His talent and strength were not outstanding, but in terms of resilience and effort, it was hard for anyone to surpass him.
Chu Yi was the strictest teacher in the academy, yet she couldn't find a single flaw in Huo Yuhao. Her terrifying training, which felt like torture to other disciples over a long period, was always endured by Huo Yuhao to the very end; he even cultivated extra at night.
Chu Yi only discovered this by accident. That day, she had to go out late at night, and as she passed by the plaza, she was startled to find a blurry figure moving in the darkness, the occasional clanging sound of Iron Armor echoing.
She observed carefully and saw a person completely drenched, their Iron Armor soaked with sweat. Every step was incredibly heavy, even leaving wet trails where he walked.
This person was not tall or large; upon closer inspection, it was indeed Huo Yuhao. Seeing this scene, Chu Yi was immediately moved. She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to be training in the middle of the night.
Chu Yi called him over and asked for his reason. Huo Yuhao said that because his talent was inferior to others, he had to compensate with effort, believing that training his physical body before meditating could slightly increase his growth speed.
At first, Chu Yi thought Huo Yuhao knew she had to go out that day and was deliberately putting on a show, but a few days later, she abandoned this idea. Every night, no matter how heavy the rain or strong the wind, that small, thin figure persistently and quietly trained around the plaza for over two hours. Gradually, later on, he even carried an additional set of Iron Armor.
After all, this was an academy, and even though Huo Yuhao trained in secret, he was eventually discovered by other students. There were students who tried to run with Huo Yuhao, but no one could endure more than three nights. The intensity of the daytime training was already terrifying; continuing it in the middle of the night wasn't training anymore, it was self-torture.
No one could endure this level of torture, but Huo Yuhao could persevere. This alone earned him the respect of the entire class, who tried to emulate him. It was also thanks to this that after three months under Chu Yi's torture, Freshman Class One still had sixty-seven students remaining.
Diligence compensates for lack of intelligence. While it sounds simple, how many people can truly achieve it?
Huo Yuhao did it, and so he succeeded. It's true that after using two Xuan Shui Dan and one Sheng Hun Dan, his soul power increased dramatically in a short three months. But it was thanks to his diligent physical training that he improved everything – from knowledge, body, to various skills… everything underwent earth-shattering changes.
At first, he was a little shorter than Wang Dong, but now he was as tall as Wang Dong. His body was also more solid; though not bulky or massive, it was perfectly proportioned.
Once, Huo Yuhao asked Tang Ya and Bei Bei about the meridian-soothing characteristic of the Xuan Tian Gong, but neither of them experienced this sensation during meditation.
It was precisely because of this that Huo Yuhao could continue training his body every night. After his physical strength and soul power were exhausted, the Xuan Tian Gong would immediately help soothe his fatigue. Each time he pushed past his limits, his meridians would grow a little larger after recovery, and subsequently, his cultivation speed also increased.
After consuming the second Profound Water Pill, Huo Yuhao's cultivation speed, which was already more than seven times faster than before, accelerated even further. Impurities in his body were almost completely purged, and his meridians continuously expanded and strengthened. At this point, his cultivation speed was ten times faster than his original pace, a truly terrifying rate. His soul power, on the other hand, increased by one rank, from peak Rank 12 to peak Rank 13. After rebalancing his body, Huo Yuhao continued by taking a Soul Ascension Pill. The medicinal power of the Soul Ascension Pill was truly immense; his soul power broke through three more ranks, surpassing a bottleneck, and finally settled at Rank 17.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao's cultivation had reached the standard level for the freshman class. Moreover, after three months of arduous training, his soul power was at peak Rank 17, on the verge of breaking through to Rank 18. This was because he wanted to stabilize his foundation after using the pills; otherwise, his soul power could have continued to soar. Now, he could hold his head high; his innate talent was no longer at the lowest level, as it had been when he first entered Shrek Academy.
"– Today's physical training is suspended."
Zhou Yi stood behind the podium. Her face remained gentle, yet the students below always sat up straight, never daring to lose focus.
"– It's been three months since the start of the semester, and the assessment is fast approaching. Only by passing it can you officially become first-year disciples and members of the academy. In my estimation, barring any unforeseen circumstances, all of you should be able to pass this assessment and become official disciples of the academy. The assessment will begin tomorrow, so today I will briefly go over some important points regarding it."
Zhou Yi's voice was exceptionally gentle at this moment. Her gaze swept across the sixty-seven students below, filled with immense satisfaction. These disciples didn't look much different from when the semester began, but after three months of arduous training, their willpower had surpassed that of all previous classes Zhou Yi had ever taught. This could be said to be a pleasant surprise, and the main reason was their class leader, Huo Yuhao.
"– Huo Yuhao."
"– Here!"
Huo Yuhao stood up.
Three months had passed, and Huo Yuhao now truly respected Zhou Yi, rather than fearing her as he had initially. Zhou Yi would normally devise all sorts of schemes as if to torment and torture them, making them feel like they were dying and coming back to life each time they overcame a challenge. But thanks to this, they had undergone tremendous changes, and those bizarre methods brought unexpected benefits. Now, all sixty-seven students present possessed an extraordinary, unwavering will.