Chapter 167: Fire Immunity? Ye Hao is Not Tang San—Yu Xiaogang Flees in Panic

"Xiaogang, Xiao San and the others are in danger." Flender said gravely, his heart filled with deep worry.

A long time had passed, yet there was no movement from within the mist. This left Flender, as the academy's dean, deeply anxious.

After all, he had just begun to see hope—Tang San had reached the Soul King level, which made Flender ecstatic. If they continued progressing at this rate, the championship would surely belong to Shrek Academy. By then…

(The above is purely Flender's wishful thinking. Please do not take it as fact.)

Grandmaster sighed lightly but remained confident. "Don't worry, I believe in Xiao San. The technique used by Canghui Academy is not a Seven-in-One Fusion Skill. I trust that Xiaosan and the others will turn the tide. Let's wait patiently for a miracle to happen."

Inside the Mist, the seven members of Canghui Academy grinned wickedly. Their eerie smiles gave off an unsettling, bone-chilling aura.

"Your illusion technique is nothing special—it's even worse than Shi Nian's." Tang San slowly stepped forward, speaking with disdain.

Hearing this, all seven members of Canghui Academy shuddered. Their captain hesitantly pointed at Tang San.

"Teacher Shi Nian? Did… did you kill him?"

Instead of losing patience at their question, Tang San calmly replied, "Shi Nian is dead."

This simple statement sent the Canghui Academy members into utter chaos.

"How dare you kill Teacher Shi Nian?! Do you know what you've done? This is the tournament stage—who gave you the courage?!"

Tang San sneered, "He tried to kill me. I simply returned the favor—it was only natural."

"Tang San, just wait! Once this tournament ends, we'll report you to the tournament committee! We'll make sure Shrek Academy is disqualified!" The members of Canghui Academy swore to expose Tang San's actions.

Tang San, however, remained indifferent. He chuckled and asked, "Do you think you'll live to make that report?"

The seven hesitated, instinctively stepping back. From Tang San, they could sense a terrifying killing intent.

In the next moment, a dark glow flashed from Tang San's left hand—his Clear Sky Hammer, now adorned with four soul rings, appeared in his grasp.

At this sight, the hearts of the Canghui Academy members sank.

Ye Hao shook his head. The outcome of this match was already clear.

Canghui Academy's "Seven Shura Illusion Realm" was indeed formidable—but Tang San possessed the Purple Demon Eyes.

Just days ago, after absorbing a soul ring for his second martial soul, Tang San had nearly exploded from the power surge. Fortunately, Tang Hao arrived in time, using his own soul power to stabilize him. As a result, Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes advanced to the "Micro" stage, making him completely immune to Canghui Academy's illusions. Compared to Shi Nian, these opponents were far too inexperienced.

In the shadows, Zhu'er—who had been quietly observing the battle—retracted her gaze. She then calmly opened a book and resumed reading in a secluded corner.

Such a boring battle…

Seeing this, Ye Hao also lost interest.

Tang San's current strength was formidable—especially after enhancing his Clear Sky Hammer with soul rings and learning the Clear Sky Hammer techniques from Tang Hao. He had become the tournament's biggest wildcard.

Ye Hao would have to take him seriously…

After a while, the mist on the battlefield began to fade. Tens of thousands of spectators stretched their necks in curiosity.

As the scene became visible, the entire audience was stunned.

Both Canghui Academy and Shrek Academy lay collapsed on the ground!

But there was a stark difference—Canghui Academy's members were bruised and battered, while Shrek Academy's members were completely unharmed, showing no signs of having fought a battle.

Instantly, murmurs and speculation filled the arena.

"A draw?" Emperor Xue Ye was momentarily stunned. Clearly, even he was unsure of what had just happened.

Sitting nearby, Ning Fengzhi also furrowed his brows. He had a feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed. Something was off.

Seeing both teams unconscious, the referee had no choice but to announce:

"This match is declared a draw."

Immediately after, staff members entered the stage, dragging away the fallen contestants. They swiftly cleared the battlefield in preparation for the next match.

While a draw was not unheard of in tournament history, a match ending so abruptly and confusingly was rare.

Many spectators felt unsatisfied, loudly complaining about the anticlimactic result.

"What?! Tang San actually added soul rings to his second martial soul?!"

During the tournament break, Zhu'er privately met with Xue Qinghe in an empty room.

"Are you sure this information is accurate?" Xue Qinghe asked again, his tone serious.

Zhu'er nodded. "The information is clear. Just now, I shared the 'Death God's Heart' with my master and confirmed it. Tang San has indeed added four soul rings to the Clear Sky Hammer—two yellow, two purple. That is why he reached the Soul King level so quickly."

"Because of Canghui Academy's illusion abilities, the match's visibility was low. That's why my master asked me to inform you in private."

"I see…" Xue Qinghe suddenly understood. "No wonder Tang San reached Soul King level so fast—it was because of this shortcut."

He chuckled. "Tang San has completely ruined his Twin Martial Souls. He could have configured his second martial soul with all ten-thousand-year soul rings, but just to gain an edge in this tournament, he recklessly added rings to his Clear Sky Hammer.

"Once Xiao Hao becomes a Titled Douluo, comparing them will be simple—Tang San will be far weaker."

"No," Xue Qinghe corrected himself, "At this rate, Shrek Academy has a high chance of making it to the elimination rounds. But I doubt Tang San will survive beyond that."

He smirked. "Thank you, Zhu'er, for bringing me this information."

Zhu'er nodded indifferently. "No need for thanks. I have completed my master's orders. I'll be leaving now."

With that, she turned and left, her book tucked under her arm.

After watching her leave, Xue Qinghe stood still for a moment. Then, he turned in the opposite direction, heading toward the VIP seating area.

"Tang San… Tang San… You're a major obstacle. To win this tournament, you were even willing to discard your Twin Martial Souls."

"But once the elimination rounds end—that will be the day of your demise."

His eyes flashed with killing intent.

Tang San was an obstacle.

Tang Hao was an even bigger obstacle.

Both father and son needed to die.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy Second Team vs. Blazing Academy.

The audience clapped halfheartedly—clearly, there was little enthusiasm for this matchup.

This Wasn't Their Fault—They Just Missed Ye Hao

It wasn't entirely their fault. Ever since Ye Hao had been absent from the second team's battles in recent days, things had felt… different. Although Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's Second Team still managed to win without him, something was missing.

Without Ye Hao, the matches lacked excitement. The team lacked passion.

Just then, amidst the tens of thousands of spectators, one pair of eyes suddenly lit up.

"Look! That man is back!"

Like a stone thrown into a still lake, that single exclamation stirred waves among the crowd.

Tens of thousands of eyes turned in unison toward the battlefield, following the direction of the voice.

And there he was—among the seven members of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's Second Team—a man they had long yearned to see once more.

"Ye… Ye… Ye…"

"Ye what?"

"Ye Hao is back!"

"Who?"

"Ye Hao."

"What Hao?"

"Ye Hao."

"Ye what?"

"YE HAO!!!"

"WHO???"

"FOR F'S SAKE!!!"*

In an instant, the atmosphere reached its peak.

Nearby, Dugu Yan shot Ye Hao a teasing glance. "Didn't know you were this famous."

Ye Hao shrugged casually. "Maybe they just missed me."

With that, both teams took their positions. The battle was about to begin!

Across from them, Huo Wu sneered, her arms crossed in an arrogant stance.

"Ye Hao, I assume you saw our last match against Shrek Academy. If you know what's good for you, surrender now. Otherwise, you'll be the next Shrek Academy!"

Huo Wu's recent winning streak had clearly gone to her head.

As she spoke, she shot a glance at the stands, where Tang San and the rest of Shrek Academy were watching the match unfold.

The sight of Huo Wu's smug expression made Ma Hongjun and the others clench their fists in fury, their faces turning red with suppressed anger. They wished they could jump into the arena right now and settle the score with Blazing Academy.

But Ye Hao? He remained utterly indifferent.

To him, Blazing Academy wasn't even worth considering.

With a single raised brow, he glanced at them with a mocking smirk.

"Is that it?"

His disdainful gaze swept over the seven members of Blazing Academy.

"You—!" Huo Wu's expression twisted in anger. "How dare you look down on us?!"

Ye Hao lazily waved a finger and shook his head. "No, no, no…" He chuckled.

"It's not that I look down on you. I look down on all of you."

The moment those words fell, Blazing Academy's seven members erupted in fury.

Their eyes burned with rage, and the temperature on the Soul Battle Arena visibly rose.

In the stands, Ma Hongjun scoffed.

"Tch, Ye Hao is way too arrogant. Doesn't he realize Blazing Academy could just burn him to ashes?"

"Exactly!" Tai Long chimed in. "I still remember how badly we got burned by Blazing Academy… just thinking about it makes me shudder. But this time, our Third Brother is a Soul King now! Next time we fight Blazing Academy, he'll beat them into the ground! Right, Third Brother?"

Silence.

Tai Long turned his head. Tang San was completely ignoring him.

His gaze was locked onto the battlefield, watching Ye Hao's every move.

In the previous match against Canghui Academy, Dai Mubai and the others had fallen unconscious, but Tang San had used Purple Demon Eyes to see through the illusions and defeat them.

Now, he chose to stay behind and observe Ye Hao carefully.

That earlier "unconsciousness" had just been an act.

If everyone collapsed except for him, wouldn't that make him the prime suspect?

Nearly everyone suspected that Tang San had uncovered something during that fight.

Now, Canghui Academy's seven members had suffered mental backlash from their own illusions, rendering them complete idiots. Tang San's secret remained safe.

If not for the tournament's strict rules, those seven would already be dead.

Just like Shi Nian.

In other words, the tournament's rules had saved them.

Tang San clenched his fists tightly, gripping the metal railing.

His eyes burned with undisguised killing intent.

"Ye Hao…"

Down in the arena, Ye Hao instinctively glanced toward Tang San's location.

This bastard… was watching him.

Now, Tang San had reached Soul King level—same as Ye Hao.

And the tournament was far from over.

Who knew? They might cross paths soon…

"I am not Shrek Academy's group of useless drunks!" Ye Hao suddenly shouted.

"Everyone, tell me—AM I RIGHT?!"

His voice boomed across the arena, reaching the ears of tens of thousands of spectators.

And the response?

"YES, YES, YES!!!" ×N

A thunderous roar of agreement erupted from the crowd.

Their faces turned red with excitement, their cheers shook the stadium, and their enthusiasm sent waves of humiliation toward Tang San and the others.

On the Shrek Academy side, their expressions darkened.

Just like Blazing Academy, their eyes burned with rage.

In the VIP section, Grandmaster and Flender were fuming.

They had never imagined Ye Hao would have such a strong influence.

"Damn it!" Flender clenched his fists, his eyes turning bloodshot.

He was still the dean of Shrek Academy! How dare this brat humiliate them?!

Even Grandmaster, usually composed, was filled with rage.

But since they were at a tournament, they could do nothing but endure it.

Both men sat there, their faces grim, no longer in the mood to watch the match.

Just as they were about to stand up and leave, a booming voice suddenly rang out.

"HEY! LOOK! IT'S SHREK ACADEMY'S DEAN… AND THAT USELESS GRANDMASTER!"

Instantly, every single pair of eyes in the stadium turned toward Flender and Grandmaster.

A chill ran down their spines.

They could feel the weight of tens of thousands of judgmental glares on them.

Cold sweat dripped down Flender's forehead, and Grandmaster instinctively swallowed hard, his body trembling.

Neither dared to even breathe too loudly.

After an awkward silence, Flender forced an awkward cough and put on a pleasing smile.

"Ahem! Uh, hello, everyone! I'm Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy!" He chuckled nervously.

"I'm sure you all saw our match against Canghui Academy. That boy, Tang San, is our proudest student! Our Shrek Academy has an excellent training system, top-notch facilities, and many elite teachers!"

"I guarantee that if you send your children to Shrek Academy, in just a few years, they'll become outstanding Soul Masters, just like Tang San—the brightest star in the Soul Master world!"

Flender barely finished his speech before—

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A rain of white projectiles flew straight toward his face.

Instinctively, Flender dodged.

But Grandmaster wasn't so lucky.

SPLAT!

A rain of rotten eggs smashed against his face, instantly drenching him in a putrid stench.

Grandmaster's entire body reeked, and he barely managed to hold back his nausea. Gritting his teeth in anger, he shot Flender a resentful glare.

"They were aiming at YOU! Why the hell did YOU dodge?!"

Flender looked at Grandmaster with deep sympathy, opening his mouth to say something—

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!

Before he could, he too was hit.

His face and clothes were suddenly covered in the blackened egg liquid, dripping down in disgusting streaks.

Realizing things were going south fast, the two immediately bolted, with Flender dragging Grandmaster as they fled.

.....

"Hey, did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The seven members of Canghui Academy all turned into idiots!"

"What?! How does a group of normal people suddenly become idiots? What about Shrek Academy's team?"

"Oh, Shrek's team? They're totally fine—just unconscious. But think about it—there's a rule in this tournament that forbids killing. If you ask me, this has 'Shrek Academy' written all over it! Otherwise, how else would Canghui's seven members turn into complete morons?"

One person spread it to ten, ten spread it to a hundred—never underestimate the power of public gossip.

By the time the story reached the nobles, it had already been twisted beyond recognition.

Seated in the VIP section, Emperor Xue Ye frowned deeply.

"What? Is this true?"

A tournament official stepped forward and answered solemnly, "Yes, Your Majesty. The seven students from Canghui Academy have all suffered severe mental damage."

Everyone clearly heard those words.

Even Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, couldn't help but doubt Shrek Academy after hearing this.

No one truly knew what happened in that fight.

Why was Shrek Academy completely fine… but Canghui Academy's seven members turned into idiots?

Emperor Xue Ye slammed his armrest in fury.

"Investigate immediately! I want the truth!"

He turned to Prince Xue Xing. "Xue Xing, you are in charge of this matter. Additionally, I ask Bishop Salas and Sect Master Ning to oversee the investigation as witnesses."

With the Emperor's decree, Bishop Salas and Ning Fengzhi could only nod in agreement.

Without delay, the three of them left for Shrek Academy's resting area—the battle had too many suspicious details to ignore.

Meanwhile, Flender and Grandmaster barely managed to flee back to Shrek's resting area, panting and disheveled.

To their surprise, it was even more crowded than they had expected.

On the Soul Battle Arena, Ye Hao glanced at the fleeing figures of Flender and Grandmaster.

Scratching his head awkwardly, he muttered, "I was just testing the waters… I didn't think my influence was this strong."

With this incident, Shrek Academy's reputation had hit rock bottom.

Huo Wu had witnessed Ye Hao's overwhelming influence firsthand and immediately shut her mouth.

She was now extra cautious, fearing Ye Hao might ruin Blazing Academy's reputation too—they were a prestigious academy, after all.

All fourteen competitors unleashed their martial souls simultaneously.

Blazing Academy's students didn't waste their breath. They weren't going to beat Ye Hao with words—but with power.

Ye Hao was their biggest threat and the core of Heaven Dou's Second Team—he had to be eliminated.

Huo Wu and her brother locked eyes, instantly understanding each other's plan.

Their entire team coordinated, using their flames to trap the other six members of Heaven Dou's Second Team inside a fire cage—separating Ye Hao from his teammates.

A towering fire wall surrounded them, scorching the air with intense heat, and distorting the very atmosphere.

It was the same strategy they used against Shrek Academy.

Seven vs. One.

If they took down Ye Hao, the rest of his team would collapse on their own.

Ye Hao's Response? Pure Mockery.

Ye Hao smirked as he casually looked around at the flames surrounding him.

Then, in front of everyone, he raised his middle finger and mocked his opponents with a taunting grin.

All seven of Blazing Academy's members turned grim, their faces dark with fury.

They had been completely provoked.

"Ye Hao! Prepare to end up like Tang San!" Huo Wu snorted coldly.

A massive fireball condensed in her palm, its temperature so intense that waves of heat rippled outward.

At the same time, the other six members of Blazing Academy also gathered flaming attacks, preparing to execute the same strategy they used against Tang San—trapping him inside a firestorm.

Seated in the audience, Tang San clenched his teeth hard.

He hated that Huo Wu had just brought up his past humiliation.

But at the same time—

He was secretly thrilled to see Ye Hao struggling in the flames.