Qian Renxue's plan to secure the Snow Empress was a good one. She would serve nicely in place of the far-off Golden Tree, providing a high-year Soul Ring currently within reach.
As for the excessive influx of energy that worried Soul Masters most, Xiao Zi had no need to fret. He could absorb it without hesitation. Qian Renxue would not even need to seal it; the Destruction Scepter alone was enough to drain the Soul Ring's energy dry.
Unlike divine artifacts, the power of a Super Divine Artifact transcended heaven and earth. Never mind one seven-hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring-even ten more would make no difference. Thus, Xiao Zi's ultimate target remained the Golden Tree. Drawing out just a sliver of its origin would advance the Destruction Scepter's restoration by a huge step.
Making leveling up and venturing outside his priorities, Xiao Zi attended classes as usual over the next few days, maintaining superficial friendships with his classmates and occasionally fishing for information.
Unfortunately, the divide between the inner and outer courts was like two great chasms. Had they not shared a name, anyone would have thought they were two separate schools. This system, built by Shrek's own hands, kept information isolated and erected an invisible wall that barred outsiders from glimpsing its core secrets.
Those uneventful days were disrupted by one person's return.
Huo Yuhao appeared before everyone in a hurry, carrying the bitterly cold aura of ice and snow from the Far North.
Having long since asked Qian Renxue to keep watch, Xiao Zi exploited his informational advantage and staged a seemingly chance encounter outside the court. Mysterious golden runes flashed in his eyes as he clapped a hand onto Huo Yuhao's shoulder. "Hey, why are you only getting to class now?"
Knowing he was late, Huo Yuhao had been rushing toward his classroom. Abruptly stopped by someone, he could not help looking back...
The boy's face was as fine as polished jade, his bearing icy. Without looking closely, one might have overlooked him entirely, failing to notice his presence.
Huo Yuhao thought nothing of the hand resting on his shoulder. His meager strength was insufficient to detect higher-level changes, such as the loss of fortune power.
Not only he, but even the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the newly acquired Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion remained utterly unaware.
Only after achieving his objective did Xiao Zi release his hand and take a step back to put some distance between them.
Huo Yuhao felt something was strange, yet could not put his finger on it. He had not lost anything, had he?
At this point, he had yet to be trained into a dog and was still fairly courteous in his dealings with others. He replied politely, "Something held me up. I didn't mean to be late. I'm heading back to my classroom now."
Xiao Zi gestured for him to go ahead, his manner equally humble and polite, raising the other boy's opinion of him.
Knowing the plot well, he understood all too clearly what kind of person Huo Yuhao was. Having lived in darkness since childhood, someone like him cared most about how others viewed him and needed respect. To put it harshly, it was his inferiority complex at work.
His gesture just now had not been forced. It quietly brought them closer, and besides stealing fortune, it laid the groundwork for an approaching plot point.
Watching Huo Yuhao's retreating figure from afar, he could tell through Qian Renxue's spiritual scan that Huo Yuhao had still obtained the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.
A Million-Year Soul Ring, a four-hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, and a Soul Bone-judging by sheer quantity, the opportunities Huo Yuhao had encountered already surpassed his own. The child of fortune truly was terrifying!
Xiao Zi was not envious, however. If his instincts were right, both the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's sacrifice and the acquisition of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion stemmed from a conspiracy. They were monitoring devices arranged in advance by a certain God King. That enormous worm, so greedy for life and afraid of death, was especially suspicious. Electrolux's remnant soul had been reduced to dust and ashes, yet he remained alive and well. That alone was highly questionable.
Luo Feng had concealed the plane precisely to prevent Tang San from monitoring it. Xiao Zi could hardly rush over and deliver himself into Tang San's hands. Besides, once he obtained the stronger Snow Empress, plotting to secure the Ice Empress would not be impossible.
As a shield, Huo Yuhao was even more valuable than Dai Huabin. Xiao Zi's opinion of him was unremarkable, but where there was profit to be had, he would not fall out with him. He would even take the initiative to befriend him.
To be fair, the early Huo Yuhao had been favored by fortune, steadfast in character, flexible, and adaptable, with plenty to commend in his integrity. The only thing deserving criticism was his cheating, which, strictly speaking, had not come from his own intentions but from being corrupted by his surroundings.
Unfortunately, God King Tang San watched over the mortal world. From the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's initial sacrifice to Electrolux's death, and finally the major plot point of entering the Qiankun Asking Love Valley, everything took a sharp turn for the worse. All the convictions he had once held were reduced to dust and ashes.
The child of fortune, beloved by destiny and entrusted with the plane's last hope, had been trained into a dog just like that. He went from an avenger to a champion of forgiveness. What meaning was there left in his life?
Just as Huo Yuhao had walked a short distance away, Wang Dong hurried over as well. Reunited with her roommate after a long separation, she had plenty to say, only to spot someone unexpected out of the corner of her eye...
"Li Lezi?"
When they first met at the dormitory building, she had merely regarded him as a poor soul bullied by Dai Huabin and attached no feelings to him. Yet seeing him now, his image gradually came into focus, becoming impossible to ignore?
She could not help looking at him several more times. Her gaze made Qian Renxue a little jealous, and she urged a certain someone to leave quickly.
Xiao Zi did not know whether to laugh or cry, but obediently did as he was told, moving to a blind spot to continue observing.
It seemed that seizing fortune power really could attract Wang Dong. Her very existence was a form of surveillance, watching every move of the Douluo Continent's geniuses on her father's behalf.
"Wang Dong, what's wrong?" His roommate had come brimming with enthusiasm, only to look elsewhere, leaving Huo Yuhao puzzled. Since returning with the Ice Empress Soul Ring, he had already encountered two strange incidents.
Some vague intuition told him these two incidents seemed connected. Was something slipping away from him?
"Nothing. The teacher's been waiting for you for ages. Come back with me!"
Wang Dong gave no definite answer, her attitude visibly colder. As fortune power dispersed, she had made a new discovery... or rather, found a new target.
With Huo Yuhao's return, he revealed his Spirit Eyes' thousand-year second ring and his soaring Soul Power. Zhou Yi brought her husband, Fan Yu, along to intervene-not to expel him, but to firmly protect him on the grounds of his status as a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department.
Thanks to Xiao Zi's maneuvering, Mu Jin had recalled that unpleasant stretch of his past. New grievances and old grudges surged up together, and he began arguing with Zhou Yi right in front of Du Weilun. The person demanding expulsion and the one pleading for leniency had switched places, each holding firmly to their position and refusing to yield.
By then, Xiao Zi had already walked back to the dormitory. Mu En spotted him from far away and greeted him across the distance. This brought a new realization to Xiao Zi: as fortune power shifted, the plane's concealment was losing its effectiveness!
At the same time, he noticed that Mu En had moved to another spot to lie down, right along the route Huo Yuhao had to take when coming downstairs. Who would believe that was a coincidence?
Fortunately, Xiao Zi did not care. He did not want excessive attention from Shrek and even considered this a good thing.
Huo Yuhao's artificial twin martial souls had drawn the gazes of many of Shrek's senior figures. For a long time to come, they would focus on him, drawing some attention away from Xiao Zi.
With Mu En no longer serving as that hidden surveillance device, Xiao Zi returned to his dormitory to continue cultivating, aiming to break through level thirty as soon as possible.