Meanwhile, on the Sky Screen,
Wang Dong looked at the Soul Bone. Although he wanted it badly too, he ultimately tossed it to Xiao Xiao.
"Xiao Xiao, you should absorb this Soul Bone," Wang Dong said.
As the young master of the Clear Sky Sect, he had access to the many Soul Bones stored there. Compared with Xiao Xiao, he hardly lacked them.
Xiao Xiao caught it and smiled. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. If our team gets another Soul Bone next time, you two can choose first."
By now, Xiao Xiao had committed herself to Ye Chen and Wang Dong. Wherever they went, she would follow.
After allocating the Soul Bone, the three returned to Class One.
After the Freshman Assessment, nearly everyone in Class One was a familiar face.
Dai Huabin, Wu Feng, Huo Yuhao... Zhu Lu was there too, since she shared a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Dai Huabin.
Seeing Ye Chen and the others return, Wang Yan smiled faintly. "Go back to your seats first."
Once Ye Chen and the others had taken their seats, Wang Yan continued.
"As for our class monitor and deputy monitor..." Wang Yan hesitated before speaking.
"Class One's monitor will be Ye Chen, and the deputy monitor will be Wang Dong."
He had originally intended to select the monitor and deputy monitor through a vote.
But Yan Shaozhe had spoken to him beforehand and settled who would hold those positions.
He had dressed it up nicely: geniuses deserved special treatment befitting geniuses.
Beside him, Zhou Yi wanted to speak up for Huo Yuhao, but recalling Yan Shaozhe's earlier instructions, she held her tongue.
In any case, once the semester ended, Huo Yuhao would become a Core Disciple of their Soul Guidance Department.
In the classroom, when they heard that Ye Chen would be the monitor,
Dai Huabin, Wu Feng, and Huo Yuhao all showed unnatural expressions.
The first two felt anger and resentment; the last felt hatred.
Ye Chen caught this precisely.
He could understand Dai Huabin and Wu Feng. After all, both were people whose cerebellums ruled their brains.
They might even use their families' influence to hunt him down someday.
But Huo Yuhao... Could it be because I didn't choose Huo Yuhao's goodwill when I had to pick five out of nine back then?
Did that leave Huo Yuhao without the slightest goodwill toward me?
Still, that's just as well. What value is there in the goodwill of someone who can forget even his original aspirations?
In the days that followed, the freshmen settled into their daily cultivation routines.
Autumn gave way to winter, and spring arrived as winter ended. Eight months passed in the blink of an eye. Their first academic year officially ended, and Shrek Academy was preparing for a long vacation.
Shrek Academy had no end-of-year assessment, only an assessment at the start of the next academic year.
So after today, they would be leaving the academy.
The weather was chilly, and a light rain fell outside.
Ye Chen had just left Du Weilun's office. He stared blankly at the gloomy sky, briefly lost in thought.
His soul power had already reached rank forty, and he had been on the Douluo Continent for almost a year.
Bibi Dong was equally melancholy.
"I wonder how Xiao Xue and Nana are doing," Bibi Dong murmured to herself.
Over these eight months, the person she mentioned most often was Qian Renxue.
Meanwhile, as Ye Chen stood lost in thought, Wang Dong came to his side holding an umbrella.
"It's raining, and we'll be parting soon, so I came to pick you up." Wang Dong adjusted his short blue hair, an unusual look in his eyes.
"What are your plans for the vacation?" The atmosphere between them was somewhat delicate, and Wang Dong took the initiative to ask.
"I'm going to obtain my fourth Soul Ring," Ye Chen said softly.
"Then you must be careful." Wang Dong blurted it out almost instinctively.
Ye Chen turned to look at Wang Dong. Beneath the dark sky, Wang Dong's cheeks were flushed.
Raindrops pattered against the umbrella, as though falling on Wang Dong's fiercely pounding heart.
"What I mean is, I'm going home. I won't be by your side, so I won't be able to help you..." Wang Dong's voice grew softer and softer toward the end.
"Then work hard and reach rank thirty soon," Ye Chen said with a faint smile.
"All right! I'll do my best to become a Soul Elder as soon as possible," Wang Dong vowed.
The teaching building was not far from the dormitory. At Wang Dong's usual pace, the walk would take only a few minutes.
But this time, he kept his head lowered and walked very slowly.
Ye Chen clearly noticed, but he did not point it out. He simply matched Wang Dong's pace.
Only when they reached the dormitory did Wang Dong reluctantly bid Ye Chen farewell.
"I'm leaving. See you when school starts."
"See you when school starts."
Wang Dong had not gone far when he abruptly looked back. Seeing Ye Chen wave to him, the tears in his eyes finally spilled down.
He kept repeating inwardly, Ye Chen, you big idiot!
After saying goodbye to Wang Dong, Ye Chen was about to return to his room and pack, only to spot Xiao Xiao crouching at the dormitory entrance, dozing off.
Xiao Xiao propped her chin on one hand, looking utterly drowsy.
Ye Chen walked over and gently nudged her.
"Monitor? Did I fall asleep?" Xiao Xiao snapped awake and instinctively tidied her disheveled hair.
"The vacation's starting. Aren't you heading home yet?" Ye Chen asked.
"I am. I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I left." Xiao Xiao lowered her head, holding her small hands behind her back.
"All right, it's getting late. Hurry home. Remember, don't add Soul Rings to your Nine Phoenix Welcoming Flute lightly."
As he always did, Ye Chen rubbed Xiao Xiao's little head and reminded her.
"I know, Monitor." Xiao Xiao stuck out her tongue and obediently agreed.
"Then I'll head home first, Monitor."
After saying goodbye to Xiao Xiao, Ye Chen quickly packed his luggage, then headed outside Shrek City.
Bibi Dong also emerged from his Sea of Spirit.
"Teacher, let's go. To the Far North."
At the same time, elsewhere.
Under the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's guidance, Huo Yuhao was also heading for the Far North.
"Brother Sky Dream, do we have to go to the Far North? Can't we go to the Star Dou Forest?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"Don't worry. I planned this out long ago. Your second martial soul can only be found in the Far North," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said mysteriously.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had long been impatient for this day to arrive!
Bingbing, oh, Bingbing, I'm coming to find you!
"All right."
It took Huo Yuhao eight full days to travel from Shrek City to the northern frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire.
As far as the eye could see, everything was a vast expanse of white.
Huo Yuhao woke the soundly sleeping Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
"Brother Sky Dream, stop sleeping. We're here. Hurry and show me the way."
"The way? What way? I don't know this place!" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm declared with perfect confidence.
Huo Yuhao froze at his words.
Seriously? I spent eight days crossing the entire Heaven Dou Empire, and now you tell me you don't know the way?
"Don't panic, little Yuhao. Don't forget that I have Spiritual Detection!"
Seeing Huo Yuhao's speechless expression, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled.
"Keep heading north for now. Let's get deep into the Far North's Core Zone first."
"All right."
Little did they know that after Huo Yuhao stepped into the Far North, two figures had already begun following quietly behind them.
And the Spiritual Detection that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm took such pride in had detected nothing unusual at all.