Chương 97: Chapter 97: Time to Return
"I need to go back to the academy." Huo Yuhao over the dinner table. Everyone looked up at him blankly, each of them sporting bandages and bruises around their bodies.
"Sure."
"I know this must be hard to accept and... wait, what did you just say?" Huo Yuhao blinked, looking at his friends in surprise. "That's it? No objections? No arguments? Nothing?"
"Yuhao, let me tell you a big secret." Ma Xiaotao leaned forward, letting her big soft breasts to press against the table, causing Huo Yuhao to blush. Though her right cheek was slightly bruised, she sweetly smiled at him, her eyes closed. "I'm bored."
"I could tell." His lips twitched.
"Splendid! So you must understand what I'm what implying, yes?" Ma Xiaotao tilted her head at him, the sweet smile widened. "I want to go out, specifically, I want to go back to the academy because I have some unfinished business."
"Me too." Bei Bei raised his hand in agreement.
"...Me too." Tang Ya chuckled and explained, "Despite the misgivings I have towards them. The academy still sheltered and educated me ever since I've lost my parents. I... owe them that much."
Huo Yuhao let out a sigh and nodded, understanding their reasoning. Especially with Tang Ya, it might have been a short time but the academy still offered him a... home. He then glanced at the squirming Ye Guyi with a raised eyebrow and said, "What about you? Do you also wanna come along with us to the academy as well?"
"H-Huh? Uh, no, no I'm fine staying here." Ye Guyi responded nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. "...I mean, I'll be lonely here and a bit bored, but I want to keep training here. The soul power in the atmosphere here is more than doubled than the outside, and I want to further my understanding about my holy light, as well as soul engineering and hidden tools."
After two months of staying here and mingling with everyone, Ye Guyi eventually opened up with them. Though she still disliked interacting with both Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao. More for the former than the latter, surprisingly. Turns out, denying her of his magically great food could make even the most stubborn and prideful person to submit.
Huo Yuhao smiled in understanding. "Alright, but don't worry about being lonely. I'll leave behind a shadow clone here to finish a few of my projects."
'To keep an eye on me, right?' She thought but didn't dare to say it aloud.
With everyone's agreement, they then continued eating their meals prepared by Huo Yuhao himself. The faces of everyone aside Huo Yuhao changed, their eyes widened and twinkled with delight as they savored the delicious food.
Huo Yuhao blankly ate his rice in deep thought.
'Dai Huabin didn't waste any time to sent have his minions to kill me, my shadow clone, when it went scouting around the Great Star Dou Forest for future suitable soul rings.' Unfortunately for him however, it was just a clone; only some of the staff and the girls know about the clone.
The idiot thought he was clever for sending a soul king to kill his shadow clone, the same soul king that he saw was protecting Dai Huabin in the academy alongside a couple of other guardians. The idiot fucked up.
'I might not 'openly' kill you, but I can still humiliate you in public. A swift death for scum like you is too good.' Huo Yuhao's thoughts darkened as he considered Dai Huabin's actions. He knew he had to be cautious, especially with someone as high-profile as him.
.....
The door to the basement opens up and Hou Yuhao didn't look surprise to find Ma Xiaotao sitting in a cross-legged position, hands curled on her knees, on a comfy meditating carpet. Bright crimson flames emanated from her body, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Huo Yuhao calmly walked over and took a seat opposite her, mirroring her posture.
"Diligent as always, huh?" he asked softly, gently grabbing both her hands and extreme chill surged into her body, causing her to sigh in relief. The fiery energy inside her began rushing Huo Yuhao, but his ultimate ice energy easily devoured it and began refining it into pure soul power for him to absorb, vice versa to Ma Xiaotao as well as his ultimate ice energy complemented her fiery nature, balancing them both. Both ice and fire energies circulated between them, turning into a cultivation method unique to their bond.
It was like something Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had, but their compatibility wasn't as perfect, not enough to do a martial soul fusion.
So yeah, despite having focused all his time cultivating both his spiritual power and body, Huo Yuhao's soul power hadn't fallen that far behind and has reached rank 40 just a few days ago. He just needed a new soul ring, which he'll try to find at the Great Star Dou Forest.
Ma Xiaotao had also benefited, but because of the gap between their cultivation, she received less but it was faster than when she normally trains by herself and advanced a few rank; reaching rank 66. Nevertheless, their joint cultivation technique proved to be mutually beneficial, allowing them to refine their soul power and strengthen their bond.
Ma Xiaotao's glowing eyes slightly dimmed, she smiled at him. "Hey, Yuhao."
"Hey Xiaotao," Huo Yuhao replied with a smile, interlocking her hands with his. They interacted and dual cultivated for several days, an amount of time that normally wouldn't have two people be this intimate but just like his connection with Wang Dong, cultivating together brought more than just increasing their cultivation speed; it brought them closer.
In another note, Huo Yuhao would never do this to Wang Dong with the simple fact that he's a, well, he. He liked the guy, but not in that way.
"So, can you tell me why you decided to go back to the academy?" Ma Xiaotao asked.
"... For all sorts of reasons really. First is getting some more recruits into the Akatsuki, we can't exactly operate as a true organization with just the four of us, six when we include Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. I trust that they'll join me. Secondly, I want to visit a few friends and future business partners back at the academy, the resources won't last long and doing any mercenary jobs wouldn't cut it. We need a stable source of income and support. Thirdly, there are matters regarding the Soul Tool Department that I need to attend to. And lastly, I have some personal matters to take care of," Huo Yuhao explained, his expression serious as he look at Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao nodded thoughtfully, understanding the gravity of his reasons. "I see. It sounds like you have a lot on your plate."
"Yeah, but I'm confident I can handle it," Huo Yuhao casually replied. "What about you? Being bored here can't be the only reason why you're coming back as well."
"Yuhao, you know that I'm a reserve member of the Shrek Seven Monster?"
He nodded, "Of course, I've heard you mentioned it. Does this have something to do with the Shrek Seven Monsters?"
"Well, yeah. What I didn't mention to any of you is why I was delegated to the reserve position, when I'm formerly the captain of the group."
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened in surprise, shaking in excitement. "The captain? Wow, since when did that happen?"
"Around four to five years ago, about a month after the last continental academy soul master competition, which we of course won it, and they retired with us becoming their successors," Ma Xiaotao giggled at his reaction. "Why do you always look excited whenever I mention the group?"
"Can you blame me?"
Shrek Seven Monsters, known throughout the continent as the seven heroes who saved the land from the evil organization called the Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago. They were a group of seven legendary godly figures that stood at the very peak of the world and were rumored to have transcended as well. How could anyone in the continent not be excited? Especially Hou Yuhao, one of them was his ancestor! After their disappearance and or passing, the academy decided to honor them by choosing seven monstrously genius students and give them the title of Shrek Seven Monsters.
It wasn't unexpected of Ma Xiaotao to be part of the group, considering her age and talent, but he didn't expect her to be the former leader.
"So that's why, huh. Understandable, I'll would have done the same if I was in your shoes." Huo Yuhao nodded in understanding. "So, you're going back to reclaim your position as captain?"
Ma Xiaotao grinned, a mad gleam in her eyes. "Exactly. It's time for me to step up and lead the new generation of Shrek Seven Monsters. Especially with the new continental competition coming up." She paused for a moment, recalling about something. "Yuhao, wanna participate in the competition?"
"Hm?"
"Whenever the continental competition is right around the corner, the academy would start to choose new Shrek Seven Monsters. That's because most of the current Shrek Seven Monsters are more than fifteen years old now, which in the next competition we can't participate because only those below 20 years old are allowed to compete." She explained. "The new Shrek Seven Monsters would come along with us as our reserve members and experience the competition firsthand, preparing them for the next one when they take our place. It's a great opportunity for talented young soul masters like you to gain experience and exposure."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up with excitement. "That sounds amazing! Count me in, Xiaotao!"
"Great! I knew you'd be interested," Ma Xiaotao said with a grin. "So better pack up your things if you want to be selected."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Way ahead of you. Ah, but I gotta ask. Did someone temporarily replaced you?"
A look of contempt and scorn crossed Ma Xiaotao's face. "Yeah, and it was an unpleasant guy. He's got good looks and bod, but his attitude is just..."
"Huh. He's that bad? Who is he anyway?" He asked.
"Hmph. The vice captain of the team, Dai Yueheng." Ma Xiaotao replied with a sneer. "He thinks he's hot stuff just because he's got a powerful martial soul, White Tiger, yeah. The same one as ancestor Dai Mubai. But let me tell you, he's got a long way to go before he can match up to me!"
'Dai Yueheng...' Huo Yuhao went silent, his face darkened.
The eldest child of the White Tiger Duke, the likely heir to his father's position, and the older brother of Dai Huabin and... Huo Yuhao.
Honestly, he doesn't know what to feel about the guy. By the time Huo Yuhao and his mother were forced out to the back of the White Tiger Mansion, Dai Yueheng had already went and enrolled in Shrek Academy, leaving Huo Yuhao with no memory of his half-brother. But now, faced with the reality of Dai Yueheng's existence, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel conflicted. Should he add him in his revenge? Should he harm an innocent man that didn't do anything to him, only because of his relationship with the duke, duchess and Dai Huabin?
'I'll just have to wait and see him for myself to judge.'
"...Yuhao!"
"Hm? What is it?" Huo Yuhao snapped back to reality and saw Ma Xiaotao looking worriedly at him.
"You okay? You seem lost in thought there for a moment," Ma Xiaotao asked, concern evident in her voice.
Huo Yuhao shook his head, trying to dispel the dark thoughts clouding his mind. "Yeah, sorry about that. Just got caught up in thinking about something."
Ma Xiaotao studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright, just making sure. Anyway, want me to teach you some advice about the inner courtyard?"
Huo Yuhao nodded and the two ended up chatting for a while.
.....
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