Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao who returned from Sekiro

Chapter 70 People are all about compromise (35 words per day)

The old man in white was completely unaware that he had fallen into the encirclement of Huo Yuhao and Qian Daoliu.

Even the fleeting wavering in Huo Yuhao's eyes was a deliberate act by Huo Yuhao at Qian Daoliu's request.

"You brat, if you follow me, you'll learn the most advanced martial soul knowledge in the entire Douluo Continent. Countless people would kill for it. Why are you only thinking about the stuff in the Soul Guidance Department?"

The old man in white looked at him with a disappointed expression.

"What's more, besides all that, you'll also get the status of a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department, so you won't have to compete with your peers in the Freshman Competition. I'll even prepare a 100,000-year-level Soul Ring and Soul Bone for you. Why are you so fixated on the Soul Guidance Department? They don't even have a single Level 9 Soul Guidance Master. They're just toys for Super Douluo."

Huo Yuhao looked like he had just realized something, and the white-robed old man finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Huo Yuhao still didn't give in, he would have no choice but to continue making offers.

"I understand, Grandpa Dean. I'll go to the Sun Moon Empire to study right away. Only in the Sun Moon Empire can I learn the most advanced knowledge about soul tools. I was confused."

The old man in white was nodding in satisfaction, thinking that Huo Yuhao had finally realized that the Martial Soul system was his only way out. But when he heard the second half of the sentence, his hand trembled, and the liquor he had just picked up to take a sip of spilled onto the ground.

"Cough cough cough. No, that's not how it is, Yuhao. Actually, you can cultivate both the Soul Guidance System and the Martial Soul System at Shrek Academy. I'm not unwilling to make some concessions, but it's best not to go to the Sun Moon Empire."

The old man in white was now wishing he could slap himself twice. How could he not only fail to persuade the person to come, but also drive him away? Such a promising talent had gone to the Sun Moon Empire; they'd probably be laughing in their dreams.

"Grandpa Dean, wasn't it you who guided me to discover the shortcomings of Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance System and made me realize that only by going to the Sun Moon Empire could I learn the most advanced Soul Guidance knowledge on the entire continent? Why won't you let me go now?"

Huo Yuhao's seemingly innocent words struck the white-robed elder as if he had been struck by lightning. After thinking it over and over again, he replied, "Because...because because Grandpa Dean plans to prepare a complete set of high-quality soul bones for you, the kind that start at 50,000 years. If you go to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, you definitely won't get this kind of treatment."

"A complete set of soul bones starting at 50,000 years, including one that's at the 100,000-year level. Also, a 100,000-year soul ring."

Huo Yuhao's face showed a conflicted expression again, which made the white-robed old man breathe a slight sigh of relief and subtly wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

This little guy is so hard to please!

"Then, Grandpa Dean, what you just said about cultivating the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department together isn't just a joke, is it? If our academy can really let me cultivate the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department together, I... I won't go to the Sun Moon Empire."

At this moment, the white-robed elder was completely unaware that he had already revealed his bottom line completely. Even so, he still failed to achieve his goal of taking Huo Yuhao as his disciple and leaving this unpolished gem in the Martial Soul Department of Shrek Academy.

Hearing Huo Yuhao say that as long as he agreed to let him study in both the Martial Soul System and the Soul Guidance System, the boy wouldn't go to the Sun Moon Empire to study, the white-robed elder breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon hearing the "ba" at the end of Huo Yuhao's words, the white-robed elder couldn't help but feel a tightness in his heart again.

"Swallow that 'ba' you just said! Here's what we'll do: as long as you promise to join Shrek Academy, I'll try to do some work with Elder Mu to see if I can arrange an exchange program for you so you can go to Sun Moon Academy."

"But you have to promise me that you can only enroll in Shrek Academy and you can't even think about the schools in the Sun Moon Empire anymore. Think about it, how much your classmates like you. You have friends and teachers at Shrek, and I'll be your backer. It would be such a loss if you didn't enroll in Shrek."

"Grandpa Dean, I'll listen to you. I promise I'll enroll in Shrek Academy next year."

Yan Shaozhe, or rather the white-robed old man who had visited Huo Yuhao's home earlier, returned to the secret room in a daze. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He felt like he had lost out big time, but it also seemed like he hadn't lost much at all.

"Teacher, you don't look well. What's wrong? Didn't you say you wanted to see Xiaoyuhao in person? What happened?"

Ma Xiaotao had just finished a week of cultivation when she opened her eyes and saw Yan Shaozhe, who seemed to have had his soul ripped out.

Yan Shaozhe swallowed hard twice, and after thinking for a long time, he came back to his senses and looked at Ma Xiaotao with a solemn expression.

"Xiao Tao, I have something to tell you, but don't be afraid."

Ma Xiaotao was completely baffled by Yan Shaozhe's strange reaction, but she still went along with him and said, "Teacher, I am an inner disciple of Shrek Academy, and your personal disciple. I am not afraid. Please speak."

"Hey, Xiaotao, you might not believe it, but we, master and apprentice, might have met our nemesis."

Yan Shaozhe's words left Ma Xiaotao completely bewildered. What did he mean by saying that the two of them, master and disciple, had met their nemesis? Her teacher was a level 94 Title Douluo. Who could possibly have such a powerful opponent over her and her master?

Seeing Yan Shaozhe's dejected and lifeless appearance, Ma Xiaotao seemed to realize that now was not a good time to talk. She planned to send Yan Shaozhe back to rest first, but Yan Shaozhe refused and told her the whole story of what happened after he met Huo Yuhao today.

After listening to Yan Shaozhe's words, Ma Xiaotao fell into deep thought, and after thinking it over and over again, she cautiously spoke.

"Teacher, do you mean that you personally went here today, but not only did you fail to bring my junior brother back, you also lost a 100,000-year spirit ring, a 100,000-year spirit bone, a set of high-quality spirit bones over 50,000 years old, a letter of recommendation from Shrek Academy, and a recommendation spot for a core disciple?"

No wonder Ma Xiaotao, usually so impulsive, was speaking so cautiously. If Yan Shaozhe hadn't done anything, Huo Yuhao would definitely have enrolled at Shrek Academy, but now…

He went there full of enthusiasm, only to be first stunned by the Spirit Eye of Ultimate Light, leaving him completely powerless. Then, he inexplicably invested a bunch of promises worth hundreds of millions, only to receive a promise in return that he would join Shrek Academy??

"Stop talking, stop talking."

Every word Ma Xiaotao uttered felt like a knife had been plunged into Yan Shaozhe's chest. He wished he could disappear into the ground and never see anyone again for a hundred years.

(End of this chapter)