Huo Yuhao was struck by a sudden realization. He finally understood why Dai Huabin had beaten him so angrily yesterday; as it turned out, the guy had taken a beating from Feng Piaoling and decided to vent his frustrations on him.
At this thought, Huo Yuhao's resentment toward Feng Piaoling deepened. He was already bitter over the ten-year Wind Baboon first soul ring and the way Feng Piaoling had humiliated him in front of Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
Feng Piaoling, first you forced me to absorb a ten-year Wind Baboon soul ring, then you insulted me, and now you've caused me to get thrashed by Dai Huabin. Sooner or later, I will pay you back for all of this.
Standing beside him, Bei Bei noticed Huo Yuhao's expression and caught a glimpse of what he was thinking, but he didn't press the matter. Instead, he changed the subject.
"Since you aren't willing to say who hit you, we won't force you. You've already begun practicing our Tang Sect's ultimate techniques. I believe that one day, you will be able to defeat the person who bullied you. Aside from checking on you, Xiao Ya and I came here for another reason."
"Please tell me, Senior Brother Bei Bei. As long as it concerns the Tang Sect, I will do whatever it takes."
Recalling how Feng Piaoling had called him an ungrateful wolf, Huo Yuhao was terrified that Bei Bei and Tang Ya might see him the same way, so he agreed without a second thought.
Bei Bei smiled slightly. "It's nothing difficult. In fact, it will benefit you. If we succeed this time, your cultivation speed might increase significantly."
"A significant increase in cultivation speed?" Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up instantly. His current cultivation speed was his greatest source of distress.
Even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill, his progress remained abysmal. According to Tian Meng's estimates, before obtaining a second martial soul, he would be lucky to gain two ranks a year during the Soul Grandmaster stage—averaging one rank every six months. In Shrek Academy, that was considered mediocre at best.
To him, it was far too slow.
He wanted to defeat Dai Huabin, defeat Feng Piaoling, and defeat everyone who had ever bullied him and his mother. Ultimately, he wanted to make Dai Hao kneel before his mother's grave in repentance to beg for her forgiveness. He still had a long road ahead of him.
Bei Bei nodded and smiled mysteriously. "Correct. But before that, go and fill your stomach. I'll tell you more after you've eaten."
"Alright, Senior Brother Bei Bei! I'm going right now."
Huo Yuhao suddenly found his energy. Abandoning his pitiful act, he hurried toward the cheapest window in the cafeteria. He spent two copper soul coins on a serving of greens and rice, devouring it ravenously.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's rapid shift in demeanor, Tang Ya inexplicably recalled Feng Piaoling's words about Huo Yuhao being an ungrateful wolf who loved to play the victim.
She turned to Bei Bei and whispered, "Bei Bei, are you really planning to give him the Mystic Water Pill you swindled from Xu Sanshi?"
Bei Bei nodded. "Indeed. If Xu Sanshi wants to defeat Feng Piaoling, he cannot do it without Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing. I am simply giving Huo Yuhao the reward he deserves."
"Besides, Huo Yuhao is a member of the Tang Sect now," Bei Bei continued. "If he fails the freshman assessment because of a lack of strength, it will reflect poorly on the Tang Sect's reputation. Consider this a necessary measure."
Seeing Bei Bei's resolve, Tang Ya felt a bit reluctant but didn't argue further. She simply let it be. He was right; if Huo Yuhao were expelled for failing the assessment, it would indeed damage the Tang Sect's prestige.
In front of an ancient and grand building, crowds of people bustled about. Some nobles entered and exited as casually as if they were going for a meal, while commoners could only look on from afar with sighs of longing. Even taking a single step closer seemed like a distant dream.
Feng Piaoling stopped in his tracks and looked to the side. "This should be Shrek Academy's Mimicry Cultivation Ground."
"Yes. The Mimicry Cultivation Ground was built by Shrek Academy at a massive cost. Like the Soul Arena, it is one of the academy's primary sources of income."
Jiang Nannan played with a Mimicry Cultivation Ground token in her hand. Feng Piaoling had just renewed her access for a full year, costing over three hundred gold soul coins.
In the past, this was an expense she wouldn't have dared to imagine. It proved the old saying: money might not be everything, but life is impossible without it. Jiang Nannan didn't dislike money; she simply disliked spending money given to her by people like Xu Sanshi.
When the person giving her money was the one she cared for, it was a completely different story.
Her favorability toward him was skyrocketing. With just a lavish breakfast and a one-year renewal of the cultivation grounds, Feng Piaoling had left her head spinning, barely able to tell north from south.
At this moment, the love in Jiang Nannan's eyes as she looked at Feng Piaoling was almost impossible to hide.
"Let's go inside," Feng Piaoling said without further preamble, walking toward the ancient building.
"Welcome. You two must be here for the Mimicry Cultivation Ground. Please show your tokens," a voice called out. Two beautiful female soul masters were seated in the lobby. These women were usually Shrek students who hadn't made it into the Inner Courtyard and chose to stay at the academy to take on low-risk administrative roles.
Feng Piaoling nodded. "That's right."
After ten thousand years of development, the Mimicry Cultivation Ground was no longer like the ancient days where Food system soul masters trained in kitchens and Plant system soul masters trained in forests. They were now equipped with soul tools. Through soul tool simulation, a soul master's cultivation speed could be significantly enhanced.
After presenting the token he had paid for outside, one of the beautiful soul masters led them to two adjacent, sealed rooms.
The woman said, "On the left is Mimicry Room 35, and on the right is Room 36. Until you emerge, no one has the right to enter without your permission."
"Understood." Feng Piaoling tossed a gold soul coin to her as a tip.
"Thank you! I wish you both success in your cultivation." The woman's face lit up with a smile. She was only a Soul Elder, and in an era without soul master subsidies, a single gold soul coin was a substantial tip.
Once she left, Feng Piaoling turned to Jiang Nannan. "I have my own training schedule for the next few days. We can discuss you assisting my cultivation once the term officially begins. Also, I'll be training until very late today. If you get hungry, go to the cafeteria on your own; don't wait for me."
"Okay." Jiang Nannan secretly decided to start carrying dry rations with her. That way, she wouldn't waste the cultivation time Feng Piaoling had rented for her, and she could spend more time by his side.
After parting with Jiang Nannan, Feng Piaoling entered Room 36.
"This Mimicry Cultivation Ground isn't bad," he mused. "It's on par with the ones in the Crown Prince's manor."
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