"Uh… about the same."
Jin Peng said with a hint of embarrassment. He then explained in detail to Du Bu Shi everything that had happened when he first encountered Yuhao, from the initial conflict to Yuhao's performance afterward.
When Du Bu Shi heard that Yuhao was not only a twin martial soul master, but that one of his martial souls possessed the ultimate attribute—Ice, specifically the Ice Jade Scorpion lineage, his eyes instantly lit up. He waved his hand decisively and said:
"Alright. From today onward, you will be the Young Sect Master of my Noumenon Sect."
As soon as those words were spoken, not to mention Jin Peng—even Yuhao himself was completely stunned.
What was going on?
He had only asked casually, yet the Sect Master of the Noumenon Sect had actually agreed so directly?
It seemed that Du Bu Shi, known as Poison Immortal, was even more unconventional than he had imagined.
Jin Peng quickly came back to his senses and spoke repeatedly:
"Sect Master, shouldn't we reconsider this? After all, Long Aotian's talent is not weak, and Yuhao has only just joined the sect."
In terms of talent, Yuhao was unquestionably the most outstanding among the Noumenon Sect's younger generation. Even Long Aotian, and perhaps even Du Bu Shi himself in his youth, could not compare.
However, the fact remained that Yuhao had joined the Noumenon Sect for only a few days.
Du Bu Shi did not care in the slightest. He waved his hand dismissively and looked directly at Yuhao.
"Yuhao, you haven't acknowledged your teacher yet."
A strange expression appeared on Yuhao's face. The man standing before him was the Sect Master of the Noumenon Sect, a level 98 Super Douluo. With a Noumenon Martial Soul, his actual combat strength was even more terrifying than that of Elder Xuan.
If he were to acknowledge such a person as his teacher, it would bring nothing but benefits.
Still, this was their first meeting. Yuhao could not bring himself to kneel and perform a grand ceremony. He only bowed slightly and said calmly:
"Teacher."
Du Bu Shi, who had always been informal and unrestrained, burst into laughter and directly accepted Yuhao as his closed-door disciple.
He then called someone over and instructed them to take Yuhao away. A room had already been prepared for him to stay in.
After Yuhao left, Jin Peng still looked confused and asked:
"Sect Master, accepting Yuhao as your disciple is one thing, but isn't it too rash to directly appoint him as the Young Sect Master?"
Jin Peng and Du Bu Shi had known each other for many years, so he spoke frankly.
Accepting a disciple was Du Bu Shi's personal matter, but the position of Young Sect Master concerned the future of the entire sect.
Even as Sect Master, Du Bu Shi could not make such a decision lightly.
Du Bu Shi smiled faintly. "Old Jin, I understand your concern. Take a look at this."
As he spoke, Du Bu Shi took out a sheet of white paper. On it was Yuhao's portrait and several lines of detailed information.
"Hm? Yuhao is actually from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion of the Star Luo Empire…"
After only a few glances, Jin Peng understood Yuhao's background completely. His worries instantly dissipated. It was clear that Yuhao could not possibly be a spy sent by another force.
Besides, Yuhao was only twelve years old and already possessed such heaven-defying talent. What kind of fool would send such a genius as a disposable spy?
"Yuhao has suffered hardship since childhood and was looked down upon by others. His mother, the only person he relied on, passed away early. This shaped his introverted, bitter, and guarded personality."
Du Bu Shi analyzed calmly, while Jin Peng nodded continuously.
"And children like this long most for genuine care and recognition. As long as our Noumenon Sect treats him sincerely, he will never harbor disloyal thoughts. After all, he is still only twelve."
It had to be said—Poison Immortal truly lived up to his reputation. With only a few words, he had thoroughly dissected Yuhao's character.
This was indeed the truth. In the original timeline, Yuhao had joined Shrek Academy early and received guidance and care from Zhou Yi, Fan Yu, and others. Even when faced with unfair treatment, he still devoted himself wholeheartedly to Shrek.
Later, even when the Noumenon Sect came to recruit him with overwhelming sincerity, he never left.
Mu En had seen this clearly, which was why he hypocritically said things like, "If you are willing to join the Noumenon Sect, I will not stop you."
Unfortunately, the Yuhao of today was no longer the original Huo Yuhao.
Even so, Yuhao would never do something like repaying kindness with hostility.
After listening to Du Bu Shi's words, Jin Peng showed a look of admiration. He gave a thumbs-up and said:
"Impressive, truly impressive. Sect Master, I always thought you relied solely on strength to sit in this position. I didn't expect you to be this sharp-minded."
"Of course—wait a minute! Old Jin, what exactly do you mean by that? Explain yourself clearly!"
Du Bu Shi was still feeling proud when he realized Jin Peng had already left the room with a grin.
...
On the other side, Yuhao was arranged into a single dormitory. The room was only a few dozen square meters, but it was fully furnished and located in an excellent area. Yuhao was extremely satisfied.
At this moment, the Ice Emperor's voice sounded within his sea of consciousness.
"Yuhao, that human just now was incredibly strong. Even at my peak, I could only barely contend with him."
"Ice Empress, I don't think you would necessarily win against him."
Before Yuhao could finish, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's voice chimed in at the wrong time.
This immediately provoked the Ice Emperor's anger.
"If you don't speak, no one will treat you as mute."
After being scolded, Tianmeng did not dare to say another word, only cursing silently in his heart.
Looking at these two eternal enemies, Yuhao could not help but smile.
"That man's name is Du Bu Shi. He is level ninety-eight, and his martial soul is his own body. In terms of combat power, he can definitely be considered among the strongest on the entire continent."
"So that's why."
The Ice Emperor nodded slightly, then asked:
"Yuhao, after acknowledging Du Bu Shi as your teacher, what do you plan to learn from him?"
"A lot."
Yuhao grinned. The Noumenon Sect not only possessed the most profound research into Noumenon Martial Souls on the continent, but also mastered powerful qi-and-blood cultivation methods and various close-combat techniques.
All of this would greatly enhance Yuhao's three martial souls: Spiritual Eyes, Ice Emperor Dragon Scorpion, and the dormant Golden Dragon King power.
This was precisely why Yuhao believed that the Noumenon Sect suited him far better than Shrek Academy.
...
For the next three days, Yuhao remained in his dormitory cultivating.
It was not that the Noumenon Sect restricted his freedom—he simply had no desire to go out.
Du Bu Shi and the others also seemed to have forgotten about their newly accepted disciple, as none of them appeared during this period.
However, his daily meals were lavish, filled with nourishing delicacies and medicinal dishes.
Yuhao was not anxious. He knew that with his talent, Du Bu Shi would never truly ignore him.
Sure enough, just as Yuhao finished cultivating on the third day, a voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
"Yuhao, come to the martial training ground."
It was Du Bu Shi's voice.
A sharp light flashed through Yuhao's eyes. He immediately stood up and left the dormitory.
Before long, Yuhao arrived at the martial training ground.
Many teenage boys and girls were present, either tempering their physical strength or sparring fiercely.
At the center of the training ground stood an old man with green hair.
Poison Immortal—Du Bu Shi.