As Huo Yuhao breathed, the abundant qi and blood within his body surged, seamlessly merging with his soul power.
This integration continued to enhance his strength with every passing moment. Suddenly, the golden soul power flowing through his meridians came to a halt, and in the next instant, a warm, comforting sensation spread throughout his body.
When Huo Yuhao awoke from his deep meditation, he felt an indescribable warmth and comfort enveloping him.
The cyan hue that had previously lingered in his body had completely vanished, and his soul power had significantly improved.
As he reactivated his soul power, he noticed it was far richer than before. His soul power level had now reached level 38.
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes, a faint purple-gold light flickering within them.
"Yuhao, it's been seven days since you entered deep meditation. During this time, several girls came to see you. Do you want to know who they were?" Skydream's voice sounded in his mind, breaking the silence.
"Seven days? That's quite a long time," Huo Yuhao mused.
After several months of rigorous training, his soul power had been just shy of level 37.
Thanks to the Life Gold and his deep meditation, he had managed to break through two levels in one go! Perhaps this was the benefit of the external soul bone?
In Huo Yuhao's estimation, this deep meditation would have only allowed him to break through one level.
The unexpected surprise of breaking through two levels was a welcome bonus, though it had extended the duration of his meditation.
For an ordinary soul master at his level, a single day of deep meditation would have been sufficient to break through a bottleneck. However, Huo Yuhao was different.
As an ultimate attribute soul master, the quality of his soul power was exceptionally high, requiring an immense amount of accumulated soul power to break through. Thus, his deep meditation had lasted seven full days.
As Huo Yuhao listened to Skydream's chatter in his mind, he got up and made his way to the shore of Sea God Lake. The night sky was dark, dotted with twinkling stars.
Seeing Zhang Lexuan humming a tune by the lake, Huo Yuhao greeted her, "Senior Sister."
"Junior brother, you're awake?" Zhang Lexuan, with her keen senses, had already noticed his approach. "You meditated for seven days straight this time. What did you gain?"
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "My soul power has broken through to level 38. Thank you, senior sister, for looking out for me."
The warmth and aura emanating from him, combined with the shock of his soul power breakthrough, seemed to strike an invisible chord in Zhang Lexuan's heart. For a moment, her heartbeat skipped a beat.
She wasn't sure if it was the serene surroundings or the enchanting night view of Sea God Lake, but at that moment, Zhang Lexuan found herself seeing the boy in a new light.
'The moonlight is so beautiful,' she thought.
"Well, you're welcome. I only came by occasionally," Zhang Lexuan replied, regaining her composure.
As disciples of the inner courtyard, it was customary not to disturb each other when a "retreat and practice" sign was hung outside one's door. There were also dedicated training rooms for such purposes.
"That won't do. I must express my special thanks to you, Senior Sister," Huo Yuhao insisted.
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but smile. "Then... are you free now?"
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao was slightly puzzled but nodded. "Of course, I'm free. What do you need?"
"Well... to put it simply, it's been a while since I've had your cooking," Zhang Lexuan said, her beautiful eyes twinkling with an expression that seemed to say, 'You know what I mean, right?'
She continued, "During my last trip to the Star Dou Forest, the aroma of your Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear meat lingered in my mind..."
Huo Yuhao chuckled helplessly. "Then why didn't you join us during our barbecues? I invited you several times."
After the freshman assessment, everyone had been busy. Over the past five months, Huo Yuhao had only hosted one or two barbecue gatherings, which served as a way to unwind after training.
"That's a group activity. It's not very convenient for me, and..." Zhang Lexuan smiled wryly. "There's some history between me, Beibei, and Tang Ya. They might not be too keen on seeing me."
Huo Yuhao nodded seriously. "In that case, I won't invite them next time."
Zhang Lexuan glared at him playfully. "Junior brother, must we wait until next time?"
"Alright, alright, I'll prepare something now," Huo Yuhao said obediently. "But for this delicious meal, can you do me a favor, Senior Sister?"
"What do you need?" Zhang Lexuan asked.
"Could you catch some fish from the Sea God Lake?" Huo Yuhao pointed to the lake, then found a suitable spot to set up the barbecue.
"Ah?" Zhang Lexuan was slightly confused. "So, the fish you've been eating are from Sea God Lake?"
"Indeed. I even asked Dean Yan to specially raise some fish here. They're quite rare and delicious," Huo Yuhao explained.
As they chatted, the fish were soon grilling over the fire. The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear bear meat from last time had long been divided among everyone, leaving only a hint of regret.
"Junior brother, do you mind if I have a drink?" Zhang Lexuan suddenly pulled out an expensive-looking bottle of wine from her storage soul guide and waved it at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao looked surprised. "Senior Sister, you drink?"
Zhang Lexuan's lips curled slightly. "The taste isn't great, but a little wine helps when I'm under pressure."
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. "Are you under a lot of pressure now?"
Noticing his surprised expression, Zhang Lexuan added, "Today, it's because of the delicious food that I'm going to have a little."
"Alright, the grilled fish is ready. Here you go," Huo Yuhao said, handing her the freshly grilled fish.
"Senior Sister, you haven't tried my grilled fish before. I'm not boasting, but it's almost as good as the bear meat from last time."
"Oh? Then I'll have to savor it carefully," Zhang Lexuan said, taking a bite. The delicious flavor made her eyes light up, and she couldn't stop praising it.
Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, Zhang Lexuan began to open up to Huo Yuhao about her past.
She spoke of the time when the Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Church had first shown his might, wiping out eight inner courtyard disciples in one go.
Once she started, it seemed she couldn't stop. It was as if she had found someone to confide in, and under the influence of the wine, she revealed her innermost thoughts.
"Senior Sister, you're a little drunk," Huo Yuhao said gently.
"Yuhao, call me Sister Lexuan," she replied.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile. High-level soul masters could use their soul power to neutralize alcohol, so getting drunk was a choice rather than an inevitability.
It seemed that Zhang Lexuan had been carrying a lot of burdens, always having to maintain the image of a flawless senior sister. The pressure must have been immense.
But Huo Yuhao was also under a lot of pressure. He couldn't just let Sister Lexuan sleep on the street, could he?
As he thought this, he supported her.
[Achievement Triggered!]
[Achieve Zhang Lexuan's "I'm Really Not Drunk" achievement, and receive the reward: Frost Rain Moon Gu.]
[Frost Rain Moon Gu: A third-level Gu that releases a cold, white moon blade with a frosty aura. Those hit by it will feel a chilling cold and their movements will slow.]
[Evaluation: Beauty, wine, and food.]
…
Three months had passed in the blink of an eye. Huo Yuhao's first year at Shrek Academy had come to an end. After three months of intense training, his soul power had successfully broken through to level 40.
This was not only due to the increased training speed after fusing with the Life Gold but also because he had taken the Soul Nourishing Pill, a rare and potent Pill that could only be consumed once in a lifetime.
The Soul Nourishing Pill was indeed extraordinary. It had no side effects and provided a significant boost to soul power, equivalent to what an ordinary soul master would need to advance from level 50 to 51. For Huo Yuhao, it only raised his level by one, but that was still a remarkable feat.
As for the pill's effect on nourishing the soul, it was of little use to Huo Yuhao. His spiritual power was already too strong for ordinary pills to have a significant impact. Only rare herbs could accelerate his progress.
Huo Yuhao wasn't in a hurry. With his talent, it was only a matter of time before he reached the next level.
Even without the aid of tangible spiritual power, his cultivation speed was among the fastest on the Douluo Continent.
Next came the vacation period. Shrek Academy granted a one-month break each year, but this wasn't a time for relaxation. Instead, students were expected to consolidate what they had learned over the past eleven months and train intensively.
After the break, the entrance examination would begin. Students who failed would be expelled. Thus, this "rest" period was actually the most challenging and busy time for most students.
In this school year, Huo Yuhao had not only improved his soul power but had also made significant progress in the soul tool system. He was now a Class 3 soul engineer, proficient in using almost all types of soul tools.
Despite his impressive talent in soul tools, Huo Yuhao didn't feel the need to specialize in them.
His primary focus was on improving his soul power and strengthening his foundation. He only needed to keep his soul tool proficiency on par with his soul power cultivation.
"It's time to head to the Star Dou Forest again," Huo Yuhao thought.
This time, he didn't plan to go alone. He intended to ask Zhang Lexuan to accompany him. Moreover, among the soul beasts he and Yan Shaozhe had requested, Shrek Academy had already located a suitable one—a 30,000-year-old Soul Beast in the core area of the Star Dou Forest.
As for hunting it, Huo Yuhao would have to do that himself.
…
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