describe it with two words—utterly ridiculous.
Leaving aside that bizarre "miscellaneous fourth class," a hodgepodge of odd auxiliary professions, he found the logic itself incomprehensible.
Shrek Academy has monopolized the best resources and talent on the Douluo Continent for ten thousand years, he thought. Yet you still can't afford to set up specialized classes for Power Attack, Control, Defense, and Agility types?
And even if the goal was to teach "battle coordination," must it really be done by cramming multiple incompatible disciplines into the same classroom, under the same teacher?
If teamwork was truly the point, why not simply form entire combat squads as a single class instead? To Yuhao, the whole setup screamed of institutional madness.
The so-called "theory lessons" were supposed to teach cultivation methods, tactics, and team coordination among soul masters—but in practice, they were a mess.
Each soul master type was fundamentally different, not only in combat focus but in their martial soul essence itself.
For example, Beast-type Soul Masters—regardless of whether they specialized in offense or support—naturally gained superior physical strength once their martial souls possessed their bodies. Over years of cultivation, this innate boost made their physique far beyond that of Tool-type soul masters.
And during the early and middle stages of cultivation, a soul master's physical foundation directly affected training speed. At that stage, one's soul power wasn't yet abundant enough to flow freely throughout the body—it mostly gathered in the dantian, only circulating during active cultivation or soul skill release.
Thus, the physical advantage of Beast-type soul masters allowed their bodies to better conduct soul power, granting faster progress at equal levels of talent.
By contrast, Tool-type Soul Masters had weaker physiques but more potent skill synergy. Their soul skills often inherited the intrinsic properties of their tools. For instance, Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Town-Suppressing Cauldron could divide and merge freely—an inherent ability that, combined with her soul skills, yielded great tactical flexibility.
Moreover, Tool-type masters channeled soul power directly into their martial souls instead of distributing it through their bodies. This meant they had finer control and efficiency at low levels.
Only upon reaching the seventh ring, when one gained Martial Soul True Body, or after forming a Soul Core, would the two paths converge—Beast and Tool users would then stand on nearly equal ground, their bodies balanced in both strength and control.
So if you're going to divide classes by nature, Huo Yuhao mused, why not simply separate them into Beast-type and Tool-type instead of this nonsense?
The former should focus on physique and martial-soul synchronization training.
The latter, on soul skill precision and energy manipulation.
After three months of attending classes, Yuhao's conclusion was simple: most of Shrek's teachers existed as decorations.
The academy's primary hiring criterion was soul power level, not knowledge or teaching ability. Every instructor had to be at least a Soul Emperor—but how many of them reached that rank through real insight rather than pure martial soul advantage?
Teachers like Zhou Yi, who still made students run laps in the name of "body refinement," or the theory instructor who merely read from outdated scrolls, were—by Yuhao's standards—illiterate hacks.
They taught only the most superficial methods, never the true mystic techniques or advanced soul cultivation arts. Even the Outer Court's library held little of value—most secret techniques were either summarized vaguely or omitted entirely.
Of course, that was no surprise. The Inner Court held Shrek's real heritage—knowledge, resources, and masters alike.
Only Inner Court disciples were truly "of Shrek."
The Outer Court, for all its prestige, was no better than any other academy on the continent. Most students came to "polish their resumes," as Yuhao put it.
And the intense competition often did more harm than good.
After all, it was like the saying: better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
Many of Shrek's "average" Outer Court students could have dominated any other school—or even joined powerful sects and received direct resource investment.
But here, they were just faces in a crowd.
Yuhao couldn't help but scoff. How many of Shrek's Outer Court graduates actually reach the upper echelons of the soul master world? Very few.
To him, Shrek Academy's so-called "legacy" amounted to inherited arrogance, propped up by the continent's best geography, endless resources from the Star Dou Forest, and the reputation of seven deified ancestors.
A parasite on the continent's nations—nothing less than a well-fed tumor.
It hadn't yet rotted completely, only because the Sun Moon Empire's technological rise hadn't forced it to face reality. But that day would come.
Soon, Director Du Weilun announced the finalized class divisions.
As expected, Huo Yuhao was placed in Class One.
He had no intention of arguing or requesting transfers—it wasn't worth the time. During class, he could simply let Skydream Iceworm manage his body while he explored his spiritual sea, researching things of real importance.
It was the same strategy he had adopted after realizing how little value the Outer Court's lessons truly held.
Class One remained under Zhou Yi and Wang Yan, as in the original timeline.
Once the assignments were done, Du Weilun addressed the students:
"All right, everyone, return to your classrooms with your respective homeroom teachers. Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao—come with me to claim your special reward."
Inside Du Weilun's office, the director praised their exceptional performance before retrieving something from a red gemstone ring on his hand.
A leather pouch.
Yuhao's Eye of Truth immediately caught the faint soul power fluctuation emanating from it—it was a soul tool, designed to mask energy signatures.
A basic model, low-grade but functional. Still, even so, traces of what it contained leaked out.
"Children," Du Weilun said solemnly, "for defeating a team led by three Soul Elders and achieving first place, the academy has authorized an extraordinary reward."
He placed the pouch before them. "There is only one, and you must decide among yourselves who will receive it."
He handed it to Wang Dong.
"This is the most valuable prize awarded in the freshman assessment for the past three centuries. Open it."
Wang Dong looked to Yuhao, who nodded. The boy loosened the string—
A golden-yellow light emerged, hovering in midair. A dense aura of power spread through the office.
A Soul Bone.
Even expecting it, Yuhao's eyes narrowed in analysis. The structure was complex—far more intricate than ordinary soul rings or skills. His Eye of Truth began parsing its composition, layer by layer.
Wang Dong, of course, was dumbfounded. "Th-this is… a Soul Bone!?"
Yuhao nearly sighed aloud. Why are you always shocked by the obvious?
Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, stared with innocent fascination—she had never seen one before.
Du Weilun smiled. "Correct. A Soul Bone. You all know how rare these are, so the academy could only offer one.
It's a left leg bone, from a creature known as the Void Demon Panther.
Once fused, it enhances movement speed and grants an attack-type ability triggered through the left leg—compatible with both Power Attack and Control types."
He gestured for them to put it back. "Keep it sealed in the pouch; it hides its aura. Fuse it soon, but keep it secret. Even in a safe place like Shrek, possessing treasure invites envy."
After leaving the office, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao immediately turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao," Wang Dong said firmly, "you should take it."
"Your cultivation's the lowest among us. If you fuse this Soul Bone, it'll help you catch up—and honestly, without you, we wouldn't have won either match."
Xiao Xiao nodded. "He's right."
Yuhao didn't protest. "All right. Let's go."
He stored the pouch in his belt without hesitation. Of course, he had no intention of fusing it.
Its age was middling—likely between one and ten thousand years—and the Void Demon Panther wasn't particularly strong as a soul beast.
Still, the bone's intricate energy patterns made it an excellent subject for analysis. With Electrolux's assistance, Yuhao could study its internal structure later; perhaps it would yield other uses beyond simple fusion.
The trio left together, heading toward the dormitories.
Unlike the original timeline, Yuhao maintained a neutral relationship with Zhou Yi—neither antagonistic nor deferential. Thus, there was no "conveniently timed" delivery of another rare Soul Bone later on.
Not that he needed it anymore.
(End of Chapter)