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Dai Family's Residence in Shrek City
Crash—
The moment Dai Huabin returned home, he swept everything off the table onto the floor, his eyes brimming with anger.
"Damn Huo Yu'er! Damn Hao Tian Sect! If this were a thousand years ago, how dare you treat my Dai Family like this!"
Over the past year, Dai Huabin had come to realize the gap between himself and Huo Yu'er. He had been working tirelessly to cultivate his soul power and refine his spirit skills. Finally, he mustered the courage to prove himself, only to be slapped harshly by reality.
Simply put, Dai Huabin chickened out.
To enhance the compatibility of their Spirit Fusion Technique, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had already started living together at such a young age.
Though Zhu Lu wasn't a stunning beauty, her cat-type spirit gave her long legs and a graceful figure. Thanks to her privileged upbringing, she hadn't fallen behind in the core aspects that defined a woman's appeal.
Seeing Dai Huabin angrily throwing things again, Zhu Lu said nothing. She simply called for the maid to clean up the mess as usual.
Unlike Dai Huabin, who had been spoiled since childhood, Zhu Lu had learned the meaning of humility from a young age.
To be honest, Zhu Lu couldn't understand what Dai Huabin was thinking. Even under the enhanced state of their Spirit Fusion Technique, they hadn't been able to defeat Huo Yu'er a year ago. How could Dai Huabin now have the confidence to challenge Huo Yu'er alone?
When someone witnessed his pathetic state, Dai Huabin instinctively wanted to lash out. But seeing that it was Zhu Lu, his future wife, he reluctantly suppressed his anger.
If the Dai Family were still part of the royal family, they wouldn't need to care about the Zhu Family's women—it would've been the other way around, with the Zhu women fawning over the Dai men.
But times had changed.
The White Tiger Duke Dai Family—what a grand title—but in this era, they couldn't even muster five Titled Douluo.
At the root of it all was the secret pressure from the Xu Family, which had left the Dai Family with dwindling numbers. Even their once-loyal allies, the Zhu Family, were growing distant.
If this were all there was to it, Dai Huabin wouldn't have to be so accommodating toward Zhu Lu. The real reason was that above him stood his older brother, Dai Yueheng—an exceptionally talented individual currently studying in Shrek's inner court.
And this excellent older brother didn't have a partner from the Zhu Family.
This was Dai Huabin's trump card in the future struggle for the family's title. He didn't want to drive Zhu Lu away.
However, Zhu Lu's gaze made Dai Huabin feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help but snap at her.
"What is it, Zhu Lu!?"
Zhu Lu seemed to realize her look had been inappropriate and shook her head slightly.
"Nothing."
After saying this, Zhu Lu hesitated for a moment. Her partner was always picking fights with others, only to end up looking so pathetic—it was unsettling.
"Huabin," Zhu Lu said softly, "I'm happy to see you working so hard on your cultivation. But we really don't need to provoke Huo Yu'er. Our goal right now should be improving ourselves so we can pass the entrance exam for the inner court in the future."
Dai Huabin's face darkened, but he didn't dare lose his temper completely. He could only nod faintly.
Zhu Lu knew he hadn't truly listened, so she sighed softly and left.
She couldn't help but recall her father's teachings from the past: the men of the Dai Family were often stubborn. Don't meddle in unnecessary affairs; just focus on yourself. When the situation becomes unfavorable, know when to cut ties.
Alone in his room, Dai Huabin sat with an inscrutable expression.
Huo Yu'er was no longer Huo Yuhao. Dai Huabin didn't even entertain the thought of hiring someone to assassinate her.
The reason was simple: Huo Yu'er was backed by powerful forces. In a place like Shrek Academy, filled with strong individuals, any major incident would inevitably implicate her family.
But after nearly a year of hard training, if he couldn't showcase his results, Dai Huabin felt an unrelenting frustration building inside him.
Dai Huabin entered his study and began carefully reviewing a document.
Soon, a sinister smile crept onto his lips.
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The Next Day
Huo Yu'er sat idly at her desk, lost in thought.
After consuming the miraculous herb, Huo Yu'er had awakened the ability to remember everything she saw. She had already memorized all the course material for the semester.
Moreover, Shrek Academy emphasized practical combat rather than theoretical exams like those required for soul-guiding tool specialists.
Though Zhou Yi despised Huo Yu'er's indifferent attitude, her theoretical knowledge was impeccable, leaving Zhou Yi no choice but to swallow her resentment.
Not to mention, Huo Yu'er's combat abilities ranked first in the entire grade.
Zhou Yi (-皿-): I hate her, but I can't do anything about her. So frustrating!
After finishing her lecture, Zhou Yi huffed and stormed out of the classroom, her nasty old witch face thoroughly ruining everyone's appetite in Class One.
Huo Yu'er packed up her things, intending to leave for training. Though only a year had passed, she already felt she was nearing the threshold of becoming a Soul Honored. She didn't want to waste any time.
Seeing Dai Huabin blocking her path again, Huo Yu'er's eyes now held not only disgust but also irritation.
"Dai Huabin, why are you stopping me again!? I already said I don't want to fight you." Huo Yu'er spoke coldly.
Tang Wulin clearly noticed the commotion and hurriedly stood up, ready to reenact another heroic rescue.
As her best friend, Xiao Xiao also rose to her feet. Last time, she hadn't paid much attention, but this time she absolutely wouldn't let her beloved senior sister and best friend be harassed by this lowlife.
However, Dai Huabin took the initiative and leaned close to Huo Yu'er, whispering something quietly.
Huo Yu'er was initially startled, then her eyes filled with murderous intent as she glared at Dai Huabin.
"Dai Huabin, do you want to die?" Huo Yu'er said coldly.
Dai Huabin shrugged disdainfully. "Or would you rather fight me? Once we're done, I won't bother you again. Otherwise, don't force me to take this drastic step."
Dai Huabin didn't take Huo Yu'er's threat seriously. Though he was only the second son of the White Tiger Duke Family, he wasn't some random nobody who could be killed without consequence.
The students still in the classroom were all shocked. Though Huo Yu'er usually didn't interact much with them, she was generally a very gentle person. What could Dai Huabin have said to make her radiate such killing intent?!
Huo Yu'er took a deep breath, then coldly stared at Dai Huabin.
"Fine, I'll fight you. But remember what you just said—if you go back on your word, you're dead!"
"Don't worry, I still have some credibility. Let's go to the Soul Arena now," Dai Huabin said seriously.
Without suspicion, Huo Yu'er followed him. There were bound to be many grudges and conflicts in Shrek City, but random fighting was strictly prohibited. Duels could only take place in designated Soul Arenas; otherwise, the offenders would be captured—or even killed—by Shrek City's enforcement team.
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