As expected, not long after Huo Yuhao stepped into the Treasure Pavilion, a figure hurriedly came forward to greet him.
It was the same receptionist from last time—what was her name again? Not that it mattered.
The moment Bai Yao approached, Huo Yuhao clearly felt over a dozen gazes instantly lock onto him from the surroundings.
So many people...
But the more, the merrier.
"Master Skydream, please follow me," Bai Yao said quickly.
A week ago, her supervisor had given her a mission: "Wait for Skydream to arrive; once he does, lead him directly to Room 101, Heaven Grade, on the fifth floor."
The task was clear, but the target had been a no-show until now.
Just moments ago, she had spotted that familiar black-robed figure in the crowd and rushed to meet him.
Huo Yuhao nodded, signaling for Bai Yao to lead the way.
Bai Yao acknowledged and was about to walk ahead when, in the next instant, several figures suddenly appeared.
"Mr. Skydream, the Star Luo Empire's Imperial Family requests your presence!"
"Master Skydream, my Heavenly Soul Empire is willing to offer you the position of Dean of the Research Institute to show our sincerity!"
"Mr. Skydream, my Dou Ling Empire wishes to form a favorable bond with you. I wonder if you are willing?"
"Mr. Skydream..."
Voices rose one after another, most of them involving recruitment; there were even representatives from the Sun Moon Empire.
Huo Yuhao watched calmly, waiting.
Seeing Huo Yuhao stop and look at them, the recruiters immediately began stating their terms.
For example, the Sun Moon Empire was willing to grant him the position of Vice Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall; the Heavenly Soul Empire offered a fiefdom and a noble title; the Dou Ling Empire offered monetary resources; and the Star Luo Empire was willing to marry a princess to him and name him a Prince Consort...
The conditions were varied, but the goal remained the same: to get Huo Yuhao to join their respective factions.
However, faced with these solicitations, Huo Yuhao remained silent and composed, simply watching everyone around him.
Just as the recruiters had finished listing their terms and were growing parched, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Master Skydream! My Shrek Academy is willing to hire you to join us with the position of Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department!"
It was Qian Duoduo.
Shrek had long ago stationed people within the Treasure Pavilion and had obtained an accurate description of Huo Yuhao's attire from the pavilion management.
Thus, the moment Huo Yuhao appeared, the lookouts sent word to Qian Duoduo, who was still back at the academy.
Without a second of hesitation, the man who arrived instantly at the Treasure Pavilion was the Vice Dean of Shrek's Soul Tool Department—Qian Duoduo!
Qian Duoduo immediately flared his Soul Rings, revealing his cultivation as a Titled Douluo, and physically pushed aside the crowd gathered around Huo Yuhao.
The recruiters were, at most, at the Soul Douluo level; they couldn't withstand Qian Duoduo's power and were pushed to the ground, yet none dared to utter a word of complaint.
Qian Duoduo naturally ignored the others and looked at Huo Yuhao with burning eyes—a gaze so intense that Huo Yuhao instinctively took a step back.
"You must be Master Skydream, right? I've heard so much about you! I am Qian Duoduo, Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department. Hello, hello!"
Qian Duoduo gave Huo Yuhao a great deal of "face."
As a Soul Engineer himself, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was for their kind in the three great empires. Therefore, he spared no effort in recruiting a talent like Huo Yuhao—though, of course, this Master Skydream would ultimately have to pass a test.
Ignoring everyone else, Qian Duoduo pulled Huo Yuhao directly toward the upper floors of the Treasure Pavilion. The representatives from other factions looked at each other in dismay, having no choice but to return to their original spots.
This was Shrek's territory, after all; they didn't dare do anything too outrageous, lest they face the consequences.
A few moments later, in a conference room on the fifth floor.
Qian Duoduo cut straight to the chase, outlining the conditions he could offer and the obligations Huo Yuhao would need to fulfill.
In summary, the benefits were as follows:
If Huo Yuhao broke through Level 90, Shrek would provide him with a perfectly compatible Soul Ring of his choosing.
Grant him the position of Vice Dean of Shrek's Soul Tool Department, along with funding and an independent laboratory.
Grant him a position as a reserve member of the Sea God Pavilion; after sufficient time at Shrek, he would be formally inducted as an Elder.
He would have the authority to mobilize all Soul Engineers in the department to assist in his experiments, research, and Soul Tool production.
Those four points were roughly the benefits he would receive. Below were the requirements:
He must be willing to disclose his blueprints for the "Soul Power Storage Core" and provide an unrestricted version.
In the future, when he becomes a Titled Douluo and a Class 9 Soul Engineer, he will provide Class 9 Soul Tools to the academy free of charge.
Become a teacher and train Soul Engineers for the academy.
Of course, Qian Duoduo didn't state it quite so bluntly. Being a shrewd man, he spoke very tactfully, but Huo Yuhao understood his meaning nonetheless.
After a moment of deliberation, Huo Yuhao spoke:
"I am not certain if your Shrek Academy will 'discard the ox once the field is plowed.' Therefore, I will give you the unrestricted version of the 'Soul Power Storage Core' in one year, though I can provide the restricted version's blueprints now.
"Second, the results of my research belong to me. I will not share them with anyone, but if a result is produced through a joint effort between us, I will not hide anything.
"Third, I don't believe you are unaware of the value of a Class 9 Soul Tool. Thus, providing them for free is impossible, though I can sell them to you at standard market prices.
"Fourth... regarding students..."
Huo Yuhao paused for a moment, seemingly thinking. After some hesitation, he said:
"I can help you establish a specialized Soul Engineer class. However, the selection of students, personnel management, and curriculum—everything—must follow my ideas."
Qian Duoduo's expression was hesitant, his face filled with inner conflict.
In reality, however, he breathed a secret sigh of relief.
As the recruiters, Shrek Academy needed the other party, not the other way around. Even though this Master Skydream's first choice was Shrek, it didn't mean they could push their luck.
As the party making the request, they were expected to give more.
This wasn't an exchange of equal value; it was a petition for someone to join.
In the previous Sea God Pavilion meeting, Elder Mu had instructed the Soul Tool Department after the vote that as long as the conditions weren't too excessive, they could agree to them first, leaving the specific boundaries to their own judgment.
The only requirement was to take this Master Skydream to the Outer Court to meet Elder Mu, to ensure he harbored no ill will toward Shrek.
If there was no malice, any condition could be accepted.
And currently, the conditions Huo Yuhao proposed had not yet crossed the line in his heart.
After a long pause, Qian Duoduo put on a look of extreme "heartache" and spoke:
"Mr. Skydream, we can agree to all of the conditions you mentioned!"