บท 132: Chapter 129: Convictions

The night was dark and bright, as the ray of moonlight covered Huo Yuhao as he looked up at the night sky.

He lay on the grass, the cool blades cushioning his body as he gazed upwards.

The night sky stretched out endlessly above him, a canvas painted with twinkling stars and the soft glow of the moon. Despite the darkness, there was a brightness to the night, a serene beauty that enveloped him.

He felt a sense of peace wash over him, a rare moment of quiet in the midst of his busy life. The world seemed to slow down, allowing him to simply be, to breathe in the cool night air and let his thoughts wander.

'Yuhao.'

His Ancestor's voice sounded in his mind, snapping him out of his stupor. Stretching his arms out, Huo Yuhao sat up and whispered, "Yes, Ancestor?" his voice barely audible in the stillness of the night.

'... What do you plan to do now? You have basically avenged your mother's death by crippling your half-brother and shaming the entire White Tiger Family by revealing Dai Huabin's assassination attempt on you.'

Huo Yuhao paused, clenching his fists, considering his Ancestor's question carefully. It was a question that went straight to the heart of his purpose, forcing him to confront his desires and ambitions.

"I... I am not completely satisfied, Ancestor. This hatred, this vendetta, it's not satiated," Huo Yuhao confessed, his voice tinged with weariness. He looked down at his hands, wide-eyed. "I've critically crippled Dai Huabin for life by using Spirit Fyre, a skill that would've made him a vegetable if I hadn't held back; it would've caused me a lot of trouble. But not killing him... it leaves a void within me, Ancestor. It's like a gaping wound that refuses to heal."

'...' Ancestor, no, Indra Ōtsutsuki went quiet. As his predecessor, one who inherited numerous other reincarnations, he understood his feelings very well.

Forgiveness, acceptance, he only learned about it in one lifetime, but that lifetime was one filled with lessons that was of different experiences. He knew it himself, as even until, he still hasn't forgiven both his father and brother.

Darkness has long consumed his soul, transcending space-time and reality.

So he remained silent. For he knew, giving Huo Yuhao any advice would only interfere with his journey of self-discovery and growth. Instead, Indra Ōtsutsuki chose to let Huo Yuhao grapple with his emotions and find his own path forward.

Sensing the weight of his Ancestor's silence, Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, feeling a sense of resolve settle within him. He knew that he had to confront his inner turmoil head-on, to find a way to move forward without letting his past consume him.

"... I'm gonna build up the Akatsuki," he whispered to himself, his voice filled with determination. "Make it become the number one sect in the world of soul masters, a great force that can look down upon a country! No, an empire!"

He stood up, clenching his fists, unconsciously activating his martial soul. His Sharingan spun in his eyes, reflecting the determination burning within him.

"By then, I'll reveal my true identity, shocking the White Tiger Duke and putting his family to shame for casting my mother and I away! With the Akatsuki and my own strength, they wouldn't be able to do anything towards me when I get my mother's remains so I can lay her to rest properly," Huo Yuhao declared, his voice firm with resolve.

With his plan laid out before him, Huo Yuhao felt a surge of icy resolve coursing through his veins. The path ahead was clear, and he was ready to walk it with unwavering purpose.

"... And as well as killing that duchess on the way." A grin crept across Huo Yuhao's face, cold and calculating. His eyes gleamed with a steely determination as he contemplated the final piece of his plan.

"She was the mastermind behind every pain and suffering my mother and I endured," he muttered to himself, his voice low but filled with conviction. "She must answer for her crimes, just like Dai Huabin."

He took a deep breath of the chilly night air, feeling a sense of grim satisfaction settle over him. The weight of his vendetta hung heavy in the air, but Huo Yuhao welcomed it like an old friend. It fueled his determination, driving him forward on his path of vengeance and justice.

With his resolve as unyielding as the steel of his martial soul, Huo Yuhao stood tall, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. He knew that the road ahead would be fraught with danger and hardship, but he was ready to face whatever challenges came his way.

He always overcome adversity before, and this time would be no different. As he gazed into the night sky, Huo Yuhao felt a sense of clarity wash over him.

The next day, Huo Yuhao and most of his friends gathered together in the cafeteria to have breakfast.

"... Yesterday, did you planned for all of it?" Ning Tian asked, looking at Huo Yuhao with curiosity.

Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao and Wu Feng turned towards Huo Yuhao with varying degrees of concern and intrigue evident in their expressions.

"Most of it, yes. The only part that I didn't expect was for all of you to go along with me. I expected senior Xu and senior Jiang to object of forfeiting the competition, possibly even senior brother He as well, but I truly expected for both you and Wu Feng to stand back when I started recruiting our schoolmates."

"Aren't you two members of your own sect or clan? Sitting together with another sect as they recruit new members, won't that be seen as a betrayal of your own clan?" Huo Yuhao smirkingly asked, crossing his arms.

Ning Tian chuckled, shaking her head. "Let them think all they want. It doesn't change the fact that I am the successor of my clan, and I have the.... freedom to make my own choices. If they see it as a betrayal, then that's their problem." she slightly hesitated on her words, her eyes showing bitterness for a moment before she composed herself, it happened so quick, only Huo Yuhao noticed, but he chose not to comment on it.

Wu Feng nodded in agreement. "Exactly, as young miss says. As she's an only child and the greatest prodigy in her family after Ancestor Ning Rongrong, the Nine Colored Douluo, no matter what others may think, her decisions are hers to make."

Huo Yuhao nodded, smiling at Ning Tian and Wu Feng. "Well said, both of you. I should apologize for my assumptions earlier."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, aligning myself together with a rising sect like yours will bring me a lot of benefits in the future as well..." Ning Tian pulled a lock of hair behind her ear, a scheming glint in her eyes. Wu Feng nodded in agreement, a hint of excitement evident in her expression.

Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

"So, any thoughts what they're going to do to us after we forfeited the match yesterday?" Wang Dong'er asked, breaking the momentary silence that followed Ning Tian and Wu Feng's remarks. Her tone was calm, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes.

Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly as he considered the possible consequences of their actions. "I imagine they won't be too pleased," he calmly replied, taking a bite of his extremely delicious sandwich made with the meat of a thousand year old Storm Buffalo. "But at this point, there's not much they can do to us. We made our decision, and we'll have to face whatever consequences come our way."

"They won't expel us... right?" Xiao Xiao asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Huo Yuhao shook his head reassuringly. "I doubt it. That would be too severe of a punishment for forfeiting a match. Besides, we still have our talents, and I don't think the academy would want to lose us over something like this."

Ning Tian nodded in agreement. "Exactly. They might give us some extra training or assign us to do some additional tasks as a form of punishment, but I highly doubt they would expel us."

Wang Dong'er chuckled. "True. Especially with Huo Yuhao's special treatment as the core disciple of both departments, and considering his friendship with us," Wang Dong'er remarked, a hint of confidence in her voice. "They wouldn't want to risk losing such valuable talents over a single incident."

Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement. "Exactly. So stop worrying and finish eating, we're going to be late at this rate." he said with a playful grin, eating his 50th sandwich of the day.

Wang Dong'er sweatdropped. "Yuhao, should you really eat so many? Even with the academy's vast resources, there's a limit to how much one person can consume in a sitting."

"Hey, it's a given privilege. It's a crime not to enjoy the delicious food our academy provides!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed, his mouth still half-full. "Besides, my body demands more metabolism than to keep up with my rigorous training regimen!" he added with a laugh, devouring another sandwich with gusto.

Wang Dong'er couldn't help but shake her head at his enthusiasm. "Alright, just don't make yourself sick," she replied with a smile.

"While we still have time, Wang Dong, Yuhao, when are you going to tell us that you had a martial soul fusion!?" Xiao Xiao asked eagerly, her eyes shining with curiosity as she leaned forward.

Wang Dong'er turned towards Huo Yuhao but the latter was already heading, having finished his meals.

"Wang Dong will explain it all, plus, she also has something to say to you all as well."

"Y-Yuhao!"

Huo Yuhao chuckled as he left the cafeteria.

Time passes by and they all went to their respective classrooms. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao and Wu Feng had just barely sat on their chairs when Wang Yan's head popped into the classroom from the door, cold sweat all over his face.

"Students Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao and Wu Feng. All of you are to report to the Soul Dueling Arena within five minutes... If none of you are to comply, then all of you will be automatically expelled!"

All of them shared a look, and while their classmates was giving them the "oooh" treatment, they immediately got up from their seats and ran out.

They moved swiftly through the corridors, their hearts pounding with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. On the way, they met up with Ning Tian, not wanting to waste time, Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao carried Wu Feng and Ning Tian respectively. The group moved with lightning speed as they got out of the main building and towards the enormous Soul Dueling Arena.

As they entered the colosseum, walking up towards the arena, they were met with familiar faces; Tang Ya, Bie Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, He Caitou and... Ma Xiaotao? Together with a lot of unfamiliar faces that looked to be around the senior sister's age.

"You're here," An old voice echoed through the arena, drawing their attention to the figure standing at the center of the arena. It was none other than Elder Xuan, the grand elder of the Martial Soul Department, standing beside him was Elder Lin, the grand elder of the Soul Engineering Department, and standing these prestigious elders were other high ranking members of both departments as well as the reserve elders of the Sea God Pavilion.

"We've gathered here today for a special occasion," Elder Xuan announced, his voice carrying a weight that commanded attention. "As some of you may know, the succession exam for the next Shrek Seven Monsters has... gone through some complications. The juniors here in this arena are the most talented and last competitors in the exam. So seniors, "

The seniors gave them cursory looks, astonished that there were ten juniors selected here. While Ma Xiaotao focused on Huo Yuhao, giving him a saucy look and a wink, making him flustered.

"Lastly, the vice captain of the current Shrek Seven Monsters, Dai Yueheng, has been found to be an accomplice of a unforgivable crime and is has been expelled from the academy," Elder Xuan's voice boomed throughout the arena, causing a stir among the gathered students.

'As expected...' Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes.

"What? After what his brother did to us, that's all they're going to do?!" Wang Dong'er muttered, Xiao Xiao nodded in agreement as she clenched her fists.

"I haven't sucker punched that bastard, yet." she said to herself.

"Enough chatter, students," Elder Xuan's voice interrupted their thoughts, drawing their attention back to the present. "Because of the issues of what these juniors did yesterday, the succession have been halted. We thought of cutting off three random students, but that wouldn't be fair to all. So, we, the elders, have decided on another way to determine the next Shrek Seven Monsters."

Huo Yuhao and his friends looked up at the elders with a determined look.

Elder Xuan grinned, taking a bite of a fried chicken leg.

"We determine it by using the old ways! Strength is king, those that stand at the top will have the say! Junior students, if you truly stand by your beliefs, then fight! You will fight the now Shrek Six Monsters and forcibly take their titles!"

He then turned to the other side, where the seniors, the inner courtyard students stood. "Shrek Six Monsters.... ugh, oh god that is weird to say, defend your titles. If you win this, we will guarantee each of you a soul bone that's at least 50,000 years old!"

Ma Xiaotao and the other seniors grinned excitedly, ready to defend their titles against the upcoming challengers and get their reward.

Huo Yuhao and his friends exchanged determined glances, their resolve hardened by the challenge laid before them. They knew that this was their chance to prove themselves and earn their place among the elite of the academy.

"You guys ready?" Huo Yuhao asked, taking the lead.

Tang Ya smiled and replied, "Always."

Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan nodded along from behind.

Xu Sanshi rubbed the back of his head, groaning. "Well, I'm already involved in this anyway. Aah! Fuck it! I always wanted to get some revenge against senior sister Ma!" he exclaimed, glaring at the tall red head, the latter raised an eyebrow and he nervously took a step back.

He Caitou smiled, cracking his knuckles. "You already know me, junior brother. Whether by the will of teacher or my trust in you, I will always assist you!"

Wang Dong'er smirked, Xiao Xiao and others came up with similar expressions. "Is there a need to ask?" she said.

Huo Yuhao smiled and turned to face at Ma Xiaotao and her group. "Then everyone, follow my lead." without any hesitation, he stepped forward, his team following close behind, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in the arena.

...

AN: Last chapter of the week

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