Mu En gave Huo Yuhao a long, searching look without saying anything more. He turned to Wang Dong and slowly asked, "What about you? Did you improve at all while you were away?"
Wang Dong grinned and, making no attempt to hide anything, released his Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul. A snow-white rabbit phantom appeared behind him, followed by four soul rings rising from beneath his feet.
One yellow, one purple, and two black! The four soul rings radiated dazzling light, glittering in the sunshine.
Everyone instantly fell silent. Their eyes widened as they stared in disbelief at the soul rings beneath Wang Dong's feet. Was this some kind of joke?
He already had four rings? How old was he? And two ten thousand year soul rings at that? How was that possible? Even a glimmer of surprise flashed through Mu En's eyes.
Yan Shaozhe sucked in a breath of cold air, his voice trembling. "Two ten thousand year soul rings... you're only at forty-something, yet you have two ten thousand year soul rings? This... this is simply unheard of!"
Xuan Zi froze too. He looked at Wang Dong as though he were looking at a monster. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Mu En studied the four soul rings beneath Wang Dong's feet. After a moment of silence, he slowly asked, "How did you do it? Good luck alone can't explain two ten thousand year soul rings."
Wang Dong grinned without a trace of modesty. "By enduring every hardship..."
He said it with complete conviction, not the least bit embarrassed. After all, he was telling the truth. Although he had taken a few shortcuts along the way, he really had endured every hardship.
Facing those two Soul Saint-level Evil Soul Masters alone had been enough to put him through the wringer.
If the Three-Eyed Golden Lion hadn't appeared in time, he probably really would have met his end in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Others couldn't have done it either. The sheer surge of energy from absorbing a ten thousand year soul ring alone would have been enough to make most Soul Masters explode and die.
What was more, he had absorbed three soul rings in one go, soaring straight from level 30 to level 43. Across the entire continent, there was probably no second person who could improve that quickly.
Everyone exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words. Whatever the case, Wang Dong was a genius, and that certainly wasn't a bad thing.
With two such prodigies emerging from Shrek Academy, they could hardly be anything but delighted. Yan Shaozhe looked at Wang Dong with eyes full of appreciation, as though admiring a rare treasure.
Xuan Zi also sighed and shook his head without saying anything more. Huo Yuhao stood beside Wang Dong, her gaze full of pride and joy as she looked at him.
She was happy for Wang Dong, even happier than she had been when she obtained her own hundred thousand year soul ring. In her heart, Wang Dong was the most amazing person of all. No one could compare to him.
Wang Dong didn't dwell on the subject. Looking at Xuan Zi, he asked directly, "Xuan Zi, you promised I could change dorm rooms. Can you honor that promise now?"
Xuan Zi paused, then gave a rueful chuckle. "When you put it that way, how could I refuse?" He shook his head.
"As long as you're strong enough, any rule can be changed. You two can move in together today."
Wang Dong's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "Thank you, Xuan Zi."
Huo Yuhao's face flushed slightly. She lowered her head, but an indescribable sweetness welled up inside her. She stole a glance at Wang Dong, her heart pounding as though a little rabbit were nestled in her chest.
After the two left Sea God Island, Wang Dong took Huo Yuhao out for a meal beyond the academy. They hadn't seen each other in so long that they had endless things to say.
Huo Yuhao truly didn't want to keep any secrets from Wang Dong and chattered away about her experiences in the Far North,
even wanting to tell Wang Dong that her second martial soul wasn't merely an Ice Jade Scorpion, but an Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.
But... the existence of Brother Tian Meng and the Ice Empress brought her back to her senses. She couldn't be irresponsible toward the two of them either.
This suddenly left Huo Yuhao feeling deeply guilty toward Wang Dong, as though she wasn't being sincere enough.
Wang Dong, however, hadn't thought that much about it. He merely noticed that Huo Yuhao sounded much more confident and had become considerably more cheerful. She was no longer the timid girl she had once been.
Watching her transformation, Wang Dong silently reflected on it. Sure enough, strength was the foundation of confidence. As Huo Yuhao's strength improved, her whole being had taken on a fresh new glow.
He listened to her speak while placing food in her bowl, a gentle smile on his face.
As Huo Yuhao talked, she suddenly stopped. Looking at Wang Dong, she said earnestly, "Wang Dong, thank you."
Before you continue