After hearing Yan Shaozhe's reply, Xian Lin'er stood her ground firmly.
"What Dean Qian means is what I mean. Our Soul Guidance Department is willing to stake everything on Huo Yuhao. If we cannot complete the ultimate individual soldier plan with him, I am willing to resign as the Dean of the Soul Guidance Department!"
The elders were momentarily stunned.
Xian Lin'er's move was too drastic.
Although most of the elders were from the Martial Soul Department, they couldn't ignore the opinions of the two deans of the Soul Guidance Department. Moreover, this time, the Soul Guidance Department was already fighting against the odds and risking everything.
For a moment, Yan Shaozhe felt deeply conflicted.
If the conflict continued to escalate, the deep-rooted tensions between the two factions might explode, which was not what he wanted to see.
As the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, he naturally worked hard for the development of his department. However, the Martial Soul Department was also a part of Shrek Academy as a whole, and internal strife was the last thing he wished for.
Yan Shaozhe never expected Huo Yuhao's talent for soul tools to be so extraordinary. If he had known, he might not have agreed to Xian Lin'er's decision to focus on soul tools.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Xuan Zi coughed lightly, stood up, and said, "In my opinion, it would be better for that young lad Yuhao to focus on practicing martial soul. After all, he possesses both a twin martial soul and the ultimate ice attribute. If he gets distracted by other pursuits, it would be putting the cart before the horse."
Lin Huiqun, sitting opposite Xuan Zi, frowned and couldn't help but retort, "Xuan Zi, your argument holds no weight. I know more about soul engineer than you do."
"Becoming a class 2 soul engineer in just three months is unheard of. If Yuhao can concentrate on soul tools, his future achievements will undoubtedly rival those of Kong Deming from the Sun and Moon Empire!"
Xuan Zi snorted, "So what? With the training of our Martial Soul System, Yuhao will definitely reach the heights of Mu En in the future. Placing such a talent in the Soul Guidance System would be a waste."
Xian Lin'er suddenly stood up and countered, "Elder Xuan, you shouldn't be so biased toward the Martial Soul System. If you favor it so heavily, what purpose does our Soul Guidance System serve?"
Xuan Zi remained unperturbed. "You girl! I admit I have a bias. The Soul Guidance System is indeed important, but the Martial Soul is the foundation of a soul master and the cornerstone of Shrek Academy. And who said that the Martial Soul System cannot coexist with it?"
Xuan Zi took a sip of wine and continued, "Yuhao was only a Soul Grandmaster when he entered the academy. Now, his cultivation has reached the Soul Elder level. Doesn't the Martial Soul System deserve some credit?"
"Most importantly, with just his Ice Jade Scorpion Empress's thousand-year soul ring, he effortlessly defeated Zhou Yi, a Soul Emperor who was going all out. What he has shown so far might even surpass Tang Sect's ancestor at the same age."
With Xuan Zi leading the charge, Yan Shaozhe also stood up to express his stance, nodding in agreement.
"Indeed, I was there and witnessed Huo Yuhao's battle against Zhou Yi. It was utterly overwhelming! Although Zhou Yi was restrained by martial soul, we cannot deny Yuhao's strength."
Lin Huiqun did not continue to argue. Even he had to admit that defeating a Soul Emperor as a Soul Elder was a terrifying display of talent.
Seeing the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department at an impasse, the elders exchanged uneasy glances. For the sake of peaceful development, they remained cautious, silently waiting for Mu En to make a decision.
"Everyone, sit down." After a long silence, Mu' Ens gentle voice finally broke the tension.
Hearing his voice, the two sides immediately calmed down and returned to their seats.
"Let me ask you, what was Shrek Academy's founding goal?"
Yan Shaozhe replied respectfully, "To cultivate monster-level soul master talents!"
"Exactly. If that's the case, why can't we be bolder and cultivate a true monster? Qian Duoduo."
"Here," Qian Duoduo stood up promptly.
"Let me ask you, during Huo Yuhao's three months of training in the Soul Guidance System, did it ever interfere with his studies in the Martial Soul System?"
Qian Duoduo replied immediately, "No, he only studied for one hour every afternoon with Fan Yu. Despite these challenging conditions, he became a Class 2 soul engineer in just three months. That's why I say he's a true genius!"
"Good. Shaozhe, let me ask you, during Huo Yuhao's progress to becoming a Class 2 soul engineer, was his study in the Martial Soul System interrupted? Did his cultivation level drop?"
Yan Shaozhe answered, "No, Huo Yuhao's current soul power has reached level 36! When he first entered the academy, his soul power was at level 27."
"In just half a year, his soul power increased by nearly ten levels. Although the speed of ultimate attribute cultivation slows after level 30, his talent, hard work, and luck make him exceptionally suited to our Martial Soul System."
Mu En suddenly laughed, his voice slightly hoarse. "The parties involved are too close to see clearly. Why are you still arguing? Why not let him practice both?"
Cultivating both system?
The four deans were stunned.
Mu En smiled gently. "Actually, you've all fallen into a misconception—that the Martial Soul System and the Soul Guidance System are fundamentally opposed. In reality, the only difference lies in their methods of attack and defense."
"Lin'er, if you want to nurture a top soul engineer, becoming a top soul master is a prerequisite. Without sufficient soul power, how can he create and control more powerful soul tools?"
"Shaozhe, the same goes for you. Since Huo Yuhao is so talented in making soul tools, they can serve as powerful weapons to protect him and help him through his weaker stages. Why can't he practice both? Moreover, Shrek Academy is in dire need of top soul engineers."
"I believe this child should continue both cultivation. Your role is not to force him to choose but to provide him with a relaxed and comfortable cultivation environment. You've all overlooked one thing—he is only twelve years old."
"Therefore, the best course of action is to maintain the status quo. Let Huo Yuhao continue his studies as before, and both departments should allocate resources accordingly. As for the future, there's no need to rush."
After hearing Elder Mu's words, the elders nodded in agreement.
Xian Lin'er asked, "Teacher, what if Huo Yuhao's performance starts to decline?"
"Isn't that simple? Let him choose for himself when the time comes. Whichever department he prefers, he can join."
Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er exchanged glances and relaxed.
Indeed, in the face of a stalemate, this was the best possible outcome.
For Shrek Academy, an important meeting of the Sea God Pavilion concluded, and Huo Yuhao's future arrangements were settled.
…
The Next Day
As class time approached, many students were already gathered in the Class 1 classroom. Unsurprisingly, their discussions revolved around yesterday's announcement.
The Soul Guidance Department had also granted Huo Yuhao the status of a core disciple, making him the first dual-core disciple in the academy's history.
"Class Monitor, you're truly amazing!"
"Not long ago, I signed up for the elective soul guidance course. After one class, I gave up immediately. It was too difficult!"
"If you can't learn it, I wouldn't be able to even if my life depended on it."
"Do you think it's because of his Spirit Eye Martial Soul? His spiritual eyes or physical martial soul might give him a significant advantage in learning these things."
As the student spoke, his eyes lit up, as if he had uncovered a shocking secret, and he grew more excited with each word.
This perspective quickly gained widespread approval.
"Yeah, maybe it really is because of his martial soul. Isn't the definition of the body martial soul gradually being revealed through soul tools?"
"You're a genius! I recall there's a sect that specializes in cultivating the body martial soul. Is it called the Body Sect?"
"Yes, I've heard from my family that the Body Sect excels in using soul tools. The reason they go around capturing children who have awakened body martial souls is likely to train them in soul tools from an early age."
"Perhaps the Body Sect originally hailed from the Sun and Moon Continent but, due to unknown reasons, disagreed with the Sun and Moon Empire's mainstream and migrated to our side."
In just a few sentences, the students had deduced the secrets of the Body Sect and its unofficial history. They looked at each other in amazement.
"No wonder the Body Sect and Mingde Hall are always at odds. Even with Shrek, the Body Sect has never been on good terms. So that's the reason."
When Huo Yuhao finally walked into the classroom after breakfast, the noisy room fell silent.
Ignoring the curious glances, Huo Yuhao took his seat.
"Yuhao." Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, sitting nearby, approached him.
"Um..." Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao, his voice tinged with nervousness.
Huo Yuhao looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?"
"Yuhao, it's like this. Wang Dong wants to ask if you're from the Body Sect," Xiao Xiao interjected.
"Body Sect? No, even though I come from the Heavenly Soul Empire, I've never had any contact with the Body Sect."
Huo Yuhao decided to maintain his composed demeanor.
Although he wasn't sure if Shrek had uncovered his true origins, he chose to play along for now.
Xiao Xiao patted his chest in relief. "That's good. We thought you kept rejecting the Tang Sect's invitations because you had already joined the Body Sect."
Huo Yuhao looked puzzled. "No one said that joining one sect means you can't join another, right?"
After all, Wang Dong, the young master of the Haotian Sect, had joined the Tang Sect.
Wang Dong quickly added, "Then, Yuhao, is your rapid progress in soul tools due to your Spirit Eye Martial Soul?"
…
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