"Sister Xiaoya, I can sense a hint of hatred in your expression."
"Do you harbor a deep-seated grudge?"
Huo Yuhao asked nonchalantly, completely ignoring the frantic eye signals from Bei Bei.
Tang Ya looked up at Huo Yuhao, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes.
Her disguise had been so well-crafted, so why... why had Huo Yuhao still seen through it?
"Ha... haha, I... I don't have any enemies," Tang Ya forced a smile and said.
She didn't want to drag Bei Bei into this matter.
"Little Yuhao, you're mistaken."
"Sister Xiaoya, sometimes you should consider a different approach."
Huo Yuhao placed his hands behind his back, tilting his head slightly upward, exuding the demeanor of a master.
"???"
Bei Bei and Tang Ya were filled with confusion, their minds brimming with questions.
What different approach?
"Your enemy is very strong, and for you right now, they are invincible."
"But have you never thought of using external tools?"
"With soul tools being so advanced nowadays, it's common to see people using them to fight above their level."
Competitions are competitions, but real life-and-death battles are battles.
Competitions restrict soul engineers from using artillery or large-scale soul tools.
Why are there such restrictions?
It's because soul masters simply can't withstand artillery bombardment!
If a ninth-rank soul engineer keeps a distance of three thousand meters from a conventional Titled Douluo, they can ensure that the Titled Douluo meets a gruesome end!
Even if that Titled Douluo is someone like Xuan Zi, they wouldn't be able to withstand the bombardment of numerous ninth-rank soul tool artillery shells!
Of course, if a conventional Titled Douluo gets close, the ninth-rank soul engineer's advantage would vanish.
But... if you know who your enemy is and where they live, can they really dodge a massive artillery bombardment?
"Soul tools..."
A flash of pain crossed Tang Ya's eyes. As the sect master of the Tang Sect, her aversion to soul tools was immense!
"Hidden weapons are tools, external objects. Soul tools are also tools, external objects. There's no difference between the two, Sister Xiaoya. Why do you reject soul tools so strongly?"
"The reason humans are stronger than animals and soul beasts is because humans are better at utilizing tools!"
There was one thing Huo Yuhao didn't mention: aside from body-type martial souls, most other martial souls are essentially external objects!
Ten thousand years ago, there was an ancient land, a natural prison for the fallen.
It was called: the City of Slaughter!
In the City of Slaughter, soul rings couldn't be used, so conventional tool-type martial souls naturally became "weapons."
Without the use of soul rings, a soul master's strength would be reduced by at least eighty percent!
Soul rings are external objects, and martial souls are also external objects. Only one's own strength is true strength.
Of course, humans are most adept at utilizing these external objects, or "weapons," to arm themselves, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Any external object that can be used is part of one's own strength.
"Better at utilizing tools..."
Tang Ya fell into deep thought. She understood that what Huo Yuhao said wasn't without reason.
But she had an innate aversion to soul tools!
Even though she wanted to accept them, a voice in her head kept reminding her that hidden weapons were the foundation of the Tang Sect, that hidden weapons were the most powerful!
Perhaps every generation of Tang Sect masters had thought this way, which was why the Tang Sect had fallen to this state.
Four thousand years ago, when the Douluo Continent and the Sun Moon Continent collided, the Tang Sect was the most impacted by the soul tools brought from the Sun Moon Continent!
Yet, over these four thousand years, the Tang Sect had neither accepted the soul tools that had defeated them nor researched more powerful hidden weapons.
It was no wonder such a sect had fallen!
If it weren't for the Tang Sect in the original timeline devouring the fortunes of Huo Yuhao and others, it would never have risen again!
"I want to accept soul tools, but I just can't!"
Tang Ya clutched her head in pain, growling.
"Sister Xiaoya, you still say you don't have a deep-seated grudge..."
Huo Yuhao crossed his arms, speaking with a hint of mockery.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya: "..."
Huo Yuhao's words and Tang Ya's reaction left Bei Bei utterly stunned.
Only now did he realize that Tang Ya harbored such a deep grudge in her heart!
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao had noticed it early and had managed to coax some words out of Tang Ya. Otherwise, if this had been left to fester, it would have led to disaster sooner or later!
"Sister Xiaoya, I'm not asking you to make soul tools, just to use them."
"Making soul tools is the job of soul engineers. You just need to learn how to use them."
"Hua Huo doesn't know how to make soul tools, but that doesn't stop her from using them in battle!"
Hearing this, Tang Ya suddenly saw the light.
That's right! She had heard that when Hua Huo fought that inner court senior sister, she had thrown out an artillery shell and directly injured her!
"But... but I don't have the money..."
Tang Ya's voice was soft, almost like a mosquito's hum.
The Tang Sect had nothing left, and aside from giving her an admission spot, the Shrek Academy hadn't provided any other support.
She had no money, no people.
Soul tools were expensive, far beyond what she could afford.
Bei Bei's eye twitched, and he opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Tang Ya's change was too sudden, leaving him unprepared.
Huo Yuhao's train of thought was also something he couldn't follow, leaving him bewildered.
So, was he the only honest person here?
"Sister Xiaoya, have you ever heard this saying?"
"What?"
"Anything that can be solved with gold soul coins is not a problem!"
Tang Ya rolled her eyes at Huo Yuhao, feeling somewhat speechless.
"A single gold soul coin can stump even a hero!"
"That's not the right way to think. If you don't have money, go earn it. If you can't earn it, then... cough, if you can't earn it, then work even harder to earn it."
"Coincidentally, I have a business deal here. Would you like to take it, Sister Xiaoya?"
"What kind of deal?"
Tang Ya asked, puzzled.
"Next Sunday, our freshman Class Nine is holding a gathering again, and we need some beauties to dance."
"I've already invited Senior Sister Jiang Nannan."
"If Sister Xiaoya is willing, you can come and perform the opening dance!"
As soon as Huo Yuhao finished speaking, Bei Bei's right hand twitched!
This guy had actually invited his girlfriend to dance??
For a moment, he understood how Xu Sanshi must have felt back then!
But he wanted to stop it, yet he couldn't bring himself to say anything!
Tang Ya was stunned, feeling somewhat dazed.
Huo Yuhao was inviting her to dance??
"I don't..."
She didn't know how to dance!
"Sister Xiaoya, I'll pay ten thousand gold soul coins as compensation!"
As soon as Huo Yuhao said this, both Bei Bei and Tang Ya couldn't help but gasp!
Good heavens, ten thousand gold soul coins for a single dance?
Was there any easier money to make than this?
"I can't refuse. I'll definitely take this ten thousand gold soul coins!"
Tang Ya's tone shifted, her expression resolute.
"But... but Xiaoya, you don't know how to dance!"
Bei Bei blurted out instinctively.
Ten thousand gold soul coins! He knew Huo Yuhao was only offering this to help Tang Ya.
But Tang Ya didn't have the skills to earn this money!
Tang Ya glanced sideways at Bei Bei.
"Just because I don't know how doesn't mean I can't learn from Nannan!"
"This..."