Xu Sanshi may seem like a brute, but he's cunning beneath the surface, scheming against Xiao Hongchen.
To overcome the strong as the weak, without sharp calculations, how could he seize an opportunity?
Now, that opportunity had arrived.
With Xiao Hongchen hard-controlled, Xu Sanshi could strike back.
The strength gap between them was significant, so Xu Sanshi knew he had only three seconds to control Xiao Hongchen. He had to capitalize.
The moment he unleashed Black Tortoise Roar, Xu Sanshi squeezed his soul power, forcibly breaking the post-skill rigidity to regain mobility.
The cost: countless blood beads seeped from his pores, instantly turning him into a blood-soaked figure.
Unfazed by the pain, Xu Sanshi leaped toward Xiao Hongchen. His third soul ring flashed, and Black Tortoise imprints surfaced on his body and all his soul rings.
Third soul skill, Mysterious Nether Force!
No, with his Black Tortoise bloodline forcibly activated, it should be called "Black Tortoise Force"!
This skill awakened Xu Sanshi, infusing his soul skills with Black Tortoise bloodline power and summoning water elements, creating a domain-like effect.
As Xu Sanshi charged, a dangerous aura locked onto him.
It was Xiao Hongchen's teammate, attempting to aid him by attacking Xu Sanshi.
But at that moment, countless threads erupted from the arena, surrounding the teammate. The dense threads wrapped them like a dumpling, rendering them defenseless and unable to attack Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi had teammates too!
Bai Shanshan, at the arena's rear, seemed idle but had extended her martial soul to connect with the stage.
Activating her ability, she dropped her concealment, revealing hidden soul rings. Threads formed a vast web, covering half the arena.
Her third soul ring glowed.
Third soul skill, Silk Weaver's Thoughtful Garment.
The skill laid thread traps to ensnare enemies, with a vast range and strong binding. Soul masters a full realm above Bai Shanshan couldn't escape without special means.
Its drawback was the long setup time and need for environmental camouflage.
Unsuitable for arena battles, it excelled in forest skirmishes.
Bai Shanshan typically avoided this skill in combat.
But Xu Sanshi's standoff with Xiao Hongchen drew all eyes, giving her the chance to deploy it.
She also had a way to offset the camouflage requirement.
As she revealed herself, her left leg glowed with soul bone activation.
Her hidden soul rings and thread traps were thanks to her soul bone skill.
60,000-year Colorful Shadow Spider Left Leg Soul Bone, skill: Color Veil.
This heirloom soul bone, provided by her family to break through Level 60, came from a rare spider adept at color-changing camouflage and masking soul power fluctuations. Its soul bone inherited this, named "Color Veil."
Similar to the Ice Silkworm's illusion ability, the spider's skill leaned toward concealment rather than transformation.
Bai Shanshan had no qualms about exposing her soul bone. If anyone targeted her, they'd face Shrek Academy's wrath.
Besides, she wasn't reckless, avoiding dangerous places alone or revealing her whereabouts carelessly.
After trapping one opponent, Bai Shanshan drew a soul tool dagger and charged to eliminate them.
Simultaneously, Xu Sanshi reached Xiao Hongchen, slamming his shield down with a heart-shaking thud, cratering the arena.
Xiao Hongchen's soul tools shattered, including his Golden Toad Cannon. Fragments sprayed from beneath the Black Tortoise Shield, as if Xiao Hongchen himself had been smashed to pieces.
Spectators gasped, many worried. Sun Moon Empire fans feared their genius soul engineer might be harmed.
Mingdu Royal Soul Engineer Academy's teachers and teammates stood anxiously.
Yet Xiao Hongchen's sister, Meng Hongchen, and their mentor, Jing Hongchen, remained calm.
The arena's referees, Shadow Douluo and Cyan Porcelain Douluo, showed no reaction, only intrigued expressions.
Xu Sanshi smirked.
Just as he thought he'd succeeded, an angry voice roared from beneath the shield.
"That hurt, you bastard!"
A massive force pushed against the shield, lifting it and Xu Sanshi's feet off the ground, hoisting both shield and man!
The crowd saw a golden figure, hands bracing the Black Tortoise Shield, rising slowly from the arena.
Three seconds passed; the control ended, and Xiao Hongchen regained clarity and mobility.
His soul tools were wrecked, but he didn't use spares. With raw physical strength, he overpowered Xu Sanshi!
The golden glow on him marked a unique combat technique!
This scene shattered everyone's worldview.
What kind of soul engineer fought like this?
Meng Hongchen's combat techniques could be excused as supporting close-combat soul tools.
Most attributed their power to soul tools.
But Xiao Hongchen used a combat technique barehanded, without soul tool aid.
Meng Hongchen smirked below the arena.
The Third Prince's techniques—no, cultivation methods—weren't just blade arts. Each sibling received a cultivation method and a combat technique.
The methods used special materials for rapid progress, with varying effects based on the materials.
With his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul, Xiao Hongchen used metals, forging iron-like skin and immense strength. At mastery, he achieved a unique golden body effect.
Perhaps due to his martial soul, innate talent, or the Sun Moon Empire's metal abundance, Xiao Hongchen mastered the method swiftly, outpacing Meng Hongchen and surprising even the Third Prince.
On the arena, Xiao Hongchen hurled Xu Sanshi away with raw power.
Xu Sanshi adjusted midair, barely landing steadily.
In that instant, a golden figure pursued, closing in and swinging a fist.
"Trouble!" Xu Sanshi raised his shield to block.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three punches sent Xu Sanshi flying, coughing blood from the recoil.
Xiao Hongchen's technique was a fist art: Limitless Fist!
As he moved to pursue, Bai Shanshan fired two soul tool cannons, interrupting him.
The blasts only shredded Xiao Hongchen's uniform further, leaving him unscathed.
Glancing at Bai Shanshan, he grinned, shedding his tattered uniform and remaining soul tool scraps. In battle-worn pants, his chiseled torso gleamed gold, like a war god.
"I don't hit women, so…" Xiao Hongchen shifted his gaze to Xu Sanshi, who staggered up, bloodied and shocked.
"Shrek Academy's vice-captain, ready to face my wrath?" Xiao Hongchen had turned into a small golden figure and was now chasing Xu Sanshi around the stage, and for a moment, Xu Sanshi didn't dare confront him head-on.
Just moments ago, Xu Sanshi had been struck three times through his shield, each blow shaking him so hard he coughed up blood—making him realize just how terrifying Xiao Hongchen was.
Now, not only was Xiao Hongchen stronger than him in raw power, but his abilities also completely overwhelmed Xu Sanshi's. Defeating Xiao Hongchen had become nothing but a pipe dream.
The promise Xu Sanshi had made before stepping into the ring now felt like a clown's joke.
It seemed he had once again let his teammates down.
Bai Shanshan, naturally, didn't just stand by. She released a mass of red threads in an attempt to bind and restrain Xiao Hongchen.
However, in front of Xiao Hongchen, Bai Shanshan's red-thread martial soul was as fragile as ordinary silk. He tore through them effortlessly, even when she used her soul skills.
Fortunately, as expected, Xiao Hongchen didn't attack Bai Shanshan.
"No more chances?" Bai Shanshan frowned slightly.
The Shrek Academy members could only watch anxiously from below the stage.
Only Huo Yuhao remained calm. He was secretly probing and siphoning the luck (Qi Yun) from both Xu Sanshi and Xiao Hongchen. As the two clashed with passion, their fluctuating fates made it easier for Huo Yuhao to act.
Meanwhile, in the rest area, Cai Mei'er was grinding her teeth in fury.
Regardless of whether they won or lost, Shrek Academy's face had already been thrown away.
They were actually being chased around the arena like a dog—by a soul engineer!
"If he can't win, he should just surrender and let Yuhao take the stage!"
Many of the representatives from other factions wore various expressions—some worried, some amused, some mocking.
As Shrek Academy's prestige slowly crumbled, as the aura around it faded, others began to realize that maybe Shrek wasn't as powerful as they'd imagined.
In truth, the only one truly worth noting on Shrek's team was Huo Yuhao.
But what could one person really accomplish?
On the side of the Body Sect, Long Aotian curiously examined Xiao Hongchen and couldn't help but comment, "That technique Xiao Hongchen's using is similar to the Golden Body Elder's power. It's likely a high-grade body-refinement method. Not bad at all. But his boxing form is full of flaws—clearly still not fully mastered, and not all that refined."
Wang Yanfeng laughed beside him. "Brother Tian, if you're curious, why not challenge him in the arena next time?"
Luo Feng, standing nearby, shook his head. "There probably won't be another chance. Even if the two-versus-two match is lost, there's still one individual battle left. And no one can defeat that person. The ultimate victor will be Shrek Academy."
Silence fell over the entire Body Sect team.
"Let's just participate normally. The Soul Master Tournament doesn't matter anymore," Long Aotian finally reassured them.
"All we need to do is focus on cultivating, keep our weapons hidden, and act when the time is right. That person won't remain quiet for long. If we follow them, we'll surely witness a brand-new future."
Some people see the future—and realize they no longer have one. Others can't see the future—but still possess one.
At the very least, Long Aotian no longer had to worry about being blasted apart by a soul cannon while he was still at the seventh ring.
Meanwhile, over at the Mingdu Royal Soul Engineer Team, things were lively as well.
Everyone knew the Hongchen siblings were extraordinary, but they hadn't expected this level of strength from Xiao Hongchen.
"Dream, what exactly is that technique Xiao's using?" a teammate asked curiously.
All eyes turned to Meng Hongchen, and some even sparkled with desire—as if their eyes held two words: "Want it!"
"That's a technique and combat art gifted to my brother by the Third Prince," Meng Hongchen said, shattering everyone's fantasies with her first sentence.
Still, she revealed the names of the method and technique:
"My brother's cultivation method and martial art are called Golden Devouring Divine Technique and Limitless Fist. The two complement each other. When fully unleashed, they can directly confront power-type Soul Douluo, or even withstand an eighth-level soul cannon blast!"
Her teammates gasped, and several began daydreaming—wondering if they might also earn such a gift from the Third Prince.
If they could defeat Shrek Academy's team in the tournament, maybe they'd get the prince's favor too.
But… that possibility was near zero. Huo Yuhao was simply too strong.
Still, there were other potential routes.
For example—raising the Third Prince's favorability.
It was well-known that the Third Prince was a notorious lecher. Many noble families in the Sun Moon Empire had sent beautiful women to the palace. A few of the female teammates, confident in their looks, began to seriously consider their chances.
Some male teammates were even wondering whether the Third Prince might be into men.
A real man dares to serve a man!
If that didn't work, their families still had older sisters, younger sisters, aunts, and cousins they could send…
No one could blame them for thinking this way. Anyone could see that a cultivation method and battle art of that caliber were worthy of becoming a clan's core legacy—enough to keep a family strong for generations.
It might even take them farther, elevate them higher.
And pledging loyalty to the Third Prince? What was the harm? As the future Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, it would all belong to him eventually. Offering loyalty was nothing.
If they were lucky enough to become a royal consort or trusted minister, their future would be dazzling.
Of course, no one dared speak of these thoughts aloud.
They just didn't know if, someday, some of their teammates might also become their bedmates.
On the arena—
Xu Sanshi could feel the looming threat as Xiao Hongchen approached. He knew that from this moment on, he had only two choices: surrender—or fight to the death.
Without hesitation, he chose the latter.
"Little Brother Yuhao trusts me this much, and I still have to prove myself to Nan Nan. How can I lose this match?!"
Suddenly, Xu Sanshi stopped in his tracks, spun around, and glared furiously at the advancing Xiao Hongchen.
Seeing Xu Sanshi stop fleeing, Xiao Hongchen immediately grinned arrogantly.
"Big Turtle, finally done running? I'll give you one chance to surrender. Otherwise, once I strike, you won't leave this stage in one piece!"
Xu Sanshi roared, eyes blazing, "Shrek Academy's honor will be defended by me!
Xuanwu — Descend!"
His shield dissolved into a pool of black water, spreading around him, and a massive phantom of the Black Tortoise emerged, enveloping both Xu Sanshi and Xiao Hongchen beneath it.
The moment the phantom appeared, Xiao Hongchen suddenly felt a terrifying sense of death wash over him, shocking him to his core.
"What is this technique?" he exclaimed. Then his eyes flashed coldly. "No matter what it is, if I defeat the person using it, even the most heaven-defying skill is meaningless!"
In the next second, he charged straight at Xu Sanshi.
But just then, Huo Yuhao's anxious voice rang out from below the stage:
"Surrender! We surrender this match!"
As his words fell, a powerful force instantly shattered the Black Tortoise's descent. The figure of Shadow Douluo appeared within the domain, struck Xu Sanshi unconscious with a palm, forcibly breaking the ritual, and then raised a hand to effortlessly catch Xiao Hongchen's incoming punch.
The tortoise phantom vanished, the black water receded.
On the stage, only three remained: the unconscious Xu Sanshi, Xiao Hongchen whose fist had been caught, and Bai Shanshan standing at the edge with a dazed expression.
"Captain, why did we surrender?" Wang Dong asked Huo Yuhao in confusion.
Huo Yuhao's expression was grave. "That technique is recorded in the Academy. To use Black Tortoise's Descent, one must offer a life as a sacrifice—either the enemy's life, or your own."
Everyone fell silent.When the Shrek Academy team heard Huo Yuhao's explanation, they finally understood—Xu Sanshi had gone all out, even at the cost of his own life, just to win the match!
If he was lucky, he could have successfully sacrificed Xiao Hongchen. But if he wasn't, Xu Sanshi would have ended up sacrificing himself!
Either way, something catastrophic was bound to happen.
If it weren't for Huo Yuhao, who knew the effects of Black Tortoise's Descent and promptly conceded on Xu Sanshi's behalf, the consequences would have been irreparable.
Afterward, the entire Shrek team would surely have faced backlash in Mingdu.
Xu Sanshi's decision was certainly courageous—but no one could truly approve of it. Jiang Nannan's opinion of Xu Sanshi dropped back to rock bottom.
He hadn't won her back. All she saw was his extremism and selfishness. It was as if Xu Sanshi never considered what consequences his actions might bring, or how they might affect others.
So much for Huo Yuhao's trust in him!
The match had been forcibly interrupted. Xiao Hongchen was visibly displeased—he really wanted to punch Xu Sanshi a few more times.
If it hadn't been for Xu Sanshi, he could have had a proper, passionate showdown with Huo Yuhao.
Win or lose, it wouldn't have ended in such frustration.
He still had several trump cards he hadn't even played!
Once the fight was over, Xiao Hongchen deactivated his golden-body state, and his skin returned to its natural tone. His figure remained lean and athletic—like a model.
Before letting go of Xiao Hongchen's fist, Shadow Douluo (Mo Ying) even gave his bicep a squeeze and praised, "Nice physique."
Xiao Hongchen instantly felt a chill and quickly pulled his hand back, retreating a few steps while warily keeping his back away from Shadow Douluo.
Mo Ying Douluo was utterly confused. He had only tried to befriend Xiao Hongchen because the Third Prince held him in high regard—building a relationship now would mean better cooperation and shared burdens in the future.
He didn't expect to be rejected so harshly.
Off to the side, Celadon Douluo (Qing Ci) was nearly laughing himself to tears. He saw through Mo Ying's thoughts, but also mocked his methods.
"To build rapport, you have to leave it to me!"
Then, Celadon Douluo appeared behind Xiao Hongchen, placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and said softly, "Little bro, if you ever run into any trouble with your cultivation, feel free to come to my place. I have some insights on martial soul cultivation. If you get tired, just rest at my place—it's quite spacious~"
The soft tone and whispers in his ear made Xiao Hongchen break out in goosebumps.
He fled from the stage in a panic.
Xiao Hongchen: Nope—pervert alert!
Even Celadon Douluo looked dumbfounded.
Elsewhere—
Huo Yuhao took Xu Sanshi down from the stage and sent him for treatment. The Royal Physician Douluo from the Sun Moon Imperial Palace personally tended to him. For the sake of the tournament, the Third Prince had dispatched the royal physician to the scene—something even critics couldn't complain about.
Thankfully, aside from severe exhaustion, Xu Sanshi hadn't suffered serious injuries or damage to his foundation. With proper care, he only needed a period of rest. Ideally, he should refrain from battle for the time being.
Everyone felt conflicted.
There was relief that Xu Sanshi was okay, frustration over losing the match, and a touch of helplessness.
If Xu Sanshi hadn't acted so recklessly, maybe they could've won the first match outright, dominating the entire battle.
Everyone still had great confidence in Huo Yuhao's strength.
While Xu Sanshi was being treated, Huo Yuhao stepped onto the stage—alone.
Since the previous round had the Mingdu Royal Soul Engineering Academy send out their fighter first, this round it was Shrek Academy's turn.
Vina was still recovering, so she couldn't fight. Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan were being reserved for the last group round.
At this point, Shrek Academy was at a major disadvantage. To outside observers, the final outcome had become hard to predict.
The Mingdu Royal Soul Engineering Academy still had a Soul Sage—Meng Hongchen. If she simply avoided facing Huo Yuhao in this round, Mingdu would likely win.
Shrek should probably concede here to preserve strength for the upcoming individual matches.
The individual matches would likely involve delay and attrition tactics by Mingdu. Shrek's best chance was to save as much energy as possible for those fights.
With two Soul Sages on their side, Mingdu's team had far more margin for error than Shrek did.
But Huo Yuhao had no intention of backing down. Even if Wang Dong and the others lost and were drained afterward—it didn't matter.
Everyone at Shrek felt the same.
Because in the end, they were counting on Huo Yuhao to sweep the individual matches.
After all, back in training, Huo Yuhao's sparring partners were Title Douluo.
Shrek's confidence rested on Huo Yuhao leading them to victory in both the team and individual competitions.
However, what no one expected was that the Mingdu team didn't try to avoid Huo Yuhao.
Instead, Meng Hongchen stepped onto the stage—also alone.
"Is this… a duel?" someone exclaimed.
"How foolish! They had a chance to avoid Huo Yuhao and secure a win!" someone else cried in frustration.
"Maybe... Meng Hongchen can actually beat him?" another person suggested.
Everyone immediately gave that person a look of disdain.
It was obvious—Huo Yuhao was overwhelmingly strong, and defied logic.
Other Soul Sages showed specific areas of strength, but Huo Yuhao? He just radiated one thing: power.
He had no apparent weaknesses!
On the stage—
Huo Yuhao stared at Meng Hongchen and said seriously, "I didn't expect you'd be the one to come up."
Meng Hongchen looked at him, eyes flashing with complex emotion—then steadied.
"I came up here for one reason—to defeat you!" she declared.
Meng Hongchen liked handsome men, but right now, she and Huo Yuhao were opponents.
Their identities alone meant there was no future between them.
And Meng Hongchen knew—the more exceptional she was, the higher her chances of becoming the Third Prince's consort.
Even if only in name.
Because as she grew stronger, her time became limited. A normal life, like that of an ordinary person or soul master, would gradually slip away.
Of course the Mingdu team had considered the same strategy the audience had suggested.
But those who had fought Huo Yuhao before knew—in a one-on-one match, ordinary team members couldn't even chip away at his strength.
Their only hope was to bet it all: seriously wound Huo Yuhao here and trust the rest of the team to finish the job.
That's right—Meng Hongchen wasn't here to win. She was here to cripple Huo Yuhao.
And she had her own confidence.
The twin blades of ice and fire appeared in her hands again, and she charged straight at Huo Yuhao.
As her dual-blade technique activated, a whirlwind of fire and ice swept across the arena.
Huo Yuhao summoned the Frost Lance. Facing the storm, his gaze remained completely calm.
"You won't get many chances to strike. This is your first move."
A swirling storm of fire and ice surrounded Huo Yuhao. Meng Hongchen's figure was nowhere to be seen—only the chaotic mix of blue and red filled his vision.
Huo Yuhao, however, remained calm. His Frost Jade Dragon Spear darted rapidly, unleashing the power of Ultimate Ice from its tip. This power disrupted the balance within the vortex, effortlessly shattering the ice-fire whirlwind.
But just then, as the last traces of the vortex dissipated, a powerful wave of soul power surged up from within.
It was close—very close to Huo Yuhao.
A piercing chill spread out as Meng Hongchen's form materialized under the wave of soul power. Her seventh soul ring was glowing.
She had activated her Martial Soul True Body!
Using the cover of the ice-fire whirlwind, Meng Hongchen had approached Huo Yuhao and activated her Martial Soul True Body without hesitation.
Her form was now cloaked in the three-meter-tall Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad. Despite being a toad-type martial soul, the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad looked smooth and jade-like—almost adorably round rather than repulsive.
Huo Yuhao did not counterattack immediately. Instead, he twirled his spear into a blooming flourish and carefully observed the next move of the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad.
Soul engineers used their Martial Soul True Body differently than traditional soul masters. Instead of strengthening their bodies for close combat, they often used the True Body as a soul tool platform—equipping it with various soul devices and launching terrifying barrages using the enhanced soul power.
Activating a True Body before using soul devices greatly amplified their power and reduced soul power consumption.
In the original series, Xiao Hongchen had done exactly this.
Of course, not all soul engineers could or should use their True Bodies this way. Most would tailor their tactics to suit their martial soul and the tools they had crafted.
Meng Hongchen, however, took a different path from her brother. Rather than turning her True Body into a soul cannon platform, she dove toward Huo Yuhao like a traditional soul master—fueled by a fearless resolve.
"Suppress!"
Huo Yuhao merely raised his empty left hand and effortlessly pressed down on the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad, pinning it to the ground, rendering it immobile.
It was as casual as an adult subduing a child.
"Meng Hongchen, just surrender," he said calmly.
"I wield Ultimate Ice. All ice-element powers and entities must submit to me! You, with your own ice attribute, cannot resist me."
His voice was placid and devoid of emotion—he was simply stating a fact.
But just then, a look of smug satisfaction flickered across the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad's eyes.
"Huo Yuhao, you speak too soon!" Meng Hongchen's cold voice came from within the True Body.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao felt the Ultimate Ice he was channeling to suppress the Toad rapidly vanishing. But it wasn't dissipating—it was being absorbed by Meng Hongchen!
His expression changed dramatically. "You're absorbing my Ultimate Ice?! Are you insane?! Stop! You'll freeze to death!"
"In a battle on the arena, we each rely on our own means. Any cost is our own to bear," Meng Hongchen replied, voice resolute.
Her ability to forcibly absorb Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice came from the secret technique she'd obtained from the Third Prince—Mystic Ice Art.
The Mystic Ice Art could absorb any force imbued with cold or yin energy and assimilate its properties. It was an extreme yin-based forbidden technique—dangerous and unorthodox. With enough resources, it allowed for rapid cultivation progress.
However, it was not invincible. Though it allowed Meng Hongchen to absorb Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice, it did not allow her to refine it immediately. Absorbing too much in too short a time would cause her to literally freeze to death on the spot.
The destructive power of Ultimate Ice was internal and irreversible—utterly lethal.
Worse, Meng Hongchen's mastery of the Mystic Ice Art was still shallow. She lacked the control to modulate her absorption speed and volume.
In short, she was risking her life.
Ultimate Ice now showed its terrifying might. Within moments, frost crept across the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad's body, which soon began to crack under the cold.
Fissures appeared along the toad's icy shell!
But Meng Hongchen did not stop. She wasn't trying to steal Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice for herself—this was her only path to resisting his overwhelming suppression.
By absorbing some of the Ultimate Ice and then releasing it in a surge, she might cancel out Huo Yuhao's attack and create an opening.
Then would come her counterattack!
In the stands, Xiao Hongchen clenched his fists and stood up, face full of worry and pain—but he did not call for the match to stop.
This was Meng Hongchen's decision. He had no right to interfere.
Jing Hongchen too was visibly tense, eyes fixed on the stage. He shared the anguish—but could do nothing.
Douluos Mo Ying and Qing Ci both stood ready to rescue her at a moment's notice.
With gritted determination, Meng Hongchen kept Huo Yuhao's hand absorbed against the Toad's body, continuing to siphon his Ultimate Ice.
The frost thickened, and the cracks widened. Inside the True Body, Meng Hongchen began shivering uncontrollably.
Even so, she stayed calm, carefully watching Huo Yuhao's face for any change.
Suddenly, she noticed a shift—his expression turned serious, and he gripped the Frost Jade Dragon Spear tightly in his right hand.
"He's going to strike?" Her pupils narrowed. The time had come.
When Huo Yuhao moved, she would release the Ultimate Ice she had absorbed and nullify his attack—then counter!
Her whole strategy hinged on this single moment.
Finally, Huo Yuhao acted. His spear came crashing down.
"It's now!"
Tense to the limit, Meng Hongchen unleashed the stored Ultimate Ice within her body at the exact instant Huo Yuhao moved.
At the same time, she activated her hidden trump card, aiming to strike him while he was unprepared.
But then she saw—Huo Yuhao's target wasn't her.
He brought the spear down on his own left hand!
"What?!"
Meng Hongchen was stunned. She finally realized—Huo Yuhao had struck himself to stop her from being hurt any further.
"No!" she cried, a wave of regret surging within her.
But it was too late to stop.
Huo Yuhao's spear slammed into his own arm, carving a deep gash into his left limb. Blood streamed from the wound.
The Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad could no longer draw in his Ultimate Ice—and Meng Hongchen was finally out of danger.
But in doing this, Huo Yuhao forfeited the chance to block or dodge the attack.
The burst of Ultimate Ice she had released slammed directly into his body, blasting him into the air.
And that wasn't all.
Following the burst of Ultimate Ice, a red-and-blue glow exploded from within the Toad—it was the long-gathered, deadly cold poison unique to the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad!
The red-blue entwined beam struck Huo Yuhao squarely—right on his wounded left arm.
Two successive attacks struck Huo Yuhao in rapid succession, flinging his body like a puppet through the air.
"Yuhao!"
Cries of alarm erupted from the Shrek Academy team in the audience.
This marked the only time across both Soul Master Tournaments that Huo Yuhao had ever been injured and bled.
Yet the true cause of his injury… was himself.
Everyone was shocked by Huo Yuhao's injury, but even more unbelievable was the fact that Huo Yuhao had deliberately harmed himself in order to spare Meng Hongchen from the devastating power of Ultimate Ice.
Some laughed at his foolishness.
But more people were moved by his character, admiring his integrity. Many sighed in awe—Huo Yuhao was the true embodiment of a noble gentleman.
More and more people wished to befriend him. Huo Yuhao had already won over everyone present, both with his strength and his character.
"If this story spreads, it'll surely become a legend across the Douluo Continent!" someone couldn't help but exclaim.
Even high-level leaders of factions that had previously viewed Shrek Academy with caution began to reconsider. If Huo Yuhao were to become the next Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion and lead Shrek Academy, perhaps they could rest easier about the academy's role in future affairs.
Even Jing Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen looked at Huo Yuhao differently now, stunned by what they had witnessed.
"Is there really someone in this world who would harm himself… for the sake of his opponent?" Xiao Hongchen murmured, questioning not just what he saw, but his own conscience.
The true form of the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad shattered. Pale-faced, Meng Hongchen reappeared on the stage. Ignoring her own injuries and exhaustion, she dashed toward where Huo Yuhao had fallen, tears already streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.
She looked like a little girl who had done something terribly wrong.
Had Huo Yuhao retaliated as expected, Meng Hongchen wouldn't have felt the slightest guilt.
But now, faced with his self-sacrificing actions, she was overwhelmed with shame. She felt like a filthy toad crawling through the mud, gazing up at a snow-white swan soaring gracefully through the sky.
The technique she had meant as a killing blow—now, she only hoped it hadn't hurt Huo Yuhao.
Whoosh—
A blast of icy wind swept across the stage, forcing Meng Hongchen to halt her steps.
As the snow settled, Huo Yuhao stood up once more, Dragon Lance in hand.
His clothes were still neat, but his left sleeve had been torn, revealing an injured arm. Blood dripped from his fingertips, and an ominous red-and-blue light clung to the wound.
Yet there was no anger or resentment on his face. Instead, he gave Meng Hongchen a gentle, approving smile. "That was an interesting power. It's the first time someone has managed to turn my Ultimate Ice against me. And your final move was quite powerful, too."
"I can still fight. But you… your condition doesn't look good. You probably can't continue, can you? How about we call it here?" His words carried concern.
It was as though he wasn't facing an enemy, but a friend he respected.
Meng Hongchen stared blankly at his face. Trembling, she asked in disbelief, "Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you attack yourself? Why aren't you angry? Why are you showing me concern?" she cried out, as though trying to shout down her own guilty soul.
Huo Yuhao's expression grew solemn. "Do I need a reason not to hurt others? And like you said, in the arena, we fight with everything we have. I was prepared to pay any price."
"But I'm your opponent. I'm from the Sun Moon Empire!" Meng Hongchen continued, almost desperately, as if trying to find some flaw in his logic—something that would let her justify her own actions.
Some people, in fact, did think Huo Yuhao was in the wrong. He was facing a genius of the Sun Moon Empire—why not cripple her? Why show mercy?
Was Shrek Academy planning to betray the other three nations?
But Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate.
"Every life is precious. Every person's dignity deserves respect. And you're not an evil person. Should the outcome of a match rest on the suffering of the innocent?" he said plainly.
"So what if you're from the Sun Moon Empire? So what if you're my opponent? Precisely because we're from opposing nations, if we can understand one another, then maybe—just maybe—the continent can finally know peace."
"Shrek Academy stands neutral. We will not interfere in conflicts between powers. Our predecessors dedicated their lives to safeguarding peace on this continent, even sacrificing themselves for it. I will inherit that mission. I can't command others—but I will demand this of myself."
His voice and expression were utterly sincere, not a trace of jest to be seen.
Silence fell across the entire arena. No one knew what to say.
Meng Hongchen lowered her head. "I… lost."
It was as if all her strength had been drained. She collapsed to the ground.
Huo Yuhao simply raised his right hand, signaling his victory.
The next moment, the entire stadium erupted into thunderous applause. It echoed far beyond the battlefield, into Mingdu itself, like ripples spreading across a vast lake.
The Mingdu Imperial Soul Engineering Academy conceded the match, choosing not to proceed to the third round or the individual battles.
Huo Yuhao's actions had won them over completely.
After the match, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen personally came to the Shrek Academy team's resting area to express their apologies and gratitude.
This had never happened before.
In previous Soul Master Tournaments, Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Empire teams had always loathed each other—both sides eager to eliminate the other's geniuses. When had things ever unfolded like this?
And all of it was thanks to Huo Yuhao.
Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er couldn't help but feel moved.
Of course, the other team members didn't think too deeply. All they knew was that Meng Hongchen had injured Huo Yuhao. Naturally, Wang Dong and the others harbored hostility toward her and Xiao Hongchen.
Thankfully, Huo Yuhao was present, so Wang Dong and the rest didn't go too far—though their glares and expressions left little room for friendliness.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen said nothing in response.
Later, Royal Healer Douluo personally treated Huo Yuhao and discovered a problem.
"I'm afraid I'm powerless. The strange power within your arm isn't ordinary poison. It carries a chilling, sinister energy that can only be dispelled by an opposing, powerful force of pure yang. Otherwise, you'll have to burn it away slowly with your own soul power. But doing so will hinder your cultivation and performance. In short—your left arm is unusable and will become a burden until the power is removed."
The announcement shocked everyone.
Their expressions instantly darkened.
They turned to glare even more fiercely at Meng Hongchen.
"You're despicable!" Wang Dong yelled furiously.
"I didn't mean to, I… I…"
Meng Hongchen's already pale face turned completely colorless. Guilt brimmed from her eyes.
Xiao Hongchen stepped in front of her like a shield. "Meng didn't mean to!"
"I didn't know this would happen. That power came from the core of my martial soul… now I can't even use my martial soul anymore, and I can't get rid of it…" Meng Hongchen lowered her head, unable to say another word.
"Huo Yuhao, don't worry. We'll find a way to heal your arm! My grandfather is Jing Hongchen, and even the Third Prince values us. We will find a cure!" Xiao Hongchen promised. Then, gritting his teeth, he added, "If worst comes to worst, I'll give you my arm! I'll cut off my left arm and give it to you!"
Huo Yuhao: "..."