Just as Wang Dong'er was feeling triumphant, a majestic golden spear stopped her hammer with just its tip.
"What?!" Wang Dong'er yelled as she stared in shock at Huo Qiu'er, who stomped on the ground and shattered the array, the radiant golden flames dissipating from her body.
Although it was from a fourth soul ring, it originated from a high-quality ten thousand year old soul beast and even an average Soul Emperor wouldn't be able to escape it unscathed.
Huo Qiu'er smirked smugly as she firmly held a golden spear. "Funny thing about the Golden Dragon, besides being known to be the physically strongest amongst the soul beasts, they also inherited the Brilliance of the Sun.
Light? Flames? Instead of harming me, it empowers me!"
With that proclamation, she pushed off the Clear Sky Hammer with her spear and spun gracefully, using the momentum to unleash a wide, radiant sweep with the golden spear and sent Wang Dong'er flying.
"Guh!" Wang Dong'er groaned as she hurriedly switched into her Bright Goddess Butterfly martial soul. Her wings folded and flapped, keeping her in midair.
Was Huo Qiu'er going to let her catch her breath? No.
With a bloodthirsty grin, she twirled her golden spear and jumped with a tremendous force that shattered the ground beneath her feet. The force cratered the stone tiles, sending debris flying in every direction as Huo Qiu'er rocketed upward like a flaming golden comet.
Her golden spear gleamed as it extended forward, the tip aimed directly at Wang Dong'er's chest.
"This is the end!" she roared, golden aura flaring even brighter with her dragon pupils burning bright like blood.
Wang Dong'er gritted her teeth, knowing that she couldn't dodge this, she decided to go all out! She circulated every ounce of soul power in her body and the first to third soul rings lit up simultaneously, her body exuding intense golden beams of light.
Destructive golden light versus bright golden light.
Just as they were about to collide, an old tired voice interrupted them.
"That's enough."
Yan Shaozhe appeared between them in a blink of an eye. With a slight gesture of his hand, both girls froze and their soul powers slowed to a crawl.
Yan Shaozhe moved his hand once more and covered the girls in a film of hard light, bringing them back into the ground.
He turned his head towards a 30-year old man in white who had just arrived and said, "Elder Zhuang, if you would kindly heal them."
"Of course, Dean Yan." Elder Zhuang is an elder from the Sea God Pavilion and was requested earlier by Yan Shaozhe to help aid students in need.
As one of the rare few healing system Titled Douluo in the continent, being requested to heal two students of Soul Ancestor cultivation seemed too much.
But Elder Zhuang didn't complain, for one, he is duty-bound to help people in need. Second off, he had time to kill and was curious about these new students and one of the Ten Heavenly Demons.
He activated his martial soul, Tree of Life, and started healing the girls. Their injuries and exhaustion was quickly soothed by waves of gentle emerald light that radiated from the translucent tree floating behind him.
Yan Shaozhe then said, "I think we've all seen enough. Huo Qiu'er, you're qualified enough to enter Shrek Academy and as an inner courtyard student."
That battle was something beyond what any Soul Ancestors could perform, even average Soul Emperors wouldn't have been that explosive.
That battle showed just why Wang Dong'er earned the title Heavenly Demon, but it also made Huo Qiu'er quite impressive to have been able to dominate the entire fight and likely win.
It was obvious if Yan Shaozhe didn't intervene.
So by all accounts, Huo Qiu'er is qualified to enter straight into the inner courtyard.
While Wang Dong'er clicked her teeth on the side, Huo Qiu'er smiled.
Just as Yan Shaozhe and Wang Yan wanted to question her about the mysterious golden spear in her hand. At that moment, Na'er walked up to the arena and said,
"I'm ready for my test."
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Wang Dong'er.
Wang Dong'er narrowed her eyes, looking more serious and determined than before.
She understood clearly that since Na'er was also recommended along with Huo Qiu'er by Yan Shaozhe, then her strength was no less than the girl who nearly overwhelmed her.
Wang Dong'er stepped forward, her breathing still uneven, but her gaze locked onto Na'er with renewed focus.
But a few minutes later, the results were somewhat similar to when she sparred with Huo Qiu'er.
The main difference is that Na'er easily beat her, without even using her fouth soul ring.
And so, both Huo Qiu'er and Na'er are admitted into Shrek Academy as inner courtyard students.
'AllFather....' Wang Dong'er clenched her hands, a resolute look in her eyes. 'I want to get stronger!'
In her spiritual sea, AllFather lightly smiled.
'Well then, get ready to pack. We're heading out.'
....
Back in Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
A few days after Huo Yuhao became Xuan Ziwen's disciple and interacted with both Juzi and Keke, he then became acquainted with the other disciples of Xuan Ziwen: Zimu and Wang Shaojie.
In Huo Yuhao's eyes, they weren't particularly interesting. Sure their attainments in soul engineering was elite-tier, but aren't at the level of a monstrous genius like himself or He Caitou.
What made him take notice of them was simply because of one reason—their blatant hostility towards him.
Now, Huo Yuhao is a... somewhat pacifist person.
As long as you don't piss him off or hold something of value that he'd like, he wouldn't go after you.
Zimu has a huge crush on Juzi. And since she suddenly became close towards the newcomer Huo Yuhao, he would glare daggers at him and would subtly mock him with snide remarks whenever he had a chance.
Huo Yuhao wasn't going to let that slide and would fire back with a more vicious mockery at him. And he'd always be the winner of their little squabble.
Fortunately for Zimu, who wouldn't find the world spinning, he hadn't crossed any of Huo Yuhao's lines as he finds their verbal fights amusing.
But for Wang Shaojie? He managed to create a record of pissing Huo Yuhao in just one minute of meeting each other.
He was an arrogant, pompous, and ruthless noble related to the royal family. He's focused in his studies and the political strife in the nobility, so Wang Shaojie naturally didn't recognize Huo Yuhao and looked down on him.
Because he carried himself care free and eccentric, linking him as a foolish commoner.
Not because he looked much good looking than him.
Wang Shaojie's first words to Huo Yuhao was:
"What? A fellow classmate? Ha! Some dumb bastard like you actually think you're qualified to stand alongside us?"
Huo Yuhao holds very little important things in his heart. The first one in place was his mother, second came his desire for absolute strength, and lastly were his friends.
The word "bastard" is typically used to curse someone. But it also means: "a child born to parents who are not married to each other".
Whether Wang Shaojie intended it or not, didn't matter.
And so, without any hesitation, he slapped his face—knocking him down in an instant.
With his Titled Douluo physical strength, Huo Yuhao can easily slap Wang Shaojie to death which shows his self-restraint.
He was an exchange student after all and with a high status equal to a crown prince from another empire. If he had killed someone so blatantly in the Sun Moon Empire, especially someone related to the royal family, he'd get arrested and be under observation by every official and be likely kicked out.
Actually, it really doesn't sound all that bad considering he now has a understanding of the observation soul tools and other security measures of the empire, the royal academy, and the Illustrious Virtue Hall. With his abilities, he can easily infiltrate anywhere.
'I'm just too soft...' Huo Yuhao realized and sighed, letting Zimu and Keke take Wang Shaojie's body out to the infirmary. Though he thought that, he didn't let him off so easily.
Because the next day, word spread about Wang Shaojie going around campus naked and humping every object like trees, trashcans, and buildings while crying out "I need a soul beast!". The meaning behind his words while doing such inappropriate actions was pretty clear to many.
In just a few days, the scandal reached everyone in the empire and it was stated by Wang Shaojie's family that he was kicked out of the family.
"You want me to meet someone?" Huo Yuhao asked as he looked at Xuan Ziwen as they flew towards Imperial Consecration Hall using their respective flying soul tools. Well, Xuan Ziwen is using one while Huo Yuhao just placed an illusion over his Heavenbound Wings.
The strongest flying soul tool ever created is class 9 called the Divine Blessed Wings, which is of course stored in the royal vault of the Sun Moon Royal Palace. Its speed could rival even some of the fastest known 100,000 year old flying soul beast, which makes it highly sought after by many.
But it is nothing compared to the Sorrow and Salvation of Heavenbound Wings, the wings of Jianxin—a 300,000 year old soul beast. With this wings, Huo Yuhao can outrun even agility system Transcendent Douluos with ease! Why would he need flying soul tools?
With his own strength, soul tools below class 8 couldn't provide him any meaningful boost, and excluding the God Sealing Alter he hasn't come across any other class 9 soul tools to really assume if such soul tools could amplify his strength.
The only reason he's interested in soul tools is because such technology can reshape the world.
Huo Yuhao wanted to become a God, but he didn't want to rule over the world with an iron fist. He wanted to see the innovation of humanity, to not become stagnate and trapped in the shadow of divine will.
He didn't crave domination—he craved liberation.
He realized after undergoing the Heavenly Punishment, that both humanity and soul beasts aren't free. Gods might not actively appear amongst mortals, but their influence still chains the world.
The Divine Realm dictated the rules. The path to godhood. The limits of cultivation for both human and beast.
Soul tools as of right now have the potential to hurt Titled Douluos.
What about years later?
When he becomes a God and hundreds of God-slaying soul tools are pointed at him?
He would smile.
"We're here," Xuan Ziwen said.
Huo Yuhao nodded as he followed after him into the building. The Imperial Consecration Hall appeared large and simple, but looked like an ant compared to the royal palace.
But Huo Yuhao wasn't fooled. Just like the Illustrious Virtue Hall, it had an elevator that descended deeper than the former with much larger underground chambers, all sealed with multi-layered, high-quality metals and guarded by auto-defense systems so complex they could hold off an army of Soul Douluos.
It wasn't just a hall.
It was a bunker. A fortress. A sanctum for secrets the empire couldn't afford to lose.
And Huo Yuhao was willingly entering it.