The East Sea Academy had quite a few participants in the Skysea Alliance Competition. Apart from those from the junior division like Huo Yuhao, there were also students from the senior division who would be competing in the youth group for ages fifteen to twenty.
The East Sea Plaza was their gathering point. Everyone would assemble here and then be officially arranged to head to Skysea City.
Huo Yuhao arrived here with Gu Yuena and Luoyang Lu. They were quite early, and after some time, the other five members of Class Zero and Wu Zhangkong arrived one by one.
Wu Zhangkong's gaze immediately fell on Huo Yuhao. His deep, icy eyes suddenly focused, and his cold brows slightly furrowed. The fingers behind his back tightened almost imperceptibly.
Ten years old, Soul Ancestor!
What shocked him even more was that not only was the child's soul power astonishingly vast, but it also gave him a faint sense of threat. The purity of the soul power was likely at an unimaginable level, comparable to a Soul King.
"Truly... a prodigy," Wu Zhangkong murmured in a low voice, his tone still cold, but upon closer listening, one could detect a slight tremor hidden beneath the calm surface.
Luoyang Lu had naturally already known about Huo Yuhao's advancement. Hearing this, he said, "Your academy has also produced a peerless figure like the Atlas Douluo. Yuhao still has a long way to go."
"..."
Wu Zhangkong wanted to say he was being modest, but in the end, he just shook his head and changed the topic. "Xie Xie and the others have made significant progress recently. They can already..."
While the two of them were conversing, the members of Class Zero were also chatting on the other side.
"Have you heard? Shrek Academy might also be participating," Xie Xie frowned. "We won't run into them, will we?"
Xu Xiaoyan said, "How could that be? Shrek Academy is only here for an exhibition match. Don't doubt their strength just because of two people. It's said that the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy has never had more than a hundred students, and they are all incredibly powerful. It seems some of them are coming this time."
Wang Jinxi also nodded. "That's one of the four major powers alongside our Spirit Pagoda. We can't underestimate them. I heard that if it weren't for Shrek Academy maintaining neutrality in the conflicts between the three continents, the Star Luo Continent and the Heaven Dou Continent would have ceased to exist long ago. It's a den of dragons and tigers, filled with countless strong individuals."
"Where did you hear all this?" Xie Xie looked at Xu Xiaoyan and Wang Jinxi in surprise.
"It's all over the internet," Xu Xiaoyan took out her soul guide screen and accessed the Federation network. "It's said that high-ranking officials of the Federation have visited Shrek Academy multiple times to meet and discuss with their dean. That's enough to prove their strength."
"..."
Beside them, Huo Yuhao listened to their conversation and thought of one word, overhype.
In the original timeline, a similar situation had occurred. Not only did Shrek maintain a neutral stance, but the Federation President would also visit Shrek Academy annually to meet with the dean.
Nothing was achieved overnight.
...
"Students and teachers of East Sea Academy, board the bus."
A moment later, under the guidance of their teachers, Huo Yuhao and the others boarded the bus.
The atmosphere inside the bus was quiet, with no one making noise. Many were feeling nervous.
After all, East Sea Academy had not performed well in past competitions. Not only did the academy lose face, but East Sea City also felt the disgrace. That was why Dean Yu was so anxious.
However, the recent batches of students had shown promising strength, and high expectations were placed on them, adding to the pressure.
But when the senior division participants saw the leader, their eyes lit up, and their hearts seemed to settle.
To Xu Xiaoyan, this was similar to how they felt when they saw Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena.
Tang Wulin, noticing this, curiously asked, "Who is that senior?"
Xie Xie, sitting beside him, looked at the young man and said solemnly, "He's Xu Yongxiang, a senior from the senior division. His martial soul is the Blue Silver King. He's eighteen years old and has reached the 47th rank!"
"Blue Silver King?" Tang Wulin's pupils shook.
He naturally knew what the Blue Silver King was. Unlike his Blue Silver Grass, it was already a quite powerful plant martial soul.
Xie Xie nodded. "It's said that he originally only had a trace of Blue Silver King bloodline. But after a trip to Mingdu, he awakened as a Blue Silver King half a year later."
At this point, Xie Xie glanced around and whispered, "Rumor has it that someone from our Spirit Pagoda invited him to Mingdu."
"You mean...?" Tang Wulin's eyes widened, his heart pounding.
"Quite similar to you, isn't it?" Xie Xie grinned.
Since joining the Spirit Pagoda, he felt that everywhere he went, there were people who had received support from the Spirit Pagoda.
Them, this senior, and even the teacher who taught Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi their martial soul fusion skill, all of them.
Compared to other organizations, he felt more at home here. A sense of belonging had unknowingly taken root in his heart.
Perhaps the Spirit Pagoda's original intention wasn't charity, but actions speak louder than words. They acted, and that was enough.
Sitting behind them, Luoyang Lu heard their conversation and smiled, sending a voice transmission:
"You can do it too, Wulin."
As it turned out, the adaptability of the Blue Silver Grass exceeded the researchers' expectations. The spirit soul with the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline hadn't even reached ten thousand years, yet it had propelled Xu Yongxiang's martial soul to advance.
This could be considered a second awakening driven by the spirit soul, and it was something Hua Yichen could replicate on a large scale.
Though it was a bit hard on the Blue Silver Emperor spirit soul...
..."Nana, wake up."
Gu Yuena's silver eyes still held a trace of drowsiness, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze meeting Huo Yuhao's profile, which was close at hand. The morning light filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on his features.
"Awake?" Huo Yuhao noticed her movement and turned to her. His voice was soft, carrying a hint of amusement. "We've arrived. If you didn't wake up, you'd have to be carried back."
Gu Yuena then realized that the bus was empty except for them. She instinctively checked her attire, and after confirming everything was in order, she stood up and stretched.
She had apparently been using Yuhao's shoulder as a pillow the entire ride...
"Yuhao, is your shoulder sore?" Gu Yuena asked with concern.
"You're lighter than deep-sea pressure."
Huo Yuhao put away the soul guide book he was holding, smiled, and walked toward the bus door. "Let's go. They're probably getting impatient."
"Mm."
Gu Yuena followed him leisurely.
Skysea City was vastly different from East Sea City. Built against the mountains, the terrain was undulating, with many structures ingeniously embedded into the hills. Some skyscrapers stood atop the peaks, seemingly piercing the clouds, a sight to behold.
The officials from the East Sea City administrative office were in charge of leading the group, and they had already made contact with the Skysea City authorities.
The group was accommodated in a uniquely styled luxury hotel. The hotel was renowned for its distinctive architecture, with half of the building extending into the sea. Every room offered a breathtaking view of the ocean, making one feel as if they were embraced by the sea.
Before parting ways, Luoyang Lu smiled at everyone and said, "Tomorrow is the opening ceremony, and the draw will also take place. The day after will be the official competition. Rest well and don't falter midway!"