Chapter 56: The Two Factions of Abundance (Please Vote for This Month’s Ticket)

Using the method unique to this world, he applied the Life Drain technique from necromancy to suck the vitality completely dry from the Abomination, leaving no trace as he gathered the dark green sphere of condensed life force.

"Huo Yuhao" frowned and muttered, "This feeling... is not quite right. The boundary between life and death has not blurred, yet simply replenishing vitality cannot grant longevity. Then why..."

It was as if he had encountered such a bizarre situation for the first time in his life, and he pondered it endlessly by himself, yet he could arrive at no conclusion, ultimately attributing it to the inherent peculiarities of this world itself.

"Hey, hey, hey! How can you be like this! How can you casually take over someone else's body!"

It was not until then that he heard the voice of the large bug in his spiritual realm. With a headache, he massaged his temples and relinquished control of the body.

Regaining a sense of reality, Huo Yuhao hurriedly moved his limbs, letting out a sigh of relief only after confirming he had truly returned to his own body. The sensation of suddenly turning into a spiritual entity just moments ago was truly dreadful.

Having confirmed his safety, he silently expressed his gratitude in his heart to the gray orb of light: "Thank you, Senior, for saving me just now. May I ask how I should address you?"

The gray orb stirred, and an aged voice resonated: "Thanks are unnecessary. Just as this big bug said, casually seizing another's body was indeed my fault; it will not happen again in the future. As for my name..."

"You may simply call me Elric."

"Many thanks, Senior Elric," Huo Yuhao said respectfully. Although he still felt a lingering palpitation from the recent ordeal, he knew all too well that had it not been for Elric's timely intervention, both he and the students from Shrek might have been slain by the Abomination.

On the other side, Ma Xiaotao gazed with a frown at the discarded husk left after the Abomination's death, utterly perplexed as to what had transpired or why a creature with such tenacious vitality had perished so abruptly and without warning.

Her gaze suddenly flickered toward Huo Yuhao, who was standing in a daze not far away. Her eyes flashed, and pulling her thoughts together, she walked over to him.

"Little brother, thank you for your support just now. Had it not been for you, we likely would have been in grave danger," Ma Xiaotao said gently, stopping a few feet away from Huo Yuhao.

She kept sizing him up, her eyes brimming with intense curiosity. The soul skill he had used earlier to scan the surrounding area had truly astonished her.

Upon her inquiry, she learned that the soul skill came from a ten-year wind baboon, which left her stunned. However, when he mentioned that his martial soul was not only a rare mental attribute martial soul but also a body martial soul, she felt a measure of understanding, concluding that his soul ring was merely weak while his martial soul was exceptionally strong, effectively carrying him upward.

Such situations had occurred in the past, though they were extremely rare.

Looking at the slender young man before her, Ma Xiaotao could not help but feel a rising appreciation for talented youth. Although his innate soul power was weak and his first soul ring was suboptimal in age, this posed no difficulty for a financially resourceful institution like Shrek.

The real challenge lay in Shrek Academy's enrollment examination; given Huo Yuhao's aptitude, he certainly could not pass it through normal means. Yet, it was not entirely impossible. Ma Xiaotao recalled the quota for special admissions, remembering that Bei Bei still had an unused slot remaining.

With this in mind, she immediately extended an invitation to Huo Yuhao.

Upon hearing that he could join Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. His strength was far too meager, and if he could receive more refined guidance, he would undoubtedly make rapid progress.

He had never forgotten the reason for his departure: he must return to avenge his mother!

Moreover, he had promised Chun that he would answer her question after witnessing much of the world, and in this era, it was truly difficult to move even a single step without sufficient strength.

At the same time, Tianmeng Iceworm within his spiritual realm was constantly egging him on to join Shrek Academy, extolling the immense benefits it would bring.

With various considerations intertwining, Huo Yuhao ultimately agreed to join Shrek Academy.

At this, joy bloomed across Ma Xiaotao's face. She immediately changed her form of address, calling Huo Yuhao her junior brother. Traveling together, they hurried toward Shrek City, not daring to linger outside for even a moment for fear of encountering another crisis like the Abomination.

The moment he stepped into Shrek City, Huo Yuhao noticed that its architectural style was quite similar to that of Star Luo City. The only difference was that there were far too few ordinary people here; practically anyone grabbed at random on the street was a soul master.

Those people cast glances as Ma Xiaotao and her companions entered the city, stepping slightly aside to clear a path. Evidently, the status of the Shrek Enforcement Team was exceedingly high here.

"Learn about the benevolent God of Abundance; the apothecary shall heal all suffering and illness."

"Get lost, you wretched creature!"

As he walked, Huo Yuhao suddenly heard a commotion coming from the side. Looking over, he saw a person dressed in white uniform, holding medicinal herbs in his hands, being cursed at by another individual who appeared to be a Shrek student.

That Shrek student looked at the person before him with utter disgust, a continuous stream of foul language pouring from his mouth like pearls off a broken string. The surrounding crowd treated it as a common sight; not a single person stepped forward to help, all watching with cold indifference.

The person being cursed did not argue back either, but instead silently clasped his hands together and prayed devoutly, "May the God of Abundance protect you."

Upon seeing this, Ma Xiaotao had no intention of interfering. She merely said with cold detachment, "They are believers of the Abundance Church. It's normal that you don't know coming from the Star Luo Empire, but it's far too common here at Shrek Academy. Junior brother, you'll get used to it once you see more of it."

"The Abundance Church? Is that the faction that worships the Abundance Evil God, just like the Abominations?" Huo Yuhao asked, his mouth slightly agape as he looked at the pristine believer. The latter and the foul-mouthed Shrek student formed a stark contrast in his eyes.

Likewise, the believers of the Abundance Church surprised him. While in the Star Luo Empire, he had heard more than once how ugly and evil the followers of the Abundance Evil God were, yet right now, they seemed far more pure and kind-hearted than ordinary people.

This could not help but stir a trace of bewilderment within his heart.

"An evil god?" Ma Xiaotao murmured, recalling something in her mind as she said, "Although both the Abundance Church and the Abominations worship the God of Abundance, their philosophies are worlds apart. The Abundance Church is much more enthusiastic about disaster relief and healing the sick, while incidentally spreading the faith of the God of Abundance."

"If that's the case, then why..."

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to ask, Ling Luochen answered the doubt in his heart, saying, "Because of collateral damage. No matter what, the Abundance Calamity was caused by the god they revere, and the major powers have long since branded the God of Abundance as an evil god."

"What you're seeing now is still considered mild—just verbal abuse. You must know that the vast majority of external powers regard the Abundance Church as heretical and unorthodox, hunting down Abundance believers with a policy of utter extermination. Especially the Star Luo Empire; I recall they just held a large-scale burning at the stake not long ago."

"A burning at the stake?!"

Huo Yuhao froze, never having expected to hear such a term.

A mocking smile appeared on Ling Luochen's pretty face: "Indeed. Those fellows act submissive toward the Abominations, yet strike with heavy fists against the Abundance Church. What was that term called again?"

"Bullying the soft and fearing the hard."