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The first reaction of the heirs of these major powers upon meeting Yuwen Tuo was the same—to recruit him into their own factions.
This was especially true for someone like Dai Huabing, who existed in a family with fierce internal competition.
Although the current state of the Dai and Zhu families had improved significantly compared to ten thousand years ago—at least the losers no longer had their soul power crippled or were killed, but merely lost the inheritance rights to the title of White Tiger Duke—someone as proud as Dai Huabing could never accept defeat.
If he could gain a powerful ally like Yuwen Tuo, it would undoubtedly be a great asset for his future.
"Dai Young Master is too kind. If I have the time, I will definitely visit," Yuwen Tuo responded politely. He had no intention of offending anyone unnecessarily. His enemies were only the evil soul masters and Shrek Academy.
Dai Huabing, though not a particularly admirable person, had done nothing to wrong Yuwen Tuo. Since the young man was merely trying to recruit him, Yuwen Tuo saw no reason to create an enemy out of thin air.
However, tomorrow's match would be a different story. He would not hold back. If Dai Huabing were to lose and become enraged, Yuwen Tuo wouldn't hesitate to add another head to his blade in the future—if that was what fate decided. He simply hoped Dai Huabing would have better character.
After all, while Yuwen Tuo didn't want to make unnecessary enemies, he certainly wasn't afraid of doing so.
As the two conversed, one person frowned deeply—Huo Yuhao.
He had already recognized Dai Huabing.
Suddenly, his entire body trembled violently, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn't control the shaking as he instinctively grabbed Wang Dong's arm with great force.
Wang Dong was startled by the sudden movement. Turning to look at Huo Yuhao, he noticed the pale expression on his friend's face and the deep, uncontainable hatred in his eyes. Huo Yuhao's grip was so strong that it began to hurt.
Huo Yuhao's mind was flooded with memories of his days in the Duke's residence.
He and his mother had been constantly abused by Dai Huabing's subordinates. Though Huo Yuhao was a soul master with some soul power, giving him a slightly stronger ability to recover, his mother was just an ordinary woman. Years of overwork had left her frail and suffering from old injuries. Eventually, she fell ill and passed away, leaving this world forever.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Dai Huabing bore responsibility for his mother's death.
Wang Dong was shocked. This was the first time he had seen such raw emotion from Huo Yuhao. He didn't understand what had happened, but he was certain it had something to do with Dai Huabing.
"Yuhao, calm down. What's wrong with you?" Wang Dong whispered, trying to console him.
"I'm fine!" Huo Yuhao shook his head, his bloodshot eyes turning toward Yuwen Tuo.
He knew that at this moment, Dai Huabing was likely trying to recruit Yuwen Tuo. If Yuwen Tuo were to side with him, things would become much more difficult.
The man's combat abilities were terrifying, even praised by figures as significant as Elekes. Both Elekes and Tian Meng had hinted that Yuwen Tuo might be hiding something extraordinary, just like himself.
If Dai Huabing gained Yuwen Tuo's support, Huo Yuhao's path of revenge would become far more treacherous.
He truly didn't want to make an enemy of Yuwen Tuo.
As night fell, Yuwen Tuo was by the lakeside, instructing Xiao Xiao in her training. After all, Xiao Xiao had formally become his disciple, and he couldn't afford to neglect her development.
At the moment, Xiao Xiao was practicing a set of footwork techniques—the Chenghuang Yufeng (Wind-Riding Technique) created by Dugu Ningke.
Her movements were graceful, almost ethereal, as she danced across the surface of the lake under the moonlight. Her toes lightly touched the water, creating ripples, while her dress fluttered in the breeze.
The footwork was beautiful, resembling a mesmerizing dance.
"Tuo Tuo, how was my performance?" Xiao Xiao returned to the shore, her expression eager for praise.
Yuwen Tuo walked over and crouched down to inspect her shoes, only to find them soaked halfway. He shook his head. "Not good enough. Practice ten more times, then come ask me again."
Xiao Xiao's face instantly turned into a pout. "What? But I thought I did pretty well!"
"If your shoes are half-soaked, how can you expect me to praise you? The Chenghuang Yufeng requires you to glide across the water without getting anything wet except the tips of your toes. Only when you achieve that can it be considered a small success," Yuwen Tuo explained. Though he was gentle with Xiao Xiao in daily life, he was strict during training.
Thankfully, it was him teaching her. If Dugu Ningke were here, Xiao Xiao's little bottom would probably already be red from punishment.
"Alright, I'll practice again," Xiao Xiao said reluctantly, though she understood that Yuwen Tuo's strictness was for her own good. She had come to Shrek Academy to grow stronger.
"Xiao Xiao, wait a moment!" Yuwen Tuo suddenly grabbed her wrist and turned around. "Whoever is there, show yourself. Watching someone else's training without permission is hardly gentlemanly behavior."
His techniques could only be taught voluntarily; no one was allowed to secretly learn them.
"Classmate Yuwen, I've only just arrived and haven't seen anything. I assure you, I didn't mean to spy," a voice called out.
A young man dressed in white emerged from the shadows.
"Class Leader? What are you doing here?" Xiao Xiao recognized him as Huo Yuhao and asked in confusion.
"I came to see Classmate Yuwen," Huo Yuhao replied. "In tomorrow's finals, you'll inevitably face Dai Huabing's team. They're not easy opponents. Dai Huabing hails from the White Tiger Family of the Star Luo Empire, whose ancestral spirit beast, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, has been passed down for ten thousand years. Their soul skills form a complete system. As someone from the Star Luo Empire and a resident of Star Luo City, I live near the White Tiger Duke's residence and know a bit about the family. I'd like to offer you some intelligence that might help you in tomorrow's match."
Yuwen Tuo smiled. "Oh? And why would you help me? Didn't I just eliminate your team today?"
"You defeated me fairly in the match, without resorting to any underhanded tactics. I accepted my loss wholeheartedly. How could I hold a grudge over such a minor matter? As for helping you, it's because we're both from Class One of the new students. Now, the only remaining team from our class is yours. As the class leader, I naturally hope for your victory," Huo Yuhao explained.
"Is that so? Class Leader, thank you!" Xiao Xiao expressed her gratitude easily, her trusting nature accepting his words without question.
Though Huo Yuhao wasn't inherently malicious, the blood feud he carried inevitably cast a shadow over his intentions.
His reasons for helping Yuwen Tuo were threefold:
First, as he claimed, he might genuinely prefer Yuwen Tuo's victory over Dai Huabing's.
Second, he hoped Yuwen Tuo would not only win but utterly crush Dai Huabing. Knowing Dai Huabing's petty and vindictive nature, such a defeat would surely lead to enmity between them, ruining any chance of Dai Huabing recruiting Yuwen Tuo.
Third, by providing this intelligence, he would owe Yuwen Tuo a small favor, which could prove useful in the future.
Yuwen Tuo chuckled. "Thank you for your enthusiasm, Class Leader, but I don't need your help. Xiao Xiao, let's go."
He had no intention of falling into Huo Yuhao's trap.
"Classmate Yuwen, please don't underestimate Dai Huabing. Not only is his personal combat strength formidable, but he also possesses a family-secret Spirit Fusion Technique," Huo Yuhao persisted.
Yuwen Tuo waved his hand dismissively. "I'm aware of all that. But I won't lose."