As the familiar, expansive grounds of Shrek Academy appeared on the screen, featuring the iconic ten statues—three at the front, seven at the back—the livestream audience was momentarily stunned. Then, a wave of recognition spread through the room as everyone quickly identified the location.
"Could this livestream be about Shrek Academy again, or perhaps something related to Huo Yuhao?"
Lin Yu, watching from the Dugu Mansion, thought to himself, recognizing that the scene was set in the future era of Peerless Tang Sect, during the time of Huo Yuhao's adventures.
The camera didn't immediately move, staying fixed on the academy's gates. In the scene, four boys and two girls slowly walk out of Shrek Academy's entrance. These six young people were already familiar to many from previous livestreams, though some were more well-known than others. Among them, the one who stood out most was Huo Yuhao, the acknowledged "child of fate" in this era.
"Is everyone here?"
As the group gathered at the gate, two middle-aged men emerged from a nearby grove, leading a group of eight slightly older students. The two men were none other than Yan Shaozhe, the Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, and Fan Yu, Vice Dean of the Soul Engineering Department.
The eight older students following them were all top-tier soul engineers from Shrek's inner courtyard.
"Now that everyone's here, let's head out!" Yan Shaozhe's voice rang out as the group prepared to depart.
Where are they heading?
Curiosity rippled through the viewers as they realized that the action wasn't going to stay at Shrek Academy. A sense of uncertainty spread, as many started to speculate that the livestream might focus on an entirely different location. This could complicate things when the time came to answer questions about the event.
Meanwhile, the live stream continued. After Yan Shaozhe gave the command to leave, the Shrek Seven Devil—Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan—bid farewell to Huo Yuhao and He Caitou, wishing them well on their journey.
Led by Yan Shaozhe and Fan Yu, Huo Yuhao, He Caitou, and the eight inner-court soul engineers activated their flying soul tools. The group soared into the air, flying away from Shrek Academy, leaving their friends behind as they embarked on their next adventure.
The sight of Huo Yuhao, He Caitou, and others, none of whom were Title Douluo, soaring through the sky thanks to their soul tools left the audience in awe. The ability to fly without reaching the lofty heights of Title Douluo had been the exclusive privilege of flying-type soul masters or high-level combatants.
Now, this technology was a reality, available to ordinary soul engineers.
This is the power of soul tools.
The realization struck a chord with the viewers. Soul tools had developed to such a point in the future that even low-level soul masters could fly. This was an incredible technological breakthrough, stirring feelings of both wonder and envy among the audience.
In an instant, the desire for these flying soul tools grew. The mere ability to reduce travel time would make these tools invaluable for countless soul masters. If they could learn how to manufacture such devices, it would not only bolster their strength but also create a lucrative business opportunity.
Having won the soul-guided cannon blueprint during the last event, many viewers hoped that this time, the live stream would offer another technological prize, like the flying soul tool.
However, the live stream was far from over.
The group continued their journey, flying for half a day. They traveled for hours, stopping occasionally to rest, before finally arriving at a grand, imposing city by late afternoon.
While this city had not appeared in previous livestreams, the camera lingered on the gates, where three large characters identified it as Maple Leaf City.
Maple Leaf City? It looks like this livestream will cover the exchange program between Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. I wonder how the question will be framed this time...
Lin Yu thought to himself as he considered the implications of the setting.
Once they arrived in Maple Leaf City, Yan Shaozhe led the group to a hotel, where they settled in for the night. The camera then cut to the next morning, when the Shrek delegation, fully prepared, left their hotel for Maple Square, the designated meeting place for the exchange program.
Upon arriving at the square, they found that the representatives from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy had already arrived. Leading their group were two figures—one middle-aged and one elderly—and behind them were ten students.
After a brief formal greeting between the two sides, both groups exchanged students. Yan Shaozhe took charge of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy's students, while the Sun Moon group's leader, Jing Hongchen, took Huo Yuhao and his companions under his care. Each group then quickly made their way back to their respective academies.
The scene transitioned once more, showing the group's arrival at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy—an equally grand and luxurious institution. Since they arrived at night, the camera gave a breathtaking aerial view of the academy, its lights glowing in the shape of a massive hexagon, large enough to rival a mid-sized city.
After briefly introducing the academy to the Shrek students, Jing Hongchen led them inside. Another time skip followed, and the camera jumped to the following morning.
In the daylight, Huo Yuhao was shown being escorted by a young teacher as they headed toward one of the academy's many buildings. Through their conversation, the livestream audience learned that Huo Yuhao was about to undergo an entrance test, and the young teacher's name was Xuan Ziwen.
As Xuan Ziwen led Huo Yuhao to the testing room, the camera revealed the name of their destination—"Lab Three." Once inside, Xuan Ziwen explained that Huo Yuhao would need to construct a core formation for a third-tier soul tool within fifteen minutes.