His Change

The two fighters on the stage unleashed their Dou Qi, unleashing their deadly moves.

"Stop!" Judging that the two students in the sparring session were at their limit, the referee, who had been waiting attentively, immediately intervened. Two round water spheres, each as tall as a person, enveloped them, neutralizing their deadly attacks.

The referee's Dou Technique seemed to have a healing effect, as the pale faces of the two students who were wrapped up regained some color.

The water balloon dissipated. With a clatter, the weapons of the two trainees fell to the ground simultaneously. They no longer had the energy to maintain their composure, collapsing silently into a lump of mush, too exhausted even to cry out in pain.

The referee changed his hand seals, and after a moment, a hazy blue light gathered in his hands, transforming into two beams of light that entered the students' bodies.

The crisscrossing wounds on both trainees' bodies stopped bleeding instantly and began to heal slowly.

"This battle was exciting, but there are still some minor issues." After the two students calmed down, the referee stopped unleashing their Dou Technique and began to help them summarize the problems that arose during the sparring session.

"After your opponent used their Dou Technique for the second time, their aura faltered for a moment, and their defense faltered. You had every opportunity to seize it, but unfortunately, you hesitated..."

The gentle, instructive voices spread out, reaching Huo Yuhao's ears. Huo Yuhao stared at them intently for a long time, seemingly forgetting that Yan Hao was waiting for his answer.

Yan Hao didn't urge him, sitting silently next to Huo Yuhao as they listened to the referee's debriefing, displaying a patience completely at odds with his appearance.

This continued until the practical training course for Profound Class One was about to end.

"Indeed..." Huo Yuhao finally spoke, "It deserves a chance..."

Lost in thought, Huo Yuhao didn't notice Yan Hao's dark face revealing an ugly smile as he forcefully slapped Huo Yuhao's back with a large hand.

Snap!

"Cough cough cough!" Huo Yuhao's words were interrupted, and he almost choked on his saliva. He coughed violently several times before he could catch his breath.

"Haha, Lao Huo, let's get together after this is over. Old Lin's cooking is really good..." Yan Hao didn't pay attention to these details, and hugged Huo Yuhao's neck tightly, as if they were old friends.

"The class monitor cooks? Doesn't our college have a cafeteria? Or does he work part-time at the cafeteria?" Huo Yuhao struggled to pry Yan Hao's black hand away.

"Ugh! Don't even mention it." Yan Hao's face immediately fell at the mention of the cafeteria. "The food there is absolutely awful. If the academy didn't force everyone to eat that medicinal cuisine every week, I believe not even a Haozi would want to come within a hundred meters of it."

"Medicinal cuisine?" Huo Yuhao asked with interest, "What are its effects? What ingredients are used?"

"It can nourish qi and blood, but I don't know what it contains."

"Mandatory requirement..." Huo Yuhao frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What price?"

"What did you say?" Yan Hao was taken aback, somewhat confused.

"I mean, how much is one serving?"

"What are you thinking? The academy isn't a business; why would we charge money!"

"Huh?" Now Huo Yuhao looked completely bewildered. "The medicinal food isn't charged, so what is?"

"The cafeteria food is all free." Just then, Lin Xiuya walked over and explained to Huo Yuhao in a calm voice, "The medicinal herb used is Bloodbone Flower, which is one of the medicinal herbs that the academy cultivates in large quantities, so the cost is not much and it's enough to provide for all the Outer Academy students."

Just then, Xiao Yi Xian quietly appeared and nudged Huo Yuhao's arm. "Brother Huo Yuhao, your experience isn't working. I just asked Senior Sister Han Yue, and there aren't many places to spend money at the Jia Nan Academy."

Huo Yuhao: "..."

He suddenly pointed at the two students who were being helped off the stage. "What about renting a battle arena privately? That doesn't cost any money either?"

"Of course not."

"This is with teachers providing full support, and there's post-battle treatment and debriefing!"

"Why do you think we need to pay, Huo?" Lin Xiuya, looking puzzled.

"So what does the academy rely on to maintain itself...? Is it tuition fees?" Huo Yuhao asked urgently, pressing on relentlessly.

"I guess so." Lin Xiuya recalled the academy's system: "Students like us who entered through the normal examinations are completely free, while those who lack talent but come from extremely wealthy families have to pay a large sum of tuition every year in order to study at the academy."

"So... that's how it is!" Huo Yuhao was filled with a sense of gloom. Shrek Academy's Soul Fighting Zone had no post-match analysis, referees charged fees, treatments were charged fees, and students were forced to use it or they wouldn't be allowed to advance to the next level. Even simply renting the arena cost ten Gold Soul Coin per session. Even spectating was charged...

"What's wrong with him?" Yan Hao was a little confused, but quickly put those questions aside and rubbed his stomach vigorously. "Let's not talk about this, I'm starving! Old Lin, let's have a welcome dinner for Old Huo today, I've already hunted..."

"That's fine for today. I need to take Huo and Xiao Yi Xian to arrange their dorms, and then I have something to discuss with the vice dean."

After saying that, Lin Xiuya waved his hand, signaling Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yi Xian to follow.

The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive due to the low-pressure aura emanating from Huo Yuhao. Lin Xiuya had intended to start a conversation, but upon seeing Huo Yuhao's expression, he didn't know how to begin. He could only silently lead them to the logistics department.

"Brother Huo Yuhao." Xiao Yi Xian could roughly guess why Huo Yuhao was upset, and comforted him through Mental Sharing, "Your academy only charges a little money, it's a small matter."

"For many students from disadvantaged families, that's no small matter."

The stark contrast between the two academies' systems was like a sharp blade, reopening wounds that Huo Yuhao had long ignored.

It turns out I had also turned a blind eye to these problems within the academy. Huo Yuhao asked himself: Wasn't he also struggling to make ends meet back then, and filled with resentment for not getting opportunities despite giving his all?

The embarrassment of not being able to afford food in the cafeteria due to lack of money, the humiliation of striving to win the freshman assessment but still not being able to obtain the status of a core disciple... one after another, long-forgotten scenes flashed through Huo Yuhao's mind.

When exactly...? Huo Yuhao clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

Although the filter of the past has not completely shattered, the shadows hidden beneath that glamorous exterior are now laid bare before Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Lin Xiuya, walking ahead of Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yi Xian, felt a sense of unease for some reason, but he couldn't figure out the source of this strange feeling no matter how hard he tried.

Therefore, after Lin Xiuya brought Huo Yuhao and the other person to the logistics department, he made an excuse to leave.

Dispelling his thoughts for the moment, Huo Yuhao said to the teacher in the logistics department, "Teacher, we are new students enrolling today, and we haven't been assigned dormitories yet."

"Oh? You're only arriving at this hour?" The logistics staff member scratched his head and flipped through the roster beside him. "Name, which freshman advisor's class?"

"Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yi Xian, Profound Class One."

"Profound Class One? Freshmen?" The staff member was stunned for a few seconds, muttering these words repeatedly. Instead of directly questioning them, he flipped through the roster and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, they really are freshmen from Profound Class One!"

After finding the names, the staff member checked them off on the roster, then took out two keys from the drawer and handed them to Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yi Xian.

"Boys, Building 1, Room 401; Girls, Building 1, Room 501."