Shrek Academy, Inner Courtyard.
Qian Renxue wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and meticulously worked on the Flying Soul Tool in front of her.
Huo Yuhao had unexpectedly entered her life as it once was, bringing her into this world ten thousand years later. Qian Renxue had gone from initial suspicion to learning that Spirit Hall had been destroyed. Then, during their journey to the Extreme North, they had spent time together, and she had long since come to regard Huo Yuhao as her own little brother.
The Flying Soul Tool Qian Renxue was tinkering with was meant for Huo Yuhao. At present, she was only a Level 4 Soul Engineer, and needed help from her teacher, Xian Lin'er, to make many of its components.
Qian Renxue had realized that Soul Tools had tremendous potential. With sufficient Soul Power, they could give even a Food System or Support System Soul Master—someone who couldn't hurt a fly—the ability to fight an Assault System Battle Soul Master.
The biggest difference between the Three Kingdoms of Douluo Continent today and Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago lay in the number of Soul Masters they had. Qian Renxue also recalled something Huo Yuhao had once told her.
The Sun Moon Empire had an elite Soul Master Corps known as the Guardian Hand. Each corps commander was at least a Rank 9 Soul Tool Master, and the corps was made up of the most elite Soul Engineers.
Spirit Hall had no shortage of anything else, but it had the most Soul Masters, and quite a few Titled Douluo as well. If Spirit Hall could organize several elite Soul Master Corps like those of the Sun Moon Empire, then back in the day, ten thousand years ago, they would have completely outclassed their enemies!
Qian Renxue was looking forward more and more to the end of the semester, when Huo Yuhao would take her back ten thousand years and she could see the shock on the faces of Spirit Hall's many senior leaders when they saw Soul Tools.
Snake Lance Douluo had already left Shrek City to travel across Douluo Continent. Qian Renxue was safe in Shrek Academy's Inner Courtyard, and the academy was also giving Huo Yuhao special attention.
For a time, Snake Lance Douluo had miraculously found himself out of a job.
Qian Renxue had no choice but to let him go wander around outside. She also gave him a task: scour the auction houses of the Four Great Empires and buy up every high-level Soul Tool he could find, such as Rank 6 and Rank 7 ones. They would all be brought back when the semester ended.
Snake Lance Douluo had now traveled as far as the Sun Moon Empire. Judging from the fact that he reliably sent a letter every month, he seemed to have become close friends with a Titled Douluo named Ye Yulin.
"At last, success." Qian Renxue wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead and took off her gold-rimmed glasses.
A backpack rested on the metal worktable before her. Its surface was decorated with exquisite golden patterns. Qian Renxue fastened it around her waist and hopped in place twice. Even with her physical strength, she hardly felt its weight.
Qian Renxue eagerly walked to the Golden Beach by Sea God Island to give it a try. There, she spotted a young woman in a fiery red dress: Ma Xiaotao, whom she hadn't seen in several days.
"Sister-in-law's back!"
Ma Xiaotao's body jolted, and she blushed as red as her Phoenix Flame.
Ma Xiaotao spun around in a huff and glared at Qian Renxue. Her full chest heaved with anger. "Xiao Xue, if you call me that again, I'm ending our friendship!"
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow. "Then you'll just keep that Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower my little brother gave you for free?"
Ma Xiaotao was immediately at a loss for words. Her Soul Power had broken through to Soul Saint, and she had become a Soul Master with Extreme Fire. Huo Yuhao's miraculous herb, along with the mysterious flame aura hidden within her body, had undoubtedly helped her immensely. Without Huo Yuhao, she would still be troubled by her Evil Fire.
"I've just been thinking about how to repay him lately," Ma Xiaotao murmured, lowering her head as she pondered.
Hearing this, Qian Renxue took the Flying Soul Tool off her back and handed it to Ma Xiaotao. "This is a Flying Soul Tool I invented. Since you haven't figured out how to repay my bratty little brother yet, why don't I do you a favor? You can give this to him for me."
Ma Xiaotao was startled and hurriedly refused. "How can I? I've only met him once or twice. We know each other, but we're not that close. Besides, you made this Flying Soul Tool. What would it look like if I delivered it to him?"
Qian Renxue didn't mind at all. "It's fine. You just said yourself that you've only met him once or twice."
At first, Ma Xiaotao didn't catch the teasing in Qian Renxue's words. By the time she realized, Qian Renxue had already disappeared.
Holding the Flying Soul Tool Qian Renxue had made, Ma Xiaotao recalled her promise to Huo Yuhao a few days earlier. Her face flushed red as she stamped her feet.
Outer Court, Zhou Yi's office.
"Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, Hanqing, you three haven't disappointed your teacher. Our New Student Class One took first and second place in this year's New Student Assessment. To reward you, I've prepared something special."
The silver Soul Tool bracelet on Zhou Yi's wrist flashed white, and a small pouch appeared in her hand. She promptly passed it to Huo Yuhao.
"A Soul Bone!" Xiao Xiao's eyes widened. She then took out an identical pouch from her own Soul Tool.
For a moment, the office was almost unnaturally quiet.
"No wonder Director Du was being so mysterious. He'd prepared Soul Bones as the reward!" Zhou Yi asked eagerly, "What kind of Soul Bone is this?"
Huo Yuhao relayed Du Weilun's explanation word for word. Zhou Yi nodded after listening. "This Soul Bone is good quality and suits Xiao Xiao and Yuhao well. Mine is called the Secret Method Soul Left Arm Bone."
"This Soul Bone doesn't come from a Soul Beast's body. It's obtained through an extremely cruel method: kill one hundred of the same kind of Soul Beast within an hour, then use a secret method to draw upon their Soul Rings. There's a ten percent chance of obtaining this Soul Bone. Because the method is so unusual, few people try it. If absorbed directly, this Soul Bone will increase a Soul Master's Soul Power by five percent. That may not seem like much, but the boost is permanent. As one of you grows stronger, its effect will become more noticeable."
Huo Yuhao said, "Xiao Xiao, you can have the Soul Bone Director Du gave us."
"As for this Secret Method Soul Left Arm Bone, Hanqing, I remember you're a Food System Soul Master. Food System Soul Masters use a great deal of Soul Power when making food, so this Soul Bone's Soul Power boost will be extremely useful to you. It's yours."
Without waiting for Song Hanqing to say anything, Huo Yuhao pressed the Soul Bone into his hands.
Song Hanqing froze for a moment, then his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly said, "Class monitor, how can I accept this? We couldn't have won without you. This Soul Bone is too precious. I can't take it."
Xiao Xiao nodded. "That's right, class monitor. You did the most work throughout the New Student Assessment. How did Hanqing and I end up getting the biggest benefits?"
Huo Yuhao wasn't short on Soul Bones. He already had a very clear plan for the Soul Bones he would acquire in the future.
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