Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

After leaving the mountain stream, Lin Chen used the cover of the trees to travel westward at high speed. After walking for more than ten miles, a dull and terrifying pressure suddenly came from the depths of the Starry Sky Forest, spreading out along the sea of ​​trees.

That aura was ancient and ferocious, caused by the top-tier soul beasts in the core area being disturbed by the Life Gold.

Wherever the oppressive aura passed, thousand-year-old soul beasts trembled on the ground, while hundred-year and ten-year-old soul beasts scattered and fled. The entire outer forest area was instantly thrown into chaos, with the roars of beasts and the sound of breaking branches mixed together. The chaotic atmosphere completely disrupted the order of the forest.

Lin Chen paused, then his gaze sharpened. This chaos was the perfect cover for his escape.

He remained completely calm. His third spirit ring lit up quietly, and the scent of Blue Silver Grass spread out, blending seamlessly with the scents of the fleeing plant-type spirit beasts around him.

He moved close to the ground, using the chaos of the beast horde as cover, and retreated at full speed towards the western outskirts. He subtly lured away any startled soul beasts that rushed towards him along the way with thin vines, without leaking a single trace of soul power.

Doubao's full-area scanning system operates synchronously, planning the most concealed routes and specifically choosing to traverse areas with dense vegetation and chaotic atmospheres.

The oppressive aura lingered in the area where the Gold of Life appeared for nearly an hour, and after repeated searches yielded no results, it slowly retreated back into the depths of the core.

Lin Chen was secretly relieved, thinking, "Luckily, I ran fast."

The chaos in the forest did not subside for a long time, which provided Lin Chen with perfect cover.

By noon, when the sun was directly south and the sunlight was at its brightest, he had completely left the high-risk area and was only a few miles away from the western entrance of the forest.

At the same time, Huo Yuhao, who was in the forest, happened to be summoned by Tianmeng.

The boy propped himself up on the ground and sat up, still a little dazed. He felt warm all over, and all the claw wounds from his fight with the wind baboon had healed. His meridians were filled with a cool and powerful energy, several times stronger than before.

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Subconsciously activating his soul power, a white soul ring with faint gold patterns rose from beneath his feet, its aura vast and warm, completely unlike the texture a ten-year soul ring should have.

"This, this is..." Huo Yuhao stared at his soul ring, his fingertips trembling.

"Look at your pathetic self." A lazy yet smug voice rang out in his mind. "The first soul ring in a million years, unique in the Douluo Continent. From now on, follow Brother Tianmeng, and I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury."

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm yawned and added, "Don't just stand there. There are two human soul masters about a mile to the northeast. Their soul power is not weak, and they look like they are heading towards Shrek Academy. It's too dangerous for an eleventh-level soul master like you to wander around blindly. It's better to go with them than to go out on your own. You might even be able to find a way to get into the academy."

It had just fled from the core area and had been concealing its aura to avoid the soul beasts there. It could only sense the soul power fluctuations of humans nearby, but had no idea what their identities were or which sect they belonged to.

Huo Yuhao was stunned, feeling both surprised and delighted. He had been worried about how to get out of the forest, but unexpectedly, he immediately had a clue.

He gripped the White Tiger Dagger tightly in his hand and strode quickly in the direction Tianmeng had indicated.

After walking less than a mile, they indeed saw two figures in a clearing in the forest—Tang Ya, a girl in light blue outfit, was squatting on the ground observing the traces of the soul beasts, while Bei Bei, with short dark blue hair, stood beside her as a protector. The two were the Tang Sect master and disciple who had come to hunt for their third soul ring.

Hearing footsteps, Beibei immediately turned around alertly. Seeing it was him, a hint of surprise appeared on her gentle face: "Little Brother Huo? Why are you still in the forest? We parted by the stream just now, and I thought you had already left."

Huo Yuhao scratched his head somewhat awkwardly: "I... I got my first spirit ring and was just about to go out when I ran into you guys."

Tang Ya's eyes lit up. She glanced at him from head to toe and laughed, "Not bad, kid. You got your spirit ring so quickly. We're going deeper into the area to hunt for our third spirit ring. It's not safe for you to go out alone. Come with us, so we can look out for each other."

Huo Yuhao quickly nodded in agreement.

The three of them walked a short distance into the depths of the dense forest when a sweet, cloying fragrance suddenly wafted on the breeze. Beibei's expression changed, and she immediately stepped in front of Tang Ya, exclaiming, "Be careful! It's the poisonous scent of a datura snake!"

Before the words were finished, the bushes suddenly burst open, and a thousand-year-old datura snake, its body entirely emerald green and several meters long, suddenly sprang out, its stench filling the air and its venomous fangs gleaming coldly.

This is a spirit beast that is over 1,300 years old, which just matches the age of Tang Ya's third spirit ring.

Bei Bei immediately released her martial soul, and the roar of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex echoed through the forest. Her three soul rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—pulsated up and down, and she raised her hand to strike a bolt of lightning at the snake's head.

Tang Ya also summoned Blue Silver Grass to entangle and restrain him, while activating her two hundred-year-old soul rings at full power.

However, the thousand-year-old soul beast had thick hide and was extremely poisonous, so for a time they were deadlocked. The Mandragora Snake's tail swept across, snapping the surrounding trees in half.

Just then, Huo Yuhao's first spirit ring quietly lit up.

The power of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm spread along the meridians, and its mental detection instantly expanded to a range of a hundred feet. Every muscle of the Mandala Serpent trembled and every attack trajectory was crystal clear.

He gritted his teeth and connected his mental connection with Beibei and Tangya's consciousness.

"Brother Bei, Sister Xiaoya, its next attack will be aimed at its left side, its vital spot!"

The sudden sound startled Beibei and her companion, who then realized that a clear three-dimensional image had appeared in their minds, making all the movements of the Datura snake readily apparent.

With precise mental support, BeiBei's offensive intensified. While dodging the tail sweep, her third spirit ring shone brightly, and she delivered a thunderous strike precisely to the snake's vital spot.

"boom--"

The datura snake let out a miserable cry, crashed heavily to the ground, twitched a few times, and then died.

Tang Ya breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Huo Yuhao with delight: "Wow, Yuhao! Your spiritual soul skill is amazing!"

Without delay, she immediately sat down cross-legged and began to absorb the soul ring of the thousand-year-old Mandala Serpent.

With Bei Bei protecting her and Huo Yuhao's mental detection providing constant vigilance, the process went very smoothly. Half an hour later, Tang Ya's third purple soul ring lit up, successfully breaking through to level 30 Soul Master.

While the three rested, Tang Ya looked at Huo Yuhao with increasing satisfaction and finally formally offered to recruit him.

........................

Bei Bei looked at the young man with a solemn expression and said seriously, "Brother Huo, you should think this through. Joining a sect is no small matter. Although my Tang Sect has declined, it was once the number one sect in the world. If you regret it in the future and want to betray the sect, neither I nor Tang Ya will forgive you."

Huo Yuhao nodded, his eyes resolute. "Brother Bei, I've thought it through. I have no family left, and I'm still young. Coming to the Star Dou Great Forest this time, I've realized how dangerous the outside world is. I want to make a name for myself and become a powerful Soul Master. Joining the Tang Sect is undoubtedly a shortcut. Not only will it allow me to enter Shrek Academy, but I'll also receive your guidance. Moreover, I trust you. You've been willing to tell me all about the Tang Sect's predicaments, and I can feel your sincerity. I'm willing to work with you to create a glorious future for the Tang Sect."

"Great, that's so well said!" Tang Ya excitedly hugged Huo Yuhao.

The boy froze at the sudden hug, his face turning bright red. He didn't dare to move and stood obediently in place.

It was Beibei who came to his rescue, gently calling out, "Teacher Xiaoya."

Tang Ya then released her grip, looking at Huo Yuhao with a smile, her eyes full of satisfaction—she would never admit that one of the reasons she initially wanted to recruit this child was because his grilled fish skills were simply too good.

"Xiao Yuhao, become my disciple. There are only three of us in the Tang Clan now, so we don't have as many rules anymore. If you bow to me and call me teacher, you'll be a member of the Tang Clan from now on," Tang Ya said solemnly.

Huo Yuhao nodded, then knelt down in front of Tang Ya with a thud, bowing deeply: "Disciple Huo Yuhao greets Master."

Tang Ya stood still, letting him bow three times before reaching out to help him up.

"Very good, Yuhao, from now on you will be the teacher's second disciple. Greetings to your senior brother." She pointed to Beibei beside her.

"Greetings, Senior Brother." Huo Yuhao bowed to Bei Bei again.

Beibei smiled gently and said, "Junior Brother, don't be so polite. From now on, we're family."

Tang Ya seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then added, "Yuhao, from now on, you'll call me Teacher Xiaoya, just like Beibei. But don't be like him, always so disrespectful. Understand?"

"Yes, teacher." After becoming his disciple, Huo Yuhao became noticeably more reserved, but his bewildered heart felt much more at peace. Joining the Tang Sect felt like finding a place to settle down during his wandering days; he hadn't experienced this sense of solid security in a long time.

Tang Ya flipped her wrist and took out a book from her storage soul tool, handing it to Huo Yuhao: "Little Yuhao, this is a copy of our Tang Sect's Xuan Tian Treasure Record. It records our Tang Sect's ultimate techniques. Among them, the Xuan Tian Gong is the foundation of everything. Meditating on it will definitely accelerate your cultivation speed. Your cultivation is still shallow, so switching to the Xuan Tian Gong won't have any negative impact. Bei Bei and I will guide you in your cultivation later."

"Besides the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record also records five other unique skills: the Jade Hand for hand training, the Purple Demon Eye for eye training, the Crane-Controlling and Dragon-Capturing technique for grappling, the Ghost Shadow Tracking technique for lightness, and the method of using hidden weapons, the Hundred Solutions to Hidden Weapons. Our Tang Clan is most famous for its hidden weapons, but you must lay a solid foundation before you can begin practicing them. What you need to do now is to start practicing the first five unique skills, and I will teach you hidden weapons later."

She paused, then added, "As I mentioned earlier, one of our Tang Sect's unique techniques is particularly suitable for you: the Purple Demon Eye. The Purple Demon Eye is a method of training the eyes; once mastered to a certain level, it can unleash extremely powerful attacks. Your martial soul is your eyes, so there shouldn't be anything more suitable for you than this technique. You must practice it diligently."

Huo Yuhao accepted the Xuan Tian Treasure Record with both hands, carefully tucked it into his robes, and solemnly said, "Thank you, teacher. I will definitely cultivate diligently."

At this moment, Beibei raised his hand and pressed on his belt, and a black belt inlaid with round white jade pieces appeared in his hand.

"Junior Brother, this Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon is a replica of the soul tool that Tang San, the ancestor of the Tang Sect, possessed. Consider it a gift from your senior brother. With it, it will be much more convenient for you to carry some things."

As he spoke, he helped Huo Yuhao fasten the belt around his waist and carefully explained how to use it. It turned out that each of the twenty-four jade stones on the belt had a space with a side length of half a meter, which could store various items. It could be accessed simply by guiding soul power, making it a very precious storage soul tool.

Huo Yuhao was intelligent, and after a few attempts, he was able to easily control the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon. However, his soul power was low, and he consumed a lot of it after a few attempts.

Tang Ya smiled and waved her hand: "Xiao Yuhao, I've also gotten my third spirit ring. Let's pack up and head back to Shrek City. The entrance exams are starting in a few days, and we can get you admitted through a special admission process."

"Yes, teacher," Huo Yuhao quickly and respectfully replied.

Tang Ya chuckled and patted his shoulder: "Even though you've already become my apprentice, you don't need to be so reserved. There are only three of us in the Tang Sect; what's the point of being so rigid?"

After exchanging a few words of laughter, the three packed their things and headed out of the Star Dou Great Forest together. Huo Yuhao followed behind the two, clutching the Xuan Tian Treasure Record in his arms, feeling that the road ahead was bright.

However, he never realized that just a few hours earlier, during the interval when he was fusing his soul rings, a wisp of his powerful remnant soul that should have belonged to him and spanned multiple planes had already silently changed its owner.

On the other side, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the beasts, Lin Chen had already stepped out of the western entrance of the Star Dou Great Forest at noon and stood by the official road of Black Stone Town.

He found a secluded spot, changed into a clean blue long robe, put away his herbal-smelling outer robe, and revealed his handsome and gentle features.

At first glance, he looks like a scion of a noble family who has just left to study abroad. No one would have guessed that he had just withdrawn from Xingdou and had also intercepted an earth-shattering opportunity.

He had no intention of returning to Heaven Dou City. Judging from the timeline, Shrek Academy's enrollment would officially begin in a few days, and traveling eastward from Blackrock Town at full speed, he could arrive in two days, which was just the right amount of time.

"To Shrek City, I need the fastest two-horse carriage, with only horse changes and no stops along the way. The price is up to you." Lin Chen walked to the best carriage next to the post station, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty.

Seeing his extraordinary demeanor, the coachman immediately agreed: "Don't worry, young master, both are excellent steeds that can travel a thousand miles a day. We'll take turns running, and we'll definitely arrive at Shrek City before dawn the day after tomorrow! It'll only cost twenty gold soul coins, not a penny less."

Lin Chen casually tossed over a bag of gold coins and got into the carriage. The carriage was spacious and clean, with thick, soft cushions, perfect for meditation and breath control.

With a shout from the driver, the carriage rumbled forward and sped off towards the east.

Inside the carriage, Lin Chen sat cross-legged, closed the windows, and once again immersed himself in his consciousness.

The pale blue sea of ​​consciousness remained calm and stable. The ball of light from the bean bun hung in the center. At the edge of the sea of ​​consciousness, the remnant soul of Electrolux was still curled up and asleep, enveloped in a golden-green aura of life, slowly and continuously repairing the damage to its divine consciousness.

Compared to when it first entered the body, the phantom of the remnant soul solidified a bit more, and the risk of dissipation was completely eliminated.

[Residual Soul Status: Stable dormancy, with ongoing repair of depleted spiritual consciousness.]

Nurturing efficiency: 0.021% repair per day; the life essence has a good compatibility with the host's life attributes.

Awakening conditions: Requires long-term nurturing combined with high-level spiritual/life-related stimulation.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, not in a hurry to achieve quick results. Obtaining the remnant soul of the Necromancer Saint was an opportunity that required gradual effort; being able to safely absorb it into his sea of ​​consciousness was already the greatest success. The rest could be left to time.

Composing himself, he tapped his fingertips on the car window and began planning his schedule after starting school.

Previously in Tiandou City, he kept a low profile because his foundation was not yet stable and his business was not yet established, so it was not advisable to be ostentatious.

But Shrek Academy is different—it's a place where geniuses gather, and cultivation resources and teachers are always tilted towards the most outstanding geniuses.

If you hide too well, you'll just be treated as an ordinary student, assigned the lowest-level resources, and waste your time.

Appropriately displaying one's strength can not only gain the academy's focus on training, obtain core cultivation resources and guidance from high-level mentors, but also allow one to stand in the open and use the academy's platform to access higher-level Soul Master systems. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Of course, there are limits to what can be shown.

At eleven years old, he possesses a three-ring Soul Master—a talent that would be considered top-tier even in the entire Douluo Continent, enough to earn him a place among the academy's core candidates. However, his potential to evolve into the Blue Silver King remains a trump card to be concealed. Revealing only seven-tenths of his strength and keeping three-tenths of his trump card hidden is both dazzling and avoids attracting unnecessary prying eyes and trouble.

"First, I'll pass the student assessment and enter the first year." Lin Chen set his goal in his heart, "Then, I'll use the academy's resource library and training grounds to steadily advance the evolution of my martial soul, while nurturing my remnant soul."

He had already made arrangements for Qinghetang: every month, a special person would deliver funds, high-level potions, and special materials to the secret base in Shrek City to ensure that he had sufficient logistical support while he was away.

With the academy's resources and its own industries running in parallel, the cultivation speed will only be faster than in Heaven Dou City.

The carriage sped along, day and night without stopping.

They only changed horses once at a post station along the way, with the drivers taking turns to drive, and there was almost no rest. Lin Chen meditated and cultivated in the carriage, honing the precision of his soul power control and deducing advanced uses of the Blue Silver Forest, occasionally lifting the curtain to peek at the scenery along the way.

More and more young Soul Masters were heading to Shrek City on the official road, most of them accompanied by servants and elders, discussing the assessment and Martial Soul with high spirits.

There are also many solitary geniuses, with aloof expressions and hurried steps.

Lin Chen looked calmly at the crowd outside the window.

The vast majority of these people will fail under Shrek's rigorous tests.

What he needs to do is not only pass the assessment, but also enter this top academy on the continent in the most dazzling way.

At dawn the next day, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the carriage slowly came to a stop at the west gate of Shrek City.

"Young master, we've arrived at Shrek City!" the coachman's voice came from outside.

Lin Chen finished his practice, stood up, lifted the curtain, and got out of the car.

In the morning light, the majestic bluish-gray city wall stretches across the plain, heavy and ancient, exuding the profound sense of a thousand-year-old academy.

Above the city gate, the three large characters "Shrek City" are written in a defiant style, exuding an arrogance unique to the Monster Academy. The city gate is teeming with people; examinees and their families from all over throng together, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.

Further inside, at Shrek Academy's admissions office, a long queue had formed. The academy teachers in charge of registration sat behind desks, expressionlessly verifying the age and soul power level of each applicant. Most of the applicants were Great Soul Masters in their teens, and the occasional Soul Venerable would draw gasps of amazement from those around them.

Lin Chen straightened his clothes and walked straight towards the admissions registration office.

When it was his turn, the middle-aged teacher in charge of registration didn't even look up, and said in a formulaic tone: "Name, age, martial spirit, soul power level."

"Lin Chen, eleven years old, Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul." Lin Chen's tone was calm as he gently placed his fingertips on the testing stone.

The moment the words fell, the dark gray testing stone suddenly lit up with a dazzling cyan light, and three clear soul ring patterns appeared on the stone surface—yellow, purple, and purple, the standard optimal ratio of soul rings. The purple of the third ring was rich and deep, indicating that it was not old.

"A Three-Ring Soul Master?!"

The middle-aged teacher suddenly raised his head, his nonchalant expression vanishing instantly, replaced by shock.

He suddenly looked at Lin Chen, scrutinizing him several times to confirm that the other was indeed an eleven-year-old boy. His voice unconsciously rose a few decibels: "Eleven years old? A three-ring Soul Master? And a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?"

The sound startled the other candidates queuing around, and they all turned to look, their faces filled with disbelief.

An eleven-year-old Soul Master with three rings—what does that even mean? Even Tang San in his prime didn't reach that level!

A chorus of voices immediately rose and fell around him, and shocked, envious, and inquisitive gazes all fell on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen remained calm, as if he were merely discussing a trivial matter: "Teacher, may we register now?"

The middle-aged teacher snapped back to reality, hurriedly picking up his pen, his wrist trembling slightly. In his more than ten years of student recruitment work, this was the first time he had ever seen an eleven-year-old three-ring plant-type Soul Master, and a Blue Silver Grass no less! This was absolutely a monstrous genius!

He quickly filled out the registration form, then solemnly took out a specially made cyan token from the drawer and handed it over with both hands: "Student Lin Chen, your talent means you don't need to participate in the first three rounds of basic assessments. Use this token to participate in the battle directly. Perform well, and the academy will match you with corresponding cultivation resources and mentors."

At eleven years old, he's already a top-tier student, a true core candidate. There's absolutely no need for him to compete with other candidates in the basic assessment.

Lin Chen accepted the token, thanked him, and turned to walk into the academy.