As he announced his decision, Yan Shaozhe never took his eyes off Huo Yuhao in the center of the arena. His refined face was full of probing curiosity and incredulous fascination.
During last year's freshman assessment, his martial soul was clearly the spiritual-type Spirit Eyes. But that pure, terrifying aura of ultimate ice just now was something Spirit Eyes could never possess! Could he have... twin martial souls? Even a powerhouse like Yan Shaozhe felt his heart quake at the thought.
Twin martial souls marked a peerless genius rarely seen in a hundred years. And if his second martial soul truly possessed an ultimate attribute, Huo Yuhao's value would be immeasurable!
The assessment was suspended, and the students left amid a buzz of discussion. With Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao in tow, Huo Yuhao strode smugly straight up to the ashen-faced Dai Huabin.
"Dai Huabin," Huo Yuhao said, his voice quiet but exceptionally clear, "according to our wager, I'm the only one who completed the assessment and received a score today. You have no score. That means I won. Honor your promise."
The students who had yet to leave immediately turned curious, eager eyes toward them, ready to enjoy the spectacle. Dai Huabin's face instantly turned the color of pig's liver. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms.
He had made the wager in full view of everyone, and it involved something as valuable as a soul bone. If he reneged, he would disgrace not only himself, but the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion. That was a responsibility he could not bear.
He stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao, his eyes brimming with venom and humiliation. At last, he forced a few words through gritted teeth. "Fine! A wager lost is a wager paid!"
First, he swept his hand sharply, sending a streak of light flying from his Storage Soul Tool toward Dai Youheng beside him.
Dai Youheng caught it casually. It felt slightly heavy in his hand: a bone resembling an ulna, surrounded by a pale purple glow. Its energy fluctuations were nowhere near those of the thirty-thousand-year bone he already held.
"A Thousand-Year Soul Bone? And another left arm bone?" Dai Youheng immediately frowned. Dai Huabin really was stingy and calculating.
Not only was the soul bone far inferior to the thirty-thousand-year one Dai Youheng had put up, but Dai Huabin had deliberately chosen another left arm bone. He clearly wanted to deny Dai Youheng the chance to absorb both bones and reap the greatest possible benefit.
Then something happened that made everyone hold their breath.
Dai Huabin drew a deep breath. As though summoning every ounce of strength in his body, he abruptly bent both knees and dropped heavily to the ground before Huo Yuhao with a thud!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He knocked his forehead firmly against the hard flagstones three times, each strike producing a dull thud. Every kowtow was like a heavy hammer striking Dai Huabin's pride-and the hearts of everyone watching.
The entire arena fell so silent that a falling pin could have been heard. The White Tiger Duke's legitimate son had actually knelt and kowtowed to an ordinary student!
After the kowtows, Dai Huabin sprang to his feet, his forehead already bright red. He glared at Huo Yuhao with venom so intense it seemed almost tangible. "Huo Yuhao, don't get smug! You used despicable tricks today. There was no honor in your victory!"
He panted, his voice trembling with overwhelming rage. "The assessment will resume in a few days! Do you dare make another wager with me? We'll compete fair and square. No more filthy tricks like the ones you used today!"
"The stakes!" Dai Huabin practically roared. "These two soul bones, and those three kowtows!"
"If I win, both soul bones go back to me. And you, Huo Yuhao-not only will you repay those three kowtows, you'll shout 'I was wrong!' in front of everyone!"
"But if you win!" He pointed at Dai Youheng. "I'll give him another soul bone! Plus three million Gold Soul Coins!"
Three million Gold Soul Coins was roughly the market price of an ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. It seemed that even Dai Huabin could no longer produce two soul bones and had to substitute money for one.
Then he turned to Huo Yuhao, grinding his teeth. "I'll also kowtow to you three more times! And shout 'I was wrong!' too!"
Huo Yuhao remained calm. He was thoroughly confident in the power he had gained. But he shook his head at the soul bone wager. "I can agree to the kowtows and apology on my own behalf. But those two soul bones belong to Brother Youheng now. I can't decide for him."
In an instant, everyone's gaze converged on Dai Youheng.
Dai Youheng laughed inwardly. Of course he knew that, according to the original plot, Huo Yuhao would still win the upcoming assessment-and win even more spectacularly!
This was practically handing him another soul bone and a huge sum of money! How could he turn down such a chance to snare a white wolf with empty hands?
He put on a seemingly gentle smile, full of support for his younger brother, stepped forward, and patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. Then he looked at Dai Huabin, his tone easy yet firm. "Naturally, I support Yuhao unconditionally. If Yuhao is willing to wager with you, I agree to add these two soul bones to the stakes."
"Brother Youheng, thank you!" Huo Yuhao was deeply moved, his eyes filled with trust and gratitude as he looked at Dai Youheng.
In his heart, this older brother had stood by him time after time, even putting his own precious possessions on the line to back him up. That bond weighed far too heavily to take lightly.
Even Wang Dong, who had previously had plenty of complaints about Dai Youheng, softened considerably. She pursed her lips and said, "Hmph. Since you've supported Yuhao time and again, I suppose I'll graciously forgive you for not bringing breakfast before."
But as Dai Huabin watched Dai Youheng's hypocritical smile and listened to him bite the hand that fed him, the fury in his chest nearly exploded. He stared fixedly at Dai Youheng, his eyes chilling to the bone, filled with undisguised warning and disgust.
"Dai Youheng, you traitorous wretch, always turning your elbow outward! Fine, fine, fine! Keep licking Huo Yuhao's boots! You'll regret this! Our Dai Family has no place for someone like you, who can't distinguish the legitimate line from the concubine-born, or right from wrong!"
Faced with Dai Huabin's insults and threats, Dai Youheng's smile did not change in the slightest, as though he had heard nothing at all.
When all was said and done, he was not a member of the Dai Family. The original fellow was the one who had come out of a Dai Family concubine's womb.
He, on the other hand, had been tossed here through a tear in space by some unknown, unscrupulous bastard. He had no blood ties whatsoever to the White Tiger Dai Family.
This farce finally ended when Yan Shaozhe sent someone over.
Yan Shaozhe summoned Huo Yuhao to meet him in the dean's office.
Previously, he had thought Huo Yuhao had little potential, so he had not granted him a core disciple position in the Martial Soul Department. He had even let the Soul Tool Department take him as a core disciple. Now, however, he had discovered that Huo Yuhao might have twin martial souls, along with an ultimate attribute.
He would definitely have to find a way to bring him back to the Martial Soul Department.
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