บท 85: [DD2]: 84

After exchanging a few more words, Hai Bodong quietly retreated. Su Yu flashed a few times and returned to his dormitory. Sitting back in his chair, he picked up a book and leaned gently against the backrest, looking as if he had never left.

"Click!"

From the bathroom came the sound of a door opening. Wang Dong'er emerged, neatly dressed in a fitted light blue top and a pair of tight, light blue pants. Her freshly washed face was flushed, exuding a soft, sunny vitality of youth. Her light blue hair was still slightly damp, with visible moisture in the strands.

Noticing the movement, Su Yu turned to look, raising his eyelids slightly. He had to admit that, based on appearance alone, Wang Dong'er was quite exceptional.

"What's up?"

Wang Dong'er asked in surprise, catching Su Yu's gaze as she dried her hair.

"Nothing, just thought you looked pretty handsome," Su Yu said casually.

"Of course!"

Wang Dong'er tilted her head back arrogantly; she had always been confident in her appearance.

Wang Dong'er walked over in her slippers, bringing with her a faint, fresh fragrance.

"Aren't you going to take a shower? It feels great!" she asked, tilting her head toward Su Yu.

"I'll go later. I want to read a bit more," Su Yu replied.

"Oh~"

Wang Dong'er responded, pulling up a chair to sit down.

"Su Yu, when school starts, will you participate in the selection for the reserve team?" she asked suddenly, as if casually.

Without raising his head, Su Yu replied, "Of course."

"Do you want to represent the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy in the competition?"

Wang Dong'er asked, curious.

"Who I represent isn't important. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament gathers elite students from across the continent. It's a good opportunity to gain experience."

Su Yu closed his book and said calmly, "Plus, I have a bit of friction with Shrek Academy. I heard they've won the championship for many years in a row. I'd love to see what it looks like when they lose."

Wang Dong'er was a bit surprised.

"But Shrek Academy has two Soul Emperor representatives, and the other students are probably all Soul King-level Soul Master. It will be hard to win, right?"

"The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy isn't weak either. Besides, Soul Emperors are nothing special. A Soul Emperor is still just a Soul Emperor, not a Soul Sage. Without a true martial soul avatar, they aren't that powerful."

Su Yu's tone was calm, but Wang Dong'er was secretly taken aback. From his words, it was clear that Su Yu didn't think too highly of Soul Emperors.

Was it confidence or arrogance? Or should she think of it as sheer audacity? If she didn't know Su Yu well, she might think he was being arrogant. But having seen him in action, even just a fleeting glimpse, it had been awe-inspiring. To put it bluntly, Wang Dong'er still hadn't figured out the upper limits of Su Yu's strength. From her perspective, Su Yu probably wasn't boasting—he truly had the power to back up his words.

"It sounds interesting. How about I join you?"

Wang Dong'er leaned closer to Su Yu with a playful smile.

Su Yu poked Wang Dong'er's face and laughed.

"Well, that depends on your abilities. If you can make it into the reserve team, then we can naturally team up."

"Heh, I'm no pushover. Just wait and see—I'll make it into the reserve team!"

Wang Dong'er laughed confidently.

Su Yu smiled. Wang Dong'er's talent was indeed high, but getting into the reserve team wouldn't be easy. She was still only 12 years old, and she'd wasted a lot of time being playful in the past. If her soul power were around level 38 or 39, securing a spot on the reserve team would be a sure thing. But as it stood, there were too many variables.

Still, it wasn't impossible. If Wang Dong'er could absorb the 50,000-year-old Golden Earth Dragon King's soul bone that Su Yu had given her, there was a chance. The quality of that soul bone was extraordinary.

Wang Dong'er had thought of this too. After some playful banter with Su Yu, she went to bed and began absorbing the soul bone.

Soul bones were best absorbed early for peace of mind.

Su Yu flicked his hand, and a gust of wind closed the dormitory door. He continued reading his book while also standing guard for Wang Dong'er.

Golden-red light illuminated the entire dormitory, emanating a rich, sacred aura. Wang Dong'er's martial soul activated, and the magnificent wings of the Radiant Goddess Butterfly fluttered gently. Waves of brilliant blue light surged like tides, intertwining with the golden-red light. The pure aura of light made Wang Dong'er appear even more divine.

Su Yu didn't bat an eye, calmly turning the pages of his book, the faint sound of rustling paper occasionally breaking the silence.

…

Shrek City.

Located at the crossroads of the continent, Shrek City has been bustling with people in recent days. The reason? Shrek Academy's annual enrollment season had arrived again. As the top academy on the continent, each year saw a large number of students eager to enroll in Shrek Academy, making the start of the school year a crowded affair.

In front of a white teaching building at Shrek Academy, a boy wearing an ordinary white school uniform was pleading earnestly with an elderly woman with silver hair and youthful features.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Teacher Zhou, please give me another chance. Don't expel me!"

Huo Yuhao's expression was one of pain and sorrow, his tears unceasing. After finally getting into Shrek Academy and enduring a year of study, he was now facing expulsion. Huo Yuhao couldn't bear to leave the academy.

Zhou Yi looked at Huo Yuhao with a hint of impatience and spoke coldly, "Huo Yuhao, I've told you many times. The academy has its rules."

"The academy requires all first-year students to reach two rings before advancing to the second year. This is a strict rule."

"Now, tell me, what is your current soul power level?"

Huo Yuhao's hands dug into the ground, his lips trembling.

"Fif…fifteen."

"Exactly. You're only at level fifteen. Even the students of First Year's lowest soul power are stronger than you. And your first soul ring is only a ten-year Wind Baboon."

"Tell me, what right do you have to participate in the advancement assessment?"

Zhou Yi's voice was sharp.

"I know you've worked hard, but hard work can't make up for a lack of talent. Shrek Academy only accepts monsters, not ordinary people."

"And in my class, I won't allow any useless individuals to tarnish the academy's reputation."

"Huo Yuhao, pack your things and leave the academy. You're not qualified!"

The word "unqualified" left Huo Yuhao feeling as though a cold wind had swept through his heart. Over the past year, Huo Yuhao had trained diligently every day, carrying heavy iron weights to strengthen himself. He had shed countless drops of sweat, yet his cultivation had barely improved. Despite his best efforts, his soul power had only reached level fifteen after a year, even with the help of resources provided by Bei Bei.

But now, faced with the academy's requirement for two soul rings, it seemed like an insurmountable barrier.

"Teacher Zhou…"

Huo Yuhao's voice trembled as he tried once more to plead, but Zhou Yi was unmoved.

"Enough!"

Zhou Yi shouted, cutting him off.

"Huo Yuhao, if you don't leave, do I have to throw you out myself?"

Huo Yuhao's hands clenched the ground until they bled. His eyes were red with frustration, and a dark resentment began to grow inside him. Trembling, he stood up and walked away in silence, his figure thin and frail, like a walking corpse.

If he had never come to Shrek Academy, things might have been better. But now that he had experienced life here, being expelled was a heavy blow. Zhou Yi's harsh words only made things worse, calling him a waste in front of his peers. Sensitive and fragile, Huo Yuhao felt a deepening bitterness and unwillingness in his heart.

"Why? Why are you treating me like this?"

PS: Hmm.. Now I feel sorry for Huo Yuhao. Well, we can't do anything about it. He was no longer the MC.