Huo Yuhao, an Evil Soul Master? An Assassination Attempt

The Beast Arena.

Huo Yuhao faced the two of them without yielding an inch.

Du Weilun said grimly:

"How can you compare the two? Dai Huabin is the son of the White Tiger Duke, whose ancestor ascended to the Divine Realm as a god. Of course the Martial Soul he inherited is righteous and honorable. But this soul skill of yours summons the undead. It's plainly the work of an Evil Soul Master."

Zhou Yi looked deeply disappointed.

"Huo Yuhao, Fan Yu and I have invested so much in you. Why would you learn such wicked methods? All my efforts have been wasted."

Huo Yuhao's gaze remained calm.

"Everything I have now, I earned through my own efforts. Besides, my Martial Soul is nothing like an Evil Soul Master's methods. There are no evil Martial Souls, only evil Soul Masters!"

Tian Meng looked at the faces around them and fumed.

"These fools can't see past their noses. Yuhao, it's my fault. If I'd been able to control the Ice Empress and help you awaken the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion as your second Martial Soul, giving you Ultimate Ice, they'd be treating you very differently right now."

Huo Yuhao reassured him:

"Don't be upset, Brother Sky Dream. Having you and Elder Yi with me is already the greatest stroke of luck I've ever had. Believe me. I'll lead you both to godhood!"

After his failed journey to the Far North, where he had nearly died, Huo Yuhao had grown more resolute and open-minded.

He had also come to understand that his mother was the only person who would always be good to him.

No matter what Martial Soul he possessed or what kind of Soul Master he became, his mother would trust him.

She would never treat him differently because of his Martial Soul, as others did.

At that thought, Huo Yuhao's eyes hardened. No matter what it took, he would avenge his mother in this life!

Seeing the student she had placed such high hopes in refuse to see reason, Zhou Yi nearly burst with anger.

"Huo Yuhao, as of today, you are no longer a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department!"

Huo Yuhao's expression remained calm.

"Fine by me. Shrek isn't the best at making Soul Tools. I'll have plenty of chances to learn elsewhere."

Du Weilun frowned.

"I may not like Zhou Yi, but Huo Yuhao, you're showing far too little respect for your teachers. If that's your attitude, the Martial Soul Department won't welcome you either."

Zhou Yi pointed at Huo Yuhao, still wanting to berate him.

Just then, Chi Hong walked down and clicked his tongue.

"Aren't you a teacher in the Martial Soul Department? Since when can you decide who gets to be a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department just by saying so? Is this your husband's doing again?"

Zhou Yi bristled.

"Chi Hong, this has nothing to do with you!"

Chi Hong spread his hands.

"I have an assessment to take too, you know. You two have been hogging this place long enough. What's there to argue about?"

"The real problem, if you ask me, is that you teachers all think like weaklings. You're so incompetent you're afraid to teach even a Necromancer."

"A teacher's duty is to guide students onto the right path. A truly capable teacher would be excited to meet a student like Huo Yuhao, one with a top-tier Martial Soul but potential problems. Guiding a student like him would show just how different that teacher was from you incompetent lot."

Zhou Yi nearly spat blood. She pointed at Chi Hong.

"You're calling me incompetent? I'm a gold-medal teacher!"

Chi Hong glanced at her.

"Sigh, didn't you say people who are afraid to cause trouble are mediocre? Yet you won't even teach an Evil Soul Master. It's hard not to think you're a mediocre teacher. And now I'm wondering how your academy got its reputation as the best on the continent."

"Is it based on strength? In that case, I declare Star Dou Forest the best academy on the continent."

Chi Hong gave the matter serious thought.

Du Weilun and Zhou Yi both flushed. In the end, they decided not to argue with a student whose reasoning was so absurd.

Huo Yuhao let out a breath.

"Chi Hong, thank you for helping me again."

Chi Hong waved a hand.

"I didn't. I'm just in a hurry."

At that moment, the Ice Empress's puzzled voice sounded in Chi Hong's mind.

"Isn't that Tian Meng's host? He's still alive? What a shame I didn't eat that maggot last time."

"By rights, you couldn't have broken free of Tian Meng's restraints. How did you manage to come to me and offer up your life?"

Chi Hong asked in puzzlement.

The Ice Empress sounded displeased.

“I studied it for over a hundred years. I managed to grasp a trace of the laws from the Plate. What was so hard about beating Tian Meng? And I didn't 'offer up' anything. I agreed to work with you because I was in a good mood.”

"Why did you help that kid, anyway? You don't seem like a good person."

Chi Hong chuckled.

“Because staying near him will help my Greninja and Charizard grow quickly, of course.”

As Chi Hong spoke with the Ice Empress, he summoned Greninja. It killed a Thousand-Year Soul Beast in a single casual strike, earning him full marks.

Although Huo Yuhao had been accused of using an Evil Soul Master's methods, his performance had also earned full marks.

Dai Huabin knelt before him, kowtowed, and admitted his mistake.

For the first time, Huo Yuhao tasted the satisfaction of revenge.

Outside the Treasure Pavilion.

Chi Hong held a dark, rubbery lump in his hand: the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber he had just bought from the Treasure Pavilion.

“This stuff should be useful. Once Greninja eats it, he ought to catch up to Charizard's age level.”

The Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber could greatly strengthen the body and increase its capacity to withstand energy. For a fast, hard-hitting assassin like Greninja, it was just what he needed to make up for his weakness.

Chi Hong turned the Whale Rubber over and over, but he couldn't sense any power within it. If the Ice Empress hadn't pointed it out, he would never have recognized it.

Beside him, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong followed along, their faces bright with delight. They were clearly pleased with what they had just bought.

Neither of them knew they would soon be hunted without mercy.

Chi Hong had joined them, of course, because he wanted to reap a generous haul of experience points.

Besides, neither Charizard nor Greninja had ever killed a person. For all their strength, they were still two innocent babies.

"Wait!"

Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted. His spiritual detection had picked up other people nearby.

“There's danger here. Wang Dong, big brother Chi Hong, when I count to three, get ready to run!”

Wang Dong's expression turned grave.

Chi Hong tilted up the brim of his hat and scanned the small grove ahead.

He couldn't pinpoint the six people's positions, but the Ice Empress had already warned him.

He summoned Greninja and Charizard, then pointed with one hand.

“Charizard, use Flame Abyss. Burn down the forest ahead.”

Charizard beat his wings. Crimson flames engulfed him in midair, turning him into a miniature sun that lit the night as bright as day.

Whoosh!

The flames erupted and poured down. In an instant, the forest became a sea of fire.

"Damn it! Has he spotted us?"

"Argh! Get out of here! Those flames are no ordinary fire!"

Six people had been hiding in the shadows. They were assassins Dai Huabin had sent to kill Huo Yuhao.