Huo Yuhao Wants to Study at the Sun Moon Empire

"Wait!" Dai Huabin snapped back to reality, his face changing drastically. "Am I not on the Shrek Assessment Platform? I was fighting Huo Yuhao! This isn't real!"

The begonia flowers, the courtyard, and the figures of his mother and brother shattered instantly like a mirror.

Boundless darkness surged once more, and the calls in his ears grew clearer, intermingled with the painful groans of Zhu Lu.

"Dai Huabin! You're finally awake!"

An anxious voice rang out beside him.

Dai Huabin opened his eyes weakly, the blinding sunlight forcing him to squint.

He shook his dizzy head, his entire body feeling as if his bones had been dismantled and reassembled; the slightest movement sent piercing pain through him.

He turned his head to look at the healing-type teacher beside him and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Teacher... did we win? Was that bastard Huo Yuhao torn to shreds by the Hell White Tiger?"

The healing teacher's movements paused. He glanced at him, his tone flat but laced with a hint of mockery:

"No, Huo Yuhao won."

"What?!"

Dai Huabin's eyes widened abruptly, as if struck by lightning, and his entire body stiffened.

Ignoring the excruciating pain in his body, he struggled to sit up:

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! We used the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger!

How could a piece of trash with exhausted soul power block it?! You must be lying to me!"

"Why would I lie to you?"

The healing teacher retorted impatiently, pressing him down and pointing at the bandages wrapped all over his body, then at the unconscious, pale-faced Zhu Lu nearby.

"Look at the state you're in. Four broken ribs, internal organ damage.

You're lying here—where would you go to beat Huo Yuhao?"

Dai Huabin followed his finger and saw Zhu Lu lying on the bed, her eyes tightly shut, her brows furrowed, and dried blood still lingering at the corners of her mouth.

He looked down at his own bandaged body, and a chill surged from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Could it be... that I really lost?

Lost to that bastard I had always looked down upon?

He clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug deep into his palms, fresh blood dripping slowly through his fingers, his eyes filled with unwillingness, resentment, and profound disbelief.

Meanwhile, on the Assessment Platform, calm had long since returned.

Du Weilun stood in the center of the collapsed crater, his director's uniform tattered, a large section of his sleeve torn away, revealing shallow bloodstains on his arm.

He looked at his own disheveled appearance, his mouth twitching as he cursed his luck inwardly.

Just moments ago, seeing the giant claws of the Hell White Tiger about to collide with Huo Yuhao's fist, he, as the director, had keenly sensed that the energy fluctuation far exceeded the level of a Soul Elder.

If it had exploded, the entire Assessment Platform would have been overturned, and the students below would have been caught in the blast.

So, without a second thought, he had rushed up, intending to stand between them and neutralize the strike.

Yet, who could have imagined that the power of Huo Yuhao's punch would be so terrifying!

He, an eight-ring Soul Douluo, had failed to block it completely!

The aftermath had sent his blood surging, leaving him in this sorry state.

"What a massive embarrassment..."

Du Weilun muttered to himself.

"Who would have thought a level 36 Soul Elder could unleash a strike comparable to the full power of a Soul King? This kid is simply a monster!"

That punch really packed a wallop!

Thinking of this, he felt a tightness in his chest and a sweetness in his throat. With a "pfft," a mouthful of blood sprayed out.

"Director Du! Are you alright?!"

Huo Yuhao, who had just regained his strength, saw this scene and stumbled over, his face full of guilt.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

Du Weilun waved his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at Huo Yuhao speechlessly.

What could he say?

That he had underestimated a Soul Elder and ended up injured by the shockwave?

If that got out, would he have any face left as a director?

He coughed lightly to clear his throat, turned to face the stunned students below, and used his soul power to project his voice across the entire Great Soul Arena:

"I announce! In this assessment, Huo Yuhao is the winner!"

As his words fell, the entire arena erupted into deafening cheers.

"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"

"So cool! He blew up the Hell White Tiger with a single punch!"

"Shrek's number one genius! He truly deserves the title!"

The mountain-shaking, sea-roaring cheers rose and fell in waves; everyone was going wild for the youth who had created such a miracle.

Mu En flashed onto the Assessment Platform.

Looking at Huo Yuhao, who stood with a straight spine despite his weakness, his eyes filled with undisguised appreciation and gratification as he patted him on the shoulder with a smile:

"Yuhao, congratulations. With your own strength, you have defeated all the elites of the outer courtyard. You are the undisputed first place of this assessment. From today on, you are a core disciple of the Shrek inner courtyard. All resources will be prioritized for you, and the ten-thousand-year spirit bone promised previously will be delivered to you tomorrow."

The entire arena erupted into enthusiastic cheers once again.

Inner courtyard core disciple—this was the honor every Shrek student dreamed of. So many people broke their heads trying to get in, yet Huo Yuhao had secured it with ease.

However, to everyone's surprise, Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly.

"Many thanks for your kindness, Elder Mu."

He bowed slightly, his tone firm yet respectful.

"It's just that I do not wish to go to the inner courtyard."

"What?!"

The smile on Mu En's face froze instantly, his cloudy eyes filled with astonishment.

The cheers below the stage also came to an abrupt halt; everyone widened their eyes, unable to believe their ears.

"Did I hear that right? Huo Yuhao actually rejected the inner courtyard?"

"Is he crazy? That's an inner courtyard core disciple spot! An opportunity so many beg for but can't get!"

"What on earth is he thinking? If he doesn't go to the inner courtyard, is he planning to stay in the outer courtyard?"

Huo Yuhao looked up at Mu En and said, word by word:

"Elder Mu, I want to go to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy."

"The Sun Moon Empire?!"

Mu En was stunned, and Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo behind him also changed color.

The Sun Moon Empire and Shrek Academy had always been at odds, and it was the nation with the most advanced soul tool technology.

Although the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek was developing rapidly, there was still a significant gap compared to the Sun Moon Empire.

"Yuhao, do you know what you are saying?"

Mu En's tone sank.

"The Sun Moon Empire and we are like fire and water; going there is too dangerous. Furthermore, the cultivation resources of the inner courtyard are far beyond what the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy can compare to."

"I know."

Huo Yuhao nodded, his gaze exceptionally firm.

"But Elder Mu, you saw it too. In today's assessment, a large part of the reason I was able to defeat so many people was my reliance on soul tools. The world of the future will no longer be a simple duel of martial spirits; soul tools will inevitably become the masters of war. The Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology is far ahead of ours, and I want to go there to learn the most cutting-edge soul tool knowledge."