Chapter 162: Is it over? (2300 Words)

Seeing the battle conclude, Yan Shaozhe, hovering in the sky, stroked his beard with satisfaction and announced loudly, "Huo Yuhao wins!"

'Is it over?'

Though a hint of bitterness lingered in Chen Zifeng's smile, he was genuinely convinced at this moment. When he had unleashed his fifth soul skill, "Kill," at close range, Chen Zifeng, who had always relied on his flying sword attacks, finally realized his shortcomings.

Sometimes, holding a sword in your hand is far more effective than controlling a flying one. Indeed, such a long-range glass cannon approach is too extreme.

Chen Zifeng slowly stood up, composed himself, and then offered Huo Yuhao a warm smile. "Brother Huo, may I ask if the attack you just used was imbued with sword intent?"

Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. "Yes, it was sword intent."

Chen Zifeng clasped his hands together solemnly. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Huo. It made me realize my mistakes and showed me the future path of swordsmanship!"

In truth, Chen Zifeng was already highly talented. With his family's inherited Soul-Chasing Sword Art, he had mastered self-created soul skills like sword light and even ventured into the realm of killing intent.

When the Soul-Chasing Sword was unleashed, it not only delivered devastating attacks but also imposed mental oppression, making opponents feel as though they were drowning in a sea of blood and corpses.

It was through this killing intent and his long-range sword control that Chen Zifeng had defeated numerous masters in Shrek Academy's inner courtyard, securing his place here. He had even become one of the top three in combat power and the most lethal in the previous reserve team.

In this era where the Seven Killing Swords had yet to be unveiled, Chen Zifeng was confident that he was the leading figure in contemporary swordsmanship.

(Ji Juechen: I have no objections.)

However, after facing Huo Yuhao's sword intent, Chen Zifeng realized he had been mistaken. He had been like a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the world.

He could see that Huo Yuhao's swordsmanship was still rudimentary, relying more on brute force. Yet, in terms of "intent," Huo Yuhao was far ahead of him.

Awakening to this truth, Chen Zifeng understood that he had been too fixated on the sword itself, neglecting the essence of his martial soul—the sword! His excessive focus on the sword had stifled his progress, and he had almost lost his way. Indeed, having too much talent in one's martial soul can also be a problem.

Huo Yuhao, unaware of the turmoil in Chen Zifeng's heart, simply smiled and dismissed the matter, retreating to the edge of the martial arts field.

If Chen Zifeng could gain something from their battle, Huo Yuhao didn't mind. He hadn't deliberately offered guidance; it was up to others to comprehend what they could from the fight.

Huo Yuhao could wield sword intent, though he relied on the fourth-level Ice Blade Gu. However, it was undeniable that Huo Yuhao himself played a crucial role in its execution.

The Ice Blade Gu, when activated, summoned a massive ice blade with a chance to ignore the defenses of even a Soul Saint. Against lower-level soul masters, each strike would deal true damage and critical hits.

Moreover, the Ice Blade Gu was a core component of Huo Yuhao's ultimate move, "Ice Soul Blade," which rivaled his strongest technique, "Soul Shock Explosion."

As for sword intent, Huo Yuhao had achieved the initial fusion of mental and soul power during his freshman assessment. As his soul power and mental strength grew, this fusion became more refined.

Huo Yuhao had also learned to channel his will into his battle skill, "Judgment," which could now be applied to any physical attack. This self-created soul skill was akin to Moon En's "King of the World."

Any opponent defeated by Huo Yuhao's "Judgment" would also have their confidence shattered, leaving them unwilling to challenge him again. Though Huo Yuhao had never seen "King of the World" in action, his talent had allowed him to carve out his own path.

Huo Yuhao's next goal was to gradually incorporate the origin power of his Spirit Eye or Ice Soul Body martial souls into "Judgment," similar to how Moon En's "King of the World" integrated the light-breaking power of the Holy Dragon of Light to create techniques like "Dragon Emperor Breaking Evil Crack" and "Dragon Emperor Shocking Realm."

This was akin to crossing a river by feeling the stones. By adding the origin power of his martial soul, Huo Yuhao could unleash even greater strength than the combination of soul power, mental power, and will alone.

Of course, this didn't mean "Judgment" was weak. The origin power of a martial soul simply offered greater potency and practical effects. However, mobilizing this origin power wasn't easy. It required a deep understanding and mastery of one's martial soul, typically achievable only by Soul Saints who had unlocked their martial soul's true body.

For someone like Huo Yuhao, who was still at the Soul Ancestor level, controlling this power was challenging, even with his prodigious talent. After all, his two martial souls were body-type, leaving much room for development.

High emotional intelligence: everything.

Low emotional intelligence: nothing is good.

Martial spirits, poisonous insects, soul guides, and even undead magic—there was still much to learn.

After obtaining the Ice Blade Gu, Huo Yuhao had taken a shortcut. The sword intent he had just used was a fusion of mental power, soul power, and the origin power of the Ice Blade Gu.

The essence of Gu worms lies in their Dao marks and fragments, which Huo Yuhao referred to as their origin power. With just a trace of the Ice Blade Gu's origin power, the attack's potency had qualitatively changed, reaching the level of a Soul Emperor!

While the soul power consumption was minimal, the attack's upper and lower limits were incredibly high. Of course, not all Gu worms' origin power was so easily utilized.

Huo Yuhao had achieved this fusion while perfecting his ultimate move, "Ice Soul Sword," thanks to the compatibility of his Ice Soul Body martial soul, his near-tangible spiritual power, and the subtle assistance of the Wisdom Path Gu worm.

…

Although Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao's challenge had concluded, the selection for the Shrek Seven Devils in the upcoming Soul Master Competition was not yet over.

Under Yan Shaozhe's arrangement, Dai Yueheng returned to the arena and decisively eliminated Luo Sheng from the Soul Guidance Department. Chen Zifeng also defeated Yao Haoxuan, securing his spot.

Yan Shaozhe declared loudly, "I announce that the selection for this Soul Master Competition is now complete! Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Gong Yangmo, Ling Luochen, and Xixi—the seven of you will represent Shrek Academy as the Shrek Seven Monsters in the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament!"

The inner courtyard students present applauded and congratulated the seven selected members. Only Luo Sheng remained disheartened. Though he had anticipated this outcome, the reality still stung.

Failing to represent Shrek Academy in the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament was not only a personal blow but also a significant loss of face for the Soul Guidance Department.

Yan Shaozhe sent a message to console Yao Haoxuan but paid little attention to Luo Sheng. Comforting the Soul Guidance Department's students was Qian Duoduo's responsibility, not his.

Moreover, Dai Yueheng's elimination of Luo Sheng was fair and within the rules. Even Yao Haoxuan had been defeated, so Luo Sheng's loss was hardly surprising.

Looking at Huo Yuhao and the other six, Yan Shaozhe felt a surge of excitement. This lineup was solid! Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament was as good as won—the championship was already within Shrek's grasp!

Soul tools were merely tools for cheating money; in the end, it was the martial soul system that truly mattered. After all, martial arts were the foundation of Shrek's dominance on the continent, and they remained the undisputed number one!

[Achievement Triggered!]

[Achieved Yan Shaozhe's "Selecting Students for the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament" achievement. Reward: Golden Glow Gu.]

[Golden Glow Gu: A Level 4 Gu that generates golden light to increase the soul master's movement speed.]

[Evaluation: Golden glitter!]

…

That night, Yan Shaozhe brought Huo Yuhao to the Sea God Pavilion. Facing the pavilion, Yan Shaozhe bowed and said, "Teacher, Yuhao is here."

"Let him in," an old voice echoed from within.

Yan Shaozhe nodded to Huo Yuhao, who then entered the first floor of the Sea God Pavilion. The spacious hall was simple, with only a long table and a man lying on a recliner at the far end.

Due to the angle, Huo Yuhao couldn't see the man clearly, but he knew it was none other than Shrek Academy's strongest, the Level 99 Dragon God Douluo, Mu En.

At this moment, Skydream and the Ice Empress in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea were alarmed but remained silent, fearing detection by this immensely powerful figure.

Huo Yuhao's heart was calm. As the master of the Ice Soul Body, he could perfectly control his emotions. However, he still feigned excitement. After all, meeting the Ultimate Douluo required some display of awe.

"Junior Huo Yuhao pays his respects to Senior," Huo Yuhao said respectfully.

Mu En waved his hand. "Don't be nervous, come here, child."

Huo Yuhao walked around the long table and saw a familiar face. "You're the old man who guards the dormitory gate?"

Appropriate shock.

Though Huo Yuhao hadn't deliberately sought to gain Mu En's favor when he first entered the academy a year ago, he still recognized him. In truth, Mu En had never hidden his identity.

"Yes, I am the old man who guards the dormitory gate, but I am also Shaozhe's teacher and the master of the Sea God Pavilion. You may call me Mr. Mu."

"Hello, Senior," Huo Yuhao nodded.

Mu En smiled gently. "Yuhao, I noticed your strength when you first entered the freshman dormitory. Later, during your battle with Wang Dong'er, I saw your second martial soul, Ice Jade Scorpion Empress. Twin martial souls, with one being the Ultimate Ice—I never thought such a unique individual would appear on the continent."

"It's just a fluke," Huo Yuhao replied modestly.

Mu En, like an elderly man at dusk, pushed himself up from the recliner with some effort. A golden light flashed in his eyes as he sighed, "You are truly the most special child I have ever seen..."

Mu En could sense Huo Yuhao's exceptionally strong life force, far exceeding the normal fluctuations of a Soul Ancestor's soul power and mental power. Though it seemed unreasonable, to Mu En, it made sense. After all, Huo Yuhao was a genius far beyond ordinary people, with unprecedented talent.

Yet, despite his immense talent, Huo Yuhao remained humble in his interactions, displaying a perfect character that was truly remarkable.

After a brief silence, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "What does Senior Mu wish to discuss with me?"

"Last time I saw you in the Sea God Pavilion, you seemed a bit lost. But now, you appear to have found your own answer."

Mu En's response seemed off-topic, but Huo Yuhao understood. Just like the last time outside the Sea God Pavilion, when Huo Yuhao had met Zhang Lexuan after receiving a gift from Mu En and practicing to awaken, she had told him, "You need to find your own will first!"

Back then, Huo Yuhao hadn't fully grasped her meaning. But now, things were different. The Huo Yuhao of today was no longer the same as before.

Mu En spoke solemnly, "Yuhao, what is your will?"

Huo Yuhao didn't reply, for this question couldn't be answered with words. With his Spirit Eye martial soul, Huo Yuhao's mental and soul power merged with his will.

Judgment!

It was both domineering and kingly!

Upright and righteous!

This was Huo Yuhao's ambition to rival the gods, the same grand ambition he had held as the Qing Emperor.

How do you truly know someone?

Mu En said it was simple: understand their meaning!

Mu En's body erupted with a brilliant golden light, dominating the entire hall. The will of Judgment that had enveloped the space was now blocked by the sudden surge of golden light. Purple and gold clashed, each occupying half of the hall.

In this collision of wills, Mu En once again confirmed Huo Yuhao's character. Though slightly different from the previous judgment of kindness, unity, and friendship, Huo Yuhao's will now displayed more confidence, pride, and a pursuit of strength—a kingly and domineering will!

But that was fine. This was normal. Wasn't the path of a soul master the pursuit of power? Confidence and pride were the hallmarks of a genius! Mu En had even been worried that Huo Yuhao was too passive before, but now he was reassured.

As long as Huo Yuhao was human and his lineage wasn't from the Sun Moon Empire, that was enough. Under these two conditions, everything else was secondary.

However, though Huo Yuhao was immensely talented, Mu En felt that his will of Judgment was still too superficial.

Mu En said, "The use of 'King of the World' is only the most basic method. Now, let me give you your first lesson on what a true self-created soul skill is!"

[Achievement Triggered!]

[Achieved Mu En's "Will" achievement. Reward: Tianyuan Treasure Lotus Gu.]

[Tian Yuan Treasure Lotus: A Level 4 Gu, an advanced form of the Level 3 Tianyuan Treasure Lotus Gu. It accelerates the soul master's soul power recovery and produces Yuan Stones that enhance training speed.]

[Evaluation: Mobile spring water plus!]

…

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