The match is over. Huo Yuhao has now become a legend, an undefeated legend.
Huo Yuhao didn't get any of the competition rewards. The only thing he got was the Ice Jade Scorpion's Soul Bone, which he had specifically asked the Star Luo Emperor for. The Star Luo Emperor said things like, "Heroes emerge from among the young, and given time, he will surely become an unparalleled powerhouse. He truly deserves to be a subject of the Star Luo Empire..." They basically treated him like a rare treasure.
Everyone returned to the Shrek Academy, where they were greeted at the entrance by Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, Qian Duoduo, the dean of the Soul Tool Department, and most of the well-known figures in the Soul Tool Department.
A deeply moving reunion unfolded, but Huo Yuhao was no longer interested in it. He stood aside as if nothing had happened, intending to leave immediately, but then...
Ma Xiaotao then went to Yan Shaozhe and boasted about how amazing Huo Yuhao was, the two new moves he used this time, and his teaching of Xu Jiujiu. The entire Star Luo City would never forget the name Huo Yuhao; he had become famous throughout the world.
Ma Xiaotao said, " Dean Yan, you don't know, during this battle, although we were in danger at times, Yuhao always seemed to descend from the heavens, defeating those people utterly."
Yan Shaozhe walked up to Huo Yuhao: " Yuhao, thank you for everything you've done for Shrek, and thank you for saving their lives during the mission." Then, Yan Shaozhe began his boasting segment... " Yuhao, I really don't know how to thank you enough. We already know about some of your deeds."
He took Huo Yuhao's hand first.
"You've created many legends on the field, your deeds have spread throughout the surrounding empires. Now everyone knows that Shrek Academy has a young powerhouse who swept the Soul Fighting Tournament. His name is Huo Yuhao. Yuhao, Yuhao, my admiration for you is like a surging river, endless and unstoppable, like the Yellow River overflowing its banks!"
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao helplessly and somewhat disgustedly shook him off, muttering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Alright, alright, if you keep bragging, tomorrow someone will be saying that I can crush Titled Douluo's Martial Soul Avatar with my bare hands."
At this moment, Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu also came over. Fan Yu's voice was a few decibels lower than usual, and he said to Huo Yuhao with an apologetic expression, " Huo Yuhao, my wife did many things that wronged you before. Now, I want to sincerely apologize to you. Also..."
Upon seeing this, Qian Duoduo immediately stepped forward and spoke first, "In addition, we would like to invite you to join the Soul Tool Department. I will arrange for Fan Yu to be your teacher."
Huo Yuhao thought to himself, "???, it seems my Soul Tool skills are already maxed out. What else can I learn?"
Before he could finish speaking, Qian Duoduo said, " Huo Yuhao, our condition is that any Soul Tool you create will belong to you, without incurring any cost."
"Well, it's just some high-grade materials... well..." Qian Duoduo suddenly scratched the back of his head. "There are some we might not be able to provide, but our Soul Tool Department has everything we need. Training you to become Level 8 Soul Engineer shouldn't be a problem."
This solved Huo Yuhao's immediate problem. He really wanted to make a gift for Snow Empress and Qiu'er, but he was short of a dedicated laboratory and materials. Unexpectedly, he got them without any trouble.
He thought to himself, "The only problem is that I'm a little short on funds, but oh well, I can get those high-level Soul Tool materials later."
Yan Shaozhe looked at Qian Duoduo with displeasure, "Hey Lao Qian, do you want to have a go at me? Trying to steal someone from me, you bastard, you bastard!"
Qian Duoduo asked doubtfully, "Your people?"
The two seemed ready to fight; their eyes flashed with tension.
Yan Shaozhe replied, "Nonsense, who in the entire Shrek Academy doesn't know that Yuhao is a disciple of my Martial Soul Department's Inner Court? Ask anyone here, and they'll all know."
The teachers and everyone else present were somewhat embarrassed.
"I agree to join the Soul Tool Department," Huo Yuhao's voice rang out, leaving Yan Shaozhe somewhat bewildered. " Yuhao, if you join the Soul Tool Department, do you mean you're leaving my Martial Soul Department?"
Huo Yuhao said, "Dual cultivation of the Martial Soul Department and Soul Tool Department is enough. Dean Yan, stop with the useless talk and just give me the reward already."
Yan Shaozhe's lips curled into an ambiguous smile, his fingertips lightly stroking his chin, his tone casual and perfunctory. "Reward? Don't worry, Yuhao, the competition reward will be delivered as scheduled." The deliberately drawn-out tone hinted at a hint of wishful thinking, as if he wanted to get away with it.
Huo Yuhao, however, was not so easily fooled. He stepped forward, staring intently at Yan Shaozhe, his tone serious and unwavering. " Dean Yan, don't try to bluff your way out of this."
" The Gold Soul Coin you personally promised, and that precious Soul Bone, I can't give up either of them." The boy's voice revealed a stubborn determination to achieve his goal.
Yan Shaozhe was taken aback for a moment, then burst into a hearty laugh, "Hahaha, look at how serious you are, how could I forget?" As he spoke, he took out an exquisite bracelet-shaped Soul Tool from his sleeve and lightly tapped it with his fingertip.
"Here you go, everything I promised you is right here, no doubt about it." His confident demeanor suggested he had truly taken this matter to heart. "However, the remaining reward will be given to you at the Sea God Pavilion, so I'll trouble you to make a Sea God Pavilion."
Just as Huo Yuhao took the bracelet, a clear and melodious voice, like a babbling brook, entered his ears.
Huo Yuhao
He subconsciously turned around and saw a beautiful figure in emerald green—a girl in a emerald green gauze dress, her emerald green twin ponytails swaying gently in the breeze, her delicate features like finely carved jade, her skin as white as snow, and her eyes like autumn water. It was Ice Empress.
She stood quietly under a tree not far away, her green dress rippling in the breeze. Her clear, deep eyes, like a still pool, were gazing intently in Huo Yuhao's direction, a hint of concern hidden deep within them.
Just then, Jiang Nannan and Ma Xiaotao, standing beside Huo Yuhao, tensed up at the same time, their gazes involuntarily falling on Ice Empress. The two girls exchanged a glance, and sparks seemed to fly in the air—it was a silent war between the girls.
In their eyes, Ice Empress's aloof and ethereal temperament, as well as the subtle interactions between her and Huo Yuhao, made them vaguely sense that this suddenly appearing girl in the green dress might be a formidable "rival in love."
Huo Yuhao suddenly took half a step back, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Bing... Bing? What are you doing here?" His voice was filled with a mixture of doubt and disbelief.
Meanwhile, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in the Sea of Consciousness was excitedly howling, " Bingbing! My Bingbing! How come you've become more and more beautiful! I've missed you so much!" Its voice was full of excitement and joy, but unfortunately, the Ice Empress outside could not hear it at all.
Ice Empress gently lifted her foot and slowly walked up to Huo Yuhao. Her tone remained Bingbing, yet it carried a subtle, almost imperceptible gentleness. "I saw that the other teachers had all come to pick up their students. Xue'er told me to take good care of you... So, for Xue'er's sake, I came to pick you up."
Her expression remained indifferent, but the way she slightly lowered her eyes warmed Huo Yuhao's heart.
Huo Yuhao was deeply moved and was about to speak when he suddenly remembered something and reached into his robes—there were some things he should give her now...
"Come with me!" The warmth of Huo Yuhao's palm traveled through the hem of her turquoise skirt, causing Ice Empress to stagger half a step before she could react.
The boy's tall figure cast a slanted shadow under the warm spring sun, and this unexpected tug was just like those impulsive and passionate scenes in youth comics.
Ice Empress instinctively tried to break free, but the icy fingertips that had just begun to feel cold met the intense light in the boy's eyes, a light he had never seen before.
Huo Yuhao tightened his grip on his wrist with undeniable force, and his ever-gentle eyes were now filled with determination, as if they held a secret more important than heaven and earth.
She suddenly became curious. What was this human boy up to? So she let him pull her along, and amidst the increasingly pale gazes of Jiang Nannan and the others, she hurried towards the dormitory.
The moment the dormitory door closed, Ice Empress abruptly pulled her hand back. " Huo Yuhao! What exactly do you want?" She stood by the window with her arms crossed, the spring sunlight casting her shadow on the mottled wall, revealing a hint of offended anger.
Huo Yuhao said, "I... have something important to show you."
"Huh???" Ice Empress raised an eyebrow, her emerald eyes filled with doubt. She watched as the boy solemnly stroked the Soul Tool, a flash of white light appearing in his palm, and a Soul Bone glowing with a faint blue light lay quietly in his hand.
Huo Yuhao slowly said, "I saw a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone of an Ice Jade Scorpion at the auction."
" The Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone of the Ice Jade Scorpion!" The Ice Empress's pupils shrank drastically, and the temperature around her instantly plummeted to freezing. The potted plants on the windowsill were instantly covered in frost. She stared intently at the Soul Bone, her nails almost digging into her palms. "Damn humans! They actually hunted my people at an auction! Hmph, if I find out who it was, I'll make sure they're dead!"
The chill emanating from her was almost tangible, and she seemed ready to transform into a battle form at any moment.
"I thought you'd definitely need it, so... I bought it to give to you," Huo Yuhao said. " The Soul Skill contained within this Soul Bone is Ice Explosion Technique."
He handed the Soul Bone forward, the runes on its surface flickering in the light.
Ice Empress's breath caught in her throat. Her hand trembled as she reached out, her fingertips hovering half an inch from the Soul Bone. "What? Ice Explosion Technique! The Ice Explosion Technique Ice Explosion Technique, an extremely rare technique of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan! I never expected to find such a divine skill here!"
Her voice rose unconsciously, "With this, who in the Far North can stand against me!" Suddenly, she looked up sharply, as if she had just remembered something, a hint of coyness flashing in her emerald eyes. "You knew all along that this Soul Bone was at the auction, didn't you?"
Huo Yuhao blinked, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense. "Well... it's a secret."
He opened Ice Empress's hand and slowly placed the Soul Bone in her palm.
A suspicious blush suddenly appeared on Ice Empress's earlobes. She turned her face away and gave a soft hum (with a haughty expression): "Th... thank you." Her movements as she reached out to receive the Soul Bone were incredibly gentle, as if she were holding a priceless treasure.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair, the gesture as natural as if he had done it countless times. "It's nothing. Once you learn the Ice Explosion Technique, your strength will definitely improve even further."
Ice Empress froze for a moment, then slapped his hand away forcefully. But the smile she couldn't suppress as she turned away betrayed her feelings. With her back to Huo Yuhao, she mumbled, "Mm," her emerald green twin ponytails unconsciously taking on a gentle glow.
Knock, knock, knock, a knocking sound came from the door.
Seeing Huo Yuhao pull Ice Empress away, Yan Shaozhe sent someone to call him to the Sea God Pavilion. Most of the people who came were volunteers, so there were quite a few people. Jiang Nannan, Ma Xiaotao, Xiao Xiao formed a trio, and now Ling Luochеn was also added.
Ma Xiaotao called out, " Yuhao, Dean Yan asked us to inform you to go to the Sea God Pavilion to collect your reward!"
Huo Yuhao replied, "Okay."
After the door opened, the women's eyes sharpened, their gazes unconsciously drifting to the two standing to the side, seemingly engaged in some secret activity. Ma Xiaotao thought to herself, "I didn't expect Dean Yan to actually let Miss Bing live with Yuhao."
Jiang Nannan's eyes revealed envy.
The other two were stunned.
Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Ice Empress. The latter was standing by the window with her arms crossed, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone she had just obtained. Her green eyes swept lightly over everyone, and when they finally landed on Huo Yuhao's face, a subtle fluctuation flashed in her eyes.
The women finally understood, "So, the Soul Bone that Yuhao went to so much trouble to obtain was for her."
"I see..." Jiang Nannan murmured softly, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the ribbon of her skirt.
Huo Yuhao instructed Ice Empress, "Wait for me in the dormitory first, don't wander off." Since they shared a room, he paused, softening his voice, "We'll begin the fusion and absorption process after I return. If you encounter any difficulties with the fusion, I'll help you."
Ice Empress raised an eyebrow. "Do I need you to teach me?" Although he said that, he did not refute it, which was rare. He simply put the Soul Bone into the Soul Tool given to him by Huo Yuhao and gently brushed his fingertips across the thin frost that had condensed on the windowsill.
Sunlight filtered through her hair, casting dappled patterns on the floor, as if tacitly approving of the boy's plan.
(Perhaps because they were often together, Ice Empress's aversion to Huo Yuhao gradually decreased, and the two spent a considerable amount of time together, after all, they had been living together for a long time.)
Huo Yuhao walked to the door, then turned back, grabbed a bag of roasted chestnuts from the bedside table, and shoved it into Ice Empress's hand. "Eat if you're hungry, don't get angry."
(Well, if you're wondering why Huo Yuhao said that, and why he had roasted chestnuts on his bedside table, it's because he bought them while shopping, ostensibly to experience human life. Don't be fooled by this; they actually did live together before the competition, though only for a few days.)
(As for getting angry, I can only say that Ice Empress's temper is sometimes really bad. Sometimes when the two of them are together, Tian Meng always comes out and says some cheesy things to Ice Empress. Although it hasn't even been two minutes, Xiao Bing comes out and says some cheesy things to Tian Meng.)
Before Ice Empress could react, Ma Xiaotao pushed her out the door. Xiao Xiao's muttering echoed down the corridor, "Brother Huo is so good to Sister Bing..."
The moment the door closed, Ice Empress crushed a chestnut shell. A sweet fragrance mixed with heat wafted over, and she suddenly remembered the warmth of Huo Yuhao's fingertips accidentally brushing against her wrist when he handed her the Soul Bone.
Her ears felt slightly hot, and she shook her head abruptly, stuffing a chestnut into her mouth—hmm, it was indeed tastier than the food from the Far North.
Outside the window, Huo Yuhao's figure had already disappeared from sight. Ice Empress gazed in the direction he had left, the frost on her fingertips unknowingly turning into gentle mist.
P. S.: Thank you to Chentang Pass Shuang Hua Hong Third Prince Nezha for the monthly ticket donation, thank you for your support...