"Eh, today's wind is awfully noisy. I must be hearing things."
Huo Yuhao naturally knew this was Mu En's voice. By now, he had made significant progress along the path of spiritual power, and he could clearly distinguish the mental fluctuations of anyone he had come into contact with.
However, back when Xuan Zi had suspended him from the competition, he had done so with great righteousness, holding his head high. At that time, Huo Yuhao had already guessed that Shrek Academy would eventually come back seeking his help.
And now that Mu En had come to him, it certainly wasn't to ask him to visit some brothel in the Star Luo Empire to find a sister. It was undoubtedly about participating in the competition.
At this point, Huo Yuhao was determined to adopt a lofty attitude. After all, to him, participating in this competition had become irrelevant.
The reason he had originally wanted to participate was to gain fame in the Star Luo Empire, so that when he sought revenge against the White Tiger Duke's Mansion in the future, it would shock them even more.
Another reason was to promote the Body Sect. After all, the Body Sect had remained hidden from the world for many years. Recruiting new blood couldn't rely on coercion as Du Bushi had done in the past; they would need to rely on advertising to spread their reputation and attract Body Martial Spirit users from across the continent.
Now, his title as a Spirit Saint with all ten-thousand-year spirit rings had already resounded throughout Star Luo City, and soon, it would likely spread across the entire Douluo Continent.
The Body Sect's name would also follow his and spread through the upcoming matches. After that, they would open their doors wide and recruit disciples, likely keeping Du Bushi and the other high-level members of the Body Sect busy for a while.
Since these two goals were already accomplished, winning or losing the competition no longer mattered to Huo Yuhao. After all, winning was Shrek Academy's concern, and he was merely a high-ranking employee.
A few hundred coins a month—why risk your life?
Bei Bei smiled bitterly. He too had heard Mu En's message. Seeing Huo Yuhao's nonchalant attitude, he was quite shocked.
After all, Dragon God Douluo Mu En, was one of the most powerful people in existence.
Even Xuan Zi, who was one of the most revered figures in Shrek Academy, wouldn't dare say a word when being reprimanded by Mu En. If it were other titled Douluo, they would treat Mu En with the utmost respect due to his seniority.
But Huo Yuhao seemed to be born fearless, completely disregarding Mu En's summons. Even though Bei Bei was highly favored by Mu En, he wouldn't dare behave like this.
"Yuhao, come with me. Elder Mu wants to see you," Bei Bei said in a low voice.
"Just because he wants to see me, I have to go? What about my dignity?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head like a rattle drum, firmly refusing to meet Mu En.
"Yuhao, if you follow Bei Bei here, I'll give you a ten-thousand-year soul bone," Mu En's voice sounded again in Huo Yuhao's ear.
"Five!" Huo Yuhao replied without batting an eye.
"Three." Mu En's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Deal!"
Huo Yuhao was someone who knew when to stop. Although he had no interest in helping Shrek Academy win the championship, Mu En's offer was too good to refuse.
After reassuring Ning Tian and saying a few words to the other Shrek students, Huo Yuhao followed Bei Bei to Shrek Academy's conference room. Inside, both Mu En and Xuan Lao were already waiting for them.
"Yo, Elder Xuan, it's only been two days, and you've gained weight?"
Huo Yuhao almost burst out laughing when he saw Xuan Zi's bruised and swollen face, which had not fully recovered yet.
For Mu En, who was usually so benevolent, to lose his temper and beat Xuan Zi like this, Xuan Lao must have really angered him.
After all, to Mu En, nothing mattered more than maintaining Shrek Academy's legacy, even more than his own life.
But Xuan Zi's recent actions were akin to uprooting Shrek Academy's foundation, which Mu En couldn't tolerate.
"Hmph!" Xuan Zi turned his head in anger. He knew Huo Yuhao was teasing him, but with Mu En and Du Bushi backing him, Xuan Zi didn't dare retaliate and could only stew in silence.
"Drinking wine made you arrogant, and suspending me made you careless with life and death!" Huo Yuhao thought to himself, stifling a laugh.
He then addressed Mu En seriously, "Senior Mu, what do you need from me?"
"Look over there." Mu En pointed to a corner of the conference room.
Huo Yuhao turned to see a small bed that had somehow appeared in the corner, with Ling Luocheng lying on it, still unconscious.
"Senior Sister Ling hasn't woken up yet?" Huo Yuhao pretended to be clueless.
"Enough with the act. If you have a way to help Ling Luocheng recover, we'd appreciate it. Of course, you'll be well compensated," Mu En said with a smile.
"I prefer to discuss payment before doing anything," Huo Yuhao replied slyly.
"You little rascal." Mu En shook his head, smiling helplessly.
He truly liked Huo Yuhao, a young man who was smooth in handling matters, understood patience, and knew how to leverage situations. From the previous operation to eliminate the evil soul masters, it was clear that Huo Yuhao could act quite ruthlessly, using any means necessary, but always prioritizing the safety of himself and his allies.
This mindset was almost an exact copy of Mu En in his younger years. Back then, Mu En had appeared honest, but he was actually very shrewd. It was this cunning that had allowed him to leave his peers behind and earn the title of Dragon God Douluo.
Looking at Huo Yuhao now, Mu En felt as if he were seeing his younger self. Methodical, resourceful, calm under pressure, and with such terrifying talent, if he could pass Shrek Academy on to Huo Yuhao, the academy would remain the top institution on the continent for the next 300 years.
Unfortunately, he had allowed Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe, this pair of "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix," to screw up the chance to bind Huo Yuhao to Shrek. Now, no matter how much Mu En praised him, Huo Yuhao wouldn't return to Shrek Academy.
With a wave of his hand, several pieces of wood appeared on the ground in front of Mu En. The wood had a faint golden sheen and looked as smooth as jade, clearly extraordinary.
"Yuhao, this is good stuff. It's infused with strong light-attribute energy and could be used as a primary material for high-grade alchemy!" Yao Lao's voice sounded in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, tinged with excitement.
"Indeed, it's a rare treasure. If used to craft a light-element staff, the quality would undoubtedly be high. Yuhao, you should accept it," Electrolux also advised Huo Yuhao.
"These are fallen branches from the Ancient Golden Tree. Even the elders of the Sea God Pavilion find them difficult to obtain," Mu En said with a smile. "If you can heal Ling Luocheng, these will be yours."