Black World, Douluo Continent. Countless people saw Huo Yuhao's performance and fell into sudden silence.
In that tavern, there was dead silence.
Then—
Intense discussions erupted:
"Four first places? First in everything?"
"What kind of talent is this? This must be the moment when the White World Huo Yuhao started to rise!"
"Is this the gap? The one on our side fought tooth and nail to get first place, only to be told he relied on his teammates. Over there, he got first in all four categories—fully deserved."
"The assessment content is different too. Our side is about fighting, while their side tests knowledge, operation, and actual combat—an all-around assessment."
"An all-around assessment is fair! What's the point of only knowing how to fight? A Soul Engineer needs to research and fight!"
"That Shrek style... it really is outdated!"
"Who exactly is that Xuan Ziwen? Could he be the current Chief Soul Engineer of the Tang Sect?"
"It should be, but I heard that Shrek Academy's Huo Yuhao poached him from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"
"Poached? Does that mean the Huo Yuhao of our World also went to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy?"
"Exactly. My child is studying at Shrek Academy, and he knows a bit about Huo Yuhao's history. He knows that Huo Yuhao went to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy as an exchange student."
"So that's it. But, isn't this a bit late?"
...
Shrek Inner Court, Sea Gods Pavilion.
Fan Yu, as a veteran of the Sea Gods Pavilion, watched Huo Yuhao in the White World assessment. Comparing it to his own understanding of the Black World Huo Yuhao, he felt both self-reproach and intense annoyance.
"Did I really delay Yuhao? I didn't let him study spirit tools last semester; was his start too late?"
Although Fan Yu thought this, he also knew that being at Shrek Academy, the Martial Soul Department carried more weight. He had already attached great importance to Huo Yuhao, allowing him to come into contact with spirit tools in his first year.
Normally, students at Shrek Academy would only be divided into the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department after their third year. However, those who were assigned to the Soul Tool Department were usually those with extremely poor talent; it was rare to see a genius emerge even after several years.
This was also a point of helplessness for him.
The Sun Moon Empire's research capabilities were so strong, and Shrek Academy hadn't valued it before. Now that they wanted to catch up, it was already too late.
Fan Yu's expression was seen by Xuan Zi and the others, but they didn't know what to say, so they could only change the subject:
"I didn't expect that Huo Yuhao from that World to take Xuan Ziwen as his master in his first year. With his talent, he's bound to soar at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"
"That's a full five years too late!"
"The gap isn't very obvious right now. I don't know what that Huo Yuhao did, but his strength increased so quickly in the later stages."
...
White World, Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
The common people looked at the sky screen, their faces full of proud smiles.
"Did you see that! This is our Venerable Ming! First in all four categories of the freshman assessment, choosing his own teacher!"
"That Xuan Ziwen is a disciple of the Sun Moon Empire's level-10 Soul Engineer, Kong Deming. He has amazing talent and is already a level-8 Soul Engineer at such a young age!"
"When Venerable Ming chose him, that look, that tone—so steady!"
"Nonsense, how could Venerable Ming not be steady? He became a level-1 Soul Engineer in two months; he has confidence!"
Someone sighed: "That's why they say, good seedlings need good soil. In a place like Shrek, even the best seedlings will grow crooked."
"Exactly! Our Venerable Ming is like a fish in water in the Sun Moon Empire. As for that one over there, sigh..."
...
White World, Reincarnation God Realm.
Gu Yuena looked at the images on the sky screen, a smile on her lips.
"Yuhao chose Xuan Ziwen."
Wang Qiuer asked curiously: "Is Xuan Ziwen very powerful?"
"In terms of level, not exactly. After all, he's only a level-8 Soul Engineer. But he has high talent and is good at teaching students. Plus, he is the disciple of the Sun Moon Empire's only level-10 Soul Engineer, so his background is deep and he can protect Yuhao." Gu Yuena said softly, "More importantly, he is genuinely good to his students. Under his guidance, Yuhao learns not just techniques, but an attitude."
Snow Empress looked at the young man who was talking to Xuan Ziwen and said softly: "He, in that World, has finally met a noble person."
"It's not just meeting one." Gu Yuena corrected her, "It's that he chose it himself."
She paused, her gaze deep:
"From refusing Bei Bei and Tang Ya, to going to the Sun Moon Empire alone, to preparing medicine in advance to wake up Electrolux, and now choosing Xuan Ziwen—every step was his own choice."
"And what about him in that World?"
She didn't continue.
But everyone understood what she meant.
The Huo Yuhao of that World was chosen for every step.
Chosen by Zhou Yi to be the class monitor, gifted medicine by Bei Bei, taken for an examination by Teacher Wang Yan, judged by Xuan Zi to have no potential, and rewarded with 'enjoying one year of core student treatment'.
From beginning to end, he was a passive recipient.
...
Shrek City, a certain corner.
The Black World Huo Yuhao stood in the shadows, looking at himself on the sky screen shaking hands with Xuan Ziwen, his face expressionless.
But his fists were clenched tightly.
"Choosing a teacher..."
He muttered.
He remembered the scene when he first entered the Soul Tool Department.
Zhou Yi took him to find Fan Yu, but due to limitations in spirit power and school rules, it was a long time before he formally came into contact with spirit tools.
And that version of himself could choose his teacher.
Choose the top-tier teachers.
"If..."
He didn't continue.
Because he knew, there were no ifs.
He chose Shrek, chose the Tang Sect, and chose this path that had been arranged for him.
And that version of himself chose the Sun Moon Empire, chose to go forward alone, and chose to control his own destiny.
"Is this the gap..."
He asked himself in a low voice.
No one answered him.
Only on the sky screen, that version of himself shaking hands with Xuan Ziwen was smiling so confidently, so calmly.
...
Above the sky screen, light and shadow flowed.
In the image of the Black World on the left, the clamor of the freshman assessment gradually faded, replaced by day-after-day dullness and persistence.
...
[After Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao became the first-place winners of the freshman assessment, the status of the three in the class rose. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao successfully became core students, enjoying the best resources of the academy. Although Huo Yuhao only obtained the qualification to 'enjoy one year of core student treatment', he did not complain, but silently buried that injustice in his heart.]
[Because he knew, he had a bigger trump card—Heavenly Dream Ice Worm had once told him that his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul would awaken a second martial soul. By then, everything would be different.]
[Days passed by like this.]
[Because of his outstanding spiritual detection ability displayed in the freshman assessment, Huo Yuhao finally attracted Fan Yu's attention. His Spirit Ability met the basic requirements of the Soul Tool Department, and Fan Yu agreed to let him formally enter the Soul Tool Department to study.]
[From that day on, Huo Yuhao's life became busier. During the day, he had to follow Zhou Yi for devilish training and complete the various coursework of the first freshman class. In the evening, he had to rush to the Soul Tool Department to follow Fan Yu and learn the basics of spirit tool production. After returning to the dormitory at night, he still had to practice Mysterious Heaven Skill to consolidate his spirit power.]
[He did not complain, just silently persisted.]
[Because he knew, his talent was poor, so he had to pay more than others.]