Douluo Dalu 2: Peerless Gu master

A few hours ago.

Sea God Lake, Sea God island

Teacher Wang Yan, who had been speaking with Huo Yuhao not long ago, stood there with an expression of utmost respect.

Not far in front of him sat an old man with disheveled hair, his appearance rather unkempt.

What was once a white robe had turned a dull taupe, tattered in many places. His hair was a mess, and his bare feet, devoid of shoes or socks, were soaked in the cool waters of Sea God Lake.

In his right hand, he held a massive gourd, its surface a deep purple-red, though the material it was made of remained a mystery. From time to time, he would raise it to his lips and take a sip, releasing a strong aroma of wine.

In his other hand, he clutched a roasted chicken, eating and drinking with gusto, alternating between bites of chicken and swigs of wine.

"Mr. Xuan, that's the situation. Although this student is still young and a freshman, he is certainly worth building a good relationship."

"Hmm..." Mr. Xuan swallowed a mouthful of chicken and turned to look at Wang Yan. His crimson eyes were strikingly bright, almost intimidating.

"The roast chicken is really good. One of the best I've had! Xiao Wang, tell the canteen to prepare more in the future."

At that moment, his gaze seemed scattered, even a little unfocused, as if he hadn't been paying much attention to Wang Yan's words.

Wang Yan was momentarily speechless, but facing his master, he could only endure it and repeated his point:

"Huo Yuhao, at just eleven years old, has cultivated to the twenty-eighth level entirely through his own efforts. His talent is undeniable. Moreover, his martial soul possesses the spiritual attribute of a body martial soul, giving him immense potential for future growth. Coupled with his clean background, I recommend that the academy focus on cultivating this boy!"

"A body martial soul? That's quite interesting," Mr. Xuan muttered, his voice hoarse and aged.

"Don't worry. The academy values every Shrek student. As long as he's a talent, the academy will prioritize his training. As for his third soul ring, I'll step in when the time comes."

Wang Yan hesitated before asking, "What about the Body Sect? He's from the Heavenly Soul Empire. If someone from the Body Sect tries to intervene..."

Before he could finish, Mr. Xuan interrupted him. Though his tone was calm, it carried an undeniable authority.

"Don't worry. With me here, how dare the Body Sect come to Shrek Academy to poach anyone? If that old poisoner dares to show his face, he'll never leave!"

Mr. Xuan chuckled, stood up, and stepped onto the lawn with his wet feet, appearing completely at ease.

"Now, let me teach you how to gauge the strength of an body martial soul. You must consider the importance of the body part that the martial soul represents. The more vital that part is to the human body, the stronger the original martial soul. The martial soul you mentioned involves the eyes and even has spiritual attributes. This means his martial soul is essentially his eyes and brain. Xiao Wang, you're quite fortunate. In your lifetime, you've actually encountered one of the most top-tier martial souls.

"Remember to tell Xiao Du later that I'll be attending the freshman assessment qualifying competition in three months. Ask him to save a seat for me."

"Yes, sir."

…

As night fell, Wang Yan was on his way to the canteen.

After his earlier conversation with Mr. Xuan, he had gone to the library to apply for an authority certificate for Huo Yuhao and to verify some of his own thoughts.

Regarding the ice-attribute aura Huo Yuhao had displayed that morning, Wang Yan had chosen not to mention it to Mr. Xuan. After all, it was something he had only heard about from Mu Jin. Without first-hand experience, he wasn't ready to make any definitive judgments.

"It's extremely rare for spiritual soul skills to produce ice-type effects. Could it be a rubbing soul skill from a Silver Ying Beast? But isn't that kind of soul beast long extinct? It's truly puzzling..."

Wang Yan planned to observe Huo Yuhao closely during the freshman assessment in three months. He believed that through the competition, he would be able to uncover the full extent of Huo Yuhao's abilities.

It was at that moment that an announcement came over the radio near the Shrek Academy cafeteria.

"An hour from now, in Great Spirit Arena No. 1, Xu Sanshi, one of the twin stars of Shrek's outer courtyard and the owner of the strongest defensive martial soul in the outer courtyard, will face off against Huo Yuhao, the strongest freshman of the first grade. If you're interested, come to the Great Spirit Arena to watch the battle."

Wang Yan was stunned.

He remembered that Xu Sanshi was already a fifth-year student. Why would Huo Yuhao, a freshman, be fighting him?

Could it be that Huo Yuhao was being treated unfairly?

As an orphan, Huo Yuhao had no one to rely on. Even his awakened martial soul was an extremely rare spiritual martial soul, making it difficult for him to obtain a suitable soul ring. Yet, he had never given up.

Through sheer determination and relentless effort, he had earned his place at Shrek Academy. But now, on his very first day, he was being bullied by an upperclassman?

Wang Yan's thoughts raced, and his anger flared. During his brief exchange with Huo Yuhao that afternoon, he had sensed that Yuhao was a respectful and polite young man.

He hadn't expected something like this to happen. It had to be Xu Sanshi's fault!

Wang Yan had long heard rumors about Xu Sanshi's questionable character—how he had neglected his training to pursue a female classmate, squandering the potential of his top-tier martial soul.

No, he had to go and see for himself. At the very least, he needed to support Yuhao.

With that thought, Wang Yan ignored his growling stomach and headed straight for the Soul Fighting Area.

…

Girls' Dormitory Building.

"Huh? Why is the monitor fighting someone? And the other person sounds really strong."

"No matter how strong he is, he can't beat the monitor. Monitor Yuhao is invincible!"

"Come on, sisters, let's go and cheer for him!"

Aside from Class 9, many first-year female students were also curious about Huo Yuhao—not because of his title as the "strongest freshman," but because he was undeniably the most handsome. Even Wang Dong from Class 1 couldn't compare.

This had been confirmed by numerous female students who had "coincidentally" run into the two at the Shrek cafeteria a few days prior. After some field research, they had unanimously agreed.

Among some of the male students outside of Class 9, however, the title of "strongest freshman" didn't sit well.

Dai Huabin of the White Tiger Duke lineage was furious upon hearing the announcement.

"The strongest freshman? Has anyone asked me, Dai Huabin? This is ridiculous!"

Dormitory 108.

Wang Dong had just finished taking a shower.

Because Zhou Yi had taken a special interest in her, she had been singled out during the afternoon's weighted running session. The old woman had said, "Wang Dong, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. As the class monitor, you should set an example."

Bah!

In Wang Dong's eyes, Zhou Yi was entirely self-absorbed. She only cared about the results of the freshman assessment three months from now and had no regard for the well-being of her students.

Especially the auxiliary soul masters—they had it the worst.

If it weren't for the plant-type Soul Saint the old woman had brought in to heal them collectively, they might have suffered permanent injuries.

"Are high-level soul masters really this much self-absorbed? I've never seen Daddy or Second Uncle act like this..."

During the afternoon's weighted running, another group of students had been expelled.

Wang Dong sighed.

She muttered to herself, "Just endure it for a few more months. If that old woman dares to mess with me, I'll go home and call for backup. A mere Soul Emperor—hmph!"

At that moment, the dormitory broadcast sounded.

Wang Dong's expression changed as she listened. "Xu Sanshi? Isn't he the senior brother that Senior Brother introduced last time? How did Yuhao get involved with someone so strong?"

"Teacher Xiaoya mentioned she was going to buy grilled fish with Yuhao tonight. Senior Brother Beibei must be there too. There must be some misunderstanding, right?"

Without hesitation, Wang Dong quickly got ready and rushed toward the Great Spirit Arena.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was completely unaware of the commotion he had stirred.

He was in the lounge, discussing a private bet with Xu Sanshi.

"Junior Brother Huo, care to make a wager?"

"Ten thousand gold soul coins."

Huo Yuhao named a hefty sum, even though he couldn't afford it at the moment.

But would he lose?

Not a chance. Victory was guaranteed!