Chapter 107 Huo Yuhao Makes a Choice: I Should Let Go...
After Huo Yuhao slammed the door shut and left, the corridor fell into a deathly silence.
Xuanzi's heavy breathing came through the thick wooden door, revealing an undisguised violence and frustration.
Beibei, Wang Dong, and He Caitou exchanged glances, their eyes filled with worry.
They knew Huo Yuhao's character very well. If he hadn't really suffered a great injustice, this usually gentle and resilient young man would never have used such a near-resolute attitude to confront Elder Xuan.
Bei Bei sighed and took the lead towards Huo Yuhao's room. Wang Dong followed closely behind, their footsteps sounding somewhat heavy in the empty corridor.
"Yuhao, open the door, it's us." Beibei stood in front of the door, softened her tone, and tentatively knocked.
There was no response from inside the room until Wang Dong couldn't resist knocking again, at which point the door was slowly opened a crack.
Huo Yuhao stood behind the door, his once clear eyes now appearing somewhat cloudy, with lingering redness at the corners.
"Senior Brother Beibei, Wang Dong, I want to be alone." Huo Yuhao's voice was a little hoarse, and the weariness that came from his bones made the words of comfort that were on the tip of their tongues get stuck in their throats.
"Yuhao, Elder Xuan is also under too much pressure, plus we really suffered heavy losses this time..." Beibei tried to ease the atmosphere.
Huo Yuhao shook his head, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips: "Senior brother, there's no need to say anything. I know what I'm doing. I'm just too tired and want to rest."
After saying that, Huo Yuhao gently closed the door before the two of them could speak again.
Beibei and Wang Dong stood at the door, looking at the tightly closed door, and could only turn around and leave helplessly.
When they returned to the hall, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Xiao Xiao were waiting there, each with a look of concern on their faces.
"So? Is Yuhao willing to talk?" Xu Sanshi eagerly leaned closer and asked in a low voice.
Beibei shook her head, her expression grave: "He's not in a good mood and still doesn't want to say anything. It seems that what happened at this auction has been a big blow to him."
"Actually, I can understand." Jiang Nannan sighed softly from the side, her gaze drifting towards Huo Yuhao's room.
"Anyone would feel bad watching their most important possessions being taken away by their rivals. Moreover, Elder Xuan's words just now were indeed quite hurtful."
Xu Sanshi, unusually, didn't crack a joke. He scratched his head and said in a low voice, "Elder Xuan is the same. Instead of thinking about how to appease everyone at a time like this, he suspects Yuhao. We've been through so much together, don't we know what kind of person Yuhao is?"
"Trust him," Jiang Nannan said again, her tone becoming more firm. "Although Yuhao is hiding some things from us, he would never betray Shrek Academy. I can guarantee that."
Beibei looked at Jiang Nannan, then at her teammates with their varied expressions, and finally nodded vigorously: "Yes, we have to believe in him. Whatever decision he makes, he must have his reasons. Everyone go back and rest first; we still need to get through tomorrow's round-robin tournament."
Meanwhile, in the pitch-black room, Huo Yuhao did not lie down to rest.
He turned off all the soul-guiding lamps, sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, and his consciousness sank into the vast sea of spirit in an instant.
At this moment, the atmosphere within the sea of consciousness was also extremely heavy.
Due to the lack of replenishment from the life-giving metal, the spiritual sea, which originally presented a faint golden hue, now appeared somewhat dim.
In the deepest part of his sea of consciousness, the black source of divine consciousness had become extremely thin, as if it could be completely washed away by the surrounding spiritual waves at any moment.
"What's wrong, Yuhao? Are you in a difficult situation?" Electrolux's aged yet peaceful voice rang in his mind. Although weak, it carried a kind of worldly wisdom.
Huo Yuhao looked at the faint, indistinct figure before him and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He asked urgently, "Elder Yi, now that you're awake, what are your thoughts on what Liu Yuan said earlier?"
Electrolux let out a low laugh, a kind of comforting laugh from an elder to a younger man: "Haha! What can I think? Yuhao, I was just a remnant soul. I've already gained enough by being able to cross the shackles of different planes and persist on this continent until now, and witness your amazing martial soul system. So, you don't need to worry about me at all."
The old man's illusory figure slowly floated in front of Huo Yuhao, his eyes filled with loving kindness: "In the time to come, if you can find the divine item, the Gold of Life, again, that will naturally be my good fortune. If not, I will have you as my successor, and I will have left the seed of necromancy in this world. My life has not been in vain. Even if I dissipate now, I will leave in peace."
Electrolux's words, which sounded like his last words, made Tianmeng Bingcan, who was standing to the side, unable to hold back any longer.
This enormous worm, which had lived for millions of years, wriggled restlessly in the sea of consciousness, its tone filled with deep resentment:
"So there was no way to save the old man in the end? If the Gold of Life were in our hands, the old man's soul could have remained stable for at least ten thousand years. Now that it's in Liu Yuan's hands, it's an absolute waste!"
Hyotei, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up. Her cold voice carried a chilling killing intent: "What's there to hesitate about? Just find an opportunity to snatch it away, and that's it."
"Liu Yuan is only around level 40 right now. Even if his double pupils are powerful, if we coordinate with Yu Hao to launch a mental strike, we might still have a chance. Murder and robbery happen every day in the far north. Since he's unwilling to give it up, let's just kill him!"
Upon hearing this, Tianmeng Bingcan trembled with fright and quickly stopped her, saying, "Bingbing, it's not as simple as you think! Don't forget who's sitting next to Liu Yuan. That's Du Busi! The sect master of the Body Sect, a level 98 Super Douluo."
"Let alone our current dependent state, even in your prime, you might not have been able to gain the upper hand against that madman in a one-on-one fight. If we dare to make a move, Yuhao would probably be turned into mincemeat before we even meet Liu Yuan."
Hyotei snorted coldly, but did not refute further, clearly knowing how troublesome the Poison Undying was.
As Huo Yuhao listened to the arguments of the people in his mind, he gripped his knees tightly with both hands, his nails even digging deep into his flesh.
He was caught in an unprecedented state of hesitation and inner turmoil. He knew everyone was thinking of him, especially Electrolux.
To spare him a heavy psychological burden, this elder chose to face his passing with equanimity.
But Huo Yuhao has never been the kind of heartless person.
Electrolux had saved his life and guided his spiritual practice; in his heart, Electrolux was like a father and a teacher.
If he were to give up the only chance for Electrolux to survive for his own selfish interests, to protect his so-called "trump card," or for that vague sense of self-esteem, he would never forgive himself.
Moreover, Xuanzi's attitude today has already torn an unhealable rift in Huo Yuhao's heart.
The academy did indeed nurture him, but when he truly needed support, he received only doubt, blame, and indifference towards opportunities.
"If we stay here, Elder Yi will surely die. Shrek Academy can't save him, and neither can I." Huo Yuhao kept repeating this sentence in his mind.
He remembered Liu Yuan's deep, double pupils, and the communication soul tool that Liu Yuan left behind.
Huo Yuhao didn't close his eyes all night.
He sat alone in the darkness, watching the Star City outside the window go from hustle and bustle to silence, and then from silence to dawn.
The offer Liu Yuan made kept echoing in his mind...
In truth, these rewards were not important to him; what truly swayed him was the increasingly faint phantom of Electrolux.
Finally, it was late at night on the second day.
The night sky over Xingluo City was filled with stars, and the streets were nearly deserted. Huo Yuhao stood by the window, his hand tightly gripping the dark gold metal cylinder.
He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and slowly channeled a trace of mental energy into the communication soul tool.
A moment later, the white crystal at the top of the metal cylinder shimmered with a faint light, and a deep, calm voice came from it.
"Huo Yuhao, it seems you've made your choice."
That was Liu Yuan's voice.
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, his dry throat moved, and he replied in a hoarse voice, "I've thought it through. Let's arrange a place. As long as you can guarantee Elder Yi's survival, I will agree to your request."
(End of chapter)