The Disappointment After Hope

The awards for the top three were quickly concluded, and the three teams returned to their respective classes.

"Given the many outstanding students who emerged during this Freshman Tournament, the academy has specially approved a number of students to become core disciples of the outer court. We will now announce the list."

Sure enough, the next step was the announcement of the core disciples.

But would Huo Yuhao be among them?

"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu, Zhou Sichen, Cao Jinxuan."

Du Weilun announced the core disciples one name at a time. Dai Huabin, who had been somewhat upset, realized that he had not heard Huo Yuhao's name on the list.

Noticing this, Dai Huabin immediately looked toward Class One. Sure enough, he saw Huo Yuhao gritting his teeth in fury.

As expected, trash was still trash.

Seeing Huo Yuhao like this, Dai Huabin withdrew his gaze in satisfaction.

The corners of his lips curled up unconsciously. His earlier defeat had already been forgotten. As long as he reached the fourth ring, his status and Huo Yuhao's would be worlds apart.

Of course, they already were. He was the heir to the White Tiger Duke's Estate.

When Wang Dong did not hear Huo Yuhao's name on the list either, her heart sank. She immediately moved close to Huo Yuhao, reaching out to grab his wrist, worried that he might act impulsively.

She knew how hard Huo Yuhao had worked. Just last night, he had been looking forward to this core disciple spot.

But why had it turned out like this?

Wang Dong could not understand it. Why was Huo Yuhao not on the list?

"It's fine."

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and spoke softly, though there was a slight tremor in his voice.

At that moment, Huo Yuhao's face was pale—deathly pale.

Why? He had clearly given it everything he had. He cultivated desperately every day. Why was there still no place for him?

Why are you treating me like this?!

Next, Huo Yuhao became what was called a half-core disciple.

But he did not care about that. Huo Yuhao now felt that if he and Wang Dong had not possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he would not even have become a half-core disciple.

Next came class assignments. The assault and control systems were placed in one class, the defense and agility attack systems in another, and the food and support systems in a third.

The fourth class was a mixed class, with a bit of every system.

Jiang Bai, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong were naturally assigned to the same class, all in Class One.

After the class assignment meeting ended, the morning was free time. The first lesson after the reassignment would begin in the afternoon.

The first-place team had gone to collect their special reward, and with no one around to talk to, Jiang Bai wandered over to the front of the dormitory building to bask in the sun with Mu En.

"Now that the tournament is over, how do you feel? How strong were the other classes?" Mu En asked.

"How else could I feel? They were just so-so."

Hearing Mu En's question, Jiang Bai shrugged indifferently. In his eyes, they were nothing special.

"No one forced you to reveal your true strength?"

Mu En asked casually. In his eyes, Jiang Bai was hiding quite a lot, and even he could not see through it.

"What true strength do I have? Old man, you have no idea—there were three-ring Soul Masters in this batch! I'm only at two rings!"

Jiang Bai said exaggeratedly. There were three-ring Soul Masters this year, while he was only at two rings.

"So what if they had three rings?"

Seeing that Jiang Bai did not want to say more, Mu En did not press him.

So what if they had three rings? If Jiang Bai truly got serious, dealing with a three-ring Soul Master would not be difficult. It was just that the boy did not seem to care much about this tournament.

"There was even a Martial Soul Fusion Skill in this tournament."

"Hmm?"

Hearing that, Mu En was somewhat surprised as well. He had not expected a Martial Soul Fusion Skill to appear in this year's tournament. That truly was rare.

As the two chatted, Xiao Xiao soon returned to the dormitory entrance.

"You're back? What good thing did you get?" Jiang Bai asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Something very good."

Xiao Xiao walked over, holding a leather pouch in her hand.

"Hmm?"

Looking at the soul bone before him, Jiang Bai gave Xiao Xiao a strange look.

"You're taking it out like this? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you and steal it?"

Soul bones were treasures bought with blood. Outside, even a Soul Emperor would be tempted to make a move upon seeing one.

"I'm not afraid." Xiao Xiao smiled and shook her head. She truly was not afraid.

"Are you going to absorb that soul bone?"

Jiang Bai asked. In the original story, she had absorbed this soul bone, but there was no need for that now, was there? With Mu En backing her, if she wanted to absorb one, it should at least be a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. There was no need to absorb a hundred-year one.

"No. Do you want it? If you do, I can let you buy it on credit," Xiao Xiao said as she looked at Jiang Bai.

There were few powerful soul masters with detached martial souls. If Jiang Bai had a soul bone, perhaps he could improve further.

It was on credit anyway. If he could pay later, then he could pay. If he could not, she was not in a hurry to collect.

More importantly, Xiao Xiao could not use this soul bone herself.

Of course, if Jiang Bai could not pay... he could compensate her with something else.

"I really don't need it."

Jiang Bai truly had no use for soul bones. In the future, he could condense soul bones himself. He was already researching that subject.

Once his Soul Power Level reached Soul King, he could attempt to condense his own bones into soul bones.

The moment he succeeded, they would be thousand-year soul bones. Other than lacking soul skills, they would be no different from normal soul bones.

They could still increase his total Soul Power, and not only would they be perfectly compatible with him, their age would continue to increase alongside his cultivation in the future.

Wasn't that better than these soul bones?

"Fine. If you regret it later, you can come find me. I can't use this anyway."

Seeing that Jiang Bai truly did not want it, Xiao Xiao pursed her lips in slight annoyance as she put the soul bone away.

Watching Xiao Xiao put away the soul bone, Jiang Bai suddenly thought of something and looked toward Mu En beside him.

This old man had to be at least two hundred years old, right?

"Brat, you'd better swallow whatever you're about to say, or I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from hitting you."

Seeing Jiang Bai's expression, Mu En knew exactly what the brat was thinking. What was wrong with young people these days?

"Cough, cough."

Can't say it. Can't say it.

Jiang Bai smiled and turned his face aside. Xiao Xiao, beside him, did not know why he had suddenly said that, but she did not care.

"Where's Yuhao? He isn't coming back? Where did he run off to sulk?"

Jiang Bai could not see Huo Yuhao. Xiao Xiao was alone, so where were the other two?

"I don't know. Wang Dong is looking for him too."

Xiao Xiao answered. Huo Yuhao had disappeared after they were dismissed, and Wang Dong had gone to look for him but had not found him yet.

"I'll go take a look, in case that kid does something stupid."

Jiang Bai stood up, planning to look for Huo Yuhao. After all, the feeling of having your efforts denied despite giving everything you had was not something most people could accept.

"Mm. Should I help look too?"

Xiao Xiao suggested it. She wanted to go as well, but she had first come here to deliver the soul bone.

"No need."

Jiang Bai shook his head and looked at Mu En beside him.

"Old man, shouldn't the first place in the Freshman Assessment get some kind of reward?"

Then he looked at Xiao Xiao. "I'm leaving."

Jiang Bai left the area beneath the dormitory building.

Jiang Bai closed his eyes, and the Golden Orb within him began guiding him toward Huo Yuhao.

Others might not be able to find him, but that did not mean Jiang Bai could not. In the Golden Orb's eyes, the fortune around Huo Yuhao was like a giant lightbulb.

By Sea God Lake...

"It's okay, Yuhao. Once you break through level twenty and obtain your second martial soul, I can guarantee that no one will dare look down on you again."

At that moment, Tian Meng was comforting Huo Yuhao within his spiritual sea.

"Why did you run over here?"

A voice came from behind him.

Huo Yuhao came back to his senses and turned around. Jiang Bai had somehow appeared behind him.

"I..."

Huo Yuhao wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say.

"It's fine. Isn't it just a core disciple position?"

Jiang Bai sat down beside Huo Yuhao, then changed the subject to something sharp.

"Do you have a grudge against Dai Huabin?"

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Brother Jiang... right, he must have noticed something unusual.

"Mm, I..."

The higher the hopes, the harder the fall. With his efforts denied, Huo Yuhao desperately needed someone to vent his emotions to.

Finally, Huo Yuhao told an outsider about his background and his hatred for Dai Huabin for the first time.

"He didn't recognize you during the tournament?"

Jiang Bai asked this question. It really was rather strange. The two had met before, yet Dai Huabin had not recognized Huo Yuhao at all.

"He probably just doesn't care."

Huo Yuhao laughed at himself. Perhaps in other people's eyes, he was merely an insignificant nobody.

"Mm. So in the future, you're going to oppose the White Tiger Duke's Estate?"

"Yes."

Huo Yuhao answered with absolute determination. This was his goal.

"Aren't you afraid Dai Huabin will recognize you and kill you?"

Jiang Bai looked at Huo Yuhao. He was openly appearing before his enemy like this, while neither his cultivation nor his background could compare to the other party's.

Was he not afraid of being killed?

"How is that possible? This is Shrek!"

Huo Yuhao looked at Jiang Bai in disbelief upon hearing the question.

After all, this was Shrek!

It was the number one academy on the continent! Who would dare kill a Shrek Academy student here? Wouldn't that be slapping the face of the continent's number one academy?

"Then let me ask you something."

Jiang Bai looked seriously into Huo Yuhao's eyes. The eyes were the windows to the soul, so they were now communicating soul to soul.

"Do you think a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone is more important to Shrek, or are you more important? If Dai Huabin killed you and compensated them with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, do you think Shrek would continue opposing the White Tiger Duke's Estate because of you, who would already be dead? Would they even avenge you? What gives you the right?"

What gives you the right?!

Hearing those four words, Huo Yuhao fell silent.

"..."

It seemed they would not. No, it was impossible.

Huo Yuhao understood. He was an ordinary person. No matter what, Shrek could never fight the White Tiger Duke's Estate to the end for his sake.

In fact, Huo Yuhao felt that they would not even need a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. A thousand-year soul bone would be enough to make Shrek Academy drop the matter.

Heh...

"Besides, if your conflict became irreconcilable and one of you had to withdraw from the academy, do you think Shrek would rather have Dai Huabin withdraw, or you?"

Jiang Bai's question made Huo Yuhao fall into thought again. Behind Dai Huabin stood the White Tiger Duke's Estate. Behind himself...

No matter what, Shrek could never make Dai Huabin, the heir of the White Tiger Duke's Estate, withdraw from the academy.