Chapter 17: Strength First

Chapter 17: Strength First

*Dormitory No. 108*

A striking young man with delicate features, fair skin, and light pink-blue hair and eyes glared at Huo Yuhao with disdain.

Wang Dong sneered, "Huo Yuhao, ignoring the rules I set, huh?"

Wang Dong's condescending tone sparked Huo Yuhao's anger. "Why should I obey you? I'm a Shrek Academy student, not your lackey!"

Wang Dong scoffed, "Not listening? Seems you only remember the meal, not the beating. I thrashed you a few days ago, and now you've forgotten the pain? Time for another lesson."

Leaping forward, Wang Dong delivered a swift kick with his unusually long legs, striking Huo Yuhao's stomach.

"Ugh!" Huo Yuhao dropped to one knee, clutching his abdomen in pain. After a moment, he glared up at Wang Dong, eyes blazing with fury.

Wang Dong smirked, "A level 11 rookie. How you got into Shrek Academy is beyond me. Clean this up, now!"

(In the original story, Wang Dong was dismissive of Huo Yuhao at first. In this extraordinary world, strength reigns supreme.)

Huo Yuhao, hands braced on the floor, clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot from Wang Dong's arrogance. His first Spirit Ring flickered, activating his first Spirit skill, Weakness!

Using Tang Sect techniques he'd practiced for mere days, he lunged at Wang Dong.

Wang Dong felt a brief daze but quickly shook it off. Seeing Huo Yuhao's Spirit Ring glow, he mocked, "That's it? I don't even need my Spirit to handle you."

He met Huo Yuhao's charge head-on.

*Bang!*

The gap in strength was vast. With a few punches and kicks, Wang Dong sent Huo Yuhao sprawling. Helpless, Huo Yuhao stared at the ceiling, defeated.

---

*Chen Feng's Dormitory*

"Big Bro, try these snacks from Shrek City—they're awesome!" Wu Yue grinned, offering Chen Feng a bag.

Chen Feng eyed Wu Yue's sudden shift in attitude, unfazed. This was Douluo Continent, where might made right. If Chen Feng were weak, Wu Yue wouldn't be so deferential.

"Bro, I'm heading to Shrek City with some friends tonight and won't be back to sleep," Wu Yue added, coughing awkwardly. "Not avoiding you, I swear—just, uh, the dorm's environment isn't great for sleeping."

Chen Feng chuckled at Wu Yue's nervousness. "Go have fun. Don't dwell on earlier conflicts. We're roommates; we should look out for each other."

Wu Yue forced a smile, recalling Chen Feng's earlier slaps. "Help each other, yeah…" he muttered, nodding vigorously.

Stepping out of the dorm, Wu Yue exhaled in relief, the pressure of being near Chen Feng lifting. He began to reflect.

"Chen Feng's terrifying. Even as a Spirit Master, he's unreal. We, a group of Great Spirit Masters, attacked him, and he floored us without using his Spirit. Even the teacher couldn't see through his tricks. He's definitely this year's top freshman."

As a noble's heir, Wu Yue, despite his flaws, had keen insight. He realized a genius like Chen Feng was a friend to make, not an enemy to cross, with a future bound to be extraordinary.

Determined to bond with Chen Feng, Wu Yue was soon surrounded by his friends.

"Yueyue, you okay?"

"You jerks ditched me!" Wu Yue teased.

"We went for the teacher! Your roommate's scary, man. I was down before I knew what hit me," a boy with a bruised chin said, still shaken.

"Yeah, he's insane. Build a good relationship with him, Yueyue. We're in the same class—who knows, he might carry us in the future."

"What's his name?"

"Chen Feng. Feng, like maple leaf," Wu Yue replied.

"Enough of that. Let's hit Shrek City tonight to unwind," a shifty-looking boy suggested with a grin.

---

While Wu Yue and his friends enjoyed Shrek City, Chen Feng began cultivating in the dorm.

The dorm's soundproofing was excellent. Hanging a "Cultivating" sign on the door ensured no interruptions unless urgent.

Practicing the Yin-Yang Technique, Chen Feng soon felt overheated, sweating profusely, and stopped abruptly.

Too much Yang energy, not enough Yin balance, he thought.

Switching to Douluo Continent's standard meditation method, he continued.

Time slipped away, and evening arrived.

Comparing the Yin-Yang Technique's cultivation speed to the sluggish meditation method, Chen Feng found the latter laughably slow.

Post-level 30, with his Ultimate Spirit, Chen Feng realized cultivating Spirit power was far tougher. The superior quality of an Ultimate Spirit Master's Spirit power required constant refinement to withstand its potency.

His cultivation speed had slowed significantly. Using Douluo's meditation method, reaching level 40 would take at least three years.

With the Yin-Yang Technique and a strong female Spirit Master's aid, Chen Feng was confident he could hit level 40 in a year and a half. If assisted by a female Titled Douluo, he might even challenge it in six months—though he knew that was a pipe dream.

Standing, Chen Feng glanced out the window at the darkened sky. He'd been cultivating for half a day.

His stomach growled, reminding him he still needed sustenance. With Shrek Academy's cafeteria closed before classes began, he'd have to eat in Shrek City.

Shrek's cafeteria offered premium ingredients beneficial to Spirit Masters, but with it unavailable, Chen Feng headed out to solve his hunger in the city.

(End of this chapter)