News of the friendship tournament grew wings, sweeping through the entire Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy in half a day as students passed it from mouth to mouth.
The rumors were twisted with every retelling until an absurd version emerged—the exchange student Huo Yuhao had boasted that he would single-handedly sweep aside every student at Sun Moon Academy!
The wilder the rumor grew, the more students who had never met Huo Yuhao branded him arrogant and contemptuous of everyone else.
When that version reached Huo Yuhao, he merely gave a quiet laugh.
He was not pleased with himself. The ridiculous rumor had left him speechless. Push someone far enough beyond words, and they really would laugh; Huo Yuhao understood that now.
He did not step forward to explain. A war of words was pointless. Strength was the best weapon for shattering rumors!
Inside Qian Duoduo's private office.
A thick stack of Soul Tool research files lay on the wooden desk. A faint scent of metal and machine oil lingered in the air.
Dressed in a loose gray robe, Qian Duoduo tapped his thick fingers against the desk. His brows were tightly knit as he stared at Huo Yuhao, who stood before him.
"You agreed to hold a friendship tournament with Jing Hongchen's side?" Qian Duoduo asked, his voice low with concern.
He believed the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineers called it a friendly contest in public, but secretly wanted to knock Shrek down a peg.
Huo Yuhao stood straight, white hair falling over his shoulders, his expression calm. "Teacher, only by showing some of our strength can we earn genuine respect. If we keep giving ground, they'll think they can push us around."
Huo Yuhao had worked it all out. This friendship tournament would be a public show