He has even mastered Haki, and you say this is Naruto?

Hán Ruòruò snapped back to her senses. Seemingly understanding what Shū Yǎn was thinking, she set the Jinyang Flower aside, then cupped his cheeks and roughly "squished" them again. Afterward, she gently said:

"You're still just a child, don't think about things that don't matter. Focus on cultivating. In a few years, come with me to Shrek Academy. It gathers the top geniuses from the three great nations of the original continent. Competing among geniuses is the best way for you to mature and progress quickly. What do you think?"

Shū Yǎn simply shook his head slightly, without directly answering her invitation.

"Let's talk about it later. Like you said, Sister Ruòruò, I'm still young. I won't be considering these things for now."

Hán Ruòruò's expression didn't change. She picked up the Jinyang Flower again and stored it in her soul tool.

"This flower is very useful to me, so I'll accept it without politeness."

"But I won't take it for nothing. I happen to have a gift for you as well…"

As she spoke, she took out a jade box from her storage device and placed it in front of Shū Yǎn.

"I came across this item by chance during a mission with some friends. I had experts at Shrek Academy examine it. They couldn't identify it completely, but judging by the aura it emits, it seems to come from a powerful dark-element dragon-type soul beast. I believe this item is fated to be with you…"

Shū Yǎn opened the box to reveal an irregularly shaped black stone, roughly the size of an adult's fist. At first glance, it looked ordinary—something one might pick up from the roadside. But the winding black lines on it gave it an extraordinary feel.

On its right side, a fine crack was visible. As Shū Yǎn concentrated, his pupils contracted. He quickly closed the box and looked up at Hán Ruòruò.

"I really like this gift. Thank you, Sister Ruòruò…"

Hán Ruòruò patted his head and simply smiled without saying more.

...

By the time she had packed everything, the sun was already high.

Standing in the sunlight, Hán Ruòruò knelt down and hugged Shū Yǎn tightly. Then she whispered something in his ear before summoning her flying soul tool and soaring into the sky, leaving behind two brilliant trails of light...

...

"A soul tool flight device, huh?"

Watching her disappear into the distance, Shū Yǎn rubbed his chin and muttered.

After thinking for a moment, he gave up on getting one for himself.

Once a wielder of the Yázì Martial Soul reaches the 30th level, they can grow dragon wings and fly—an established fact. With thousands of years of legacy, nearly every secret and path for this martial soul has been explored. The route Shū Yǎn chose was the one most frequently taken: gaining strength through slaughter and battle, using bloodlust to advance. It was the most suitable path for his martial soul.

"Slaughter… It's a pity the Slaughter City was destroyed millennia ago. Otherwise, it would have been the perfect place for my training."

With a small sigh, Shū Yǎn said no more and returned to the Shū family estate.

Just as Hán Ruòruò had said, he was still too young. The most important thing now was cultivation and strength. One must possess the power to match their ambition, or else it's just a pipe dream. Shū Yǎn understood this very well.

As for Hán Ruòruò's invitation to attend Shrek Academy, he wasn't opposed, but not particularly interested either.

From a native noble's perspective, Shrek Academy offered the best teachers, connections, and top-tier competition—ideal for growth.

It was also the most authoritative soul master institution on the continent.

However, its unorthodox teaching style and self-governing nature had pushed it to the edge of becoming something like a military power. No one could deny that beneath its treasure-laden exterior, Shrek held countless secrets.

But from a reincarnated person's view, Shrek wasn't so sacred.

Outdated structure, decaying leadership, and a distorted self-image were dragging it toward decline.

He once heard his grandfather evaluate it politically:

"To the three nations, Shrek is the backbone—like our Shū family to the Douling Empire. But because of that, it's veered from its educational path and now acts like an independent warlord. A school should not wield more power than an empire. Yet that's what Shrek is becoming…"

Chapter 8 – Five Years Later

Two and a half months after her departure, Hán Ruòruò finally sent word.

She wrote that her pirate-hunting mission had some hiccups, but she was fine—just needed rest.

Shū Yǎn wasn't reassured. She was never one to delay communication unless something serious happened.

Oddly, the Hán family remained quiet.

Then again, the Hán family was similar to the Shū family in raising its younger generation through hardship. No true powerhouse ever had a smooth path.

He sent back a letter with concern and included some top-tier healing pills from the Yè family.

This time, she replied quickly and explained her situation in more detail.

Shū Yǎn smiled as he put the letter away.

Seasons changed—spring, summer, fall, winter—five years passed in the blink of an eye.

Lingdou City remained peaceful and prosperous, its dazzling lights concealing its darker underbelly.

In the southern part of the city, in the underground arena—

Under dim lights and roaring crowds, a black-haired teenager slowly rose from the bloody battlefield. His eyes, hidden behind a mask, calmly swept across the broken corpses before he left through a tunnel, the blood-stained arena behind him.

Backstage, Gu Yún stared at the tall, slender young man, briefly lost in thought.

"Young Master, there are no opponents left who match your criteria. Shall we…?"

The teen turned slightly. His half-revealed face was perfect—pale and noble.

Now nearly 1.8 meters tall, Shū Yǎn had outgrown his childish appearance. His black eyes flickered faintly with a red glow.

"Let's go. We won't be returning here again."

This underground arena was built by the Douling nobility. It was a lawless place where criminals and thrill-seekers fought to the death for the nobles' entertainment.

The Douling and Tianhun nobles were infamous for indulging in twisted pleasures—and this arena was the ultimate playground.

Walking down a corridor lined with red carpet, the sounds of bloodshed echoed through thin glass walls.

Gu Yún followed behind but fell back slightly before speaking:

"Young Master, Viscount Mínglíng asked the arena owner about your identity…"

Shū Yǎn frowned.

"The Viscount? Why?"

Gu Yún replied calmly:

"You killed the Twin Bear Brothers earlier. They were... his favorites."

At the last part, her tone turned awkward. The Viscount's unique tastes were infamous—those brothers were twins, huge and bear-like, his perfect 'pets.'

Shū Yǎn's mouth twitched. He wasn't too shocked—he'd seen worse in his past life.

Power breeds depravity. Mínglíng was no exception.

"Have the Shadow Guard eliminate him. No traces left."

Shū Yǎn's voice was cold. A mere Viscount wasn't worth fussing over. If you dare move against me, I'll send you to the afterlife first.

Gu Yún respectfully acknowledged the order. As a former Shadow Guard, such tasks were routine.

...

Back at the estate, Shū Yǎn bathed to cleanse the stench of blood and unwind from battle.

Over the past five years, he fought countless soul beasts and masters. At first, he often got injured. But after mastering the family's secret techniques, he learned to control his bloodlust, accelerating his cultivation.

He'd killed over 150 people in the arena in the past year alone—most of them Soul Ancestors or higher.

His combat skills and mental strength had reached near perfection.

Now, at level 40, he was on the brink of becoming a Soul Ancestor—he just needed his fourth soul ring.

Looking at a letter and framed photo on his desk, he smiled faintly.

Soon, he would head south to Star Dou Forest… and afterward, to Shrek Academy.

Chapter 9 – South to Star Dou, Reunion with Hán Ruòruò

A few days later, Shū Yǎn spread his black dragon wings and soared into the sky, watched by Shū Jūnyòu and Yǔ Bīngyān.

Yǔ Bīngyān issued final instructions to Gu Yún, who respectfully followed Shū Yǎn into the air.

In the past five years, both adults had progressed. Shū Jūnyòu was close to forming his first soul core, aiming to become a Titled Douluo, while Yǔ Bīngyān had already reached Soul Douluo level.

At 44 and 47 years old respectively, they looked no older than their mid-30s, their power preserving their youth.

If Shū Jūnyòu could reach Titled Douluo before age 50 and obtain a 100,000-year soul ring, he was almost guaranteed to become a Super Douluo in the future.

...

Meanwhile, Shū Yǎn and Gu Yún flew at full speed toward Star Dou Forest.

Though not yet a Soul Ancestor, his soul power reserves exceeded others of the same level. His dragon wings generated powerful gales with each flap, and he consumed less energy than even Gu Yún, a Soul Sage.

Dragon wings were a racial ability from his Yázì Martial Soul—natural, efficient, and powerful.

After three days of travel, they finally reached the forest's edge.

Looking out at the endless greenery, they landed near a giant metal sign:

"Human Prohibited Zone – Do Not Approach!"

They set up camp nearby. Gu Yún caught some wild rabbits and cooked them expertly.

As Shū Yǎn meditated, Gu Yún poked at the fire in thought. The night wind was cool, but they were well protected.

Around midnight, a commotion arose. Distant howls from spirit beasts filled the forest. Something—or someone—was approaching.

Through the trees, a golden light flew closer.

Gu Yún visibly relaxed.

As the light approached, a girl in a blue dress with flowing hair appeared under the moonlight.

Her name was Hán Ruòruò.

"Ā-Yǎn, long time no see…"

She gazed at him without looking away.

Feeling out of place, Gu Yún leaped to a nearby tree branch to give them space.

"Yes, it has been a while…"

Shū Yǎn smiled. Letters were one thing—but seeing her in person after so long warmed his heart.

Previously, she had tried visiting, but he was in closed-door cultivation to master his bloodlust. By the time he emerged, she had left—only a note and gift remaining.

In truth, she was just as much a cultivation fanatic as he was.