Huang Chutian's sudden takedown caught everyone off guard.
Not just both teams— even the referee was stunned.
On the stands, the homeroom teacher of Class Seven of the freshmen nearly popped their eyes out.
Huang Chutian's team was their class's top seed!
With their Spirit Fusion Technique, they had real potential to contend for the top four!
Yet they were eliminated in the very first round of the knockout stage.
Huang Tao, you really ruin everything!
Outside the academy, Huang Tao: "Achoo~"
Back in the arena.
With their main attacker, Huang Chutian, down, the Lan sisters—Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu—who had been using the Spirit Fusion Technique, broke into a cold sweat.
Soon, they cancelled the fusion technique and raised their four tiny hands in surrender.
"Th-the winner is… the Evil Illusion Moon team of Freshman Class Two!" the referee announced hurriedly.
Though inwardly he thought, Wasn't this match over way too fast?
Still, it meant he could leave work early.
After the match.
"You just met me today or something?" Huo Yuhao said while walking off the arena, pushing away Xie Huan Yue's chubby face that had come way too close.
But Xie Huan Yue wasn't so easily pushed off. He asked his burning question, "Yuhao, we've known each other for a while now. I know the strength of your Variant Frost Centipede spirit. When did it get this strong?"
"It's always been this strong, okay…"
"I don't believe you!"
"Fine… I went through some special training over the past month. That's why I got stronger."
Huo Yuhao gave a barely convincing explanation.
Xie Huan Yue reluctantly accepted it. He looked like he wanted to say more, but ended up staying silent.
Since Huo Yuhao didn't want to talk, Xie Huan Yue didn't press. Either way, if Yuhao got stronger and won the championship, he'd benefit too.
"Still, I should get closer to Yuhao from now on," Xie Huan Yue thought.
Later, Huo Yuhao said goodbye to his two teammates and headed toward the dorms with his looted spoils and the Imaginary White Tiger. He planned to take a good shower.
Lulu stared after him, eyes sparkling like stars. "Brother Hao is so strong~"
Xie Huan Yue next to her: "…"
Hmph! Shallow woman!
Huo Yuhao showered and later had a 600-gold soul coin lunch at the cafeteria. In the afternoon, he regrouped with Xie Huan Yue and Lulu at the arena.
Half the teams had already been eliminated in the morning. Now only 32 teams remained.
"Knockout round: 32 to 16. Prepare to begin."
When the trio reached their match site, they were surprised by their opponents.
"It's you guys?"
"Hehe, Huan Yue, Yuhao, Lulu—hello there." Luo Tianlong greeted them with a smile.
Behind him stood Luo Tianba and another Class Two student, a male soul master.
That's right—this was a Class Two civil war.
Their opponents were the Luo brothers—Tianlong and Tianba.
And a male control-type soul master from Class Two named Wang Gang.
Compared to the stick-thin Luo brothers, Wang Gang had a normal build and was quite handsome.
Though still not as good-looking as Huo Yuhao.
The teams greeted each other.
Class Two had the most teams in the knockout round, so internal matches weren't surprising.
Still, a battle was a battle.
Soon, the referee—a middle-aged female teacher, the same one from the morning—announced the start of the match.
"Spirit Possession!"
Right at the start, all three on Luo Tianlong's team activated their Spirit Possessions—they were all beast-type soul masters.
The Luo brothers both had mantis-type spirits.
Their forearms turned silver-white, growing massive mantis scythes.
After spirit possession, the brothers flanked from left and right, charging toward Huo Yuhao's team with high speed and agile movements.
Since everyone was a classmate—and the Luo brothers were friends with Xie Huan Yue—they didn't bother hiding their tactics and went all-in from the start.
Wang Gang also activated his beast spirit—and his transformation was… a bit bewitching.
Yes, bewitching.
He gave off serious "trap" vibes.
"I remember now, Wang Gang's spirit is the Phantom Sound Fox," Huo Yuhao recalled.
The Phantom Sound Fox—an illusion-casting fox-type spirit beast that used sound and had mental attributes.
Yes, this was the same spiritual-type student Huang Tao had tried to recruit into the Soul Tool Department.
But Wang Gang wanted to stay in the Martial Soul Department, so he declined.
Though he had two spirit rings, his spirit power was only level 22. The only reason he made it to the knockout rounds was because he teamed up with the Luo brothers.
Once again, the trio used their tried-and-true combo.
After Wang Gang's spirit possession, his first and second spirit rings flickered alternately as he cast two abilities in a row.
"First Spirit Skill: Sound of Allure!"
"Second Spirit Skill: Sound of Illusion!"
Blushing slightly, he spoke to Xie Huan Yue in a coquettish voice, "Big bro, come play with me~"
Xie Huan Yue's mind buzzed. His eyes lost focus, and a lecherous grin appeared on his face as he giggled, "Hehehe, Wang Gang stays, the rest leave…"
Huo Yuhao: "…"
What exactly are you hallucinating right now?!
Wang Gang's spirit power was draining fast, his face turning pale.
His two spirit skills were both single-target control techniques—strong, but high on mental and spiritual power consumption. If used on stronger targets, the cost increased.
He knew he couldn't hold Xie Huan Yue for long.
"Now!" he shouted.
The Luo brothers exploded with speed, dashing past the frozen Xie Huan Yue straight toward Huo Yuhao and Lulu.
This was their standard tactic.
Wang Gang controlled the enemy's strongest, and the brothers cut down the backline. If the enemies were all battle-types, then they'd control the weakest and blitz that one down with speed and focus fire.
This tried-and-true combo had brought them to the knockout round.
Lulu didn't retreat. She looked at Huo Yuhao.
Because this was exactly like what happened with Huang Chutian's team that morning!
"Seriously, does no one try anything new?" Huo Yuhao muttered.
The Variant Frost Centipede blocked the Luo brothers' path.
The two brothers began crisscrossing rapidly, creating afterimages to confuse their enemy.
Secret Skill: Dual Lateral Shadow Jump!
The Variant Frost Centipede flung out two icy war axes like throwing weapons.
Thwack. Thwack.
Two clean hits.
The Luo brothers collapsed into peaceful slumber.
Skydream Iceworm: They really charged like that? Did they forget I can do mental detection?
Xie Huan Yue snapped out of the mental control, while Wang Gang collapsed to the ground, pale-faced.
But Xie Huan Yue's mind still hadn't recovered. He felt like his brain had been violated. He didn't feel clean anymore.
Seeing the match over, the referee quickly announced, "Match over! The Evil Illusion Moon team wins!"
Sweet—another early end to the workday.
Every second early is a win!
Xie Huan Yue stood there in a daze.
Though they'd won two matches in a row, did I… do anything at all in either of them?
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao happily released the Imaginary White Tiger to collect loot.
What? They're classmates?
Please—since when does that mean you can't loot?
Worst case, I'll burn incense and loot at the same time!
After the round of 32 concluded and the top 16 were determined, Du Weilen approached Huo Yuhao.
They had a lengthy conversation, but it essentially boiled down to two main points:
First, Du Weilen warned Huo Yuhao not to go astray. At his age, he should be focusing on cultivation and not wasting his talent. He shouldn't disappoint his elders.
Second, the champion of this year's knockout tournament would be awarded a ten-thousand-year soul bone. Du Weilen encouraged him to give it his all.
To these reminders, Huo Yuhao nodded obediently. "Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah…"
The girls from Class 2 didn't come to ask him out to have fun again. Perhaps they'd all been warned by Huang Tao.
After a night of cultivation, his soul power saw a slight improvement.
A new day arrived, and so did the next round of the tournament.
"Elimination round, top 16 to top 8. Contestants, please enter the arena."
From this round onward, the senior officials of the academy would begin watching the matches.
Yan Shaozhe had already arrived with the other teachers and sat in the spectator stands.
As he passed the stands, Huo Yuhao looked up at Yan Shaozhe. The latter smiled and nodded at him.
Huo Yuhao waved back warmly, appearing to be fond of Yan Shaozhe.
However, his eyes quickly swept across the spectators.
"No sign of Xuanzi. Has he still not returned to Shrek Academy? Or perhaps… he can't return anymore?"
Given Huo Yuhao's current talent with the Ultimate Ice spirit, if Xuanzi had returned, he would've definitely shown up to make his presence known.
After Huo Yuhao and his group passed by…
A man seated next to Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes.
This man looked to be in his fifties. He was tall and muscular with not a wrinkle on his face. His white hair stood stiffly like steel needles, giving him a slightly weathered look. Standing at least 2.2 meters tall, he had broad shoulders, a wide back, bronze skin, and a physique brimming with strength.
Yet his rotating eyes gave off a calculating, scheming aura.
He was none other than Qian Duoduo, Dean of the Soul Tool Department.
Noticing Yan Shaozhe's unusual behavior, Qian Duoduo asked, "Yan Shaozhe, this doesn't seem like you. That kid's not your illegitimate child or something, is he? Why else would you be smiling at him like that?"
"If you can't speak properly, then shut up." Yan Shaozhe shot him a side glance. He was well aware of Qian Duoduo's thoughts and warned, "Qian Duoduo, don't get any ideas. Huo Yuhao will be Xiao Tao's junior."
Qian Duoduo's eyes twitched in surprise. "Seriously? That kid's that much of a genius?"
"Of course. Even the teacher already knows about him," Yan Shaozhe replied with a half-smile.
The moment Qian Duoduo heard that Mu En was aware of Huo Yuhao, he clicked his tongue, turned his head, and pretended to lose interest.
However, his eyes continued to dart around slyly.
A mouse in love with grain doesn't care how well-guarded the granary is.
"Huo Yuhao, right…" Qian Duoduo began to calculate in his mind.
The conversation between Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo wasn't particularly private.
The other teachers in the stands who overheard were stunned. When they heard that Yan Shaozhe intended to take Huo Yuhao as his disciple, they all turned their gazes toward him, trying to figure out what caught the Vice Dean's eye.
A spoiled brat who was out messing around right before the elimination rounds—what did he do to deserve such attention?
Huang Tao was also hearing this for the first time. He nearly jumped in shock and instinctively looked toward Du Weilen, only to find that the latter wore a "called it" expression.
"No wonder! When Huo Yuhao was taken for special training before, it must've been Director Yan personally instructing him," Huang Tao thought to himself, a hundred ideas swirling in his head. He suddenly felt confident about his promotion and raise.
As long as Huo Yuhao performed well in the upcoming matches, even if he didn't win the championship, as his homeroom teacher, Huang Tao would certainly benefit.
"No—if Director Yan values him this much, that genius probably will win the championship!" Huang Tao's eyes sparkled with hope.
"Team Evil Illusion Moon from Freshman Class 2 versus Team Ning Tian from Freshman Class 9!"
The referee loudly announced the matchup.
As the two teams took the stage, Evil Illusion Moon and Lulu instinctively glanced at Huo Yuhao when they saw who their opponents were. Huo Yuhao remained calm and composed.
On the other side, Wu Feng was already grinning wickedly.
"Well, well, we meet again!" she sneered, itching to get started.
Ning Tian sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Feng, calm down. Don't underestimate them. The fact that they made it this far means they're not weak. Don't forget—they've got a three-ring Soul Elder on their team."
"Don't worry, Young Master. We'll definitely win!" Wu Feng folded her arms and said confidently.
"Feng, just call me by my name…"
"Sure thing, Young Master. Got it, Young Master."
Ning Tian: "…"
Both teams took their positions.
Wu Feng made taunting gestures toward Huo Yuhao, even drawing a finger across her throat and flashing a smug grin.
Evil Illusion Moon growled, furious. "That damn girl—what, does she think I'm dead?!"
"Exactly. Let's teach her a lesson." Huo Yuhao patted Evil Illusion Moon's sturdy back, stoking the flames.
"Alright. Lulu, hit me with your soul skills right at the start. I'm going all in this time!" Evil Illusion Moon muttered.
"Okay!" Lulu nodded repeatedly. Wu Feng's attitude had ticked her off too.
Evil Illusion Moon's decision to go on the offensive stemmed from frustration—he'd been neutralized at the start of both previous matches and had barely gotten to fight. This time, with Ning Tian's team lacking a control-type soul master, he finally had room to act.
"Begin!" the referee shouted.
Both sides immediately activated their spirit attachments.
"Pipi Elephant, possess!"
"Come forth, my Frost Centipede!"
"Fairy Staff!"
Ning Tian raised his hands. "Seven Treasures arise—Glazed!"
The famed top-tier support-type martial spirit, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, shone brightly with two yellow and one purple ring.
"Red Dragon, possess!" Wu Feng shouted, and a roar accompanied a rising heat from her body. Two bright yellow rings encircled her.
Her slender body stretched, tearing through her uniform to reveal a form-fitting battle suit beneath. In an instant, Wu Feng went from a petite girl to a well-developed 16- or 17-year-old with long, firm legs and a full bust. A reddish sheen shimmered on her skin, with fine red scales spreading from her left cheek down her neck and arm—lending her a unique allure.
Huo Yuhao admitted—he still preferred mature women.
The last member of Ning Tian's team was Nanmen Yun'er, whose martial spirit was the Emerald Blue Bird. When possessed, green wings appeared behind her. With long green hair and a delicate appearance, she looked frail—but she was a speed-type assault master.
Wu Feng charged ahead, with Nanmen Yun'er close behind.
Ning Tian's pagoda flashed—his first ring lit up. "First treasure: Speed!"
Two beams of light fell upon Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er, drastically increasing their speed.
This was the powerful enhancement of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda—its effects were immediately visible.
Meanwhile…
Lulu raised her Fairy Staff.
"First soul skill—Zoom Zoom Speed!"
"Second soul skill—Buzz Buzz Shield!"
This time, Lulu cast both the first and second skills in succession, buffing Evil Illusion Moon and the Frost Centipede.
With the buffs, both charged forward.
Evil Illusion Moon targeted Wu Feng, and the Frost Centipede rushed toward Nanmen Yun'er.
Just when everyone thought this would be a standard matchup—a support and two combatants on each side clashing in a tug-of-war—
Huo Yuhao suddenly tugged Lulu.
"Come on. Let's go after Ning Tian!"
"Huh?" Lulu was stunned. "But Brother Hao, I'm a support, and Ning Tian's a three-ring Soul Elder…"
Huo Yuhao gave a slight smile. "Silly girl, there are two of us."
It was time to show the heir of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect what a righteous 2v1 looked like.
The battle between Xie Huanyue and Wu Feng, as well as between the Exotic Frost Centipede Spirit and Nanmen Yuner, was ferocious and intense.
Xie Huanyue and Wu Feng were both filled with suppressed anger. They clashed head-on with no reservations, fighting fiercely with everything they had.
Soon, the protective shield around Xie Huanyue was shattered, and the acceleration effect faded gradually.
After all, Lulu's soul skill effects were time-limited.
But Xie Huanyue had no intention of retreating. Like a nimble rubber ball, he kept launching himself at Wu Feng in a series of body slams.
Wu Feng responded by unleashing her first and second soul skills—Dragon's Fire and Dragon's Fury—alternating between them to vent her rage.
Though Wu Feng was one soul ring behind Xie Huanyue in terms of raw power, with Ning Tian's support, she could match him head-on for short bursts.
Both of her skills incorporated fiery attacks, and before long, Xie Huanyue's school uniform was completely burned away. Fortunately, underneath his uniform, he wore a specially made combat suit to prevent any indecency during battle.
Even so, Wu Feng's flames couldn't break through Xie Huanyue's Martial Soul defense in a short time.
On the other side, Nanmen Yuner used her speed advantage as an agility-type Soul Master to engage the Exotic Frost Centipede, always poised to deliver a lethal blow.
"First Soul Skill: Jade Blade!"
Nanmen Yuner's arms transformed into twin blades as she clashed against the icy axes of the Exotic Frost Centipede Spirit.
Don't underestimate Nanmen Yuner's offensive ability—agility-types are known for their speed and burst damage, much like assassins in games.
Her two soul skills were both offensive and could be combined.
This was when Nanmen Yuner spotted an opening.
"Combination Skill: Jade Slash!"
Her speed surged dramatically.
With her hands pressed together above her head, a crescent-shaped green light blade formed and slashed down toward the Exotic Frost Centipede Spirit.
Unfortunately for her, she was up against that very same spirit.
With the assistance of spiritual detection, Nanmen Yuner's movements were completely visible to the Skydream Iceworm.
The Exotic Frost Centipede didn't even budge from its position. Its twin icy axes spun with precision, not only blocking her attack but even counterattacking and sending her flying.
After being repelled, Nanmen Yuner quickly stabilized herself and resumed circling, waiting for another chance.
As the battles on both sides grew more intense, Huo Yuhao quietly pulled Lulu along the arena's edge, slowly approaching Ning Tian.
Ning Tian, who had been watching the battlefield closely, suddenly noticed figures where they shouldn't be.
When she looked more carefully, she was shocked—it was Huo Yuhao and Lulu! She hadn't even realized they were approaching her.
Ning Tian went silent.
The next second—
Zwoosh—
She turned and bolted, casting an acceleration skill on herself as she fled toward Wu Feng's direction without looking back, yelling as she ran, "Fengmei!"
But Wu Feng, already deep in the fight and distracted by Xie Huanyue's constant harassment and bizarre screeching, didn't hear her call at all.
While Wu Feng was all fired up, Xie Huanyue was coordinating with his teammates.
"Chase her!" Huo Yuhao shouted.
They'd been discovered—no point hiding now.
She ran. He chased. Neither had any chance to escape now.
Nanmen Yuner was the first to notice Ning Tian was in trouble. Unable to overcome the Exotic Frost Centipede, she finally had attention to spare and turned her head—only to see Ning Tian being pursued.
"Not good!" she cried, trying to rush to Ning Tian's aid.
But at that very moment, the Exotic Frost Centipede went on the offensive—it plunged headfirst into the ground.
Centipede Burrow!
This was a technique learned from the Skydream Iceworm and Earthboring Centipedes.
Being around centipede soul beasts wasn't for nothing. With the foundational earth-escape technique from the Pudu Cihang legacy, even if this wasn't a complete Earth-Escape Technique, it was enough for fast underground movement.
Just two steps into her retreat, the ground behind Nanmen Yuner suddenly burst open—and a massive centipede shot up. It was the Exotic Frost Centipede!
Before Nanmen Yuner could react, it coiled its body tightly around her.
Sharp, deadly centipede legs pressed against her vital points. Just a little pressure, and she'd be torn to shreds on the spot.
Centipede Constriction!
This wasn't a soul skill—just a natural hunting technique learned from real centipede soul beasts.
Completely bound by the Exotic Frost Centipede, Nanmen Yuner didn't dare to move. Words caught in her throat, a cold sweat trickled down her temple.
A referee appeared just in time and announced, "Nanmen Yuner, eliminated!"
His voice finally got Wu Feng's attention.
Startled, she quickly broke away from Xie Huanyue and scanned the area.
She saw Nanmen Yuner being carried away and Ning Tian being chased. No one had gone to help her—Ning Tian could only keep running.
From Wu Feng's point of view, Huo Yuhao looked like a thug chasing a helpless girl.
"Damn it!" Wu Feng clenched her teeth, eyes blazing.
Using underhanded tactics, huh?
Trying to backdoor us?!
She stopped paying attention to Xie Huanyue and withdrew, yelling, "Huo Yuhao, if you dare touch the young mistress, I won't forgive you!"
But Xie Huanyue didn't plan to let her go.
"You'd better worry about yourself first!" he grinned, his chubby face full of arrogance.
He was thoroughly enjoying the battle and full of momentum.
Suddenly, his third soul ring lit up—a purple wave of energy burst from him.
Riding the wave, Xie Huanyue charged at Wu Feng.
"Crap!"
Wu Feng tried to dodge but was too late. The purple energy wave hit her squarely—her head spun, chest tight.
In a flash, Xie Huanyue caught up to her and, without a word, punched her straight in the stomach.
As he swung, his second soul ring flashed—his arm extended unnaturally and slammed hard into Wu Feng's abdomen.
She shot backward like a cannonball, vomiting a large mouthful of stomach acid.
Xie Huanyue didn't follow up—just shook his head in disappointment. "That's it?"
Earlier, Wu Feng had fought him evenly with Ning Tian's support—an impressive feat that highlighted the strength of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.
But once she worried about Ning Tian and retreated, her aura crumbled—creating an opening Xie Huanyue exploited to finish her with a single strike!
Seeing Wu Feng hurled away, Ning Tian gasped, "Fengmei!"
Ignoring her own safety, she rushed to catch Wu Feng in her arms. The two tumbled across the ground, rolling several times before they stopped—disheveled and battered.
"Cough, cough…" Ning Tian clutched her chest, breathless from the impact. She sat up with Wu Feng in her arms—her face pale, breathing ragged.
Though not fully unconscious, Wu Feng was too injured to move for now.
"Fengmei, are you okay?" Ning Tian asked, full of concern.
"I'm fine, Young Mistress…" Wu Feng avoided eye contact, ashamed.
She blamed herself for being careless, not only failing to protect Ning Tian but also becoming a burden.
Just as Ning Tian tried to offer comfort—
Huo Yuhao shattered the touching moment as he stepped forward.
"Ladies, will you lie down yourselves, or should I help you do it?"
The two girls looked up.
They saw Huo Yuhao accept the Fairy Staff from Lulu. He planted it like a club, pointing it straight at the girls.
A long, ominous shadow fell over their faces…
Huo Yuhao:
"Do you want the stick in my hand…
or the one under it?"
Shlurpp, shlurpp, shlurpp...
"No wonder he's a character from the main plot—his fortune really is something else."
The luck and fortune gained from Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er far exceeded what Huo Yuhao had collected from Luo Tianlong's team.
Huo Yuhao rubbed his belly, looking quite content.
On the other side, Wu Feng, who was being carried away, glared fiercely at Huo Yuhao, while Ning Tian wore a complicated expression.
At that moment, both girls had stick marks across their faces.
Earlier, when Huo Yuhao tried to persuade them to surrender, Wu Feng had responded with furious insults. In turn, he had struck each of them with a staff, without an ounce of mercy for their beauty.
Nanmen Yun'er, however, wasn't really injured and could still walk on her own. She followed beside Wu Feng and Ning Tian but didn't dare look Huo Yuhao in the eye.
At least, not until she got over the trauma of nearly being killed while clutched in the arms of that giant centipede—until then, there was no way she'd meet Huo Yuhao's gaze.
Spectator Stands
Yan Shaozhe was very pleased with Huo Yuhao's performance, especially the abilities of the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul.
Huo Yuhao's decision to flank and attack Ning Tian from behind demonstrated solid combat instincts.
And finally, the Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul wasn't just swinging axes mindlessly—it was starting to act like an actual Centipede .
But Yan Shaozhe hadn't noticed that the man next to him, Qian Duoduo, now had stars in his eyes. "This child has fate with my Soul Tool Department!"
After all, if one's main body couldn't host a Martial Soul fusion, wouldn't that be the perfect reason to rely on soul tools to make up for the deficiency?
By combining soul tools with his Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao could essentially count as two combat forces in one!
He could even custom-design a combat system specifically tailored for the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul...
Once inspiration hit, it was like diarrhea—you just couldn't hold it in.
The surrounding teachers all took notice of Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul and praised his victory over Ning Tian's team.
Huang Tao was grinning so hard his gums showed.
Except for Mu Jin.
Her class's seed team had just been defeated—Mu Jin's smile was painfully forced.
"Heh, so your class's seed team isn't all that special after all," came Zhou Yi's mocking voice, falling right into Mu Jin's ears.
Mu Jin instantly stopped smiling. She glared furiously at Zhou Yi and snapped, "So what? Losing to the Dean's future disciple isn't shameful. Don't forget, our bet is about the final champion! Neither of us has won yet!"
"Hah! That just shows your teaching isn't up to par. Watch closely—my students will show you what real champions look like," Zhou Yi sneered back.
"You think your class's seed team can defeat Huo Yuhao and his crew?" Mu Jin challenged.
"Why not?"
Zhou Yi didn't notice that Yan Shaozhe, who had been smiling mildly, now looked stone-faced.
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Du Weilun.
Du Weilun looked like he wanted to kill Zhou Yi on the spot.
Huo Yuhao wasn't just some prospective disciple—he had been personally trained by Yan Shaozhe for over a month! What was Zhou Yi trying to imply? That Yan Shaozhe was inferior to her? Why not say she should be the Martial Soul Department Head then?!
Zhou Yi truly didn't know about this, but still—some things shouldn't be said. "Ignorance is innocence" doesn't apply to everything.
Still, Zhou Yi had a sharp tongue and powerful backers. Even Du Weilun couldn't do much about her.
"Ahem, it seems Teacher Zhou and Teacher Mu are betting on whose class will produce the final champions. The stakes are a close-combat soul tool and a soul bone. I heard Zhou Yi's husband is Vice Dean Fan Yu of the Soul Tool Department. He sure treats her well," Du Weilun said with a face of explanation, but his tone made it clear he'd just spilled all the tea.
Qian Duoduo immediately turned his gaze to Zhou Yi, narrowing his eyes.
Yan Shaozhe chuckled lightly, "So she's the wife of the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department. No wonder."
After that, both Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo said nothing more and resumed watching the matches below as if nothing had happened.
Mu Jin, not wanting to keep bickering, said brief goodbyes to the other teachers and quickly left to check on Ning Tian and the others.
She also wanted to get out of the awkward situation.
Zhou Yi, looking like a proud hen who'd just won a fight, stood aloof and made no effort to socialize with anyone.
Soon after, Class One's seed team, Wang Dong's group, defeated their opponents and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Zhou Yi nodded in satisfaction and then left on her own.
She planned to go back and develop a specific strategy for Wang Dong's team to take down Huo Yuhao's trio.
Meanwhile...
Mu Jin arrived at the infirmary to see Ning Tian's team.
All three had recovered well.
Wu Feng was the most injured, but nothing serious. After receiving treatment from a healing-type soul master, she was already able to move around.
The three of them were chatting casually.
Wu Feng, however, was still holding a deep grudge against Huo Yuhao.
"That damned guy—I'm not letting him get away with this!"
"Feng-mei…" Ning Tian looked at her with concern. He understood Wu Feng's temperament, but that didn't make her any easier to deal with.
Just as Mu Jin walked in, she caught Wu Feng's outburst. Her expression shifted, and she quickly said, "Wu Feng, victory and defeat are part of life. Besides, Huo Yuhao didn't use any underhanded methods. I suggest you don't go picking fights with him."
"Teacher Mu!"
Ning Tian and Nanmen Yun'er quickly greeted her.
Wu Feng protested, "Are we just going to let this go? He nearly injured the heir of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!"
Mu Jin's face instantly darkened. Her voice turned icy, "Wu Feng! This is not your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—don't act all high and mighty at Shrek Academy!"
"Teacher Mu, Feng-mei didn't mean it like that. She just spoke out of concern for me. I apologize on her behalf," Ning Tian hurried to defuse the situation.
Wu Feng was still upset but stayed silent since Ning Tian had already intervened. Her eyes, however, still burned with defiance.
Mu Jin liked Ning Tian's sense of propriety and understood Wu Feng's temperament well.
"Sigh, I'm not here to scold you. I knew Wu Feng wouldn't be satisfied with the result, so I came to tell you something," Mu Jin said more gently now.
"Please enlighten us, Teacher Mu," Ning Tian said respectfully.
Mu Jin said calmly, "That Huo Yuhao has caught the eye of the Martial Soul Department Head. He's planning to take him on as his personal disciple. You understand what that means."
"Rest up. And don't forget to attend class this afternoon."
With that, Mu Jin left.
"Thank you for the guidance, Teacher Mu," Ning Tian said with gratitude.
Once Mu Jin was gone, the trio exchanged glances, all momentarily stunned.
Wu Feng's face flushed bright red.
"That Huo Yuhao actually caught the Dean's attention? What's so special about him? Is the Dean blind or—"
Cough cough cough! Ning Tian immediately interrupted with a series of coughs.
"Are you alright, Young Master? Should I call the healer again?" Wu Feng asked, panicked, holding Ning Tian up.
Ning Tian barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
I'm coughing because of you!
Do you have any filter?!
"I'm fine, Feng-mei. Just—let's drop this matter," Ning Tian said sternly.
Wu Feng had no choice but to slam the table in frustration.
"Ugh! Fine! But one day, I'll defeat Huo Yuhao myself!"
Meanwhile, Ning Tian was deep in thought.
The news Mu Jin brought wasn't public yet—Huo Yuhao hadn't officially become the Dean's disciple.
"Maybe… we can make a move first..."
A genius valued by the Martial Soul Department Head?
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan needed someone like that too.
Afternoon – Quarterfinal Match
It was a match against Class Six's seed team.
Their team consisted of three soul masters: one power-attack type, one ranged-attacker, and one healer.
They had both offense and sustainability.
Unfortunately, they still lost to Huo Yuhao's trio.
With Lulu buffing and shielding Xie Huanyue, he turned into a walking tank and smashed through their front lines, charging all the way to their backline.
Then, Huo Yuhao's Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul threw out twin ice axes to finish them off—Class Six's seed team was eliminated.
And just like that, Huo Yuhao's team advanced to the semifinals.
Tomorrow, the champions would be decided!
Yan Shaozhe: My Martial Soul Department needs a genius like you.
Qian Duoduo: My Soul Tool Department needs a genius like you.
Ning Tian: My Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan also needs a genius like you.
The day of the finals had arrived.
The four remaining teams had gathered early at the arena.
The teams were:
Class One – Wang Dong's team. Members: Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Lan Yin.
Class Two – Xie Huanyue's team. Members: Xie Huanyue, Huo Yuhao, Lulu.
Class Five – Dai Huabin's team. Members: Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Cui Yajie.
Class Ten – Zhou Sichen's team. Members: Zhou Sichen, Long Xiangyue, Cao Jin Xuan.
The audience still consisted only of academy staff and upper administration.
Even the Sea God Pavilion had dispatched one of its Elders to observe the match.
Originally, this was supposed to be Elder Xuan—but instead, an old woman had come.
Let us take a moment of silence for Elder Xuan.
"Elder Song, this way please," Yan Shaozhe respectfully invited Elder Song to her seat.
Elder Song only gave a cold nod, then sat down silently, not bothering to respond to Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe looked a little awkward.
Seeing Yan Shaozhe get the cold shoulder, Qian Duoduo couldn't help but snicker.
Elder Song heard the laugh and shot Qian Duoduo a glance. He immediately stiffened up and sat upright, no longer daring to laugh.
The relationship between the three of them was… complicated.
Elder Song was Xian Lin'er's mother. Xian Lin'er was Qian Duoduo's wife—but theirs was a marriage in name only. Xian Lin'er was also Yan Shaozhe's ex-girlfriend, but Yan Shaozhe had cheated and hurt her deeply. Naturally, Elder Song had nothing but contempt for him.
All one could say was:
This circle is a mess.
With Elder Song's arrival, the match could officially begin.
To dispel the awkwardness, Yan Shaozhe personally took the stage to announce the semifinal rules.
Starting from the semifinals, the matches would no longer follow group-based pairings—instead, opponents would be decided by random draw.
As to whether this draw was really random or not… well, no comment.
At least Yan Shaozhe didn't touch the draw box himself.
The team captains came forward to draw lots. The semifinal matchups were quickly decided:
Match One: Class One – Wang Dong's team vs. Class Two – Xie Huanyue's team.
Match Two: Class Five – Dai Huabin's team vs. Class Ten – Zhou Sichen's team.
Zhou Sichen looked visibly annoyed.
From his perspective, their best chance was against Wang Dong's team from Class One, since neither team had a Soul Elder.
This made the draw seem a little too convenient—some suspected foul play, possibly to ensure the two teams with Soul Elders clashed in the finals.
But even if it was rigged, the draw was done. No choice now but to go through with it.
Even if they lost, they would lose with style!
After the draw, Yan Shaozhe returned to his seat, his gaze casually drifting to Zhou Yi.
She still looked completely confident.
"I have no idea what she's so confident about…" Yan Shaozhe muttered to himself.
Knowing Huo Yuhao's true strength, Yan Shaozhe had never believed he would lose. He even engineered the matchups today to give Class One a chance, after Zhou Yi's big talk the day before.
In the arena—
The match between Class One and Class Two was first to begin.
Huo Yuhao's trio stepped into the field.
The semifinal and final rounds shared a newly renovated, larger arena.
Opposite them, a team of "one boy, two girls"—or rather, three girls—entered.
Wang Dong, the supposed "boy," was actually a girl in disguise.
And one had to admit, Wang Dong's feminine appearance could match Huo Yuhao's current refined looks. She also carried a proud aura, quite like Huo Yuhao's cool and aloof demeanor.
"Yo yo yo, isn't that the divine king's precious eldest daughter~" Huo Yuhao's gaze landed on Wang Dong.
Even the Skydream Iceworm became more alert.
No one knew what strange tricks Wang Dong might pull.
During the two months at Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao had kept a low profile, barely interacting with anyone outside of Class Two. He hadn't even gone to see his "good big brother" Bei Bei.
One reason was to avoid "coincidental encounters" with Wang Dong. Who knew when the divine king might orchestrate something behind the scenes—Wang Dong might pop out from a bush somewhere.
Still, in Huo Yuhao's view, unless the divine king took direct control, this match shouldn't pose any problems.
He knew Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's abilities: one was an assault-type soul master, the other control-type—both with twin martial souls.
Xiao Xiao was likely to use her second martial soul, but Wang Dong probably wouldn't reveal hers.
Lastly, Huo Yuhao turned his attention to their third teammate—
A tall, black-haired girl with a heroic air about her—someone not in the original story.
Thanks to Huang Tao's intel, they knew who she was:
Lan Yin – Level 23, Assault-type Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: Shuyue Sword.
First Soul Skill: Rapid Slash – extremely fast sword strikes, great for seizing initiative.
Second Soul Skill: Downward Cleave – armor-breaking effect, quite powerful. It also counters Xie Huanyue to some extent.
She had also trained in a family sword and footwork style, so she wasn't just a mindless brute—overall strength was decent.
However, all three girls had relatively low soul power.
Wang Dong was only level 23—without the cultivation assistance from the original's "Haodong Power," she wasn't even as strong as canon Wang Dong.
Xiao Xiao was even lower at level 22.
They made it this far through high damage output and solid tactics.
But after comparing the two teams, even Huang Tao had concluded they were not a threat.
"Wait… two assault-types? Didn't the rules say a team could only have one?" Huo Yuhao squinted suspiciously.
How had Zhou Yi pulled this off?
Did she climb into Fan Yu's bed? And Fan Yu climb into Yan Shaozhe's?
Wang Dong noticed Huo Yuhao eyeing Lan Yin and immediately stepped in to block his line of sight, glaring fiercely at him.
Lan Yin blushed, touched by Wang Dong's protective stance.
She began daydreaming on the spot.
Xiao Xiao watched jealously from the side.
Indeed, Wang Dong was a natural heartbreaker.
Wang Dong, however, had no idea that instead of being deterred, Huo Yuhao was even more intrigued by her.
A shiver ran down Wang Dong's spine.
"I'm a guy right now, why are you looking at me like that?! Do you swing that way or something?!" Wang Dong screamed internally, her expression growing increasingly weird.
Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, had activated his Qi-Perception Technique to analyze Wang Dong's luck.
Floating above Wang Dong were three luck clouds:
One golden Shrek cloud
One heavy, black Clear Sky Sect cloud
One sea-blue cloud representing the Sea God
The sea-blue cloud gave no outward effect but made Huo Yuhao feel uneasy—it seemed to conceal something. Unfortunately, his skill wasn't strong enough yet to see through it.
The Clear Sky cloud, like the Xuanming Sect's on Xu Sanshi, was active—constantly raining luck down as a buff. But it didn't seem to help with cultivation.
The Shrek cloud was about the same size as Huo Yuhao's own—or perhaps smaller.
At the center was Wang Dong's personal luck—and to Huo Yuhao's surprise, she had three luck projections!
Her twin martial souls: Bright Goddess Butterfly and Clear Sky Hammer, side by side.
The butterfly came first, as it was the one she showed publicly.
Inside the butterfly projection was a golden light spot—indicating special potential.
Above both martial souls was the projection of a Sea God's Trident, faintly showing a figure within it.
"Could that be the divine sense Tang San left inside Wang Dong?" Huo Yuhao speculated.
In the original story, this divine sense was akin to a third martial soul—just like his own future Death Spirit Sacred Law God martial soul.
So technically, Wang Dong had three martial souls!
But this divine sense hadn't fused with her yet. She couldn't use it freely.
Thinking of his own special martial soul, Huo Yuhao thought of Electrolux.
Electrolux remained dormant in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea—never speaking, never acting.
Still, Huo Yuhao was certain—he was awake. And fully aware of Huo Yuhao's actions.
Considering how "pure and innocent" Huo Yuhao had been acting lately, he figured Electrolux had given up on making him his disciple.
Thankfully, Electrolux was now incredibly weak—he could only watch.
When Huo Yuhao's Buddhist and Daoist cultivation reached the next level, he'd be able to deal with Electrolux's divine fragment.
And he already had a plan—
Destroying it or soul-searching would be a waste.
The best way would be to refine it into a spiritual artifact—make it the artifact's spirit.
Once refined, Huo Yuhao could control him, boosting the artifact's power. Even Electrolux wouldn't need to worry about disappearing.
A win-win-win situation.
Returning to Wang Dong—
Her luck surrounding the martial soul projections:
Upper tier was the most concentrated Huo Yuhao had ever seen.
Middle tier was dense but unstable—like a flower in a mirror or moon in the water—always at risk of dispersing.
Lower tier was practically empty—worse than Bei Bei's Sealed Heart, Locked Love. This meant that without change, Wang Dong had no future and could not have descendants.
From this, Huo Yuhao concluded Wang Dong had an "early death omen."
In the original story, this was true—
After all, the one who stayed with Huo Yuhao to the end wasn't Wang Dong, but Tang Wutong.
Lastly, at the bottom of Wang Dong's fate cloud—
There was a similar phantom map of the Douluo Continent as Huo Yuhao's.
But hers was covered in a blue divine light—the Sea God's glow. The trident projection hovered above it.
This indicated that Wang Dong's journey was also tied to the continent—but she was a tool of a certain god-king.
As Huo Yuhao observed her luck, he felt a sudden disturbance above his head—his World Cloud stirred slightly.
As if it were warning him—be careful of Wang Dong!
Though Huo Yuhao was not the world's chosen child, he was treated like one.
Wang Dong, daughter of a god-king, was less favored than an adopted child.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Huo Yuhao murmured internally, then ended the Qi-Perception Technique and looked away.
Unfortunately, his skill wasn't yet high enough to reveal more than surface-level information.
At most, he could use luck trends and original plot knowledge to infer possible outcomes.
He couldn't yet see people's destiny or true futures.