Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
============================
Is the security of Shrek Academy tight?
It really isn't.
It is not because the academy is lax or negligent, but rather that there is simply no need for it.
This is the number one academy on the continent, and it is filled with experts. Any Inner Court Disciple plucked from here would be a capable expert able to hold their own in the outside World, not to mention the hidden instructors and the elders of the Sea God Pavilion.
Daring to break in here to cause trouble is simply having a death wish.
Huo Yuhao's reputation in the academy is known to everyone; there isn't a soul who hasn't heard of him.
The moment he stepped through the academy gates, the Students busy welcoming newcomers stopped what they were doing and greeted him enthusiastically one by one.
Huo Yuhao nodded in response to each of them, his pace steady and unhurried, with a perfectly measured smile on his face.
Leng Yaozhu, who was following behind him, also attracted countless gazes. Although those Students were curious about the background of this red-haired woman with an extraordinary aura, no one dared to step forward and stop them.
After all, she was brought by Huo Yuhao, and just looking at her bearing, she didn't seem like an ordinary person; they had at least that much discernment.
Watching the passersby greeting Huo Yuhao enthusiastically one after another, Leng Yaozhu tilted her head slightly, a teasing smile playing on her lips: "It seems you are quite popular in the academy."
Huo Yuhao smiled upon hearing this, his tone carrying a sense of natural confidence: "That is only natural, after all, my talent and strength are plain for all to see."
In this world where the strong are respected, it is the consensus of everyone to befriend those with outstanding talent.
Huo Yuhao's name had long since become a benchmark in Shrek, so being popular was only to be expected.
As they walked, Huo Yuhao suddenly stopped.
His gaze crossed the bustling crowd ahead and landed on a figure running toward them. That person was wearing the black uniform of a sixth-year Student; although the style was stiff and old-fashioned, it could not hide her beauty and vitality in the slightest.
A head of golden-red curly hair bounced on her shoulders as she ran, and when lit by the morning sun, it seemed as if every strand had been plated with broken gold.
She ran very fast, like a little deer darting through the forest, nimbly weaving through the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, she stood before Huo Yuhao.
She first tilted her head slightly, casting a curious glance with her bright, large eyes at Leng Yaozhu, who was standing beside Huo Yuhao.
Her gaze lingered on that cold, stunningly beautiful face for a moment, then turned back to Huo Yuhao and asked: "Sister Lexuan wants me to enter the Inner Court, what about you?"
Looking at the appearance of the person in front of her, Leng Yaozhu already had a judgment in her heart.
Huo Yuhao had previously told her in detail about the Auspicious Beast taking human form; this young girl before her must be her.
In order to avoid the original historical trajectory from repeating, Huo Yuhao had deliberately kept his distance from Jin Li from the very beginning.
He thought that as long as there were no deep bonds between them, that fateful sacrifice might not happen, and Jin Li would be able to live on in another way.
But things went contrary to his wishes; Jin Li instead seemed to latch onto him, constantly hovering around him every few days, which really distressed Huo Yuhao.
Facing Jin Li's question, Huo Yuhao said directly: "I am not entering the Inner Court, I will likely go to Star Luo City later."
Upon hearing this, Jin Li frowned with her heroic, sword-like eyebrows.
She was silent for a moment, then she snorted: "I see!"
After saying this, she turned and ran, her whole person like a gust of wind sweeping back into the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared without a trace.
Huo Yuhao looked at the direction where she disappeared and sighed with a complex expression.
Leng Yaozhu took all of this in, and after a moment of silence, she spoke slowly: "Fate is the most difficult thing to fathom. Sometimes you think avoidance is the best protection, but in the end, avoidance may not be a good solution."
Huo Yuhao did not speak, just remained silent, not knowing what he was thinking.
Leng Yaozhu did not rush him, just withdrew her gaze from the distance and continued: "Now that you want to establish the Spirit Pagoda, you cannot do without the cooperation of Spirit Beasts in the initial stages."
"The soul spirit system is ultimately a contract and symbiosis between Spirit Masters and Spirit Beasts; without the trust of the Spirit Beast side, this path will be difficult to walk."
"Jin Li's identity is that of an Auspicious Beast, and the Beast God Di Tian will attach enough importance to her; she is a very good entry point."
Huo Yuhao finally raised his head, looking into Leng Yaozhu's calm and deep eyes, and after a moment, he nodded solemnly and said: "I will consider it carefully."
...
Although today is the first day of school at Shrek Academy, there are basically no classes scheduled for the morning, and the entire campus is enveloped in a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
Sunlight streams through the gaps in the leaves, spilling onto the stone paths. In the dappled light and shadows, groups of three or five Students can be seen wandering and chatting everywhere, their laughter and footsteps interweaving.
However, on the side near the dormitory building, this relaxed atmosphere was broken by an unusual commotion.
Beneath that dormitory building, for some reason, quite a few people had gathered.
At first, they just stopped in twos and threes, but later, more and more people gathered, vaguely forming a loose yet tacit semicircle. Everyone's gaze turned in the same direction, whispering to their companions in low voices, their faces filled with curiosity and amazement.
Right in the center of everyone's intersecting gazes stood a young girl.
She was dressed in a powder-blue gradient long dress, which perfectly outlined her beautiful figure with golden proportions. The hem of her skirt swayed gently with the breeze, like flowing water, and also like that gentle rosy light at the first dawn of the horizon.
Her hair was also powder-blue, with a portion tied up by an exquisite yellow butterfly accessory, draping over her shoulders and back like gentle waves. And her face was even more beautiful to the point of being unreal.
Her features were impeccably exquisite, with eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn waters, and beneath a perky, straight nose, her lips had a natural, healthy pink hue.
Her skin was so fair it was almost transparent, yet it revealed a delicate luster. What made it even harder to look away was the ethereal and clear aura around her, like an elf independent of the World, untainted by any dust.
Such a young girl who seemed to have walked out of a painting, if she had ever appeared in the academy before, it would be impossible for her to have remained obscure.
The people present whispered to each other, almost searching through their memories, yet they could not find any clues about her.
"Looking at her age, she doesn't seem like a freshman who just enrolled this year."
"Then who could it be? She couldn't have just fallen from the sky, could she?"
Just then, a sharp-eyed Student in the crowd suddenly widened his eyes, his voice lowered a bit more, carrying a hint of uncertain surprise: "Powder-blue hair is rare, she... could she be a relative of Wang Dong?"
These discussions, whether high or low, all fell into Wang Donger's ears.
But she acted as if she hadn't heard anything, her gaze calmly cast into the distance, with no emotional fluctuation on her stunningly beautiful face.
Today was the first time she stood in the sunlight of Shrek Academy, upright and open, in the true sense of a girl.
No more covering up, no more hiding; she is Wang Donger, no longer the "Wang Dong" in others' eyes.
In fact, how could she not want to wait a little longer, to find a more composed and suitable time to reveal her true face?
But she was really forced into a corner with no other choice. In her eyes, Jin Li's "assault" on Huo Yuhao was just too blatant, too fierce and direct.
Every time she saw Jin Li smiling and crowding around Huo Yuhao, closing the distance without any hesitation, her heart felt like a whole vat of aged vinegar had been overturned, sour and astringent, leaving her unable to find peace day or night.
She dared not wait any longer.
She was afraid that if she continued to stand by Huo Yuhao's side in the identity of a "boy," and continued to maintain this "brotherly" relationship that was neither too close nor too distant, she would really be beaten to the punch by Jin Li.
But clearly, she was the one who came first; she and Huo Yuhao had known each other for several years, and they had lived in the same dormitory for three whole years.
She would absolutely not allow anyone to take all of this away.
Absolutely not!
-------------------------------------------------
A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.