"No problem."
Zhang Lexuan naturally had no objections; instead, she felt that Huo Yuhao had been at a disadvantage. Although the corpse of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was extremely valuable, it still couldn't compare to the life-saving favor he had given earlier.
However, she didn't say any polite words. Since she now knew that Huo Yuhao lived in Heaven Dou City, she could repay him with actions in the future.
Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, Zhang Lexuan took out a dark red envelope from her storage space and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, when you turn eleven, you can use this recommendation letter to apply to Shrek Academy. Although I know that with your talent, you don't need a recommendation to get in, I will still do my best to help you get the best resources."
Huo Yuhao looked at the envelope in front of him, feeling a bit surprised. This wasn't just an ordinary city lord's recommendation letter required for admission to Shrek Academy; it was an inner courtyard recommendation letter.
Although he hadn't used such a thing in his previous life, he had heard a bit about it.
For outer courtyard students to join Shrek's inner courtyard, one of the requirements was to have a recommendation from an inner courtyard disciple.
By giving Huo Yuhao this recommendation letter, Zhang Lexuan ensured that when Huo Yuhao presented it during admission, the teachers handling the applications would notify her. This way, she could keep an eye on him within the academy.
Huo Yuhao did not refuse. For one, he had to repay Zhu Lu's favor, and he also had people in Shrek Academy he wanted to see. Besides, Dai Huabin's brother, Dai Yueheng, was still at the academy.
He hadn't forgotten what he had said to Dai Huabin before leaving the Duke's Mansion.
In this life, Huo Yun'er's attitude had already changed, so naturally, he intended to be a man of his word.
As he recalled the figure with light blue hair, Huo Yuhao pursed his lips slightly, then smiled and reached out to take the envelope.
"Thank you, Sister Lexuan."
After putting the letter away, Huo Yuhao pulled out the White Tiger Dagger while looking at the corpse of the Blood Erosion Dragon Lizard. Seeing the massive corpse that was like a small mountain, his eyes revealed a trace of bewilderment.
It's so big. How do I even begin cutting it?
He hesitated for a moment and tried testing the waters by slicing at the red scales with the dagger. Sparks flew, lighting up his somewhat dazed face, causing Zhang Lexuan to stifle a laugh.
"Ahem... let me help you."
As she spoke, her fifth soul skill activated. The full moon behind her turned into a crescent and, under her control, transformed into sharp blades. These blades sliced through the dragon lizard's corpse, cutting large chunks of meat away from the bone.
Though the Blood Erosion Dragon Lizard had a high defense, it had dropped significantly after death. While it could still block the sharpness of the White Tiger Dagger, it couldn't withstand Zhang Lexuan's soul skill. For Huo Yuhao's convenience in storing the meat in his ring, she even thoughtfully cut it into evenly sized portions.
As the chunks of meat were being cut away, a soul bone radiating an eerie blood-red light was unearthed, causing everyone's eyes to light up with envy. However, no one said anything—both sentiment and reason dictated that the soul bone should belong to Zhang Lexuan, the one who contributed the most.
With his newly acquired ice attribute martial soul, Huo Yuhao froze all the meat under Zhang Lexuan's odd gaze. His mood improved as he once again smiled and thanked her.
"Thanks, Sister Lexuan."
"You're welcome."
Zhang Lexuan opened her mouth, but in the end, only sighed softly. She chose not to ask Huo Yuhao whether he had twin martial souls in front of the others. Earlier that morning, she had simply thought he was an unusually sensible boy.
Now, it seemed like he was far more extraordinary than she had imagined.
A thousand-year first soul ring, twin martial souls, and that mysterious golden vertical eye—it could be said that Huo Yuhao had completely shattered her understanding of the world.
"By the way, Yuhao, with talent like yours, are you from a powerful sect or an aristocratic family of an empire?"
When she first saw Huo Yuhao's vertical eye, she had assumed he belonged to the Body Sect, but on second thought, that didn't seem right. After all, the Body Sect was known for fiercely protecting its own, and someone with Huo Yuhao's talent would never be allowed to venture into the Star Dou Forest alone.
"I haven't joined any sects or powers. As for my talent, it might be because my martial soul mutated."
With the situation resolved, Huo Yuhao had no intention of staying longer. He patted the dust off his clothes and looked at Zhang Lexuan, about to wave goodbye, when a piercing cry suddenly echoed from the sky. He looked up to see a yellowish light streaking rapidly overhead.
"Is that... Elder Xuan?"
Seeing the light in the sky, Huo Yuhao suddenly realized something, and his brows furrowed deeply.
Was Elder Xuan the one in charge of this operation?
Then how could he have shamelessly mentioned this incident in his previous life!?
While he was deep in thought, Elder Xuan seemed to have noticed them as well. The yellow light curved through the air and descended toward their location.
As soon as he landed, he saw the skeletal remains of the Blood Erosion Dragon Lizard and the blood-red soul ring. His face immediately changed.
"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast?! How did you encounter a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in the mixed zone?!"
Elder Xuan scanned the group, seeing only six remaining individuals. An ominous feeling rose in his heart.
"Where are the others?"
Upon hearing his question, the remaining students' faces darkened with sorrow. Aside from Zhang Lexuan, the only other female student's eyes filled with tears as she softly whispered:
"They're dead…"
The hoarse voice exploded in Elder Xuan's ears like thunder. His body trembled, and he subconsciously asked:
"What?"
"I said they're all dead! Are you satisfied now?!"
The female student abruptly raised her head, her eyes brimming with hatred as she glared at Elder Xuan, her voice filled with venom.
"Why didn't you show up when we were facing a hundred-thousand-year soul beast? Why only appear now!?"
"Aren't you supposed to be our supervising teacher!?"
"Is this some kind of test by the academy!?"
Elder Xuan opened his mouth, but no words came out.
What could he say?
Should he tell them he went to collect bird eggs?
Should he admit he was out hunting for rare beasts for a meal?
Should he confess that he had taken advantage of the rare trip to the Star Dou Forest to indulge in some wild game and reward himself?
He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. The mixed zone rarely had soul beasts over thirty thousand years old, and even if they encountered one, he believed that the twelve inner courtyard disciples could handle it easily. That's why he had felt safe leaving them briefly.
Who could have predicted that within just a day, the team would encounter a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, a rarity even in the core zone?
As he realized that six inner courtyard disciples had died due to his negligence, Elder Xuan closed his eyes in anguish.
"Are you mute!? Answer me!!!"
Seeing Elder Xuan remain silent, the female disciple screamed at the top of her lungs, "What were you doing? Were you dead?!"
"Or has the academy completely stopped caring about whether we live or die?!"
(End of Chapter)