The Extreme North Ice Plains were still buried in wind and snow.
When Huo Yuhao opened his eyes again, the feeling of being reborn made him want to let out a long, triumphant howl.
The Soul Power within him surged like a mighty river, deep and solid. Every movement seemed to brim with boundless strength.
His consciousness sank into the Sea of Consciousness.
Well, would you look at that!
The Sea of Consciousness, once vast and empty, was now as lively as a teahouse—and several times larger than before.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's plump body wriggled excitedly. "He's awake! He's awake! Yuhao's finally awake! Haha, with Ice Empress and Snow Empress here too, we've got just enough for a game of mahjong!"
Huo Yuhao couldn't help laughing. He'd only mentioned it to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm once, when he was bored, but he hadn't expected it to remember.
Beside them, Ice Empress, now in human form, shot him a cold glance. She was still as haughty as ever, but she couldn't hide the shock in her eyes.
As for the proud, aloof Snow Empress, she hovered quietly in midair, looking at Huo Yuhao with a trace of approval.
"An unprecedented monster!" Snow Empress said, offering her assessment.
He really was a monster. His Second Martial Soul already had three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
Though Huo Yuhao certainly couldn't unleash their true power yet, those Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings were undeniably real.
Three months ago, he'd been a good-for-nothing without even a First Soul Ring. Now he was a thirty-first-rank Soul Elder with Twin Martial Souls and Ultimate Ice!
At this rocket-like pace, his progress would be enough to scare a whole crowd of Titled Douluo to death.
Just then, a cold, mechanical voice abruptly sounded in Huo Yuhao's mind.
[ Ding! Detected intense emotional fluctuations from Tang San in the Divine Realm. ] [ Emotions: Shock and anger, extreme alarm, wariness, desire for control. ] [ Anger Points +5000! ]
A mocking smile curled Huo Yuhao's lips.
The God King Tang San, all the way in the Divine Realm, must be getting nervous, huh?
Who wouldn't be jealous of a start this ridiculously good?
Huo Yuhao's circumstances made Tang San's early years look like a joke.
Shock and anger? Wariness? Huo Yuhao thought. Tang San, this is only the beginning. I'll tear your ten-thousand-year scheme to shreds, piece by piece.
"Yuhao, quit grinning to yourself!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm suddenly shouted, interrupting Huo Yuhao's thoughts. "Do you know how long you've been asleep? Nearly a month! And counting the time it took to get here, you've been away from Shrek Academy for over a month!"
"What?!"
Huo Yuhao's expression changed. Over a month? Didn't that mean the freshman assessment had already started?!
"I'm finished, I'm finished! If I miss the assessment, that old hag Zhou Yi will skin me alive!"
Huo Yuhao didn't dare waste another moment. He flashed away, flying swiftly on his sword.
With the mental and Soul Power he'd gained from his transformation, he made it back to Shrek Academy in just two days, despite detouring to obtain two new Soul Rings for his First Martial Soul, Golden Eyes. He had crossed thousands of miles and arrived utterly travel-worn.
Shrek Academy, Freshman Class One classroom.
Class was in session.
"Reporting in!"
A slightly breathless voice came from the doorway.
The whole class fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at the travel-worn boy in the doorway.
Their class monitor, missing for over a month, had returned.
Zhou Yi, standing at the lectern, snapped her head up. Her normally gloomy eyes blazed with a pair of murderous glares, which fixed on Huo Yuhao.
If looks could kill, Huo Yuhao would have been sliced apart three thousand times by now.
"Come in!"
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi didn't blow up on the spot. Her voice was merely cold enough to freeze the air. "Go back to your seat."
Under the gazes of his classmates—some gleeful, others astonished—Huo Yuhao quickly returned to his seat.
The moment he sat down, he felt two pairs of eyes on him.
One came from his left, full of delight and worry. It was Xiao Xiao.
The other came from his right, full of reproach and haughty indignation. It was Wang Dong.
Huo Yuhao blinked at them, signaling that they could talk after class.
At last, the bell rang.
"Huo Yuhao, come to my office." Zhou Yi tossed out the words and left without looking back.
The atmosphere in the office was stifling.
Zhou Yi sat in her chair, tapping the desk rhythmically with her fingers. Each "tok, tok" sounded like a knock against someone's heart.
"Care to explain?" Zhou Yi asked coldly, looking at Huo Yuhao. "You vanished for over a month. Were you hunting Soul Rings or saving the world?"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, looking innocent. "Teacher Zhou, what if I told you... I didn't just hunt one Soul Ring?"
Huo Yuhao said nothing more. He only smiled faintly as Soul Power surged around him.
Buzz—!
His Golden Eyes Martial Soul appeared at once.
Then three Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.
The first was purple!
The second was black!
The third was black!
One purple and two black!
Zhou Yi had been ready to unleash a whole tirade of abuse, but now she looked like a duck with its neck squeezed. Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and her mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist.
"This... this..."
Zhou Yi sprang to her feet, knocking over her chair. "Three rings?! Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings?! Have you... have you lost your mind?!"
A thousand-year First Soul Ring was unheard of, and his Second and Third Soul Rings were both Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings?! This completely defied everything the Soul Master World knew!
"I got lucky and came across some unusual opportunities." Huo Yuhao had already prepared his explanation. "After absorbing the Soul Rings, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I'd reached level thirty, so I went ahead and got my Third Soul Ring too."
"Went ahead..." Zhou Yi's mouth twitched. Did he hear himself? Who talked like that?
But as she looked at the monstrous boy before her, all the anger in Zhou Yi's heart had already vanished.
The Soul Guidance Department treated him like a treasure. Now the Martial Soul Department would probably put him on a pedestal too.
Huo Yuhao could have used his Simulation Soul Skill to disguise the colors of his Soul Rings, but there was no need. At Shrek Academy, hiding his abilities would only earn him contempt. Showing his edge was the way to win respect and secure the resources he needed.
"Fine, I won't pry into your opportunities." Zhou Yi took a deep breath, steadying herself. "You came back just in time. The freshman assessment has reached the round of thirty-two. Since you weren't here, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao had to fight as a pair against three opponents. They've been fighting like their lives depended on it these past few days to keep your spot."
Huo Yuhao's heart stirred. The image of his haughty roommate and the sweet little girl came to mind, and his gaze softened.
"Don't worry, Teacher Zhou." Huo Yuhao nodded solemnly. "I'll carry them through the rest of the matches."
Huo Yuhao stopped in his tracks as he left the office.
Around the corner in the hallway, two furtive figures were pressed against the wall, eavesdropping. When they saw Huo Yuhao come out, they immediately straightened up and pretended to admire the view.
"Oh, what a white wall!" Wang Dong said, clasping his hands behind his back and gazing up at the ceiling with an expression that said, "I'm just passing by."
Huo Yuhao snickered to himself. Your butt's whiter.
Xiao Xiao, however, had no such reservations. She rushed over, her big eyes brimming with tears. "Class monitor! You're finally back! Waaaah... I thought you'd been expelled! Where have you been all this time?"
Seeing the little girl on the verge of tears warmed Huo Yuhao's heart. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "Sorry, sorry. Something unexpected came up, and I got back late. To make it up to you, I'll treat you to grilled fish tonight. As much as you can eat!"
"Really? That's great!" Xiao Xiao's tears turned to laughter, her cheeks flushed pink.
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. During their two months as desk mates, he'd teased the little girl from time to time. He hadn't expected to win her heart outright.
Only now did Huo Yuhao seem to notice Wang Dong standing beside them. He said casually, "Oh, Wang Dong's here too? Well... if you're free, you can come along too. It's just one more pair of chopsticks."
Wang Dong: "..."
Wang Dong had just watched Huo Yuhao return safe and sound, and the weight she'd been carrying had finally lifted. Then his words left her speechless.
What did he mean, "Wang Dong's here too"?
What did he mean, "If you're free, you can come along too"?
What did he mean, "It's just one more pair of chopsticks"?
Was she just an afterthought to him?!
She really was pathetic, fetching his foot-washing water for two whole months!
Wang Dong clenched her fists, her pretty face flushing bright red as hurt filled her heart.
He'd bullied her so much, and she'd still worried about him every day. She'd fought tooth and nail in those two-against-three matches, and now that he was back, all he cared about was placating Xiao Xiao. This was how he treated her?
Why didn't you just die out there?
"I'm not eating! Who wants your lousy grilled fish!" Wang Dong snapped through gritted teeth, turning to leave.
"Oh, you really don't want any? It's my own secret recipe. Nobody else gets to try it." Huo Yuhao sighed with feigned regret.
Wang Dong froze mid-step.
Three seconds later, she spun around and glared at Huo Yuhao. Her eyes were slightly red, but her chin was still raised. "Hmph! Since you're begging me, I suppose I can deign to try it! If it tastes bad, I'll smash your stall!"
Looking at Wang Dong's haughty expression—"I'm furious, but I want to eat"—Huo Yuhao couldn't help laughing aloud.
The same old recipe, the same old taste.
As for Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao actually thought she was pretty cute. It was the later stitched-together mess, Tang Wutong, that he couldn't stand.
Tang Wutong couldn't emerge for now, so if he wanted to rack up Tang San's Anger Points, Wang Dong would have to suffer a little.
Sometimes Huo Yuhao went a bit too far with the teasing, so he had to coax Wang Dong afterward, lest she get so angry she ran off.
A balance of give and take was the key to keeping things sustainable.
Before you continue