Elder Xuan sat on a chair beside him and looked at Huo Yuhao quietly. He revealed a slight smile on his face.
âSilly kid, even I canât deal with your stubbornness! It seems like I have to let you know beforehand.â
Three days passed in a flash.
Wang Dong was a little lonely as he sat in his room. Even though he hadnât become an official inner courtyard disciple, heâd been cultivating on Sea Godâs Island the entire time. His guiding teacher had changed from Elder Mu to Elder Xuan, and he now learned alongside Xiao Xiao. Elder Xuan had told him that he could take the inner courtyard test when the next academic year started, then enter the inner courtyard. The same was true for Xiao Xiao. After all, they were both soul ancestors already. If they werenât able to pass the inner courtyard test even after being guided by Elder Mu and Elder Xuan, they would most certainly be wasting the two eldersâ efforts.
Was Yuhao leaving?
Wang Dong felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart. He was the one most affected by Huo Yuhaoâs transformation during the past three months. Huo Yuhao had sealed himself up almost completely. Besides the time they spent cultivating together, Wang Dong hadnât seen Huo Yuhao at all. As the days passed, heâd clearly felt Huo Yuhaoâs mental state tensing up. If not for the fact that Huo Yuhaoâs spiritual power was so great, he wouldâve broken down already. He truly was too tensed up.
Wang Dong tried to speak to him, but Huo Yuhao wouldnât listen. When he spoke too much, Huo Yuhao would start to tear up and mumble the word âteacherâ.
Wang Dong had to admit that Huo Yuhaoâs abilities had improved by leaps and bounds in these past three months of tireless cultivation. Heâd managed to increase his soul power to Rank 40, but his cultivation had been stuck at a bottleneck. He needed to obtain his fourth soul ring to proceed any further. But this hadnât affected his cultivation. Wang Dong was certain that Huo Yuhaoâs abilities had superseded his own completely. Even though this had been the case in the past, heâd been an assault-type soul master then, and Huo Yuhao more of a control-type soul master. However, Huo Yuhao was now very dominant in assault techniques. Wang Dong didnât even think that heâd have a shot at defeating Huo Yuhao if they were to fight now. Of course, this was based on the condition that Huo Yuhao could use soul tools. In the past year, Wang Dongâs abilities had also improved greatly!
I heard that heâs leaving tomorrow. Elder Xuan has already taken him away for three days. Can he really recover? Itâll be almost three years until we see him again if he leaves! When his thoughts reached this pont, Wang Dong couldnât help but purse his lips, his pinkish-blue eyes revealing a trace of reluctance.
He was also in pain from Elder Muâs death. However, he was much more rational than Huo Yuhao. After all, his background was completely different; he didnât crave kinship as much as Huo Yuhao did. However, heâd developed a very close relationship with Huo Yuhao over these few years.
Wang Dong had even proposed that he go to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy with Huo Yuhao, but he was rejected. The reason was very simpleâone of them had to remain in the academy since they were both Elder Muâs closed-door disciples. This was in case of any emergencies. If something happened to Huo Yuhao, at least Wang Dong would still be in the academy. Although Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were less innately talented than Huo Yuhao, they still possessed twin martial souls! They could still carry on the fire of the academy even if something happened to Huo Yuhao. Moreover, Wang Dong didnât work with soul tools!
âBang, bang, bang.â A knock on the door sounded, causing Wang Dong to regain his awareness.
Wang Dong walked towards the door and asked, âWho is it?â
âItâs me.â A familiar voice sounded. Wang Dong stopped when he heard this voice. Immediately afterwards, he burst towards the door and opened it.
Huo Yuhao was standing outside the door.
His eyes looked clear, and the sense of loss and sorrow had completely disappeared from his eyes.
Precisely because they were so familiar with each other, Wang Dong was able to sense the changes in his body. He was stunned and asked, âDid you come back from the dead?â
Huo Yuhao chortled and said, âI guess so.â
Wang Dong blinked. âHow did you do it?â
Huo Yuhao answered naturally, âOf course it was because Elder Xuan who helped me.
âIâve already thought it through; a dead person canât be revived. If I continued like I was, Iâd collapse before I could fulfil teacherâs hopes. Teacher wouldnât be able to rest in peace if that happens!â
Wang Dong opened his eyes wide. âWow, how did you manage to figure it out? I wasnât able elicit any reaction from you even though I tried persuading you for three months!â He became more frustrated the more he spoke. He couldnât help but grab Huo Yuhaoâs collar and pull him into his room before shutting the door forcefully.
Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly and said, âBe gentler, Iâm about to leave. Whyâre you not leaving me a good last impression of you?â
Wang Dongâs body jerked when he heard the word âleaveâ. Indeed! Huo Yuhao was leaving the next day. He had to leave, especially since his mind had completely recovered.
âAre you here to say goodbye?â Wang Dongâs voice trembled slightly.
Huo Yuhao nodded his head gently and held onto Wang Dongâs shoulders while pushing him further into the room. âIâm leaving tomorrow. This trip to the Sun Moon Imperial Engineering Academy is of the utmost importance. Iâll be leaving on an important mission for two and a half years, and wonât be back during this period of time.â
Wang Dong, feeling a little impulsive, said, âIâll find Elder Xuan and ask him to let me tag along again. We have four martial soul fusion skills! Youâll be completely safe with me around.â
Huo Yuhao held Wang Dong back and shook his head. âItâs useless; Elder Xuan wonât change his mind. Besides, you donât even like soul tools. Going there would only affect your future cultivation. Two and a half years will pass in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, even though weâre quite outstanding among others of our same age, weâre nothing outside the academy. While the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy is packed with soul engineers, they shouldnât have a lack of Titled Douluo. Donât tell me weâre better than all of them? Youâll only delay your own cultivation if you go there. Staying here is the best choice. Besides, you can monitor Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen if you remain in the academy. In three years time, theyâll be our strongest opponents in the tournament. Luck wonât always be on our side. They already had five soul rings in the previous tournament. If we face them again, theyâll give us even more problems.â
Wang Dong clenched his fists, âBut⦠two and a half years⦠Iâ¦â
Huo Yuhao smiled and continued to hold onto his shoulder, âWang Dong, youâve become more and more feminine over this past year! You canât bear to see me go?â
âScram, youâre the one whoâs turned feminine.â Wang Dong pushed his hand away and snorted. âI was just thinking that youâll lag behind me after your two and a half years in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Your speed of cultivation is already extremely slow. Without me around, youâll become even slower.â
Huo Yuhao replied, âAlright, stop acting. Just say it if you canât bear for me to leave. Stop finding excuses. Iâm reluctant to leave you too.â
Huo Yuhaoâs words touched Wang Dong in his softest spot. His eyes started to turn red, and he suddenly rushed up to Huo Yuhao and hugged him extremely tightly.
Huo Yuhao subconsciously hugged him back. He was stunned to realize that Wang Dongâs body seemed to be softer than before. The two of them hadnât unleashed their martial fusion soul skills for some time, thus Huo Yuhao hadnât hugged Wang Dong for a long time. He felt extremely comfortable as he was hugged by Wang Dong. Weird emotions started to spread in his heart.
âNo! Iâm into girls!â A petite figure surfaced in Huo Yuhaoâs mind. Even though almost two years had passed, he couldnât forget the surprise that figure had brought him back then. It was the ravishing beauty that Wang Dong had created when they had used the Rainment of Light together.
That lady had looked very similar to Wang Dong, but she was very beautiful. Huo Yuhao couldnât forget her looks, just like the audience beneath the stage. It wasnât too far-fetched to claim that she was the dream of all men.
âYuhao, how long have we known each other?â Wang Dong sounded a little resentful.
Huo Yuhao answered, âAlmost three years. If we were still in the outer courtyard, weâd be in the fourth grade once this break ends.â
Wang Dong nodded lightly, but had no intention of hugging less tightly. âYes, three years! In these three years, Iâve always been with you except for the times that I returned home during the holidays. Yet, youâll be leaving for two and a half years this time. Will we still be like we are now after two and a half years?â
Huo Yuhao smiled and said, âHugging just like this?â
âYou!â Wang Dong suddenly let go of his arms and pushed him away. He snapped, âYou know Iâm not talking about that!â
Huo Yuhao was jolted when he saw Wang Dongâs teary face, âWang Dong, our brotherhood wonât change. It could be two and a half years, or it could be twenty years. Once a brother, always a brother. It was our fate to become martial soul fusion skill partners. Our destinies will forever be intertwined.â