The conversation overheard by the trio left the onlookers puzzled.
'What's going on? The two most handsome guys in the class are running off with that girl from another class. Why are they heading to the Soul Guidance Department?'
'It's clearly just an excuse!'
'Where's Xiao Xiao? Someone save her!'
Under the curious and bewildered gazes of the crowd, Huo Yuhao led Wang Dong and Ning Tian toward the Soul Guidance Department located in the northwest corner of Shrek Academy.
Before long, the three arrived in front of a massive structure.
The teaching building they were accustomed to was already large, but it paled in comparison to the rectangular gray building before them. The sheer size of this building was comparable to the dormitory building of the Martial Soul Department.
The gray building exuded a heavy, imposing aura. Constructed not only of bricks and stone, its surface also bore metallic sheens in many places. Low, rumbling noises emanated from within, causing faint vibrations beneath their feet.
'Well, the soundproofing leaves much to be desired.'
Wang Dong glanced around hesitantly. "Yuhao, are we in the right place?"
"Yes, this is it. You'll understand once we go inside," Huo Yuhao replied, nodding toward a nearby sign that read: Soul Guidance Test Area.
The three stepped inside, finding themselves in a corridor lined with dark brown metal.
The long, horizontal hallway resembled a dormitory area, but instead of multiple doors, there was only one every thirty meters, labeled with signs like Test Area No. 1 and Test Area No. 2.
"Uh, what do we do now? Should we find a teacher?" Wang Dong asked, looking at Ning Tian.
After a moment of thought, Ning Tian replied, "Our class teacher instructed me to go to Experimental Area Gate No. 12 to find Teacher Fan Yu."
"What? Fan Yu!? Yuhao, isn't he Zhou Yi's husband?" Wang Dong's expression darkened with concern as she turned to Huo Yuhao. "Is this really okay?"
"It's not a big problem," Huo Yuhao reassured her calmly. He had already informed Wang Dong that Fan Yu, Zhou Yi's husband, was an Class 8 soul engineer.
"Is there something wrong with Fan Yu?" Ning Tian asked, confused. After Wang Dong explained the situation, she understood the underlying tension.
'No wonder Zhou Yi acted so arrogantly in the outer courtyard. Her background isn't small!'
"Maybe we should go directly to Director Du Weilun? We could also submit the soul guidance elective form to him," Ning Tian suggested, beginning to second-guess their plan.
Originally, she had hoped to broaden her horizons while submitting the elective form. However, the unexpected connection between Huo Yuhao and Fan Yu complicated matters.
Ning Tian had been present when Huo Yuhao confronted Zhou Yi. While Zhou Yi was clearly in the wrong, most people would side with their relatives.
If Fan Yu decided to take advantage of the situation to make things difficult for Huo Yuhao, it could spell trouble.
"Don't worry. In the Soul Guidance Department, Fan Yu isn't someone who can dominate everything," Huo Yuhao said, pulling out a hexagonal crystal token to reassure them.
"What's that?" the two asked, curiosity piqued.
Huo Yuhao explained, "This is a warrant given to me by Vice Dean Qian Duoduo of the Soul Guidance Department. With it, I can enter and exit any area within the department freely."
Back when Huo Yuhao won the freshman assessment championship, Qian Duoduo had personally tested his attitude toward soul guidance in front of Yan Shaozhe.
"Huo Yuhao, what are your thoughts on soul guidance?" Qian Duoduo had asked.
At the time, Huo Yuhao had confidently replied, "Vice Dean Qian, I don't reject the use of soul guidance. In fact, given the spiritual nature of my Spirit Eye martial soul, I believe soul guidance could be quite suitable for me. However, my primary focus remains on cultivating my martial soul. After all, the foundation of a soul master lies in their martial soul, and I don't want to waste my talent in that area."
Although Huo Yuhao was already an inner court disciple and a member of the Martial Soul Department, that didn't prevent him from benefiting from the resources of the Soul Guidance Department. Just like Huo Yuhao in the original story, there was no issue with excelling in both departments.
As expected, Huo Yuhao's answer had impressed both Qian Duoduo and Yan Shaozhe. Following the championship, the two deans, often at odds with each other, had each rewarded Huo Yuhao personally.
Qian Duoduo had given him the warrant, declaring that the doors of the Soul Guidance Department were always open to him.
Yan Shaozhe, not to be outdone, had presented him with three soul-nourishing pills, encouraging him to keep up the good work.
All three parties felt they had gained something valuable, and the future looked bright.
That was why, as a favored figure in the eyes of both deans, Huo Yuhao wasn't worried about any potential threats from Fan Yu. In fact, he believed that Fan Yu might even be relieved to be rid of Zhou Yi, who had caused so much trouble.
"That's good," Wang Dong said, relieved by Huo Yuhao's confidence. The three then made their way to the door of Experimental Area No. 12 at the end of the corridor.
Huo Yuhao pressed the token against the door, which opened slightly to reveal a slot just large enough to accommodate it. After a brief surge of soul power, the token popped back out, and the door slid open with a clacking sound.
Inside, the space was divided into sections by thick metal plates, resembling a series of metal boxes.
Boom
As soon as they entered, Wang Dong and Ning Tian were startled by a loud noise. A powerful shockwave mixed with air fluctuations swept over them, causing their uniforms to flutter.
With his spiritual detection activated, Huo Yuhao led the two through the area until they reached the largest section—an open field spanning about 2,000 square meters.
Along the way, they encountered a friendly senior who, upon noticing their white uniforms and Huo Yuhao's crystal token, exclaimed in surprise, "Are you Huo Yuhao?"
"Yes, that's me."
"And who are these two juniors?"
"They're here to submit their forms and prepare to take the Soul Guidance Department elective."
With the senior's guidance, the three soon met Fan Yu.
"Teacher Fan Yu," the senior called out.
A tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man at the edge of the field turned and strode toward them.
Standing at about 1.8 meters tall, Fan Yu had a muscular build, his granite-like arms exposed beneath a simple cloth garment. His face was sharply defined, his eyes heavy and solemn, exuding an aura of unshakable strength.
Fan Yu's eyes lit up as he noticed Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, are you here to take the soul guidance course?"
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. 'The path of the Soul Guidance Department has indeed widened.'
"I'm here to take a look first. These are Ning Tian and Wang Dong, core disciples of this year freshman class. They're also very interested in soul guidance."
Though surprised by Fan Yu's welcoming demeanor, Ning Tian quickly composed herself and offered a polite smile. "Hello, Teacher Fan Yu. I'm Ning Tian, and I'd like to take the soul guidance course."
Wang Dong, encouraged by Huo Yuhao's expression, stammered, "Hello, Teacher Fan Yu. I'm Wang Dong. I'm just here to take a look..."
'Strange, why do I feel like something's off?'
…
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