Huo Yuhao sighed and said, “Perhaps it was a mistake for us to return. We not only failed to force them to retreat, but also fell into their trap at Shrek City. Now, we can no longer threaten the Sun Moon Empire on their soil. It seems like all of our plans have disintegrated, Also, Wutong is right. I believe that with Ju Zi’s intelligence, she would definitely not set her aim on Shrek City. The Sun Moon Empire would definitely not waste their resources on attacking a fort which would be reinforced by the full power of two empires.”

“I’m sorry, Yuhao. I should not have phrased it that way. If you were the one analyzing the problem instead, you might just have been able to convince the Elders.” Tang Wutong lowered her head like a guilty kid.

Huo Yuhao held her hand and shook his head. “No, it’s not your fault. Even if I were the one who mentioned it, the outcome would not have changed. Ju Zi is just too smart for us. Her overt scheme forces the Academy to save itself. After all, she understands how no one in the Academy would ever bet on its safety. That’s why her tactics are so powerful!”

Bei Bei said, “However, we can’t just leave things like this either. We must think of a way. If not, things will get really dangerous.”

Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “How about this? Wutong, you head back to the Academy and find out more about the deployment of the Star Luo Empire’s troops from the inner courtyard. Try and see if you know where the White Tiger Duke and the main forces of the Star Luo Empire are. Eldest senior brother, let’s head back to treat Teacher Xiao Ya. After we are done with that, I will make a trip to find the White Tiger Duke to explain about the complexity of the current situation to him. I will also remind him to take care of himself, and to keep an eye on the situation. As for the Dou Ling Empire, I will head there immediately after I’m done with the Star Luo Empire. Because we only know the Heavenly Sun Douluo, I guess we can only ask him for help. Let’s try and see if we can convince the Dou Ling Empire to limit the number of troops they plan to send over to reinforce us.”

“A couple of thousand years ago, under the leadership of the Academy, we were able to gather the power of all three empires to defeat the main force of the Sun Moon Empire. This sent them fleeing back home in defeat, and set the foundation for a few thousand years of peace. I am just worried that the Star Luo Empire and Dou Ling Empire are still somehow subscribed to this belief, which is now outdated. If they still believe in it, they will definitely send out all their troops. Then things will become really ugly. Now that the Sun Moon Empire has the upper hand, we can only react to their moves.”

After finishing his sentence, Huo Yuhao felt an inexplicable sense of powerlessness in his heart. He realized how small his individual efforts were, and how useless they were when it came to changing the current circumstances.

He had originally thought that the destruction he had created within the Sun Moon Empire would do wonders. However, contrary to his expectations, Ju Zi was even more ruthless and tactical in the control of her troops. He felt like he had run out of moves.

I am still not strong enough!

“Yuhao.” Tang Wutong suddenly called to him.

“Huh?” Huo Yuhao turned around and looked at her.

Tang Wutong moved in front of him. She was not much shorter than him, so their eyes were pretty much level. She stared intensely at Huo Yuhao before saying, “Don’t lose your confidence!”

Huo Yuhao was startled, but he immediately understood what she meant. He nodded gently, and revealed a determined smile.

Tang Wutong said, “Previously when our teacher handed the baton to us, he hoped that we could one day become the pillars of the Academy. He wanted us to protect and develop the Academy with our lives. We must not disappoint our teacher. Yuhao, you must be thinking about how small your individual efforts are, right? After seeing how the Sun Moon Empire’s huge army is knocking on our door, you feel that our individual abilities can no longer influence the outcome of this war, right?”

Huo Yuhao’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Tang Wutong. “Wutong, you really understand me! Those were the thoughts that were in my head.”

Tang Wutong continued, “That’s right. An individual might seem very tiny when compared to a large group. However, if an individual were to become extremely strong and powerful, he or she will influence the outcome of the war in one way or another. Even if others cannot do it, I believe you can. Don’t forget you are the only Ultimate Soldier nurtured by Shrek Academy! Besides, you were never fighting alone. You have me, eldest senior brother and all of our companions in the Tang Sect. In fact, you have the support of the entire academy. Remember this: never give up on yourself at any point in time. You are blessed with gifts that others can only dream of. You have your twin martial souls and the spectral demiplane. If there is one person who can change the fate of the continent, it’s you! The only problem is that both of us are not strong enough yet. We need to become stronger to control the proceedings of this war.”

Bei Bei smiled as he looked at Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao. “Wutong is right. We should never give up. Even if we were to fail in the end, at least we tried our best, and did it with no regrets.”

Huo Yuhao became silent. His mind was indeed a mess earlier. Tang Wutong’s words helped to wake him up from his messy thoughts.

After seeing Huo Yuhao starting to think again, Tang Wutong kept quiet and held his hand. She was trying to use the warmth of her hand to show her support.

Ju Zi, Ju Zi, you have really stumped me this time around! If I make a wrong move, I will lose everything I have. 

Huo Yuhao’s mind was racing as this thought recurred over and over again

Sometimes, a sly ploy was easier to deal with than an overt scheme. An overt scheme which forced people to take action was the hardest to deal with.

If I want to break out of her scheme, I must make an unorthodox move!

The strength of an individual? Ultimate Soldier?

Suddenly, Tang Wutong’s words flashed through Huo Yuhao’s mind.

He suddenly recalled what his mother had told him before her death.

“Yuhao, it seems like you will have to walk the road ahead alone. Mother cannot accompany you anymore. Remember, in this world, you are the only person who you can rely on. You can only do what you want, and protect what you want only when you become stronger.”

I must rely on myself!

Boommm!

The puzzle in Huo Yuhao’s head was finally shattered. A powerful spiritual wave radiated from his head and sent ripples into the sky above him.

The clouds in the sky started to separate, and the stars became visible again.

After taking a deep breath, Huo Yuhao spoke with eyes sparkling with excitement. “Eldest senior brother and Wutong, we must not make the wrong move now. I need both of you to follow what I just said earlier. Wutong, I need you to head back to the Academy to find out where the White Tiger Duke is right now. Then, I need eldest senior brother to find him and relay our current situation to him. You must convince him not to send all his troops over. Get him to form an elite legion which can move out at any time.”

“Wutong, I need you to head to Dou Ling Empire. You’re the only other person who knows the Heavenly Sun Douluo. Find him and relay the same message to him. If I’m not wrong, Ju Zi’s real target is probably the Dou Ling Empire, because it is currently the weakest. Sometimes, the simplest answer is the correct one.”

Tang Wutong asked, “Then what about you?”

Huo Yuhao brought her into his embrace as he stroked her long hair. “I will first treat Teacher Xiao Ya. Following which, I will begin closed-door cultivation, and push to become a Titled Douluo. You’re right. If there’s one person who can change the outcome by himself, that person will have to be me. I am the only person who can infiltrate the enemy’s camp. As the Ultimate Soldier, I must do it to the best of my ability!”

Tang Wutong went silent before she nodded fervently. Following which, she turned around and ran back to the Academy. She understood the danger Huo Yuhao was getting into. But at the same time, she understood that this was the best possible option now. Once Huo Yuhao obtained his second soul core, he would not just be any normal Titled Douluo!

Bei Bei looked at Huo Yuhao with sadness in his eyes. “Yuhao, you…”

Huo Yuhao raised his hand and stopped Bei Bei from speaking. He smiled and said, “Eldest senior brother, as a man, I must not cower from any challenge. Let me have a good fight with Ju Zi. Since she is using an overt scheme, I shall do the same. Let’s see who will emerge victorious in the end.”

After returning to the Tang Sect, Huo Yuhao realized that everyone was busy with work. There was only one person sitting in the hall.

Tang Ya was still looking very pale. She looked like a pitiful lily as she sat there alone. Huo Yuhao’s heart hurt to see her like this. He could still remember her as the bubbly and cute Teacher Xiao Ya!

However, there was now a look of excitement on her face. Her hands were holding the edges of her shirt as she waited nervously for Huo Yuhao to return.

“Teacher Xiao Ya!” Huo Yuhao strode quickly across the hall. Bei Bei was somehow slower than him as tears started to well up in his eyes.

It had been a few years since they had rescued Tang Ya. However, Bei Bei could tell that she had never truly been happy.

Her unhappiness was not because of her own lack of health. She felt unhappy because she saw how she was unable to contribute to the success of the Tang Sect.

Rebuilding the Tang Sect had always been her dream. She had previously chosen to leave Bei Bei in order to achieve this dream. This showed how important the Tang Sect was to her. Now that the rebuilding of the Tang Sect had begun, she was unable to contribute anything as the leader. She could only watch everyone toil hard every day, or even put their lives on the line. The psychological stress far outweighed the physical pain she was undergoing.

Tang Ya’s condition had stabilized with the help of the Qiankun Fortune Pills and Huo Yuhao’s Life Guardian Blade. However, she was still a young lady who was extremely weak.

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