Chapter 179: Bring him to the Sun Moon Empire

"Ye Wuqing."

"Huo Yuhao."

The two calmly introduced themselves before the battle resumed.

Ye Wuqing was tall and well-built, though not particularly handsome. His most striking feature was his expressionless face—as if nothing around him could sway his emotions.

A golden glint flashed in Ye Wuqing's eyes as a slender leaf materialized before him. He raised his left hand, index and middle fingers pressed together, and plucked the golden leaf from the air.

Two yellow, two purple, and one black—five soul rings, the optimal configuration—instantly appeared around him. The overwhelming aura of a rank-58 Soul King swept across the arena.

Now in combat mode, his gaze turned icy, as if the team about to be crushed by Shrek wasn't his own, Zhengtian Academy.

Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, had already activated his Spirit Eyes.

Though only a Soul Ancestor, his presence was even more imposing. With ease, he shattered Ye Wuqing's probing pressure and countered.

The battle was about to begin.

The spectators from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy watched Huo Yuhao intently. They had to observe Shrek carefully, gather intelligence, and devise a strategy to counter them.

Originally, as Shrek's vice-captain, Huo Yuhao had been on their radar—but not as a top priority. Their main concerns were still Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, the Soul Emperors.

Talent was just talent, after all.

Huo Yuhao was merely the most noteworthy opponent for the next tournament. The future belonged to him, but this was still the stage of the older generation.

After all, soul power disparity was too significant a factor.

But now, with the combat prowess Huo Yuhao had displayed—those bizarre soul skills, that near-flawless one-versus-seven domination—Sun Moon Academy had no choice but to treat him as a serious threat.

Their plans had to change.

Though Zhengtian Academy had abandoned soul tools like worn-out shoes, and though they'd been humiliated by Sun Moon in the last tournament, this year's team was no pushover.

Their three Soul Kings were all uniquely skilled, making them one of the most well-equipped teams.

Yet, they had still become stepping stones for Huo Yuhao.

And despite that, Huo Yuhao remained utterly composed.

Shangguan Can, with his spiritual-type martial soul, had probed Huo Yuhao's abilities.

Yu Mengdi, wielder of the Holy Angel martial soul, had forced out Huo Yuhao's trump card—his ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring.

This had somewhat demystified Huo Yuhao.

With information in hand, they could strategize better.

Now, as Zhengtian Academy's strongest genius in a millennium, Ye Wuqing carried their hopes.

Perhaps he could shatter Shrek's momentum and end Huo Yuhao's winning streak!

The crowd's cheers grew even more fervent.

The earlier clash of soul skills had been electrifying, and anticipation for the coming battle soared.

Even the Star Luo Empire's emperor, Xu Jiawei, along with his ministers atop the imperial walls, watched with rapt attention, afraid to miss a single detail.

…

Ye Wuqing struck first.

His fourth soul ring flashed, and in an instant, his left hand underwent a startling transformation.

Veins and blood vessels, leaf-like in pattern, glowed with dazzling golden light as his entire left hand turned metallic gold.

"Fourth Soul Skill: Golden Left Hand!"

Though this skill only amplified his left hand, its power doubled when releasing golden leaves.

With this enhancement, his fifth soul ring—black—lit up, and his aura shifted dramatically.

His golden left hand rose, palm facing the sky, as if ready to tear the heavens apart.

Golden specks of light drifted from the dark fifth soul ring, spreading around him and forming a radiant curtain.

The specks rapidly expanded, morphing into hundreds—no, thousands—of golden leaves.

They spun violently around Ye Wuqing, a storm of razor-edged gold.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Golden Leaf Dance!"

The golden tempest surged toward Huo Yuhao.

As for Huo Yuhao's response?

A simple clench of his right fist.

Extreme cold erupted from his body.

"Ice Soul Sword Domain!"

The arena's protective barrier, maintained by 108 soul masters, trembled violently.

A blue halo condensed across the shield as the temperature inside plummeted.

Blue light exploded outward, distorting the air within thirty meters of Huo Yuhao.

The howling wind and snow of the extreme north seemed to manifest around him.

As sword-like radiance emerged, Huo Yuhao stood unmoving against the relentless golden storm.

Yet when the golden leaves met the Ice Soul Sword Domain, they crumbled like paper.

Ye Wuqing: ?

'Wait—this is still a soul skill, right?'

'I didn't even see your soul ring light up!'

His strongest attack had failed. Even the usually unflappable Ye Wuqing couldn't suppress his shock.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

'Is this guy really just a Soul Ancestor?'

Huo Yuhao showed no mercy.

With a wave of his right hand, the thirty-meter Ice Soul Sword Domain vanished—no, not vanished.

It condensed into deep-blue sword energy, wrapping around his arm like sapphire armor.

Then, he swung.

Buzz—!

The blade energy tore through the air with a shrill whistle, morphing into a roaring azure dragon.

The sheer force of the strike sent a thunderous sword cry echoing across the arena.

'Ice Soul Sword—Sword Energy Like a Dragon!'

A river of stars seemed to fall from the sky.

'No sword in hand, yet a sword in heart.'

Though using this move on Ye Wuqing was overkill, it made for a fitting finale.

It also deepened the mystery around Huo Yuhao's abilities.

He hadn't gone all out, but this strike—comparable to a Soul Sage's—was beyond Ye Wuqing's ability to withstand.

The outcome was inevitable.

The referee, a Soul Sage, intervened without hesitation.

But unlike the previous match's reckless arrow, Huo Yuhao's control over his blade was absolute.

As the referee stepped in, Huo Yuhao dispersed the attack.

The concentrated sword energy fractured, scattering across half the arena.

Under the barrier's refraction, the stage turned a brilliant, shimmering blue.

The audience, blinded by the light, could only wait.

When the radiance faded, the scene cleared.

The referee stood protectively before Ye Wuqing, looking disheveled as his martial soul true body was still on cooldown from the last match.

Taking the Ice Soul Sword head-on, he'd felt his soul freeze and shatter—even glimpsed his great-grandmother's serene face.

Thankfully, it was just an illusion.

The referee shot Huo Yuhao a meaningful look.

As an experienced Soul Sage, he recognized restraint when he saw it.

And it terrified him.

'Kids these days…'

A chilling thought struck him—one so absurd it might just be true.

Shaken, he vowed never to referee another Shrek match.

'I'm just a lowly Soul Sage!'

'Poor, weak, and helpless!'

'Is this how you treat a defensive-type?!'

'Let someone else handle Shrek's matches—preferably a Titled Douluo!'

The audience fell silent, stunned by the ruined arena floor—its cracks impossible to ignore.

From the emperor to the common spectators, all were awed by Huo Yuhao's overwhelming power.

Then, the silence shattered.

"SHREK!"

"ONE VERSUS SEVEN!"

"HUO YUHAO!"

The cheers shook the Star Luo Square.

As the barrier lifted, the referee steadied himself before announcing: "First round of the group stage—Shrek Academy versus Zhengtian Academy!"

"Winner: Shrek Academy!"

The crowd erupted.

This was a true one-versus-seven—utter domination!

The fifth match's soul skill clash and the final, arena-splitting sword had left them breathless.

Most spectators were ordinary folk, unable to grasp the subtleties of the first five instant wins.

But the last two battles?

Spectacle. Power. Awe.

Big moves meant big excitement!

…

In Sun Moon's resting area, silence reigned.

Huo Yuhao's display had shaken them.

Each of them was at least a Soul King and a class 5 soul engineer—yet none could confidently claim victory in a one-on-one against him.

That final, self-created soul skill had carved into their pride like a sword.

A flawless fusion of offense and defense—a masterpiece.

And that extreme ice attribute…

It clashed with Huo Yuhao's known martial soul.

Which meant only one thing.

"Twin martial souls," Xiao Hongchen muttered grimly.

This explained Huo Yuhao's bizarre soul ring configuration.

His second martial soul must enhance his physique!

Case solved.

Yet the truth was harder to accept than the mystery.

Ma Rulong sighed. "Like it or not, Huo Yuhao is now our greatest obstacle."

"Such talent… the Sun Moon Empire lacks nothing but this."

Xiao Hongchen frowned. "Are you saying I'm inferior?"

Ma Rulong eyed him. "You broke through to Soul Ancestor at thirteen—but how many pills did you take? How much time did you spend consolidating your foundation?"

"So what?" Xiao Hongchen retorted. "A deep foundation doesn't guarantee victory. In a real fight, I—"

"Could you replicate Huo Yuhao's performance?" Ma Rulong cut in. "That strike rivaled a Soul Sage's. And this defeat isn't just about pride—it's about the empire's thousand-year plan."

Xiao Hongchen fell silent.

Even if he and his sister, Meng Hongchen, used their martial soul fusion skill, victory wasn't assured.

Speaking of Meng Hongchen—

Normally, she'd be mocking her brother by now.

But her gaze was locked onto Huo Yuhao, her mind racing.

'I must bring him to the Sun Moon Empire.'

…

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