Above the Sky Screen, within the two screens.
In the Black World scene on the left, Huo Yuhao had just stepped into the wind and snow of the Far North Land, while in the White World scene on the right, the time had quietly reached the end of the term.
[White World, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.]
[Inside Xuan Ziwen's private laboratory, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.]
[Huo Yuhao stood before his teacher, having just stated his request. Xuan Ziwen's brows were tightly knitted as he stared at his youngest and most prized disciple, as if trying to see right through him.]
["Yuhao, did I hear you correctly?" Xuan Ziwen's voice was filled with obvious confusion. "Our academy's vacation is less than two months long, yet you want to ask for a four-month leave? Why is that?"]
[Huo Yuhao had already prepared his excuse. He raised his head, his gaze frank and calm:]
["Teacher Xuan, you know that I am an orphan from the Star Luo Empire. Although my parents are gone, I still have some matters to handle there—my mother's grave needs to be visited, and there are some old acquaintances... I want to take advantage of this vacation to go back and settle these worldly affairs."]
[He paused, then continued: "I promise you, Teacher, that after I return this time, I will not leave the academy during the vacations for the next few years. I will focus entirely on learning from you and will not go anywhere else."]
["And..." He gritted his teeth, as if having made a certain resolution. "Next semester, I will definitely break through to become a Level 3 Soul Engineer!"]
[After speaking, he stared intently at Xuan Ziwen's face, though he felt a bit anxious inside.]
[Only he knew that these excuses were all pretexts. His true destination was the Far North Land—the icy World separated from the Sun Moon Empire by the entire Douluo Continent.]
[The Sun Moon Empire is located at the southernmost tip of the continent, while the Far North Land is at the northernmost end. The journey there and back alone would take over two months. Adding the time needed to search for the Ice Empress in the Far North and obtain a spirit ring, four months might even be tight.]
Black World, Douluo Continent. In the tavern, the commoners watched this scene, discussing it fervently.
"Four months? Isn't this vacation too long?"
"Their vacation is already short, less than two months, and he wants to double it directly?"
"But what he said makes sense, visiting his mother's grave, handling old acquaintances... He's an orphan, after all, it's understandable."
"Do you believe him? I don't. That Huo Yuhao has a motive for everything he does. He must be hiding something."
Someone suddenly said: "Do you think... he might also want to go to the Far North Land?"
"The Far North? He's running from the southernmost end to the northernmost end? How far is that?"
"That's why he needs four months!"
Everyone looked at each other, and the more they thought about it, the more they felt it was possible.
[After listening to Huo Yuhao's words, Xuan Ziwen's brows relaxed a bit, but he still didn't relent.]
[He paced back and forth in the room, deep in thought for a long time.]
[As an Eighth-level Soul Engineer, his status in the academy was not low, so approving a long leave wasn't a big deal. But the problem was—Huo Yuhao's status was special. He was the first place in the freshman assessment and a genius watched by the entire academy. If he were away from the academy for a long time, it would definitely be discovered. Once someone asked, he, as the teacher, would have to explain.]
[But on the other hand, the condition Huo Yuhao proposed made him incredibly tempted.]
[A Soul Engineer with the spiritual attribute is extremely rare to begin with. And Huo Yuhao not only had astonishing talent, but more importantly, that drive for research—Xuan Ziwen had taught students for so many years, and this was the first time he had seen someone who could flip the library's classics until the edges frayed, and stay in the laboratory for over a dozen hours at a time.]
[If it weren't for his spirit power level being stuck at the First Ring, given Huo Yuhao's understanding of spirit tools, he should already be attempting to craft Level 3 spirit tools by now.]
["This kid..." Xuan Ziwen stopped his pace and looked at Huo Yuhao. "What you said just now, about breaking through to become a Level 3 Soul Engineer next semester, how certain are you?"]
[Huo Yuhao did not hesitate: "One hundred percent."]
[Xuan Ziwen stared into his eyes, which were as calm as water, without a shred of guilty conscience.]
[After a long while, Xuan Ziwen finally nodded:]
["Fine, I can let you take a four-month leave."]
[Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Teacher!"]
["Don't thank me yet." Xuan Ziwen raised his hand to interrupt him. "I have a few conditions."]
[Huo Yuhao immediately composed himself: "Please speak, Teacher."]
Black World, Douluo Continent. "There's a chance! Xuan Ziwen has relented!"
"What are those conditions? Hurry up and say it!"
"It definitely won't be anything easy, otherwise he wouldn't have specifically brought it up."
["First." Xuan Ziwen extended his first finger. "In these four months, no matter what you go to do, you must return alive. My disciple cannot die prematurely."]
[Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned, then nodded solemnly: "Yes."]
["Second." Xuan Ziwen extended his second finger. "After you return, you must fulfill your promise not to leave the academy for three years. In these three years, you must devote all your energy to the research of spirit tools and are not allowed to be distracted."]
["Yes."]
["Third." With the third finger, Xuan Ziwen's tone became serious. "I will cover for your four-month leave under the name of 'going out for field research.' If anyone asks, just say you went to the northern region to collect spirit tool materials. This reason is barely passable."]
[Huo Yuhao felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that Xuan Ziwen was covering for him. Although this reason wasn't perfect, it was the limit of what a teacher could do.]
["I will remember." He said solemnly.]
["Fourth." Xuan Ziwen extended his fourth finger, a hint of craftiness flashing in his eyes. "After you return and break through to become a Level 3 Soul Engineer, you must work as my free assistant for a month. I have a few special projects on hand and am short of help."]
[Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Deal."]
Black World, Douluo Continent. "Haha, this Xuan Ziwen, he even knows how to bargain!"
"A free assistant? Isn't that exploiting the student?"
"What do you know! Being an assistant to an Eighth-level Soul Engineer is an opportunity that so many people beg for but can't get! This is nurturing him!"
"Right, right, right, working on special projects with Xuan Ziwen, you learn so much more than in class."
Someone sighed: "Look at their teacher, even when approving a leave, he sets conditions for the student, but every one of them is for the student's own good. Look at our side..."
He didn't continue. But everyone remembered Zhou Yi and Fan Yu over at Shrek.
One is cold as ice, the other is indifferent. The difference is truly too great.
Shrek City, Inner Court. Xuan Zi looked at the scene on the Sky Screen, silent.
Yan Shaozhe said softly: "That Xuan Ziwen... is indeed a good teacher. An Eighth-level Soul Engineer, spending so much effort on a student, it's not easy."
Xuan Zi nodded, not refuting.
He remembered the scene in the Black World just now, the way Huo Yuhao lied to both sides—deceiving Zhou Yi, deceiving Fan Yu, and stepping onto the road to the Far North alone.
That child, no one helped him cover up, no one shielded him, no one told him "Returning alive is more important than anything else."
He could only walk alone, silently.
"The children on our side..." Xuan Zi suddenly spoke, his voice a bit hoarse, "Are they suffering too much?"
Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo looked at each other, neither speaking. Because they didn't know how to answer.
[After finishing the four conditions, Xuan Ziwen patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder:]
["Alright, go prepare. Remember, return alive."]
[Huo Yuhao bowed deeply: "Thank you, Teacher."]
[The moment he turned to leave the laboratory, a flash of firm determination shone in his eyes.]
[Four months of time, from south to north, crossing the entire continent. In these four months, he had to find the Ice Empress, obtain his second Spirit and second spirit ring, and then return alive.]
[He knew this was very difficult, but he knew even better that if he didn't go, he would forever be trapped in the shackles of the First Ring, never able to truly walk the path he wanted to take.]
["Far North..." He murmured. "Wait for me."]