"...?"
Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, rubbed his head, and blinked in confusion.
What's going on? Did I actually fall asleep?
Sunlight streamed in through the dorm window, and as he felt the clarity in his mind, he realized it was already morning. Wang Dong was still fast asleep on her bed, breathing softly.
Yuhao frowned. Using Spiritual Sharing, he reviewed the memories stored in Tianmeng Iceworm's mental fragment. Nothing unusual had happened — it seemed he had simply fallen asleep.
Wang Dong was in the same state; perhaps it was just because she had entered a true deep sleep for the first time that she'd remained out for so long.
Don't overthink it, child, Electrolux's aged voice echoed in Yuhao's spiritual sea. It was I who made you sleep. So, how was it? Restful enough?
Before Yuhao could respond, the old man added, One must learn balance — tension and relaxation must coexist. You understand this principle, don't you?
Yuhao raised an eyebrow. Of course he did. He also understood that Elder Yi meant well… but still — forcibly knocking him out wasn't exactly a gentle approach.
Elder Yi, Yuhao said dryly, next time, could you maybe warn me first?
Understood, Electrolux replied, his tone faintly weary. After all, the previous night's "sleep" had required him to guide Yuhao's mind directly into an unconscious state. It hadn't harmed his consciousness, but it was exhausting work.
"Ahhh~ that was the best sleep I've had in ages. But why am I so hungry? Yuhao, hurry, let's go eat lunch before the cafeteria closes!"
Stretching lazily, Wang Dong yawned wide, looking utterly refreshed.
"Of course you're hungry," Yuhao replied, amused. "You've been asleep for a whole day and night. Eat something first."
He pulled a neatly packed meal from his storage soul tool and handed it to her.
"What?" Wang Dong froze, eyes wide, staring at the orange hues of the setting sun outside the window.
"You're kidding! I thought I only slept a couple of hours! Wait— you didn't infect me, did you?!"
Yuhao sighed. "Don't be dramatic. That was just your first time entering deep sleep. It's good for your spirit — helps you recover. It won't happen every time."
"Now hurry up and eat. We've got things to do afterward."
"Huh? Things to do? Isn't today a day off?" Wang Dong mumbled between bites.
Yuhao placed a red-gilded invitation card on the table. "It was, but Shrek City is holding a Treasure Appreciation Gathering, and they invited core disciples from the Academy. This one's yours."
Instantly, Wang Dong perked up, shoveling food into her mouth faster. "Really? I've heard of that! They give Shrek students special discounts, right?"
Yuhao nodded, adjusting his collar. "Right. And this time there's even a sponsor."
"A sponsor? Who?" Wang Dong wiped her mouth, curiosity piqued.
"You've met her — Ning Tian, from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She told me about it this afternoon."
"What, did she fall for you or something?" Wang Dong narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Those people from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect never act without a reason. Don't get tricked."
Yuhao smirked. "I'm aware. You could say she's 'interested' — but only in my potential. She invited me for a simple discussion earlier."
"The Tang Sect and Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect have some ties. She's not trying to recruit me; just making acquaintances, maybe earning a favor. Still, no reason to turn down a free opportunity. Let's go see what's there."
In truth, what Yuhao was most eager about was the alchemy section.
For someone with the Eye of Truth, the so-called "pill refinement" methods of this world were laughably crude.
Take the Xuan Shui Pill, for example — made simply by smashing herbs and beast blood together using brute force to merge their energies. Calling them elixirs was generous; they were little more than energy pellets.
As Electrolux would say, "It's a waste of precious resources. With proper techniques, those same ingredients could yield ten times the potency."
Still, it had its advantages. Under his teacher's guidance, Yuhao could purify these rough pills into genuine magic-grade potions, vastly superior in effect.
Though not a professional alchemist, Electrolux — as the greatest Archmage of the Holy Magic Continent — considered potion-making child's play.
The second thing Yuhao was eager about was the Soul Tools on display. It was a rare chance to examine their core circuits firsthand — and he intended to record every one of them with the Eye of Truth.
When Wang Dong finished her meal and changed clothes, the two set out toward Shrek Academy's main gate, where Ning Tian and her two companions — Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er — were already waiting.
Wu Feng's eyes flashed with hostility the moment she saw Yuhao, while Nanmen Yun'er froze slightly, still traumatized from their encounter at the freshman tournament.
Yuhao ignored Wu Feng completely — she wasn't worth the effort — and instead nodded politely to Ning Tian. "Apologies. I was delayed by training."
"No problem. We just arrived," she replied with a gentle smile. "By the way, where's your third teammate?"
"Xiao Xiao's in seclusion, breaking through to the next rank," Yuhao explained calmly. Indeed, she was likely tackling the bottleneck between ranks twenty-eight and twenty-nine.
Unlike Yuhao, whose soul power cycled freely and could be stabilized with Tianmeng Iceworm's assistance, ordinary Spirit Masters had to meditate for hours to condense their energy through each breakthrough.
The five of them set off together toward Treasure Gathering Pavilion (Jubao Pavilion), where the event was being held.
Along the way, Ning Tian noticed Wu Feng's lingering hostility toward Yuhao and quietly admonished her. As the successor of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian knew how to read a room — her goal here was to build relationships, not enmities.
After a few curt words, Wu Feng reined herself in.
Shrek City – Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
This was the city's largest emporium, dealing in all goods related to Spirit Masters and Soul Engineers. The four-story structure was massive, rising over twenty meters high, glittering with gold — its rounded architecture shaped like a literal treasure bowl.
"We're here."
Inside, they were greeted by rows of uniformed attendants — all young women around seventeen or eighteen, beautiful and well-trained, their fitted dresses designed to accentuate every curve.
Clearly, Treasure Gathering Pavilion spared no expense, using charm and presentation to appeal to their youthful, hormone-driven clientele from Shrek Academy.
After verifying their invitations, one of the hostesses led the group upstairs to the second floor — the designated area for the Core Disciples' Treasure Exhibition.
At the heart of the hall stood rows of crystal display cases, each angled to show their contents in the most dazzling way possible. The transparent glass shimmered, showcasing soul bones, rare materials, and intricate soul tools alike.
"Welcome, esteemed guests," a staff member said with a practiced smile. "Please browse freely. If you find something you like, purchasing and registration can be done at the west counter. For credit evaluation or discount inquiries, please also proceed there."
Since all five were second-year students, none had much experience with these events — not even Ning Tian herself. So they followed the hostess westward, glancing at the endless rows of glittering treasures along the way.
Yuhao's gaze lingered on a particularly large display.
Inside, suspended midair, was a crimson-gold soul bone — unmistakably the same one that, in the original timeline, he had spent 9.5 million gold soul coins to buy for Wang Dong.
Yet this time, Wang Dong merely gave it a cursory glance, showing no sign of attachment.
Is it because of that torso bone? Yuhao wondered. The new one must have lessened the resonance she once felt. Either way, it didn't concern him — his own cultivation had little use for a light-attribute soul bone.
What did interest him, however, were the countless Soul Tools arrayed throughout the floor.
Under the Eye of Truth, each and every one of them appeared stripped bare — their inner cores, inscriptions, and rune arrays laid completely open before his eyes.
He silently recorded them all, ring after ring, formation after formation. Even if he didn't have time to decode them yet, memorizing their structures cost him no effort.
The displays ranged from Rank 3 to Rank 7 Soul Tools — but to Yuhao, they were all the same. Whether schematics or completed devices, both were just data to be analyzed later.
After a long walk of nearly a hundred meters, they reached the counter at the far western end. A polite young clerk stood up and bowed.
"Welcome, honored Spirit Masters. Please fill out these assessment forms."
She slid five simple forms across the counter.
Unlike Yuhao and Wang Dong, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er didn't bother filling theirs out. As members of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they had no need for Shrek's internal discounts or credit loans — their clan's wealth far exceeded that of most nobles.
Yuhao, being of common birth, filled his form without hesitation. To him, resources in hand were the only ones that mattered; how he obtained them was secondary. Wang Dong followed his lead, uninterested in bureaucracy.
After all, despite being the nominal young mistress of the Clear Sky Sect, she'd never been trained in diplomacy — the sect prided itself on raw strength, not politicking.
Moments later, the clerk returned, smiling gracefully.
"Gentlemen, your evaluations are complete. Both of you have received the highest grade for your level — Purple Tier."
She placed two violet cards on the table. "Each allows a credit limit of 100,000 gold soul coins, renewable annually. Purchases made with this card also receive a 10% discount, and during the Treasure Gathering event, you can combine that with the internal sale rate."
Yuhao raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that. Though he lacked the extreme attributes that defined prodigies, the evaluation placed him at the same highest tier.
He turned the purple card over in his hand. Is this simply the maximum rank available for our year? Or is there another reason?
He didn't dwell on it long. Sliding the card into his pocket, he looked up and said with a faint smile, "Alright then. Let's continue the tour."
The group moved deeper into the glimmering hall, where fortune, opportunity, and danger gleamed together under the crystal lights.
(End of Chapter)