Preparing for Exams

Getting held back by the homeroom teacher hadn't been a big deal. As he headed back to the dorm, the thought suddenly popped into Huo Yuhao's mind. Then he hurriedly shoved aside the outrageous idea. He had been able to handle things himself this time because he hadn't lied. He had been able to state his reasons with a clear conscience, even if he had still kept some things hidden. No matter what, Zhou Yi could never have imagined how a first-ring Soul Master like Huo Yuhao could have suffered such a serious injury as a rupture of his Sea of Spirit.

In the end, she had only given him a few harmless scoldings before letting him go. Whatever Huo Yuhao did in class, the fact that he could defeat Dai Huabin meant he was undeniably a monster at Shrek Academy. Monsters had the right to make their own choices. That had been Shrek's tradition since its founding: no one had to worry about how they cultivated or studied. They would find their own way.

But that only applied at certain levels. If your strength declined, those privileges would disappear. The specifics came down to exam results at each stage. Over the years, Shrek had reduced the weight of martial prowess and greatly increased the weight of academic subjects. Many graduates had reported that a large number of students couldn't adapt to the outside world.

The students here were like people who had grown up in an ivory tower, lacking an understanding of society. The great clans had also begun to voice their dissatisfaction. Shrek taught students how to fight, but not how to manage a clan. Many clan heirs studied at Shrek. Their families entrusted their heirs to the Academy, only for them to be turned into either muscle-bound brutes or virtuous, courteous gentlemen who knew all about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness. What kind of disgrace would that be for someone about to inherit a clan?

Shrek felt quite aggrieved by these complaints. Historically, why had those great figures ever needed teachers to instruct them in governance or how to conduct themselves? They had learned on their own. Geniuses were innovative and adaptable; you couldn't expect a useless fool to govern a nation. It was beyond his abilities. Would an ordinary person really swear an oath by pointing at the Luo River, then turn around and assassinate the ruler in broad daylight? Nobody had taught him to do that, either, so how had he managed it? If someone lacked ability, they shouldn't blame the road for being uneven.

But Shrek couldn't stand these people's endless complaints, so it had no choice but to add courses related to history and other subjects. After all, reading history made one wise, and using the past as a mirror helped one understand the rise and fall of nations. If someone still couldn't learn, that was no longer the Academy's problem. Those who hadn't fully understood the lessons could gradually do so through practice. Following behind a genius could still make someone a capable ruler who preserved what had been built.

The great development of Soul Tools also demanded more from students: recognizing and classifying Rare Metals, learning how to find their ore deposits, and understanding the functions and categories of Soul Tools. This was just as important as the study of Martial Souls for which Shrek was famous. If your enemy used a Soul Tool, you had to know its function and weaknesses in order to respond appropriately. This led to a great expansion of the academic subjects, and their status rose accordingly.

Even so, Shrek still gave students who relied solely on strength a way forward: if their power was overwhelming, they could be exempted from academic results and avoid elimination. Few students used this rule, though. Geniuses were usually well-rounded, and few were drastically weak in one area. Even when they fell short, they were compared with students at their own level. The teachers also didn't want students to grow complacent and stop studying, so they rarely mentioned the rule. A little more knowledge was always a good thing.

Having educated graduates was a win-win for Shrek. It could attract more clan heirs to study there and further expand its influence. Shrek Academy was the continent's number one academy, and nobody disputed that title. Still, many clans wouldn't send their members there.

Studying at Shrek would certainly leave its mark on you. Even if your strength improved, from the perspective of your clan's interests, that was still unacceptable. If you formed a friendship with your clan's enemy, it would inevitably affect your decisions. You had to nip the chance of such feelings forming in the bud—or, better yet, prevent the conditions for them from arising at all.

Shrek had always sought to expand its support base, but without success. Its only steadfast supporters were the founding clans, whose interests were deeply tied to Shrek's. Your enemies were your enemies; unless you changed, there was no chance of turning them into your support base. Why not maintain the support base you already had? Spend some effort and resources to give the founding clans, such as the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, greater benefits. Don't give opportunities to those who had never been part of your support base in the first place.

You would lose nothing and strengthen your support base. Why not do it? So, in this generation, someone in the Sea God Pavilion decided to reach out to the founding clans and families with close ties to them, while rescinding the admission slots of clans that had never been friendly toward Shrek Academy. And so, the Upper Three Sects of ten thousand years ago gathered at Shrek Academy once more. Their numbers were small, but their presence sent a clear signal: the three sides were beginning to cooperate.

This cooperation was no simple matter. Behind it lay the beginning of a merger between money, power, and political influence. Everyone sensed a storm was brewing and began to band together for warmth. The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect represented wealth beyond measure, as determined by its Martial Soul. The Clear Sky Sect represented absolute strength, with its powerful tool-type Martial Soul. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had once represented the strength of Beast Martial Souls, but because of its history and the evolution of its Martial Soul, it had become a core family of Shrek Academy. It represented organizational power: the ability to bring money and strength together through prestige and status.

With money or strength alone, you could only flounder. That was where Shrek Academy's legitimacy came in. It was also fortunate that the current head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was powerful and respected. That was how the Upper Three Sects had come together in the same generation for the first time in a long while. The people at the top wanted to assemble a team and announce their return. Two attack-type Soul Masters and one support-type Soul Master made a workable team. No one could take their place, barring the unexpected. Geniuses were always drawn to one another. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

One of the Upper Three Sects' representatives, Bei Bei, was now sparring on the training grounds. It was a two-on-two match: Tang Ya and Bei Bei against Xu Sanshi and Huo Yuhao. Bei Bei had guessed that Huo Yuhao's team would fight two-on-two in this exam, so he had suggested they train for it. If he was right, they'd gain a lot; if not, they'd lose nothing. And they might even get a chance to squeeze some money out of a rich fool during training. What was there not to like?

It also gave their investor, Xu Sanshi, a chance to see how Huo Yuhao performed, so he would glimpse a bright future and invest even more. He shouldn't give up on the future for a little short-term gain. What did it matter if he had to sacrifice some of his current comforts? It was a trial sent by Heaven, a sign that Heaven was about to entrust him with a great task. After Bei Bei's relentless persuasion, Xu Sanshi had invested more money. Huo Yuhao felt too embarrassed to accept any more.

This was what it meant to swindle someone. In the end, under Bei Bei's meaningful look, Huo Yuhao accepted the money anyway. He was too embarrassed to look Xu Sanshi in the eye. Wasn't this a stain on his character? Once he had money, he would have to pay it all back—with interest. And so, the battle began.

As the two teams separated, Bei Bei spoke to Huo Yuhao in private. "Don't worry. Spend whatever he gives you. Don't be afraid to ask if you need more. As long as you reach that level and join us on that team, it'll all be worth it."

"I could give you money too, but my money would be different from Xu Sanshi's. The debt you owed me would be different, too, and so would what you'd have to do in return. The favor you'd owe me would be too great, and repaying it later would be that much harder. That wouldn't be good for your future. You'll understand when the time comes." Seeing Huo Yuhao's tense, bewildered expression, Bei Bei burst out laughing. Huo Yuhao rarely showed such emotion. Tang Ya and Xu Sanshi looked over, unsure what they had been talking about.

Once the field was ready, both sides took their positions. Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi didn't know what tactics the other team would use, but neither of them was suited to taking the initiative. Huo Yuhao would stay behind Xu Sanshi's shield and provide support, while Xu Sanshi asked him a question.

"Yuhao, that kid Bei Bei hasn't experienced your mental attack before, right?" Xu Sanshi grinned mischievously, his anticipation written all over his face.

"He hasn't, Brother Sanshi." After thinking it over, Huo Yuhao decided to call him that.

"Good. When Bei Bei goes all out against us, hit him with it. I'll take care of the rest." At the thought of finally defeating Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi couldn't help laughing loudly. He stopped as soon as the other team looked over. They couldn't let the opposition notice anything was up.

As soon as the match began, both sides grew serious and released their Martial Souls. Three of them had three rings, making Huo Yuhao, with his single ring, stand out. But that no longer mattered. Xu Sanshi held up his thick Mystic Tortoise Shield, which seemed to radiate a damp sensation as soon as you approached it. It was a top-tier defensive Martial Soul. He stood there with the imposing presence of a man who could hold off ten thousand alone.

Spiritual Detection and Sharing was activated right away. The long-duration skill card made Xu Sanshi's eyes widen. He felt no discomfort at all—the very kind Huo Yuhao had worried about. Huo Yuhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Sanshi savored this godlike sensation, instantly understanding why Bei Bei had invested in Huo Yuhao. This Soul Skill was practically invincible at lower levels. His confidence soared. While keeping his eyes fixed on Bei Bei, he could also see Tang Ya's movements. That meant he no longer had to worry that Tang Ya might play dirty and sneak up on Huo Yuhao, forcing him out of the match while Xu Sanshi was unable to split his attention. Before, he had planned to use his second Soul Skill continuously to cover the area around them. But that would consume too much Soul Power; he might have run out before the other side even attacked. Now, he didn't have to worry about that.

Tang Ya wasn't holding back, either. Blue Silver Grass wrapped around Bei Bei at once, stretching as he charged forward. His First Soul Ring lit up, and he unleashed Thunderbolt Dragon Claw, crashing straight into the Mystic Tortoise Shield.

Mystic Tortoise Tremor. To counter Bei Bei's attack, Xu Sanshi made the same choice he had made in many previous matches. The two were sent apart by the force of their collision. Xu Sanshi was just about to attack again when he realized that Bei Bei had been knocked back too far and too fast. Then he realized it was because of the Blue Silver Grass—a factor he hadn't encountered in one-on-one matches. He couldn't rely on his old experience. That would lead to trouble. Xu Sanshi recognized the problem.

They had stopped, but Tang Ya hadn't. She unleashed her second Soul Skill: Parasitism.

Xu Sanshi had no way to deal with this annoying skill. It didn't drain much Soul Power, but over time it became irritating. His team clearly had less Soul Power than the other side, and they could afford to drag things out, but his team couldn't. They had to find a way to break the stalemate.

In the opening moments, the two sides clashed several times like this, the shockwaves reverberating throughout the training grounds.

Xu Sanshi couldn't take this drawn-out war of attrition any longer. If things continued like this, they were bound to lose. Their only chance was to fight head-on. He told Huo Yuhao to be careful and said he would see if he could use the view from Spiritual Detection to fight the other team.

Huo Yuhao quickly retreated as far as possible from the fighting. Xu Sanshi roared and charged forward. The view granted by Spiritual Detection had already mapped out the possible collision points for him. But he had still underestimated a Control System Soul Master's ability to control the battlefield. At the three-ring level, some forms of control could no longer be broken through by brute force. They hadn't yet faced a real battle like this; students in their year wouldn't get one until fourth year. So Xu Sanshi had little experience.

Third Soul Skill: Shara Snake Net. A net woven from Blue Silver Grass directly blocked Xu Sanshi's advance, and it also had a slowing effect. At this point, Blue Silver Grass's toughness could no longer be underestimated. Xu Sanshi failed to break through the restraint immediately, and the other side wasn't going to wait. Taking advantage of his mistake and widening their lead was the way to win. Their first target certainly wasn't the turtle shell in front of them.

Tang Ya used Blue Silver Grass to help Bei Bei close in on Huo Yuhao faster, then flung Bei Bei forward. Bei Bei added his own momentum as he flew. He reached Huo Yuhao in no time, just as Xu Sanshi had broken free and regained his normal speed.

Xu Sanshi could only watch Bei Bei attack Huo Yuhao right before his eyes. Thanks to Spiritual Detection, he saw everything clearly. Even if it was futile, all he could do was race back. It had been his mistake, and he had to make up for it.

But he was too late.