29 Chapter 29: The Two Deans

While the other competition was still in full swing, the semifinal on this side had already ended. The match took less time than anyone had imagined.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong won again, triumphing in two consecutive battles despite being one member short, fighting their way from the top eight to the final two.

Although the duration of this battle was short, they were at a disadvantage due to being one member down, so their victory was hard-won. Had it not been for the crucial role played by Haodong's Power, they wouldn't have had the slightest chance. If it had been a fight to the death, it would have been difficult to say who would emerge as the victor.

Thanks to the rules, Huo Yuhao was protected by the teachers and avoided being harmed by the boomerangs. But what if there had been no referee? Then Wang Dong would have had to take the hit for him, and under such circumstances, Huo Yuhao certainly wouldn't have been able to unleash Soul Shock against Zhou Sizhen. Once Zhou Sizhen's two Summoned Beasts also joined the battlefield, the outcome would be hard to predict.

It was only the change in tactics and the full display of Huo Yuhao's four soul skills that allowed them to narrowly secure victory. However, their combat abilities were now largely exposed. Soul Shock had made its appearance more than once, and all their future opponents would surely be wary of it.

The freshman assessment only tested the students' cultivation in their Martial Souls. But for modern Soul Masters, real combat almost inevitably involves the use of Soul Guidance Devices, among which some boast extremely high defensive power. Often, the advantage of a Martial Soul can turn into a disadvantage.

But a win is a win. By defeating Zhou Sizhen's team, Huo Yuhao's team officially advanced into the top two, assuring themselves of a reward while still striving for first place.

The two did not linger. After the match, they immediately left the assessment area and returned to the dormitory. The final opponent they were likely to face was the freshman class five team led by Dai Huabin. It was unknown whether Xiao Xiao would be able to recover, but a flame had already ignited in Huo Yuhao's heart—he was determined to win that battle.

"Yuhao, what happened to you today? Do you know that Dai Huabin?" As soon as they returned to the dormitory, Wang Dong couldn't help but ask. Huo Yuhao had acted too strangely upon seeing Dai Huabin, his usually calm demeanor nearly out of control, which inevitably puzzled Wang Dong.

Taking a deep breath, Huo Yuhao began to tremble uncontrollably again at the mention of Dai Huabin. He hung his head, fingers threading through his hair, sitting on the bed as he spoke hoarsely, "Dai Huabin, is the son of the Duke White Tiger. You must know who the Duke White Tiger is, right?"

Wang Dong nodded, "Of course. The Duke White Tiger is the hereditary, irreplaceable Duke of the Xingluo Empire, a figure of esteemed status. Originally, the Duke White Tiger's line was part of the royal family of the Xingluo Empire. Thousands of years ago, during a great war, the Xingluo Empire was on the brink of destruction. It was the combined assistance from the Grand Sects within the country that ultimately saved the Empire and maintained its integrity. At that time, the Duke White Tiger's lineage had dwindled, and their authority was greatly undermined, no longer sufficient to command obedience. Consequently, the Duke at the time abdicated in favor of a more suitable leader, ceding the throne to the Marshal who quelled the rebellion, who is the progenitor of the current imperial family, while the Duke, given his past royal status, was ennobled as the hereditary and irreplaceable Duke, to enjoy wealth and honor forever."

"The bloodline of the Duke White Tiger's lineage carries the legacy of the former royal line, and the White Tiger Martial Soul they inherit is an extremely powerful Beast Martial Soul. The leader of the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, Evil Eye White Tiger Dai Mubai, hails from the Duke White Tiger's lineage. I never imagined that this Dai Huabin would be a descendant of the Duke White Tiger."

Wang Dong paused, looking intently at Huo Yuhao, "Then, your relationship with Dai Huabin is...?"

Huo Yuhao said, "My mother was a servant in their family, and I lost my father at a young age. My mother worked in the Duke White Tiger's Mansion to support me..." He did not admit he was actually the son of the Duke White Tiger because, in his heart, he had never acknowledged this father he hardly knew and despised the man who had ruined his mother's life. He would rather say he had been fatherless since childhood than accept his true identity. Apart from concealing his own identity, everything else he recounted was his genuine experience. As he spoke of his mother being seriously injured while protecting him, of her succumbing to her illness eventually, Huo Yuhao was in tears.

"Bastard," Wang Dong cursed, slamming his hand on the bed, standing up abruptly.

"What are you doing?" Huo Yuhao quickly grabbed him.

Wang Dong said angrily, "Of course, I am going to avenge you. Let's go! Let's do it now." He originally thought that Huo Yuhao was just from a poor family, only to realize now that he had experienced such hardships. No wonder he was often silent despite being under twelve and far more composed than his peers, training so desperately.

Huo Yuhao stood up, pressed down on Wang Dong's shoulder, and pushed him back onto the bed, his eyes flashing constantly, "No, no, it's not time to deal with him yet. This is Shrek Academy, not to mention whether we have the ability to do anything to him within the academy. Just seeking private revenge is not tolerated by the academy. He is just one of those responsible for killing my mother. When I seek revenge, I won't be targeting just him alone. My enemies are the entire Duke White Tiger's Mansion. So, I must become stronger; I must become powerful enough to oppose Duke White Tiger's Mansion before I can have my revenge."

Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao in surprise. He didn't feel that Huo Yuhao's choice not to seek revenge right now was an act of cowardice, but rather, he felt a chill over his body from sensing Huo Yuhao's presence.

The boundless hatred that burst forth from Huo Yuhao seemed impossible to wash away, even with the waters of the five lakes and three rivers. The hatred in his eyes was so profound. At this moment, he was like a lion ready to pounce, a stark contrast to his usual mild-mannered and diligent self.

A child of eleven, yet he could bury such deep hatred and remember it so vividly; it showed what he must have endured during those eleven years of life. It was a resentment that could not have been built in a day!

"Then how do you plan to get your revenge?" Wang Dong asked quietly, his eyes cooling from the rage as he wiped away a tear.

Huo Yuhao shook his head, "Right now, I am nothing more than an ant that Duke White Tiger's Mansion can casually crush. All I can do now is become stronger, and even stronger. Duke White Tiger's Mansion will continue to exist for years, ten years, twenty years, even thirty, fifty years later. One day, I will confront them. I want to sever the lineage of Duke White Tiger."

In that instant, Huo Yuhao's eyes blazed with ferocity, and his pupils even turned red due to that bone-deep hatred. At the same time, inside his Sea of Spirit, a grey bead trembled slightly, causing a moment of dizziness. Huo Yuhao wobbled, and only managed to remain standing with the help of Wang Dong.

Wang Dong thought this was just due to excessive emotion, never realizing that Huo Yuhao harbored such deep-seated resentment.

Huo Yuhao grabbed Wang Dong's shoulders, his gaze intense as he stared into his eyes, the redness within seeming to grow denser, "Wang Dong, I consider you a brother. Please, keep this a secret for me."

Although Wang Dong's cultivation level was much higher than Huo Yuhao's, at that moment, he suddenly felt fear. Following that brief fear, what filled him even more was sympathy and pity. At the same age, what kind of life had he lived these eleven years, and what kind of life had Huo Yuhao lived!

Huo Yuhao slowly closed his eyes, took deep breaths, and tried to calm his surging emotions. This hatred had been buried in his heart for far too long. Only after entering Shrek Academy and passing the freshmen examination did he feel for the first time that he had hope, hope to avenge his mother. Seeing Dai Huabin today had finally ignited the flames of hatred in his heart. But he couldn't erupt now, nor did he dare to. He had to continue to endure until that sliver of hope could grow into the future.

"Ah—" A deep sigh suddenly sounded, causing Huo Yuhao to shiver and his relaxed spirit to tense up immediately. His Spiritual Eyes Martial Soul was released in an instant, and Spiritual Detection swept across the area as he shouted in a low voice, "Who is it?"

The dormitory was very quiet; nothing unusual appeared in Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection, and Wang Dong looked at him with a puzzled face, not understanding why he suddenly became so tense.

"Yuhao, what's wrong?" Wang Dong asked with confusion.

Huo Yuhao was startled and said, "You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?" Wang Dong's face was full of surprise.

Huo Yuhao's heart shook, "Just now someone let out a sigh. I heard it very clearly. How could you not have heard it?"

Wang Dong shook his head in bewilderment, "No, I didn't hear anything. Could it be that you're hallucinating?"

Huo Yuhao tried to extend the range of his Spirit Detection as much as possible, but still, there was no abnormality detected, nor were there any more unusual sounds after that sigh.

Could it really have been a hallucination? Doubts arose in Huo Yuhao's mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought. As a spirit-class soul master, his perception was much keener than that of an ordinary person. Besides his strongest sense of sight, his other five senses were also incredibly sharp. Even amidst emotional turmoil, he wouldn't experience hallucinations. Moreover, that sigh just now had been so distinct, as though it had been right by his ear.

"Skydream, Skydream," Huo Yuhao called out in his mind.

"What is it?" The lazy voice of the Skydream Ice Silkworm rang out. It spent most of its time sleeping, only recently maintaining some alertness due to the interest aroused by Huo Yuhao's and Wang Dong's soul fusion.

"Did you hear a sigh just now?" Huo Yuhao asked.

"A sigh? Have you let hatred muddle your head, kid? There was no sigh. Don't disturb my sleep for nothing. And you, you should keep calm. With the little strength you have now, if you can't even control your own emotions, you won't know how you died, trivial as it may be. But if I am implicated by your death, what then?" The Skydream Ice Silkworm said irritably.

This truly shocked Huo Yuhao; even the Skydream Ice Silkworm hadn't heard the sigh. Could it be that the sigh really didn't exist?

No, he truly didn't believe that. He trusted his own judgment more. But then, where did the sigh come from? With the strength of the Skydream Ice Silkworm, could someone really conceal their presence from its senses? That seemed impossible. The Skydream Ice Silkworm was a million-year soul beast, after all! Even if its combat power was a bit lacking, in the spirit world, it was practically invincible.

As Huo Yuhao pondered, the voice of the Skydream Ice Silkworm sounded again, "By the way, Huo Yuhao, I need to remind you of something. Use Soul Shock as little as possible. If you expose it too much, eventually everyone will guard against you. Although your Soul Shock has been greatly enhanced through that so-called Purple Demon Eyes, if you meet someone whose cultivation is much higher than yours and who is deliberately prepared for it, it is very likely to cause a psychic backlash. That can be very dangerous."

Huo Yuhao was taken aback and hastily asked, "Skydream, usually, how much higher in cultivation would a soul master need to be to cause my Soul Shock to backlash?"

Skydream Ice Silkworm said, "If you handle it carefully and apply your Soul Power properly, just having one level higher in Soul Power than you can lead to a backlash. Otherwise, why do you think Brother suffered so much in the Xingdou Forest? If Soul Shock was invincible, would I have endured so many years of grievances? The reason your Soul Shock was so stunning in the previous battles is mainly its suddenness. Then there was the amplification from the Purple Demon Eyes. In the end, it was the activation of the fusion of your spirit energy with Wang Dong. These factors took your opponents by surprise. But if everyone starts to defend against your Soul Shock in the future, you'll need to be careful. On the other hand, you can use spiritual disturbance at will; it's much weaker than Soul Shock, but its greatest advantage is that it doesn't have any backlash. Remember, you and Wang Dong working together to unleash Soul Shock cannot truly crush an opponent with three soul rings. Try to use it as little as possible."

Huo Yuhao forced a smile, "I don't want to use it often, Brother Skydream. Among the four soul skills you've endowed me with, except for Soul Shock, I don't have any other offensive capabilities!"

"Uh... that's also a problem. However, be patient for now; you're still so young, what's the hurry? Reach level 20 quickly, and I'll find a way to give you enough combat power. At least you won't be at a disadvantage among those of the same level. That's it, I'm going to sleep."

The words of Skydream Ice Silkworm served as a timely reminder for Huo Yuhao and also diluted his pursuit of that sigh in his heart. At this moment, Huo Yuhao thought to himself that Skydream Ice Silkworm had mentioned level 20 more than once, which proved that, in its eyes, level 20 would be a very important milestone for him. As long as he could break through to level 20, his strength should leap forward, and he would no longer need to rely on his partners' strength to have a certain level of combat power.

With this thought, Huo Yuhao's mood gradually calmed down, and he began to cultivate with Wang Dong, restoring their Soul Power.

The battle in the afternoon would certainly be tough, not just because the fight for the championship was fierce, but also because it was a torment for his heart! However, this battle was unavoidable. Since he would have to face it sooner or later, he might as well treat this final as a test for his heart.

The dormitory quieted down. Because of their Martial Soul Fusion, Wang Dong could sense the changes in Huo Yuhao's emotions and was surprised to find that he could calm down so quickly, feeling not only amazement but also admiration. In terms of appearance, Huo Yuhao was far less attractive than him, but at this moment, in Wang Dong's eyes, the eleven-year-old Huo Yuhao already possessed the firmness of a man.

The two continued to cultivate until lunchtime, their Soul Power fully restored. When they arrived at the cafeteria, they received a big surprise.

"You two lads, I heard you've made it to the finals, well done. I'm back. How could I miss the finals?" Xiao Xiao grinned as she leaned against the cafeteria's door, looking at Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong approaching.

The two were overjoyed and quickly went up to her. Huo Yuhao eagerly asked, "Xiao Xiao, have you recovered?"

Xiao Xiao laughed and said, "Of course! I have Twin Martial Souls, and there's plenty of potential there. Was that little event supposed to make me rest for long? I'm completely fine now. Come on, I'll treat you to lunch. Let's eat well and have the most expensive meal today. Let's replenish our nutrients so that we can smash those guys this afternoon until they can't take care of themselves. Hehe."

Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, extended his right hand, and Wang Dong was once again the first to place his hand on top, with Xiao Xiao's hand on top of his. The three of them looked at each other and all revealed confident smiles on their faces.

"We are the champions."

Since it was just time for lunch, not many students had arrived yet. As they said, "We are the champions," a somewhat sharp female voice rang out, "Shameless, aren't you afraid that bragging will twist your tongue? The champions will be our Freshman Class Five."

All three turned their heads to look, and saw three freshmen walking towards them. Center stage was none other than Huo Yuhao's nemesis, and the opponent they were to face in the afternoon's final, Dai Huabin. The one who had spoken was a girl with black hair to his left.

This girl had unusual eyes; one left, one right, with different colored pupils. The left was a pale blue, while the right was a pale yellow. As her gaze settled on them, her pupils narrowed slightly, giving her a very peculiar look.

Dai Huabin wore a look of cold severity but didn't speak, instead, just giving Huo Yuhao's group a glance before he haughtily walked into the cafeteria. The girl with black hair gave them a disdainful snort. On the other hand, the girl with pink hair offered a charming smile that seemed to seep into one's bones. It was clear that these two girls would be Dai Huabin's teammates that afternoon.

Just as Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were about to burst out, they were both held back by Huo Yuhao, one with each hand. Clearly, Dai Huabin hadn't recognized him, and after his inner struggle that morning, when he saw him again in the afternoon, at least on the surface, Huo Yuhao had calmed down.

"Arguing is pointless, we'll meet on the competition field in the assessment area this afternoon," Huo Yuhao said indifferently, and the three went to have their meal.

Normally, Huo Yuhao would never eat the most expensive special-grade meals, even if someone else was treating him, as they were simply too pricey. But today was different, as Xiao Xiao's body had been overtaxed in the previous match and needed to replenish nutrients. And in the end, Xiao Xiao didn't have to pay for the meal; it was Wang Dong who proactively picked up the tab. Huo Yuhao would have liked to contribute, but when he saw the final figure on the bill, he gave up. The money he'd saved selling grilled fish for a few months wouldn't even cover his tuition for the next semester, which was said to be much more expensive.

Dai Huabin's group also dined on the finest meals, and though both groups were not far apart, an unspoken tension already permeated the air. Neither side provoked the other, for the upcoming afternoon match was what mattered most.

After lunch, Huo Yuhao's group found a quiet spot by Sea God's Lake to discuss tactics for the afternoon. Facing a formidable opponent, it was impossible not to feel anxious. Even though they were all new students and their strength was not impressive by Shrek Academy's standards, this championship battle was crucial, and even the smallest detail could determine the final outcome.

"It's about time, let's head to the assessment area," suggested Xiao Xiao.

"Mm," Huo Yuhao nodded.

At that moment, Wang Dong suddenly said, "Yuhao, hold me for a moment."

Xiao Xiao's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly returned to normal as she saw a chilling killing intent in Wang Dong's eyes.

Huo Yuhao understood him perfectly, his body trembling slightly as he got the message.

"Wang Dong..."

With a serene smile and a glint of cold light in his eyes, Wang Dong's voice was exceptionally gentle, "How do we know if we don't try?"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, no longer saying anything, and opened his arms to embrace him.

The assessment area was very quiet, even though it was the finals of the freshmen assessment knockout stage, there were no student spectators.

Shrek Academy's assessment system is designed to consider the privacy of each student's abilities as much as possible, so examinations are never opened up for other students to watch.

All students who are not participating in the assessment continue their classes as usual, so the finals that took place this afternoon were actually when there were the fewest students present in the assessment area.

Of course, fewer students did not necessarily mean fewer people were present. Almost all the teachers from the Outer Court who were not teaching gathered in the assessment area to watch. Dean Yan Shaozhe of Shrek Academy also came in person, and ascended to the high platform accompanied by Du Weilun and a group of teachers.

Although this seemed like just the annual freshman assessment that took place three months after the start of the school year, almost all of the inner court students from Shrek Academy had once stood out during the freshman assessment and were thereafter comprehensively cultivated after being valued by the academy. The reason why Dean Yan Shaozhe came to watch personally was because the strength of this freshman class was particularly strong. Generally speaking, even for students of Shrek Academy, it would take around the third grade to reach three rings. Moreover, achieving three rings' cultivation is also a prerequisite for moving from the third to the fourth grade.

Yet, this class of freshmen had already produced three students with three rings, such strength almost guaranteed their entry into the inner court in the future. Yan Shaozhe was also curious to see who would ultimately become the champion among this class of freshmen.

In relative terms, he was actually more concerned with Huo Yuhao's team which he had heard about from Du Weilun's reports. With the strength of two Grand Soul Masters and a Soul Master, Huo Yuhao's team had achieved consecutive victories, successively defeating the teams led by Ningtian and Xie Huanyue, both of whom were Soul Venerables. During these matches, the performances of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao could absolutely be described as stunning.

Wang Dong's Bright Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul was unique even within Shrek Academy. Xiao Xiao's potential for development with her Twin Martial Souls was huge. The rarity of Twin Martial Souls had been the case since the day martial souls appeared in Soul Land, and it remained so now. Considering Shrek Academy as the Best Academy Under the Heavens, the number of students with Twin Martial Souls, including Xiao Xiao, was only three, and the other two were already inner court disciples who were among the top ten of the inner court.

As for Huo Yuhao, Du Weilun had also elaborated on his situation to Dean Yan Shaozhe; with a rare self martial soul and a spirit-class martial soul, it was a pity that he seemed to lack proper education since childhood and currently possessed only Level Seventeen Soul Power and a single 10 year soul ring. Despite also having considerable talent, the disadvantage of a late start was irreparable. Furthermore, for spirit-class martial souls, whether one can obtain sufficiently powerful soul rings in the future is a critical issue. Therefore, in his recommendation regarding Huo Yuhao, Du Weilun put quotes, indicating his opinion against selecting Huo Yuhao as a core disciple of the academy.

Yan Shaozhe had great confidence in Du Weilun. As the director of instruction for the Martial Soul Department, Du Weilun had unique vision and was fair and just, making an extremely important contribution to cultivating a large number of outstanding talents for Shrek Academy.

In the structure of Shrek Academy, there was not only one dean. Yan Shaozhe was the dean of both the Inner and Outer Courts of the Martial Soul Department, and Shrek Academy also had another dean for the Soul Guidance Department. The two deans were in charge of everything in the academy.

When it came to authority, naturally, Yan Shaozhe, who managed the Martial Soul Department, had a bit more power, but the Soul Guidance Department operated independently and competed with the Martial Soul Department to a certain extent, so he didn't have much jurisdiction over it.

In addition to the two deans, both the Martial Soul Department and Soul Guidance Department each had a vice dean in charge of the Outer Court. After all, both Yan Shaozhe and the dean of the Soul Guidance Department mainly focused on the Inner Court. The Inner Court was the true core of Shrek Academy. Therefore, they rarely managed affairs related to the Outer Court.

The vice dean of the Outer Court for the Martial Soul Department, who was also the vice dean of the academy, was a scholarly teacher who spent more energy on teaching fifth and sixth-grade students, selecting excellent disciples for the Inner Court, and leading these disciples in various rigorous assessments. He was less involved in other administrative matters. Apart from this vice dean, the person with the greatest power in the Martial Soul Department was Du Weilun.

As the director of instruction for the Outer Court of the Martial Soul Department, Du Weilun had significant power, but he faced no competitors for his position. For twenty years, he had worked diligently and made outstanding contributions to the Martial Soul Department. Therefore, Yan Shaozhe had complete confidence in him and trusted his judgment of students implicitly.

"Weilun, who do you fancy for today's match?" asked Yan Shaozhe with a smile.

Du Weilun chuckled and said, "I still favor Dai Huabin's team a bit more. Although Huo Yuhao's team has defeated two teams led by Soul Venerable freshmen. But when it comes to overall strength, Dai Huabin's side is definitely a little stronger. Especially his two teammates, their strength is not weak either; they both have the potential to enter the Inner Court in the future."

Yan Shaozhe smiled and nodded. At that moment, a robust voice suddenly rang out, "Since Director Du is certain that Dai Huabin will win, then I will say the other side will win."

Yan Shaozhe didn't turn around, but a smile had already appeared on his face. "Qian Duoduo, how come you're here too? As soon as I smelt that metallic odor, I knew it was you."

The newcomer was a stout man in his fifties, without a single wrinkle on his face, but his hair was as white as steel needles, giving him a somewhat weathered appearance. His tall and burly stature, resembling granite carved out, was at least two meters and twenty centimeters in height. Broad-shouldered and wide-backed, his firm muscles weren't slackened by age in the slightest. His bronze skin reflected a metallic sheen under the sunlight, and his body emitted a strong metallic scent. The one following him was Fan Yu, whom Zhou Yi had once taken to meet.

Yan Shaozhe didn't turn back, but Du Weilun had already turned around; a flash of surprise crossed his eyes before he quickly bowed and said, "Vice Dean Qian, hello. What brings you here?"

Vice Dean Qian Duoduo, always smiling and amiable, was the Vice Dean in charge of the daily affairs of the Soul Guidance Department. He held a lofty position second only to one within the Soul Guidance Department, which was even higher than Du Weilun's post.

At Shrek Academy, this position wasn't something one could easily rise to. There were mainly two paths: either through teaching ability and contributions made to the academy, or through personal strength. There were only four deans and vice-deans at the vast Shrek Academy, and these four could be said to be the true pillars of the academy. To be able to hold such a high post, it wasn't as simple as just contributing to the academy; their personal strength was amongst the very best.

Vice Dean Qian Duoduo chuckled and said, "Didn't I just happen to be passing by? I happened to hear you and Old Yan guessing the outcome, and I'm someone who likes to bet. Old Yan, shall we bet on it?"

Yan Shaozhe finally turned his head, laughing as he said, "You always reek of money. You're forever one to rise early for profit. I don't believe your intentions are that pure. If you're coveting people from our Martial Soul Department, then you'd better watch out."

Qian Duoduo walked over to Yan Shaozhe's side and sat down with a flop, saying, "What do you mean 'your Martial Soul Department's people'? They are just freshmen, they haven't really chosen their department yet. Besides, it won't be until they're third-year students that they'll finally decide which department to focus on. Your Martial Soul Department just provides basic education. Are we betting or not? Come on, make it quick."

Du Weilun had already stepped to one side and greeted Fan Yu. Fan Yu smiled and nodded back, then both men found seats behind the deans and vice-deans.

Fan Yu's status in the Soul Guidance Department was very high. Although his rank was currently lower than Du Weilun's, Du Weilun was very clear that Fan Yu was destined to be the future Vice Dean of the Soul Guidance Department, or even the Dean's successor. As for his own position as the head instructor, it probably had reached its limit.

Yan Shaozhe, facing Qian Duoduo's provocation, wasn't fooled at all and shook his head with a smile, "I won't bet. Old Qian, even my pockets are not safe from your money-grubbing habits. Watch out, or I'll tell Lin'er on you."

Qian Duoduo's facial muscles twitched slightly as he said with a grief-stricken expression, "Don't even start with that. You've always been good at playing dirty since you were young. When compared to you, my character is much better. Always using Lin'er as a shield, have you no shame?"

Listening in from behind, Du Weilun felt his heart twinge repeatedly. These two were significant figures on the Douluo Continent, and yet here they were, bickering with each other. If the students heard this...

Yan Shaozhe glanced at Qian Duoduo's indignant expression, chuckled softly, and said, "Alright, then what do you want to bet on?"

Only then did Qian Duoduo's smile return as he said, "If the team I spoke of wins, then three years from now, you must let me choose any freshman to join the Soul Guidance Department in the Martial Soul Department, and you cannot use any method to obstruct me."

Yan Shaozhe snorted coldly and twisted his mouth as he said, "I knew you weren't holding in anything good. I won't take that bet."

Qian Duoduo replied with composure, "Don't be hasty, just listen to me first. The student I choose will definitely not be one of your core disciples. Furthermore, I won't select those who have reached level 30 before graduating the second grade. That should be alright, right?"

Yan Shaozhe was taken aback and said, "Old Qian, do you even need to bet with me on this? How often do you pick away such students every year?"

Qian Duoduo said with a face full of gloom, "Don't remind me. Nowadays these youngsters are all so full of themselves, they don't understand our Soul Guidance Department at all and keep us out of the loop. Sure, we've recruited no small number of students over the years, but those truly suitable for our Soul Guidance Department are scarce. You know about our plan, to raise that kind of talent according to the plan is not something that just any Soul Guidance Device Crafting Master can accomplish. Making Soul Guidance Devices is important, but their use is just as crucial! So, I wanted to pick a few students with better Martial Souls. But your guys in there are like mother hens, guarding them so tightly, I don't even get a chance to choose. If I don't make a move soon, our plan will go to waste. Don't forget, you agreed to that plan during the dean's meeting too. If you don't support our work, next time I'll get Lin'er to come and poach some students from the Martial Soul Department in the Inner Court, and let's see if you dare stop her."

Watching Qian Duoduo's sincere expression, Yan Shaozhe thought for a moment and said, "Really not picking core disciples? Not selecting students who have reached level 30 and above within the second grade?"

Qian Duoduo suddenly appeared righteous and said, "When have I, Old Qian, ever gone back on my word?"

Yan Shaozhe nodded and replied, "Fine then, I'll take the bet. And even if you lose, I'll still let you pick one such student. Wouldn't want you to say I'm not supporting your work. However, if you lose, make a hundred of those Fixed Soul Guidance Device cannon shells for me to play with, the high explosive kind. Those things are really thrilling."

Qian Duoduo's face changed as he said, "Old Yan, you're driving too hard a bargain. A hundred high explosive bombs, do you have any idea how much that costs? The cost for those alone is a hundred golden soul coins each."

Yan Shaozhe smiled slightly and said, "Take it or leave it. I didn't want to bet with you in the first place."

Qian Duoduo, looking pained, said, "Fifty shells."

Yan Shaozhe, as though afraid he'd change his mind, immediately said, "Deal." Those specialized high explosive shells for Fixed Soul Guidance Devices weren't something to just have fun with, having some to play with was already a luxury. Although he was the dean, he couldn't squander resources like that!

Qian Duoduo was taken aback, then looked at Yan Shaozhe in shock and said, "You old fox, I've been duped again."

Yan Shaozhe burst into hearty laughter, but he failed to see the cunning flicker in Vice Dean Qian Duoduo's eyes that disappeared as quickly as it had come.