Chapter 40 The Bound Soul, Long Aotian's Fighting Spirit.
The crackling sound of grease sizzling in the fire was clearly audible within the soul power barrier, and Huo Yuhao's fingers holding the roasted meat turned slightly white.
He was conflicted, extremely conflicted.
Liu Yuan's growth is right before our eyes. His solo kill of a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast with only three rings is enough to shatter the psychological defenses of any peer.
Huo Yuhao knew very well that if he went to the Body Sect, with their fanaticism for Body Martial Souls and their allocation of resources, his Spirit Eyes would definitely achieve a leap that Shrek Academy could not provide.
Moreover, he was not happy at Shrek.
He fought hard to win the freshman competition, but the academy's higher-ups rejected him from becoming a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department because of his "talent ceiling".
This is something that Huo Yuhao has always resented.
However, whenever the thought of "leaving" crossed his mind, faces began to appear in his consciousness.
It was Tang Ya and Bei Bei who brought him out of the Star Dou Great Forest and gave him the ticket to join the Tang Sect and enter Shrek Academy;
Although Teacher Zhou Yi was strict, she had high hopes for him; and Teacher Fan Yu led him into the world of soul tools.
And then there's Wang Dong, his partner with whom he spends every day and whose personality is compatible.
If he were to turn to the Body Sect because of this difficulty...
What kind of person did he become? A traitor? An ingrate?
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, and the struggle in his eyes was gradually replaced by an almost rigid determination.
He raised his head, met Liu Yuanzhen's sincere gaze, and slowly shook his head.
"Liu Yuan, thank you for your kindness." Huo Yuhao's voice was a little hoarse.
"But I can't go to the Body Sect. Shrek Academy has my teachers, my companions, and the Tang Sect that brought me here. I can't betray them."
Looking at Huo Yuhao, Liu Yuan's expectant gaze quickly dimmed, finally turning into a long sigh.
He sighed helplessly and didn't try to persuade him any further.
He knew very well that Huo Yuhao at this moment had been completely kidnapped by Shrek Academy's values of "honor and loyalty".
In Liu Yuan's view, that was not loyalty, but self-imposed confinement after being completely domesticated.
However, before Liu Yuan could speak, Du Busi, who was sitting to the side, suddenly stood up.
"You bastard!"
Poison Undying's deep green eyes flickered with emerald light. Although he wasn't fully unleashing the terrifying pressure of a level 98 Super Douluo, it still caused the air inside the barrier to almost freeze.
He stared at Huo Yuhao, his voice booming like thunder: "What's so good about that crappy Shrek Academy? A bunch of blind idiots who don't know how to teach a true martial soul!"
"You possess the Body Spirit, making you a natural member of our Body Sect! This bloodline connection far surpasses mere sentimentality. Come back with me immediately!"
Huo Yuhao's face turned pale under the pressure, but he did not back down. Instead, he stubbornly straightened his back and stared directly at Du Busi.
"Senior, please don't force me, a junior," Huo Yuhao said through gritted teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Shrek is my home. If you insist on taking me away by force, all you'll get is a corpse."
"I'd rather die than betray Shrek!"
Liu Yuan stood aside, looking at Huo Yuhao who was now righteous and awe-inspiring, and shook his head inwardly.
He originally wanted to give Huo Yuhao a hand, so that he could get out of that seemingly glorious but actually talent-suppressing cage as soon as possible, and pursue the true path to the ultimate.
But now it seems that Huo Yuhao has willingly welded that shackle into his soul.
Even though the poison didn't kill him, he was still furious, and this fury carried a deep sense of absurdity.
As the sect leader of the Body Sect, when has he ever asked anyone for help? Now that he's personally recruiting, he's being threatened with death by a brat with only two rings?
"Fine, what a fine example of 'preferring death to surrender'!" Poison Undying laughed in extreme anger, his eyes filled with coldness.
"You'd rather die than betray Shrek Academy? Then go ahead and die!"
Poison Undying slapped Huo Yuhao hard on the forehead.
But Huo Yuhao remained completely unafraid.
Meanwhile, Du Bu Si had been secretly observing Huo Yu Hao.
He noticed that even though Huo Yuhao was afraid, his expression remained firm as his palm was about to strike him.
This made Poison Undying's face even more unsightly.
He did not kill Huo Yuhao.
He stopped at the crucial moment.
Because he is also a proud person.
It's unlikely that they would actually lay a hand on a junior.
Moreover, Huo Yuhao's attitude was already so clear, so he was too lazy to lower himself.
Does he intend to forcibly bring this walking corpse back to the Body Sect?
Taking it back is useless!
"Since you like that quagmire so much, then let me rot there to the very end!"
Poison Undying snorted coldly and looked at Liu Yuan.
"Liu Yuan, let's go! This spineless idiot doesn't deserve to enter the gates of my Body Sect!"
With a wave of his sleeve, Du Busi's emerald green soul power barrier instantly dissipated.
The raging blizzard poured in again, extinguishing the fire and leaving only a mess.
Du Busi grabbed Liu Yuan's shoulder, transformed into a streak of green lightning, and shot into the sky, disappearing into the white horizon without leaving Huo Yuhao with even a single extra word.
In the snowstorm of the far north, Huo Yuhao stood alone, looking thin and lonely.
"Actually... you really should have agreed just now." Hyotei's cold voice rang out again in his mind, carrying a hint of complex emotions.
"That old monster's strength is even more terrifying than you imagine, and the Body Sect is indeed more professional than Shrek Academy in developing your kind of martial soul."
Huo Yuhao shook his head bitterly: "I know. But I can't get over that hurdle in my heart."
Tianmeng Bingcan sighed, "Alas, I am also distressed. It's no use saying more now. Yuhao, cultivate diligently from now on, and strive... strive to catch up with Liu Yuan's figure."
"I will do my best." Huo Yuhao clenched his fist as he looked in the direction Liu Yuan had left.
But for some reason, he had a strong intuition: after this parting today, the distance between him and Liu Yuan would probably never be able to be crossed again.
...
Tianhun Empire, Noumenon Sect.
This secluded sect's residence was unaffected by the extreme northern winds and snow; the sun was shining brightly at this moment.
In the central arena of the sect, the fluctuations of soul power spread violently.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, three figures staggered backward.
Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong, and Chen Lu were all kneeling on one knee, breathing heavily.
Opposite them, Long Aotian stood with his hands behind his back, his breathing perfectly steady.
"Senior Brother Long...you're too monstrous." Chen Lu wiped the sweat from his forehead with a wry smile. "The three of us combined couldn't even withstand ten of your moves?"
Wang Yanfeng also exclaimed, "Yes, Brother Long's improvement lately has been ridiculously fast."
Long Aotian smiled calmly, and five spirit rings rose from beneath his feet, the last one, a black ten-thousand-year spirit ring, shimmering with a profound light.
"Luckily, I just broke through to level 47 a couple of days ago," Long Aotian said calmly. "The higher the level, the stronger the control the main body martial soul has over the battle. The three of you haven't reached that stage yet, so it's normal for you to lose to me."
Although he had defeated the three, Long Aotian's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the direction of the sect's gate.
"Level 47... It's a pity that Junior Brother Liu Yuan hasn't returned yet. He went to the far north to obtain his third spirit ring. If all goes well, he should be home by now."
A fighting spirit ignited in Long Aotian's eyes: "I accepted my defeat last time, but now that our strength has improved, I really want to find an opportunity to spar with him again..."
At this very moment, Liu Yuan and Du Busi returned.
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