"Huabin, you're awake?"
Dai Huabin slowly opened his eyes, but the searing pain in his head made him clench his fists tightly and grit his teeth, though he didn't make a sound.
He tried to sit up abruptly, but the teacher in charge of his medical care held him down.
"You need to rest right now due to your current condition. You can't return to class for the time being. Wait until tonight, when you feel more stable, and then you can sit up to eat something. For now, you need to lie down."
Dai Huabin nodded, recalling everything that had happened before he fainted. His eyes flashed with anger and hatred.
Among the four first-year classes, Class One was the strongest, specializing in training control system and assault system battle soul masters.
Now, he had been kicked out of Class One by Huo Yuhao in the most humiliating way possible. Where else could he go? Only to Class Two.
But Class Two trained defense system and agility system battle soul masters! What could he possibly learn there?
Moreover, as the son of the White Tiger Duke, he had lost so miserably in front of everyone. He had even disparaged Huo Yuhao's abilities behind his back, only to be easily defeated and humiliated by him.
If it weren't for his status as a core disciple, Dai Huabin would have had no face to stay at Shrek Academy. He clenched his fists in hatred, but his vision was still spinning from the soul impact he received from Huo Yuhao.
"Hua Bin, what should we do?"
Zhu Lu was now a bit panicked. As an agility system soul master, she was supposed to be in Class Two, but because she and Dai Huabin had a martial soul fusion skill, she had been specially admitted to Class One.
However, now they had both been kicked out of Class One due to the bet, and she couldn't swallow this indignity.
She was as proud as Dai Huabin!
But this was Shrek Academy, the number one academy on the continent! Even the White Tiger Duke Dai Hao would have to bow before the statues of the original Shrek Seven Monsters. What could they do to Huo Yuhao?
Furthermore, Ning Tian of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect openly supported Huo Yuhao. With the backing of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, even the White Tiger Duke's mansion had to think twice.
Even though the strength of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had declined, their financial power was still formidable!
If pushed to the limit, they could secretly hire a few evil soul master assassins to eliminate him.
Dai Huabin gritted his teeth and said to Zhu Lu, "Let's follow the academy's arrangements for now, but I'll remember this humiliation. I'll train hard before the upgrade exam and defeat Huo Yuhao to wash away our disgrace!"
Time flew by, and eight months passed swiftly.
Huo Yuhao, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng were nearing the end of their first academic year at Shrek Academy, and the holiday was approaching.
During these eight months, Huo Yuhao had become a household name at Shrek Academy. Not for any other reason, but because he was tough!
In the first month, he collected protection fees from the second- and third-year male students' dormitory, challenging anyone who disagreed to fight him in the soul battle arena.
Eighteen students faced him, and only three managed to limp off the stage; the rest were all knocked out, and Huo Yuhao took their protection fees.
Using this method, he earned a total of 100,000 gold soul coins in just one month!
When someone reported this to the academy's higher-ups, Du Weilun dismissed it, saying, "If you don't dare to cause trouble, you're mediocre."
In the second month, Huo Yuhao snuck into the restricted section of the library at night, read all night, and left his name on the desk.
But when the librarian reported this, Yan Shaozhe approved full access to all restricted books in the outer court for Huo Yuhao.
In the third month, Huo Yuhao brazenly entered the inner court and requested to see Ma Xiaotao by name.
When this was reported to Elder Xuan, he issued Huo Yuhao a pass to the inner court while munching on a chicken leg.
Thus, Huo Yuhao became the only student allowed in the inner court without being an inner court member.
By the fourth month,
By the fifth month,
Up until the eighth month, Huo Yuhao had broken almost all the academy rules. Any other teacher would have expelled him long ago, but Huo Yuhao not only wasn't expelled, he gained numerous privileges, becoming Shrek Academy's Supreme VIP student.
Seeing this, he gave up the idea of getting expelled from Shrek Academy. It was clear that the Sea God Pavilion was determined to have him study in the outer court for three full years.
He couldn't do anything too outrageous, like breaking into the girls' dormitory or pulling a prank to chase Dai Huabin around.
Such actions would indeed get him expelled, but they would also ruin his reputation.
As the holiday approached, not only Huo Yuhao, but even the teachers at Shrek Academy breathed a sigh of relief.
This troublemaker was finally leaving, and they could have some peace.
Shrek Academy's holidays lasted for a month. However, this month wasn't for relaxing or sightseeing but for students to consolidate what they had learned in the past eleven months and train hard.
After the one-month break came the upgrade exams. Those who couldn't pass the exams would be directly expelled from Shrek Academy.
Therefore, the holiday period was actually the most intense time for most students.
Huo Yuhao had just turned twelve. Compared to a year ago when he first entered the academy, he had grown much taller.
However, his body no longer had the same sharpness but instead showed a refined, natural strength. His muscles were well-defined and flexible, and his gaze carried an aura that could captivate people.
Today's weather was quite bad. Fine rain fell continuously, bringing a chill even in late spring. However, Huo Yuhao radiated a heat that repelled all the rain.
"Ning Tian, Wu Feng, over here."
Huo Yuhao waved at the two not far away. Ning Tian and Wu Feng shared an umbrella as they walked towards him.
"We're here to see you before we part ways the day after tomorrow. Are you leaving?"
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. "Yes, I've packed my things. What, are you going to miss me?"
Wu Feng snorted, "Don't flatter yourself. Who would miss you?"
Ning Tian smiled calmly and said, "By the way, the sect asked me to thank you for giving me the soul bone from the freshman assessment and for giving Wu Feng a soul bone too. Soul bones are precious treasures in the soul master world. Our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect won't offer you any rewards, but if you ever encounter difficulties, you can seek our help, and we will do everything we can to assist."
"It's nothing. We're teammates; there's no need to be so formal," Huo Yuhao waved it off.
After returning to Shrek Academy from the Body Sect, Du Weilun had given Huo Yuhao's team three soul bones as a reward.
But unlike in the original story, these were not ordinary soul bones but a rare ten-thousand-year head bone, named the Soul Technique Amplification Head Bone.
This soul bone was intended to attract Huo Yuhao, as even the Body Sect couldn't criticize a reward for winning the freshman assessment.
However, Huo Yuhao, who had no intention of getting entangled with Shrek Academy and wasn't interested in the soul bone, generously gave it to Ning Tian.
He also gave Wu Feng a fire-attribute Explosive Burning Left Arm Bone, keeping an ice-attribute soul bone for himself to use in alchemy.
These actions not only strengthened his bond with Ning Tian and Wu Feng but also earned him the friendship of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Tian asked, "Have you contacted Director Du? Has the Martial Soul Department agreed to help you obtain a soul ring?"
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. "Yes, this time, I'll be going to the Extreme North."