Two Requests

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, nearly three months have passed.

Ever since Su Ming approached Huo Yuhao with his unique system for forging and crafting Soul Tools, guiding him toward the true essence of the craft, Huo Yuhao had become completely immersed in this brand-new world.

While he never neglected his daily coursework, basic physical training, or martial soul cultivation at Shrek Academy, he spent every spare moment he had outside of class elsewhere.

Huo Yuhao spent almost all his time holed up in Su Ming's private forging room, devoted to studying the knowledge and production techniques of Soul Tools.

The instructor for Freshman Class One had long since been replaced by the gentle and erudite Wang Yan.

Wang Yan had always excelled at teaching students according to their aptitude, possessing a keen eye for discovering their talents and specialties. At first, he had strictly urged Huo Yuhao to solidify his martial soul foundation and refine his soul skill cultivation as he always did.

However, after observing him day after day, he clearly perceived that Huo Yuhao possessed terrifying talent and astonishing comprehension regarding Soul Tools—far exceeding his peers—and that he even faintly showed the potential of a top-tier Soul Engineer.

Seeing this, Wang Yan no longer deliberately constrained Huo Yuhao's focus.

In his view, students of Shrek should play to their strengths and pursue excellence; since Huo Yuhao possessed such peerless talent, deep cultivation in the path of Soul Tools would surely lead to limitless future achievements.

These three months of diligent study allowed Huo Yuhao's mastery of Soul Tools to achieve a qualitative leap.

He had already successfully passed the exam for the official First-Class Soul Engineer badge, fully mastering all production techniques and core arrays for first-class Soul Tools, and had integrated them through Su Ming's private tutoring.

The first-class Soul Tools he crafted by hand possessed actual power, stability, and endurance that far exceeded standard first-class levels, reaching the power of second-class Soul Tools.

It was only because he was so focused on his research and honing his craft that he had not yet found the time to apply for his second-class Soul Engineer badge.

Compared to the steadily advancing Huo Yuhao, Su Ming's growth was even more rapid and astonishing.

Through these three months of accumulation and settling, he had broken through the peak of level 43, and Su Ming had also taken the opportunity to secure his fifth-class Soul Engineer badge, officially entering the ranks of mid-to-high-level Soul Engineers.

Beyond that, he never neglected his forging foundation, tempering iron and polishing metal day after day.

Studying the mysteries of Spirit Forging day and night, he had already firmly stepped into the realm of a Spirit Forging master, his forging techniques becoming increasingly masterful and divine.

Aside from imparting skills and exchanging crafting techniques, Su Ming never forgot his original intentions.

He knew that Huo Yuhao's life was destined to be filled with hardships; he was a man who valued loyalty and emotion, yet he was easily swayed by his feelings, and in the future, he would be deeply embroiled in the conflicts of the God Realm and countless entanglements.

He would often find himself caught in dilemmas between personal loyalty and the greater good, even making extreme or paranoid choices to protect those around him.

Therefore, in addition to teaching, Su Ming often chatted with Huo Yuhao, subtly instilling in him a sound and clear worldview, patiently teaching him to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and to weigh the pros and cons.

He did not want a cold genius who only knew how to bury his head in technical research; he wanted a Huo Yuhao who was mentally mature, firm in his stance, and capable of discerning good from evil and knowing when to advance or retreat.

Only in this way, when facing the supreme divine power of the Tang God King, the complex grievances of the God Realm, or the bloodline fate of Wang Dong in the future, would he be prepared.

Only then would Huo Yuhao not be swayed by his emotions, nor become blindly paranoid or led astray; he would be able to protect those he loved while holding onto his own bottom line, avoiding extreme or out-of-control actions that violated his moral principles.

In the quiet forging room, the warm yellow glow of soul power flowed slowly, and the faint sound of metal rubbing against metal was constant.

Huo Yuhao was concentrating, his soul power flowing delicately from his fingertips as he carefully outlined the core array of a Soul Tool, his expression focused and earnest.

After three months of polishing, his crafting techniques had shed their initial clumsiness and immaturity; every movement was methodical, steady, and seasoned.

After a long while, he stopped his movements and frowned slightly, as if he had discovered a doubt that had lingered in his heart for a long time, and spoke softly to break the silence of the room:

"Brother Su, I've been thinking lately. I've noticed that there seems to be a huge difference in the metal we use to make Soul Tools."

Su Ming, who was wiping down forging tools and organizing Spirit Forging metals nearby, turned his head slightly upon hearing this, a hint of playful curiosity in his eyes as he asked calmly:

"Oh? Tell me, how is it different?"

Huo Yuhao put down the semi-finished Soul Tool in his hand, looked at the two completely different metal blanks on the table with a serious expression, his tone full of confusion and surprise:

"It's the special metal you give me to practice with. The quality is just too top-tier. I've compared it."

"Whether it's the practice materials issued by the academy or the forging metals I bought from shops outside Shrek City, the texture, purity, and toughness are nowhere near as good."

"With the same forging technique, the same soul power tempering, and the same core array, the Soul Tools made with your metal have power that is more than seven or eight times that of ordinary metal."

He paused, his fingertips gently stroking the metal Su Ming had Spirit Forged, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief:

"What's even stranger is that these metals you forged by hand are clearly inanimate objects, yet they faintly exude a warm, gentle aura, as if they have their own spirituality and extremely high compatibility."

"When making Soul Tools, the flow of soul power is exceptionally smooth, and there is never any stagnation or backlash. This is a characteristic that ordinary forging metals absolutely do not have."

Su Ming chuckled upon hearing this, his eyes filled with understanding and approval.

To be able to see the essential difference in just three short months—Huo Yuhao's observation and perception were truly well-deserved.

He put down the tools in his hand, walked over slowly, looked at the youth who was studying so earnestly, and teased with a smile:

"Not bad, your observation skills are getting sharper. This is normal. The ordinary forging metals circulating on the market are mass-produced with rough craftsmanship and many impurities; how could they compare to the materials I have personally Spirit Forged and purified?"

As his voice fell, he changed the subject, deliberately putting on a mercenary air, raising an eyebrow and smiling:

"Since you've seen the difference, do you want to learn my forging technique? Once you master this craft, the Soul Tools you make in the future will far exceed those of your peers from the start, and the quality and power of the finished products will be in a league of their own."

"But I don't teach this craft for free. If you want to learn, you have to pay tuition."

Immediately, his tone became solemn, carrying firm expectations:

"And let me tell you, there are only two days left until the Freshman Grand Competition. If you can fully grasp the methods of this Spirit Forging craft."

"When the time comes, you will definitely be able to soar to the sky at the Freshman Grand Competition, stunning the entire audience with your unique Soul Tool combat power and crushing all freshmen of the same level!"

Huo Yuhao had always had an extreme pursuit of the highest quality Soul Tools and greater combat power.

Over these three months, he had personally felt the power of top-tier Spirit Forging metal and experienced the qualitative leap brought about by high-quality materials.

Hearing that Su Ming was willing to impart his core forging techniques, his eyes instantly lit up with a brilliant radiance. The longing in his heart reached its peak, and without the slightest hesitation, he nodded heavily, his tone incomparably firm:

"I'll learn! Brother Su, I must learn!"

Watching the youth's fervent and unwavering expression, a gentle smile tugged at the corners of Su Ming's mouth as he proceeded to lay out the conditions he had already prepared.

"You can learn, and I won't charge you any tuition, but you must agree to two conditions."

He looked at Huo Yuhao with a burning gaze, enunciating every word clearly:

"First, go all out in the Freshman Grand Competition two days from now. Take first place among the entire freshman cohort and stand on the highest podium.

Second, after the competition ends, help me scout, recommend, and recruit several juniors with talent for Soul Tools and pure characters to join our ranks in researching Soul Tools."

He wanted to use the momentum of the Freshman Grand Competition to thoroughly establish the reputation of his new-style Soul Tools and plant the roots of this brand-new Soul Tool system among the Shrek freshmen.

Upon hearing the conditions, Huo Yuhao did not hesitate in the slightest. With a firm gaze, he agreed without a moment's delay:

"Alright! I agree! I will definitely take first place in the Freshman Grand Competition! And I will certainly help Brother Su recruit more talented people!"

The youth's voice was clear and powerful, carrying the confidence built up over three months of tempering, and hiding an indomitable sharpness. The path of his counterattack in the Freshman Grand Competition had quietly begun to take shape.