Expelling Huo Yuhao

Lin Qianyi hurriedly cut him off. "Pah, pah, pah, don't say things like that. Yuhao is clever; he'll be fine. Maybe all this worrying is unnecessary. But that guy really is something—he actually fooled people on both sides at once. When he gets back, I'm going to teach him a proper lesson."

Wang Dong snorted and said through gritted teeth, "Hmph! When she gets back, I'll make her see how formidable I am. I'll beat her until she's full of holes like a sieve." Though Lin Qianyi felt that was a little exaggerated, she still agreed. "Fine."

After a full day of rushing about, Huo Yuhao finally hurried back to the dormitory at dusk the next day. The moment he entered, he anxiously shouted, "I'm going to be late! I'm going to be late!" He frantically packed his things, completely failing to notice Wang Dong's clenched fists and suppressed fury.

While Huo Yuhao was packing, he accidentally stumbled and fell. The instant she looked up and saw Wang Dong, her heart jolted, and a guilty smile appeared on her face. "Wang Dong, morning!"

At that moment, Wang Dong seemed to have raging flames burning behind her. The emotions she had suppressed for so long finally erupted as she practically roared through gritted teeth, "Huo! Yuhao!" Then she threw a punch without hesitation, striking Huo Yuhao squarely on the shoulder.

Huo Yuhao was left dazed by the blow, standing there blankly. Wang Dong planted her hands on her hips and demanded angrily, "So you finally know to come back? Do you know how worried we were? You even dared to lie to us. If you don't explain everything clearly, don't expect to stay here comfortably!"

Huo Yuhao rubbed the spot where she had been punched and said with a face full of guilt, "Wang Dong, I was wrong. I'll tell you everything from beginning to end." Wang Dong gave a cold snort. Though she did not strike again, her stern gaze remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, as though waiting for a more sincere explanation.

Wang Dong snorted and glanced at Huo Yuhao. "You can explain it to Teacher Zhou yourself when the time comes."

Huo Yuhao's heart immediately tightened at those words. She knew all too well how strict Teacher Zhou Yi was. Throughout the academy, her severity was famous.

At that moment, Huo Yuhao felt as though she could already see the storm about to descend, and she could not help turning a pleading gaze toward Wang Dong.

However, Wang Dong only looked at her with a half-smile. "Don't look at me. I'm not helping you." Huo Yuhao could only shake her head with a bitter smile, feeling helpless and dejected.

When they arrived at Zhou Yi's office, it was frighteningly quiet inside. The moment Huo Yuhao entered, she heard a sharp smack as Teacher Zhou Yi slammed her hand on the desk and shouted angrily, "Huo Yuhao, you still know how to come back?"

The sudden bang exploded beside Huo Yuhao's ears like thunder, frightening her into taking an involuntary step back. Lin Qianyi stood between Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, watching the farce like a bystander.

Seeing the three of them remain unmoved, Huo Yuhao felt deeply disappointed and helplessly shook her head again. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and said, "Teacher Zhou, Teacher Fan Yu, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I discovered that my martial soul seemed to be shattering."

The moment they heard this, everyone's expressions turned grave. Teacher Fan Yu frowned. "A shattered martial soul?" Lin Qianyi repeated the words as well, her voice filled with confusion and concern.

Huo Yuhao nodded and slowly recounted what had happened. "At the time, I felt that I might be crippled. I was utterly despairing, so I headed north, intending to let myself live or die as fate decreed. But when I reached a land of ice and snow, I froze unconscious.

Just as I was about to wake up, I suddenly sensed an extra surge of Soul Power within my body, and my martial soul miraculously recovered." Everyone was stunned after hearing this, clearly shocked and somewhat bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

Huo Yuhao continued, "There was a completely jade-green scorpion corpse beside me. I think it was what brought about this change, so I now have an additional soul skill."

As she spoke, she unleashed her soul skill. In an instant, the surrounding temperature plummeted, making Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao shiver.

Only Lin Qianyi did not feel cold. After all, she possessed an ice-attribute second martial soul and had long grown accustomed to such low temperatures. At that moment, the phantom of the Ice Scorpion Huo Yuhao had described appeared behind her, accompanied by the emergence of a purple soul ring.

"Ice Scorpion?" Teacher Zhou Yi softly repeated the name, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes. She exchanged a glance with Teacher Fan Yu, and each saw the same shock in the other's eyes. "Is this your second soul ring?" Wang Dong asked curiously.

Huo Yuhao corrected her, "It's a second martial soul." When everyone heard the words "twin martial souls," their eyes filled with confusion and amazement.

Teacher Zhou Yi explained, "The Ice Scorpion is a martial soul with an ultimate attribute. It is practically invincible when it comes to the ice element. To have encountered such a fortuitous opportunity, your luck is quite good."

After a while, Zhou Yi signaled that the four of them could leave.

"No way. You made us worry so much, so you have to treat us to breakfast for an entire week!" Wang Dong said with her arms crossed, her face full of displeasure.

"Exactly, not one day less." Xiao Xiao nodded in agreement. "This is compensation for us, understand?" Lin Qianyi added. Seeing this, Huo Yuhao hurriedly agreed with a smile. "Fine, fine, fine. I'll treat you, I'll treat you. As many days as you want."

The group chatted and laughed as they headed toward the cafeteria. Not long after entering, they spotted Tang Ya and Beibei sitting beside a dining table.

The moment Tang Ya saw Huo Yuhao, she hurriedly stood up, her face full of concern. "Little Yuhao, you're finally back. What exactly happened to you?" Her eyes were filled with worry and confusion.

"Teacher Xiaoya, can you let me fill my stomach first?" Huo Yuhao said helplessly, with a trace of exhaustion. Beibei waved a hand from the side. "All right, Junior Brother is hungry. Xiaoya, let's head back first too. We can talk after he finishes eating."

After dinner, Huo Yuhao teased, "Xiao Xiao, I never expected such a little body to be able to eat so much!" Xiao Xiao covered her mouth and chuckled. "It's rare for Yuhao to treat us. Of course I have to eat more. At least this kindness has to count for something, right?" "Fine, you have a point." Huo Yuhao shook her head helplessly, though her eyes were full of amusement.

The four of them were chatting and laughing when the arrival of a group suddenly interrupted them. Dai Huabin walked at the front, with Zhu Lu, Cui Yajie, Wu Feng, and the others beside him.

Zhu Lu was the first to speak, her tone carrying obvious mockery. "Oh, isn't this Huo Yuhao? Why are you still wandering around the academy? Logically speaking, shouldn't anyone who broke the school rules have been expelled already?"

Wang Dong raised an eyebrow and said unhappily, "What does that have to do with you?"

"How does it not concern me?" Zhu Lu raised her voice. "We're all students of Shrek Academy. Upholding the school rules is everyone's responsibility. Do you need some special reason to deal with someone who broke the rules?"

At that moment, Lin Qianyi, who had remained silent all along, slowly spoke. Her voice was cool but powerful. "If that were truly the case, then the academy's teachers and dean should be the ones to judge it. You people are so eager to step forward that it makes one wonder who exactly gave you the label of 'member of the academy.'"

Zhu Lu's expression changed. She opened her mouth but could not speak, clearly choked by Lin Qianyi's words.

A heavy atmosphere filled the air. Dai Huabin stared coldly at Huo Yuhao. "Since you insist on staying, don't blame me for being rude."

Before he finished speaking, he moved to attack. Xiao Xiao reacted swiftly, immediately summoning her martial soul—the Three Lives Soul-Calming Cauldron. A flash of golden light appeared, successfully blocking Dai Huabin's attack.

Unexpectedly, Dai Huabin used the force against itself, rebounding that power straight toward Huo Yuhao. However, Huo Yuhao did not retreat even half a step and steadily received the blow, her eyes revealing determination and composure.

This sudden development secretly startled Dai Huabin, though he showed nothing on the surface. He was astonished that Huo Yuhao's strength had grown far beyond his expectations.

"Huo Yuhao, how about we make a bet?" Dai Huabin suddenly proposed. "Bet on what?" Huo Yuhao watched him warily. "We'll bet on who gets the higher score in the Promotion Assessment. The loser must hand over the prize for winning the freshman assessment."

The moment he said this, everyone present showed shock. Lin Qianyi keenly noticed that Zhou Yi had happened to appear at the cafeteria entrance. Her thoughts raced as she decided to use this opportunity to resolve the stalemate.