"Ah...achoo!"
Hua Yichen sneezed and instinctively frowned.
Who was thinking about him?
"Tower Master Hua? Tower Master Hua?"
"Oh, my apologies. I was distracted. Please continue, Dean Yu."
Hua Yichen looked at the elderly man before him.
Medium build, unremarkable in appearance, white-haired, wearing glasses, with a scholarly air.
Dean of Eastsea Academy Yu Zhen. Also an old acquaintance of his.
"Have you considered it? Will you let Huo Yuhao join Eastsea Academy? He has already reached school age. If he does not plan to leave Eastsea for the time being, our Eastsea Academy is a good choice."
Yu Zhen looked at Hua Yichen with eager anticipation.
Ever since one of the academy's teachers encountered Huo Yuhao on the way to take students to the Spirit Elevation Platform and told him about it, Yu Zhen had been waiting for this day.
A Body Martial Soul user the kind that only top academies produced and a native of Eastsea City at that. If he joined their academy, perhaps he could help them turn things around in the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition a year from now and put the academy's name on the map!
He had always envied those academies in major cities that could recruit from across the entire alliance...
"..."
Being stared at like this by an elderly man even though his own age was actually greater Hua Yichen felt somewhat uncomfortable and could not help but clear his throat.
"Ahem. I will respect Yuhao's choice. If he is willing to enter Eastsea Academy, I will not stop him."
"Well..." Yu Zhen was momentarily at a loss for words.
Huo Yuhao was a core disciple of the Spirit Transmission Tower. He lacked nothing in terms of resources, teachers, or money. What could their academy offer to attract him?
Or rather, what could they give to someone like him?
Yu Zhen sighed. He knew he was wishful thinking, but he could not help but say:
"There is a teacher in the academy from Shrek Academy's inner courtyard. Due to some conflicts, he happens to be transferring from the high school division to the middle school division. With him teaching, Huo Yuhao's education will not be compromised..."
A knock on the door interrupted Yu Zhen's words.
"Teacher Hua, I'm back."
The corner of Hua Yichen's mouth lifted slightly.
"Come in."
Huo Yuhao opened the door and walked in. Seeing Hua Yichen and Yu Zhen sitting across from him, his eyes flickered. He smiled and nodded to the latter, then looked at Hua Yichen, as if asking whether he had interrupted their conversation.
"It's fine. I asked the staff to have you come by when you returned, since this concerns you."
Hua Yichen nodded to Huo Yuhao, then looked at Yu Zhen and smiled. "He's here now, President Yu. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
"Thank you, Tower Master Hua!"
Yu Zhen said this, then stood up solemnly and looked at Huo Yuhao. "Student Huo Yuhao, may I ask do you have any intention of enrolling in Eastsea Academy?"
"Our academy will provide you with the best resources and environment, and have our most excellent faculty teach you..."
Yu Zhen spoke at length about the academy's advantages, but he knew in his heart that compared to the environment of the Spirit Transmission Tower, Eastsea Academy had no advantages at all.
Huo Yuhao listened, thought for a moment, then shook his head causing Yu Zhen's heart to sink halfway. But then Huo Yuhao said: "I will join Eastsea Academy, but I do not need special treatment. Just treat me as an ordinary student."
"This..." The sudden surprise struck Yu Zhen in the face, making him somewhat excited. "But you are different from other students..."
"Different how? A special admit?"
Huo Yuhao chuckled and shook his head. "Dean, if you give me special treatment, it will only provoke dissatisfaction among other students and their parents. I would not want to join the academy only to be cornered and interrogated about whether I got in through the back door."
Yu Zhen: "..."
Hua Yichen: "..."
With your current spirit power cultivation, who at your grade level would dare to corner you?
In the end, Yu Zhen left with joy and excitement.
After he left, Hua Yichen looked at Huo Yuhao and asked, "Have you really thought this through? Eastsea Academy is not outstanding among the Federation's middle schools."
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "If you did not want me to go, you would not have called me here."
"That is true."
Hua Yichen smiled and shared his perspective. "I have already told you about the situation at headquarters. Now is not the right time to go there. As for studying at a middle school in another first-tier city while relying on the Spirit Transmission Tower's resources that would require enduring others' attitudes. That would not be good."
"Going to Eastsea Academy at the very least, this Spirit Transmission Tower branch will be your background, your backing. You won't need to worry about others' attitudes! Here, I have your back!"
Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly. He did not say anything, merely nodding gently.
God King Tang, look at this this is how a normal person supports the younger generation. Not through twists and turns of torment and suffering!
After spending some time in the Spirit Transmission Tower's library, Huo Yuhao returned home, entered his cultivation room, and began to review.
"I've caught President Li's attention at the Mecha Designer Association. We'll see how that develops... but, entering Eastsea Academy?"
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered.
Eastsea Academy ranked in the lower-middle tier among the various spirit master academies. It had always wanted to raise its prestige. It was not surprising that they would come to recruit a genius born in Eastsea.
As for him, as long as he had a quiet place to cultivate, anywhere was the same.
However, using the Spirit Transmission Tower's intelligence, Huo Yuhao had already confirmed that Tang Wulin would, as in the original, be admitted to Eastsea Academy. And if he appeared before Tang Wulin, he might be exposed to Tang San's divine consciousness.
What was Huo Yuhao in Tang San's eyes?
The Son of Fate from ten thousand years ago. Someone Tang San wanted to behead as a warning or make his dog.
But ten thousand years ago, Huo Yuhao had constantly run outside of Tang San's designs. Back then, it could be explained by Huo Yuhao having been abused since childhood, developing a reclusive personality.
But now?
Huo Yuhao, who should have died, had reappeared after the Divine Realm disappeared. Could Tang San see him and not overthink it?
Tang San: You brat do you know something? Do you have a problem with the Divine Realm? Do you want to rebel against me? You truly have a death wish!
It would not be strange for Tang San to have such thoughts upon seeing him.
Thus, appearing before Tang Wulin now was actually dangerous. But since Huo Yuhao had agreed to Hua Yichen, he naturally had confidence.
In the original work, Tang San's divine consciousness had about three stages.
First stage: Because the Divine Realm had drifted away, Tang San's divine consciousness had no ontology to replenish its energy. The power it could use was limited. Most of the time, it was in a state of slumber, unaware of the outside world, and even needed Tang Wulin to provide information.
Second stage: Tang Wulin obtained the Vast Sea Universe Cover. Tang San's divine consciousness, through him, established contact with his ontological body in the Divine Realm. His energy was replenished, and he was even able to transport Tang Wulin's adoptive parents across an infinite distance to the Divine Realm.
Third stage: The three opportunities to strike left behind by Tang San the so-called God King's Three Strikes. The strongest of these strikes trapped and killed the Abyss Saint Lord, a First-Class God.
The second stage was the most dangerous. The first stage had the lowest risk and during this stage... with proper preparation, it might not be impossible to eliminate that wisp of divine consciousness.
But after careful consideration, Huo Yuhao abandoned this idea. If he truly angered Tang San, Tang Hao might take action as a result the loss would outweigh the gain.
He was carrying a group of people with him, gathering the hopes of an entire village. Mutual destruction was not a game worth playing. Before he had the ability to deal with Tang Hao, it was best not to touch that wisp of divine consciousness.
"In that case, I can only take the middle strategy seize the Vast Sea Universe Cover, so that Tang San's divine consciousness has no chance to contact the Divine Realm..."
Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao suddenly chuckled and shook his head. "Am I being too cautious? Choosing the lesser of two evils. Right now, there is someone taking the lead for me."
The Abyss Saint Lord without even making a move had already rendered the God King's divine consciousness, and forced the Plane Lord to play it safe and not show his face. Worthy of being a First-Class God!
So indeed it feels good to have someone taking the lead.
With this thought, Huo Yuhao thought of another person who was, in a certain sense, taking the lead. His expression became somewhat interesting.
He had already heard news from Hua Yichen. Gu Yuena was now thriving in the Spirit Transmission Tower and had not run off to Aolai City.
Had the Silver Dragon King finally regained her senses? She hadn't lost her memory to experience human life?
Hmm... On second thought, perhaps she really didn't need to?
The Silver Dragon King had sealed her memories and strength to go to the human world in order to make herself more like a human.
Huo Yuhao did not want to complain how absurd this reason was.
But considering the present spirit beasts had been blending into the human world for nearly ten thousand years. Emperor Tian's photo had even been published in newspapers and books. To say that spirit beasts did not know how humans lived — what a joke!
She did not need to enter human society — spirit beasts could help her integrate into human society!
So then... why had she joined the Spirit Transmission Tower this time?
Huo Yuhao frowned.
Was it the same as in the original?
Or did she have another plan?