Can You Make One for Me Too?

At that moment, the person reclining in the shadows spoke as well. "Since you have all discussed it, go ahead and do it. Remember, do not pressure that child or make him develop any ill feelings toward the academy."

"Shaozhe, you will handle this matter. Communicate with the child properly, and remember not to appear too forceful."

Yan Shaozhe answered respectfully, "Yes, Teacher."

As the voice in the shadows fell silent, the council hall became so quiet that they could hear the faint sound of the luminous pearls shifting. Everyone held their breath. Even Xuan Lao bowed slightly, revealing his respect for this teacher—there was only one person in all of Shrek Academy whom Yan Shaozhe would call "Teacher": Mu En, the contemporary master of Sea God's Pavilion, a Rank Ninety-Nine cultivator known as the Dragon God Douluo.

Xian Lin'er quietly smoothed out the Soul Tool blueprint, her fingertip brushing over the annotation for the "Level-Five Soul Tool Cannon." The light in her eyes grew brighter. No pressure? Wonderful. With that boy's intelligence, as long as he saw how marvelous Soul Tools were, no one would need to urge him. She was already making plans: tomorrow, she would have Fan Yu polish the laboratory's spare key, then soak the Ice Silkworm Silk in the cold spring of the Far North to soften it. She would make sure Huo Yuhao could not take his eyes off it the moment he touched it.

Xuan Lao took a swig of wine, the liquor trickling down his beard and onto his collar, but he did not care in the slightest. His aged eyes swept over Yan Shaozhe with a trace of warning. "Remember what your teacher said. Don't play any crooked tricks. That boy is sharp-minded. If he realizes you are trying to 'set him up,' no amount of resources will be enough to keep him."

Yan Shaozhe nodded. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the Soul Tool jade slip hidden in his sleeve—it contained every record of Huo Yuhao since he had enrolled, from the fluctuations of his Spirit Eye during the initial assessment to his Ultimate Ice on the competition grounds. Every entry revealed a tenacious streak. Yan Shaozhe suddenly recalled Mu Jin mentioning that the boy was exceptionally diligent in cultivation. That kind of self-discipline would save them quite a bit of effort.

"I'll go make preparations first." Yan Shaozhe rose to his feet, his robe sweeping over the green bricks and stirring a faint scent of ink. "The ice marrow from the cold pool has already been extracted in advance. As for the Soul Tool Department's supplementary class schedule... we'll set it according to Huo Yuhao's time after meeting him."

"Go." Mu En, hidden in the shadows, gave a slight nod. No emotion could be heard in his voice. "If this child truly is as you say, he will find the path that suits him."

Before Yan Shaozhe had even gone far, Xian Lin'er had already grabbed a Soul Tool and rushed outside. She looked so eager that it was as though Huo Yuhao already belonged to the Soul Tool Department.

Yan Shaozhe watched Xian Lin'er speed away, a smile tugging at his lips. "Do you think your Soul Tool Department can cultivate an Ultimate martial soul? With our Martial Soul Department here, Huo Yuhao will never devote his energy to cultivating in the Soul Tool Department."

At that, Xuan Lao let out a derisive snort and took out a chicken leg to gnaw on. "Exactly. Training under our Martial Soul Department is already enough. Why strengthen oneself with those external objects? That is simply putting the cart before the horse."

Mu En suddenly chuckled from the shadows, his voice old yet piercing. "You people have fought for half your lives, yet you still do not understand. Whether it is a martial soul or a Soul Tool, the ultimate purpose is strength. If that child truly is exceptional material, he will naturally twist both into a single rope. There is no precedent for such a thing. We can only wait and see what suits him best."

Yan Shaozhe froze for a moment, then bowed. "Your teachings are correct, Teacher."

Xuan Lao tossed the thoroughly gnawed chicken bone toward the corner of the table, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his hands. His tone remained stiff. "Then we'll wait and see. But let me make this clear first: if that boy dares to let Soul Tools delay the consolidation of his Ice Soul Power, I'll be the first to lock up the Soul Tool Department's laboratories." Though his words were harsh, the resistance in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a hint of anticipation for a good show.

Meanwhile, in the dormitory, Huo Yuhao had just finished folding his blanket, and a chill from last night's cultivation still lingered at his fingertips. He took out the osmanthus cake wrapper Xiao Xiao had tucked into his things. A crooked smiley face had been drawn on it in charcoal, with the words "Keep it up" written beside it.

He could not help smiling as he put the wrapper into his storage Soul Tool.

Ever since Huo Yuhao's first battle, no team had dared to fight Huo Yuhao Team over the past two days. Whenever they were matched, they forfeited immediately. As a result, Ning Tian and Wu Feng unexpectedly found themselves with nothing to do. They could only circle around Huo Yuhao every day, simulating future battle scenarios.

Morning light filtered through the window lattice, casting diamond-shaped patches across the floor. Huo Yuhao had just finished folding his blanket when Wu Feng's boisterous voice rang out from outside the door.

"Huo Yuhao! Say something already! At this rate, my hands are going to rust!"

The door slammed open. Wu Feng stood in the doorway with her arms folded, while Ning Tian followed behind with a tactical map in hand, helplessly shaking her head. "She hasn't stopped since she woke up this morning. She says that if we keep simulating, she'll soon have every martial soul trait of every team in the entire competition area memorized."

Huo Yuhao set down the ice crystal condensed at his fingertips. It refracted scattered light in the morning sun before melting into vapor. "What are you so anxious about?" His voice was calm, yet it had a reassuring quality. "Forfeits are a good thing. They give us time to refine our coordination."

"Coordination?" Wu Feng strode to the table and pointed at the red circles on the tactical map. "What coordination does our lineup need? You control the field with ice, I attack with fire. With ice and fire working together, no one can stop us. And with the young mistress's boosts plus your Spiritual Detection, what else is there to simulate?"

"Actual combat is always different. Besides, there will always be unusual people we cannot simulate. We are only using simulation to improve our coordination and avoid mistakes in actual combat."

Ning Tian did not say anything else after hearing that. She merely took out a Flying Soul Tool that Huo Yuhao had delivered to the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect Workshop and said to him, "This Flying Soul Tool of yours is really useful. Can you make two defensive Soul Tools for me? Don't worry, I'll provide the materials!"

Huo Yuhao's gaze fell on the Soul Tool in Ning Tian's hand. It was the finest among the Soul Tools he had given to the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. Not only did it conserve soul power, it could even be sustained with a Milk Bottle.

After considering it, Huo Yuhao did not refuse. After all, he had received far more things from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.

"Defensive Soul Tools? What kind do you want?"

Seeing that Huo Yuhao had not refused, Ning Tian revealed a delighted expression. "You decide. With your skill in Soul Tools, anything you make will do."

Huo Yuhao lightly tapped the edge of the table with his fingers. Blue light flowed through his Spirit Eye as he clearly began devising something tailored for her. "The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda is a top-tier auxiliary martial soul. Most of your soul power is used to boost your teammates, so your own defense is relatively weak." He raised his eyes to Ning Tian, his gaze falling on the string of glazed beads around her wrist—the signature accessory of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, capable of slightly stabilizing soul power. "A defensive Soul Tool cannot focus solely on defense. It would be best if it could activate instantly, so it can protect you."

As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took out a pen and drew a bracelet-shaped design on paper. The dense patterns upon it formed the image of a Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.