The Lionheart Club's First Roar, a Scheme

When the last name was called, the entire crowd erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue, and Ning Tian walked onto the awards platform shoulder to shoulder. The young man stood tall, the young women were breathtaking. Though a trace of pallor still lingered on Huo Yuhao's face, it could not dim the sharp light in his eyes.

"Congratulations." Yan Shaozhe handed them the championship trophy with a smile. His gaze lingered on Huo Yuhao, his eyes full of certainty that he would get what he wanted.

"Next, I will announce this year's Martial Soul Department Core Disciples—Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue, Ning Tian, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Cao Jinxuan, Long Xiangyue, Lan Luoluo, and Lan Susu! Provisional Core Disciples: Cui Yajie, Yang Wusi, Wu Feng, Xie Huanyue, Zhou Sichen, and Nanmen Yun'er!"

The crowd below erupted again as the names were read out!

Core Disciples!

It meant a guaranteed place in the inner academy and access to the academy's highest level of resources. It was an honor every Shrek Academy student dreamed of!

"Students whose names were called, please step forward!" Yan Shaozhe looked at Huo Yuhao, who stood at the very front. A flicker of triumph crossed his eyes as he spoke with authority. "May you accept this honor, remain true to your original purpose, and bring glory to the academy!"

But just when everyone thought Huo Yuhao would bow and offer his thanks, he stepped forward. He dipped his head slightly to Yan Shaozhe, his tone gentle but unshakably firm. "Dean Yan, I'm sorry. I, Huo Yuhao, refuse to become a Martial Soul Department Core Disciple. I made that clear before."

With that one sentence, the entire square fell deathly silent!

Everyone was stunned, including the other Core Disciples onstage.

Refuse a place as a Martial Soul Department Core Disciple?

In Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year history, this was a first!

"What did you say?"

The smile froze on Yan Shaozhe's face. Bewilderment flashed through his eyes, followed by confusion, before both gave way to towering rage—and the faintest hint of killing intent.

He unleashed the full pressure of a Titled Douluo. It crashed down on Huo Yuhao like a mountain. Even the students across the square struggled to breathe, yet Huo Yuhao, standing at the very center of that pressure, remained ramrod straight. He did not bend an inch.

Yan Shaozhe's voice turned bitterly cold. He enunciated every word. "Huo Yuhao, are you certain?"

"I. Am. Certain." Huo Yuhao met his gaze and spoke just as deliberately, without the slightest wavering.

"I, Gu Yue, refuse to become a Martial Soul Department Core Disciple." A cool female voice rang out as Gu Yue stepped forward to stand beside Huo Yuhao.

"I, Ning Tian, refuse to become a Martial Soul Department Core Disciple." Ning Tian stepped forward as well.

"You three!"

Yan Shaozhe stared at the three standing shoulder to shoulder, utterly dumbfounded.

He had counted on Huo Yuhao's talent and the allure of a Core Disciple position. What he had not counted on was all three children daring to refuse together!

He could even hear the students below gasping. His refined face flushed crimson, then turned livid with anger.

"Old Yan, don't get so worked up."

Just then, a cheerful voice came from the side of the platform.

Qian Duoduo strode onto the platform, his round belly leading the way. He planted himself in front of Huo Yuhao and the two young women, then winked at Yan Shaozhe. "I have an announcement to make today—starting now, Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue, and Ning Tian are officially Core Disciples of my Soul Tool Department. They'll receive the department's highest level of resources!"

He had arrived long ago. He had simply been waiting for the moment Yan Shaozhe came up empty-handed.

With Mu En's tacit approval and Xian Lin'er's support, he intended to snatch them away in broad daylight!

"Qian Duoduo! Well played!"

Yan Shaozhe glared at the smug Qian Duoduo. His teeth ground together as he forced the words through them.

Only now did he realize that agreeing to Ning Tian's request to establish a club had been digging a pit for himself!

But with the entire academy watching, he could not lash out. He could only snort, sweep his sleeves back, and storm off the platform, leaving the rest of the ceremony to someone else.

The homeroom teachers below exchanged glances. None dared speak.

The ten-thousand-year conflict between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department had finally been laid bare for all to see.

Qian Duoduo watched Yan Shaozhe leave, grinning from ear to ear. Then he turned to Huo Yuhao and winked. "Kid, time to get down to business."

"Right! Thank you, Teacher." A bright smile spread across Huo Yuhao's pale face as he stepped to the front of the awards platform.

His gaze swept across the thousands of students below. Carried by his Soul Power, his clear voice rang throughout the square:

"Fellow students of Shrek Academy, hello. I'm Huo Yuhao."

"Today, I'm here to formally invite every student in the academy to join the Lionheart Club. We're officially recruiting!"

"The Lionheart Club only accepts students of upright character who have principles they will not cross and are willing to do their part to protect the continent and wipe out Evil Soul Masters. Here, we can train together, research Soul Tools together, and forge a path of our own at Shrek Academy."

"I'll be waiting for you at the Lionheart Club."

The crowd below went dead silent for three seconds. Then it erupted in cheers even louder than before!

The freshman tournament champion. The student who had stood up to the dean and refused a Core Disciple position. A personal disciple of the Soul Tool Department. A club dedicated to wiping out Evil Soul Masters.

Together, those distinctions ignited the enthusiasm of every new student!

On the awards platform, Huo Yuhao watched the surging crowd below. Gu Yue and Ning Tian stood beside him, and as he faced the morning sun, his eyes shone with light.

The Lionheart Club had taken its first step.

And his legend had only just begun.

The dean's office occupied the top floor of Shrek Academy's main teaching building.

Its heavy rosewood doors were shut tight, sealing out every sound from outside.

Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice and fell across walls covered in medals and ancient books. The room should have felt solemn and dignified, but the fury roiling inside had shattered that atmosphere.

Yan Shaozhe stood before his desk and drew a deep breath. His chest rose and fell as he tried to suppress the anger that threatened to overwhelm his reason.

But whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Qian Duoduo's infuriating grin. He saw Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue, and Ning Tian rejecting their Martial Soul Department Core Disciple positions before the entire academy and turning to the Soul Tool Department instead.

Bang!

His calloused palm slammed into the hard rosewood desk.

A fine crack spread through the fine wood like a spiderweb. The white jade teacup leaped off the desk, spilling scalding tea across its surface.

A shadow crept over his refined face, inch by inch. Anger churned in his eyes.

A moment later, though, he gave a low chuckle. It grew louder, rising from a mutter into hearty laughter. Yet his eyes held no warmth at all—only the cold gleam of calculation.

"Huo Yuhao, Huo Yuhao..." He rubbed his fingertips across the desk and murmured, "If your Ultimate Light weren't the only thing that could cure Xiaotao's Evil Fire completely, you'd be nothing but an ant I could crush on a whim. Does that old fossil Qian Duoduo really think he's won just because he snatched you into the Soul Tool Department?"

His eyes suddenly lit up, as if a brilliant idea had struck him. He clapped his hands and laughed. "Wait! Xiaotao! Of course! How could I forget?"

"Qian Duoduo, you old fool, so what if he's your personal disciple? Huo Yuhao's still young. No matter how steady he is, he's still a boy. I'll put Xiaotao at his side. With her looks, her talent, and the natural pull his Ultimate Light has on the Evil Fire Phoenix, I refuse to believe he won't fall for her!"

"Once he falls in love with Xiaotao, he'll be halfway to becoming one of us in the Martial Soul Department. Whether he joins us outright or lets me steer him as I please will be up to me. As for the Soul Tool Department? Once he's my niece's husband, let's see if you can still laugh, Qian Duoduo!"

The more Yan Shaozhe considered it, the more flawless the plan seemed. The gloom vanished from his face, replaced by his usual refined, confident smile, as though he had never been furious at all.

Meanwhile, outside the teaching building, on the Shaded Path.

Huo Yuhao walked alongside Gu Yue and Ning Tian. They were on their way to the Soul Tool Department to speak with Fan Yu about securing a venue for Lionheart Club activities.

Without warning, he shivered. A chill crawled up his spine, as though something with ill intentions had fixed its gaze on him. His whole body felt uneasy.