Upon hearing Wang Dong's provocation, Huo Yuhao lowered his head and glanced at the Ice-Wrist Bracer on his arm.
He looked at the crack near the front, left behind by the Clear Sky Hammer, and couldn't help but marvel at the weapon's terrifying offensive power.
To think that just one soul ring could leave a mark on a Level 7 soul tool...
But soon, Huo Yuhao regained his composure. He looked straight at Wang Dong and said calmly, "Since you insist—then I'll show you what I can do without using soul tools."
Wang Dong's expression grew more serious. Huo Yuhao only had two soul rings, but something in his tone hinted at something ominous.
I can't afford to underestimate this guy.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his Ice-Wrist Bracer. One white and one purple soul ring quietly rose at his feet—undisguised, natural soul rings.
Such a poor configuration immediately drew disdainful gazes from those watching on the side of the three former Douluo Continent nations.
With talent like that, he's competing in this tournament?
Even Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire furrowed his brow and turned to Dai Hao. "Minister Dai, what is the Sun Moon Empire playing at? Sending a two-ringed Soul Master into a tournament match—and with a ten-year soul ring at that?"
Dai Hao's expression was deep and unreadable. He shook his head. "Your Majesty, I wouldn't draw conclusions so hastily. This young man has fought my son before—he is not to be underestimated. Furthermore, he is a certified Level 3 Soul Engineer."
Hearing this, Emperor Xu Jiawei leaned forward slightly and got a better look at Huo Yuhao.
"So… a genius, then?" he asked, blinking.
"At the very least, not a mediocrity," Dai Hao replied.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao had not yet activated his Spirit Eye martial soul. Instead, he slowly raised his hand to his forehead. There, a vertical golden line lit up at the center.
Then, a radiant third eye opened on his brow, surrounded by golden-green energy markings.
With the appearance of this eye, the entire atmosphere around Huo Yuhao shifted—he became someone people found hard to even look at directly.
"That is…"
The members of the Sun Moon team watching from below were all shocked. No one had expected Huo Yuhao to grow a third eye. What was going on? Had his martial soul mutated again?
Only Jiang Shengyu understood—this was the Eye of Life, born from the purified Spirit of Life refined through the Soul-Devouring Blade. It wasn't an evolution of his Spirit Eye—it was something entirely different.
Jiang Shengyu had thought Huo Yuhao would need a few more days to develop this technique. He hadn't expected that after acquiring the Soul-Devouring Blade just yesterday, Electrolux would help him open the Eye of Life that very night.
On the stage, Wang Dong didn't wait. The moment the third eye appeared, he launched his attack. But the Eye of Life unleashed a beam of light that disintegrated both his Butterfly Goddess Slash and Winged Side Blades, directly striking his body.
Wang Dong felt himself engulfed by a warm, life-filled energy. His consciousness immediately blurred. In a split second, he staggered backward to the edge of the platform. When he snapped out of it, he realized he was just one step away from falling off.
And Huo Yuhao wasn't done yet. From his Eye of Life, another gray beam shot forth—filled with divine purity, yet also an unfathomable sense of confusion and fear for those it targeted.
This beam entered Wang Dong's mind before he could react—just as it had when used against Dai Huabin.
But then—something went wrong.
Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly widened as if he had glimpsed something utterly terrifying. In his spiritual sea, Electrolux muttered, "Not good!" and immediately severed the connection between Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
Even so, in that split second, the backlash sent torrential waves through Huo Yuhao's spirit sea!
Both contestants collapsed off the stage.
After they hit the ground, both Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were unconscious.
Gu Lingjun rushed forward to retrieve the unconscious Huo Yuhao. On the other side, Wang Yan, Beibei, and the others hurriedly carried Wang Dong back.
"Dean Gu, how is he?" Xiao Hongchen and Jiang Shengyu both asked, frowning.
Gu Lingjun examined Huo Yuhao carefully and found no visible injuries. There could only be one explanation.
"His spirit was attacked. I suspect he suffered backlash while using the same spiritual-type soul skill on Wang Dong as he did on Dai Huabin. That Shrek Academy student likely has some kind of mental restriction or seal placed on him."
Xiao Hongchen narrowed his eyes and looked toward the Shrek Academy rest area with guilt. "That intense? If I'd known, I wouldn't have let Yuhao give it his all. He could've just gone up and put on a show—we've got people to back him up anyway…"
Jiang Shengyu patted Xiao Hongchen's shoulder, comforting him. "This isn't your fault. Who would've expected Wang Dong to have a mental seal hidden in his mind?"
Even he had overlooked this possibility.
Inside Huo Yuhao's spirit sea, Electrolux, Skydream Iceworm, and the Ice Empress gathered. The Ice Empress still wore an expression of alarm and awe. "What the hell just happened? What kind of terrifying aura was in that boy's spiritual sea?"
Electrolux's tone was calm. "If I'm not mistaken… that wasn't a man-made seal."
"Not man-made?" Skydream and the Ice Empress exchanged glances, both seeing deep shock in each other's eyes.
Electrolux continued, "Fortunately, the entity behind it can't interfere directly in this world. It can only act through that girl—Wang Dong—as an anchor point for its influence."
Skydream blurted, "What about Yuhao? Is he alright?"
"Don't worry—he just needs a nap." Electrolux reassured him. The seal's power might be of a higher order, but it wasn't overwhelmingly strong, and Electrolux had acted quickly. Huo Yuhao hadn't suffered any lasting damage.
Hearing this, both Skydream and the Ice Empress breathed a sigh of relief. Once the initial shock passed, only one emotion remained in their hearts:
Excitement.
A god…
There really was a god in this world!
That feeling they had sensed ten thousand years ago—it hadn't been an illusion!
Outside the spiritual sea, Jiang Shengyu had already stepped onto the stage. His gaze fell upon the Shrek Academy rest area.
Wang Yan anxiously instructed a hired medic to check on Wang Dong's condition, but the physician couldn't find anything conclusive. In the end, it was Xuanzi who suddenly arrived and confirmed that Wang Dong was fine, finally putting the others at ease.
Unbelievable—fighting in a major tournament, and they don't even have their own medical team.
Wang Yan looked up at Jiang Shengyu, who stood confidently on the platform, and then toward Jiang Nannan, who was about to take the field next—his brow furrowed tightly.
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