Chapter 28: Intent to Kill

“I didn’t expect to meet him so soon.”

Huo Yuhao stared intently in the direction where the Netherworld White Tiger had vanished, memories of everything he had seen and experienced in the Duke’s Mansion flooding back from the depths of his mind.

Five years since his Spirit Awakening… his mother’s toil and illness… the humiliation from the servants and attendants… the actions of the Duchess and her son…

And then, Dai Hao!

“Phew~”

Huo Yuhao exhaled deeply. “After so many smooth days, I almost thought I had forgotten.”

Divine blessings, Tianmeng’s sacrifice, enrolling in Shrek Academy, all the way to the new student assessment now.

Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Tang Ya.

More than three months…

During these three months, he sometimes had a strange feeling that all the tangled hatred might have gradually dissolved in this academy life, his heart filled with loftier ambitions.

Becoming a god, defying fate, spreading holy light.

Making all people equal, kind, gentle, and virtuous.

“Heh.”

Huo Yuhao let out a cold laugh, his heart once again filled with intense hatred and a murderous intent long absent.

His first purpose on the path of cultivation!

The ultimate goal he had sacrificed himself for over five years!

The sole reason he had endured hunger and hardship in the Duke’s Mansion, grinding his soul power to level ten, then ventured alone into the Star Dou Great Forest!

It was—

For revenge.

“This classmate? What’s wrong with you?”

Sensing a discordant aura, Wang Yan’s body jolted, his gaze returning to Huo Yuhao.

In all his years of teaching, this was the first time he had seen such pure killing intent in a boy just over ten years old.

“Nothing.”

Huo Yuhao blinked, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Maybe I won too easily just now; I can hardly believe it’s real.”

Really?

Wang Yan’s intuition told him there was definitely a secret beneath this, but as a teacher, it wasn’t appropriate to meddle in a student’s personal affairs. He could only quietly remind, “If you have private grudges, you can resolve them in the Soul Combat Arena. Until you graduate, you can fight under the supervision of the referees.”

He hoped these youngsters wouldn’t be consumed by hatred at such a young age and walk down a dark path.

Even worse—

Become a Dark Soul Master.

“Thank you!”

Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile and turned to leave the arena, no longer interested in spying on others’ soul skills.

The Netherworld White Tiger.

How should he counter that move?

Or perhaps, if he unleashed his soul shock with all his might now, could he kill Dai Huabin on the spot?

“Seems like just a little short.”

Huo Yuhao’s eyes deepened with a smile, flickering with an unclear light. “But even if I could, you wouldn’t die that easily.”

After all, he was no longer alone.

Within his mind were Tianmeng and a mysterious senior, and on his shoulders rested the vision of godhood and the hopes of an elder sister.

Impulsive actions benefit no one.

“Tianmeng, how long do you think it will take for me to reach the world’s limit? And how long before I can take revenge on the White Tiger Duke?”

“Hmm…”

Tianmeng fluctuated within the turbulent sea of consciousness, pondering for a long time. “If my plan unfolds perfectly, you should break through the bottleneck of Limit Douluo within a hundred years. By then, you’ll fear no one.”

“But for revenge…”

“In fifty years, or even forty, the door to becoming a Title Douluo will open for you!”

Tianmeng was confident. “If other fortunate encounters assist you, your path will be even faster.”

Alright.

Counting down forty years. Hopefully, those people will all still be alive by then.

The gray cloud hanging in the sea of consciousness stirred a few times and then slowly calmed—

“Will he be the next me?”

…

“Yuhao, how was today’s match?”

Wang Dong burst excitedly through the dormitory door, taking a few steps before flinging himself onto the bed. “Hey! You should’ve seen the looks on those three guys’ faces—they were like they’d seen a ghost, haha!”

As usual, he shared the day’s fun but heard no customary response.

He turned his head.

Huo Yuhao sat silently on his bed, meditating. Though he had broken through to level twenty, as long as he focused on cultivation, his soul power would continue to grow.

“…What’s wrong with you?”

Wang Dong felt inexplicably uneasy and leaned closer. “Are you okay?”

Losing was impossible. Huo Yuhao, naturally gifted with divine power, made the new student assessment a mere formality. Only the rumored three-ring teams could hope to challenge him.

What unsettled Wang Dong was that Huohao now looked just like he did in the first days of school.

Burdened by deep grievances, throwing all his time into cultivation.

“What could be wrong with me?”

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes helplessly. “I just suddenly have some motivation and don’t want to waste time anymore.”

“You’re totally abnormal like this.”

Wang Dong teased.

“Come on! Let’s go out for a walk!”

“No.”

“Then shall we go find Xiao Xiao now?”

Wang Dong narrowed his eyes, a slight sharpness flickering in his gaze.

Xiao Xiao?

Huo Yuhao paused in thought.

Now capped at level twenty, further cultivation wasn’t yielding much. Perhaps it was time to talk to her.

Whether it was the true intent of suppression derived from the Cauldron-type Spirit or her skillful control of the Three Lives Soul-Calming Cauldron, these were all worth studying, even learning from.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Huo Yuhao grabbed his wooden staff and stood, only to see Wang Dong scowl at him, then storm angrily out of the room.

What was wrong now?

“Things are getting weirder and weirder.”

Muttering to himself, Huohao followed, leaning on his staff.

…

Though the academy forbade boys from going upstairs, Wang Dong’s high standing meant he could easily enlist help from female classmates to deliver messages.

Moreover, Huohao’s current cold, resentful expression was even more effective than before.

“Here we come~”

Xiao Xiao hurried downstairs, flustered, putting on her jacket. “What do you need?”

“He wants to see you.” *2

“Uh?” *2

Wang Dong and Huohao spoke simultaneously, then exchanged a strangely knowing glance.

Xiao Xiao took a sudden step back, widening the distance, eyes flickering between the two.

Why did the atmosphere feel a bit off?

After a few seconds, both men sighed in defeat and nodded lightly.

“Okay, it’s me who wants to see you.” *2

“…”

“Yuhao! You’re deliberately trying to annoy me, aren’t you?”

Wang Dong finally lost it, clenching his fist and punching Huohao’s face.

“What are you going crazy for?”

Huohao grabbed his wrist, a fire kindling in his heart. “What exactly did I say or do to you just now? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder all the way here… Why can’t you just talk to me?”

Wang Dong’s face darkened further.

Some things just can’t be spoken aloud!