments stationed across regions, and border defense units, all identified by numbers. They were strong and well-equipped.

Lastly came the scattered local regiments and those made up of regular citizens, controlled by local officials, nobles, and princes.

But neither in numbers nor quality could they match the current imperial forces, and they certainly weren't qualified to challenge them.

It could now be said that the Third Prince "held command over all the nation's troops"—and it wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Of course, this massive expansion brought a financial burden.

So the Prince ordered mining in designated areas of the Jingyang Mountains, selling the rights to nobles and merchants—promising no soul beast threats.

After all, any dangerous beasts had already been eliminated by the Reverse Scale—one of their few publicized missions.

This raised vast sums of money. The Empire's metal reserves grew, prices dropped, and soul engineer growth accelerated.

The Prince even earned himself a good reputation.

To him, the Jingyang Mountains and the Demonic Forest were practically his backyard.

The military also joined in mining and selling. Future military expenses could be self-sustained.

Sure, these arrangements had potential risks—but the Prince didn't care. Those risks wouldn't live long enough to become problems.

With nationwide military control, if the Third Prince didn't ascend soon—it would be impolite.

As for the missing Emperor of the Sun and Moon—no one bothered to ask anymore.

Currently, four of the Ten Direction Regiments were stationed in and around Mingdu, along with numbered regiments 1 to 5. The Hand of the Empire units were also within the capital's reach.

This entire military power was now entrusted to Juzi. The question was—could she handle it?

To Nana's unspoken doubt, the Third Prince offered no answer.

He just continued staring out over the palace and murmured,

 "My life has been like walking on thin ice. Can I still reach the other side?"

Nana: "???"

Huo Yuhao had arrived at his loyal Sun Moon Empire!

Well, no—at least in the eyes of outsiders, it was the Shrek Academy battle team stepping into the lion's den of Mingdu.

Despite being in enemy territory, the members of Shrek Academy's battle team showed no fear. From the moment they entered Mingdu, they carried themselves with overwhelming dominance and pride.

After all, this time, Shrek's team was at full strength—this was the strongest lineup in its history, with the powerful Xuan Zi and others providing support from behind the scenes.

Xuan Zi, Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Zhang Lexuan separated from the team after entering Mingdu. Whether they were hiding in the shadows or gathering intel around the city was unknown.

Led by Huo Yuhao, the two battle teams headed for the hotel arranged by the Sun Moon Empire. This may have been to cultivate Huo Yuhao's leadership skills—or to boost his public image. Likely both.

To accommodate the tournament, the Sun Moon Empire had constructed three massive, luxurious hotels in Mingdu: one for academy teams, one for sect teams, and one for family teams.

These three hotels were arranged in a semi-enclosed layout, with a central plaza surrounded by them—an expansive space both above and below ground. It offered entertainment, shopping, scenic areas, and combat practice areas.

It was essentially a city within a city.

Interestingly, this area was once the site of the former Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy—flattened by one of Huo Yuhao's avatars.

Now entirely under the control of the Third Prince, the reopened district generated massive daily profits. The rapid construction of such a large complex showed the current might of the Sun Moon Empire.

Even after successive upheavals, the Empire remained formidable—like a centipede that doesn't die even when cut.

As they walked through the streets, the Shrek Academy team drew countless gazes.

They had arrived in Mingdu at night, and by the time they reached the hotel area, many other teams and forces had already taken notice.

Huo Yuhao walked in front, flanked on either side by Xu Sanshi and Weina. Behind them were Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Cao Jinxuan.

Further back were the "Seven Gems and Seven Beauties," a radiant group of young women chatting and walking together.

Some looked cold and serious, others smiled, some remained calm, and a few were proudly aloof—but all shared an unmistakable, unmatched confidence.

Handsome men and beautiful women together made for a stunning scene.

Naturally, they stirred a lot of whispering.

"That's the Shrek Academy team this year? Impressive! But… why are most of them women?"

"Isn't this year's official team the same as last year's reserve team?"

"Right, the one leading them is Huo Yuhao—I've seen him before!"

Back in the previous tournament, Huo Yuhao had served as both reserve member and captain, leading Shrek to victory. Now, he drew even more attention—curious, admiring, and even scrutinizing eyes.

"So that's Huo Yuhao? Such raw presence!"

"He really is as handsome as the rumors say! Girl, he's totally my type!"

"I wonder if Brother Yuhao still remembers me…"

"He might be at Soul Sage level now, right?"

"I actually fought him once! I held out for three moves!"

Because this year's tournament allowed participation from sect and family forces, many of their teams were also staying nearby. Some of them had previously encountered Huo Yuhao during his travels and trials.

Thanks to Huo Yuhao's kind and fair nature, many viewed him as a friend worth making. Numerous young women watched him walk by with affection in their eyes, as if they had long missed him.

Some people, once seen, are never forgotten.

That's what it means to be truly peerless.

No one dared to block the path of the Shrek Academy team. The team walked tall, proud and unflinching under the gaze of countless eyes.

When they reached the academy team's hotel, its top administrator had already been waiting respectfully outside. He personally welcomed Huo Yuhao and the team, accompanied them through the check-in process, and escorted them to the most luxurious suite on the highest floor.

No other team received such treatment.

This stark contrast drew some discomfort from other teams—but no one dared speak out. Shrek's status simply warranted this.

Still, many found it odd:

"Since when is the Sun Moon Empire so respectful to Shrek?"

"You don't know? It's because Mingde Hall was destroyed! They can't compete with Shrek anymore, so they had to back down!"

"Haha, is that so? Serves them right! Tell me more—how did Mingde Hall fall?"

"Apparently, they messed with some top-tier powerhouse…"

Joy and sorrow are never equally shared.

Those other Sun Moon-affiliated teams staying in the same hotels were filled with unease. Some even felt ashamed on behalf of the Empire.

But what could they do about it?

What good is anger or sadness…?

After entering their suite, the Shrek team found Xuan Zi and the others already there—as if they had just popped in like NPCs at a mission location.

It was proof that no matter how tight the Sun Moon Empire's security was, they couldn't stop true power.

With strength, anything was possible.

No wonder Shrek had always looked down on soul engineers.

When the team saw Xuan Zi and the rest, they immediately dropped their proud demeanor and stood like obedient children, ready for instruction.

Xuan Zi smiled with satisfaction and praised them:

"You truly are Shrek's little monsters—spirited and impressive. You've done us proud."

After a pause, Xuan Zi continued with orders.

"Huo Yuhao!" he called sternly.

"Disciple here!" Yuhao stepped forward.

"For the duration of this tournament, all tactical decisions and team arrangements are yours to command. Unless there is danger or a powerful opponent, we will not intervene. Do you understand?"

"Rest assured, Elder Xuan Zi. With me here, victory belongs to Shrek!"

This tournament had no Wang Yan present. He hadn't been helpful in the previous one, and Huo Yuhao was now more than capable of leading.

Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and the others were nominally here as teachers, but really, they were there to escort and spar with the team.

Xuan Zi turned to the others:

"During the tournament, you can seek out Lexuan and the others for special training. They'll do everything they can to help you improve. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

With that, Xuan Zi encouraged them with a few final words before leaving alone to explore the city, investigating recent events in Mingdu to see if any useful clues remained.

Meanwhile, Xian Lin'er, Zhang Lexuan, and Huo Yuhao gathered the team to start briefing them on all things related to Mingdu.

After all, they had lived here before.