Plans for Huo Yuhao

"Just watch, Teacher." En Zuo did not argue. "Huo Yuhao will pass this assessment on his own."

"One day, you'll stand below the stage and watch Monster Academy rise to fame by crushing Shrek Academy. You'll be proud of us."

Every word En Zuo spoke rang with force. His high spirits and the resolve he unconsciously exuded left En Ci somewhat dazed.

Like... far too alike.

Even more so than that child, Long Yue. He was more like him in his younger days.

En Ci remained silent, his expression complicated. Emotionally, he supported En Zuo's idea, but rationally, such things only existed in stories...

Yet when the words reached his lips, they came out differently. En Ci sighed. "I'll personally review the assessment process."

"I hope that child can become someone as dazzling as the Spirit Ice Douluo."

Somewhat regretfully, En Ci waved to En Zuo. "The ruler wishes to discuss something with me at the royal palace, so I won't be accompanying you this time."

He walked alone toward the academy gates, his figure lonely.

En Zuo stood where he was, silently watching En Ci's figure recede into the distance until it disappeared. His pallid fingers clenched tightly, veins bulging.

"Teacher, I won't let you down."

"Neither will Yuhao," he said softly.

Demon Ding stroked En Zuo's cheek with its wings, looking at him worriedly as it let out two uneasy cries. "Waa meow."

"I'm fine, Demon Ding." En Zuo smiled warmly and lifted a hand to settle Demon Ding onto his shoulder. "Let's go find Yuhao."

"Maybe he has something tasty over there."

At those words, Demon Ding's mouth immediately began to flood with saliva. Whenever food was involved, it was always enthusiastic.

Monster Academy's vendor district was not located within the academy. It was generally concentrated along the street outside the academy gates, where restaurants and barbecue stalls selling meat from ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts could even be found.

Though the prices were not cheap, as Monster Academy students, they could cut back on other expenses and grit their teeth to afford eating there every day for a month.

It was quite affordable, all things considered.

Mindful of his status and wishing to avoid drawing too much attention, En Zuo had specifically changed into Monster Academy's red fitted uniform. He had also put on a hood, its lowered brim pressing down on his tousled hair and concealing most of his face.

The moment they entered the food vendor district, Demon Ding poked out its head and sniffed the air. Then it looked at En Zuo with tearful eyes.

It folded its wings, shook En Zuo's shoulder, and, under his questioning gaze, pointed toward the area where the largest crowd had gathered.

En Zuo narrowed his eyes and looked over.

That was...

A small stall, so crude it could barely be called a stall at all. Several green fish had been laid side by side and were roasting over a grill.

Huo Yuhao was drenched in sweat. He busied himself cleaning the green fish, turning those on the grill, and collecting the Empire coins handed over by the senior students.

People in the surrounding crowd continuously reached out, waving Empire coins in their hands as they shouted, "Little brother, give me one! My girlfriend loves your grilled fish, but I never managed to get any before. Don't brush me off so easily this time!"

"Sorry, senior brothers." Huo Yuhao wiped his sweat, but it still continued to stream from his forehead down his jaw. He gave a bitter smile. "My abilities are limited. I can only make around fifty fish a day."

"Once they're sold out, they're gone. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

That was the limit of what he could handle after setting aside time for training.

When he had a moment of respite, Huo Yuhao wiped his hands and repeatedly counted the Empire coins he had earned today, sorting through the various denominations.

The final total was 1,680 Empire coins. The income was fairly decent. After deducting costs, it was enough for him to live frugally at the academy for a month.

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to wipe away his sweat and continue working, a cool breeze brushed his forehead, stirred up by flapping wings.

Demon Ding descended from the sky with a towel in its mouth. It carefully placed it on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, then pointed at it, signaling for him to wipe his sweat.

As En Zuo's martial soul, Demon Ding was recognizable to quite a few people, and murmurs broke out among the crowd. Huo Yuhao was no exception.

With Demon Ding's distinctive traits, there was no second one to be found at Monster Academy.

"Where's Big Brother En Zuo?" Huo Yuhao wiped his sweat with the towel and consciously looked around. He eventually spotted En Zuo in the crowd and warmly waved in greeting.

En Zuo smiled and nodded back.

Only after Huo Yuhao had finished and the crowd gradually dispersed did En Zuo step forward to help him pack up the cooking utensils. He asked curiously, "Why not accept Monster Academy's financial support?"

"If you accepted Monster Academy's support, life would be easier for you."

Huo Yuhao's hand, which was holding a green fish for Demon Ding, visibly paused. A forced smile appeared on his face—though rather than a smile, it was more like an indescribable fear.

"Big Brother En Zuo, I'm afraid..."

Huo Yuhao looked at the hands that had developed calluses from labor. His voice trembled, so soft that only the two of them could hear it. "I'm afraid that if I become immersed in comfort, I'll forget the hatred carved into my bones..."

"I saw their paths of fate. At the academy, everything went smoothly for them, and they never suffered setbacks. Beautiful experiences and unforgettable friendships made hatred seem less important."

"But every time I fall asleep, I see myself living in other worlds. After struggling within my heart, I see the wretched version of myself who ultimately chose to forget that hatred."

Huo Yuhao was in great pain. Whenever he thought of the path his future self would take, the humiliation he felt was even greater than the insults he had suffered over eleven years at the White Tiger Duke's Estate.

That was not someone else.

It was himself.

The self he rejected.

En Zuo could understand Huo Yuhao's feelings, but...

"Senior Brother Long Yue already told you, didn't he?"

"The formal entrance examination will begin in another month. Monster Academy may not compare to Shrek Academy, but it is still difficult."

En Zuo felt frustrated at his failure to meet expectations. "You shouldn't be wasting your time here."

"You should train diligently and break through to level twenty as soon as possible. I've already found a suitable soul ring for you."

The suitable soul ring En Zuo referred to was not some random hundred-year or thousand-year soul beast of the spiritual type.

It was the million-year Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

Under normal circumstances, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Elex were Huo Yuhao's greatest advantages. Likewise, they could become opportunities En Zuo brought to Huo Yuhao.

With his ability to travel through different parallel timelines, En Zuo was fully capable of taking the opportunities belonging to Huo Yuhao in other timelines and ensuring that every soul ring added to Huo Yuhao in his own timeline came from a million-year Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

The greatest attribute of the Spirit Eyes martial soul was spiritual power.

The boost Sky Dream gave Huo Yuhao was immensely powerful. Just imagine—if Huo Yuhao cultivated step by step until he became a Titled Douluo...

Nine million-year soul rings!

Unprecedented and never to be surpassed.

What kind of powerhouse would that make him? What kind of splendor would he possess?!