[ Ding, System Version 2.0 update complete. ] [ The system has now fully integrated the Battle Through the Heavens Plane and the Douluo Plane. ] [ The following improvements have been made in this update: ] [ One: Improved rewards. ] [ Two: Opened the Battle Through the Heavens avatar summoning window. ] [ Three: Opened the Lifestyle Services Area. ] [ Ding, the system has detected that the host has triggered an event related to changing fate. A quest has been issued. ] [ First choice: Accept the invitation and join the Tang Sect. ] [ Reward 1: Profound Tier Low-Rank Dou Technique—Flame Blowing Palm (Incomplete Version). ] [ Reward 2: Gain the honorary title of "simp" and become Tang San's lifelong loyal servant. ] [ Second choice: Refuse to join the Tang Sect. ] [ Reward 1: 3,000 points, freely redeemable in the shop. ] [ Reward 2: One maid draw (Note: This maid will be Yellow Tier). ] [ Maid ranks are Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, and are matched to the host's strength. ] [ Reward 3: Xiao Yan's Storage Ring (Note: Does not contain Yao Lao's soul). ] [ Third choice: Refuse to join the Tang Sect, establish the Endless Fire Territory, and destroy the Tang Sect. ] [ Reward 1: 5,000 points, freely redeemable in the shop. ] [ Reward 2: Yellow Tier Cultivation Technique, Flame Mantra (Note: Can advance by devouring Child Flames of Heavenly Flames). ] [ Reward 3: Heavy Profound Ruler. ] [ Reward 4: One first-tier Ice Attribute Magic Core. ] [ Note: If you choose option three, the system will subsequently issue instructions to begin recruiting talent from the Douluo Continent and prepare to establish the Endless Fire Territory. ] [ For each individual of recognized talent recruited by the system, the host will receive one system draw reward. Rewards can stack. ]
"I choose three."
Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate. He immediately called out to the system in his mind.
Huo Yuhao had never planned to join the Tang Sect. He was only waiting for the system to offer him a choice so he could claim a reward.
As for the second choice, maids were somewhat tempting, but they were divided into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow ranks.
By comparison, though, option three was more appealing.
As soon as Huo Yuhao finished speaking, the system's voice sounded again.
[ Ding, rewards have been delivered. ]
As soon as the system finished speaking, Huo Yuhao suddenly discovered a plane within the depths of his spiritual sea, one that the system had opened.
It was a vast, boundless space, and the Heavy Profound Ruler lay there.
Besides that, there was a fist-sized, brilliant white Ice Attribute Magic Core, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
The Flame Mantra had entered Huo Yuhao's mind directly.
But he had no time to study it just then.
In addition, the system now had something it hadn't offered before: points.
Huo Yuhao could now browse a dazzling array of goods through the points interface.
But he didn't have time to look into it in detail yet.
Then he looked at Tang Ya, considered for a moment, and said, "I think I'll pass. I have things of my own to take care of."
Tang Ya grew anxious. "What things? The Purple Demon Eye is really good."
Huo Yuhao heard her and smiled, shaking his head.
He did want the Purple Demon Eye, but the thought of Tang San made him feel queasy.
Besides, Huo Yuhao had a feeling that he might come across an even more powerful eye technique in the future.
Beibei spoke up as well. "Brother Yuhao, it wouldn't be right for you not to join us. You're still young. You need a faction to rely on. Why not join Shrek Academy?"
At the mention of Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed slightly.
He had no plans to join Shrek Academy.
To be honest, all Shrek Academy could offer him was some instruction in Soul Tools.
As for its teaching...
Huo Yuhao really couldn't praise it.
But he wouldn't be taking that path.
There was one thing he had to admit, though.
Shrek Academy had a number of talented youngsters. If he could recruit them into his Endless Fire Territory, that would be a great help with his draws.
After thinking it over, Huo Yuhao said, "I've thought about joining Shrek Academy."
Beibei heard this and smiled confidently. "With your current talent, you won't be able to get into Shrek Academy."
"You have no backing. Your Body Martial Soul is your eyes, but a spiritual-type Martial Soul needs compatible Soul Beasts to develop, and they're difficult for you to acquire. Even if your Martial Soul is rare, its growth is limited, and it won't earn you much attention. So you won't get in."
Huo Yuhao understood what he meant and said, "So you want me to join the Tang Sect, then earn the Tang Sect's recommendation so I can get into Shrek Academy?"
Beibei gave a meaningful nod.
Huo Yuhao heard this and curled his lips. Suddenly, he put on a troubled expression and pointed at the two corpses nearby.
"But I've gotten myself into a huge mess. They wanted to kill me. Wouldn't joining the Tang Sect just drag you into it?"
Tang Ya's eyes lit up. "Who did you offend?"
Huo Yuhao answered directly, "Duke White Tiger. He's a renowned powerful family in the Star Luo Empire. Ordinary families can't compare. The Duke White Tiger family even has an army."
Tang Ya was startled.
The Duke White Tiger family was indeed powerful—far stronger than the Ironbloods who had once destroyed the Tang Sect.
But Tang Ya quickly recovered, gritting her teeth. There are already so many lice; what's one more?
She decided to try persuading him again. At worst, she and Huo Yuhao would face it together and find a way to deal with it.
Just then, Beibei gave a soft laugh and subtly shook his head at Tang Ya.
Then Beibei looked at Huo Yuhao and said, "Brother Yuhao, I appreciate the thought, but I know you don't want to drag us into this. We're not afraid of trouble, either."
"But I respect your choice all the same. How about this? If you change your mind later, you can join the Tang Sect at any time. What do you say?"
Huo Yuhao was a little surprised by Beibei's words.
A moment ago, Beibei had seemed so gentle and refined. Why had he suddenly changed?
At that moment, though, Huo Yuhao suddenly thought of something.
The Tang Sect's decline hadn't happened overnight.
In particular, when the Tang Sect was destroyed, why had Beibei only appeared after Tang Ya was the last one left?
Of course, perhaps there had been some coincidences.
Beibei had arrived at just the right moment, at just the right time.
He had saved Tang Ya and kept the Tang Sect's last spark alive.
It had all been a coincidence.
Then there was Mu En.
Mu En had said Shrek Academy was a neutral organization, tasked with cultivating talent.
When it came to the Tang Sect's decline and matters involving sects and empires, the academy had its own position and principles. It was supposed to remain neutral and preserve the balance and stability of the entire Douluo Continent.
That much was true.
But when it came to Zhang Lexuan, there was a contradiction.
Back then, Mu En had saved Zhang Lexuan after she was hunted by the Imperial Family of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Zhang Lexuan had asked Mu En to help her get revenge.
In one sense, this was a conflict between empires, an internal struggle within an empire.
But the original story made it clear:
Mu En had helped her get revenge, which contradicted his earlier principles.
Wasn't he supposed to stay out of imperial affairs?
And Mu En had set one condition for helping her: Zhang Lexuan had to become Beibei's child bride.
That was difficult to judge.
If Mu En had been acting for the academy's growth and had simply valued Zhang Lexuan's talent, he could have let her join Shrek Academy and required her to pledge permanent allegiance to it.
Of course, Huo Yuhao was only mulling this over.
Human nature was selfish. Even if someone had their own little agenda, it was still just a transaction.
Huo Yuhao just felt that some people's actions bore more than a little resemblance to Tang San's...
Huo Yuhao smiled and looked at Beibei. "..."
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