Having Someone to Take the Lead Feels Great

"Achoo..."

Hua Yichen sneezed and instinctively frowned.

Who was talking about him?

"Tower Master Hua? Tower Master Hua?"

"Oh, sorry, I got distracted. Please continue, Dean Yu."

Hua Yichen looked at the elderly man before him.

He was of average build and rather unremarkable in appearance, with graying hair, glasses, and a scholarly air about him.

Dean of Eastsea Academy—Yu Zhen—was also an old acquaintance of his.

"What do you think? Could Huo Yuhao enroll at Eastsea Academy? He's already of school age. If he doesn't plan to leave Eastsea for the time being, Eastsea Academy would be a good choice."

Yu Zhen looked at Hua Yichen expectantly.

Ever since one of the academy's teachers had encountered Huo Yuhao while taking students to the Spirit Ascension Platform and reported it to him, Yu Zhen had been waiting for this day.

A possessor of a Body Martial Soul, the sort only found in top-tier institutions, and a local of Eastsea City at that—if he joined their academy, he might even help them turn things around at next year's Tianhai Alliance Tournament and make a name for the academy!

He had always envied the academies in those top-tier major cities, which could recruit students from across the entire Alliance...

"..."

With an old man looking at him like that, Hua Yichen felt a little awkward, even though he was actually older than the other man. He could not help clearing his throat.

"Ahem. I'll respect Yuhao's choice. If he's willing to enroll at Eastsea Academy, I won't stop him."

"This..." Yu Zhen was momentarily at a loss for words.

Huo Yuhao was a Core Disciple of the Spirit Pagoda. He lacked neither resources, teachers, nor money. What could their academy possibly use to attract someone like him?

Or rather, what could they offer someone like that?

Yu Zhen sighed. He knew he was indulging in wishful thinking, but he still could not help saying, "There's a teacher at the academy from Shrek Academy's Inner Court. Due to certain conflicts, he's about to be transferred from the Senior Division to the Intermediate Division. With him teaching, Huo Yuhao's studies won't be delayed..."

A knock on the door interrupted Yu Zhen.

"Teacher Hua, I'm back."

The corners of Hua Yichen's lips curled upward slightly.

"Come in."

Huo Yuhao opened the door and walked in. Seeing Hua Yichen and Yu Zhen seated across from him, his eyes flickered. He smiled and nodded at the latter before looking at Hua Yichen, as though asking whether he had interrupted their conversation.

"It's fine. I had a staff member call you back because this matter concerns you."

Hua Yichen nodded to Huo Yuhao, then looked at Yu Zhen with a smile. "He's here, President Yu. Don't say I didn't give you the opportunity."

"Thank you, Tower Master Hua!"

As he spoke, Yu Zhen solemnly rose to his feet and looked at Huo Yuhao. "Classmate Huo Yuhao, may I ask whether you intend to enroll at Eastsea Academy?"

"Our academy will provide you with the best resources and environment, and our finest teachers will instruct you..."

Yu Zhen listed many of the academy's advantages, but he knew full well that compared to the Spirit Pagoda's environment, Eastsea Academy had no real advantages.

Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment before shaking his head, making Yu Zhen's heart sink halfway. But then he heard Huo Yuhao say, "I'll enroll at Eastsea Academy, but I don't need any special treatment. Treat me like an ordinary student."

"This..." The sudden surprise hit Yu Zhen squarely, leaving him somewhat excited. "But you're different from the other students..."

"What's different? Am I a special admissions student?"

Huo Yuhao chuckled and shook his head. "Dean, if I alone receive special treatment, it'll only stir dissatisfaction among the other students and their parents. I don't want to be cornered against a wall and interrogated about whether I got in through connections the moment I join the academy."

Yu Zhen: "..."

Hua Yichen: "..."

With your current Soul Power cultivation, who among your peers would dare corner you?

In the end, Yu Zhen left in high spirits and great excitement.

Only after he had left did Hua Yichen look at Huo Yuhao and ask, "Have you really made up your mind? Eastsea Academy isn't particularly outstanding among the Federation's Intermediate Academies."

Huo Yuhao shook his head. "If you didn't want me to go, you wouldn't have called me here."

"That's true."

Hua Yichen smiled and shared his thoughts. "I already told you about the headquarters. Going there now isn't the right time. If you attend an Intermediate Academy in another first-tier city and make use of the Spirit Pagoda's resources, you'll still have to watch other people's expressions. That wouldn't be ideal."

"If you go to Eastsea Academy, at the very least, this Spirit Pagoda branch will be your backing and support. You won't need to act according to anyone else's mood! Here, I've got your back!"

Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly. He said nothing, merely nodding softly.

Tang God King, look at this. This was how a normal person supported a junior—not through endless twists and turns of torment and hardship!

After spending some time in the Spirit Pagoda's library, Huo Yuhao returned home, entered his Cultivation Room, and began reviewing everything.

"The Mecha Master Association had caught President Li's attention. We'll see what happens next... But entering Eastsea Academy?"

Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered slightly.

Eastsea Academy ranked in the lower-middle tier among the major Soul Master academies. It had always wanted to raise its reputation, so it was hardly strange for it to discover and recruit a genius born locally in Eastsea.

As for him, as long as he had a quiet place to cultivate, it made little difference where he went.

However, with the information from the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao had confirmed that Tang Wulin had entered Eastsea Academy just as he had in the original work. If he appeared before Tang Wulin, he might expose himself to Tang San's Divine Sense.

What was Huo Yuhao in Tang San's eyes?

The Son of the Plane from ten thousand years ago—someone Tang San had wanted to wine and dine before executing, then take in as a dog.

But ten thousand years ago, Huo Yuhao had constantly strayed beyond Tang San's designs. Back then, it could still be explained by the fact that Huo Yuhao had suffered abuse since childhood and developed a reclusive personality.

But what about now?

Huo Yuhao, who should have been dead, had reappeared after the God Realm vanished. Could Tang San see him without suspecting something?

Tang San: Does this brat know something? Does he have grievances against the God Realm? Is he plotting to rebel against me? He truly has a path to death!

It would not have been strange for Tang San to have such thoughts upon seeing him.

Therefore, appearing before Tang Wulin now was actually dangerous for Huo Yuhao. But since Huo Yuhao had agreed to Hua Yichen's request, he naturally had confidence in handling it.

In the original work, Tang San's Divine Sense roughly went through three stages.

In the first stage, because the God Realm had drifted away and Tang San's Divine Sense had no Main Body to replenish its energy, the power it could use was limited. It spent most of its time asleep, had no awareness of the outside world, and even needed Tang Wulin to provide it with information.

In the second stage, Tang Wulin obtained the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Through him, Tang San's Divine Sense connected to its Main Body in the God Realm and replenished its energy. It even took Tang Wulin's adoptive parents across an endless distance to the God Realm.

In the third stage, Tang San's three remaining chances to strike—the so-called God King's Three Strikes—had their strongest blow trick the Level One God, the Abyssal Sage King, to death.

The second stage was the most dangerous. The first stage was the least dangerous; with sufficient preparation... it might even be possible to destroy that wisp of Divine Sense.

But after thinking it over carefully, Huo Yuhao abandoned the idea. If he truly provoked Tang San into desperation, Tang Hao might very well intervene because of it. The losses would outweigh the gains.

He carried a whole group of people with him, bearing the hopes of an entire village. Going down together with his enemy was no fun. Before he had the ability to deal with Tang Hao, it was best not to touch that wisp of Divine Sense.

"In that case, I can only take the middle path: seize the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and deny Tang San's Divine Sense any chance to contact the God Realm..."

At that thought, Huo Yuhao suddenly shook his head with a soft laugh. "Am I being too cautious? When weighing two evils, choose the lesser one. Besides, someone is standing in front of me now."

The Abyssal Sage King had not even made a move, yet he had already made a God King's Divine Sense afraid to act rashly and forced the Lord of the Plane to protect himself wisely and stay hidden. A Level One God truly lived up to the title!

Having someone out front really did feel good.

With that in mind, Huo Yuhao thought of another person who was, in a sense, standing at the front for him. His expression became rather colorful.

He had already heard from Hua Yichen that Gu Yuena was thriving in the Spirit Pagoda and had not gone to Aolai City.

Had the Silver Dragon King finally gotten her head on straight? She had actually not lost her memories and gone to experience human life?

Mm... on further thought, it really seemed unnecessary.

The reason the Silver Dragon King had sealed away her memories and power before entering the human world was to make herself more like a human.

Huo Yuhao did not even want to mock how absurd that reason was.

As things stood, Soul Beasts had integrated into human society for nearly ten thousand years. Photos of Di Tian were printed in newspapers and books. Did anyone really think Soul Beasts did not know how humans lived? What a joke.

She did not need to enter human society herself for Soul Beasts to help her integrate into it!

Then this time... why had she joined the Spirit Pagoda?

Huo Yuhao frowned.

Was it the same as in the original work?

Or did she have some other plan?