Huo Yuhao: A Person Must Have Principles!

Shen Yi's gaze swept around the classroom before finally settling on the boy with sky-blue eyes.

The smile on her lips deepened as she slowly began, "As for the Soul Tool Production Committee Member..."

The entire class perked up their ears and held their breath in anticipation.

"Let Huo Yuhao take the position."

"Buzz—"

Huo Yuhao felt as if his brain had gone blank.

Him?

Soul Tool Production Committee Member?

The eyes of the students around him instantly focused on him.

Almost instinctively, Huo Yuhao sprang to his feet.

"T-Teacher!"

His face reddened as he frantically waved both hands, his voice stammering from nerves. "Th-this won't do!"

"I... I don't know anything about Soul Tools. I don't even understand the most basic principles."

"All I know how to do is grill fish."

"I really can't take this position. Y-you should choose someone else!"

There was an almost stubborn honesty in the boy's voice.

To him, being a class officer was a weighty responsibility.

Since it was a "Soul Tool Committee Member" position, he had to possess genuine knowledge in that field, or at least understand it.

For someone like him, who knew absolutely nothing, to occupy the position without doing the work would be irresponsible toward the other students!

However, before Shen Yi could speak, the lazy voice in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness suddenly exploded.

"Wah! I'm furious!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's chubby body rolled around wildly in the Sea of Consciousness as he said in exasperation, "Huo Yuhao! Are you stupid? Huh? Are you stupid?!"

"Those are Contribution Points! They're tickets to becoming stronger!"

"Didn't you hear that teacher just now? With Contribution Points, you can enter that Spirit Ascension Platform!"

"Once you get in, you can increase your spirit ring age!"

At this point, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm gave an arrogant snort, and his tone eased slightly.

"Though, of course, I am an unprecedented million-year soul beast, the emperor of the Ice Silkworm clan, blessed with both wisdom and beauty."

"The first spirit ring I gave you is one of a kind on the entire continent—a super spirit ring with four soul skills! You don't need some low-level method like that to increase its age."

"But!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm abruptly changed his tone, becoming serious.

"Yuhao, you need to think further ahead!"

"I may be amazing, but I can only provide your first spirit ring. You still have to cultivate in the future and absorb a second, third, even a Ninth Spirit Ring!"

"What if the soul beasts you hunt in the future don't have ideal spirit ring ages?"

"When that happens, if you don't have enough Contribution Points to enter that Spirit Ascension Platform, how will you upgrade those lousy spirit rings?"

"If your spirit ring ages are low, your soul skills will be weaker, and so will you!"

"If you're weak, how are you supposed to become a god?"

When he spoke the words "become a god," Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice was filled with fervor.

"Yuhao, you have to understand. I've bet everything I have—even my million years of cultivation—on you!"

"My only hope is that you'll cultivate until you become a god, then bring me with you when you ascend to the God Realm and enjoy eternal life!"

Seeing that Huo Yuhao was still hesitating, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed and decided to use harsher reality to knock some sense into the foolish boy.

"Besides, do you really think you're strong right now?"

"Do you think that just because you don't want this committee position, you can snatch the class monitor or vice monitor position instead?"

"Dream on!"

"I secretly scanned this classroom with my spiritual power just now."

"Although most of them are one-ring soul masters, quite a few have already reached the two-ring Soul Grandmaster level!"

"Like that Tang Wulin, that Xie Xie, and that little girl with pink-blue hair who just came in..."

"Even among the one-ring soul masters like you, most have Soul Power Levels above thirteen!"

"And you?"

"Your Soul Power Level is only eleven!"

"You're at the bottom of the class! Dead last! Your starting point is already lower than everyone else's!"

"If you don't seize every chance to obtain resources, if you don't earn more Contribution Points to exchange for cultivation resources, what will you use to rise above them? What will you use to catch up to those geniuses?"

"So stop worrying about whether you can do it or not. Take the position first! If you don't know how, then learn!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm earnestly tried to persuade him, practically worrying himself sick over Huo Yuhao.

Yet Huo Yuhao remained standing there. His gaze flickered slightly, but the stubbornness in him did not fade in the slightest.

He silently replied in his heart, "Brother Sky Dream, I know you mean well."

"I want to become stronger too."

"But... a person must have principles."

"My mother taught me from childhood that a person can be poor or weak, but they cannot lack integrity, and they cannot deceive others."

"If I take a position that I am completely incapable of handling just for Contribution Points, then I would be deceiving the teacher and my classmates."

"To serve as a Soul Tool Committee Member, I should at least know something about Soul Tools. But I... truly know nothing at all."

"Resources gained that way would burn in my hands, and I wouldn't be at peace with myself."

Though the boy's voice was young, it carried an unwavering resolve.

In the Sea of Consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm froze.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh.

"Ah..."

"What a stubborn little mule."

"Forget it, forget it. I don't know whether I've had eight lifetimes of bad luck or eight lifetimes of good karma to end up choosing a fool like you."

"But..."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm muttered as he turned over.

"This kind of unyielding temperament may be more important on the path of cultivation than talent."

"Do whatever you want. At worst, I'll work harder and think of other ways for you later."

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to refuse again, even planning to bow in apology—

Shen Yi, standing at the podium, was not angry. Instead, seeing Huo Yuhao's embarrassed yet resolute expression, she smiled even more brightly.

"Huo Yuhao, don't be so quick to refuse."

Shen Yi gently interrupted him.

"Do you know why I specifically chose you?"

Huo Yuhao paused, then shook his head blankly.

"I don't understand, Teacher."

Shen Yi walked down from the podium and stopped in front of Huo Yuhao, looking gently into his eyes.

"Because of your martial soul."

"My martial soul?"

Huo Yuhao instinctively touched his eyes.

"That's right. The Spirit Eye."

Shen Yi explained, "Although you know nothing about Soul Tools right now, as a teacher, what I value is your potential."

"When making Soul Tools, especially when inscribing Core Arrays, what is needed most? Powerful spiritual power, meticulous observation, and precise control!"

"And as the owner of a spiritual-type body martial soul, you possess an innate advantage in this area that others cannot match."

At this point, Shen Yi patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, encouragement in her voice.

"Even if you are currently a blank sheet of paper, you are still the blank sheet most suited to creating the most beautiful picture."

"Besides, as I said before, this is only an experiment."

"At Shrek Academy, class officer positions are not permanent."

"Every semester, we hold new elections and make adjustments based on everyone's performance and wishes."

"Right now, none of you has much experience with actual Soul Tool production. You are all standing at the same starting line."

"If, during this semester, you feel you are unable to handle the position, or if another student more suited to it emerges, it won't be too late to replace you then."

"But for now, your teacher is willing to place this trust in you and give you this opportunity."

Shen Yi bent down slightly until she was level with Huo Yuhao's eyes, then asked earnestly, "Huo Yuhao, are you willing to give it a try? For the class, and to uncover your own potential."

Looking at Teacher Shen Yi so close before him and feeling the weighty trust and expectation in her words, Huo Yuhao felt his nose sting.

During those ten years in the White Tiger Duke Mansion, no one had ever trusted him like this.

No one had ever thought he "had potential."

Everyone had treated him as trash, a bastard, someone unnecessary.

But after coming here, in just a single day, he had felt warmth and respect unlike anything he had ever known.

His teacher did not disdain his low level or his poor background. Instead, she had seen his strengths.

Even Brother Sky Dream had said that he needed to seize this opportunity.

Since his teacher had put it that way, and since this was also for his cultivation...

What reason did he have to shrink back?

Didn't know how? Then he would learn!

He would learn until he dropped!

He absolutely could not let down Teacher Shen's trust, nor could he let down Dean Lin for admitting him into this school!

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and forced back the warmth in his eyes.

He straightened his back, nodded hard, and said loudly, "Teacher, I'm willing!"

"I'll study hard!"

Shen Yi nodded in satisfaction, straightened up, and returned to the podium.

"Good. That's the spirit."

"Now, all the committee positions have been settled."

She scanned the room, a mysterious smile appearing on her face.

"Next comes the main event."

"One class monitor and three vice monitors."

"Those four positions not only mean more Contribution Points, but also mean that you will become the leaders of this class—the symbols of the class's overall strength."

"So this time, there will be no speeches to canvass votes and no appointments."

"At Shrek, strength is what talks."

With a wave of Shen Yi's hand, a screen of light lit up on the blackboard.

"For the next assessment, I will bring you all into a virtual space."

"There, you can freely unleash your martial souls and soul skills without worrying about getting hurt."

"The rules are simple: a free-for-all."

"You may form teams freely, or fight alone."

"The last four people standing will be our class monitor and vice monitors!"

"As for who will be the class monitor and who will be vice monitors, that will depend on how you perform until the end."

The entire class erupted into an uproar.

Upon hearing this, Wang Dong'er, who had been sitting by the window, suddenly raised her head. A glint flashed through her large pink-blue eyes.

She would definitely become the class monitor!