Huo Yuhao froze for a moment at those words, but still rose to his feet.
Right, he had changed classes now. The scolding that Wang Dong should have received had fallen on him instead.
Still, Huo Yuhao had thought that the so-called discussion of attack and defense in the original story was a distinctive part of Zhou Yi's teaching. So the first lesson for every freshman at Shrek Academy was actually the same thing?
Sorry, Little Zhou. I still gave you too much credit.
Ning Tian turned to look at Huo Yuhao, a gleam flashing through her eyes. She could tell there was something unusual about him. How would he answer this somewhat profound question Teacher Mu Jin had posed?
"Soul masters are divided into the power attack system, agility attack system, control system, support system, defense system, and food system. Of these, power attack, agility attack, and control lean toward offense, while defense, support, and food focus on defense," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
At this, a trace of disappointment crept onto Teacher Mu Jin's face. Although what Huo Yuhao had said was certainly appropriate for a newly enrolled freshman, it had failed to meet his expectations.
But just as Mu Jin was about to tell Huo Yuhao to sit down, he spoke again.
"The concept I just described is completely wrong."
"Pfft! Cough, cough, cough..." A male student in the back row had thought Huo Yuhao was finished and taken a sip of water. He had never expected such an abrupt reversal, and nearly choked to death.
Mu Jin and the other students in the classroom also glared at Huo Yuhao indignantly. Would it kill you to say the whole thing in one go?
Huo Yuhao gave the male student, who was still coughing nonstop, an apologetic smile. Then he straightened, his eyes gleaming, and resumed his explanation.
"First, everyone, think about this: do support and food system soul masters possess the ability to defend against attacks from others?"
The question made every student in the classroom furrow their brows.
That was right. Even after training, support and food system soul masters had physical fitness comparable only to that of ordinary, sturdy men.
Even support and food system soul masters who cultivated to the rank of Titled Douluo would be absolutely no match for a power attack system soul master-even a mere Soul Emperor-unless they possessed special skills usable in combat.
"Had this been over four thousand years ago, what I said earlier would have been correct. But things are different now. There is something that can reverse a soul master's balance of offense and defense. And that very thing nearly swallowed up the three great empires of the Douluo Continent," Huo Yuhao said calmly.
"I know! Soul tools!" a pretty, adorable-looking female student said with a smile.
"Exactly. With the aid of soul tools, even support and food system soul masters can unleash powerful attacks and gain some ability to protect themselves." Out of the corner of his eye, Huo Yuhao caught the smile on Mu Jin's face, but his own expression grew serious.
"But does that mean support and food system soul masters can rival soul masters of the other systems in combat strength? That idea is completely wrong!"
Mu Jin was taken aback, and a grave look appeared in his eyes. If Huo Yuhao's earlier words had matched the answer he expected, then what he was saying now had already gone beyond his predictions.
"As the saying goes, adding flowers to brocade is no match for delivering charcoal in the snow. But only kids choose. Charcoal in the snow and flowers on brocade-I want them both!" Huo Yuhao declared. "Soul tools don't exist merely to make up for the shortcomings of soul masters from each system. They can also push every system's individual capabilities to the limit!"
"Lin'er, the freshmen won't be assigned to their new classes until after the freshman assessment in three months. I can get Huo Yuhao into our Soul Tool Department then. Aren't you just beating the grass and startling the snake by rushing to see him now? If that old fox Yan Shaozhe finds out, he definitely won't let us have Huo Yuhao."
In the corridor on the teaching building's first floor, Qian Duoduo, vice dean of the Soul Tool Department, followed an imposing woman with a miserable expression.
The woman stood around one meter seventy tall and looked to be only fifty or so. She had fair skin and black hair pinned up neatly, and her white outfit with gold trim was fitted and crisp, giving her a thoroughly capable air. Although she was getting on in years, it was still clear that she must have been an exquisite beauty in her youth.
She was Xian Lin'er, dean of the Soul Tool Department and Qian Duoduo's wife in name.
"Hmph. That bastard Yan Shaozhe never kept his word even when he was young. Do you really think that, once you get Huo Yuhao over here and he learns the truth, he won't play his tricks to bring him back to the Martial Soul Department?" Xian Lin'er snorted. "I came this time to see whether this student you recommended is actually worth staking so much on."
"Ah, that's true." Qian Duoduo gave a bitter smile. Though he prided himself on having grown shrewd with age, he still couldn't outmaneuver Yan Shaozhe. Otherwise, he and Xian Lin'er would not still be husband and wife in name alone.
The two had originally intended to head to Freshman Class One, but they happened to run into Du Weilun along the way. Only then did they learn that Huo Yuhao had actually transferred to Freshman Class Nine.
Du Weilun had not told them about the earlier incidents between Huo Yuhao and Zhou Yi, however. After all, this was the Martial Soul Department's dirty laundry. Before reporting it to Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department, he should not let the Soul Tool Department hear the news.
Mu Jin had been listening with rapt attention, but when he turned his head, he discovered two figures standing at the classroom entrance: Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo.
"Dean Xian..." Mu Jin was about to speak, but Xian Lin'er waved a hand at him, signaling that he should not interrupt Huo Yuhao and should let him continue instead.
The two deans stood in a blind spot by the classroom entrance, out of sight of the other students in Freshman Class Nine. They could, however, hear every word Huo Yuhao said with perfect clarity.
"In the future soul master world, soul tools will undoubtedly hold an irreplaceable position. That much is obvious. However, using and manufacturing soul tools can be completely separated. Soul masters with poor martial soul talent who struggle to cultivate can handle their development and manufacture, while exceptionally gifted soul masters can use soul tools to enhance their strength."
"Then what did you mean earlier by adding flowers to brocade and delivering charcoal in the snow?" Mu Jin asked.
Huo Yuhao nodded, but he was weighing things in his mind. When it came to soul tools, he could plant a seed in these students' hearts, but he did not want to delve too deeply into the subject.
As a reader who had read all four books of the Douluo Continent series, Huo Yuhao naturally knew the astonishing heights soul tools would reach in the future.
But he could not lay that blueprint before others now. Otherwise, he would inevitably be treated as an aberration and shunned.
Huo Yuhao had no desire to become the Copernicus of the soul master world. Barbecue wrapped in flatbread was delicious, but being turned into barbecue himself would be no fun at all.
Meanwhile, Ning Tian, seated at the very front, had a strange light shimmering in her eyes. Huo Yuhao's words had given her tremendous inspiration and had even pointed out several paths for her future.
Before you continue