Chapter 33: Preparation for the Second-Year Advancement Assessment

Join my patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel along with weekly chapters mass release:

patreon.com/ZeroMoney

Announcement: I will mass release 15 chap of each book on Patreon for every five patrons I receive on my Patreon before 31st March.

I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated. 

*****

"Kid, is your last name Shui?" Xu Mo didn't pay attention to Huo Yuhao's reaction and excitedly inquired.

"Shui? My last name is not Shui, it's Huo, call me Huo Yuhao." Huo Yuhao was puzzled. If the burly man in front of him wasn't very strong, he wouldn't want to engage in conversation at all.

Now being stared at by the other party, he had no chance to run away, especially with Dean Yan Shaozhe standing beside him.

Upon hearing Xu Mo's question, Huo Yuhao thought of Shui Wuya.

Could it be that this burly man is here to find Shui Wuya?

"How is that possible? Why wouldn't you have the last name Shui? Are you from an external branch?" Xu Mo frowned.

This pure ice attribute, apart from the Shui family that the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect always followed, no other impression came to his mind.

"Master Xu, what's this?" Yan Shaozhe learned the general situation from Ma Xiaotao. He was extremely shocked that Huo Yuhao's ice attribute of the second martial soul could also suppress Ma Xiaotao's evil fire.

However, Huo Yuhao's ice attribute obviously couldn't compare to Shui Wuya's ice attribute.

At present, it only temporarily freed Ma Xiaotao from the influence of the evil fire, but those flames still existed within her.

If Ma Xiaotao were to use her martial soul again, it would immediately erupt.

This was different from Shui Wuya's situation of suppressing the evil fire.

Shui Wuya could eradicate those flames, being absolutely dominant in the ice attribute, effortlessly purifying the evil fire.

These pieces of information quickly flashed through Yan Shaozhe's mind, evaluating Huo Yuhao's talent, before walking to Xu Mo's side.

"I came to Shrek this time because Sanshi mentioned that among the first-year new students, there is a student with the ultimate ice attribute." With Xu Mo's words, Yan Shaozhe immediately understood. The student with the ultimate ice attribute among all first-year students must be Shui Wuya, right?

Thoughts flashed through Yan Shaozhe's mind. The holidays were about to end, and Shui Wuya should be returning to the school soon.

"Master Xu, you've misunderstood. Although Huo Yuhao also has an ice attribute martial soul, he's not the one you are looking for." Yan Shaozhe smiled and said, "I believe you are looking for Shui Wuya, who has yet to return to the school."

"To be honest, after the fresh student assessment, Shui Wuya left the academy and has not been here during this time." Xu Mo was taken aback. "Oh, I see. My mistake."

Upon hearing the name Shui Wuya, Xu Mo got excited, realizing whom he should be looking for.

Looking back at Huo Yuhao, the gaze in Xu Mo's eyes was no longer as eager as before, but Huo Yuhao still left an impression on Xu Mo.

Such an ice attribute, even if one is not from the Shui family, might have some connections, which Xu Mo couldn't ignore.

The Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect is only a subsidiary family of the Shui family. Even if Huo Yuhao is just a collateral member who left the Shui family, his status is similar to theirs.

However, Xu Mo wouldn't mention all this to Yan Shaozhe.

"Master Xu, may I ask what business you have with Shui Wuya?" Yan Shaozhe inquired.

Yan Shaozhe was unaware of the relationship between the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect and the Shui family.

But upon hearing Xu Mo's keen interest in the surname Shui, Yan Shaozhe could guess that it was related to the family behind Shui Wuyan.

"It's a minor matter, just want to meet, nothing else." Xu Mo chuckled, not elaborating further.

He couldn't simply say he was eager to meet someone from the Shui family. The Shui family had been in seclusion for too long, and the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect was also keen to learn about the Shui family's updates.

Moreover, it was also for the sake of Xu Sanshi.

While the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect was powerful, the gap with the Shui family was significant.

During the ritual, Xu Sanshi hadn't fully awakened the Black Tortoise Shield martial soul, only completing half of the ceremony. The Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect had been at a loss.

Xu Mo wanted to find the Shui family, leveraging their power to help Xu Sanshi fully awaken his martial soul.

The Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect didn't have this ability, but the Shui family did.

If Xu Mo didn't say these things, Yan Shaozhe wouldn't believe that Xu Mo's intention was merely to meet someone.

Is this the influence of a noble family? Yan Shaozhe thought to himself.

"Well, please stay a bit longer at the academy, and when Shui Wuya returns, I'll bring him to meet you." While saying this, Yan Shaozhe also observed Xu Mo's expression.

Xu Mo's heart raced, but he calmly accepted Yan Shaozhe's arrangement.

However, deep down, he was quietly praying, hoping that Shui Wuya wouldn't make a fuss about this situation.

Normally, he should be the one meeting Shui Wuya. However, within Shrek Academy, there were people from the Ling Family as well. If the Ling Family caught wind of something, it wouldn't be good.

The mention of Shui Wuya's name made Xu Mo realize that with the reappearance of the Shui family, crucial information unknown to the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect and the Ling Family was now in his hands, an opportunity to shine.

If both families noticed Shui Wuya, leaving an impression on him would become challenging.

---

Shui Wuya was unaware of the events unfolding at Shrek Academy.

After establishing agreements with Octogon and the Ice Emperor to restrain their appearances, he returned to the academy feeling at ease.

Concerning matters related to his spiritual power, he preferred them not to be known to others. Additionally, he intended to keep his second martial soul sealed as a trump card.

As for the fact that his fourth soul ring had a limit of a hundred thousand years, that was something Shui Wuya couldn't do much about. He lacked simulated soul skills to conceal the condition of his soul rings.

Upon returning to his dormitory, Shui Wuya effortlessly cleaned the room covered in dust using the same method he had employed upon entering the academy. Turning around, he saw Ma Xiaotao entering the dormitory building.

"Xiaotao, you came as soon as I returned to the academy?" Shui Wuyan was surprised.

"I come here every day to see if you're back. Without your help in suppressing the evil fire, I've committed too many sins," Ma Xiaotao said, placing a hand directly on Shui Wuya's shoulder. "The dean also has something to discuss with you."

"Me?" Shui Wuya asked.

"Yes, it seems the head of the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect wants to meet you, so the dean asked me to bring you over," Ma Xiaotao replied.

---

Xu Mo decided to stay at Shrek Academy without meeting Shui Wuya directly, and Yan Shaozhe had no say in the matter.

"The head of the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect?" Shui Wuya matched Ma Xiaotao's pace, heading towards the teaching building.

"For what reason?" he asked.

"I don't know, just mentioned wanting to meet you," Ma Xiaotao led him to the office door, signaling for Shui Wuyan to enter.

Xu Mo had been spending most of his time lately in this office, occasionally taking strolls around Shrek Academy.

"After you're done talking, help me solve the issue with the evil fire," Ma Xiaotao requested.

Naturally, Shui Wuya agreed. His spiritual power had reached level forty-eight, making it easier for him to suppress Ma Xiaotao's evil fire.

Upon entering the office, Shui Wuya noticed three individuals present. One was Yan Shaozhe, whom he was familiar with, and the other he didn't recognize but deduced was Xu Mo, the head of the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect, as Xu Sanshi stood beside him, enthusiastically greeting him.

---

"Dean." Shui Wuya closed the door, his gaze fixed on Xu Mo.

"Master Xu, this is the Shui Wuya I mentioned to you," Yan Shaozhe introduced.

The moment he heard the name Shui Wuya, Xu Mo stood up excitedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at Shui Wuya.

"Um, may I boldly ask, are you from the Shui family?" Xu Mo's implication was clear to Shui Wuya – Xu Mo was here to verify his identity.

This confrontation also allowed him to gauge current perspectives on the Shui family from the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect and the other two forces.

"That's correct."

Upon hearing Shui Wuyan's confirmation, Xu Mo became even more thrilled. "Great! It's been so many years, finally..."

Mid-sentence, Xu Mo noticed Yan Shaozhe still in the room and toned down his excitement. "If you ever need help in the future, feel free to approach me. The Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect will be your solid support."

"Our Xu Sanshi is in the academy; you should meet him." Xu Mo chuckled.

---

Shui Wuya didn't adopt any pretense. The Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect was an affiliate of the Shui family, so naturally, he held a higher position than Xu Mo. However, it was unnecessary to assert that now. Given the current facade of the Shui family, interactions might change if the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect became aware of their actual situation.

Perceiving Xu Mo's attitude, Shui Wuya deduced that the Shui family held considerable weight within the Abyssal Douluo Sect.

Internally, he understood that if the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect were to become aware of the Shui family's current status, the situation might undergo a shift.

These thoughts swiftly traversed Shui Wuya's mind. Externally, he easily nodded in agreement.

Xu Mo was even more excited. In his view, a twelve-year-old wouldn't understand much. Leaving a good impression now would pave the way for future cooperation, right?

Nevertheless, Xu Mo exercised restraint.

"Ahem, as I mentioned earlier to Xu Sanshi, it's settled then. If you require anything, inform Xu Sanshi to notify me." Xu Mo's smile remained constant as the interaction concluded.

Observing from the sidelines, Yan Shaozhe held a higher opinion of Shui Wuya following these events.

He had suspected that Shui Wuyan belonged to an esteemed family, a belief further solidified by recent developments.

Seeing Xu Mo's attitude towards Shui Wuyan, Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but view the family behind Shui Wuyan in a more favorable light.

Yan Shaozhe was well aware of the power of the Xuanming (Profound Darkness) Sect.

Following a detailed conversation, Shui Wuya didn't refuse the goodwill shown towards him. Taking Xu Sanshi under his wing, Xu Mo left satisfied.

"Big brother!" Xu Sanshi's face beamed with a flattering smile as he approached Shui Wuya.

The sect master had mentioned to Xu Sanshi that his hope for full awakening of his martial soul lay within the other party's family.

After contemplating for a while, Yan Shaozhe reminded them that the second-year advancement tests were imminent. Shui Wuya then departed with Xu Sanshi.

Excitedly rushing to the sect, Xu Mo's mood was elated as he prepared to summon the elders of the sect.

(End of Chapter)