For the next few days, Zang Xin kept a close eye on Professor Huo Dong. However, this professor was always low-key, unassuming, and never sought the lead, seemingly intentionally concealing all his brilliance beneath a calm exterior. Taking advantage of their positions, Zang Xin, Cao Dezhi, and the equally curious Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai observed Huo Dong for a long time, noting everything from his daily words and actions to his work, but they couldn't find anything particularly noteworthy. There was no leverage, no flaws, not even a single superfluous expression. Huo Dong was like a tranquil lake, undisturbed, leaving even those with ulterior motives nowhere to begin their investigation.
They had asked Huo Dong directly what his martial soul was, but Huo Dong seemed to have anticipated this, subtly turning his head and tossing out, "I'll tell you after you can beat me." The four of them instantly deflated like punctured balloons, staring at him with utter despair, wanting to continue bargaining. Finally, Huo Dong couldn't take their antics any longer and changed his condition to each of them beating him more, then flicked each of them on the head and threw them out of the office. From then on, the four of them abandoned their previous ulterior motives and quietly immersed themselves in cultivation. Until the mid-term exams, they all successively broke through to the fifth ring.
To better prepare for the exam, Leng Yaozhu suggested going to the Spirit Pagoda to challenge it and obtain suitable soul rings. Fortunately, the Spirit Pagoda, due to its cooperation with the Leng family, had given them a considerable number of slots for the challenge. Cao Dezhi was pleasantly surprised; why not take advantage of readily available soul rings? However, Zang Xin, unusually, frowned, then looked at the other three with a serious expression.
"We are both core disciples of the Tang Sect. Is there any chance that we can go there and come back unharmed?"
Leng Yaozhu initially thought Zang Xin was just joking while pretending to be serious, but upon reflection, given the current adversarial relationship between the Tang Sect and the Spirit Pagoda, Zang Xin's concerns weren't unfounded. As the eldest daughter of the Leng family, she had heard her elders mention the Spirit Pagoda's recent cunning tactics. After a long silence, she raised her head and slowly spoke, "Objectively speaking, the Spirit Pagoda really is as you think. Considering they can not only sabotage the trials but also manipulate spirits, for safety's sake, if a powerful senior with thorough knowledge of spirits could accompany us, we could probably guarantee your safe return."
“But it’s not easy to find such a senior.” Leng Yulai clicked her tongue. “The family intends to train us, so they definitely won’t send anyone to accompany us. And if the Tang Sect sends someone along, the Spirit Pagoda’s methods will only become more outrageous.”
“Don’t you think,” Cao Dezhi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, “that this person is actually very close to us.” He let out a soft breath, “but I’m not sure if he understands spirits.”
The other three people matched his brainwaves in just 0.1 seconds; any longer would be disrespectful to him.
I get it, bro.
"How is it, Snow Empress?" Huo Yuhao was still standing on the familiar rooftop, while Snow Empress had already changed out of the robes that signified her status as the Empress of the Far North, and into more casual clothes. Before coming out to teach his students, he had asked his spirits to help investigate the Spirit Pagoda. With the blessing of his divine power, the spirits could move freely even if they were completely separated from him. It was clearly unwise for him to venture into the Spirit Pagoda alone without any preparation; his spirits had been sleeping with him for ten thousand years, and it was time for them to get some fresh air. Huo Yuhao simply sent all seven spirits out for a stroll, asking them to keep an eye on the Spirit Pagoda whenever they had the chance. He figured he'd have to deal with this tree that had grown crookedly towards the Southern Heavenly Gate sooner or later.
"It's not much different from the worst-case scenario you imagined." The temperature around Xue Di was frighteningly cold, and a restrained anger flickered in her blue eyes. "It's good that Bing'er went to keep an eye on the Tang Sect. If she saw the Spirit Pagoda's current inhuman behavior, she would probably be so angry that she would go and settle accounts with that old bastard tower master on the spot."
"When I first woke up, I had a thought—to wipe the Spirit Pagoda off the face of the earth and solve the problem at its root. After all, even ten thousand years later, I was once the Asura Eye, commanding armies, so destroying the Spirit Pagoda wouldn't be difficult." Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes, his cold voice devoid of any emotion. "But back then, I only knew a small part of it. Now, having glimpsed half of it, I understand that the existence of the Spirit Pagoda is inextricably linked to the lifeline of the Douluo Continent. The vast majority of Soul Masters rely on the artificial Soul Spirits of the Spirit Pagoda to improve their cultivation, and these Soul Masters are the cornerstone of maintaining the current social order. Taking action rashly would only destroy the hard-won peace."
"So, Yuhao, what are your plans now?" A flash of light appeared, and a white-haired boy in blue appeared in mid-air. It was Bajiao, who had gone out to gather information. "Speaking of which, Yuhao, half of your fame on the continent is thanks to the Spirit Pagoda. Even if the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy tried their best to promote you, you could only go toe-to-toe with the Spirit Pagoda." Bajiao complained with a dark expression. Then, he suddenly seemed to remember something and stared at the clueless Huo Yuhao with a meaningful look. "By the way, I have some bad news, I don't know if it counts, but Yuhao, do you want to know?"
"I sense a gossip-loving aura about you." Huo Yuhao's expression was like he'd just eaten a lemon. "But it seems like it's a fact I'll have to face sooner or later."
"That's true."
“There are murals about you in every branch of the Spirit Pagoda.”
"Objectively speaking, it's actually quite good-looking."
"It would be even better if they hadn't made up the story that you and Tang Wutong were a couple."
"...Okay." After a long pause, the Spirit Ice Douluo finally managed to squeeze out a single word. "Can I sue them for spreading rumors?"
Xue Di was so angry she laughed.
"I think it would be faster for you to just scatter them."