Changes After Three Months

"Ugh, this again."

Liu Yuan closed the Platform Panel and shook his head in disappointment.

He had used up another four refreshes, yet there were still no suitable tasks. There were some he could complete, but the rewards were too low. For him now, there was no need to bother with them.

By now, three months had passed since he arrived at the academy.

Over these three months,

there was only one thing that had left a deep impression on him: cultivating an ultimate attribute was fucking slow!

With great difficulty, he had finally climbed to level thirty-five.

Still, academy life had been quite fulfilling.

Di Qiu'er came to challenge him to soul battles from time to time.

The two of them honored their original agreement.

One would not use the Golden Dragon Spear, while the other tried not to engage in prolonged entanglement. They traded victories, and Liu Yuan earned several more soul bones from Di Qiu'er.

As they went back and forth,

their relationship actually grew much closer.

So after gaining another four thousand-year soul bones, Liu Yuan felt too embarrassed to keep taking advantage of Di Qiu'er. He called it there, and their matches afterward became purely sparring sessions.

What puzzled Liu Yuan, however, was that Wang Dong'er would also come by from time to time to compete with her. She and Di Qiu'er were like a pair of happy enemies. Though Wang Dong'er could not beat Di Qiu'er, she refused to accept it no matter what.

"Yuhao, we should get going."

Liu Yuan gathered his thoughts and rose to his feet.

He called out to Huo Yuhao, who was still cultivating.

But just then,

Liu Yuan's brow suddenly furrowed.

The instant he turned to look at Huo Yuhao, a wave of Soul Power suddenly burst forth like a pulled cork, with a soft "pop."

A moment later, the Soul Power fluctuation settled down.

"Huff—"

Huo Yuhao exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

"Congratulations, Yuhao."

Liu Yuan smiled and congratulated him.

"Brother, I finally broke through to level twenty!"

The corners of Huo Yuhao's lips lifted, unable to contain his joy.

Ever since enrolling,

he had been treading carefully, never daring to slack off in the slightest.

In the Soul Guidance Department, unwilling to disappoint Liu Yuan's expectations, he had gone there to sit in on classes and met an upperclassman named He Caitou.

When that senior learned that he was a spiritual-attribute Soul Master from the Martial Soul Department who was also interested in Soul Tools, he brought Huo Yuhao to study Soul Tool knowledge under his teacher.

As for the Martial Soul Department, Huo Yuhao had taken the three Mystic Water Pills Liu Yuan gave him and undergone three rounds of cleansing his tendons and marrow. This raised his Innate Soul Power by three levels, allowing him to break through to level twenty now.

While balancing both paths,

it was already truly impressive that he had achieved so much!

Those in the know, like Wang Dong'er,

privately called him the "Iron Man."

Yet amid such grueling cultivation, Huo Yuhao had also experienced a girl's gentleness. Xiao Xiao would occasionally come find him, sometimes chatting with him or bringing him meals.

He could not really describe how it felt. He just thought it was nice.

When he asked Liu Yuan why, all he got was a teasing yet meaningful answer: "You'll have to figure that out yourself."

"All right, kid, quit standing there like an idiot."

Liu Yuan patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, reminding him to snap out of it.

"When are you planning to obtain your second Soul Ring?"

"Um—"

Huo Yuhao hesitated for a moment.

Then, he focused his mind into his Spirit Sea.

Before long, he received Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's reply.

"Brother, Brother Sky Dream said he wants to give me a fortunate opportunity, so he told me not to obtain my second Soul Ring before winter break."

"Then we'll do as he says."

A sharp glint flashed through Liu Yuan's eyes.

"Winter break it is."

"But for now, you have to get up."

"Don't forget, there's something important to discuss today. If we brothers are late, the boss will get mad."

The boss Liu Yuan referred to was their homeroom teacher, Tian Ning.

Ever since the first day of school,

the title "boss" had spread around.

And Tian Ning seemed to like it, so he never corrected them.

As for what the important matter was...

It was naturally the New Student Assessment!

Upon hearing that, Huo Yuhao hurriedly flipped out of bed.

"I'm getting up right now."

After washing up and eating breakfast,

Liu Yuan and the others headed to their respective classrooms.

Inside Class Five's New Student Assessment classroom.

Before class had even begun, the room was already nearly full.

The students' conversations filled the room with noise, but most of them clearly looked forward to the New Student Assessment. Those who were somewhat weaker naturally wore worried expressions instead, because they had no confidence that they could pass it.

But as Liu Yuan, Huo Yuhao, and Xiao Xiao entered the classroom,

everyone's conversations abruptly fell silent.

All eyes turned toward them.

After all, among all of Class Five, Liu Yuan was the strongest. Even Dai Huabin could not compare to him. There were even rumors that he was the strongest new student. Of course, a certain person had never publicly admitted it.

Still, those gazes quickly shifted away.

Everyone in Class Five knew that Huo Yuhao was Liu Yuan's younger brother, and that Xiao Xiao's relationship with the two brothers was anything but ordinary.

And Huo Yuhao's cultivation was so weak...

There was basically no need to say who would be grouped with whom.

Thus, after just a breath,

only two people continued staring fixedly at Liu Yuan.

One was Dai Huabin, and the other was Zhu Lu.

Liu Yuan did not know whether to call them patient or something else. He had thought that, over these three months, Dai Huabin would surely come looking for trouble. Yet this guy had not only done no such thing, but had cultivated and studied quite seriously, as if he had changed his ways.

It was only upon seeing that gaze today

that Liu Yuan knew the guy had not changed.

Over these three months, he had probably been waiting for the New Student Assessment.

But Liu Yuan still paid him no heed.

The three of them passed through the desks and chairs and took their seats.

Dai Huabin: "..."

He clenched his teeth and fists tightly!

Again!

He's ignoring me again!

Liu Yuan! Just you wait! I'll defeat you in the New Student Assessment! Even if I can't do it alone, I still have the Hell White Tiger!

I'll crush you completely beneath my feet!!!

"Brother, he's carrying a lot of resentment."

Huo Yuhao stared fixedly at Dai Huabin's back.

The light of hatred flickered endlessly in the depths of his eyes.

"So what if he is? What can he do?"

Liu Yuan crossed his arms over his chest. "With his current mindset, he just wants to stomp on my head during the New Student Assessment."

As for what he would do after the New Student Assessment...

Heh heh!

During the New Student Assessment, Liu Yuan would definitely reveal his ultimate attribute.

By then,

it would no longer be a matter of what Dai Huabin could do.

He glanced at Yuhao. "The grudge will be repaid sooner or later."

"Mm."

Huo Yuhao silently nodded.

Just then, seeing that the two brothers had finished speaking, Xiao Xiao timidly interjected, "Um, what cultivation direction are you planning to choose next?" Her gaze toward Liu Yuan and Huo Yuhao, especially Huo Yuhao, was filled with anticipation.

Liu Yuan and Huo Yuhao looked at each other and answered in unison:

"Control."

Xiao Xiao said, "I knew it."

"Then I'll choose control too."

"Huh?"

Huo Yuhao asked in confusion,

"Xiao Xiao, didn't you say your family's Soul Suppressing Cauldron is an auxiliary-type Martial Soul? Even if yours mutated, it's still auxiliary and assault."

Liu Yuan: "..."

In the original timeline, Xiao Xiao choosing control might indeed have been because of her second Martial Soul. But why was she choosing it now... At least, Liu Yuan felt that part of the reason was: Huo Yuhao, you idiot, she's here for you!

As for when there had first been signs of it...

Liu Yuan guessed it had probably started with the grilled fish.

Truly worthy of the Douluo Continent's version of an "aphrodisiac"!