Xie Xie felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, followed by a powerful impact that sent him flying several meters. He tumbled across the ground before finally staggering to his feet. Looking up, he saw a cracked earthen wall, shattered by Yu Longheng's attack, standing in front of him.
Xie Xie swallowed hard, his body drenched in cold sweat.
Holy crap, that was close. He had almost been hit by that lightning punch. If it weren't for this wall, he'd be toast.
Wait, a wall?
Xie Xie's eyes lit up as he turned to look at the corner.
Yu Longheng, seeing his attack blocked, showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but his expression quickly returned to its usual indifference. He also turned to look at the corner, his gaze sharpening.
"We meet again so soon. You must be the soul masters from East Sea City. We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves on the soul train. My name is Yu Longheng."
Huo Yuhao, who had arrived with Gu Yuena, glanced at him but ignored the introduction. Instead, he looked at Xie Xie and asked, "Are you alright?"
Xie Xie, covered in dust, nodded with lingering fear. "I'm fine. Sister Na acted just in time. Although, it would've been even better if she could've used wind elements to cushion the impact."
"Still making demands?" Gu Yuena snorted coldly. "Next time, deal with it yourself."
"No, no, I was just talking nonsense. It slipped out," Xie Xie quickly shook his head.
Huo Yuhao glanced around and reminded him, "Don't be so impulsive next time. Assess the situation before jumping in."
Although he had arrived later, just by looking at the scene, he had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
The Shrek Academy entrance exam… Well, at least these two hadn't barged into the Spirit Pagoda's jurisdiction. That was somewhat restrained, right?
"Got it," Xie Xie replied awkwardly, forcing a smile. "I understand."
There was something about Huo Yuhao's calm tone when reprimanding others that made it impossible to defy him.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao was ignoring him, Yu Longheng narrowed his eyes.
"I introduced myself earlier. Shouldn't you say something in return?"
"You almost killed me just now, and now you expect us to be cordial with you?"
Xie Xie glared at Yu Longheng, his eyes nearly spitting fire. "You're completely unreasonable!"
"I meant no harm. I just didn't want to cause trouble. I held back earlier; you wouldn't have been injured."
Yu Longheng remained unmoved, his expression as calm as ever. "Even if no one had intervened, you wouldn't have been hurt."
This attitude only infuriated Xie Xie even more. He clenched his teeth, itching to charge forward and settle things "physically." But remembering the gap in their strength, he held back.
"You're only stronger because you've trained longer. If I had the same amount of time, I might not lose to you!"
Yu Longheng glanced at Xie Xie briefly before looking away.
Just a child of about ten, who hadn't yet experienced the harshness of the world.
The world was never fair. Xie Xie was born in East Sea, while he was born into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Their inherent perspectives were worlds apart.
Even entering the Spirit Pagoda wouldn't bridge the gap between them. It would only grow wider. Once he entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and obtained the immortal herb spirit, he would soar to new heights.
"Longheng, should we leave now?" Ning Yue frowned slightly, eager to get away. She whispered, "Before they think of calling the enforcers, let's go."
Yu Longheng nodded in agreement.
Ning Yue felt a bit relieved and turned to leave, but Yu Longheng glanced once more in Huo Yuhao's direction. After weighing his options, he decided to test the waters. His body crackled with lightning as a powerful draconic aura erupted from him.
Given the current situation, this blue-eyed boy was also affiliated with the Spirit Pagoda and had previously been in the company of a Titled Douluo. His background was undoubtedly profound. Now was the best chance to gauge the gap between their martial souls.
Huo Yuhao, who had been curiously observing the middle-aged man in the corner, felt Yu Longheng's provocation. He looked up, and a glint of silver flashed in his eyes.
In that split second, Yu Longheng felt an indescribable fear welling up from deep within.
The lightning around him still roared, and purple electricity danced wildly, but his body froze, Huo Yuhao's casual glance made him feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
Those ice-blue eyes seemed to harbor something beyond comprehension. Just being stared at made the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline within him tremble instinctively.
"What… is this?" Yu Longheng's pupils trembled, and his throat tightened.
How is this possible? Why am I feeling fear?
He was utterly baffled, but the fear was undeniably real. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed, and his entire body trembled.
He had never experienced such oppression before!
It wasn't a suppression of soul power, but an absolute dominance at the level of bloodline essence! It was like a young dragon facing an ancient true dragon, unable to even muster the will to resist or fight.
Ning Yue noticed his abnormality and quickly grabbed his arm. "Longheng? What's wrong?"
But Yu Longheng didn't respond. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the dragon blood within him raged. His soul seemed to urge him to submit, while also warning him, to flee!
Only when Huo Yuhao looked away did the suffocating pressure gradually dissipate. Yu Longheng gasped for air as if he had just surfaced from the depths of the ocean. His back was soaked with sweat, and he collapsed weakly to the ground, utterly disheveled.
Ning Yue, seeing Huo Yuhao's calm gaze turn toward her, felt a chill run down her spine. Her entire body tensed, and the confidence she had as a genius of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan vanished in an instant.
She quickly lowered her head, staring intently at the ground as if there was something worth studying there. She even softened her breathing, afraid of drawing Huo Yuhao's attention and ending up like Yu Longheng.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao said, "You've repeatedly attacked members of the Spirit Pagoda near its vicinity. Come with us."
The bloodline pressure alone was passive. Earlier, he had used his bloodline power as a foundation, channeling it through his spiritual power to create a soul pressure that struck at one's will, bloodline, and soul simultaneously. This was his first attempt at merging his qi and blood power with his spiritual power, and the results seemed promising.
Xie Xie blinked, watching as Yu Longheng and Ning Yue, who had been calm and composed moments ago, now looked pale and shaken. The former even seemed completely drained. The resentment in Xie Xie's heart instantly dissipated, and he couldn't help but laugh.
You guys just got looked at by Brother Yuhao, and you're already falling apart?
You're worse than me!
Brother Huo, you're awesome!
"Brother Yuhao, why not just call the enforcers? It's not far anyway."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Sure."
Xie Xie grinned as he pulled out his soul communicator and contacted a familiar enforcer, explaining the situation.
You thought you could attack us and just walk away?
We'll treat you to some tea at the Spirit Pagoda.
Yu Longheng and Ning Yue's expressions turned extremely grim, but the former only stared intently at Huo Yuhao, recalling Xie Xie's earlier address.
Brother Yuhao?
Yuhao… Huo Yuhao?
The eighth-ranked genius on the Young Talent Rankings!
The name exploded in his mind like thunder. As a genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Longheng knew full well the weight of that ranking. Those who made it into the top ten were monsters among monsters.
He himself was currently ranked 19th.
But even among the top ten monsters, Huo Yuhao's information stood out as particularly abnormal.
He had made the list at the age of nine, already reaching the Soul Elder level. His cultivation was far ahead of his peers, and he had even reached the third level in auxiliary professions.
Many speculated that he was an "old-era soul master" who relied on rare herbs and pills for cultivation, with weak martial souls and combat abilities.
Even he had thought so before, but now…
Yu Longheng clenched his fists, his nails scratching white lines into the ground.
He had never felt such humiliation before, as the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he had lost his fighting spirit from just a single glance from his opponent!