Chapter 126: Meng Hongchen: I've Met My Match!
The next day.
Because the news had been released earlier, coupled with Jing Hongchen's endorsement and promotion, the training ground of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy was packed with people.
Huo Yuhao, Sun Moon Empire's top genius, would openly challenge the academy's elite geniuses in a Soul Battle without using Soul Guidance Devices. The winner would not only gain honor but also receive abundant resource rewards.
Although there were many restrictions and it was explicitly stated that casualties might occur during the battle, it still didn't extinguish the 'flame' in everyone's hearts. Many were eager to try.
Students from the first to sixth grades of the teaching department, and even many from the research department, came to watch the competition. This was Huo Yuhao's influence now.
He was not only the top genius officially recognized by the Sun Moon Empire but also the champion of the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament. Many fantasized that if they could defeat him, they would surely gain attention from the higher-ups, which would bring unimaginable benefits to their future development.
The referee for the battle was the familiar Xuan Ziwen, Huo Yuhao's senior disciple brother, who was dedicated to his own Soul Guidance Device research. Today, he decided to lend a hand to his junior disciple brother.
As for the host, it was Lin Jiayi. He could handle such occasions, ensuring that while there was a spar, no real casualties would occur.
The audience in the training ground numbered about twenty to thirty thousand, which was quite exaggerated. Basically, the entire academy's teaching department and most of the research department students came to join the fun.
As for the challengers, the number was limited to ten in the morning. While ensuring their strength, they were personally selected by the teachers of the fifth and sixth grades to participate.
Jing Hongchen guaranteed that if a challenger won, not only would they receive massive rewards, but their class teacher or guiding professor would also receive considerable compensation.
In the stands, although Huo Yuhao had not yet appeared, the tens of thousands of spectators were already discussing animatedly.
"Huo Yuhao, tsk tsk tsk, our Sun Moon Empire's top genius. If I weren't limited by my strength, I'd really want to challenge him."
"Stop bragging. His title as the top genius was earned through solid achievements. Can you break the Empire's Soul Engineer record and win the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament? Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue with such big talk?"
"Speaking of which, many senior students who haven't entered Illustrious Virtue Hall yet are preparing to participate, including many sixth-rank Soul Engineers. Can Huo Yuhao really win?"
"That's true, but I'm not worried about his strength. It's just that this is a rotating challenge. The rules state that Huo Yuhao must accept ten challengers every day, which doesn't give him enough time to recover his condition."
"It is a bit unfair. This is a wheel battle, meaning Huo Yuhao has to fight ten people in turn. The pressure is too great."
"But if he can really persevere, he will leave another indelible mark on the academy's honor wall."
"Xiao Hongchen seems to have opened a betting pool. Many people are betting that Huo Yuhao won't win ten matches. Should we place a bet?"
"Who? Xiao Hongchen?"
"Then I'm definitely playing. With his odds, just do the opposite!"
"..."
In the front row of the viewing area, Xiao Hongchen's hands were almost cramping from collecting money. Ma Rulong and the others had been pulled over by him to be free labor.
He naturally heard everyone's discussions, and "do the opposite"?
'A bunch of scoundrels! This time, I'm betting on Yuhao winning ten consecutive matches, and it will be like this every day after. You just wait until I win all your gold coins.'
'This isn't Shrek. This time, the winner takes all. I, Xiao Hongchen, will definitely get rich overnight and drain you all dry.'
Ma Rulong and the others also bet on Huo Yuhao winning ten consecutive matches, each placing tens or hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Are you kidding? They aren't going to fight now. As brothers who fought together, no one knows better than them how overpowered Huo Yuhao is.
Opening a betting pool in such a battle and betting on Huo Yuhao to win—what's the difference from picking up money for free?
This is the bond of brothers who fought side by side!
Behind them, Meng Hongchen helplessly covered her forehead, somewhat embarrassed to look at her elder brother.
The Hongchen family isn't short of money, and she didn't know why her elder brother was so interested in such things. However, seeing that the bets had already exceeded ten million gold coins, Meng Hongchen felt it was necessary to place a bet too. Who wouldn't want more money?
But before acting, she still looked at the graceful figure beside her and said haughtily,
"Hey, Gu Yuena, do you think Yuhao can win ten matches?"
After becoming a disciple yesterday, Jing Hongchen had introduced Gu Yuena, his disciple, to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen always felt a bit strange about this person who suddenly appeared and claimed to be Huo Yuhao's good friend. She had never heard of Yuhao knowing anyone else at the academy, had she?
How did this person just pop up?
Also, she felt that Gu Yuena's gaze towards Huo Yuhao was off. This feeling came from a woman's sixth sense. Moreover, she thought Gu Yuena's talent was truly strong and that she was very beautiful. She had to admit that, to some extent, she was already a threat to herself.
Fortunately, she knew Yuhao earlier; otherwise, she would really be outdone by this person.
"He will win. This kind of game isn't really necessary. I don't know why he's doing these boring things."
Gu Yuena's voice was clear and cold. She found the person beside her, who inexplicably showed some hostility, strangely perplexing.
Meng Hongchen immediately became indignant, "What do you mean by 'boring things'? Yuhao is doing this to become stronger. You idiot! And this is a life-and-death battle, very dangerous, not a game!"
Become stronger?
Gu Yuena didn't refute, as she felt it was difficult to find common ground with others on some matters. What benefits could a strong person like Huo Yuhao gain from such a childish game?
However, she wasn't surprised, only thinking that this was Huo Yuhao's disguise. Only she knew his true identity.
As for Meng Hongchen calling her an idiot, she didn't care. Huo Yuhao had taught her many things in the past few days. Now, she was not the Silver Dragon King, the co-lord of Soul Beasts, but merely a human Soul Master.
She already understood Meng Hongchen's personality; there was no malice. Xiao Hongchen was her elder brother, and he also called her an idiot. They were unintentional words, so there was no need to care.
Seeing Gu Yuena stop talking, Meng Hongchen immediately pouted. This person was even more arrogant than herself. She had truly met her match.
Her grandfather even told her to get along well with her, but this person seemed indifferent to everyone except Yuhao. What was her background?
On the other side,
Ju Zi, Xu Tianzhen, and Ke Ke also arrived at the scene.
"Wow, taking on the entire academy alone! Huo Yuhao is too arrogant!"
Although Xu Tianzhen said that, she inexplicably felt that such an act was really cool.
Before, she only knew that Huo Yuhao was the Sun Moon Empire's top genius, and he had appeared very gentle and refined during their last meeting. She hadn't expected him to be so exaggerated in person! How confident must he be in his own strength to make such a decision?
Could this be a contrast, and Huo Yuhao actually had a wild heart?
She even felt that her previous acts of being spoiled and domineering weren't even worthy of carrying Huo Yuhao's shoes. No wonder that scoundrel Xiao Hongchen, such an arrogant person, admired Huo Yuhao so much.
"If he really does it, then he will be the undisputed number one among the young generation of the Sun Moon Empire!"
Ju Zi adjusted her glasses, her gaze on the heated arena, her expression complex.
If this battle truly ended with Huo Yuhao's continuous victories, then Huo Yuhao's prestige among the younger generation would be unprecedented.
This was a very terrifying thing, because once this generation grew up, everyone would have an insurmountable mountain in their hearts: Huo Yuhao's shadow.
Coupled with the fact that most students in Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy were descendants of nobles, and Huo Yuhao himself had the backing of the Worship Hall and Illustrious Virtue Hall, if he rallied them, hiss~
She really didn't want to continue imagining it. Now she somewhat understood why Crown Prince Xu Tianran was so willing to win over Huo Yuhao. He had an infinite future.
In the future, he would surely be one of the people who could determine the fate of the Empire!
—
End of Chapter