At this moment, Huo Yuhao shone even brighter than the sun hanging high in the sky.
The seven members of Dou Ling Academy had completely lost their will to fight, their spirits utterly broken. Not only were their soul powers nearly exhausted, but their Thunder Cannon had also vanished into thin air.
The trump card they had been so proud of had been effortlessly dismantled by Huo Yuhao—so easily that they couldn't even comprehend his methods.
No one could accept such a crushing reality.
Just as the Phoenix Meteor Shower was about to obliterate them—Cheng Gang, the referee and a Titled Douluo, intervened.
No wonder Shrek had entrusted him to oversee their subsequent matches. A soul skill of this magnitude would have been difficult for even an ordinary Soul Sage to handle.
There was no time to marvel at Huo Yuhao's strength. Cheng Gang moved in a flash, appearing before the seven fighters. Dark brown soul power erupted as his nine soul rings rose, the massive shadow of an Ant Emperor materializing behind him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blazing fireballs slammed into the Ant Emperor's carapace, the impact sending shockwaves through the arena.
The flames scattered, crashing against the soul barrier and sending violent ripples across its surface. The spectators in the front rows flinched, their eyelids twitching at the sheer force.
Yet, most of the audience was electrified.
"Another one against seven!"
"Incredible!"
This was Huo Yuhao—worthy of his name!
The moment he stepped onto the field, he delivered a spectacle.
As for Soul Emperor Dai Yaoheng?
He had long been forgotten in some obscure corner.
"This is Shrek at full power. Dou Ling Academy isn't weak—they were simply unlucky to face the wrong opponent."
Such was the commentary from His Majesty, the Emperor of Star Luo Empire.
…
Xiao Hongchen's expression was grave as he stood beside Ma Rulong, whispering, "Captain, did you see it?"
Ma Rulong gave a slight nod. "It must be the work of a storage-type soul tool. But what I don't understand is how Huo Yuhao erased the mental imprints of the Thunder Cannon's owners so quickly and stored it away instantly."
Some students stared in disbelief.
They knew about storage-type soul tools—but who had ever thought of using them like this?
This was truly eye-opening.
"It must be related to his Spirit Eyes martial soul," Xiao Hongchen mused. "Besides his fourth soul skill, Inscription, he also has a teleportation ability, likely his third soul skill. Three soul rings, three abilities."
The Sun and Moon team hadn't been idle these past days.
After investigating, they'd traced the origin of Huo Yuhao's fourth soul skill—the long-extinct Silverbrave Beast.
While they couldn't help but admire Shrek's vast resources, they also realized one thing: the quality of Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes was absolutely extraordinary.
And now, with the addition of spatial soul skills, that fact was further confirmed.
"This is precisely why the empire's higher-ups have always emphasized the integration of soul tools and martial souls," Instructor Zhao said solemnly, turning to the students. "Soul tools are powerful, but martial soul techniques are equally formidable."
He was the second team leader of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. As for Instructor Ma—Ma Rulong's grandfather—he had quietly departed the previous day to escort the soul beast embryo.
The Sun and Moon Royal Academy and Shrek Academy were like two sides of the same coin—so similar, yet so different.
As the foremost soul master academy on the continent, Shrek was unrivaled in martial soul cultivation. Meanwhile, Sun and Moon was obsessed with soul tool research, often neglecting martial soul development.
This had led to the current trend in the Sun and Moon Empire—soul masters relying heavily on pills to enhance their strength.
Of course, this was also tied to their inherent physical limitations.
Instructor Zhao sighed. "After this tournament, the academy will submit another exchange application to Shrek. This time, the chances of approval are high. I hope you seize this opportunity to broaden your horizons and learn Shrek's martial soul cultivation methods."
Some students exchanged glances before nodding in reluctant agreement, their pride momentarily humbled.
Even Xiao Hongchen felt a flicker of motivation.
Meng Hongchen, snapping out of her fangirl daze, was the first to raise her hand. "Me! I'll sign up first!"
She had to secure a spot—if only to get closer to Huo Yuhao.
Ma Rulong turned to the Hongchen siblings, his tone serious. "Xiao, Meng—your talents far surpass mine. Whether in martial souls or soul tools, you are unparalleled in our empire."
"You must seize this exchange opportunity. For the empire, for Mingde Hall, for our academy—you must achieve greatness in martial soul cultivation."
Ma Rulong knew his own limits—he was too deeply entrenched in soul tool research to turn back.
But the Hongchen siblings were different.
They were the empire's greatest hopes, destined to break the stagnation of a thousand years.
That was why the empire was so confident about the next Tournament.
This time, they hadn't expected to defeat Shrek.
But seeing Shrek's lineup—especially Huo Yuhao, a monster who had forged his own path—had shattered even that modest hope.
A twin-souled prodigy with terrifying combat instincts, yet seemingly inexperienced in soul tools…
And yet, he had devised such a brilliant tactic—using storage-type soul tools in battle.
The Hongchen siblings' eyes hardened with resolve.
"We will."
…
Before Shrek departed, the Dou Ling Academy team leader approached Huo Yuhao with a humble request—to return the Thunder Cannon.
Huo Yuhao didn't make things difficult.
After all, this was a formal competition, and Shrek was a prestigious academy. Outright theft would be excessive.
However, he stated that for the sake of fairness, the cannon would only be returned after the individual matches two days later.
Huo Yuhao: "The Thunder Cannon's power is too great. It must be kept under strict guard!"
Dou Ling Team Leader: "…?"
He was certain that even without the cannon, Huo Yuhao could crush them effortlessly.
'Damn it, this was too much!'
If not for the shame of forfeiting, he would've conceded on the spot.
But at least it would be returned eventually.
'When under another's roof, one must bow their head.'
This cannon was the empire's hard-earned prototype, reverse-engineered from Sun and Moon's technology.
Losing it would be unforgivable.
…
Back at the Hotel
Huo Yuhao placed the Thunder Cannon on the meeting table.
Its energy was slowly dissipating—a safety feature of high-level soul tools.
This had been confirmed by Huo Yuhao's immense spiritual power. Otherwise, storing an armed cannon would be… risky.
Fortunately, Dou Ling's engineers weren't complete amateurs.
Though crude, the cannon's structural integrity was sound.
Huo Yuhao, a Class 3 Soul Engineer, approved.
He'd agreed to return it—but not before studying it.
Especially with He Caitou practically glued to his side.
Originally, Huo Yuhao had planned to sketch the cannon's design using his Spirit Eyes.
But with a willing assistant, why not go further?
Under the stunned gazes of Shrek's team, the two dismantled the cannon in seconds, reducing it to a table of components.
Ma Xiaotao blinked. "Yuhao, aren't you from the Martial Soul Department? Since when are you so skilled with soul tools?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. "I know a little."
He Caitou wisely kept silent.
Wang Yan sighed. "Yuhao is being modest. His proficiency in soul tools is clearly advanced—just look at his precision."
Xiao Xiao nudged Wang Dong'er, "Why aren't you helping? Didn't you study soul tools with him?"
Wang Dong'er shrugged. "I barely understood any of it!"
Seizing the moment, Wang Yan launched into an impromptu lecture on the importance of soul tools.
He'd broached the topic before, but now, addressing the inner courtyard disciples, his tone was firmer.
"Dou Ling Academy isn't an exception. In this tournament, over half of the teams use soul tools in combat. In the qualifiers, the usage rate reached 80%..."
After citing the statistics, he pressed on.
"We shouldn't reject soul tools. The future of soul masters lies in their integration with soul tools. Though external, they compensate for our weaknesses."
Seeing the contemplative expressions, Wang Yan drove the point home.
"Remember the Death Whisperer incident? If the team had been equipped with defensive soul tools, would Xiaotao have been so severely injured?"
His voice grew resolute. "Without Yuhao, this year's tournament would've been a disaster."
The urgency of the competition, the threat of the Thunder Cannon, Ma Xiaotao's miraculous survival—all of it made Wang Yan's words hit harder.
Even the most traditional-minded students couldn't refute him.
Dai Yueheng's failure was a stark contrast.
And Huo Yuhao's performance spoke for itself.
As for the reserve team—
Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao were already convinced.
Tang Ya and Bei Bei, seeking to revive the Tang Clan's hidden weapons, had long been open to soul tools.
Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan, unburdened by the inner courtyard's conservatism, quickly grasped the concept.
Xu Sanshi raised a hand. "But if we focus on soul tools, won't we fall behind in soul mastery?"
Wang Yan nodded approvingly. "A valid concern. But remember—your martial soul abilities are already powerful. Soul tools are tools, not replacements.
"And in the later stages, we have an advantage. To operate a Class 10 soul tool , one needs at least Title Douluo cultivation. How many pure soul masters reach that level?
"The future belongs to those who master both—like Yuhao."
His gaze swept over them.
"I've observed other teams. The stronger they are, the more they integrate soul tools and martial souls —especially the Sun and Moon Royal Academy. Their reserve team members all have strong martial souls .
"They cultivate their martial souls first, then supplement with soul tools. That is the future."
Huo Yuhao, still examining the cannon, silently agreed.
In the original timeline, without him, Shrek would've suffered humiliating defeats —losing to Qianling, then Zhengtian , and never even reaching the finals.
There was no shame in losing.
One should always be pragmatic.
…
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