"What? Leave Shrek Academy? Absolutely not!"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's tearful cries, Xuan Zi nearly shrieked.
Travel the entire continent to avenge Tang Ya and Tang Chuan?
That wasn't revenge. That was a publicity tour for Shrek Academy's dirty laundry!
The problem was that everyone Huo Yuhao had called over had seen his face.
If they really locked the boy up, the resulting uproar would be even worse!
He couldn't hit him or even scold him. Even Xuan Zi felt rather helpless now.
"Ahem, lad, leaving Shrek Academy won't help you avenge your friends!"
Xuan Zi put away his impatient expression, looking as kindly as Santa Claus.
"Only by studying hard at Shrek Academy and growing stronger can you avenge your friends, isn't that right?"
A gleam flashed through Huo Yuhao's eyes. He sniffled twice more, then spoke.
"But my soul power is only rank fifteen. I only passed the entrance test through sheer luck."
"Someone like me would have a hard time avenging Sister Tang Ya and Brother Tang Chuan!"
Xuan Zi froze, then gave Huo Yuhao a suspicious look.
Sure enough, the boy's eyes practically screamed, "You'll have to pay more."
You little brat. So you're here to fleece me?
Xuan Zi gritted his teeth before speaking.
"After the freshman assessment, one of the Martial Soul Department's core disciple spots will be yours."
"And you can start enjoying the benefits of a core disciple in the Martial Soul Department right now!"
"But you must keep both those benefits and what you saw earlier a secret. Understand?"
Huo Yuhao laughed inwardly.
He hadn't expected to get the equivalent of guaranteed graduate admission. Tang Chuan's death had served a purpose after all.
His eyes shifted, and he began wiping away tears again.
"Thank you, Elder Xuan."
"But a core disciple spot alone won't make me stronger. I think I'd better leave Shrek after all."
Xuan Zi's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
You little brat. Trading your friends' lives for benefits, and you're still this insatiably greedy?
He swept a hand through his Storage Soul Tool and tossed out two wooden boxes.
"One Blackwater Pill and one Soul Ascension Pill. That's enough to improve your strength!"
"Now get the hell out of here! Ask for anything else, and I'll—"
Huo Yuhao swiftly collected the two boxes and put them into his Storage Soul Tool.
Just as Electrolux had anticipated, the first thing Shrek Academy did after sealing off the scene was inspect Huo Yuhao's Storage Soul Tool.
However, most of the valuable items in Huo Yuhao's possession were now stored in the Undead Demiplane.
As a result, the Shrek Inspection Corps found nothing useful, and he passed that hurdle with ease.
Now that he had obtained a Blackwater Pill and a Soul Ascension Pill from Xuan Zi, Huo Yuhao could increase his strength even faster.
This hunt had certainly yielded a rich haul!
Walking briskly out of the alley, Huo Yuhao smiled and patted the male Inner Academy student beside him on the shoulder.
"By the way, senior, Senior Bei Bei from the Outer Academy was also friends with Sister Tang Ya and Brother Tang Chuan. Sorry for the trouble, but could you find some time to notify him at the tavern in town?"
After all, Bei Bei had provided him with such crucial information, allowing him to lay a lethal trap for Tang Chuan.
Telling Bei Bei about Tang Ya and Tang Chuan's deaths would also free him from being the little cash cow the Tang Sect had constantly exploited in the original story.
But then the male Inner Academy student turned back and gave Huo Yuhao a puzzled look.
"The tavern?"
"I know Bei Bei, but he wouldn't go somewhere like a tavern, would he?"
Huo Yuhao froze, then hurriedly asked.
"But isn't Senior Bei Bei's nickname in the Outer Academy 'Drunkard Beibei'?"
The male Inner Academy student shook his head, looking confused.
"Junior, haven't you got that wrong?"
"Bei Bei never touches a drop."
Shrek Academy, the library.
Chen Jue walked slowly into the library, his gaze sharp as a sword, as though searching for a target.
Then his gaze settled on two young women sitting together.
The female student on the left was rather tall, with neat, short blond hair.
Her large, aqua-blue eyes had long lashes, and a few charming little freckles dotted her cheeks.
The girl on the right had short, fiery-red hair and unusually red eyes. At first glance, she seemed rather domineering.
A closer look, however, revealed exquisitely delicate features and skin as fair as jade. Only her gaze was cold.
"Young mistress, I'm here."
Chen Jue approached the blond girl and took the seat beside her.
Although he addressed her as his young mistress, other emotions mingled in his gaze as he looked at her.
As though hardened steel had softened into silk, his sword-sharp eyes brimmed with tenderness and affection.
"Chen Jue, I've already told you."
The blond girl turned toward him with a charming smile.
"Don't call me young mistress at the academy. Just call me Ning Tian!"
Then she turned her gaze to the red-haired girl beside her.
"Wu Feng, you remember that too!"
The red-haired girl smiled and nodded.
Then she looked toward Chen Jue, her eyes filled with adoration, utterly unlike her earlier cold aloofness.
"Ahem..."
Seeing this, the teacher in charge of the library couldn't help giving a lonely bachelor's little cough.
He loves her, and she loves him. What a complicated love triangle.
This year's freshmen really know how to mix things up!
"Ning Tian, I've gathered the information."
Chen Jue's lips moved as he used soul power to compress his voice into a thread and transmit it into Ning Tian's and Wu Feng's ears.
"Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department does indeed have an extraordinary soul tool prodigy named He Caitou."
"But I don't know which of them is better—him or that rising star from the Sun Moon Empire's Illustrious Virtue Hall."
Ning Tian nodded and spoke.
"That doesn't concern us for now. As long as we can steadily purchase all kinds of soul tools from the Soul Tool Department, that's enough."
"When I have time, I'll go meet him in person."
Chen Jue nodded, fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.
"I also learned something else."
"According to the rumors, the Sea God Pavilion Holy Son isn't studying in the Inner Academy, but in the Outer Academy."
"And the person at Shrek Academy with twin ultimate martial souls, whose existence circulated through the soul master world years ago, should be him!"
Wu Feng's eyes widened as she exclaimed in surprise.
"Twin ultimate martial souls? There's actually a genius like that in this world? Could he be even stronger than you?"
Chen Jue shook his head slightly, overlapping sword shadows seeming to flicker in his eyes.
"The Chen Clan's Seven Killing Sword has never been inferior to anyone!"
"Even with nothing but the sword in my hand, I can contend with all the heroes of the world!"
Ning Tian seemed accustomed to Chen Jue's confidence and smiled faintly.
Then she asked.
"Have you found out exactly what the Sea God Pavilion Holy Son's twin martial souls are?"
"Black and white—the twin holy dragons!"
Before you continue