Zhou Huan Takes Leave, This Time He Has to Bring Assistants

After the Core Disciple selection competition ended, life at the academy returned to calm for Zhou Huan.

While Huo Gua's seven-person group trained under Xuanzi in preparation for the Soul Master Competition, Zhou Huan resumed his library routine.

Since he had advanced to the Second Year, the second floor of the Outer Courtyard Library was now open to Zhou Huan.

However, the second-floor library did not hold as many books as the first floor—only around seventy thousand volumes—but its contents were undoubtedly more important and specialized.

In Zhou Huan's view, Shrek's library was the greatest treasure trove when it came to theoretical knowledge, because it had accumulated over ten thousand years of records and Soul Master experience.

Whether the contents were right or wrong, they were still useful references, weren't they?

Besides, Zhou Huan had God's perspective and was quite capable of judging whether certain theoretical knowledge was correct.

As for things he could not distinguish, or had never encountered before, those were precisely part of why he came to the library.

Days spent buried in the library passed quickly, and half a month went by before he knew it.

On this particular day, he happened to run into Wang Yan at the library, and Zhou Huan finally made a decision. "Teacher Wang, I want to take a long leave next."

"A long leave?" Wang Yan closed the book in his hands. This was not Zhou Huan's first time asking for leave. He did theory, he conducted practical research—it was normal for him to take an extended leave.

Still, Wang Yan asked curiously, "What are you going out to verify this time? Of course, if it is confidential, you do not have to say."

Hearing that, Zhou Huan said with a serious expression, "I want to study the elite students of advanced Soul Master Academies across the continent and see how they differ from us at Shrek."

Wang Yan: "..."

Seeing Wang Yan fall silent, Zhou Huan continued explaining, "Although Shrek is said to be the continent's First Academy, we cannot simply close our eyes and ignore the outside world. Only by knowing ourselves and our enemies can we embark on a path of sustainable development. Besides, for my Martial Soul Research, I need to meet more geniuses. More importantly..."

Before Zhou Huan could continue his nonsense, Wang Yan cut him off. "You found out?"

Wang Yan knew that Xiao Xiao had a close relationship with Zhou Huan and the others, but he also knew that she was sensible enough not to leak matters concerning the Reserve Team.

However, he soon saw Zhou Huan give a foolish grin. "As expected, nothing escapes Teacher Wang's discerning eyes."

Wang Yan silently rolled his eyes, but still asked curiously, "How did you know?"

Zhou Huan answered, "It was too easy to guess. First came the Core Disciple selection competition for those under fifteen. Then Xiao Xiao kept disappearing every few days lately. And the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition is happening this year, only ten days from now. That is hardly a secret. With all those clues put together, I'd have to be a ghost not to know."

Wang Yan was speechless. Thinking about it, that was true. Setting aside Zhou Huan's intelligence, as a Core Disciple, he only needed to Use One's Brain a little to guess the general situation.

So all their secrecy had been for nothing?

Of course, Wang Yan would not voice such thoughts to a student. Instead, he continued, "So you want to go watch the Soul Master Competition, right?"

Zhou Huan immediately put on a serious face again. "Teacher, you see through everything. This student is indeed going for Martial Soul Research. Watching the excitement is purely incidental."

Fine. Wang Yan had not known Zhou Huan for only a day. "...Say whatever you want. When the time comes, write me a fifty-thousand-word paper, and I'll consider it approved."

In Wang Yan's eyes, Zhou Huan taking leave was no big deal. Besides, as a Shrek student, going to support the academy as a spectator was not a bad thing.

Zhou Huan immediately smiled. "Absolutely."

It was only a fifty-thousand-word paper. He could finish it in minutes... no, a few days at most.

Then Zhou Huan began pushing his luck. "Teacher Wang, I also need two assistants as record keepers. Wen Xiaoshuai and Wang Qingya will do."

Wang Yan: "...You're just going to watch the excitement, and you want to bring people along? They are not like you. They cannot afford to skip class."

Zhou Huan replied, "Do not worry, Teacher Wang. I will make up their lessons for them."

After thinking it over, Wang Yan stood and tidied his desk. "Fine. I'll approve leave for all three of you. With the travel time back and forth, plus the competition itself, it will take at least two months. That is rather long. Aside from this time, you are not allowed to ask for leave again this year. Otherwise, you know what Zhou Yi's expression will look like."

Zhou Huan immediately nodded obediently. "I understand. I understand everything."

Then Wang Yan seemed to think of something and added, "However, I cannot take you with me. You will have to go to Star Luo City yourselves."

"Do not worry, Teacher Wang. One Soul Elder and two Soul Grandmasters can travel to Star Luo City without incident as long as we keep a low profile," Zhou Huan said.

"Mm. This is not your first time leaving the academy. Just be careful. That is all." With that, Wang Yan turned to leave.

"Teacher, it is still so early. Are you leaving already?" Zhou Huan asked.

"I am leaving tomorrow. Shouldn't I go handle the leave arrangements for the three of you now?" Wang Yan said irritably.

"Then I'll trouble you, Teacher." Zhou Huan looked utterly sincere.

"Heh." Wang Yan flicked his sleeve and left.

Watching Wang Yan's departing back, Zhou Huan felt somewhat conflicted.

Because he knew why Wang Yan could not bring them to Star Luo City.

Before participating in the Soul Master Competition, Xuanzi would lead the main competing team and the Reserve Team to complete a Shrek Inspection Team mission: exterminating a bandit group of Evil Soul Masters.

And, with no surprise whatsoever, something went wrong. Xuanzi had failed in his duty again.

This time, the Inner Court's main competing team suffered one death and six injuries. One of the injured even lost a leg and became disabled. It was a major accident.

Fortunately, Wang Yan and Huo Gua's seven reserve members were all unharmed.

However, to ensure Xiao Xiao's safety, Zhou Huan had already given her the fourth-grade Defensive Soul Tool he had bought at the Treasure Appreciation Fair two days earlier.

When Xiao Xiao received the Soul Tool, she was completely dumbfounded. She was also the only one who received one, and she nearly assumed Zhou Huan liked her. She immediately rejected him three times in a row, since she preferred men with high looks.

Zhou Huan did not know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he explained several times before Xiao Xiao finally set aside her worries, accepted the Soul Tool, and declared Zhou Huan to be a good person.

Only after confirming that Xiao Xiao would keep the fourth-grade Defensive Soul Tool on her at all times did Zhou Huan relax.

During this period, Zhou Huan had also deliberately and casually mentioned to Xiao Xiao that he had once read in a Soul Master travel journal about a type of Evil Soul Master capable of controlling Corpse Explosion. He told her that if she ever encountered a place filled with corpses, she absolutely had to be cautious.

Xiao Xiao got goosebumps just listening to it and said she would definitely stay far away from such cursed places.

Of course, Zhou Huan had not only talked about Evil Soul Masters capable of controlling Corpse Explosion. He had also taught Xiao Xiao, Wang Qingya, and the others about other kinds of Evil Soul Masters.

In short, there was one guiding principle: stay away if possible. If not, activate all Soul Tool defenses.

Zhou Huan had not told Wang Yan any of this, because Wang Yan was too intelligent and sharp-minded. He could only remind them through Xiao Xiao.

After all, when he and Xiao Xiao discussed such things, it was merely ordinary conversation during meals and would not seem abrupt.

But if Zhou Huan discussed such matters alone with Wang Yan and then they encountered the exact same situation, it would be difficult for Wang Yan not to overthink it.

As far as Zhou Huan was concerned, he had already done enough.

Strictly speaking, he only needed to ensure the safety of Xiao Xiao and Wang Yan.

There was no need to worry about Huo Gua and Wang Dong, the Godly Second Generation. Even if everyone in Douluo died, those two might not.

As for everyone else, they were outside Zhou Huan's consideration. They were not familiar with him, especially those from the Inner Court. Other than Ma Xiaotao, he did not know any of them at all.

Even with Ma Xiaotao, his relationship with her was not good.

In truth, Zhou Huan had long known he would face situations like this, situations where he could clearly change someone else's fate. He had already prepared himself mentally, so he would not feel any so-called responsibility simply because he knew the future.

In any case, he would only do what he could, provided it did not endanger his own life. He could not exactly tell others that he could foresee the future. That would cause enormous trouble.

Zhou Huan felt that preserving his own life was still more important.

As for deciding to watch the Soul Master Competition this time, Zhou Huan had also made safety calculations.

There was at least a ninety-eight percent chance that it would be safe.

After all, a certain master of survival once said that if something had a ninety-eight percent chance of succeeding, then it was worth doing. The remaining point two percent could be left to fate.

After this latest failure of duty, Xuanzi's determination to protect Shrek students had become an obsession. There was no way he would allow students to come to harm under his watch again.

And if Zhou Huan and the others went to Star Luo City, they would certainly meet up with Wang Yan.

That meant they would inevitably remain within Xuanzi's field of vision.

To Zhou Huan, that gave him a tremendous sense of security.

Besides, according to Zhou Huan's knowledge of the original plot, there would be no additional danger during this competition. After all, it was being held in the capital of the Star Luo Empire.

If it were in the Sun Moon Empire, Zhou Huan, who currently possessed only the strength of a Soul Ancestor, would not dare go even if beaten to death.

Therefore, even if only to satisfy his curiosity about the Douluo world's Soul Master Competition, Zhou Huan wanted to go see it for himself.

That way, his transmigration would not have been in vain.

Even if he lived cautiously, he still had to live happily.

Zhou Huan might be cautious, but he was not the kind of person who clung to life while trembling in fear.

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