Above the Sky Screen, light and shadow flow.
Black World, Shrek Academy, Sea God Lake.
The Sea God Fate Matchmaking Assembly, which was once brightly lit and bustling with people, is now deserted.
Just an hour ago, the elders of Sea Gods Pavilion sent an urgent message— the Sky Screen has arrived, and it concerns the survival of the World; all activities must be temporarily suspended.
Some students were dissatisfied, and some complained, but in the end, no one dared to disobey the Sea Gods Pavilion's decision.
The trainees returned to their dormitories in twos and threes, discussing the matter along the way.
"What's going on? It's finally our turn..."
"Exactly! I've been preparing for this for months!"
"Stop talking. Didn't you see Elder Xuan and the others personally intervene? This matter is definitely not simple."
"What does that Sky Screen comparison have to do with us? Isn't it just a comparison of the Huo Yuhao of two worlds?"
"Are you stupid? Didn't you hear what the rules said at the end? The two worlds will merge after the comparison! What if the powerful beings from the White World attack us then..."
"Hiss—now that you mention it, we really need to take this seriously."
"So, it's always good to take advantage of the time to watch the Sky Screen and learn more about that World."
Similar conversations took place in every corner of Shrek City.
In a quiet room deep within the Inner Court, Xuan Zi, Yan Shaozhe, and other Sea Gods Pavilion elders sat together, their gazes fixed solemnly on the Sky Screen in mid-air.
" The time flow rate of the Sky Screen is ten to one," Xuan Zi said slowly. " Huo Yuhao of the White World chose to go to the Sun Moon Empire. Before long, we will be able to see how that world is developing."
Yan Shaozhe nodded: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. The more we know now, the less we will be caught off guard when the two worlds merge in the future."
Qian Duoduo sighed: "But the problem is... judging from White World's posture, their soul guidance technology is probably far superior to ours. What if a war really breaks out..."
Xuan Zi waved his hand: "There's no use thinking about this now. Let's watch it first, and then we'll talk about it."
Everyone fell silent, their gazes returning to the Sky Screen.
Above the Sky Screen, light and shadow flow.
The scenes from both worlds unfolded simultaneously, but everyone's gaze was invariably drawn to the left side—
[In that scene, Black World] Led by Bei Bei and Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao finally arrived at Shrek, known as the number one academy on the Douluo Continent, after several days.
[Just after entering Shrek, registering, and being assigned dormitories, reality dealt Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei a harsh blow, because Huo Yuhao's teacher turned out to be a perverted old hag— Zhou Yi.]
Meanwhile, the actions of the three Bei Bei characters on the left screen were observed by viewers from both Worlds:
Black World, Real World.
The sight of this scene caused an uproar among the people.
"Huh? What does Tang Ya call the division commander? Perverted old hag?!"
"This is outrageous! As the leader of the Tang Sect, instead of setting a good example, he utters vile words!"
"No wonder the Tang Sect declined; there's more to it than meets the eye!"
"Sigh, young people are immature, so we can't entirely blame her..."
"Immature? How old is she? How many years has she been at Shrek Academy? Does her current behavior have nothing to do with Shrek Academy? Besides, although Teacher Zhou is strict, he's doing it for the students' own good!"
"Exactly, exactly. A strict teacher produces outstanding students. Don't you even understand this principle?"
"Sigh... I suddenly understand why Huo Yuhao of this world can't compare to that of the other world..."
"Don't jump to conclusions so quickly! Let's wait and see!"
...
Shrek City, within Tang Sect.
Huo Yuhao sat alone in a quiet room, looking at Tang Ya on the Sky Screen who was complaining about Zhou Yi, his gaze complicated.
That's Tang Ya.
That was Tang Ya back then.
Back then, she was so vibrant, so...carefree.
But later...
He shook his head and didn't think about it any further.
Some things, once they're over, are over. Tang Ya is still in Holy Spirit Cult, and there's nothing he can do for now.
But he knew that one day he would bring her back.
Just like she brought herself back to Shrek back then.
...
Shrek Academy, Inner Court conference room.
Xuan Zi looked at Tang Ya's words "perverted old hag" on the Sky Screen, shook his head slightly, and remained silent.
Yan Shaozhe coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "This Tang Ya... is indeed a bit too much."
Qian Duoduo sighed: "Young people, they can't keep their mouths shut, but Zhou Yi's temper... really needs to be changed."
Xuan Zi remained silent.
He simply stared at the silent boy on the Sky Screen, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the images on the Sky Screen continued to scroll:
After listening to Bei Bei and Tang Ya's instructions, Huo Yuhao bid them farewell, went to the dormitory gate, greeted the old man on the recliner, and then entered the dormitory.
[ After entering the dormitory building, Huo Yuhao discovered that it was somewhat old, and that there were only two toilets at the far end of each floor.]
When Huo Yuhao pushed open the door, the dormitory room was less than ten square meters, simply furnished with two beds, two metal wardrobes, a table, and a small soul-guiding lamp—that was all there was.
[But now the dormitory is covered in dust, and he's spent a lot of time just cleaning it.]
Black World, Real World.
After seeing the dormitory conditions at Shrek Academy, countless people engaged in heated discussions.
"This...this is the dormitory of the No. 1 Academy on the continent?"
"It's so run-down! It's about the same size as a regular beginner Spirit Master academy!"
"What do you know? What's so great about shabby decorations? Shrek became the top college because of its teaching philosophy and research on Spirits! Those are the core elements for becoming a Spirit Master!"
"Exactly! Living environment is secondary! Resources should be used wisely!"
"But this is so shabby... The mattress is all yellowed, how can anyone sleep on it?"
"Pretentious! My school conditions were even worse back then, and I still became a Spirit Saint, didn't I?"
"Times have changed..."
"What's the difference? Only through hardship can one achieve success!"
The two factions argued endlessly, and neither could convince the other.
...
White World, Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
The people couldn't help but laugh when they saw the dormitory conditions on the Sky Screen.
"Hahaha! This is Shrek's dorm room?"
"That's it? That's it? This is so shabby!"
"Especially that soul-guiding lamp, did you see it? What era is that? It's probably a research result from our Sun Moon Empire a hundred years ago!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder Shrek has declined in our world. With these conditions, what kind of talent can they cultivate?"
"That's right! When our Venerable Ming entered Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, although he lived in a dormitory as a freshman, it was spacious and bright, and even had a private bathroom!"
"Yes, yes, I've also heard that the dorms are equipped with the latest soul-guided lamps and constant-temperature soul-guided arrays, keeping them warm in winter and cool in summer!"
"That's what it means to put people first!"
"Therefore, there is a reason why Venerable Ming was able to become a God-King!"
...
White World, Reincarnation God Realm.
Gu Yuena gazed at the boy silently cleaning on the Sky Screen and whispered:
"My husband is different from him!"
Wang Qiuer nodded: "He's really patient. If it were me, I would have slammed the door and left long ago."
Gu Yuena shook her head: "It's not about enduring, it's... a habit."
"Habit?"
"He suffered far more in the Duke's mansion than this; this kind of environment is nothing to him."
Wang Qiuer was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "So that's why he in that world chose to stay?"
Gu Yuena did not answer.
Because she didn't know the answer either.
The images continued to flow on the Sky Screen.
[Inside the dormitory, Huo Yuhao had just finished cleaning his room when he heard footsteps outside the door.]
[Bang--]
[The dormitory door opens.]
[A young man strode in, his short, light blue hair neat and tidy, his features exquisitely handsome, yet carrying a hint of arrogance, impatience, and a self-righteous haughtiness.]
[...]