"So, you don't want to be my disciple?" Xuan Ziwen frowned, asking.
After this brief conversation, and having experienced the astonishing power of mental detection, Xuan Ziwen immediately wanted to take Huo Yuhao as a disciple. Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao had refused.
"Aren't I already your student?" Huo Yuhao said with a chuckle.
Xuan Ziwen looked at Huo Yuhao helplessly. You sure know how to talk, kid.
"If you don't want to, then you don't want to." Xuan Ziwen shook his head and said, "I will still teach you seriously. I hope you can study diligently. Of course, I certainly won't teach you the core techniques."
"Thank you," Huo Yuhao smiled. But soon, he raised his own question, "Speaking of which, Teacher Xuan, have you ever thought about leaving Minde Hall?"
Xuan Ziwen was taken aback and shook his head. "Why would I leave Minde Hall? There's plenty of funding here, and many powerful Level 9 Soul Tool Masters to collaborate with. Although their techniques can't teach me anymore, but…"
Huo Yuhao interrupted him, "But don't forget, the head of Minde Hall is Toad Douluo Jing Hongchen, and he serves the Sun Moon Emperor. That means Minde Hall's research direction will change according to the Emperor's wishes at any time. If war breaks out, you'll also be subject to control and have to do things you don't want to."
"I knew about you before I came here, so I'm not really holding back with you. I remember your dream was to allow ordinary people to use Soul Tools, right? Has that been achieved in Minde Hall?"
Achieved?
Those few words hit Xuan Ziwen hard. He was stunned. The answer was, of course, no. Minde Hall's public claim of allowing ordinary people to use Soul Tools was their top priority project. This project did exist, but in the current era, it was just a slogan. Their research mainly focused on Soul Tools that could inflict damage on top-tier Soul Masters.
As for who they were targeting... heh.
Besides, if ordinary people could really use Soul Tools, would things like Soul Tool Vehicles still not have been invented by now? This top priority project had been proposed for hundreds of years.
With so many Soul Tool Masters in the Sun Moon Empire, wouldn't at least one person have been inspired to create the Soul Tool Vehicle?
It wasn't that no one had thought of it, but no one was researching it. As for the research of civilian Soul Tools, according to Shrek Academy's intelligence analysis, Minde Hall and Shrek Academy's technologies were almost the closest, and the easiest to catch up to.
Even Xuan Ziwen's most important research object at the moment, the Sealed Milk Bottle, was a task assigned by Minde Hall. To reiterate, Minde Hall wasn't a charity. They gave you resources and connections, and you had to return the favor when the time came.
The two parties were in a cooperative relationship, which was why Xuan Ziwen could leave at any time after handing over the Sealed Milk Bottle technology in the future.
"You want to rope me in on behalf of Shrek Academy." Xuan Ziwen was filled with emotion, his expression complex as he looked at Huo Yuhao. He wasn't a fool, so he naturally understood Huo Yuhao's intentions.
"That's right." Huo Yuhao didn't avoid the issue at all. "If you're willing to go to Shrek Academy, the entire Soul Tool Department of Shrek Academy will be run according to your ideas, with absolute authority. Your status will be even higher than the Hall Master Jing Hongchen. No one will restrict your ideas. When the Soul Tool Department blooms across the continent in the future, your name will also be inscribed on the Hall of Fame in Shrek City for posterity to admire. Most importantly, in Shrek City, there is no emperor."
"But you have the Sea God Pavilion." Xuan Ziwen's eyes flickered slightly, but he still shook his head.
"What if the person offering these conditions is the Sea God Pavilion Master?" Huo Yuhao said in a low voice.
Xuan Ziwen's eyelids slightly lifted, and a trace of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
Huo Yuhao said seriously, "A promise from a Level 99 Ultimate Douluo, I believe you won't think it's fake, right?"
Xuan Ziwen was silent for a moment and said, "The promise of an Ultimate Douluo is certainly not fake, but your Shrek Soul Tool Department is ultimately too far behind."
"But didn't Minde Hall also get to where it is today step by step? Isn't the current Soul Tool Department of Shrek Academy just like the original Minde Hall?" Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. "It needs a leader, a pioneer, and right now, no one has taken that position."
"In Minde Hall, you can only add icing to the cake; history won't remember your contributions. But in Shrek Academy, it's like providing charcoal in the snow. A statue could even be erected in the center square of Shrek City because of it."
"As long as Shrek Academy doesn't fall, the statue will stand for ten thousand years, just like the original Shrek Seven Devils from ten thousand years ago."
Xuan Ziwen's breathing became rapid. He wasn't a saint; anyone would be moved by such conditions.
What Xuan Ziwen didn't notice was that a faint light shone in Huo Yuhao's eyes. Strands of mental power were subtly spreading, influencing his thoughts.
Of course, it wasn't intense, but it could secretly play a promoting role.
Seeing Xuan Ziwen's mental fluctuations change, Huo Yuhao's lips curled into a smile. Almost there. He had said what needed to be said. Whether Xuan Ziwen was willing or not depended on his own choice.
His first goal in the Sun Moon Empire was to win over Xuan Ziwen, a genius who could have become a Level 9 Soul Tool Master long ago if it weren't for cultivation limitations.
What he said wasn't false. He had communicated with Elder Mu a long time ago. To be able to win over a Level 9 Soul Tool Master, Xian Liner was even willing to give up her position as the Soul Tool Academy's principal.
"Teacher Xuan, that's all I have to say. The final decision is in your hands, so you can take your time to think about it. If you want to refuse, please let me know sooner rather than later," Huo Yuhao said.
Xuan Ziwen's expression was complicated. "Aren't you afraid that I'll reveal what you've told me?"
"I'm not afraid, and besides, you wouldn't do that," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
Xuan Ziwen chuckled and shook his head. "I feel like you've figured out all my thoughts. As expected of a Spirit System Soul Master."
Huo Yuhao's mood lightened a bit; not directly refusing meant there was room for discussion.
"I want to ask you a question, and I need you to answer me as honestly as possible," Xuan Ziwen's tone became serious.
Huo Yuhao said, "Go ahead."
Xuan Ziwen said in a deep voice, "In your opinion, what does Soul Tools mean?" As he asked the question, Xuan Ziwen's eyes also became sharp, as if the answer was very important.
Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly. In the original novel, Xuan Ziwen had also asked this question, and after Huo Yuhao answered, he was refuted by Xuan Ziwen.
"Can't answer?" Seeing that Huo Yuhao didn't reply, Xuan Ziwen's eyes couldn't help but show some disappointment.
"Soul Tools mean tools, tools that promote the progress of the human world."
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao spoke.
The disappointment in Xuan Ziwen's eyes temporarily receded, and his eyes brightened. He said, "Tell me your insights."
Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "Soul Tools have nothing to do with Soul Masters. They are like the crops humans planted in ancient times, which allowed us to reduce the days when we had to rely on hunting to make a living. More food brought more people, and the development of the population brought about social progress."
"If we say that the Soul Tools currently can only be used on the Douluo Continent, for wars between empires, or for people's livelihood, then in the future, Soul Tools will allow humans to fly out of this world, to find and conquer other worlds. This is the significance of Soul Tools bringing continuous progress to humanity."
"Regarding Soul Tools, we can't be limited by our current perspective. We need to broaden our horizons. Only then will we have the drive to move forward. Of course, the road to that day is still extremely long. For example, in the current stage of Soul Tools, everything revolves around Soul Masters, and ordinary people can hardly get involved."
The more he listened, the more excited Xuan Ziwen became. Yes, Huo Yuhao's views on Soul Tools were exactly the same as his. Even Minde Hall hadn't considered the future of leaving Douluo Continent and flying to the outside world. Yet, a child from Shrek Academy had said it.
"In your Shrek Academy, is this how you think about Soul Tools?" Xuan Ziwen asked excitedly.
"No." Huo Yuhao smiled.
Hearing this, Xuan Ziwen immediately became disappointed, but Huo Yuhao saw what he wanted to say, "But if you join, then it will be."
Xuan Ziwen's mouth twitched. You really don't miss any chance to recruit me.
But these conversations did indeed resonate deeply within him.
Xuan Ziwen lowered his head, his eyes deep in thought.
Huo Yuhao didn't disturb him, but suddenly, the spirit detection he released, which covered a fifty-meter radius, detected a figure entering the area.
In the corridor, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl was yawning and walking towards the laboratory.
Huo Yuhao's expression changed slightly. Orange, Orange, you're finally here.
Counting the time it took for Orange to enter the laboratory, Huo Yuhao looked at Xuan Ziwen. Just as Orange took out her identity card to swipe it, Huo Yuhao immediately spoke, "Teacher Xuan, how about I treat you to some Grilled Fish when you have time?"
He specifically raised his voice when he said the words "Grilled Fish."
"Grilled Fish?"
"Grilled Fish?"
One was filled with doubt, the other with excitement.
"Oh, Orange, you're here." Xuan Ziwen had just started to ask, puzzled, when he turned and saw the girl standing at the door as it opened.
Her skin was extremely tender, as if water could be squeezed out of it with a pinch. Her lively eyes didn't seem to be fully awake yet, still drowsy. Her beautiful figure was wrapped in a school uniform, and her long black hair was messy, with a single ahoge on top, swaying left and right.
But at this moment, Orange's eyes were wide open, and she seemed less sleepy. She directly ignored Huo Yuhao and excitedly said to Xuan Ziwen, "Teacher Xuan, did I just hear the words Grilled Fish? Where is it?"
"Ahem." Xuan Ziwen coughed a few times. "There's no Grilled Fish here. Let me introduce you, this is..."
"I'll go back to sleep for a while. Call me when the time comes." Orange lost all interest, and sleepiness returned. She lazily sat down on a chair, ready to lie down and sleep.
Xuan Ziwen's mouth twitched, and he said to Huo Yuhao, "This guy is just like this. Don't mind her."
Huo Yuhao nodded in acknowledgment, then said to Orange, "Teacher Xuan doesn't have Grilled Fish, but I do. Senior, would you like to try some?"
Hearing this, Orange opened her eyes wide and then turned around in her seat.
Her gaze immediately met Huo Yuhao's.
Looking at her, Huo Yuhao's mind became active. He knew very well what Orange's dreams were: one was to kill Dai Hao, and the other was to marry the world's best chef and eat the most delicious food in the world.
Since he would have to cooperate with her in some areas in the future, he would start with food. After all, in this life, he didn't plan to have any emotional entanglement with Orange.
After all, he didn't want to be targeted by Orange with a certain Soul Tool to… well, you know.
"You have grilled fish?" Orange became interested.
Huo Yuhao's fingers flickered with soul power, and three steaming skewers of grilled fish were taken out by him. Then, he handed one to Xuan Ziwen and Orange respectively.
Looking at the grilled fish in his hand, Xuan Ziwen was a bit dumbfounded, and said in surprise: "Your storage Soul Tool should be the most top-notch one, capable of keeping things fresh for months. And you use it to store grilled fish?"
"Not really. I just put some in when I'm occasionally craving a snack. I have a hobby of loving delicious food," Huo Yuhao explained.
Orange's beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at Huo Yuhao without a trace. She also had this hobby.
Xuan Ziwen couldn't help but complain, "It seems like it was quite a coincidence that you were assigned as my student. Orange here is just like you, a real foodie."
After glancing at Huo Yuhao, Orange's eyes were already fixed on the Grilled Fish in her hand. She brought her nose closer and sniffed, and after sensing the intense aroma of cumin and chili powder, her mouth immediately began to water.
"It smells so good."
"How does it taste?" Huo Yuhao was very confident. Anyway, the Grilled Fish he made was like it had a succubus attribute; anyone who ate it would praise it, like a fixed game program.
Orange obviously wouldn't be polite. She opened her mouth and took a bite, and she was stunned after just one bite.
As the Grilled Fish entered her mouth, the fish skin was extremely crispy, and after chewing on the cumin and chili powder, the aroma was even more intense.
The fish meat was tender and springy, marinated in a unique sauce in advance, which was completely different from the texture of the fish skin, adding a new layer of taste, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Just one bite, and Orange's pupils almost turned into hearts.
"Is it really that delicious?" Xuan Ziwen looked at Orange with surprise. As a teacher, he knew very well how picky Orange was about food.
Saying that, he also tried a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up. Of course, this time he didn't turn into hearts.
It's weird for a guy to have hearts.
"This taste is really amazing." Xuan Ziwen ate with great enthusiasm. The fish itself had no small bones, and it was almost all meat when it entered his mouth. In just a few seconds, a grilled fish that wasn't too big was devoured.
It seems that his skills haven't declined... Huo Yuhao nodded with satisfaction. He rarely grilled fish, after all, he didn't need to make money by grilling fish in this life.
Although Orange didn't eat fast, it was almost finished. Ignoring the grease on the corners of her mouth, she stood up and excitedly asked Huo Yuhao, "Do you know who grilled this?"
"It's me." Huo Yuhao pointed at himself.
"You?" Orange widened her eyes, then blinked, "Right, who are you again?"
"His name is Huo Yuhao. He's from Shrek Academy and is an exchange student." Xuan Ziwen wiped his mouth, finally managing to introduce him successfully.
Shrek Academy, exchange student… A hint of shrewdness flashed in Orange's originally languid eyes. She hid it well, but it couldn't escape Huo Yuhao's perception.
Someone who could become Xu Tianran's right-hand person couldn't possibly be as naive as described in the original novel; it was just a facade.
"How's the Grilled Fish?" Huo Yuhao asked with a smile.
"Top-notch flavor." Orange ate the Grilled Fish again, asking casually, "By the way, you're from Shrek Academy, which empire were you born in?"
"Neither empire. Just Shrek City." Huo Yuhao replied with a smile.
The depth in Orange's eyes receded, and a smile bloomed on her delicate face. "Welcome, junior."
"Thank you." Huo Yuhao maintained his smile.
"Finally done with the introductions," Xuan Ziwen said helplessly. "Orange, next time I'm speaking, could you at least listen? Give your teacher some face, will you?"
Orange stuck out her tongue, her gaze returning to its usual laziness. "Got it, got it."
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from Xuan Ziwen. He sighed and patted his forehead. "Orange, you talk to Yuhao about our learning direction and the general courses. I have to go to a meeting."
"Okay." Orange nodded.
Xuan Ziwen left in a hurry. Soon, only Huo Yuhao and Orange were left in the laboratory.
"Swish." A flash of orange came over, and Huo Yuhao caught it. It was a round, plump orange.
"My martial soul is Orange, and it tastes really good, you know." Orange gestured for Huo Yuhao to eat it.
~~~~~
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