Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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"Sigh!"
Finally, Huo Yuhao let out a sigh. That young face was full of helplessness and exhaustion.
He rubbed the space between his eyebrows, trying to calm his emotions.
"Regardless, that Evil Soul Master has been removed," he said in a low voice. "Otherwise, once he grows up and possesses methods like Corpse Explosion, he would be very difficult to deal with."
His words were a form of self-consolation. However, upon hearing this, Wang Yan looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. On the other side, Wang Dong curled her lips.
Her voice carried a hint of disdain: "That Evil Soul Master Spirit King wasn't removed; he managed to escape from Elder Xuan's hands in the end."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao suddenly snapped his gaze toward Wang Yan! His eyes were filled with disbelief. He could hardly believe his ears.
Wang Yan met Huo Yuhao's gaze, a flash of bitterness crossing his face. He remained silent for a moment before finally nodding helplessly.
In that instant, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt as if the World had become somewhat surreal. He opened his mouth, his voice rising an octave as he asked, "A Spirit King? He actually managed to escape from Elder Xuan's hands? Is there such a powerful Spirit King?"
He paused, unable to resist mocking, "Is he some relative of Elder Xuan's?!"
"Yuhao!" Wang Yan hurriedly interrupted him. "Don't talk nonsense!"
"This isn't nonsense!" Huo Yuhao disregarded the warning. "It's one thing if Elder Xuan didn't have time to act, but as a Super Douluo who has already touched upon the Dao of space, he couldn't even catch a Spirit King?"
He couldn't help but snort: "Wasn't this done on purpose?"
Wang Yan shook his head helplessly and sighed, explaining, "Evil Soul Masters have bizarre methods. Elder Xuan was also worried about the safety of the Students and didn't dare to pursue too far."
His voice was full of fatigue and helplessness.
"If it were a 'lure the tiger away from the mountain' ruse and something happened to the remaining Students, then..."
He didn't finish, but the meaning was already crystal clear.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Huo Yuhao's impression of Xuan Zi had been fairly good before, but after this incident, he truly didn't know what to say anymore.
He was just thinking now that it was fortunate he had already decided not to enter the Shrek Academy Inner Court. Otherwise, if he really became a core Student of Shrek Academy and went out on missions every day, he might not encounter any external danger, but Xuan Zi would be the greatest danger of all.
"Whew!" Huo Yuhao let out a long breath, casting those messy thoughts out of his mind and no longer dwelling on the matter.
He looked at Wang Yan and asked, "Teacher Wang, what arrangements does the academy have for this tournament?"
With more than half of the participating members dead or injured, the academy had to give some sort of explanation on how the subsequent matches would proceed.
Hearing this, Wang Yan also became serious. A trace of solemnity surfaced on his weary face.
"Elder Xuan has just returned to the academy. For specific information, we must wait for people from the academy to arrive."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the few people in the room.
"For tomorrow's match, only you few can take the field."
His gaze swept over the five of them one by one, finally landing on Huo Yuhao again.
"For tomorrow's match," his voice was solemn and earnest, "I can only entrust it to you all."
As he spoke, Wang Yan stood up and actually gave a solemn bow to Huo Yuhao and the others! Facing such a situation, the reason Wang Yan wasn't overly panicked was, first, because as a teacher, he couldn't lose his composure.
Second, it was because Huo Yuhao was there!
Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Wang Yan had heard of Huo Yuhao's formidable record of defeating five Inner Court members single-handedly during the friendly match.
Such strength was like a stabilizing force in any team.
Huo Yuhao stepped forward and quickly helped Wang Yan up. Regardless of Xuan Zi, Wang Yan had always been a good teacher in his heart! Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Yan, his young face full of solemnity.
"Rest assured, Teacher Wang. With me here, the academy will not lose!" These words were spoken decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
Huo Yuhao hadn't come to participate in the tournament just for the sake of the competition; he was also here to resolve "family conflicts." Those grievances hidden deep in his heart for years, and the justice that had to be reclaimed, all required a resolution.
And in the process of reaching that resolution, he still needed the assistance of Shrek Academy.
Therefore, despite his dissatisfaction with Xuan Zi and his lingering resentment over this recent accident, he would ensure Shrek won the championship in this All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.
This could be considered an equal exchange. Each getting what they needed, owing nothing to the other.
Wang Yan looked at the youth before him, a hint of excitement appearing on his bitter face.
He nodded vigorously, his voice trembling slightly: "With those words from you, I can rest easy!"
...
In the early morning, when the first rays of sunlight hit Star Luo City, the area around Star Luo Plaza was already packed with people. At this moment, the stands surrounding the plaza were densely filled with spectators from all over the continent.
Some waved flags, some shouted slogans, and some whispered excitedly, waiting for the start of this grand event.
Today was the day the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament began. Thousands of Star Luo soldiers, dressed in armor and holding long halberds, maintained order around the plaza.
The battle teams from various academies entered in an orderly fashion. As each team passed, a burst of cheering would erupt from the stands. Those cheers rose and fell, weaving into a boiling ocean of sound.
Finally, the Star Luo Emperor, Emperor Xu Jiawei, led his ministers onto the city wall, overlooking the entire Star Luo Plaza. As the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Emperor Xu Jiawei's appearance caused the entire plaza to fall silent for a moment. Then, he spoke slowly, delivering an address that echoed throughout the venue via Soul Tool Amplifiers.
Finally, he announced that the tournament had officially begun!
According to tradition, the first match could be considered an exhibition match.
Because one side appearing was the champion of the previous tournament—Shrek Academy! The other side of the match would be a "lucky one" drawn from the participating teams. The "lucky one" for this tournament was Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy!
"Will the members of Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy please take the stage." The broadcast voice rang through the venue, echoing clearly in every corner of Star Luo Plaza.
The seven members of the Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy battle team slowly walked toward the arena from the preparation area. Their steps were heavy and slow, as if every step was on the edge of a blade.
All seven had their heads hanging low, their faces bearing expressions as if they were mourning their parents, and their legs were trembling slightly as they walked. Given their strength, they hadn't expected to achieve any high ranking.
Coming to participate in this tournament was originally just to see the World and gain some experience. But they never expected they would be 'one-rounders'!
It was currently the knockout stage; losing the match meant losing the qualification to proceed further.
Coming all this way just to play this one match?
But their opponent was Shrek Academy. The continent's number one academy, the Holy Land in the hearts of countless Spirit Masters, and the entity that had dominated the tournament championship for years! Facing such an opponent, they naturally saw no possibility of victory.
"Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!..."
Bursts of deafening cheers came from the surrounding stands. Almost all the spectators were shouting the name of Shrek Academy. That sound was like a tide, wave after wave, submerging the entire plaza. For these spectators, being able to watch a Shrek Academy match was a treat. As for who the opponent was, it didn't matter at all.
Amidst such an atmosphere, Huo Yuhao glanced at the people around him. Wang Dong, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou—the four of them stood quietly behind him, waiting for the captain's command.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Let's go."
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.