Inside the meeting room of Shrek Academy—
Most of the team had gathered, and the atmosphere was heavy.
Although Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao had gravely wounded Cheng Gang and forced the Star Luo Empire to yield, the team members knew Shrek Academy had paid a hefty price for it.
And the competition was far from over—they still had to win the championship.
First, the origin of everything: Zhou Yi's death. Without her, Shrek was left without a coach or team leader.
Zhou Yi's frozen corpse was preserved inside one of Huo Yuhao's soul tools.
Fortunately, her absence didn't make much of a difference. Zhou Yi had merely been a tool.
"I can take over Zhou Yi's responsibilities," Ling Luochen said softly. "But as for the role of team leader, let's leave that to Yuhao."
"Me?" Huo Yuhao hesitated.
But the others all agreed.
"I support it. Yuhao's strength and capabilities have earned my respect!" Jiang Nannan said first.
"Same here!" Xu Sanshi chimed in.
Jin Qiu'er, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao naturally had no objections either.
"Alright then, I'll serve as team leader. I promise to lead us to the final victory!" Huo Yuhao said seriously.
Next was the matter of Ma Xiaotao.
Wei Na stepped out of Ma Xiaotao's room, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Everyone turned to look at her.
As the team's only healing-type soul master, Wei Na had become the sole medic.
"Wei Na, how's Xiaotao?" Huo Yuhao asked, his tone heavy.
"Don't worry, Yuhao. The captain's just exhausted. She wasn't injured," Wei Na replied, though her face showed no joy. "But tonight's outburst not only revealed her full strength—it'll likely leave her in a weakened state for a while. That kind of power output was far too intense."
Huo Yuhao apologized, "I'm sorry, everyone. That move did put Xiaotao in a temporarily weakened state. But I don't regret using it."
Simply put, Ma Xiaotao's current condition couldn't handle Huo Yuhao's release of power, hence her resulting weakness.
"Yuhao, what are you talking about?" Xu Sanshi said, agitated. "You two did it to protect Shrek's honor. How could we blame you? If anyone deserves blame, it's the Star Luo Empire and that unreasonable Titled Douluo!"
"Exactly!"
"They were way too domineering!"
"If it were me, I'd have just killed him!"
"Good thing Yuhao kept calm."
The whole group stood united in indignation.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, satisfied.
He'd offloaded the blame without leaving a trace.
In truth, Ma Xiaotao's collapse hadn't been part of the plan.
But it didn't matter—now that she was sidelined, no one could compete with Huo Yuhao for MVP in the upcoming matches, not even Ma Xiaotao herself.
He could have healed her quickly using the breath of the hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus, but Huo Yuhao had no intention of doing that.
Huo Yuhao: I want to hog all the experience!
Meanwhile, Jin Qiu'er was deep in thought.
"Maybe... it's time for me to step in too!"
A new challenger had emerged.
Finally, there was the matter of Ling Luochen and Xu Sanshi.
"Big Sis Ling, Brother Xu, how are your injuries after tonight's battle?" Huo Yuhao asked with concern.
Despite his shift in status and power, he hadn't changed the way he addressed them.
The others turned toward the pair with worry.
Xu Sanshi looked a bit embarrassed.
Ling Luochen let out a breath and said gravely, "Due to my full power release tonight, my recovery will be delayed. I might not make it to the finals."
"Same here," Xu Sanshi sighed and sneaked a glance at Jiang Nannan.
To his surprise and delight, Jiang Nannan was watching him and Ling Luochen with concern.
"The goddess cares about me!" Xu Sanshi thought joyfully.
Suddenly, all his sacrifices tonight felt worth it.
Tonight had become a treasured memory.
To be blunt—Zhou Yi died well.
Huo Yuhao stepped in to comfort the two.
"Don't worry. I'll give it my all. Just believe in us!"
"Besides, Wei Na and I still have our martial soul fusion technique as our trump card."
However, Huo Yuhao's reassurance didn't fully ease the team's worries.
The coming weeks of matches seemed daunting just thinking about them.
No matter how strong Huo Yuhao was, he was still just one man.
How far could he go alone?
What kind of pressure would he be under?
Guilt welled up in Ling Luochen's heart, weighing heavier.
"If there were a way to help me recover faster, I'd pay any price!"
But there wasn't.
Huo Yuhao then told everyone to return to their rooms and rest.
At present, the remaining combat strength of Shrek Academy consisted of:
Huo Yuhao, Wei Na, Jiang Nannan, Jin Qiu'er, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao.
Not even enough to form a full preliminary team.
Huo Yuhao returned to his room.
For once, he had a moment of peace to himself.
Tonight had been a fruitful night for him.
He gained:
Zhou Yi's soul and fortune,
The fortune dropped from Ma Xiaotao,
Fortune extracted from Cheng Gang,
Plus scattered bits collected throughout the night.
Titled Douluos truly did possess rich fortune.
Huo Yuhao had reaped a great harvest.
As for Zhou Yi's Red Dragon bloodline?
He had already extracted its essence.
That's why Zhou Yi had looked so pale the past two days.
Unfortunately, the Red Dragon bloodline, while high-level, wasn't top-tier. It wasn't rich enough to bring Huo Yuhao any new transformation.
These past few days, Zhou Yi's actions had also been under Huo Yuhao's manipulation.
Her mission had been simple: secretly spread information that would damage Shrek's reputation.
Because, in Huo Yuhao's view:
"Undermining Shrek is my sacred duty."
He wasn't worried about getting caught—he'd arranged for someone to clean up all the traces.
Or more precisely, some ghostly "hands."
"Eunuch Gao, nicely done this time," Huo Yuhao praised.
A ghostly figure materialized in the room and respectfully knelt before him.
"Thank you for your praise, my lord. Serving you is this servant's greatest honor."
The figure was none other than the ghost of Eunuch Gao, once the protector of Dai Huabin.
Tonight's entire incident had begun with Eunuch Gao's carefully coordinated performance.
Even the exposure of martial souls had been part of the script.
As a Soul Douluo, Eunuch Gao retained most of his intelligence. He had now chosen to submit to Huo Yuhao.
Because he didn't want to fade away—he wanted to rise.
He wanted to climb, step by step, to the very top!
As a eunuch, he had always been different. He never longed for love, family, or respect.
What he craved was greater power and higher status.
He only wanted to stand at the pinnacle.
That's why he had once entered the palace, hoping to win the emperor's favor.
But in the end, he had been given away as a servant to the Duke White Tiger's household—treated like an object, without dignity.
Still, he hadn't minded. The Duke's house held power too. He could climb there.
Then he discovered that his martial soul's flaws and physical limitations might prevent him from ever reaching Titled Douluo rank.
That was a crushing blow.
Yet he didn't break.
Instead, he doubled down on serving the Duchess, placing his hopes in others—like Dai Yaoheng and Dai Huabin.
If he couldn't stand at the top himself, he'd ride the coattails of others to reach higher status.
Maybe then, a chance would come.
Because of this, he earned the Duchess's full trust and became her top confidant.
Then he was beheaded by Huo Yuhao.
His life had been… kind of inspirational.
But now his luck had changed.
After his death, Huo Yuhao showed him a new path.
He could now gain power through other means.
He might even follow Huo Yuhao to godhood.
Thus, Eunuch Gao's loyalty shot to the maximum.
He was willing to do anything for Huo Yuhao—even betray his former masters.
Because his loyalty was never to any person…
but to his own ambition.
Now part of the Ghost Banner Martial Soul, he could no longer grow stronger on his own, but if Huo Yuhao eventually chose him as a Bone Spirit, then a glorious future still awaited.
Huo Yuhao was very pleased with him. With a gesture, he absorbed Eunuch Gao back into the Ghost Banner Martial Soul.
Then, he summoned another sleeping soul.
It was Zhou Yi's soul.
He hadn't turned her into another ghost yet.
Her soul still had value—not in a physical sense.
But because it could be used as bait to lure Fan Yu.
A tactic he had learned from the Holy Spirit Sect.
After storing Zhou Yi's soul safely, Huo Yuhao took out the item from tonight's auction:
The Soul-Devouring Inscription Knife.
"Brother Hao, how are you planning to handle that? Will you purify it like in the original story?" Tianmeng Iceworm asked curiously.
But Huo Yuhao shook his head.
"I already have Life Gold. Merging this bit of it won't improve the Ghost Banner much. And I don't need a second spiritual sea."
"Then what are you going to do with it?"
Huo Yuhao had long since made up his mind.
"Yin and yang in balance, misfortune turns to blessing… What happens when life energy is corrupted by death and evil?" he murmured, channeling his power with a grin. "This knife's refinement is still crude. Let me improve it—perfect it."
BOOM!
As his power surged into it, the Soul-Devouring Knife erupted with wrathful energy. A sinister green light lit up Huo Yuhao's face, making him look chilling and terrifying.
It was a brand-new day again.
The events of the previous night hadn't diminished the public's enthusiasm for the Soul Master Tournament, nor their anticipation for Shrek Academy.
Of course, this was largely because the incident hadn't spread among the common folk. Most middle-tier soul masters weren't aware of the specifics either—at most, they'd heard vague rumors that something had happened to Shrek Academy.
After all, information dissemination in the Douluo Continent was still quite primitive.
With the elite and nobles controlling both intelligence and public opinion, what had happened last night was far from common knowledge.
But those who needed to know—already knew.
The Soul Master Tournament proceeded as usual.
As if nothing had happened the night before.
However, as Huo Yuhao arrived at the arena, he sharply sensed that the number of hidden soul masters around Shrek Academy had increased.
Whether they were here to scout Shrek's condition or secretly protect the team—or both—was unclear.
Not that it really mattered.
The second round of the round-robin tournament began.
As soon as the Shrek team entered the stadium, keen-eyed spectators noticed something was off.
"What's going on with Shrek Academy?"
"Why are there only six people? Where's their captain?"
"Looks like they even changed their coach. This one's prettier than the last!"
"Trust you to notice that."
"Huh? Why is the new coach standing with the team? Don't tell me she's also a contestant?"
"I heard Shrek Academy ran into trouble last night…"
"Oh? Something juicy? Spill the details, brother!"
"…"
The crowd buzzed with speculation.
Naturally, this affected some of Shrek's less confident members.
Compared to the full rosters of other academies, Shrek's lineup looked rather shabby.
There were only seven people total!
Ling Luochen, dragging her injured body, was multitasking as both the coach and a contestant, also handling administrative duties.
Huo Yuhao, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Jin Qiu'er, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao made up the actual team and sat at the competitor's bench.
Wei Na stayed back at the hotel to take care of Ma Xiaotao, who was still unconscious.
Ling Luochen and Xu Sanshi, both injured, were technically there just to make up the numbers—because if Shrek couldn't even field seven people, that would truly be an embarrassment.
Of course, they weren't expected to actually fight.
Both the team battle and individual matches would revolve around Huo Yuhao as the main force.
Jin Qiu'er would take charge in the 2v2 match.
It all looked shaky on the surface—but in truth, they were as solid as ever.
Soon, Ling Luochen returned with news about today's opponent.
"Our opponent today is the Tianming Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Star Luo Empire," she announced, then apologized. "Sorry, I don't know much about this academy, and I wasn't able to gather any intel on them."
Gathering intelligence on other teams was usually a key part of the coach's job. But Ling Luochen had just taken over and hadn't had the time or chance to do any of that.
"It's alright, Senior Ling. No matter who they are—we'll beat them," Huo Yuhao said with a warm smile.
Seeing that gentle smile, Ling Luochen suddenly recalled the wildness she had glimpsed in Huo Yuhao the night before.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly looked down and replied softly, "Mm."
Though the groupings in this version of the tournament differed from the original story, with different schools ending up in Shrek's bracket, two main conditions remained unchanged:
The top-seeded strong teams were placed in different groups.
Each group included teams from all four countries—just in different proportions.
"Team captains, step up for the draw!"
The referee called from the stage.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao stepped up.
But the moment he saw the referee, he paused.
He had instantly sensed that this referee was a Titled Douluo!
He radiated a dense aura of fate—something only Titled Douluos could possess.
And he carried three fate attributes:
[Heavenly Calamity Lone Star]
[Fated to Harm and Be Harmed]
[Stellar Destiny]
"Heavenly Calamity Lone Star? Could this be that Tiansha Douluo from the original story?" Huo Yuhao speculated.
This man's martial soul was said to be a star—specifically, the Tiansha Lone Star.
[Heavenly Calamity Lone Star] was not just a fate trait but also the name of an actual star.
It was the dimly flickering star that lay along the central vertical line between the fourth and seventh stars of the Big Dipper.
Hence, he also had the [Stellar Destiny] trait.
Those whose martial souls were based on stars all shared this fate and were known as "Celestial Lords in human form."
Worth noting: He Caitou, whose martial soul was the Sun, didn't share this fate.
Perhaps because the Sun in the Douluo World's royal lineage wasn't linked to the stellar Sun, but to a variant of the Purple Radiant Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon's bloodline.
In the original story, Xu Tianran's martial soul evolved from Sun lineage back into a true Dragon lineage.
After He Caitou's death, his ghost fused into a ghost-banner martial soul, and his fate traits changed completely.
As for Moon-based martial souls—did they possess [Stellar Destiny] too? Huo Yuhao wasn't sure, since he hadn't met Zhang Lexuan yet.
Yes—he hadn't met her. She was always out on missions for the Oversight Corps.
The remaining fate trait, [Fated to Harm and Be Harmed], was a direct effect of the Tiansha Lone Star. As the saying goes:
"In youth, the family is wealthy; in middle age, misfortune strikes.
Sons, wives, and even parents may be lost.
Born under cursed signs, one cannot control their fate."
Without a method to cleanse this curse, such fate brings tragedy.
And indeed, the Tiansha Douluo in the original story had lived a tragic early life. Many thought he was dead—until the Star Luo Empire recruited him, making him one of their national guardians.
"Still, joining Star Luo turned out to be a lucky break," Huo Yuhao mused. "With the empire's blessing, he broke the curse. As long as nothing shakes Star Luo's foundation, he should be able to live out his twilight years in peace."
Too bad fate had other plans. Star Luo didn't have many years of peace left.
But why all this analysis?
Because Huo Yuhao wanted him.
"Those with celestial destinies are excellent resources—whether for cultivation support or refining artifacts!"
A flicker of greed rose in Huo Yuhao's heart.
Most importantly—the man was already a Titled Douluo. Fully matured.
"The fruit is ripe—ready to pluck!"
"Old man... you smell delicious!"
What about the Tiansha Lone Star fate?
Used right—it's not a curse. It's a treasure to devour!
While Huo Yuhao was scrutinizing Tiansha Douluo…
Tiansha Douluo, Huang Jinxu, was also sizing up Huo Yuhao. He was curious—how could this young man possess such terrifying power?
Then Huang Jinxu noticed Huo Yuhao giving him a polite smile.
Huang Jinxu nodded slightly.
"A well-mannered kid… what a shame. But oh well, that's His Majesty's business. I'll just follow orders."
It was precisely because of Huo Yuhao's formidable strength that Huang Jinxu had been brought in early to serve as referee for this round.
Xujiawei had feared that the regular referees wouldn't be able to stop Huo Yuhao—and that if he slipped, he might accidentally kill one of them.
Now that would be awkward.
Huo Yuhao and the Tianming Academy captain stepped up before Huang Jinxu.
The draw began.
A red ball dropped from the air.
Huang Jinxu declared:
"Second Round of the Round-Robin Tournament, Match One: Shrek Academy vs. Tianming Advanced Soul Master Academy of the Star Luo Empire."
"Match Type — Team Battle!"
As Huo Yuhao turned and left the stage to prepare for the match, the captain of the Tianming Team suddenly called out to him, asking,
"I heard something happened to the Shrek Academy team last night?"
Huo Yuhao looked over at the speaker.
Rather than concern, the man had a smiling expression—
A blatant look of provocation.
Perplexing.
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes. "Something you want to say?"
"Nothing much," the other said with a grin, "I'm just wondering—how much fighting strength does Shrek Academy have left? Don't go losing to us now~ If that happens, your Shrek's millennia of glory might come to an end."
With that, he turned and stepped off the stage.
Huo Yuhao became intrigued.
In fact, in this round of the tournament, the academies in the same group as Shrek Academy all appeared more relaxed.
Because word had spread: Shrek Academy had run into trouble.
If Shrek had been weakened, the others might just have a chance.
Who wouldn't want the honor of defeating Shrek Academy?
Some teams even felt regret that they weren't the ones facing Shrek today.
Of course, some teams remained cautious, believing Shrek Academy might still be hiding strength—it wouldn't be easy to deal with them.
But that Shrek had suffered losses was beyond doubt.
Tianming Team, in particular, acted especially arrogant—
As if Shrek had become a soft target.
But under normal circumstances, Shrek's prestige should've been enough to deter such blatant provocation…
Unless—there were deeper reasons.
Huang Jinxu had also noticed the Tianming captain's provocation. His gaze flickered, but he didn't say anything more.
Just pre-match trash talk.
Still, using last night's incident as a pretext was going too far.
It was outright disrespect toward Shrek Academy.
"But then again, considering it's Tianming Advanced Soul Master Academy, I suppose it makes sense," Huang Jinxu thought to himself.
He knew Tianming City and its academy sided with the White Tiger Duke's faction.
Though he wasn't deeply versed in the Star Luo Empire's political landscape, he understood the basics.
Tianming City bordered the Sun Moon Empire and required military support. Naturally, they aligned with the nearby White Tiger Duke, whose forces were stationed there.
Tianming Academy even offered military classes. Most of its graduates joined the army—it wouldn't be inaccurate to call it a military academy.
In the original story, Tianming City became an important frontline in Dai Hao's resistance against the Sun Moon Empire.
Other border cities and their academies were similar.
To the students, the White Tiger Duke was a hero, and his household a banner to follow.
Huang Jinxu understood now.
"This match is a continuation of last night's conflict between Shrek Academy and the White Tiger Duke's faction. This arrangement couldn't be coincidence. Whoever orchestrated it…"
"Could it be His Majesty himself?"
Civilians might have sympathy for Shrek due to its reputation,
But the competing teams already viewed Shrek as a rival.
Suddenly, Huang Jinxu sensed something off—
Huo Yuhao, who had just stepped off, was walking alone back onto the platform.
"Contestant Huo Yuhao, is there something you need?" Huang Jinxu asked, thinking Huo Yuhao might want to clarify something.
The fact that Huang Jinxu called him by name showed he knew who Huo Yuhao was.
Huo Yuhao understood why.
After all, which Titled Douluo in Star Luo City didn't know Brother Hao by now?
To Huang Jinxu's question, Huo Yuhao stood calmly on the stage and said,
"Referee, I'm here waiting for the match to begin."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"For the next match, Shrek Academy will field only me."
"You're sure?" Huang Jinxu pressed.
"One person is enough."
Huang Jinxu said no more.
A one-versus-seven wasn't new for Huo Yuhao. The only question was whether he could replicate his previous feats.
And whether last night's battle had injured him in any way.
After all, his soul skill partner, Shrek's captain Ma Xiaotao, was still unconscious in a hotel bed.
On the other side, the Tianming Team had taken the stage—
All seven were main lineup members.
Strategically underestimating Shrek.
Tactically, they were prepared.
Spectators noticed something strange and cried out:
"What's Shrek doing now? Just one person again?"
"Is it another one-against-seven?!"
"It's Huo Yuhao! My Yuhao can do it for sure!"
"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"
The crowd erupted with excitement again.
Now this was a match worth watching!
The commentator was equally thrilled.
This was the kind of match that sparked debate!
Offstage, Jin Qiu'er was nearly grinding her teeth to dust.
If not for Huo Yuhao insisting on going solo, she could've gone up there to claim the cheers and fame too!
Thankfully, he had promised she could participate in the next match.
Huang Jinxu stepped to the edge of the arena and announced,
"One minute of preparation time. Countdown begins!"
Tianming's captain looked displeased and said,
"Shrek guy, don't you think you're being a bit arrogant? We're not trash like the Tianling Team!"
"Tianling's team members are my friends. Please don't insult them," Huo Yuhao replied earnestly.
"Heh," the Tianming captain sneered.
"In that case, when you lose later, don't go around saying we won unfairly!"
"Shrek men are always upright. Don't slander us without cause," Huo Yuhao declared confidently.
"Then we'll see who's stronger when the fists fly!"
"Barking dogs seldom bite."
"You—!"
The Tianming captain was furious.
Huang Jinxu announced,
"One-minute countdown complete—begin the match!"
At the signal, both sides fell silent.
The seven members of Tianming Team instantly released their martial souls and spirit rings.
Five Soul Kings. Two Soul Ancestors.
As expected of a border military-style academy, their fighting spirit was fierce and sharp.
Once their martial souls were activated, the team immediately formed a formation:
—Two defensive Soul Kings at the front,
—Two power-attack Soul Kings in the center,
—One control-type Soul King,
—A level-4 soul engineer for ranged support,
—And an auxiliary-type Soul Ancestor in the rear.
They didn't attack right away, choosing instead to wait and defend.
Naturally, they were preparing for Huo Yuhao's high-speed assault.
Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection told him:
Every member of Tianming Team carried a trigger-type defensive soul tool, ready to counter a surprise attack.
If they could withstand his initial charge, they'd swarm him with a devastating counterattack.
However—
Huo Yuhao summoned his Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul, without donning his armor.
Two purple, three black rings—
Five soul rings coiled around the Centipede .
The icy martial soul floated lightly into the air.
"Brother Tianmeng, it's all yours," Huo Yuhao murmured.
"OK~~~"
The Skydream Iceworm rubbed its little legs in excitement.
Then, the first soul ring of the Ice Jade Centipede began to glow—
Frost Centipede Venom!
A toxic breath, aged and ancient, descended from the sky—
Blanketing the entire Tianming Team.
Though it appeared to be a thousand-year soul skill, in reality, it was a 100,000-year soul ring skill!
The power of a soul skill changes with the age of the ring—
And this first ring had been maxed out to the 100,000-year level.
Why did it still look like a thousand-year ring?
Because it was a simulated skill, of course.
And this breath of poison—imbued with a hundred thousand years of power—
What could they possibly use to resist it?!
A mist of poison slowly descended.
It was an icy-white poisonous fog, filled with countless crystalline ice particles. These glimmered under the sunlight, scattering it into a dazzling array of rainbow-colored brilliance.
Strangely, it looked breathtakingly beautiful.
Like a dream.
It made the entire arena look like something out of a divine realm.
The audience was utterly captivated.
They couldn't tell how dangerous the fog was, but they could clearly see—this poison fog was beautiful!
The members of the Tianming Team, however, instinctively sensed danger and tried to dodge.
But the entire arena had already been engulfed by the poisonous fog—there was nowhere to run.
Even Huang Jinxu could only block it with his soul power.
Only Huo Yuhao stood untouched and unharmed within the poisonous mist.
The Tianming Team attempted to use their soul power to forcefully disperse the fog.
It had some effect—but barely.
How could soul skills from mere Soul Kings and Soul Elders possibly disperse a poisonous mist created by a hundred-thousand-year soul skill?
Eventually, the poison mist descended fully.
The triggered defense-type soul tools on the Tianming Team members activated instantly, but their defensive capabilities seemed pitifully insufficient at this moment.
The soul power injected into the protective shields was rapidly consumed—like a countdown to death, ticking down in a frenzy.
But that wasn't all.
The third and fourth soul rings on the body of Huo Yuhao's Mutated Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul began to glow.
Third soul skill: Bone-Piercing Cold Toxin!
Fourth soul skill: Toxic Frenzy!
The poisonous mist suddenly stirred violently, becoming even more turbulent—like a raging river, sweeping over the seven members of the Tianming Team, turning them into fragile rocks battered by the tide.
Even worse—the poisonous mist began to penetrate their soul shields.
When the mist infiltrated and landed on the bodies of the Tianming Team members, they instantly felt the searing pain of skin being corroded, and a bone-deep chill.
Even the two defense-type Soul Kings, despite releasing their defensive soul skills, were unable to withstand the erosion of the poisonous mist.
Of course, Huo Yuhao had reduced the freezing and corrosive effects of the cold poison this time.
Otherwise, he feared that the seven would have melted into puddles the moment they touched the mist.
Even so, the power of the cold poison still drove the seven to emit heart-wrenching screams.
"AAAHHHHH—!!!"
Their screams echoed from within the mist, chilling the audience to the bone. Those still admiring the beauty of the scene were snapped out of their daze.
"What happened?"
"That sounded way too miserable!"
"Quick, look at the Tianming Team!"
All eyes turned to see the entire Tianming Team—including their captain—rolling on the ground, shrieking in agony. Blood seeped from their bodies, corroded and ghastly. It was a horrifying sight of pain and suffering.
Their soul shields had shattered, their defensive soul tools frozen and broken apart.
This gruesome scene made many spectators go pale.
It was simply too cruel.
"Stop! Stop it now!!" the Tianming Team's instructor cried out in panic from below the stage.
Huang Jinxu quickly reacted. With a shout, he flashed into the air above the Tianming Team's formation and raised a hand, using his vast soul power to disperse the surrounding poisonous mist.
However, the cold poison that had already infiltrated the bodies of the Tianming Team members was still wreaking havoc inside them.
"Huo Yuhao, why haven't you stopped your attack?!" Huang Jinxu growled.
Huo Yuhao stood unmoved, hands in his pockets, expressionless.
Behind him, clouds of poison mist gathered, obscuring the figure of the Mutated Ice Jade Centipede.
The mist seemed to transform into a monstrous beast, eyes locked on the Tianming Team and Huang Jinxu, its gaping maw ready to devour.
Huang Jinxu's expression shifted subtly—he could feel a lethal threat from within the mist.
Another killing move?
But Huo Yuhao only spoke calmly, "They haven't admitted defeat. The match isn't over."
Huang Jinxu's face darkened. He hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to press so aggressively. How could the Tianming Team, writhing in such agony, possibly still have the strength to surrender?
At last, Huang Jinxu had no choice but to announce, "The Tianming Team has lost the ability to continue fighting. The Shrek Academy Team is victorious!"
He immediately added, "Hurry and administer the antidote!"
Such terrifying poison—Huang Jinxu had never heard of anything like it. But he could tell that if it continued any longer, the Tianming Team members would be crippled.
And they were the seeds of the Star Luo Empire.
Huo Yuhao let out a faint chuckle.
The Mutated Ice Jade Centipede darted out of the mist, swooping down over the seven, and drew all the cold poison from their bodies.
Only then did their suffering ease. But the damage caused by the poison would have to be treated by a healing-type soul master.
The seven collapsed onto the ground, completely drained, unconscious—yet still visibly in pain.
All the poisonous mist returned to the Mutated Ice Jade Centipede.
Now, no one thought the mist had been beautiful.
The audience didn't even dare to speak—they were terrified.
The protective barrier over the arena lifted. The Tianming Team's instructor rushed up to the stage and quickly checked over all seven. His face changed dramatically. Pointing at Huo Yuhao, he roared, "You're trying to kill them!"
Huo Yuhao, still hands in pockets, looked at him coldly. "Are they dead?"
"What?" the instructor was stunned.
"I asked you—are they dead?" Huo Yuhao repeated slowly.
The instructor and Huang Jinxu both looked grim.
How could he still be so arrogant?
Before they could respond, Huo Yuhao calmly continued, "Anyone who dares to challenge Shrek should be prepared to be annihilated."
"Be thankful this is only a match—so I didn't cripple them or take their lives. But for the next month, they won't be able to participate in a single match."
The Tianming instructor's face turned ashen. Wasn't that the same as forcing the Tianming Team to forfeit?
"Tianming Advanced Soul Master Academy will remember this!" he growled.
"Shrek Academy welcomes Tianming Academy's revenge anytime," Huo Yuhao replied flatly. "But remember what I said—prepare for annihilation. The Pavilion Master of Sea God's Pavilion is my teacher. When the time comes, I'll request to join the vanguard and take action personally."
The instructor instantly fell silent, face pale, not daring to speak another word.
He had only wanted to vent his frustration—how had this escalated to the destruction of an academy?
The worst part was—he was just a minor instructor. But Huo Yuhao was the personal disciple of the Pavilion Master of Sea God's Pavilion—the next Pavilion Master in line!
Who could guarantee he wasn't serious?
The terrifying part wasn't the threat—it was that Huo Yuhao could actually do it.
If they truly provoked Shrek Academy, Tianming Advanced Soul Master Academy might even sacrifice him as a scapegoat to appease Shrek's wrath.
"Enough. The match is over. Both sides, leave the stage," Huang Jinxu interjected, cutting off the growing tension.
The Tianming instructor left the stage in shame, leading his team down.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Huang Jinxu, then smiled brightly, "Your Excellency, are you satisfied?"
Huang Jinxu's face remained cold. "I don't know what you're talking about. Please leave the arena."
"Heh~"
Huo Yuhao chuckled, then turned and left the stage, his icy aura fading away. Once again, he appeared warm and cheerful.
But in Huang Jinxu's eyes—he no longer saw a "good kid."
Huo Yuhao… didn't seem like a good person at all.
And he had grown.
Grown too powerful.
"Is Shrek really an academy that cultivates monsters? With Shrek around, the three empires will never see their rise. If Huo Yuhao becomes the next Pavilion Master of Sea God's Pavilion… then all this today… sigh."
Huang Jinxu sighed in his heart, turned, and left—replaced by other referees to host the next match.
Huo Yuhao stepped down from the stage.
None of the other members of the Shrek team found Huo Yuhao's actions inappropriate. On the contrary, they even praised him.
Xu Sanshi laughed heartily, "Little brother Huo, you were so domineering! Hahaha…"
Jiang Nannan said gently, "You've worked hard, Junior Brother Yuhao."
Jin Qiu'er added, "Not bad, but I could've done even better!"
Only Ling Luochen frowned slightly. "Wasn't that a bit too much?"
Wang Dong dismissed it lightly, "Senior Sister, they were the ones who provoked us first, and they even had the nerve to use last night's incident to taunt us. They asked for it! The fact we didn't kill them is already a sign of mercy."
"Mhm mhm, class rep is just too kind," Xiao Xiao parroted loyally.
"You're right." Ling Luochen no longer pressed the issue.
Wang Dong glanced at Huo Yuhao and snorted, "Huo Yuhao, just this once, I grudgingly approve of what you did."
"If that makes you happy," Huo Yuhao replied with a smile. What else could he do?
"Let's go! Let's walk around the city and celebrate!" Jin Qiu'er had already shifted her thoughts to going out and having fun.
But Huo Yuhao said seriously, "Everyone, if you're heading out, you must go in groups. No one is allowed to go alone!"
Ling Luochen also warned with a stern face, "That's right. Our crisis isn't over yet. Ideally, we should all stay at the hotel. But if you must go out, stick to crowded areas and avoid isolated or closed spaces."
"Be especially careful of people from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion!" Huo Yuhao added.
"Don't worry, I get it! If there's real danger, leave it to me—I'll protect everyone!" Jin Qiu'er said confidently.
In the end, she still went out with a few others.
Xu Sanshi followed voluntarily, calling himself their gallant protector.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen chose to return to the hotel.
Ling Luochen still looked concerned. "Junior Brother Yuhao, are you sure we shouldn't have made them stay in the hotel?"
Huo Yuhao reassured her, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. The Star Luo Empire has already strengthened their protection of us. The chances of danger are low now. Besides, Junior Sister Qiu'er is quite capable."
"Well, if you say so." In the end, Ling Luochen said nothing more.
Because of Huo Yuhao's strength and performance, Ling Luochen had gradually come to trust him.
After the two left—
Two figures were watching Huo Yuhao from the shadows.
They were two ordinary-looking men, but their bodies were quite unique. One had an unusually large right arm, and the other was small and skinny with a disproportionately large head—like a bobblehead doll.
They were Lang Ya and Yu Tao from the Body Sect.
They had been observing Huo Yuhao for quite some time.
"As expected of a disciple of our Body Sect. So domineering! Totally fits our sect's style!" Lang Ya praised, then sighed. "If not for the Sect Master's orders, I'd really want to take him back to the sect right now and crown him the next successor!"
Yu Tao laughed, "Don't worry. A disciple of our sect will return eventually. For now, we just follow the Sect Master's orders. If he wants it this way, he must have his reasons."
"True!" Lang Ya nodded. Then his expression turned cold, brimming with killing intent. "The Star Luo Empire and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion dared to threaten a disciple of our sect. Sooner or later, they'll pay for that!"
"Exactly."
The two disappeared again, continuing to follow Huo Yuhao in secret to ensure his safety.
Before the Soul Master Tournament began, Poison Immortal had sent the two of them to Star Luo City to protect Huo Yuhao and Wei Na.
Because Poison Immortal feared Huo Yuhao's talent would draw the attention of malicious forces.
In fact, rumors said there was even a titled Douluo elder from the Body Sect hiding deeper in the shadows, jointly protecting Huo Yuhao… and Wei Na as well.
In the void beside him, the primordial spirit of the Skydream Iceworm rubbed its pudgy face and, after informing Huo Yuhao of the situation, went off to patrol other areas.
Huo Yuhao didn't expect that even though he hadn't exposed much yet, Poison Immortal was already placing such great importance on him.
"This debt… I can only repay it by leading them all to eternal bliss in the future~"
…
Back at the hotel—
Huo Yuhao shut himself in his room and continued refining the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife.
The previous ninety-nine steps had already been completed by its former owners. Now it was up to Huo Yuhao to take the final step.
But this last step required meticulous control. A single misstep could cause everything to fall apart—or worse, regress entirely.
As for the earlier battle, Huo Yuhao had nothing more to say.
It might have seemed inconsistent with a gentleman's demeanor, but it was necessary.
If he had continued acting gentle and tolerant, in a world like Douluo Continent, he wouldn't be praised—he'd be seen as weak.
Even Shrek Academy might lose faith in him.
How could he build a future "family" if he didn't prove himself now?
Just look at Qian Daoliu from ten thousand years ago—
He lost his son but kept his promise and never retaliated against the Clear Sky Sect.
Even though he knew it was Bibi Dong who had truly killed Qian Xunji.
But the world didn't know that.
In the end, no one saw Qian Daoliu as a noble man. They only saw him as weak and useless, unworthy of the life he had lived.
History serves as a mirror to understand rise and fall.
Huo Yuhao wasn't great at scheming—but he could learn and emulate. If he found faults, he'd fix them. If not, he'd continue to improve.
In truth, there were countless ways he could've defeated the Tianming Team.
But he chose a rather brutal method on purpose.
Huo Yuhao wanted to make it clear: the kindness of a gentleman is reserved for friends. If you're not my friend, don't blame me for being ruthless.
Only by doing so would the Star Luo Empire and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion know how to behave—and when they eventually apologized, they'd bring better compensation.
As for the outcome of that situation—it was obvious.
They'd find a scapegoat, offer compensation, and call it settled.
The Duchess wasn't a simple woman, so removing her directly was impossible. As for the eunuch Gao and others—they couldn't be found, so someone else would take the fall.
But Shrek Academy needed a proper explanation too—hence the compensation.
Huo Yuhao had also said it himself today—he was the Sea God Pavilion Master's disciple.
If they still couldn't satisfy him, then they better pray that when Huo Yuhao inherited the Sea God Pavilion, the Dragon King wouldn't return with vengeance.
The match had taken place in the morning, and Huo Yuhao continued refining the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife into the afternoon.
Only when someone knocked on his door did he pause and quickly put everything away.
He opened the door as if nothing had happened.
Wei Na stood outside, her expression full of excitement.
"Yuhao! Captain's awake!"
"Xiao Tao's awake? Let's go see her!"
The kind young man who cared for others—came online once again.
…
In the conference room of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—
Elder Ma sat with everyone once again, and the atmosphere was unusually tense.
They were discussing how to deal with the poisonous mist Huo Yuhao had released in today's match.
Xiao Hongchen boasted that his soul cannon was unparalleled. If it didn't work, it just meant the firepower wasn't enough.
He was promptly silenced.
"My poisons are far inferior to his," said Meng Hongchen, the team's poison expert, shaking her head. But inwardly, she was amazed. "As expected of the handsome guy I've been eyeing—he's also poison-based, and so strong too!"
"Based on the match, his poison isn't completely undefendable. Trigger-type soul shields can barely resist for a while," Elder Ma said solemnly. "Since we can't counter poison with poison, then before the finals, we'll need to create specialized anti-toxin soul tools."
Of course, the tools they created wouldn't be high-level ones. There wasn't enough time, and the students couldn't use them anyway.
Right now, to even use a level-seven soul tool, they'd have to burn their life force. Higher-level ones were out of the question.
"This year's Shrek Academy team looks weak on the surface, but in truth, they're not. Especially Huo Yuhao—and their captain, who is rumored to be at the Soul Sage level! Their combined technique can even severely injure a Titled Douluo!" Elder Ma revealed a bombshell.
This was new intelligence he had just uncovered.
"Hiss!!!" Everyone gasped.
Xiao Hongchen tried to speak again, likely to express disbelief.
But Elder Ma continued, "However, in my judgment, such power must've come at a great cost. Their captain didn't appear today, nor did their healing-type soul master. Most likely, their captain won't be returning to the tournament."
As an experienced team mentor, Elder Ma knew what kind of price such an outcome would entail.
A steep one.
At the very least, they wouldn't recover anytime soon—and there was a high chance they couldn't return to the competition at all.
The others in the room sighed in relief—some even silently thanked the Star Luo Empire.
They had effectively banned Shrek's ace player!
Without Ma Xiaotao, they only had to focus on dealing with Huo Yuhao.
Target him directly—and he'd have no way to turn the tables.
Elder Ma added, "The atmosphere in Star Luo City has been tense lately. Everyone, avoid going out unnecessarily. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The students weren't thrilled—being grounded was a pain. But compared to their lives, it was a small price to pay.
Elder Ma narrowed his eyes and fell into thought.
Truthfully, the Sun Moon Empire's academies weren't overly worried about their own safety.
As long as the Star Luo Empire didn't want war, they wouldn't dare let anything happen to them. Elder Ma could tell that the Star Luo Empire had increased their security.
But that didn't mean they were powerless.
"Shrek, the Star Luo Empire, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion… maybe we can help stir the pot."
Elder Ma himself wouldn't act. But he wasn't the only one who came.
The Sun Moon Empire had also secretly sent powerful experts to protect the students—some of them high-ranking officials who would know exactly how to seize an opportunity.
…
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's reinforcements—were still on the way.