The homeroom teacher, Zhang Lexuan, had already approved the request to skip the competition. Huo Yuhao originally intended to just turn around and leave the office.
However, Zhang Lexuan's next words made his entire body stiffen for a short moment.
Dai Huabin.
That name was far too familiar to him.
It was a name etched into his very bones. Every time it crossed his mind, a wave of indescribable emotion welled up deep in his heart.
He looked up suddenly and stared straight at Zhang Lexuan. He asked her, "Teacher, who is this Dai Huabin?"
Zhang Lexuan was a bit surprised by how fast he reacted, but she answered him honestly. "He comes from the line of the Duke of White Tiger in the Star Luo Empire. His Spirit is the Evil Eyes White Tiger."
"Among all the freshmen this year, he's likely the strongest person here besides you."
Huo Yuhao's hands balled into tight fists at his sides.
A complicated light flickered in the depths of his eyes as he thought to himself, 'It really is him.'
Huo Yuhao took a very deep breath and tried his best to keep his emotions under control.
He looked up to meet Zhang Lexuan's gaze again and said, "Teacher, I've changed my mind. I want to participate in this Freshman Assessment."
"What?"
Zhang Lexuan's mouth opened slightly. A look of total surprise flashed through her pretty eyes.
She didn't understand why Huo Yuhao would suddenly change his mind like that.
Just a minute ago, he looked like he didn't care at all. Why was there such a sudden change of heart?
However, her shock only lasted for a second.
Huo Yuhao was a freshman after all, so taking part in the Freshman Assessment was the normal thing to do.
The only reason she hadn't forced him to join before was because he didn't want to. As his teacher, Zhang Lexuan wanted to respect the choices of her students.
But now that Huo Yuhao actually wanted to join, she had no reason to stop him from doing so.
Zhang Lexuan snapped back to reality and nodded her head. "Since you want to play, go back and find a team. Just make sure to give me the roster tomorrow."
"I will, Teacher."
After saying that, Huo Yuhao turned around and walked back toward the classroom.
Zhang Lexuan stood where she was and frowned slightly while watching him walk away.
The person who made him change his mind was definitely this Dai Huabin.
But was there some kind of hidden connection between the two of them?
...
Huo Yuhao walked toward the classroom with very steady steps.
Each step was firm, but only he knew about the storm that was currently raging inside his soul.
Memories from his childhood started to surface in his mind against his will.
The past that he had fought so hard to bury deep down was now rushing back like a flood through a broken dam.
He remembered that giant manor, those freezing gazes, and just how weak and helpless he used to be back then.
The current him was no longer that small boy who couldn't even fight back when he was being bullied.
The Dai Huabin who used to torment him at will had stopped being a match for him as early as when he was six years old.
Back then, he hadn't even used his full power. He only gave a small punishment to make that arrogant boy suffer a hidden loss. But back then, he didn't even dare to admit he was the one who did it.
Because back then, he simply wasn't strong enough yet.
Because back then, his mother was still with him, and they needed to find a way to escape that cage.
Because back then, if he had shown his face, the Duchess would have launched a crazy revenge against them both.
So he just endured it all.
He took his mother and left in secret, traveling very far away to live under a fake name.
But now...
Hearing that name again, he didn't expect to feel this much anger.
The fire of his rage had been buried for many years, but it had never truly gone out.
It was just being held down in the darkest depths, waiting for the right moment to burst through the dirt.
And now, that specific moment had finally arrived.
After learning that Dai Huabin was also a student at Shrek Academy, a single thought took over his mind.
He absolutely wanted to participate in the Freshman Assessment.
It wasn't for the first-place prize, or for any honor, and it certainly wasn't to show everyone how strong he was.
He just wanted to crush Dai Huabin in a fair fight!
He wanted to tell the boy who used to bully him, right in front of everyone...
The current you is no longer good enough to be my opponent.
The current you doesn't even deserve a second look from me.
This wasn't just about revenge against Dai Huabin. It was a declaration of war against the Duchess herself!
Many things are not simply forgotten just because time passes by.
Those old wounds and insults were carved into his heart, and he would never forget them.
There was a debt of justice that he would eventually settle with his own hands, for his mother's sake!
His current level and strength might not be enough to fight the Duchess yet.
But now that he was at Shrek Academy, he felt confident enough to finally show his true self to the world!
When he stepped into the classroom again, the students of Class 1 were still running around and talking loudly.
Zhang Lexuan hadn't assigned the teams based on their Spirit types. Instead, she let the freshmen pick their own partners.
For these kids who had only known each other for three months, finding a team of three that everyone liked wasn't easy.
Some were fighting over who got to be the leader, some were worried about which Spirits worked best together, and some were already shouting at each other.
"Where did you go off to?"
As soon as Huo Yuhao walked in, a voice spoke right in his ear.
Wang Dong ran over to him. His handsome face was full of curiosity.
Huo Yuhao looked at him. Because of the news about Dai Huabin, his mood was still very dark.
Those old memories were still hitting him like a tide that was hard to stop.
His voice was a bit low as he gave a short answer. "I just went to talk to the teacher about a few things."
Wang Dong didn't think much of it. He blinked his eyes and leaned in a bit closer. He asked, "For the Freshman Assessment, do you want to be on my team?"
A hopeful light was shining in those pretty eyes.
With the strength Huo Yuhao had, he could easily win against a three-person team all by himself.
So it didn't really matter who his teammates were.
However... if that teammate was his current roommate and his future "wife," it certainly felt much better.
Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Dong, and the darkness on his face finally started to fade a little. He asked, "What about the third person? Do we have a choice?"
Wang Dong didn't get a chance to answer.
Right at that moment, a figure came rushing over from nearby and landed in front of Huo Yuhao with a quick jump.
"That would be me!"
The voice was sharp and cute, sounding very playful.
Huo Yuhao turned his head to see who it was.
Standing there was a small girl with a round face, big eyes, and two cute braids. She showed two tiny tiger teeth when she smiled at him.
She wasn't very tall and wore a long white dress. She looked like a little porcelain doll that had come to life.
Huo Yuhao's eye twitched. So it was Xiao Xiao.
Huo Yuhao was very familiar with Xiao Xiao already.
Of course, that "familiarity" wasn't from the present time, but from what he knew of the future history records.
Even though Huo Yuhao was the class leader and much stronger than her,
Xiao Xiao's eyes were clearly focused on Wang Dong most of the time.
Those big, round eyes would sneak a look at Wang Dong and then quickly look away, trying to act like she wasn't doing anything.
But before long, she couldn't help herself and would look over at him again.
That expression and those little feelings were written all over her face. She couldn't hide it.
Huo Yuhao saw everything. He knew this little girl was clearly here because of Wang Dong.
Children on this continent were definitely growing up too fast.
At only eleven or twelve years old, they were already starting to talk about love.
Huo Yuhao's eyes naturally drifted toward Wang Dong standing next to him.
That perfect face looked even more beautiful under the bright lights of the classroom.
With features like a painting and pale skin, his face looked like a piece of art that had been carefully carved.
Right now, Wang Dong was talking to Xiao Xiao with a small smile on his face. Seeing that smile made Huo Yuhao feel much better.
The look on his face softened, and he let out a real smile.
The angry feelings and the rushing memories in his heart seemed to be calmed down at this moment.
He knew that Wang Dong, this boy who was almost too pretty, was actually a girl in a disguise!
The corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth curled up into a small, knowing grin.
When he looked at Xiao Xiao again, a bit of pity started to show in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
The feelings of this cute little girl were definitely going to end in disappointment.
Huo Yuhao felt a little sorry for her in his heart for a few seconds.
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You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion