Although Ma Xiaotao was nervous, she wasn't afraid—because she knew that Xuanzi was secretly protecting them.
What she didn't know was that Xuanzi had already been "banned" (i.e., taken out) by powerful opponents.
So Ma Xiaotao was the first to speak, asking, "You from the Body Sect—what's your purpose here?"
Lang Ya wore a casual smile and replied, "All unrelated people, step aside. Our target is Huo Yuhao!"
"Huo Yuhao?!"
Wang Dong, Jiang Nannan, and the others all turned to look at Huo Yuhao in shock.
Two Soul Douluo-level experts showing up to confront Huo Yuhao—what kind of situation was this?
Vina's eyes filled with panic and tension. She didn't understand why Lang Ya and Yu Tao were here for Huo Yuhao.
Just as she was about to ask, a spiritual wave washed over her. A voice rang out in her mind—it was Lang Ya's.
"Princess Vina, rest assured. We were sent by the Sect Master to test Huo Yuhao's strength. We won't harm him."
Receiving this message, Vina immediately relaxed, though she maintained a tense facade.
Lang Ya couldn't help but admire her. So this is what it means to be a princess—even they couldn't pull off a disguise so convincingly.
But the show had to go on.
"Huo Yuhao, come play with us. Show us the strength of Shrek Academy's so-called genius. Otherwise, none of you are leaving today!" Lang Ya said with a grin.
Yu Tao clenched his fists cooperatively. "I won't bully you—I won't use soul skills or techniques. You can fight freely."
"You think Shrek has no one to stand up for us?" Ling Luochen asked coldly, ready to risk everything.
But Huo Yuhao pulled her back.
He stepped forward from the group, standing at the front. "Fine. I accept your challenge. Just promise to leave my teammates alone."
"You've got guts!" Yu Tao laughed, clearly approving of Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao!" Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were both moved.
But also deeply angry—and ashamed.
They hadn't been able to protect Huo Yuhao!
Even if he was stronger than them, they were older, after all.
The others felt the same.
Wang Dong stepped forward and said seriously, "Huo Yuhao, I still think your character is questionable—but I recognize your strength. I'll stand with you. We're teammates!"
"That's right, we're teammates! I'm with you too!" Xiao Xiao quickly added.
Others chimed in, all voicing their support for Huo Yuhao.
Xu Sanshi even shouted that he'd mobilize his family to help Huo Yuhao get revenge on the Body Sect!
But the two key figures—Huo Yuhao and Yu Tao—remained silent.
Yu Tao: Oh no... I've become the villain!
Huo Yuhao: Why does this feel like I'm walking into a death trap?
Meanwhile, Vina also realized the true purpose behind Dudu's order to send the two to test Huo Yuhao.
It was, naturally, to aid Huo Yuhao's cultivation.
In the Soul Master Tournament, the opponents were too weak to push Huo Yuhao to reveal his real strength. So Dudu sent people to test him—to assess his power.
This way, they could get a better understanding of Huo Yuhao and, at the right moment in the future, help him fully awaken his second martial soul and recruit him.
Vina had been exchanging letters with the Body Sect and had even discussed Huo Yuhao's situation with Dudu.
According to Huo Yuhao, his Ice Jade Centipede martial soul had never fully awakened from the beginning.
So the fact that his second martial soul—his body martial soul—also couldn't fully awaken wasn't exactly surprising.
It also suggested that this second martial soul must be extraordinarily powerful—just like the extreme attributes of his first.
Dudu had personally verified this in the Star Dou Forest. Even in its incomplete state, the eye-based body martial soul in Huo Yuhao's gaze had been able to suppress Dudu's own top-tier body martial soul!
If Huo Yuhao were to truly awaken it, it would likely become the strongest body martial soul ever, and he would soar to the peak.
If he joined the Body Sect, the Sect would also rise with him.
The soul master sanctuary of the future would no longer be Shrek Academy—but the Body Sect!
In fact, after the tournament, Dudu had considered forcefully taking Huo Yuhao back with him.
Because Huo Yuhao's talent and strength were simply too astonishing—Dudu wanted to ensure nothing went wrong.
But in the end, he dropped the idea.
Because doing so now would be like killing the chicken to get the egg. They had an even bigger plan in mind.
Vina's correspondence with the Body Sect included most of the plans—which Huo Yuhao was well aware of.
After all, reading Vina's memories gave him far more clarity than just asking her.
In fact, many parts of the plan were added under Huo Yuhao's indirect influence—he had subtly hinted to Vina, who then persuaded Dudu and the Heavenly Soul Emperor to include them.
For example: the plans called "Borrowing a Chicken to Lay Eggs" and "The Cuckoo in the Nest."
Under Huo Yuhao's subtle guidance, Vina painted a glorious vision for the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Body Sect.
Ten thousand years ago, Shrek Academy had used Heaven Dou Royal Academy as a "chicken" to lay their own "egg," eventually replacing Blue Lightning Academy and rising to prominence.
Why couldn't they now, ten thousand years later, do the same?
Use Shrek Academy to borrow the chicken, lay their eggs—train talent—and when the time was right, replace Shrek entirely.
In fact, the Heavenly Soul Empire and Body Sect could secretly siphon resources from Shrek in the meantime!
For example, by recruiting Shrek's top talents, learning their secret techniques, and intercepting resources.
That was the "carrot" Huo Yuhao had dangled in front of the Heavenly Soul Empire and Body Sect.
And they'd already tasted the rewards.
Under Huo Yuhao's hidden manipulation, Vina had secretly recruited the twin sisters Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu.
Yes—Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu were also subtly influenced by Huo Yuhao into accepting Vina's recruitment.
Shrek Academy only knew how to train them as fusion-type control soul masters.
They had no clue how to cultivate body martial soul users—or how to help them fully awaken.
On the surface, Vina had lured them in with information about second awakenings.
In truth, it was a mutual pursuit.
Without a second awakening, they were just average geniuses. But with it—they'd become top-tier prodigies.
And far more valuable!
When the time came, the sisters would go train at the Body Sect—and become two chess pieces Huo Yuhao embedded within it.
This single successful recruitment only made the Heavenly Soul Empire and Body Sect greedier.
They realized they could let Shrek Academy attract geniuses—and then pick the ones they wanted to poach.
Even if some couldn't be recruited—it didn't matter.
Once Huo Yuhao became the next Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion, and Vina followed him into the inner circle, even Shrek's most elite could be turned to serve the Heavenly Soul Empire.
The Body Sect didn't care about ordinary soul masters—they only focused on those with body martial souls.
So they had no conflict of interest with the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the two could cooperate well.
As for Huo Yuhao—no matter how many people the Body Sect or the Heavenly Soul Empire "poached" from Shrek...
To him, it was like moving things from his left hand to his right.
He wasn't going to let go of a single one.
"Kid, make your move. Let me see what you've got." Yu Tao waved his thick right arm, motioning to Huo Yuhao with a casual smile on his face, as if he didn't take Huo Yuhao seriously at all.
No wonder—Huo Yuhao was, after all, just a known five-ring Soul King. His previous feats either involved teamwork or exploiting attribute advantages.
Yu Tao, an eight-ring Soul Douluo, would lose face if he treated Huo Yuhao too seriously.
Moreover, Yu Tao was from the Body Sect, which had a reputation for arrogance and dominance.
Trying Huo Yuhao out himself already felt like bullying. If there had been a suitable six-ring Soul Emperor from the Body Sect nearby, they wouldn't have even needed to step in—just let that person handle it.
What? Huo Yuhao once defeated a six-ring Soul Emperor?
But could a Soul Emperor from the outside compare to one from the Body Sect?
Could a common mob monster compare to an elite boss?
People from the Body Sect had always seen themselves as superior.
In short, Yu Tao had already underestimated him.
Ma Xiaotao and the others stood in the back while Huo Yuhao stepped forward alone, stopping ten paces from Yu Tao.
"Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao. I ask for your guidance, senior." Huo Yuhao introduced himself earnestly, then summoned his martial soul and activated Frost Armored Iceworm.
The Skydream Iceworm's consciousness was still preoccupied watching the fight between Du Busi and Xuan Zi, so Huo Yuhao could only use his Frost Armored form.
"A beast martial soul that transforms into armor? Interesting indeed." Behind Yu Tao, Lang Ya squinted, carefully observing Huo Yuhao.
Lang Ya did not act. His task was to observe Huo Yuhao's battle with Yu Tao and assess his strength.
In fact, Lang Ya was even more curious about Huo Yuhao's Body Martial Soul that had caught the sect master's attention.
Yu Tao confidently faced Huo Yuhao, a cocky smile on his face.
"I heard your poison is strong. No need to hold back like in competitions—go all out. Your poison won't hurt me!"
"Then… forgive me, senior!" Huo Yuhao replied honestly.
Before Yu Tao could react, Huo Yuhao stared at him, his pupils flashing with a snowflake-shaped mark.
Zero-Degree Ice Seal!
In the next moment, Yu Tao was enveloped by extreme cold and completely frozen by Ultimate Ice. It was already too late to resist.
Lang Ya: "Huh?"
Wait, what just happened?
"Awesome!" Wang Dong was excited—she knew this move of Huo Yuhao's well.
She didn't expect it to work even on a Soul Douluo!
Lang Ya's expression turned serious as he noticed the strange glint in Huo Yuhao's eyes, secretly amazed:
"Impressive—an original soul skill activated through the eyes!"
"But... that's still not enough to take down Yu Tao!"
Zero-Degree Ice Seal was a surprise-control skill. Its main purpose was to catch the enemy off guard, but it couldn't restrain powerful or high-resistance opponents for long.
Moreover, this skill was only a part of the complete ability "Mental Ice Seal", so its control was diluted.
Given Yu Tao's physical toughness and power, he would break free soon.
Yu Tao's Body Martial Soul was focused on his right arm, but the rest of his body was no less sturdy—his right arm was simply more dominant.
Even if the control time was short, it was enough for Huo Yuhao.
Boom!
Huo Yuhao vanished, leaving a deep crater behind. But he didn't charge in a straight line—he leapt high, then crashed down from above.
Soul power surged through his legs and leg armor, generating intense pressure. Even before landing, the wind pressure surged ahead.
Then—a fierce impact.
His feet stomped directly onto Yu Tao's frozen shoulders.
BOOM!!!
A deafening sound followed, with dust flying everywhere.
Huo Yuhao's attack shattered the ice that encased Yu Tao—and Yu Tao screamed in pain as he burst forth with soul power.
"Aahhh!!"
His powerful soul force shattered the Ultimate Ice and dispersed the smoke completely.
Everyone saw what had happened.
They all gasped in shock.
Yu Tao had been stomped halfway into the ground by Huo Yuhao. His upper body was in a miserable state, and his weaker left arm and shoulder appeared dislocated. Blood was flowing from his mouth and nose.
The pressure and shock had injured his internal organs.
The ground around Yu Tao's waist was deeply cracked.
And Huo Yuhao was still standing on his shoulders.
That move was called "Awakening Thunder".
Still as slumber, but strikes like thunder.
A thunderous first strike.
This technique evolved from the Leap Step he learned from Wei Na. It had transformed into a pressure-based jumping technique, and was now developed into a powerful combat skill.
What was once just a mobility skill had become a lethal attack.
But this move was only "excellent."
The true power came from the 100,000-year Tyrannosaurus Right Leg Bone Huo Yuhao had absorbed, massively boosting his leg strength.
Without it, Huo Yuhao wouldn't have pulled this off. If he had also used the soul skill from the leg bone, this move would have been even more devastating—
a true godlike thunderstrike capable of shattering mountains.
Yu Tao had no defense, and that was why he suffered so much.
Huo Yuhao then followed up immediately, striking with his Frost Iceworm Fist.
But Yu Tao had already recovered.
The pain ignited his fury. Yu Tao swung his massive right arm toward Huo Yuhao's incoming punch.
Fist met arm. Huo Yuhao felt a powerful jolt and was knocked away.
But he twisted in the air and landed smoothly, only sliding back a few steps to disperse the force.
In terms of strength, Huo Yuhao was slightly outmatched, but he wasn't injured. He pretended that his right arm had been disabled—it trembled violently, looking unusable.
There were too many people watching; he had to give his opponent some face.
Besides…
His left arm was even stronger!
That arm had also fused with a 100,000-year soul bone!
The others didn't know this. To them, it looked like Huo Yuhao had lost use of his right arm, which was understandable but still worrying.
Ma Xiaotao and the others were clearly concerned.
Wei Na almost rushed over to heal him, but Huo Yuhao stood firm and reassured,
"Don't worry. I'm fine!"
Lang Ya started to appreciate Huo Yuhao more.
In just the first clash, he had injured Yu Tao—Huo Yuhao's performance was unexpectedly outstanding.
Still, that level of attack wasn't enough to defeat Yu Tao.
As someone who had often partnered with Yu Tao, Lang Ya knew his strength well.
Indeed—
Yu Tao slammed his right arm into the ground, shattering it further, and then pulled his lower body out by brute force.
It was a display of overwhelming strength.
Emerging from the ground, Yu Tao grabbed his left arm and snapped it back into place with a crack. It was dislocated, but now functional again.
Huo Yuhao's strike looked like a surprise attack that didn't cost Yu Tao much combat power—instead, it awakened his bloodlust.
Yu Tao, now covered in blood, grinned menacingly—giving off an intensely dangerous vibe.
Xiao Xiao cowered behind Wang Dong, who was pale-faced too.
He looked terrifying!
"Not bad, kid!" Yu Tao ignored everyone else, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao as he praised him.
But Huo Yuhao remained calm, his eyes locked onto Yu Tao's shoulders.
There, a thin layer of icy blue frost had begun to spread.
During his earlier strike, Huo Yuhao had also used two other soul skills—
Second Soul Skill: Hidden Venom.
Third Soul Skill: Bone-Chilling Cold.
The cold poison had silently invaded Yu Tao's shoulders—and it had already begun to take effect.
The terrifying thing about a poison-type expert was this:
You could be poisoned at any moment during the battle, and you might not even realize it.
Yu Tao still hadn't realized the severity of the situation.
Huo Yuhao raised his left hand and once again took the initiative to attack.
"Ice Mirage Fist!"
Countless fist shadows burst forth from Huo Yuhao's strikes.
He wasn't going all out — he only unleashed thirty-two punches and even held back his strength.
To Yu Tao, this kind of attack was completely insignificant.
With a casual swing of his right arm, Yu Tao easily shattered all the fist shadows.
Huo Yuhao seemed to avoid direct confrontation, continuously leveraging his agility advantage, circling around Yu Tao, either running or flying low, occasionally striking with a punch.
"Come on! Hit me like a man! What are you running for?" Yu Tao taunted, standing still without moving.
Lang Ya watched the scene unfold, suddenly catching on to something. His eyes flickered, and the corners of his lips curled into a knowing smile, but he said nothing to remind Yu Tao.
Watching your brother get played — now that's true entertainment~
Ma Xiaotao and the others, however, didn't notice anything. Seeing such an obvious power gap, they couldn't help but feel worried.
"It seems like Yuhao doesn't dare to use stronger power. Is he wary of something?" Ling Luochen keenly noticed something off in Huo Yuhao's behavior.
"That guy said he wouldn't use soul skills or techniques, so why is Huo Yuhao still holding back? Is he worried that guy will go back on his word?" Wang Dong speculated.
For traditional soul masters, not using soul skills or combat techniques was like a tiger without fangs — unless the power difference was overwhelming, fighting was still possible.
Theoretically, with Huo Yuhao's strength, he shouldn't be this cautious.
Vina sighed helplessly and took the initiative to explain,
"Soul masters from the Body Sect don't rely on soul skills to fight. Their greatest strength lies in their physical bodies. So, even without soul skills and combat techniques, it doesn't significantly affect their strength."
"What? Seriously? That's so unfair!" Xiao Xiao puffed her cheeks in frustration, feeling as if her emotions had been tricked.
They had thought the opponent was going easy on Huo Yuhao by not using skills, but turns out he was basically a "basic-attack" hero who didn't rely on skills in the first place.
"Vina, how do you know all this?" Jiang Nannan noticed something important and asked curiously.
"Because the Body Sect is based in the Heavenly Soul Empire, so our royal family has some understanding of them," Vina explained without revealing any flaws.
The others all had sudden realizations.
Vina had no psychological burden revealing this information.
While most young people knew little about the Body Sect, the high-level powers and strong individuals clearly understood their strength and fighting style.
It wasn't a secret.
Exchanging this semi-public information for goodwill was a fair trade.
Ma Xiaotao said solemnly,
"Yuhao probably sensed danger, so he's not risking a full-out burst, but looking for an opportunity."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Initial Kill" (his sneak-attack move) was most effective the first time. It was hard for Huo Yuhao to cause significant harm to Yu Tao again like before.
Perhaps out of pride, Yu Tao hadn't launched any attacks yet. He stood still, waiting for Huo Yuhao to strike.
This allowed Huo Yuhao to successfully stall for time.
And finally, Yu Tao began to feel something was wrong.
"What the... My arms are going numb..." Yu Tao quickly checked his body and was shocked to find that he had been poisoned!
The cold poison had invaded both his arms, slowing and stiffening the limbs he was so proud of.
The source of the poison was his shoulders.
In an instant, Yu Tao understood,
"It was from that very first attack! He poisoned me then — and this poison even numbs the senses!"
This sensory-numbing poison came from the two-headed colorful-scaled royal snake's venom. Later, Huo Yuhao refined the poison through his cultivation and toxic herbs to strengthen the sensory-numbing effects.
It wasn't lethal — but extremely effective.
Like now — Yu Tao didn't even realize he was poisoned until the cold poison had already invaded his arms, impairing his movement.
But it was too late. Trying to force the cold poison out now was impossible — at best, he could consume soul power to suppress its spread and effects.
Lang Ya, seeing that Yu Tao had realized he was poisoned, finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
"Yu Tao, you're killing me!"
"Shut up! Mind your own business!" Yu Tao flushed with humiliation and rage.
Being mocked by a friend hurt more than being poisoned.
And now, Yu Tao was done holding back.
"You despicable brat! Feel my wrath!" Yu Tao roared and finally moved to attack Huo Yuhao.
Lang Ya, seeing this, quickly stopped laughing and shouted,
"Yu Tao! Watch it! Don't hit too hard!"
If you broke the sect leader's favorite student, prepare to have your legs broken in return.
The poison in Yu Tao's arms wouldn't instantly disable him but did affect his attack speed and flexibility.
As Yu Tao charged forward, Huo Yuhao's gaze remained calm.
"A genius youth faces a powerful enemy. He calculates every step, secretly poisons his opponent, creating an opening. Under pressure from a counterattack, the enemy is forced to reveal a secret, and the genius seizes the opportunity for reversal."
"Such a perfect script!"
Life is a play — and it's all about acting.
Everyone's an actor. What you see? I've planned it all.
"Next, I'll reveal part of my secret under pressure… and then strike back!" Huo Yuhao focused his soul power.
Yu Tao had already arrived before him. Overwhelming soul power and physical strength bore down, his powerful right arm crashing down.
Huo Yuhao dodged quickly.
BOOM!!!
Yu Tao's right arm slammed into the ground, cracking it open and tearing a fissure over ten meters long.
The terrifying impact left Ma Xiaotao and the others speechless. It confirmed Vina's words and made them even more worried.
Missing his strike, Yu Tao grinned savagely and attacked even faster, repeatedly striking with his right arm. The force of his blows stirred the air currents, trapping Huo Yuhao.
The swirling wind sealed all escape routes, disrupting Huo Yuhao's retreat.
"Kid, this is the power of the Body Sect!" Yu Tao shouted as his right arm came crashing down again.
Huo Yuhao stood in the shadow of Yu Tao's arm, his face obscured.
Yu Tao's arm descended like a falling mountain, the wind pressure whipping Huo Yuhao's hair.
"Yuhao!!" Ma Xiaotao cried out.
Ling Luochen summoned her Ice Staff, ready to intervene.
Even Vina, who knew Yu Tao wouldn't truly harm him, clutched her collar nervously.
The others were completely panicked.
BANG!!
As the arm landed, a muffled boom echoed out, and dust exploded into the air.
Yu Tao's grin froze — his expression shifted into disbelief.
Even Lang Ya raised his eyebrows in surprise.
From the dust, Huo Yuhao held up Yu Tao's right arm with both hands — and looked up, gritting his teeth.
To everyone's shock, Huo Yuhao's eyes were no longer ice-blue — they shone brilliant gold, radiating golden light.
And at that moment, Yu Tao felt something unbelievable — his right-arm martial soul… was being suppressed!
Huo Yuhao had unleashed his Embodied Form power, invading Yu Tao's right arm.
Huo Yuhao: "Nice arm. I'll take it, thanks!"
Now — it was time to reverse the tide, and leave Yu Tao powerless...
External Soul Bone – Northern Extreme Blood Rose!
Suddenly, roses bloomed on both of Huo Yuhao's hands, which were gripping Yu Tao's right arm. The blossoms quickly spread along Yu Tao's arm, creeping toward his shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, Yu Tao's entire right arm was covered in blood-red roses.
Stunningly beautiful, yet unnervingly eerie.
"What a sissy trick!"
Yu Tao snorted coldly, expressing disdain as soul power surged from his body. He tried to withdraw his right arm.
However, how could Huo Yuhao let him escape?
Feigning a full-force outburst, Huo Yuhao released a torrent of soul power from his entire body. Instantly, a dense growth of rose blossoms burst forth, wrapping around Yu Tao and completely engulfing him.
Blood Rose Formation!
Its main purpose was to block the vision of others and even simulate a barrier that disrupted spiritual detection.
Sure enough, Lang Ya frowned slightly as he noticed his spiritual probe had been obstructed.
At the same time Yu Tao was covered in Blood Roses, he tried to struggle free. However, an intensely cold force invaded his body, instantly freezing both his body and consciousness.
Extreme Ice Outburst!
From the outside, it seemed that after Huo Yuhao's sudden burst of power and the rose-covered envelopment of both himself and Yu Tao, nothing else happened. Neither of them moved.
An eerie silence descended.
On the road stood a small mound entirely made of blood-red roses.
Three seconds later, Lang Ya, Ma Xiaotao, and the others realized something was wrong.
Lang Ya acted immediately. With a sweep of his spiritual power, he dispersed all the blood roses, revealing Huo Yuhao and Yu Tao frozen together in ice.
Huo Yuhao still maintained the posture of grabbing Yu Tao's right arm.
Everyone was shocked.
Xiao Xiao covered her mouth in disbelief. "Class leader, he…"
"Huo Yuhao actually froze himself together with that Soul Douluo?" Wang Dong exclaimed.
"Huo little bro won't be in danger, right?" Xu Sanshi asked, worried.
Ma Xiaotao flew into a rage and was about to attack, clearly showing her murderous intent toward Lang Ya.
Vina also glared at Lang Ya with fury.
Even Ling Luochen attacked directly.
However, the ice she sent at Lang Ya was shattered by his spiritual power. Lang Ya then spoke, somewhat helplessly, "Alright, calm down. Don't worry, they're both fine."
He only bothered to speak out for Vina's sake.
If Vina hadn't been present, and the Shrek Academy members dared to act against him, he might not have killed them outright, but he would've given them a harsh lesson.
Lang Ya hadn't expected Yu Tao to lose. Nor did he expect Huo Yuhao to risk everything and freeze both himself and Yu Tao, forcing a mutual destruction outcome.
Luckily, both of them still had signs of life.
"Extreme Ice... terrifying indeed."
"But as someone favored by the Sect Master, he's truly a blessing to our Body Sect!"
Lang Ya's eyes glowed slightly as he prepared to shatter the ice and rescue Huo Yuhao and Yu Tao.
Huo Yuhao, however, keenly sensed the approaching spiritual power. Realizing Lang Ya was about to act, and having just finished assimilating Yu Tao's right arm Martial Soul...
In his spiritual sea, his golden avatar's head and right arm glowed with even greater solidity.
"This time, I'll take this right arm. When I formally enter the Body Sect, I'll complete the avatar's form!"
Just as Lang Ya prepared to act, the ice sealing Huo Yuhao and Yu Tao suddenly shattered on its own. Both fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious.
"Yuhao!"
"Class leader!"
"Huo Yuhao!"
"Little bro Huo!"
The Shrek Academy students rushed over to lift Huo Yuhao.
Lang Ya moved first, using spiritual power to retrieve Yu Tao to his side.
Ma Xiaotao held Huo Yuhao in her arms while the others stood around her, watching Lang Ya warily. All had summoned their Martial Souls, ready for battle.
Lang Ya sneered, "Relax. I'm not here to fight. I just came to see what kind of geniuses Shrek Academy has—and I must admit, I'm surprised."
"This incident ends here. If fate allows, we'll meet again."
With that, a strong wind swept up sand and dust. When it settled, Lang Ya and Yu Tao were gone.
The Shrek students were frustrated. They had no way to demand justice.
But Ma Xiaotao didn't lower her guard. She quickly led everyone back to their carriage and ordered the driver to move as fast as possible.
Only after putting some distance between them and the battlefield did she finally relax.
Still, she was puzzled.
"Why didn't Elder Xuan appear? Could it be he believed Yuhao could defeat a Soul Douluo?"
That was a Soul Douluo!
Even Ma Xiaotao at her peak didn't believe she could beat a Soul Douluo. Yet Huo Yuhao had used careful planning and his full power, sacrificing himself to trap and outsmart a Soul Douluo.
The cost was steep.
Huo Yuhao now looked pale and weak, clearly having exhausted all his soul power. He wouldn't be waking up any time soon.
And Elder Xuan still hadn't appeared.
They had to return to the academy quickly.
"Let's hope nothing else happens on the road…"
Meanwhile, after sensing Lang Ya and Yu Tao's return, Du Bushi withdrew from battle and released Elder Xuan. Without a word, he simply laughed heartily and left.
Leaving Elder Xuan completely baffled.
"Du Bushi must have lost his mind," he finally concluded.
It wasn't until Elder Xuan saw the traces of battle on the road that he slapped his thigh in realization. He understood everything and gnashed his teeth.
"Du Bushi! Body Sect! If anything happens to Yuhao and the others, I'll wipe your entire sect off the map!"
Fortunately, when Elder Xuan caught up with Huo Yuhao's group, he found them mostly unharmed. Only Yuhao was unconscious due to exhaustion, but otherwise fine.
Elder Xuan relaxed and, after a long silence, said nothing. He just drank quietly, sip after sip.
But this grudge—he remembered.
Elsewhere…
Du Bushi rejoined Lang Ya and Yu Tao.
Personally, Du Bushi used his soul power to extract the cold poison from Yu Tao, gradually thawing him.
Yu Tao trembled as he awakened.
His soul power had been depleted by 70–80%, a serious injury but not life-threatening, and it wouldn't affect his foundation.
Seeing Yu Tao's miserable state, both Du Bushi and Lang Ya chuckled, leaving Yu Tao embarrassed and resentful.
After the laughter, Du Bushi got serious and asked for details on the test and Huo Yuhao's abilities.
Recalling the final moment, Yu Tao looked shaken. He raised his right arm and said, "Sect Master, I'm sure—Huo Yuhao's true Body Martial Soul is his eyes!"
"Oh? You noticed?" Du Bushi asked, clearly intrigued.
"Yes!" Yu Tao nodded, recalling the oppressive feeling. "I saw golden light radiating from his eyes. The power emanating from them greatly suppressed my right arm—I felt like… like he could control it!"
"Yu Tao, have you gone dumb from the freezing? That's impossible," Lang Ya scoffed.
"Want to try me?" Yu Tao shot back.
"Bring it on!" Lang Ya retorted.
Du Bushi kicked both of them away. "If you want to fight, take it somewhere else!"
Once they were gone, Du Bushi's eyes lit up.
"Combat power rivaling a top-tier Soul Sage, capable of harming a Soul Douluo in full burst—what terrifying talent!"
"If what Yu Tao says is true, then those eyes… are even more fearsome than I imagined. Most importantly, he can already temporarily harness their power. That means—he's not far from fully awakening his second Martial Soul!"
"It's time for me to prepare early."
"If I want to raise this chick, I need to make sure that when it hatches, the first thing it sees… is its family."
Shrek Academy.
Sea God's Island.
Sea God Pavilion.
Meditation Room.
Mu En, Yan Shaozhe, Xuan Zi, Huo Yuhao, and Ma Xiaotao were all gathered around a bed. Lying on it was the unconscious Jin Qiu'er.
Huo Yuhao had naturally regained consciousness on the way back to Shrek Academy, showing no signs of anything unusual, which relieved everyone.
Afterward, Xuan Zi appeared and directly brought the entire group to Sea God's Island.
The others were resting on the island.
But Jin Qiu'er, who remained unconscious, along with Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao, were brought into the meditation room.
Jin Qiu'er had been unconscious this whole time, clearly indicating something was wrong — a matter even more serious than the ambush they encountered on the way back.
After all, this was a problem involving an extreme attribute seed!
Mu En personally checked Jin Qiu'er's condition, trying to wake her up.
However, he furrowed his brows tightly.
Everyone else was nervously watching Jin Qiu'er, except Huo Yuhao, who was watching Mu En.
Compared to before they left, Mu En looked even older, with an aura of decay lingering on his face. Even without using his aura-sensing ability, Huo Yuhao could tell — Mu En didn't have much time left.
"Is it because of Beibei? I didn't expect it to hit Teacher this hard. Truly..."
"An unexpected surprise!"
The appearance of decay meant Mu En's strength was starting to decline.
Which meant... Huo Yuhao's chance was coming!
Still, Huo Yuhao kept a face full of tension and concern.
Yan Shaozhe couldn't hold it in. As soon as Mu En withdrew his hand from Jin Qiu'er's wrist, he quickly asked, "Teacher, how is Junior Sister Qiu'er?"
"She's perfectly fine," Mu En gave an unexpected answer. "Physically and spiritually, there's nothing abnormal."
Jin Qiu'er's complexion was rosy, like a sleeping beauty.
From the outside, she showed no signs of anything wrong.
Even the fact that she hadn't eaten in a long time didn't seem to affect her health, showing how strong her constitution was.
"Then why are you frowning, Teacher?" Yan Shaozhe asked, confused.
"It's exactly because she seems normal — that's what's abnormal," Mu En sighed, wondering how he'd never noticed how dull Shaozhe could be.
Still, Mu En patiently explained, "By all logic, Qiu'er should have woken up long ago, but she's still asleep. That means something we don't understand is at play. That's the real problem. My guess is... the issue might be with Qiu'er's soul."
"This..." Yan Shaozhe's face stiffened.
Ma Xiaotao also frowned.
They all knew — if there was really a problem with Jin Qiu'er's soul, that would be a very serious matter.
Most people had no way of healing the soul.
In fact, people of this era barely understood it.
Because soul-related spirit masters were usually branded as evil spirit masters — persecuted to death or forced into hiding.
Huo Yuhao said nothing, only wearing a similarly worried look like the others.
But Huo Yuhao's methods targeted Jin Qiu'er's soul directly — of course Mu En couldn't detect it, since her soul was being protected by that person's power.
And Huo Yuhao hadn't harmed her — only put her into a deep sleep — so it wouldn't trigger that person's countermeasures.
Xuan Zi exploded in fury. "Qiu'er fell unconscious after battling the Star Luo team. I'm going to the Star Luo Empire to get an explanation!"
"Xuan Zi, stand down!" Mu En barked angrily, his gaze cold. Though he forced it down in the end, the chill didn't go unnoticed.
Mu En had already let go of the main team and Beibei's issue for the sake of Shrek Academy, suppressing the pain of losing Beibei.
But he couldn't fully forgive Xuan Zi.
Simply because... Shrek Academy still needed Xuan Zi!
Mu En could feel his end approaching. Beibei's death had hit him too hard.
Their bloodline was the legacy of Master Yu Xiaogang — a line of glory!
Their martial soul inheritance was powerful. Under normal conditions, each generation would produce a Super Douluo for Shrek.
But now, this millennium-old legacy risked ending — all because of Xuan Zi's carelessness.
He had committed a grave crime.
Still, the future of Shrek Academy rested on him, so Mu En couldn't punish him.
And Beibei's body hadn't been found — he might still be alive.
So for now, Xuan Zi could remain free.
As long as he stopped acting recklessly.
Hearing Mu En's scolding, Xuan Zi immediately froze mid-step, shrinking like a quail.
Only then did Mu En speak again. "This incident likely has nothing to do with the Star Luo team. The real issue likely lies in the Martial Soul Fusion Technique."
Everyone's eyes turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Eh?" Huo Yuhao blinked innocently. "I'm fine, I really don't know what's going on. Qiu'er was the one leading the Fusion Technique."
Mu En sighed and waved Huo Yuhao over. Huo Yuhao respectfully approached.
Mu En gently patted his head, then spoke kindly, "Perhaps something happened without either of you realizing. Yuhao, I need to examine your body too. You might also be carrying some hidden danger."
Everyone tensed up. So did Huo Yuhao, who quickly said, "Please do, Teacher."
"Good child..." Mu En smiled warmly, placing a hand on Yuhao and carefully checking his body and spiritual state.
But Huo Yuhao had prepared in advance — anything that needed hiding had already been hidden.
Still, being examined like this made him uncomfortable.
"I'll remember this grudge," he thought to himself.
Mu En's examination was meticulous.
Because this wasn't just a health check — it was a probe into Huo Yuhao's true foundation. It was his final test.
Mu En didn't have much time left. With Beibei gone, he needed to carefully choose a new successor.
"Spirit power attribute... Ultimate Ice. Also strong Poison and Light attributes — typical of the Frost Jade Centipede martial soul."
"His spirit power is solid and stable — no signs of instability from rapid cultivation."
"His physical strength is on par with a Soul Sage — very rare. Probably the best body I've seen... aside from Jin Qiu'er."
"Soul bones... Hmm? Only the left arm and left pinky finger have them? Golden Brilliance Left Arm Bone and Extreme North Blood Rose External Soul Bone, it seems."
"So he didn't absorb the other soul bones — meaning he has higher standards? He's clearly ambitious — which is good."
"Mental strength... on par with a Soul Emperor. The Frost Jade Centipede also has a mental attribute, so this makes sense."
"…"
After a thorough inspection, Mu En found no abnormalities. He withdrew his hand and smiled gently, "Yuhao, I didn't find any issues."
Not just health-wise — but background-wise, too.
Everything about Huo Yuhao matched what they already knew.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Huo Yuhao quickly expressed his thanks, "Thank you, Teacher!"
"There's no need for that between master and disciple," Mu En said with even more warmth.
Huo Yuhao gave a simple, innocent smile.
Beneath the surface, the anomalies had all been covered by a layer of destiny concealment, and the [Destiny] Fate Star was already flashing like a disco ball.
During the inspection, Huo Yuhao had only used the destiny concealment — he didn't try anything else against Mu En.
Mu En, though paralyzed for years, had honed a very keen spiritual perception. Any strange movement could have been detected.
So Huo Yuhao chose to do nothing — he couldn't afford to make a mistake now.