"In order to withstand it, your soul power must've needed to reach at least rank 20; only then did it fully awaken. Now that it has, your body should be able to bear its load. I know that what I'm saying right now might sound inconceivable, but I think that this is the best way to explain your situation."
It might sound inconceivable? Huo Yuhao felt like his back had become drenched in cold sweat when he heard Teacher Wang's explanation. Teacher Wang was just too amazing… simply too amazing! His Ice Empress martial soul obviously hadn't appeared when he'd awoken his Spirit Eyes, but besides that, there hadn't been a single mistake in what Wang Yan had said! His martial soul truly was sentient!
Wang Yang took a deep breath. "Yuhao, let me give you a piece of advice. Even though you've become a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department, you're still someone who has an Ultimate martial soul. As such, the Martial Soul Department is the best place for you to study. Only in the Martial Soul Department will you be able to properly raise your Ultimate martial soul. To tell the truth, your innate talent is the highest I've ever seen. I never could've imagined that, not just twin martial souls, but both a Body Soul and an Ultimate martial soul could coexist inside of the same person."
"You aren't that strong right now. However, given enough time and assuming you continue to cultivate properly, your strength will continue increasing at an extremely fast pace. At the same time, your Spirit Eyes martial soul can still awaken twice! Heavens! I'm already incapable of imagining the heights you'll reach in the future. However, you'll have to pay close attention to your cultivation. An Ultimate element is extremely strong, but even an Ultimate martial soul has its disadvantages, which is related to the speed of your cultivation. According to the academy's records, the three ancestors who possessed the Ultimate element all felt their cultivation speeds drop dramatically once they reached Rank 30."
Huo Yuhao was startled. "A drop in cultivation speed? To what extent is this drop?"
"You don't need to worry," Wang Yang said with a faint smile, "even though your cultivation speed will drop by a large margin, a soul master with an Ultimate martial soul will still be much stronger than other soul masters of the same rank. Furthermore, a slower cultivation speed is definitely acceptable when it's for the sake of strengthening both your body and your Ultimate element. After all, it's not like you won't make any progress at all. Actually, progressing slowly isn't necessarily a bad thing for an Ultimate martial soul; you won't encounter any bottlenecks since you have an Ultimate element."
Once Huo Yuhao had finished listening to Wang Yan's explanation, he realized just how much of an advantage his martial soul granted him. Moreover, Wang Yan didn't know that he also had both a million year intelligent soul ring and a four hundred thousand year intelligent soul ring inside of his body.
Just like Wang Yan had said, Huo Yuhao was weak right now. At the same time however, his prospects were limitless.
"So, what do you think? You should seriously consider transferring to the Martial Soul Department. If you're willing to, I'll personally notify the Dean. He'll surely give you the position of a core disciple this time. Furthermore, I can assure you that, with your level of talent, you'll definitely advance to the inner courtyard."
Huo Yuhao furrowed his brows slightly. However, in the end, he shook his head. "Thank you, Teacher Wang. I appreciate your good intentions. However, when I was in a pinch, it was the Soul Tool Department that accepted me. Now that I've become a core disciple of that department, I can't go back on my word."
Wang Yan sighed. "The Martial Soul Department is also at fault for being so short-sighted! When you and Wang Dong placed first in the freshmen assessment, I went ahead and asked Elder Xuan to take another look at the two of you. However, they…" Wang Yan sighed again. "An Ultimate martial soul can't be wasted. Yuhao, even if decide to specialize in soul tools in the future, you absolutely can't neglect the cultivation of your martial soul. I'll do my best to convince the Martial Soul Department to help you obtain your future soul rings. You definitely must cultivate this Ultimate element of yours properly."
Huo Yuhao's eye sockets became somewhat read when he heard this. "Teacher Wang, I'll remain your disciple forever. You don't have to worry about me. I'll definitely cultivate diligently and live up to your expectations."
Wang Yan patted him on the shoulder and said, "You should head back to your dorm room and rest for now. The advancement test will continue for the rest of the day; there aren't any more classes today. I'll go and look for the Dean; he should've seen your performance just now as well. In fact, I bet he's already paying quite a bit of attention to you. However, you don't need to be in a hurry to choose. Dean Yan is always looking for people with outstanding talent. Now that he's found someone like you, there's no way that he'll give up on you."
"Hm." Huo Yuhao nodded, then turned to leave.
When he did so, a gentle voice suddenly echoed from all directions. "Teacher Wang, you live up to your reputation of being one of the most outstanding teachers in our Martial Soul Department. I have to thank you for all the work you've done for the academy. There's no need to look for me, as I've decided to come of my own volition. Please open the door."
This gentle voice was like a warm breeze; it was extremely pleasing to the ear. When he heard it, Huo Yuhao immediately felt his spiritual sea fluctuate slightly.
The Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion both simultaneously exclaimed from inside of Huo Yuhao's spirit sea, "This human is extremely powerful!"
Wang Yan became delighted when he heard these words, and immediately moved to open the door to his office. The person waiting outside was the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe.
Dean Yan had held a meeting with all of the core teachers when he'd returned to the inner courtyard. After a simple discussion, he'd left once again and had returned to the test area to look for Huo Yuhao as fast as he could. He then heard that he���d been led away by Wang Yan. When he'd learned this, he decided to come to place directly. With his cultivation, he could hear the sound made by flies and mosquitos flapping their wings from several kilometers away; listening in on the contents of Wang Yan's speech had been a piece of cake for him.
"Dean." Wang Yan greeted Yan Shaozhe respectfully. He admired Dean Yan from the bottom of his heart.
Yan Shaozhe smiled faintly. "Teacher Wang, I heard what you said. In my capacity as Dean, I thank you on behalf of the academy. You've done your best to convince this talented youth to enter our Martial Soul Department. No matter what, once Huo Yuhao and the others graduate from their class in the outer courtyard, you'll be allowed to teach in the inner courtyard. If I'm not mistaken, you've always wanted to read the books held within the secret library. Look for me when you've entered the inner courtyard. I'll give you clearance to enter the secret library."
Wang Yan was overjoyed. "Thank you, Dean. This is incredible! Really… this is just incredible!" If it weren't for the fact that Yan Shaozhe was there, he would've immediately begun to jump for joy. Becoming a teacher of the inner courtyard and being able to read books from the secret library… these were things that Wang Yan had always hoped for! He hadn't expected that his lifetime goal would be achieved just like this. How could he not be happy?
Yan Shaozhe stepped into Wang Yan's office. Once he had, the door to the office closed of its own accord.
Huo Yuhao, who was near Wang Yan, also hurried to greet him respectfully.
Yan Shaozhe arrived in front of Huo Yuhao and said with a faint smile, "Student Huo Yuhao, I came specifically to talk to you this time. First things first, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of the entire Martial Soul Department." Once he'd finished speaking, one of the true members of Shrek Academy—the majestic Dean who possessed an enormous amount of prestige within the world of soul masters—bowed slightly to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao couldn't stop him; he'd been in a daze from the moment that Yan Shaozhe had entered the room.
The moment that Yan Shaozhe had appeared, he'd already guessed that he'd come here for him, in the hopes that he'd enter the Martial Soul Department. Huo Yuhao had planned to reject his offer, but he hadn't expected Yan Shaozhe to use a trick like this.
Let alone Huo Yuhao, even the nearby Wang Yan had become so shocked that his mouth was wide open. He'd never seen Dean Yan bow to anyone.
There had once been a time when a king had come to visit the academy. Yet, this king had been the one to bow in front of Dean Shaozhe! This was because the king in question had studied at the academy once. Even though he hadn't been able to graduate from the outer courtyard and had been dismissed from the school, he'd still been full of respect for the academy. This was more than enough to show what level of authority the academy held.
And yet, Dean Yan Shaozhe, one of the two leaders of the academy, was currently bowing to a twelve-year-old second year student. If this matter were to be publicized, it would shock every single soul master on the continent.
After bowing, Yan Shaozhe straightened his back. He was still smiling like before, and didn't seem to be even the slightest bit embarrassed. He gently said, "Student Huo Yuhao, because of our negligence, the Martial Soul Department nearly lost someone as talented as you. I sincerely apologize for this. The blame rests with us; we were unable to properly assess your skills. We almost lost an outstanding student."
Huo Yuhao was only able to react now: His small face had become entirely red, and gestured again and again. However, he couldn't say anything.
The difference between him and Yan Shaozhe was comparable to that of heaven and earth. Yan Shaozhe had unexpectedly bowed to him; this alone had left him dumbfounded! His mind had been thrown into confusion, thus he didn't know how to reply. He had already forgotten the words he'd prepared in order to refuse his offer.
Yan Shaozhe continued, "I saw your martial soul today. When you used your soul skill, your martial soul also manifested itself. If I'm not mistake, it should be an Ice Jade Scorpion, right? An Ultimate martial soul of the ice element. I know that you've already become a disciple of the Soul Tool Department. However, this isn't a problem. I can go and have a talk with their department. If you were to specialize in soul tools whilst being the owner of an Ultimate martial soul… I can only say that it would be a huge waste. I dare say that, throughout the entirety Douluo Continent, the only soul masters capable of providing the proper guidance to someone with an Ultimate martial soul are those of our Martial Soul Department. If you're willing, from today onwards you'll become a disciple of the inner courtyard of the Martial Soul Department. I'll teach you personally, and will become your academic advisor. Given your innate talent… even with your cultivation speed slowed by your Ultimate martial soul, I'm confident that you'll become a Titled Douluo in less than 40 years under my tutelage. A Titled Douluo with an Ultimate martial soul, do you know what that means?"
Huo Yuhao unconsciously shook his head.
Yan Shaozhe smiled faintly. Then, he continued in a firm tone, "It means that you'd be invincible and unmatched in the world."
These words spoken by Yan Shaozhe were like a bomb. Huo Yuhao's body swayed, and he had to take a step back. Luckily, his will was much stronger than that of the average person's. If it weren't, he might've fallen down, which would've caused him to lose a large amount of face.
Yan Shaozhe said, "Soul Tools have been rapidly developing during these past few years. However, the power of soul masters still lies deep within ourselves. If you like soul tools, it'd be fine for you to try them out when you reach the rank of a Titled Douluo in the future. I hope that you'll think about this carefully and won't let this chance slip by. If you're willing to join our Martial Soul Department you'll receive a large amount of resources from the inner courtyard. At the same time, I can pledge three things to you, to compensate for our past misjudgement."
"The first is regarding Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. Wang Dong can fully utilise your fusion skill, and has worked together with you this entire time. Xiao Xiao has also worked together with you, and is also a soul master who possesses twin martial souls. I can guarantee that they'll definitely become inner courtyard disciples of the Martial Soul Department like you in the future. You need to realize that core disciples and inner courtyard disciples are entirely different. Not all core disciples can definitely enter the inner courtyard. Furthermore, you'd get more resources from the academy if you become an inner courtyard disciple ahead of time."
"Secondly, with my position as Dean of the Martial Soul Department, I can assure you that the academy will do everything in its power to give you a complete set of soul bones. I'll do my best to give you soul bones of the highest quality to ensure that you have the highest possible fusion rate with the soul bones. I can also guarantee that there will be at least one soul bone from a hundred thousand year old soul beast included within this set.
Thirdly, I can guarantee that you'll be given a hundred thousand year old soul ring, at the very least."
Wang Yan became dumbfounded when he heard everything that Yan Shaozhe had to say. His first reaction to the Dean's proposal was that the Dean had gone crazy…
Even though Shrek Academy was extraordinarily wealthy, the three things that Yan Shaozhe had promised Huo Yuhao were all similarly extraordinary things! A hundred thousand year soul ring and a hundred thousand year soul bone meant that the powerhouses from Shrek Academy would have to set out to kill a hundred thousand year soul beast just for Huo Yuhao! These rewards were unprecedented in the history of the academy. Not to mention the fact that Yan Shaozhe had added a complete set of soul bones to the deal!
Yan Shaozhe was especially cunning however, as he'd also proposed letting Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao enter the inner courtyard together with Huo Yuhao. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were both Huo Yuhao's best friends. With this condition present, Yan Shozhe was certain that Huo Yuhao wouldn't reject him without a good reason.
If it wasn't for the competition with the Soul Tool Department, or if the Martial Soul Department had discovered the talent known as Huo Yuhao earlier on, Yan Shaozhe wouldn't have had to promise such things so early on, even if he'd wanted to go all out and snatch him over. However, things were different now; Huo Yuhao had already become a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department, and one of Fan Yu's personal disciple. Yan Shaozhe thus understood that he needed to present real benefits if he truly wanted Huo Yuhao to change his mind. More importantly, he needed to carry out his overt plot to steal Huo Yuhao over to their side in a just and honorable manner so the Soul Tool Department wouldn't be able to say anything.
The Soul Tool Department might be wealthy, but could they find a top-ranked soul bone? Could the Soul Tool Department help Huo Yuhao hunt down a hundred thousand year soul beast? It was evident that both of these things would be impossible to them!
Yan Shaozhe had returned to the inner courtyard before he'd come over and had had a discussion with a few of the teachers in charge of the core disciples. In the end, they'd decided that they definitely had to keep Huo Yuhao in the Martial Soul Department, no matter the cost.
If someone were to ask him if Huo Yuhao was worth this incredible cost, Yan Shaozhe's answer would be that he definitely was.
That's right, the Martial Soul Department was going to huge lengths just for the sake of obtaining Huo Yuhao. However, when Huo Yuhao became an adult, Shrek Academy's position as number one on the continent would definitely be solidified for at least the next three hundred years with him around.
It was normal for a person who'd cultivated to the rank of a Titled Douluo to live for three, or even five hundred years. Furthermore, there was already considerable veiled criticism towards Shrek Academy circulating due to their influence. These criticisms had reached both the Sun Moon Empire, and even the three original empires of the Douluo Continent. This was evident due to the fact that the three empires no longer sent children from the royal family to Shrek Academy to study.
Yan Shaozhe saw the potential in Huo Yuhao. There was a possibility that he would become a powerful leader in Shrek Academy in the future. Huo Yuhao wouldn't necessarily remain in Shrek Academy, but so long as he was able to nurture him into a formidable powerhouse, Shrek Academy would definitely be able to stand tall in the face of any adversity it faced.
What could their investment now amount to, when faced with a few hundred years of honor for Shrek Academy? Besides, an academy was an institution where students were taught; a place that sought out talented individuals. Was it truly that easy to come across an Ultimate martial soul? This encounter was a first for both Wang Yan and Yan Shaozhe!
That didn't mean that his Ultimate martial soul was definitely the strongest martial soul currently, but it did mean that it had the possibility to at least become one of the strongest. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao possessed twin martial souls.
These elements combined were enough for Yan Shaozhe to come to his current decision. Hence, he'd gone to look for Huo Yuhao at the first possible moment.
When he heard what Yan Shaozhe had to say, Huo Yuhao didn't know how to reply—the weight of his words were just too much to bear. No matter how smart or calm he was, Huo Yuhao was still a twelve-year-old child. As the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, Yan Shaozhe's aura was just too powerful. For a moment, Huo Yuhao actually felt a little bit speechless.
At that moment, a hurried shout suddenly rang out. It was so sudden that both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong trembled in shock.
"Yan Shaozhe, have you no shame?"
"Bang——" Someone forcibly pushed the office door open. Qian Duoduo immediately took large strides into the room with a furious look on his face, Fan Yu trailing closely behind him.
Yan Shaozhe had been observing the advancement test, but had left once he'd given Huo Yuhao a perfect score on his test. Zhou Yi had felt that something was amiss when Wang Yan pulled Huo Yuhao away afterwards. Thus, while the test was still going on, she'd written a note for Wang Dong to give to Fan Yu.
When Fan Yu saw the note, he immediately knew what was going on. For what reason had Yan Shaozhe personally observed the advancement test? It was undoubtedly for Huo Yuhao's sake! When his thought process had reached this point, he hadn't dared waste another second; he immediately began searching for Qian Duoduo.
Actually, they had already arrived a few minutes ago. Yan Shaozhe had also realized this when was standing inside of the room. As such, it was only natural that they'd heard what Yan Shaozhe had said a moment ago. A flurry of verbal abuse rapidly left Qian Duoduo's mouth as both anger and shock intermingled inside of him.
Yan Shaozhe smiled and replied, "Old Qian, how'd you manage to get enough free time to come over to the Martial Soul Department's office building?"
Qian Duoduo exasperatedly said, "Yan Shaozhe, do you still want your face? Ah? What did we agree on? You promised to give Huo Yuhao to the Soul Tool Department—for him to be a core disciple. This is what was agreed upon when I won the bet at that time!"
Yan Shaozhe replied, "Indeed, I did promise that. However, even I am human, and humans will always have times where they make mistakes, right? There's an old saying: 'One can only reform oneself after recognising one's mistakes.'. Am I not correcting my mistakes right now?"
Qian Duoduo became furious. "Rubbish! Are you saying that you can shove shit back inside after you've excreted it?! If you dare to steal him from me, I'll have to fight you."
Yan Shaozhe expression remained beaming as he replied, "You wanna fight?! Sure! We fought a lot when we were younger. Now that we're old… it really has been a long time since we've learned fighting techniques from each other! Sure, let's go and find a place to fight at. If I win, Huo Yuhao stays inside of my Martial Soul Department, and you can't fight me over him anymore."
Qian Duoduo almost fainted from anger. "Yan Shaozhe, I've met shameless people. However, I've never seen you behave so shamelessly before. You don't keep your word. You're shameless!"
Yan Shaozhe felt like he'd been wrongly accused, and it showed on his face. "I didn't keep my word? How so? How am I shameless too? I did what I promised you! Huo Yuhao is already a core disciple of your Soul Tool Department. I didn't stop that from happening, right? I'm only proposing something to him now. If he chooses to abandon the Soul Tool Department and return to the Martial Soul Department, then I'll naturally need to welcome him back wholeheartedly. This isn't about me not keeping my word. Yuhao, you should make your decision soon. I can tell you with utmost certainty that the Soul Tool Department can't achieve all of these promises that I've made to you. One can't just kill a hundred thousand year soul beast just because they say they can. If you're not a Titled Douluo ranked 95 and above, it's definitely impossible for you to kill a hundred thousand year soul beast. However, it just so happens that I've cultivated to rank 95. You'll understand what I mean by this when I give you an example. If I were to swap pointers with the vice-dean of the Soul Tool Department, this Qian Duoduo standing before you wouldn't stand a chance against me, even if I were to let him make the first move in a one-on-one battle. He's also a Titled Douluo like me. You can ask him whether or not he has the ability to kill a hundred thousand year soul beast yourself."
Qian Duoduo felt like his lungs were going to explode. Yan Shaozhe had always overpowered, ever since they were young. This fact had remained true this time around too. However, he truly wouldn't be Yan Shaozhe's opponent if they ended up fighting. Even though Yan Shaozhe's words were harsh, he'd only spoken the truth. However, Qian Duoduo became even angrier than before because of this. It had never occurred to him that Yan Shaozhe would personally look for Huo Yuhao, nor that he would pledge so many conditions in order to steal Huo Yuhao away from him.
However, he couldn't argue with Yan Shaozhe, thus he turned towards Huo Yuhao. "Huo Yuhao, you're already a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department, as well as Fan Yu's direct disciple. Fan Yu will be the Dean of the Soul Tool Department in the future. You're also extremely talented at making soul tools. You're well aware of how the Soul Tool Department treats you. As such, I hope that you'll consider this matter carefully."
Consider? Consider what? Huo Yuhao's mind had become a sticky mess; he'd lost all of his ability to think.
The honorable Dean of the Martial Soul Department stood on one side, while the vice-dean of the Soul Tool Department stood on the other. Both of them were Titled Douluo powerhouses, with Dean Yan Shaozhe being a Transcendent Titled Douluo who's soul power was rank 95. Huo Yuhao was only a student! What could he even say in such a situation? He wouldn't dare to offend either party!
Fan Yu looked towards Huo Yuhao and saw that he had become completely flushed and couldn't say a word. He immediately rushed to Huo Yuhao's side and patted him on the shoulder in a comforting manner. He then said, "Deans, you shouldn't bother Yuhao anymore. Dean Yan, you're truly the one in the wrong regarding this matter; Yuhao has already become a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department. In order to maintain the unity of both departments, please let sleeping dogs lie."
Yan Shaozhe's attitude changed as he faced Fan Yu. He said indifferently, "Fan Yu, you should already know that Huo Yuhao has an Ultimate element. Do you think your Soul Tool Department can nurture an Ultimate element better than our Martial Soul Department? Do you know what an Ultimate soul master means to our academy? During the past ten thousand years, our Shrek Academy has become the continent's number one academy by taking one step at a time. Other than the extreme leap we experienced under the leadership of Ancestor Tang San and the original Shrek's Seven Monsters, our academy has had three glorious batches. Those three batches were all created through the leadership of an Ultimate Douluo. This was how we solidified our status. Thus, Huo Yuhao's Ultimate element has great significance to us. Under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't have used a method like this to request that he return to the Martial Soul Department. However, this matter is no longer negotiable. I'd rather not be so thick-skinned but we have to make him stay in the Martial Soul Department for the sake of the academy's glory."
Fan Yu tightly furrowed his brows. He didn't think that Yan Shaozhe would be this stubborn and troublesome.
"Yan Shaozhe, shouldn't you ask me first before stealing one of my students?" A clear and melodious voice rang out as another person walked into the room, making Wang Yan's office much more congested.
The rage on Qian Duoduo's face immediately dissipated the moment he saw this person. "Lin'er, I'm glad you finally came. Otherwise, I'd die from anger due to this old bastard."
The newcomer was a woman, about 1.7m tall. She looked like she was in her early fifties. Her skin was white, her black hair was neatly bundled up, and her gilded clothes made her look extremely experienced. Though she was aged, one could still tell that she was definitely an absolute beauty in her youth.
Fan Yu bent down to Huo Yuhao's ear and whispered, "This is our Dean, Xian Lin'er."
Huo Yuhao had calmed down much more with Fan Yu by his side. He knew that remaining silent at this moment was for the best. When the gods were fighting, it was better for a lowly student like him to stay out of the way.
Yan Shaozhe furrowed his brows upon seeing Xian Lin'er, "Lin'er, you're…"
Xian Lin'er said icily, "When we were young, you never kept your word. Now that we're over eighty years old, you're still the same. You're bullying my men to their breaking point. Didn't you say that you were very good at fighting? Come on, I'll duel you right now. Let's go to the Soul Duelling Arena."
Yan Shaozhe, who previously had a clear advantage over Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu, had an embarrassed look on his face now. "Lin'er," he said, "why are you doing this? I truly regret what I've done regarding this matter. However, you should understand what an Ultimate soul master means for the future of our academy. This isn't something that a simple bet can change. I've already talked it over with the teachers from the inner courtyard; Huo Yuhao must stay in my Martial Soul Department."
Xian Lin'er said icily, "And what are you relying on in order to pull this off? Is it just because your Martial Soul Department is the top-ranked one in the continent? Does that mean that our Soul Tool Department has to give you our core disciples? How do you know that this child won't become someone outstanding by staying in our Soul Tool Department? I admit that what you've said isn't wrong; if your Martial Soul Department nurtures him well, it's very likely that he'll become your department's future pillar, and in turn will allow you to maintain your position as the number one martial soul department on the continent. However, you haven't thought about what happens if our Soul Tool Department manages to nurture him well, he might be able to bring our Soul Tool Department to the number one spot in the entire continent, allowing us to be free from the suppression of the Sun Moon Empire? I've explicitly stated that you won't be able to snatch any student from my department. You don't need to force this child either; he belongs to my Soul Tool Department. You were talking about a hundred thousand year soul beast? When the time comes, I'll help him hunt one. If worst comes to worst, I'll just hand my life over to the Great Star Dou Forest. Then, I'll have been forced to death by you."
Qian Duoduo's expression became somewhat strange. He was slightly embarrassed and yet not. However, the anger on his face had completely vanished.
This time around, Yan Shaozhe's face alternated betweens shades green and white. He had a myriad of forms of sophistry, yet he couldn't use any of them in front of Xian Lin'er. He had a guilty conscience regarding her, due to certain things he'd done during his youth. However, an Ultimate twin-souled soul master was something that might not even occur once in a millennium for the Martial Soul Department. Thus, as the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, he couldn't simply give up because of his personal feelings.
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath. "Lin'er, here's how I see it. This matter has already reached the point where we can't settle it through a simple conversation. Why don't we decide it with a meeting in the Sea God's Pavilion? What do you think?"
Xian Lin'er didn't hesitate to reply, "Fine. A meeting at the Sea God's Pavilion it is. I'm just afraid that you won't show up. No matter what way you word it, our side's more logical. Come, we'll go and gather the elders from the Hall of Consecration and start the meeting. I want to see how why you think you can steal my student."
Yan Shaozhe furrowed his brows tightly, then turned to Huo Yuhao and revealed a warm smile. "Huo Yuhao, this matter is also related to your own interests. You should consider it carefully. As for us, we'll have to discuss the matter first." With that, he turned around and left.
Xian Lin'er's expression turned grave as she turned to face Huo Yuhao. "Child, ignore him. You don't need to pay this matter too much attention. Continue to cultivate diligently; the academy will make everything clear soon." With that, she left as well. Qian Duoduo hurriedly chased after her, leaving Fan Yu and Wang Yan in the office.
Wang Yan was somewhat speechless. "It seems that this matter's gotten noisy. Aih…"
Fan Yu patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "Yuhao, head back and rest first. Dean Xian's right; you don't need to worry too much about this matter, nor should you feel any mental burdens over it. No matter what the Academy decides, in the end, it won't be a bad thing for you. Work hard and continue cultivating. Increasing your cultivation is the most important thing for you right now."
Once the Deans had left, the pressure that Huo Yuhao felt in his heart lessened by a large amount. He hurriedly nodded and replied, "Yes, teacher." The smartest thing he'd done throughout the situation was to not show where he stood on the matter. Though his heart was naturally inclined towards the Soul Tool Department, it would be a lie if he said that Wang Yan and Dean Yan Shaozhe's words hadn't moved him.
The thing that had moved him most hadn't been Yan Shaozhe's promises, as he already had two extremely powerful and intelligent soul rings. He wasn't worried about his chances of obtaining powerful soul rings and soul bones in the future either. What Wang Yan had said about the Martial Soul Department being best qualified to teach a student with an Ultimate martial soul, however, had moved him. Furthermore, Yan Shaozhe had apologised to him with his status as a Dean, and had even promised to allow Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao to directly enter the inner courtyard. Even if he didn't think about himself, it wasn't as if he could simply not care for his companions. For him to make such a decision right now was simply too difficult for him. As such, he'd simply decided to remain silent and allow the academy to make the decision for him. He'd already thought it through; no matter what the academy's final decision was, he'd fully comply with it. In the deepest recesses of his heart however, he didn't truly wish to give up on either side, nor was he able to.
When left the faculty building, he saw Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao waiting for him. They immediately rushed over to him the instant they saw him.
Wang Dong spoke in a low voice, "What's the situation? What did Teacher Wang call you over for?"
Huo Yuhao didn't conceal anything in front of them. He recounted the events that had occurred in Teacher Wang Yan's office. Both Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's eyes went wide when they heard that the three Deans had fought over him.
Wang Dong was astonished as he said, "Truly capable! You've become so popular so quickly. Dean Yan seems really sincere, too! However, the Soul Tool Department's treated you well. What do you think?"
Huo Yuhao smiled bitterly. "What's there to think about? There's nothing I can change; I'm merely a student. Do you really think that I get to decide anything? I'll just comply with the academy's arrangements. Dean Yan, Dean Xian, and Dean Qian have all left to have a meeting. I reckon that they'll have a result shortly. However… I'd prefer to not give up on either side."
Xiao Xiao was somewhat worried. "Wouldn't you not get anything good from both parties then? Yuhao, you don't have to worry about us. I'm confident that I'll be able to enter the inner courtyard with my own hard work. It's fine if you make your own choice."
Huo Yuhao was greatly moved when he heard her words. He looked at her small, pretty face and sincerely said, "Thanks, Xiao Xiao."
Wang Dong's expression tensed up, but then quickly relaxed. "Let's head back first. You're right, it'd be best for the academy to make the decision."
Huo Yuhao suddenly asked, "Right, Xiao Xiao. How'd you do in your test?"
Xiao Xiao giggled. "110 marks. I'm a control-type soul master, and I also chose a thousand year soul beast. Even though the soul beast and I fought for quite a while, it couldn't do anything to me until my soul power had been fully drained. The judges gave me a high score when they saw this."
Wang Dong said, "Right, that Dai Huabin lost to us again. When will we settle our bet?"
Wang Dong truly wasn't in the mood to deal with Dai Huabin. Furthermore, he felt somewhat regretful. If it hadn't been for their bet, he wouldn't have had to reveal his abilities during their advancement test. If not for that, he naturally wouldn't have to deal with the predicament he was currently in.
"We'll ignore him for now," Huo Yuhao replied, "let's just head back to our dorm rooms and wait for the academy's decision. It'd be best to simply be a bit more obedient for the time being."
Wang Dong nodded. "That's that then. Let's head back and cultivate."
"It's rare for you to be this diligent!" Huo Yuhao replied jokingly.
Wang Dong snorted. "How could I not feel endangered now that you've become so popular? Speaking of which, that Ultimate martial soul of yours is really magical. Even a thousand year soul beast was scared to the point that it tried to flee from it."
Huo Yuhao replied, "I was simply relying on my elemental advantage. If it were a true 1v1, you and Dai Huabin are much stronger than I am. I'm definitely not a match for you guys. Right, Xiao Xiao, what soul rank are you at now?"
Xiao Xiao said, "I'm at Rank 28 now! I reckon that I��ll be able to reach Rank 30 by the end of the year." When she'd first entered the academy, her soul rank had been at around Wang Dong's level. However, she didn't have the Haodong Power that Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had. As such, the difference in their cultivation speed was apparent now.
"Let's head back," Huo Yuhao said "the most important thing we have to do right now is to work hard and increase our strength. We'll be considered to have established ourselves in the academy once we become disciples of the inner courtyard."
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Sea God's Island.
Sea God's Island had several buildings on it, but one among them was unquestionably the tallest and grandest. This building was the Sea God's Pavilion, situated in the heart of the island.
Sea God's Pavilion was six floors tall, and every floor was more than ten meters high, which resulted in an extremely grand structure. In turn, the mist that pervaded the island year-round made it so that Shrek Academy's outer courtyard was unable to see it clearly.
Sea God's Pavilion was the most important place within Shrek Academy, as the Hall of Consecration was located within it. The secret library that Yan Shaozhe had spoken to Wang Yan about was also located here. There were also a few secrets not known to anyone located here as well. Thus, there was no lack of extremely valuable treasures here.