While the other match was still in full swing, this semifinal match had already concluded. It was faster than anyone had imagined.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong won again. Despite being one person short, they won two consecutive matches, advancing directly from the semifinals to the finals.
Although this match ended very quickly, Yuhao's team was still one person short, so this victory was quite difficult, mainly relying on the Hao Dong power. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had even half a chance. And, if this match had been a fight to the death, it would have been very hard to say who would win or lose.
Huo Yuhao barely managed to avoid the Spinning Vortex by exploiting the new rules. But what if there hadn't been a supervising teacher? Wang Dong would surely have had to take that blow for him, and in such a situation, he definitely wouldn't have been able to launch a Spiritual Shock against Zhou Sichen. Once Zhou Sichen's two soul beasts were recalled to join the battlefield, the situation would have become incredibly unpredictable.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's appropriate use of tactics and four skills, they were able to win this battle. However, their combat strength had also been fully exposed. Spiritual Shock had been used multiple times, so their next opponent would certainly be carefully prepared.
This New Student Assessment mainly tested the students' cultivation levels. In reality, during actual combat, soul tools would also come into play. Among soul tools, there are a few types with extremely high defensive power, so often, an advantage can turn into a disadvantage.
Nevertheless, a win is a win. By defeating Zhou Zichen's three-person team, Huo Yuhao's team had advanced to the finals to compete for first and second place, guaranteeing them a reward.
At this point, both of them did not linger but returned to the dormitory as soon as the match ended. The opponent they were about to face was very likely Dai Huabin's team. Although he didn't know if Xiao Xiao would recover in time, a fire had already ignited in Huo Yuhao's heart. This battle, he absolutely had to win.
"Yuhao, what's wrong with you today? Do you know Dai Huabin?"
As soon as they returned to the dormitory, Wang Dong couldn't hold back and asked. Huo Yuhao's expression after seeing Dai Huabin was truly strange. He was usually very calm, but today he almost lost control. How could this not make Wang Dong feel curious?
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath. When he heard the three words "Dai Huabin," his whole body uncontrollably trembled again. He lowered his head, ran his hands through his hair, and sat by the bed, saying in a hoarse voice:
"Dai Huabin is from the White Tiger Duke's family. You must know the White Tiger Duke, right?"
Wang Dong nodded and said:
"Of course I know. The White Tiger Duke is a Grand Duke of the Star Luo Empire, with an incredibly esteemed position, and it's also hereditary. The White Tiger Duke was originally the former imperial family of the Star Luo Empire. Thousands of years ago, during a great war, the Star Luo Empire almost disintegrated, but it was saved and preserved intact with the combined help of several great sects within the country. At that time, the White Tiger family had very few talented individuals, not enough to command respect, so the White Tiger Duke abdicated and yielded to the virtuous, bestowing the imperial throne upon the Pacifying Grand Marshal, who is the current imperial family of the Star Luo Empire. However, since the White Tiger Duke was once an imperial family, the new Emperor enfeoffed them as hereditary Grand Dukes, forever enjoying wealth and prosperity."
"The White Tiger Duke lineage, after all, flows with imperial blood. Their White Tiger Martial Soul is an extremely powerful Beast Martial Soul. The leader of our Shrek Academy's Shrek Seven Monsters, Evil Eye White Tiger Dai Mubai, also comes from the White Tiger lineage. Perhaps Dai Huabin is a descendant of the White Tiger Duke family."
Wang Dong paused, staring at Huo Yuhao, and asked, "So you and Dai Huabin..."
Huo Yuhao replied, "My mother was a servant in their household. My father died when I was young, and my mother worked in the Duke's mansion to support me."
He didn't say that he himself was a member of the White Tiger Duke family because he had never accepted this father he had never met, and he hated the man who had ruined his mother's entire life even more. He would rather say his father was dead than admit his true identity. Except for his own identity, everything else he recounted was what he had personally experienced. When he spoke of his mother being severely beaten while protecting him, and ultimately dying from her illness, Huo Yuhao sobbed uncontrollably.
"Damn it!" Wang Dong slammed his hand on the bed board and sprang to his feet.
"What are you going to do?" Huo Yuhao quickly pulled him back.
Wang Dong said angrily, "Of course I'm going to help you get revenge! Let's go! We'll go right now!"
He had thought Huo Yuhao merely came from a humble background, but now he realized the immense hardships Yuhao had endured. No wonder, despite being only twelve years old, he was always quiet and much more composed than his peers, constantly training desperately.
Huo Yuhao grabbed Wang Dong's shoulder, pressing him back onto the bed, a flicker of light in his eyes. "No, we can't. Now is not the time to deal with him. This is Shrek Academy. Not to mention whether we can handle him, personal revenge alone is not allowed by the academy. He is only one of the masterminds who caused my mother's death, and I don't want revenge on just him. My enemies are the entire White Tiger Duke's mansion. That's why I want to become strong, I want to become powerful. When I am powerful enough to contend with the entire White Tiger Duke's mansion, that will be the time for my revenge."
Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao in astonishment. He didn't feel that Huo Yuhao's reluctance to seek revenge now was a sign of weakness; on the contrary, he felt a chill run down his spine.
In an instant, Huo Yuhao unleashed a torrent of hatred, as if all the waters of the Three Rivers and Five Lakes could not wash it away. The hatred in his heart was unexpectedly profound. At this moment, he was like a lion that had locked onto its prey, completely different from his usual gentle and diligent self.
An eleven-year-old child, yet able to conceal such deep-seated hatred and remember it so vividly, one could only imagine what he had endured over the past ten years. Such things certainly could not have accumulated in a day or two.
"Then how do you plan to get your revenge?"
The anger in Wang Dong's eyes gradually subsided. He wiped away his tears and asked in a low voice.
Huo Yuhao shook his head.
"Currently, to the White Tiger Duke's Manor, I am merely an ant that can be crushed at any time. The first thing I must do is become strong. The White Tiger Duke's Manor will still be there, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, or even fifty years from now, one day, I will come for them. I want to sever the lineage of this White Tiger Duke's family."
In that instant, Huo Yuhao's eyes were filled with a fierce glint, and even his pupils turned red due to this bone-deep hatred. At the same time, in his Sea of Spirit, the tiny gray pearl suddenly stirred, making Huo Yuhao dizzy for a moment, his body trembling. Fortunately, Wang Dong caught him, allowing him to barely stand firm.
Wang Dong had always thought that Huo Yuhao was merely acting on a momentary impulse. He never imagined that such an infinitely deep hatred was buried in Huo Yuhao's heart.
Huo Yuhao gripped Wang Dong's shoulder, his eyes staring intently, the crimson in them deepening.
"Wang Dong, I truly consider you my brother. This matter, you must keep it a secret for me."
Wang Dong's cultivation was clearly far superior to Huo Yuhao's, but at this moment, a sudden fear arose in his heart. Afterward, that fear transformed into empathy and pity. He was the same age. If it were him, could he have endured living such a life for eleven years? Yet, Huo Yuhao, he managed to overcome it…
Huo Yuhao slowly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had buried this hatred deep in his heart for a very long time. It wasn't until he entered Shrek Academy and passed the New Student assessment that he felt he still had hope, still had a chance to avenge his mother. Today, after seeing Dai Huabin, the flame of hatred in his heart flared up again, but, at this moment, he could not get angry, and he dared not get angry. He had to wait, he had to patiently nurture hope for the future.
"Sigh…"
A sudden sigh caused Huo Yuhao's soul to tremble slightly. His spirit, which had just relaxed a little, tensed up once more. His Spirit Eye Martial Soul was also released, his spiritual detection continuously sweeping in all directions. At the same time, he let out a soft shout.
"Who's there?"
The dormitory was completely silent at this moment. Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection also found nothing unusual. Wang Dong, beside him, stared at him with wide, surprised eyes, completely bewildered as to why the other person had suddenly become so tense.
"Yuhao, what's wrong?"
Wang Dong asked.
Huo Yuhao was stunned and said, "Didn't you hear anything?"
"Hear what?" Wang Dong asked in surprise.
Huo Yuhao was shocked. "Just now, I clearly heard someone sigh. You really didn't hear it?"
Wang Dong looked bewildered, shook his head, and said, "No! I really didn't hear anything. Are you mistaken?"
Huo Yuhao tried to expand his search range but still found nothing unusual, and the sigh did not reappear.
Could he have misheard? Huo Yuhao also began to doubt himself, but then immediately dismissed the thought. How could a Spirit Master of the Mental System make such a foolish mistake? Because normally, the six senses of a Mental System Spirit Master are more acute than those of an ordinary Spirit Master. Even if his mind was preoccupied with something else, he couldn't have misheard. Moreover, he felt as if the sigh had come from right next to his ear. (DG: It's likely the old man in gray has woken up. Praying it's true.)
"Tian Meng Ge, Tian Meng Ge." Huo Yuhao called out silently in his mind.
"What?" Tian Meng Bing Can replied sluggishly. It usually spent most of its time sleeping, but recently, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's successful fusion of spirit power had piqued its interest, making it a little more alert.
"Just now there was a sigh. Did you hear it, Ge?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"A sigh? You little brat, are you dizzy with hatred? There's nothing there, what sigh? Don't disturb my sleep if it's nothing important. Also, you need to stay calm. With your current strength, if you can't control your emotions, you won't even know why you died when you do. It's fine if you die, but it affects Ge too." Tian Meng Bing Can said angrily.
This time, Huo Yuhao was truly shocked. Even Tian Meng Bing Can hadn't heard the sigh. Could it be, could it really be that there was nothing?
No, he didn't believe it. He trusted his own judgment. But where did that sigh come from? With Tian Meng Bing Can's strength, could someone still bypass it? Impossible. Tian Meng Bing Can was a million-year spirit beast. Even if it lacked combat ability, how could anyone compare to it in terms of mental power?
While Huo Yuhao was lost in thought, Tian Meng Bing Can's voice rang out again.
"Oh, right, Huo Yuhao, Ge forgot to remind you. You should limit your use of the Soul Shock. Don't expose it too much, or people might guard against you in the future. Although the Soul Shock combined with the Purple Demon Eyes has greatly increased its attack power, if you encounter someone with higher cultivation than you, who is also prepared to defend against you, you might very well suffer a backlash. This situation is extremely dangerous."
Huo Yuhao was startled by this and quickly asked, "Tian Meng Ge, how many levels higher than me does a Spirit Master need to be for my soul to suffer a backlash?"
Tian Meng Bing Can said,
"If you calculate carefully, it's probably about ten levels. Otherwise, with my Soul Shock, I would have already dominated the Star Dou Great Forest. Why would I suffer like this? Do you know why your Soul Shock always wins? First, it's unexpected. Second, it's the Purple Demon Eyes. Finally, it's the fusion of your soul power with Wang Dong's. That's why your opponents suffer so much. But from now on, they've all tasted bitterness, so they'll be prepared. Or what if the news of your soul skill leaks out? So you absolutely must be careful. I think the Mental Interference skill seems more suitable and convenient for you. Although it's not as strong as Soul Shock, the important thing is that it won't backfire. Remember this carefully: only when you and Wang Dong fuse your soul power can Soul Shock defeat a Soul Ancestor in one blow. Try to limit its use in the future."
Huo Yuhao said with a bitter smile, "It's not that I don't like convenience, but, Senior Tianmeng, among the four soul skills you gave me, only Soul Shock is an offensive skill!"
"Ah... that's true. Well, you're still young. Everything takes time, what's the rush? Once you quickly reach level twenty, I'll have a way to help you strengthen your combat power. At least you won't be at a disadvantage when fighting opponents of the same level. Alright, I'm going back to sleep."
After a few words of advice from Tianmeng Iceworm, Huo Yuhao no longer remembered that sigh. At this moment, he was busy thinking about Tianmeng Iceworm's reminder for him to quickly reach level twenty. The repeated emphasis on this matter surely meant it was very important to him. As long as he reached level twenty, his strength would skyrocket, and he wouldn't be a burden to his teammates in the future; he could also fight on his own.
Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao's mood gradually stabilized, and he began to cultivate with Wang Dong to restore their soul power.
The afternoon match was bound to be very difficult, not only because it was the final, but also, for him, it could be described as torture! However, he couldn't avoid this match. Whatever he had to face, he would face sooner or later, so he might as well consider this final as a test of his willpower.
The room became quiet once again. Also, because they were fusing their martial souls, Wang Dong could also sense the changing emotions in Huo Yuhao's heart. Wang Dong was completely surprised to learn that Huo Yuhao had been able to calm down in just a moment; it was truly admirable. Although Huo Yuhao's appearance was far inferior to his, at this moment in Wang Dong's eyes, the eleven-year-old Huo Yuhao had already revealed his masculinity.
The two cultivated until noon, and only went down to the dining hall when their soul power was completely restored. To their surprise, they immediately encountered a huge surprise.
"Hello, two young men. I heard you two made it to the finals. This young lady is back! How could the finals be without me?"
Xiao Xiao leaned against the dining hall door, watching Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao approach, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke.
The moment Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong saw her, they were overjoyed. They quickly walked over and eagerly asked, "Xiao Xiao, has your body recovered?"
Xiao Xiao giggled and said, "Of course! I have Twin Martial Souls, so my potential goes without saying. Why would a small injury like this need a long rest? Look, I'm completely fine. Let's go, lunch is on me. Today we'll have the most delicious and most expensive dishes. Let's get some nutrition, then this afternoon we'll deal with those guys, ha ha."
Huo Yuhao smiled, extending his right hand. Wang Dong placed his hand on top of Huo Yuhao's, and Xiao Xiao placed her hand on top of theirs. The three looked at each other, smiling with confidence.
"We are the champions."
It was almost the end of lunch hour, and there weren't many people left in the dining hall. Yet, at this very moment, a shrill female voice rang out:
"How shameless, don't brag so much. We are the champions."
Huo Yuhao and the other two simultaneously turned their heads to look, and saw three people approaching. In the middle was none other than Huo Yuhao's nemesis, and their opponent in this afternoon's final match, Dai Huabin. The one who had just spoken was a black-haired girl walking to his left.
This girl had very strange eyes; her left and right eyes were completely different colors. The left was blue, and the right was yellow. When those eyes looked at them, her pupils were slightly vertical, making them appear extremely eerie.
Dai Huabin maintained a cold expression and remained silent, only glancing at Huo Yuhao and the other two before walking straight into the dining hall. The black-haired girl also snorted disdainfully. As for the pink-haired girl with the strange eyes, she smiled alluringly at them, her gaze seemingly wanting to peer into their very souls. Clearly, these two were Dai Huabin's teammates.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were about to speak when Huo Yuhao raised a hand to stop them. Evidently, Dai Huabin didn't recognize him. And since he had thought it through carefully that morning, Huo Yuhao was able to remain calm upon seeing Dai Huabin again.
"Arguing with them won't accomplish anything. This afternoon, we'll see who's better in the match."
He simply said this one sentence, then pulled the other two into the dining hall.
Normally, Huo Yuhao would never eat the most expensive dishes, even if someone else was treating him. These dishes were truly too costly. However, today was different. Xiao Xiao's body had been completely depleted of energy in the previous match and needed nutritional replenishment. Moreover, in the end, this meal wasn't treated by Xiao Xiao, but rather Wang Dong proactively paid for it. It wasn't that Huo Yuhao didn't want to pay, but when he saw the bill, he fell silent. All the money he had saved from selling grilled fish wasn't even enough to cover next year's tuition. He heard that the tuition for the second year was even more expensive than the first.
Dai Huabin's group of three naturally also ate the most expensive dishes, and their tables weren't too far apart, a faint scent of gunpowder permeating the dining hall. However, no one actively caused trouble; after all, this afternoon's match was what truly mattered.
After finishing their meal, Huo Yuhao and the other two found a quiet spot near Sea God Lake to strategize for the afternoon match. Facing a formidable opponent, it was unimaginable to say they weren't nervous. Although they were all freshmen and their strength at Shrek Academy was still developing, this championship match was very important. Even a small detail could determine victory or defeat.
"It's almost time. Let's head to the assessment area."
Xiao Xiao said,
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Just then, Wang Dong suddenly spoke:
"Yuhao, give me a hug."
Xiao Xiao's eyes widened instantly, but quickly returned to normal as she saw an unexpected bone-chilling killing intent in Wang Dong's eyes.
Huo Yuhao smiled, completely understanding his meaning.
"Wang Dong..."
Wang Dong gave a faint smile, his gaze extremely cold, and said softly,
"How will you know if you don't try?"
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, said nothing more, and opened his arms to embrace him.
The assessment area seemed very quiet. Although the finals were about to take place, no disciples came to watch.
Shrek Academy's rule was to do its best to keep secrets for its disciples, so assessments would not be open to other disciples.
All disciples not participating in the assessment continued their afternoon classes, making this afternoon's finals the time when the assessment area had the fewest disciples.
Of course, no disciples did not necessarily mean few people. Almost all external academy teachers who weren't teaching gathered in the assessment area to watch the match. Shrek Academy's Dean, Yan Shaozhe, was no exception. He, Du Weilun, and a group of other teachers had already ascended the observation platform.
Don't mistake this for just an ordinary freshman assessment. Historically, almost all inner academy disciples of Shrek Academy revealed their talents here, after which they gained the academy's attention and received full cultivation. Yan Shaozhe personally came to watch the match because the strength of this year's freshmen was greater than in previous years. Ordinary disciples usually had to reach the third year to achieve Three Rings cultivation. And Three Rings was also the condition for advancing to the fourth grade.
However, this time, three freshmen had appeared who were above level thirty. These individuals were almost certainly destined to enter the inner academy in the near future. Additionally, Yan Shaozhe also wanted to know who the champion would be this time.
Relatively speaking, he paid more attention to Huo Yuhao's team. He heard Du Weilun report that this group, with only two Great Soul Masters and one Soul Master, could achieve consecutive victories, even defeating two Soul Venerables, Ning Tian and Xie Huanyue. And among them, the performances of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao could only be described as "terrifying."
Wang Dong's Radiant Goddess Butterfly martial soul was also unique in Shrek Academy. Xiao Xiao's Twin Martial Souls had even greater potential for development. Twin Martial Souls had always been famously rare. Even in the world's number one academy, Shrek Academy currently, including Xiao Xiao, only had three disciples with Twin Martial Souls. The other two had long been inner academy disciples and were even ranked among the top ten leaders.
As for Huo Yuhao, Du Weilun had also explained everything clearly to Yan Shaozhe. His Body Martial Soul was extremely rare, and a martial soul with spiritual attributes was even scarcer. Unfortunately, he wasn't carefully cultivated when he was young, so his soul power currently only reached level seventeen, and his soul ring was only a ten-year soul ring. Even if his talent was not inferior, this deficiency would be difficult to compensate for. At the same time, the most important question was whether he would be able to find a soul beast with spiritual attributes suitable for his martial soul in the future. Therefore, when recommending Huo Yuhao, Du Weilun had put his name in quotation marks, and also clearly stated that he did not want him to become a core disciple of the academy.
Yan Shaozhe still had immense trust in Du Weilun. As a department head, Du Weilun possessed unique insight and was exceptionally fair and just. Furthermore, he had made many significant contributions to the cultivation of disciples.
In fact, at Shrek Academy, Yan Shaozhe was not the only dean. He was merely the dean of the Martial Soul Department. There was another dean, the dean of the Soul Tool Department. These two deans jointly managed the entire academy.
If one considered overall power, it was clear that Yan Shaozhe, who managed the Martial Soul Department, held slightly more power. However, the Soul Tool Department had always operated independently, arguably in a form of competition with the Martial Soul Department, so he had never interfered in the affairs of the Soul Tool Department.
Apart from the dean, each department, both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department, had a general manager for the outer court, often referred to as a vice dean. After all, the two great deans usually focused primarily on matters within the inner court. The inner court was truly the core of Shrek Academy, and they paid very little attention to matters in the outer court.
The dean of the Martial Soul Department in the outer court, or more precisely, the vice dean of Shrek Academy, was a teacher surnamed Xing. This old man usually only concerned himself with fifth and sixth-year students. His task was to set up trials to select outstanding disciples to enter the inner court, so he rarely paid attention to management. All things considered, in the end, the person with the greatest power in the Martial Soul Department of the outer court was Du Weilun.
As the head teacher of the Martial Soul Department, Du Weilun's power was truly great, yet no one competed with him for this position. This was because he had dedicated twenty years of devoted service to the Martial Soul Department. How could Yan Shaozhe not trust him?
"Weilun, who do you think will win today's match?" Yan Shaozhe asked with a smile.
Du Weilun chuckled and replied, "This disciple thinks Dai Huabin's team probably has more hope. Although Huo Yuhao's team has defeated two teams led by Soul Venerables, in terms of overall strength, Dai Huabin's team is still slightly superior. His two teammates are also not weak in strength, and it's very likely they can join the inner court in the future."
Yan Shaozhe smiled and nodded. Just then, a powerful voice suddenly rang out.
"Head Du, you think Dai Huabin will win, but in my opinion, the other team will be the champion."
Yan Shaozhe didn't even need to turn his head as he smiled and said, "Qian Duoduo, you've come here too? I knew it was you as soon as I smelled money."
The newcomer was a robust man, about fifty years old. His face was devoid of wrinkles, but his graying hair gave him a weathered appearance. He was tall and imposing, standing at two meters, with a long back and broad shoulders, and solid muscles that showed no signs of age-related decline. His bronze-colored tanned skin shimmered slightly in the sunlight, like metallic light. Beside him was Fan Yu, the person Zhu Yi had once brought Huo Yuhao to meet.
Yan Shaozhe didn't turn his head, but Du Weilun was different. As soon as he saw the man, he was immediately startled and surprised, then bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Vice Dean Qian. What brings you here?"
Vice Dean Qian Duoduo replied with a friendly smile. This was indeed the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department, and also the person who handled its daily affairs. His status outside the academy was even higher than Du Weilun's.
At Shrek Academy, positions were not simply given; they were mostly obtained in two ways: one was through teaching and contributing to the academy, and the other was through one's own strength. Shrek Academy had a total of only four Vice Deans, and these four could be said to be the true pillars of Shrek Academy. To hold such high positions, they naturally could not rely on simple contributions; their strength also had to be considered, as they were all true powerhouses.
Vice Dean Qian Duoduo said with a laugh:
"I just happened to be passing by. A moment ago, I heard the two of you whispering about who would win and who would lose, so I came to watch. I want to place a bet, Old Yan, do you dare to bet with me?"
Yan Shaozhe finally turned his head and said with a smile:
"You plague god, you reek of money all over. How could you do something unprofitable? I don't believe your purpose is that simple. Are you eyeing our Soul Master Department's people?"
Qian Duoduo casually walked over and sat next to Yan Shaozhe, smiling as he said:
"What do you mean, 'Soul Master Department's people'? They are just new students; they haven't chosen a department yet. There's no need to wait until their third year; only then can they truly choose which department to cultivate in. Your current task is just to provide them with a foundational education. So, do you dare to bet with me?"
Du Weilun had already stepped aside to greet Fan Yu. Fan Yu returned the smile and then went to sit beside the two Vice Deans.
Fan Yu's status in the Soul Tool Department was extremely high. Don't be mistaken into thinking his rank was inferior to Du Weilun's, because in the future, Fan Yu was very likely to be the next Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department, and even the heir to the Dean's position. As for Du Weilun, he feared that the position of department head was already his highest possible achievement.
Yan Shaozhe completely ignored Qian Duoduo's provocation. He smiled, shook his head, and said:
"No bet, Old Qian, you can make money all you want, just don't look at me. Be careful, or I'll complain about you to Lin Er."
Qian Duoduo's facial muscles twitched slightly (meaning he was hit where it hurt), and he said indignantly:
"You shut up! Back then, you were an expert at welching on debts. I'm much better than you. And you damn bastard, you always use Lin Er as a shield. Why don't you talk about those things?"
Du Weilun, standing behind them, wanted to laugh but dared not. These two prominent figures, renowned throughout the Douluo Continent, were now bickering like this. If the students heard them, he feared...
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Qian Duoduo's displeased expression and burst out laughing:
"Alright, how do you want to bet?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Duoduo's face brightened with a smile and he said:
"If I win, within three picks, you must allow me to freely choose new students from the Soul Master Department for the Soul Tool Department without any obstruction. How about that?"
Yan Shaozhe snorted coldly, pouting as he said:
"I knew you weren't up to any good. No bet."
Qian Duoduo hurriedly continued:
"Don't rush, listen to me finish first. The students I choose will not be among the core disciples you have already selected. And this person will not exceed rank thirty before graduating from their second year. How about that? Is that acceptable?"
Yan Shaozhe was stunned and said:
"Old Qian, are you out of your mind? Are your annual students really that scarce?"
Qian Duoduo said irritably:
"Don't even mention it. Those damn guys are all too arrogant. We expel countless students every year. We've taken in quite a few disciples these past few years, but the number of suitable ones is getting smaller and smaller. You know about our plan, right? Not just any Soul Engineer can handle it. Moreover, crafting soul tools is a small matter; using them is what's truly important. So, I think it would be great if we could select a small number of relatively good disciples from the Martial Soul Department. But you damn guys never agree, do you? If you don't cooperate, that plan will definitely be significantly affected. Don't forget, you yourself agreed to that plan during the last meeting. If you don't help me now, next time I go to the inner courtyard, I'll have Lin Er deal with you. You'd better take care of this."
Hearing Qian Duoduo's complaint, Yan Shaozhe thought for a moment and then said, "Are you really not going to choose core disciples and second-year disciples above Level 30?"
Qian Duoduo heard Old Yan's question and immediately put on a "heroic and awe-inspiring" expression. "Has Qian Duoduo ever gone back on his word?"
Yan Shaozhe nodded and said, "Alright. I'll bet you. Besides, even if you lose, I'll still let you choose disciples to bring back to your side, lest I be accused of not helping you with your work. However, if you lose, give me one hundred cannonballs for the Fixed Soul Tool. That toy is truly addictive."
Qian Duoduo's expression changed. "Old Yan, you're too malicious. One hundred High-Explosive Rounds? Do you know how much money that costs me? Each one costs over a hundred gold soul coins!"
Yan Shaozhe smiled and said, "If you don't want to, then don't. I don't really want to gamble with you either."
Qian Duoduo pursed his lips and said, "Fifty?"
Yan Shaozhe seemed afraid that the other party would regret it and immediately said, "Deal."
Could the High-Explosive Rounds of the Fixed Soul Tool be considered toys to play with? Even as the Dean, he wouldn't dare to be so wasteful!
Qian Duoduo was stunned, then feigned surprise and looked at Yan Shaozhe, saying, "You damn old man, I've been tricked again..."
Yan Shaozhe burst out laughing when he heard this. However, he didn't see a flash of cunning in Vice Dean Qian Duoduo's eyes, which quickly disappeared.