The Unrivaled Tang Sect

The middle-aged man stumbled backwards as this aura intimidated him. He lost his balance, and fell down on the ground just like that. His face had turned ghastly pale. 

He had never expected this youth who looked about twenty to exude such a frightening aura. It was like something that came from a Savage Beast in human form!

Huo Yuhao turned around at Ning Tian, who also had a frightened look on his face. He nodded in his direction and said, “Just go according to what you said, and invite Dean Cai to deal with this. Thank you for today, everyone; I’ll take my leave now.” Huo Yuhao left the canteen with a single step, and disappeared from everyone’s sight. 

Ning Tian and Wu Feng exchanged a glance. Ning Tian’s eyes were full of fear, while Wu Feng’s eyes were full of exasperation. The corner of Wu Feng’s mouth twitched as she laughed bitterly and shook her head. She was just talking about surpassing Huo Yuhao, and he immediately gave her a show a strength!

Even if this teacher wasn’t considered a powerful soul master, he was a Soul Douluo. Otherwise, how could he become an external staff member working for Shrek Academy? But even a teacher like this couldn’t seem to resist Huo Yuhao at all. Even though it had to do with his carelessness, the pressure that came from Huo Yuhao was even more frightening than a Titled Douluo. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao shook off the teacher’s grasp so easily. Did that mean his cultivation was…

They weren’t the only ones reacting this way. Those who were familiar with him, including Xie Huanyue, Dai Huabin, and Zhu Lu, were all speechless. 

Xie Huanyue forced a laugh and said, “We’ll always be dejected if we keep comparing ourselves to him! Looks like we won’t ever catch up to him in this life...”

Wu Feng turned and left. “I’m going to look for Dean Cai.”

The other students from the inner courtyard were coming to from their astonishment. Someone muttered under his breath, “I think that senior said he’s going to attend the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date! I have to hurry, too, it’s about time.”

The other students who were single, especially the girls, thronged out and vanished in the blink of an eye. Those who already had partners stayed behind and surrounded the wretched, formerly arrogant teacher. 

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Huo Yuhao was also stumped once he left the canteen, because he had forgotten where he was supposed to assemble for the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date.

Uh…

Forget it, I’ll just head to the lakeside. The event is held at the lake anyway, so that can’t be wrong. He could still remember where he had started the other time. 

Huo Yuhao immediately accelerated after he thought that, and ran towards the place where he had last participated in the event; where he had stepped onto the lakewater. 

Huo Yuhao quickly knew that his guess was right because he could see students from the inner courtyard, dressed in red uniforms, walking towards the lake in pairs and trios. They were walking in the same direction, and it was clear that these people were going to attend the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date. He couldn’t be wrong as long as he followed them. 

Huo Yuhao was a little dejected. If he had known better, he would have found a red uniform to wear. My white clothes might be a little too glaring when I go onto Sea God’s Lake later. 

But he couldn’t care about that much anymore. He would risk being late if he went to change, and that would spell big trouble. 

“Eh, aren’t you Yuhao? Eldest senior sister was just worrying about looking for you, afraid that you won’t show up. It’s fine as long as you’re here.” Two silhouettes quickly hurried to his side, and Huo Yuhao immediately felt relieved when he saw them. They were old acquaintances. 

“Teacher Wang, senior sister Han, greetings.” Wang Yan was the teacher who had led Huo Yuhao’s team in the first season of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, and he was with his girlfriend, a former student from the inner courtyard who was second only to their eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan. She was Han Ruoruo, who had already become a teacher. 

Han Ruoruo’s set of soul skills back then still left a deep impression on Huo Yuhao, and he still had some lingering fears now that he thought about them. 

Wang Yan seemed a lot more cheerful compared to all those years ago. He smiled and said, “You’re finally back, Yuhao! Lexuan was worried out of her mind before this, and she even sent someone to look for you at the Tang Sect. It’s fine as long as you’re here. Let’s go, quickly. We can’t be late.”

Han Ruoruo smiled and said, “That’s right, we won’t forgive you if you dare to be late. Eldest senior sister and I will be the hosts.”

Huo Yuhao replied, “Eldest senior sister has ordered me, so how could I dare to be late? I went to grab something to eat in the canteen, and when I finished my food, I realized that I’d forgotten where we were supposed to assemble. It was great to run into you guys. But it doesn’t really matter whether or not I’m there. If not for the Academy’s rules, I wouldn’t be here to share in the fun. I’m just here to go through the motions, anyway.”

Han Ruoruo’s beautiful eyes rippled a little as she laughed and said, “You still have to be there, even if you’re only there to go through the motions. Let’s go!”

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They walked towards the lake together. The sky hadn’t turned completely dark, and he was actually earlier than he was back when he had first participated in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date. The male students from the inner courtyard hadn’t completely assembled yet, while the female students were specifically guided somewhere else. 

Huo Yuhao had gone through the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date once before. He stared at the lake’s surface that shone in the light of dusk, and fell into a bit of a daze. He could clearly remember how Dong’er had appeared in front of him that time with her true appearance, how she had called him “idiot”, and how she seemed like she was being sassy and blaming him while carrying a tinge of embarrassment and happiness. Huo Yuhao would never forget it... 

How great would it be if I could return to that moment! Huo Yuhao clenched his fists subconsciously, and his feelings and yearning for Dong’er were suddenly raised to their highest possible level in that moment. 

“Are you alright, Yuhao?” Han Ruoruo asked in surprise. 

Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was much stronger compared to back then, and it naturally flowed out as his emotions surged up. The formidable spiritual aura even caused someone as powerful as Han Ruoruo to react in shock. 

Huo Yuhao was awakened from his memories, and hurriedly calmed down as he forced a smile and said, “I’m alright, senior sister.”

Han Ruoruo smiled back. “As long as you’re alright. I’m the host, so I’m going to go ahead and get busy. You two can wait here. Someone will come when it’s time to begin.” She waved to Wang Yan and Huo Yuhao and drifted away. 

Huo Yuhao watched Wang Yan’s eyes as they followed Han Ruoruo, which only withdrew when she could no longer be seen. Huo Yuhao giggled and said, “Teacher Wang, you’re deep in the river of love!”

Wang Yan blushed. “Nonsense. Let me warn you, Yuhao, I’m one of the assessors for your graduation test tomorrow.”

“Ah? You’re an assessor? Then you have to be a little more lenient when the time comes,” Huo Yuhao said with a faint smile on his face. 

Wang Yan snickered and said, “Yuhao! Let me remind you: don’t think tomorrow’s test is easy. Many people are waiting to ‘take care of you’.”

“Ah?” Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. “Take care of me? Why?”

Wang Yan patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and said sincerely, “Seems like you don’t quite understand the assessment criteria for our inner courtyard’s students to graduate! Let me brief you.”

Huo Yuhao hurriedly humbled himself and said, “Thank you, teacher Wang. What exactly will happen?”

Wang Yan chortled and said, “Every one of the inner courtyard’s students can be said to be prodigies chosen by heaven. Every one of them has outstanding talent, and they all have varying strengths. You guys are both outstanding and hardworking at the same time, which is the reason why you can stand a class above the rest and become part of the inner courtyard. If you wish to graduate from the inner courtyard, then you have to meet the Academy’s standards in your strongest suit. Therefore, the inner courtyard’s graduation assessment is different for every student, and everyone has different tasks.”

“Uh…” For some reason, Huo Yuhao had an ominous feeling about this test, even though his cultivation was already at eight rings. He could tell from Wang Yan’s words that they didn’t plan to be nice to him! His graduation assessment was supposed to just be going through the motions, but it didn’t seem that easy after all. 

“Teacher Wang, then how is this graduation assessment going to be carried out?” Huo Yuhao whispered.

Wang Yan continued, “I don’t quite know how the assessment is going to be executed, but it’s definitely not going to be easy. I’ve heard that Elder Xuan has personally designed your graduation assessment. You’re the youngest, unprecedentedly so, member of the Sea God’s Pavilion. You have contributed much to the Academy, and the Academy has to nurture you well because of that. Therefore, your assessment has to be especially strict! 

“The Sea God’s Pavilion will convene to discuss your examination tasks, but I’m not too sure about the details. I suspect the test won’t be too easy, so good luck! I’m only one of the main assessors for you tomorrow, there are seven in total. I know that Dean Yan, Dean Cai, Dean Xian, and Zhang Lexuan are a few of the remaining six, but I’m not sure who the other two are.”

Huo Yuhao’s jaw slowly dropped as he listened to Wang Yan. His graduation assessment had brought the Sea God’s Pavilion together for a conference, and he had seven judges? What was happening? Tomorrow’s test…

Teacher Xuan is watching me closely, and the Academy doesn’t look like they’re going to give me a good time. Life is too hard to live...

Wang Yan laughed in amusement as he watched Huo Yuhao’s depressed look. “Alright, that’s enough. That’s the Academy’s care and concern for you. If you can’t pass the assessment, you can just continue studying and cultivating in the Academy, at worst. Look at your eldest senior sister, she’s become a teacher in the Academy. You’re part of the Sea God’s Pavilion, so you can do the same!”

Huo Yuhao had a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn’t think much about it before, but right now, Teacher Xuan was forcing him to learn about forging soul tools properly, and Huo Yuhao had to attend him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to forge a proper pill furnace, and he couldn’t raise the Tang Sect’s overall strength. Therefore, he had to pass the graduation assessment tomorrow, no matter what!