The sun had not yet fully risen when Huo Yuhao woke up early as usual, gazing toward the faint trace of purple on the eastern horizon.
For him, not only did he have to spend considerable effort memorizing the internal structures of the surrounding soul tools and drawing them, but he also could not neglect his studies of soul tools themselves.
The teaching methods of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy were completely different from Shrek Academy's, and Xuan Ziwen was likewise proven to be an excellent teacher. In just a few short days, Huo Yuhao had already learned a great deal.
As he walked through the academy as usual, observing the soul tools visible everywhere, a figure suddenly hurried past him.
What a coincidence.
After clearly seeing who it was, Huo Yuhao's gaze lingered on the person for a moment.
Last night, he had just been talking with He Caitou about that soul tool capable of compensating for a soul master's physical deficiencies, and today he saw the very student who had created that soul tool heading out of the academy early in the morning.
After thinking for a moment, he suddenly changed direction and followed from a distance.
Back then, when they encountered that group of evil soul masters led by the Death God's Hand, several inner courtyard disciples had suffered heavy casualties under the unexpected Corpse Explosion Technique, and they had even lost the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament championship because of it.
Now, seeing such an exquisite soul tool that might even be able to remedy the disabilities of his inner courtyard seniors, he wanted to try whether there was a chance to obtain the complete blueprints.
With Huo Yuhao's spiritual power, he didn't need to follow too closely. While trailing far behind, he still didn't forget to observe the surrounding soul tools.
However, just as he had followed that student all the way to the academy gate, his figure suddenly froze in place.
Even though they were very far apart, with Huo Yuhao's eyesight, he could still clearly see who was standing at the academy entrance.
The person was dressed in black and, at a glance, seemed no different from an ordinary person. But upon closer inspection, one would notice that half of his body was unnaturally thin, as though there were no flesh beneath his clothes.
He wore a hat on his head, but it couldn't completely cover that hideous face. Half of his face had been completely ruined, as if it had been burned in a great fire, leaving only unsightly scars.
Yet that remaining half of an intact face, Huo Yuhao could never forget it.
It was the "Death God Messenger" they had encountered two years ago in the Ming Dou Mountain Range.
Scene after scene of memories flooded his mind. The continuous explosions inside that cave still rang in his ears. The combined might of gunpowder and corpse explosions had been enough to nearly blow the entire mountaintop apart.
In the end, if he hadn't relied on the full power of the million-year Tianmeng Ice Silkworm to unleash a soul shock that briefly stunned the Death God Messenger, even he himself would have been captured.
Even so, because he had borne too much of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's spiritual power, he had fallen into a coma for several days.
That had been his first encounter with an evil soul master, and the first time he had met such a vicious soul master. How could he possibly forget that face?
While he was lost in thought for that brief moment, the student at the academy gate had already begun talking with the Death God Messenger. His first soul ring quietly lit up, and the two men's voices traveled clearly into Huo Yuhao's ears from afar.
"I'll deliver the soul tool you want today. Didn't I already tell you not to come looking for me here?"
The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy student spoke in a low voice. He glanced left and right, and only after seeing that not many people were paying attention to them did he slightly relax.
If Lin Xiao were here, he would naturally recognize this student as Huang Zheng, the disciple of the Third Elder who had previously invited him to attend the Elder Council meeting.
"Now that I look like this, who do I still need to hide from? Who could even recognize me?"
The Death God Messenger's voice was extremely hoarse, his tone filled with obvious resentment.
Huang Zheng frowned upon hearing this. "It is precisely because your appearance is too peculiar that it will attract other people's attention."
"Don't worry, I won't disturb you people. I'll leave as soon as I get what I need."
The Death God Messenger's tone was unfriendly; unlike other disciples, he showed no trace of respect toward Huang Zheng.
Huang Zheng paused for a moment, then took out the soul tool he had worked through the night to make from his storage soul tool. "Your abilities were never suited for close combat in the first place. This soul tool was made using materials from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy; it should help you in battle…"
Before he could finish speaking, the Death God Messenger snatched the soul tool from Huang Zheng's hand, glanced at him once more, then turned and limped away.
Huang Zheng slightly clenched his fist. He looked at the guards at the entrance of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, then at the people on the street who had gotten up early and were passing by, but in the end, he said nothing more.
After looking around to confirm no one was paying attention to him, he turned and walked back into the academy.
Not long after Huang Zheng left, the Death God Messenger suddenly turned his head, viciously spat on the ground.
"Back when I offered things to you all, it was always 'we will never abandon a disciple of the Holy Sect,' but now that I've ended up like this, you just use these things like this to get rid of me."
"All of you… every single one of you looks down on me…"
The Death God Messenger laughed and cried at the same time, as if the evil fire from Ma Xiaotao's attack back then had invaded his mind. A Soul King who had managed to escape with his life from a rank-98 Hyper Douluo had ultimately been reduced to this state.
Disregarding the gazes of others on the street, the Death God Messenger walked all the way to a certain building. The moment he pushed the door open, two attendants immediately blocked his path.
"I'm sorry, sir. Our matches haven't started yet. Whether you wish to watch or participate, please come back in the evening."
"Get lost! All of you, get lost!" the Death God Messenger roared. "I want to see blood, I want to see corpses, don't any of you dare stop me!"
The two attendants exchanged a glance and no longer blocked him. One of them turned and ran toward the interior of the building.
Across the street, Huo Yuhao's figure slowly emerged from an inconspicuous alley. He memorized the building the Death God Messenger had just entered.
By the time Huo Yuhao returned to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, it was already getting late. Xuan Ziwen was already waiting in the laboratory. When he saw Huo Yuhao finally walk through the door, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"You're quite late today."
"I'm sorry, Teacher Xuan. I stayed up too late last night researching soul tools."
"It's fine. I've never been too strict about rules anyway," Xuan Ziwen said, not thinking too much of it.
It was perfectly normal for soul engineers to pull all-nighters researching soul tools. The girl at his side, Ju Zi, stayed up late every day studying soul tools. People like Huo Yuhao, who arrived at the laboratory early every single day, were actually the minority.
Huo Yuhao merely nodded and walked straight to his station, mechanically beginning to inscribe formation arrays.
Seeing the Death God Messenger again had stirred many thoughts in his mind.
What exactly was the relationship between that student and the evil soul masters? Why would he make soul tools for the Death God Messenger?
And the Xuan Ziwen in front of him, did he know that there were students in the academy who had countless ties to evil soul masters?
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