"Lost three-on-two and still resort to personal attacks."
"Truly pathetic."
"By your logic, wouldn't that mean everyone here whose second soul ring isn't at least a thousand years old is just trash?"
Ouyang Junyi opened his mouth, but once again, had no words to refute.
His face, already flushed red, now darkened toward purple.
He couldn't catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed stiffly.
Seeing his head about to hit the ground, Huo Yuhao, ever kind-hearted, used his spiritual power to catch him and tossed him back toward Class Three's homeroom teacher.
"Alright, Wang Dong, let's go."
Only then did Wang Dong stop his verbal onslaught, though his gaze swept across the crowd with disdain.
None of the students who had just added fuel to the fire dared meet his eyes.
"Hmph! Cowards who bully the weak but cower before the strong!"
He mocked loudly.
Wang Dong descended and landed in front of Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao.
"Sorry, I rushed all the way here but was still a step late."
"No need to rush like that, I could've taken them all down myself!" Xiao Xiao said proudly, hands on her little waist. "I didn't even use a soul skill today!"
"As long as you're back." Huo Yuhao smiled.
"You look worn out from the journey, go wash up at the dorm. Today's assessment is already over."
The first day of the freshmen assessment only had one match, meant to help everyone adapt.
Tomorrow there would be two matches each in the morning and afternoon, four total.
On the third day, it would ramp up to five matches, culminating in the crowning of the freshman champion team.
Hearing this, Wang Dong nodded in agreement and was the first to fly back to the dorms.
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao remained at the edge of the stage, practicing Taichi while occasionally watching the freshmen battles.
---
On the teachers' viewing platform.
Zhou Yi and a few other teachers stood in small groups.
Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo occupied the center, while behind them Elder Xuan lounged in a recliner, gnawing on a chicken leg.
At this moment, their discussion revolved entirely around Huo Yuhao.
"That girl Xiao Xiao, the technique she used was Taichi. Dean Yan has been practicing it lately."
"I heard it's a martial art passed down from the Holy Flame Sect."
"Holy Flame Sect? What's that?"
"Your info is way behind. The body training methods used in PE classes now are just the outer sect methods of the Holy Flame Sect."
"What? I only just returned from a soul ring hunt last week, tell me more…"
As he listened, Yan Shaozhe glanced at Qian Duoduo and firmly shook his head.
"My little junior brother must be nurtured as a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department. There's no way he'll be handed over to your Soul Tool Department."
Qian Duoduo grew anxious.
"But Yuhao's spiritual attributes and soul skills make him the perfect material for a soul engineer! Not to mention, he fits the criteria for the Ultimate Soldier Program—we could cultivate him as the very core!"
"Your Martial Soul Department has to divide resources among so many people. I'm willing to devote the entire Soul Tool Department's resources to him!"
Yan Shaozhe sneered.
"And you think I'd let you swindle me right to my face?"
"My little junior brother is our teacher's final disciple. With that kind of backing, do you think he'd ever lack resources? Let alone with that person behind him…"
"Forget it. I'll never hand him over."
Qian Duoduo spun a gold soul coin rapidly between his fingers until it left afterimages, but he still couldn't think of a reason that would persuade Yan Shaozhe.
Finally, he turned to the back.
"Elder Xuan, what do you think?"
"Don't ask me. The Pavilion Master is Elder Mu. Go ask him."
Qian Duoduo clenched the coin in frustration, almost snapping.
"A talent like this—how can you…"
"How can you just let him waste…"
But then he froze. Something about the voice wasn't right.
He turned his head—
At the edge of the platform stood Mu En, immortal in bearing, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao practicing below.
His eyes brimmed with astonishment.
That simple set of movements… this so-called "boxing"... seemed to hold profound truths.
Qian Duoduo was overjoyed, rushing up to Mu En.
"Elder Mu, please judge for us! This Yuhao is a natural-born soul engineer! But Dean Yan is being obstinate…"
After a long complaint, he added:
"You must stand up for me!"
Yan Shaozhe stood silently at the side, not refuting a single word.
Because…
"I think Shaozhe is right." Mu En said calmly. "With that person's favor, Yuhao's future is already assured. He doesn't need to divide his focus."
Qian Duoduo nearly choked.
What? Because a demigod senior was backing him, soul tools were now considered a mere distraction?
This was… this was…
Hmm…
Come to think of it, he had never heard of a demigod soul tool.
Perhaps it really would be a bit shortsighted…
For the first time, Qian Duoduo doubted himself. Could it be that his persistence had been misguided all along?
---
[Changed Huo Yuhao's fate, -10,000 Fortune Points!]
In the middle of feeding Xiao Xiao a move, Huo Yuhao's body froze!
She instantly caught the flaw, her little head slamming into him.
Huo Yuhao reacted fast, pressing down on her forehead with one hand, springing backward with bent knees to disperse the force, landing lightly.
"Che~ you managed to counter even that?" Xiao Xiao pouted. "Again!"
"Not now, I have something to take care of." Huo Yuhao waved his hand.
"Fine, I'll practice alone."
"Mm."
With that, Huo Yuhao used his spiritual power to take flight, splitting his consciousness to enter the spiritual sea.
"Brother Lan, what's going on?"
Zhuge Lan gazed into the void, tracing the origin of the problem through fortune points.
"So that's it."
"Your recent performance has been too monstrous. Shrek's upper echelon has decided not to let you get distracted with soul tools."
"This is the age of soul engineers. With resources so abundant, why stick to cultivating only martial souls when dual cultivation is clearly superior?"
"Don't worry, the solution's simple. Later, you can request to study in the Soul Tool Department yourself. With your current ability to multitask, learning both will be easy."
Huo Yuhao let out a long breath.
He thought something major had happened.
But then a thought struck him. "Brother Lan, it sounds like you can actually see my future?"
Uh…
When did he get this sharp?
"Mm, I can see a little." Zhuge Lan replied vaguely. "But it's nothing useful to you. I'll handle it."
Huo Yuhao didn't press further, nodding.
"Alright. I'm going to find Wang Dong now. It's been a whole month since we last cultivated together. Tonight we must have a good, vigorous session of dual cultivation!"
He exited the spiritual sea immediately.
Zhuge Lan nodded in satisfaction.
That's the right attitude for holding on to a thigh.
Just then, Tianmeng Iceworm drifted closer, curious.
"What's the situation?"
Zhuge Lan explained briefly.
"So soul tools are that important?" Electrolux said in surprise.
"More precisely, the Ultimate Soldier Program is important to Yuhao," Zhuge Lan clarified. "Though Shrek's technology is behind, the idea is correct—cultivating an individual who can change the tide of battle alone. It doesn't conflict with martial souls; rather, it complements them. Even in the God Realm, such a path wouldn't fall behind."
After all, the Death God Cannon Tower Huo Yuhao created after becoming a god rivaled the power of a First-Level God.
The Transmission God Tower could even briefly freeze a God King! All of that was supplementary strength, not in conflict with his core.
"I see."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
"I can already train my body while using spiritual power to read books. I still feel like I have spare capacity."
"Then yes, adding soul tools into your studies shouldn't be a problem."
Having settled on a direction, Huo Yuhao sped back to the dorms. In his haste, he once again forgot to knock, directly pushing the door open.
"Click—"
___
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