Douluo Dalu II: The Peerless Tang Sect

Chapter 160 Huo Yuhao: Was I just sold off like this?

Qian Duoduo sat down in the chair next to Cai Meier without a second thought, and Du Weilun, who had been sitting there, very considerately made room for him. Behind Qian Duoduo was a tall, composed middle-aged man. When Du Weilun saw him, his expression changed slightly, and then he nodded politely to him.

"Hehehe, I'm the vice dean of the foreign language department, so it's normal for me to come and check on the freshmen assessment!" Qian Duoduo chuckled, his chubby face looking adorable.

"Get out of here! You, the vice dean of the Soul Guidance Department, are here to watch my Martial Soul Department's freshman assessment?" Cai Meier clearly didn't believe Qian Duoduo's nonsense and immediately said, "Quickly tell me, which freshman have you taken a fancy to?"

"Haha, Mei'er, you're still so perceptive, knowing that I, Old Qian, wouldn't come knocking without a reason, haha!" Qian Duoduo laughed awkwardly when he heard Cai Mei'er's question, "Fan Yu, you come and explain to Dean Cai."

"Yes!" The middle-aged man behind Qian Duoduo stepped forward. He was Fan Yu, the dean of the Soul Guidance Department and an eighth-level Soul Master. He nodded respectfully to Cai Meier and said, "Dean Cai, we are here for Huo Yuhao."

"Huo Yuhao?!" Cai Meier and Du Weilun were both stunned, and Zhu Ziyang's eyes also flashed with surprise and understanding.

Clearly, Huo Yuhao possesses astonishing talent in soul tools, which is why the vice dean and dean of the Soul Tool Department personally came to the Martial Soul Department to request his services!

Cai Meier, filled with doubt, asked, "Does Huo Yuhao possess soul guidance talent?"

"That's right!" Fan Yu nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement and a hint of fanaticism. He said, "Dean Cai, you should know that Huo Yuhao's martial soul is his eyes, right? His martial soul is practically made for creating soul tools! The most important part of creating soul tools is inscribing soul power array patterns, and inscribing array patterns requires extremely strong eyesight. Others need to use their eyesight to stare at the array patterns, but for Huo Yuhao, it's just the simplest thing!"

"Just because of his martial soul, you can conclude that he has the talent for soul tools? That's a bit of wishful thinking and arbitrary!" Cai Meier clearly didn't believe it and was unwilling to give Huo Yuhao to the soul tool department. After all, Huo Yuhao had a physical martial soul, and she was hoping to use Huo Yuhao's growth to leave behind some experience in cultivating physical martial souls for the martial soul department.

"Of course it's not just wishful thinking!" Fan Yu immediately explained, "Dean Cai, I tested it myself. Huo Yuhao learned and successfully inscribed a level one soul guidance array in just half a day! Such talent surpasses both mine and Dean Qian's!"

"Huh?" Cai Meier was taken aback. She didn't understand the significance of learning and inscribing the soul guidance array in half a day, but she was surprised that Qian Duoduo, as the vice dean of the soul guidance department and an eighth-level soul guidance master, did not refute his subordinate's conclusion.

"Mei'er, what Fan Yu said is true." Qian Duoduo said immediately when he saw Cai Mei'er's suspicious look, but he felt strange inside. He had never met Huo Yuhao and did not know if what Fan Yu said was true, but he believed Fan Yu's words.

Whether Fan Yu was telling the truth or not was not important to Cai Meier. What mattered was that she didn't want to give Huo Yuhao to the Soul Guidance Department!

"Let me think about it!" Cai Meier decided to use delaying tactics, looking hesitant, and said, "I'll give you an answer after I've thought it through."

Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu immediately understood that Cai Meier was using delaying tactics. Although first-year students were not officially part of the Spirit Department, the final allocation required the Spirit Department Dean's signature. As long as Cai Meier kept delaying her approval, Huo Yuhao would officially belong to the Spirit Department once he entered his third year!

Therefore, Qian Duoduo immediately became anxious and said, "Mei'er, what's there to consider? Your Martial Soul Department is full of talented people. Huo Yuhao is just a special recruit from the Tang Sect, and a Soul Master whose first Soul Ring is only ten years old. His cultivation talent is extremely poor. Give him to our Soul Guidance Department. Our Soul Guidance Department is really short of people!"

Qian Duoduo started playing the victim, "Mei'er, please have pity on your senior brother! Do you know how difficult it is for us in the Soul Guidance Department? Ziyang, please help me persuade Mei'er too!"

Zhu Ziyang, who was watching the show from the sidelines, was suddenly called out and was a little confused. He then looked at Qian Duoduo speechlessly, indicating that he couldn't help her.

"Poor cultivation talent?" Cai Meier laughed in anger at Qian Duoduo's words, saying, "Do you think I'm blind? This Huo Yuhao increased his soul power by six levels in three months, and you say he has poor cultivation talent? He even has a Body Spirit! Do you know the significance of a Body Spirit for us Martial Soul systems?"

"What?" Qian Duoduo was stunned upon hearing this. He had no idea that Huo Yuhao was so amazing. He had advanced six levels in three months, averaging two levels per month. How could someone with such talent be bad? Had he been tricked by Fan Yu? Qian Duoduo immediately glared at Fan Yu with hostility.

"Dean Cai, the reason why Yuhao's soul power has improved so quickly is because I gave him a Soul Ascension Pill!" Fan Yu didn't care about Qian Duoduo's gaze and hurriedly explained to Cai Meier. He didn't expect that his actions back then would dig a hole for himself. He should have waited until Huo Yuhao entered the Soul Guidance Department before giving him that Soul Ascension Pill!

"What?! Soul Ascension Pill?!" Cai Meier was stunned, somewhat dumbfounded.

She initially thought Huo Yuhao's six-level advancement in three months was due to his innate talent for cultivation, but she never expected it was because of the Soul Ascension Pill. Had she made a mistake? Could it be that Huo Yuhao's innate soul power was truly only level one? Was it really because he only reached level eleven at the age of eleven that he lacked cultivation talent, rather than because he was mistreated and had no motivation to cultivate?

"So it's a Soul-Ascending Pill!" Qian Duoduo was also somewhat surprised. A hint of resentment flashed in his eyes at first, but then he immediately said with delight, "Mei'er, now you have nothing to say!"

She was still somewhat unwilling to believe it and immediately said, "No, even with the Soul Ascension Pill, it would only raise his soul power by two or three levels. Therefore, his current soul power should be level fourteen, not level seventeen!"

"One Soul Ascension Pill is certainly not enough, but what if we add two Profound Water Pills?" Fan Yu smiled slightly, feeling confident of victory, and said.

"Two Mystic Water Pills!" Cai Meier was shocked, Qian Duoduo was shocked, and Du Weilun was shocked.

Zhu Ziyang opened his mouth slightly, guessing the hidden story, and felt full of sympathy for Xu Sanshi.

"Fan Yu, it seems you really care about Huo Yuhao!" Qian Duoduo finally realized how much Fan Yu valued Huo Yuhao. One Soul Ascension Pill was already quite valuable, and there were even two Profound Water Pills. Even if Fan Yu was an eighth-level Soul Master and not short of money, he shouldn't be so extravagant.

"It's all worth it!" Fan Yu knew they had misunderstood, but he didn't explain. This was exactly the result he wanted. Only by letting the people of the Martial Soul Department see his dedication to Huo Yuhao would they lack the confidence to force him to stay!

"Haha, Mei'er, you should agree to release them now!" Qian Duoduo said smugly to Cai Mei'er.

Cai Meier fell silent, her expression calm, and slowly uttered a few words: "One hundred fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells!"

"What?" Neither Qian Duoduo nor Fan Yu heard Cai Meier's words clearly.

"I said, if you want me to release the person, fine, bring me a hundred fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells!" Cai Meier said calmly. She knew that forcibly keeping the person and stalling tactics were no longer effective, but she was not one to suffer losses. Since the Soul Guidance Department wanted to obtain the person smoothly, then it needed to pay some price.

"Mei'er, you're not kidding, are you?!" Qian Duoduo's face darkened. "One hundred fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells? You really dare to ask for that! Those are fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells, five thousand gold coins each!"

"Go, don't think I don't know. Your Soul Guidance Department has already mastered the manufacturing process of fixed-mount soul guidance shells. Five thousand gold soul coins is the selling price. Your cost price is at most one hundred gold soul coins!" Cai Meier said with an unchanged expression but a slight smile on her lips.

"No, no!" Qian Duoduo shook her head repeatedly, saying, "Even at cost price, a hundred rounds is too much. If I agree, Lin'er will skin me alive! No, absolutely not!"

"No way?" Cai Meier revealed a devilish smile and said, "Fine, then don't even think about me signing the transfer certificate. At worst, we'll take it to court at the Sea God Pavilion. Anyway, it's your Soul Guidance Department that lacks talent, not our Martial Soul Department!"

"You..." Qian Duoduo was dumbfounded, caught in a dilemma. Looking at Fan Yu's expectant expression behind her, and then at Cai Meier's smug smile, she could only grit her teeth and say with a pained expression, "Fifty at most!"

"Okay, deal!" Cai Meier said with a happy smile, "I definitely won't interfere when Huo Yuhao chooses his major in his third year."

"I hope you'll keep your word!" Qian Duoduo said, feeling quite resentful.

"Dean, don't worry!" Fan Yu whispered to Qian Duoduo, "Yu Hao's value far exceeds fifty fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells. Dean Xian definitely won't blame you!"

"I hope so!" Qian Duoduo said, somewhat dejected.

Zhu Ziyang witnessed this talent exchange between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department. He knew that after this incident, Huo Yuhao would leave an impression on the academy's higher-ups, and that this impression would become increasingly profound as his talent became more apparent!

(End of this chapter)