Yu Xiaogang's Bid to Show Off Was Rejected

Night deepened, and a small restaurant outside Shrek Academy bustled with warmth.

"We were so close!" Xiao Xiao said, chopsticks in hand, vividly recounting the final moments of the match to Bei Bei and Tang Ya. "Golden Road had already hit him. Who knew he could withstand it?"

Bei Bei listened with a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then shook his head with a rueful smile. "When I sparred with Gu Mingyuan, I knew his physical defenses were incredible. I never thought he could take a Martial Soul Fusion Skill like Golden Road head-on. I'm not sure even Xu Sanshi could do that right now."

He turned to Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. "But Golden Road did work. Gu Mingyuan's Martial Soul was sealed for that instant. What you didn't expect was that the energy stored in his second Soul Skill and his physical strength remained even after he lost access to it.

"Yuhao, choosing to use Golden Road wasn't a mistake. The mistake was assuming that sealing his Martial Soul meant the fight was over. You left yourselves no backup plan."

Huo Yuhao listened intently. "Brother Bei, I'll remember that. I won't make the same mistake again."

Tang Ya clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention back to her. She smiled at Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. "All right, that's enough analysis! I said before that I'd only let you join the Tang Sect if you won the championship, but reaching the final was impressive enough. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll make an exception and officially welcome you in!"

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance, then promptly raised their teacups and addressed them by their new titles. "Thank you, Teacher Xiaoya. Thank you, Senior Brother."

Tang Ya took a sip of tea. Then her eyes shifted, and she leaned toward Huo Yuhao, lowering her voice. "Yuhao, since you and Gu Mingyuan entered the academy together, could you sound him out for me? See if he'd be willing to join... our Tang Sect?"

She had deliberately changed "my Tang Sect" to "our Tang Sect."

Huo Yuhao's hand paused around his teacup, and he looked hesitant. "Teacher Xiaoya, he and I... aren't actually that close outside class. But if I get the chance, I'll ask him for you."

Tang Ya pursed her lips, disappointed, but soon rallied and clenched her little fist. "Hmph. He can't avoid us forever. One day, I'll get him to join!"

After that, they discussed tomorrow's assembly and the places for core disciples.

As the conversation turned to that, Huo Yuhao's heart sank. But just then, Yu Xiaogang's haughty voice rang out in his Sea of Spirit.

"Why worry about that boy? With this master teaching you personally, and with the tactical value you've demonstrated, you can relax, Yuhao. There's bound to be a place for you among the official core disciples!"

Hearing such a confident pronouncement from the "God-Teacher," Huo Yuhao's hopes, which had only been moderate before, rose almost to certainty.

The next morning, in Shrek Square.

All the new students stood in orderly ranks. Dean of Students Du Weilun stood on the platform with a list in hand, his voice carrying across the square.

"This year's freshman assessment has concluded successfully. I will now announce the top three teams."

"First place: Gu Mingyuan, Cao Jinxuan, and Zhou Sichen's team!"

"Second place: Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao's team!"

"Third place: Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Cui Yajie's team!" Du Weilun also mentioned that Dai Huabin's team had won the match for third place.

Hearing Dai Huabin's name announced after his own, Huo Yuhao let out a breath. It was as if a huge stone that had weighed on his chest for days had finally shifted, if only a little.

"As a shared reward for the top three teams," Du Weilun continued, "these nine students may request the academy's help in hunting the most suitable Soul Beast they can withstand the next time they need a Soul Ring."

Envious murmurs rose from the crowd below.

"In addition, the champion team will receive a special, confidential reward in private after the assembly."

Du Weilun raised a hand for silence, his expression turning solemn. "Next, I will announce this year's official core disciples of the Martial Soul Department. Students whose names are called, step forward."

"Gu Mingyuan, Cao Jinxuan, Zhou Sichen."

"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao."

"Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu."

"Ning Tian, Wu Feng."

"Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo."

Du Weilun put away the list. "These eleven students are, as of today, official core disciples of the Martial Soul Department."

The square fell quiet. Then faint murmurs began to spread.

"Huo Yuhao wasn't chosen?"

"Isn't that normal? He's only level seventeen, and his first Soul Ring is just a ten-year one."

"He might be impressive in some ways, but he has a spiritual-attribute Body Martial Soul. Spiritual-type Soul Beasts are so rare. How will he get Soul Rings in the future? The academy probably took that into account."

The people around him spoke matter-of-factly, without malice or any intent to humiliate him. But their open analysis pricked at Huo Yuhao like tiny thorns, leaving his eyes stinging.

No one was deliberately putting him down. That only made it clearer that the academy had weighed every advantage and drawback and truly passed him over.

Wang Dong's face darkened the moment she heard the list. She started toward Du Weilun to demand an explanation, but a hand caught hers.

Huo Yuhao shook his head at her, his eyes red. He did not want the honor Wang Dong had earned to become compensation the academy handed him out of pity.

On the platform, Du Weilun spoke again.

"In addition: Huo Yuhao, Cui Yajie, Huang Chutian, Long Xiangyue, and Nanmen Yun'er. These five students will receive core disciple privileges on a provisional basis. Their assessment period will last until the end of this academic year."

Huo Yuhao felt a moment of relief when he heard his name. Then "on a provisional basis" and "assessment period" washed over him like a bucket of cold water.

The academy recognized the support he could provide now, but it had not formally acknowledged his future. The joy he had felt at defeating Dai Huabin vanished.

In the Sea of Spirit, Yu Xiaogang exploded.

"Outrageous! They still want to assess him?" Yu Xiaogang paced back and forth in a fury.

"I want to see whether the younger generation running Shrek even knows what a true genius is! You big worm, project my spiritual power out there! I'll question them myself!"

From a slab of floating ice nearby, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rolled his eyes. "Who are you calling a big worm? The name's Sky Dream Ice Silkworm!"

"Enough nonsense! Get me out there!"

"No." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm refused without hesitation.

"I could expend some of my spiritual essence to let you appear and show off, but have you thought about what would happen? The moment you reveal yourself, Shrek's higher-ups will keep Yuhao under watch around the clock and treat him like a treasure. How are we supposed to carry out our secret plan to find his second Martial Soul in the Far North then?"

Yu Xiaogang was left speechless, his face livid.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm ignored him and spoke gently to Huo Yuhao instead. "Yuhao, don't listen to that old fool. Once we get your second Martial Soul and show them the potential of Twin Martial Souls, the people at Shrek will be begging to make you an official core disciple."

Huo Yuhao did not join their argument. He simply lowered his head and gripped the badge he had just received—the one marking his provisional privileges—without saying a word.