Chapter 9: Straight to Blue Silver Bind!

After all, in the original story, Huo Yuhao only needed eight months to become a Rank 2 Soul Engineer at Shrek Academy breaking the academy's Soul Tool Department record in the process. That was an absolutely terrifying achievement. Especially considering that Shrek's little academic tyrant, Huo Yuhao, primarily focused on his martial soul studies with Zhou Yi. He only spent his free time learning soul tool crafting he wasn't even devoting all of his efforts to it. Now, however, the current Huo Yuhao wouldn't need anywhere near eight months to reach Rank 2. At the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the mainstream path was to become a soul engineer, not a traditional soul master. Even though the Sun Moon Empire had started to value soul masters more especially after losing to the Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy it still didn't change the fact that soul engineers were the priority. Most people in the Sun Moon Empire believed they lost the war because they didn't have strong enough soul tools and soul engineers. As for martial soul cultivation? Just stack soul power levels as high as possible! At Shrek Academy, however, it was the exact opposite most people prioritized martial soul cultivation, and soul engineering was secondary. This was one of the main reasons why Shrek Academy's soul tool technology was so far behind the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. "Alright, I have work to do. I'll be leaving now," Xuan Ziwen said as he turned to leave. He still had to continue his research on soul tools he couldn't just waste time standing around here. "Goodbye, Teacher Xuan!" Huo Yuhao said politely. "Yuhao, I'll take you to your dormitory. Starting tomorrow, you'll officially begin classes. I'll assign you to First Year Class One," Teacher Tang said with a smile. "Alright, Teacher Tang," Huo Yuhao nodded before following him out. At the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, first year students were generally Rank 1 Soul Engineers or students preparing to become one. As soon as a student passed the Rank 2 Soul Engineer exam, they could be promoted to second year. Meanwhile, Jing Hongchen had returned to his residence, lost in thought. *"I can't believe Huo Yuhao actually agreed to study under Xuan Ziwen. "Xuan Ziwen already has Juzi as his student isn't that enough? "Wait... could this be an order from the Crown Prince? Has Xuan Ziwen sided with him?"* He quickly shook his head. *"No, Xuan Ziwen is a man obsessed with soul tools. There's no way he'd get involved in the brutal battle for the throne. "Even those with royal blood have to be careful one wrong step, and they'll be executed. "Even the former emperor *died from so called 'food poisoning'..." Juzi was both Xuan Ziwen's student and a supporter of the Crown Prince. The reason she became Xuan Ziwen's student and not Jing Hongchen's was because Jing Hongchen deliberately avoided getting involved with the Crown Prince's faction. As both the Hall Master of Mingde Hall and the Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Jing Hongchen knew that no matter who won the throne, they'd try to win him over. Choosing a side too early wasn't in his best interest. After all, if he picked the wrong side, he'd lose his influence. Even though he was a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, and even if he wouldn't be executed or imprisoned, failing to back the right prince would mean losing his power. At that point, he might even lose his position as Hall Master of Mingde Hall. He rubbed his temples. "Forget it I won't think about Huo Yuhao anymore." To him, this was just a minor distraction. Huo Yuhao's soul skill was interesting, and his martial soul was unique. He was a small genius, sure. But Jing Hongchen had seen plenty of geniuses before. In fact, there were already students at the academy more talented than Huo Yuhao. For example, his own grandson, Xiao Hongchen, and granddaughter, Meng Hongchen both were undeniable prodigies. Compared to Huo Yuhao who had yet to truly reveal his potential Xiao and Meng Hongchen were already shining stars. They were his greatest pride. *"Still, even with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, it'll be difficult to defeat Shrek Academy in the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. "In the upcoming tournament, they can only be reserve members it won't be until the tournament after that that they'll become official team members."* Thinking about this made him feel frustrated. In theory, before reaching the Soul Sage level, soul engineers should have a major advantage over soul masters. After all, the tournament had an age limit meaning no Soul Douluos ever participated. But despite this, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy had NEVER defeated Shrek Academy. This was a shadow over the entire Sun Moon Empire. *"We probably can't win the next tournament... but the one after that? "That's when Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen will be our star players we will win then!"* At this thought, Jing Hongchen's confidence soared. He looked forward to watching his grandson and granddaughter dominate the competition. "This is... my dormitory?" Huo Yuhao stood inside the dorm, looking around in surprise. The room was huge, fully furnished, and had everything he could possibly need. A wide smile appeared on his face. "Of course it's your dormitory and it's a single person room," Teacher Tang confirmed. "Our academy sells soul tools regularly, so we're incredibly wealthy. That means we have the resources to provide safe and comfortable living conditions for our students. "Unlike certain academies that claim they're trying to 'help students bond' so they force them into tiny double occupancy rooms. "They don't even consider what happens when students can't get along. "All of our students are soul masters, not ordinary people. "Many of them carry weapons whether soul tools or other types of armaments. "If a conflict escalates, there's a serious risk of bloodshed. "In fact, there have been murder cases at some academies because of dormitory disputes." Teacher Tang sighed. "Teacher Tang, I completely agree with you," Huo Yuhao replied. "Dormitory safety is extremely important for soul masters." He immediately thought of Shrek Academy's dormitories. In the original story, Huo Yuhao had been assigned Wang Dong as a roommate the moment he entered Shrek Academy. They even got into a fight right away. Sure, they eventually became close but that didn't change the fact that the situation was dangerous. Not everyone at Shrek Academy could get along with their roommates. And Shrek Academy had NO rules against bringing soul tools or hidden weapons into dormitories. In any world, there were hot headed individuals who lost their tempers easily. If someone ended up with a roommate like that, and things escalated, then Shrek Academy's dormitories would be a ticking time bomb. Of course, when it came to Shrek Academy's leadership, their lack of safety awareness wasn't exactly a new issue. Take Xuan Zi for example. Whenever Xuan Zi led a team, the outcome was always the same either death or serious injury. Even after such repeated failures, the Sea God's Pavilion still let Xuan Zi lead Ma Xiaotao and the others on a mission to hunt evil soul masters in the Mingdu Mountain Range. If it weren't for Xuan Zi's utter disregard for safety, Shrek Academy's main team members in the original story wouldn't have ended up gravely injured or even dead. Back when Huo Yuhao first read the novel, he seriously suspected that Xuan Zi was a double agent working for both the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult. After all, Xuan Zi was a Rank 98 Super Douluo, which made him one of the strongest people on the continent. And yet, under his very nose, a mere Soul King level evil soul master managed to wreak havoc on Shrek's students. This entire disaster was absurd it was like a dragon losing in a direct fight against an insect! Xuan Zi was Shrek Academy's second strongest person after Mu En. And yet, when leading a team against a mere five ring evil soul master, he still managed to fail?! If it weren't for Huo Yuhao's warning, Shrek's casualties would have been even worse. Honestly, with a track record like this, the Holy Spirit Cult should have at least given Xuan Zi the title of Vice Cult Master. He was simply too dedicated to their cause! After all, Zhang Lexuan's squad was wiped out thanks to Xuan Zi's incompetence as well. Xuan Zi got separated from his students, leaving them to fight a hundred thousand year soul beast without a single Titled Douluo. Out of twelve students, only four survived. Sure, Zhang Lexuan got herself a hundred thousand year soul ring, but losing eight prodigies was an enormous blow to Shrek Academy. Without a doubt, Vice Cult Master Xuan was working overtime! Cultivating a genius soul master took years. But killing them? That was instant. Truly worthy of the Vice Cult Master title he easily accomplished what no one else could! "Yuhao, get settled in. I'll be heading out now," Teacher Tang said. "Alright, thank you, Teacher Tang," Huo Yuhao nodded. As soon as Teacher Tang left, Huo Yuhao immediately locked the door and took out the Mystic Water Pill. He planned to consume it right away. Since his meridians were partially blocked, and his body was still weak, the Mystic Water Pill would help improve his condition. He sat cross legged, took the pill, and began refining its medicinal energy. A while later, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes only to smell an awful stench coming from his body. He instinctively covered his nose. No doubt, this was the impurities expelled from his body. Without hesitation, he rushed to take a bath, then changed into fresh clothes before sitting down to assess his current condition. As he circulated his soul power, a joyful expression spread across his face. *"My soul power has increased by nearly two ranks I'm now at the peak of Rank 12! "More importantly, the Mystic Water Pill's greatest effect is awakening latent potential my cultivation speed should be four times faster now! "Not bad, not bad. The future looks bright. "The only downside is that the more I take, the less effective they'll become."* Since the medicinal effects were still active, he decided, "I'll wait two days before taking the Soul Ascension Pill." The Next Day Huo Yuhao arrived at the First Year Teaching Building, found his classroom, and sat down in an empty seat. He didn't follow the classic "back row by the window, the king's throne" seating strategy he figured it didn't really matter where he sat. As soon as he entered, all the students turned to look at him, curiosity flashing in their eyes. After all, classes had already started two days ago, and everyone had gotten to know each other. Huo Yuhao, as a new face, was an instant mystery to them. Just then, the sound of steady footsteps echoed through the room. A middle aged man in white robes, with a strong, chiseled face, stepped onto the podium. He glanced at Huo Yuhao and said, "The new student introduce yourself." He had already read Huo Yuhao's file, but all new students had to follow this standard introduction procedure. Huo Yuhao stood up and addressed the class. "Hello, everyone. My name is Huo Yuhao. "I'm eleven years old, and I possess a spiritual type martial soul. "My martial soul is called Spirit Eyes!" At his words, the students immediately began whispering among themselves. "A spiritual type martial soul? That's rare I've never seen one before!" "That kind of martial soul must be perfect for soul tool crafting!" "Looks like Huo Yuhao is bound to become an excellent soul engineer!" "Enough. Silence." The middle aged man's calm but authoritative voice rang out. His sharp gaze swept across the classroom, and the whispers instantly died down. "Huo Yuhao, I am Zhao Feng, the homeroom teacher of First Year Class One. "I am also a Rank 5 Soul Engineer. "My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass. "I hope you enjoy your time at the academy." Zhao Feng then gestured toward him. "Alright, you may sit down." Huo Yuhao took his seat, but in his mind, he was a little surprised. *"A Blue Silver Grass martial soul? The same as Tang Shenwang? "Oh, wait. Tang San had the Blue Silver Emperor instead."* Soon after, Zhao Feng began the lesson, enthusiastically explaining various aspects of soul tools. "The term 'soul tool' refers to..." Huo Yuhao listened attentively. Compared to Zhou Yi from Shrek Academy, Zhao Feng was far more patient and even tempered. More importantly, he didn't have a habit of randomly expelling students. This made learning much more relaxing. Some time later, Zhao Feng cleared his throat and said, "Speaking of soul tools, I must criticize Tang San. "He led Douluo Continent into the hidden weapon era, but in the face of soul tools, hidden weapons were utterly obsolete. "In a way, Tang San was actually the greatest sinner of Douluo Continent. "After all, before the Sun Moon Empire ever came into contact with the Douluo Continent, the continent already had soul tools. "If Douluo Continent had focused on soul tool development, they wouldn't have been so fragile in the war four thousand years ago. "But instead, they obsessed over hidden weapons utterly ridiculous!" Hearing this, Huo Yuhao instinctively glanced at the sky and thought, *"Bro, it's fine to think this kind of stuff, but saying it out loud? "Do you want to die? "Good thing Tang Shenwang's divine sense isn't here. "If he overheard you, he'd instantly hit you with Blue Silver Bind and take you out on the spot!"* (End of chapter.) Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon. Read 15 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1