"Begin the battle!"
The referee announced.
Jin Qiu'er charged ahead first, drawing her Golden Dragon Spear as she rushed forward.
Jin Qiu'er: I'll take the lead!
The Shrek Academy team had their formation in place.
Jin Qiu'er, Wang Dong, and Jiang Nannan stood at the front—two power-attackers and one agility-type soul master.
Behind them were Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, both considered control-type soul masters.
Further back was Wei Na, the healer of the group, protected in the rear.
And lastly came Xu Sanshi.
A defensive-type soul master standing in the last row—not exactly unprecedented, but definitely rare.
But hey, he was still recovering from injuries.
Still, Xu Sanshi summoned his martial soul, picked up his shield, and stood ready to sacrifice himself at any moment.
Say what you will—when something needed doing, Xu Sanshi was always ready to jump in.
No wonder Huo Yuhao considered him a true brother!
Unfortunately, Xu Sanshi was still a bit too young—didn't have that fully "seasoned" taste yet. Otherwise, Huo Yuhao might have already had a much deeper interaction with him.
That said, Xu Sanshi's sect—the Xuanming Sect—was not to be overlooked. Even if other soul masters in the sect didn't possess as pure a Black Tortoise bloodline as Xu Sanshi, the sect had numbers and strong fighters.
This formation had been strongly requested by Jin Qiu'er, and given her considerable strength, no one opposed her.
The team from Zheng Tian Academy, seeing that Huo Yuhao wasn't at the front, grew more confident about their chances of winning.
If they could take down the others and gang up on Huo Yuhao afterward, they might just have a shot.
The audience, however, was a bit disappointed.
What they really wanted was to see Huo Yuhao 1v7 the entire team.
Don't blink—this was gonna hit hard!
On the stage, Jin Qiu'er and the other two formed a triangle as they charged out.
Two Soul Elders, one Soul Ancestor—it didn't look particularly threatening.
But the moment Jin Qiu'er collided with the Zheng Tian Academy fighters, they realized something was very wrong.
As in, nine out of ten kinds of wrong.
Whoever heard of a three-ring Soul Elder knocking a five-ring Soul King flying in one move?
That unlucky guy getting tossed was Ye Wuqing.
Too bad for Ye Wuqing—he was also a power-type soul master, leading the charge.
So he became the first unlucky casualty.
Huo Yuhao could clearly see the stunned expressions on Ye Wuqing and his teammates' faces.
The Zheng Tian Academy fighters desperately wanted to ask: Is that Soul Elder even legal?!
Huo Yuhao could only say: A gift from a friend!
From their neighbors in the Star Dou Great Forest, no less.
Jin Qiu'er's actual soul power level was five rings—Soul King level. She possessed an extreme power attribute, an elite martial soul—the Golden Dragon, and wielded a divine weapon, the Golden Dragon Spear.
If the death god envoy didn't have such absurd achievements, Jin Qiu'er would easily be this patch's strongest Soul King.
And as for Huo Yuhao?
He was already a Soul Emperor—an entirely different league.
Under Jin Qiu'er's lead, the trio sliced into Zheng Tian Academy's formation like a spearhead, completely disrupting their battle rhythm. Ye Wuqing being flung only further tanked their morale.
While Huo Yuhao didn't 1v7 this time, the opening was exciting enough to bring cheers from the crowd.
Ye Wuqing was caught by Yu Mengdi. Regaining his footing, his expression turned sour.
When he activated his Golden Leaf martial soul and prepared to engage Jin Qiu'er again, he was shocked to feel his martial soul trembling!
"Martial Soul Suppression?!" Ye Wuqing was utterly shaken.
There are usually two causes for Martial Soul Suppression:
A superior version of the same martial soul.
A martial soul of such overwhelming quality that it suppresses everything indiscriminately.
Jin Qiu'er's martial soul was clearly the latter.
The earlier clash had exposed Ye Wuqing's Golden Leaf martial soul to the Golden Dragon's aura, severely suppressing it and reducing its effectiveness temporarily.
Golden Dragon Martial Soul: Everyone else here is trash!
Seeing Ye Wuqing falter, Yu Mengdi charged toward Jin Qiu'er. She didn't understand exactly what happened, but she wanted to help him save face—and she was a bit jealous of Jin Qiu'er's looks.
Jealousy and rivalry among women—always baffling.
In truth, Yu Mengdi was no less attractive, on par with Jiang Nannan. Her martial soul even had more potential.
In Brother Hao's eyes, her rating was quite high.
Yu Mengdi's body radiated a soft golden glow, sacred and holy, inspiring reverence. Her hands shone with golden light, each holding a golden longsword formed from her soul power.
Yu Mengdi was second only to Ye Wuqing in strength on Zheng Tian Academy's team. Her martial soul was Angel, though she currently only had two wings. As she advanced, it would evolve into four and then six wings.
Undeniably, she was a descendant of the Qian family, rulers of the Spirit Hall a thousand years ago.
And it wasn't just Qian Renxue's lineage—the ancient Qian family surely had many branches.
Just like how other Spirit Hall elders' bloodlines had spread, it made sense that the Qian family's offshoots also survived.
Many noble families welcomed such powerful bloodlines to join them.
As for how they joined or passed down their lineages?
As far as Shrek Academy's historians were concerned, the official records were garbage—not worth digging into.
"Fifth Soul Skill..." Yu Mengdi began with her ultimate move.
But she never got the chance to unleash it.
The Golden Dragon Spear grew rapidly in her vision.
"Soul your face!"
Jin Qiu'er swept the spear across with incredible speed and power, smashing into Yu Mengdi's lovely forehead—nearly twisting her head sideways.
Yu Mengdi was sent flying.
Her brain dazed from the blow, she couldn't react and plummeted toward the ground.
But when she came to, she realized she hadn't hit the arena floor—someone had caught her.
A youth clad in ice armor, with dragonfly-like wings gently flapping, hovered midair.
His peerless beauty was inches from her face. She could feel his cool breath, carrying a strangely addictive scent.
Huo Yuhao gently and caringly asked, "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
Yu Mengdi was frozen in place, unable to reply. Time seemed to stop, and she wished this moment could last forever.
Meanwhile, below them, Jin Qiu'er was rampaging through the Zheng Tian team with the rest of Shrek, unstoppable.
Cold air radiated from Huo Yuhao, slowing the Zheng Tian team further.
In the end, Zheng Tian Academy undeniably lost.
Ye Wuqing led his teammates offstage in defeat, unable to believe just how strong Jin Qiu'er was.
Only Yu Mengdi kept glancing back at Huo Yuhao, reluctant to leave.
Her teammates were exasperated.
Some of the male team members who had a thing for Yu Mengdi now felt even worse.
They didn't just lose the match—they lost in life!
Back on the Shrek side—
Jin Qiu'er happily led her team back to the rest area, ready to take on a 1v7 in the solo matches.
Then came the announcement:
Zheng Tian Academy forfeited the solo matches.
Jin Qiu'er put on her pain mask.
The round of sixteen consisted of sixteen matches in total.
Among them, the match between Shrek Academy and Zheng Tian Academy ended the quickest—mainly because there were no individual battles.
Zheng Tian Academy's strongest member, Ye Wuqing, had already been single-handedly defeated by Jin Qiu'er, so they didn't even get to the team battle stage, let alone one-on-one duels.
Still, Zheng Tian Academy wasn't too upset—after all, the difference in strength was very clear.
It wasn't a narrow loss, but a complete outmatch.
The true powerhouse, Huo Yuhao, hadn't even made a move yet.
Aside from Jin Qiu'er, the rest of the Shrek team were quite happy—they had experienced a proper, satisfying battle.
The rest of the tournament matches proceeded as scheduled.
The match that interested Huo Yuhao the most—between Nova Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy—also went as expected, with Sun Moon emerging victorious.
After Nova Academy lost, a certain idea began to form in Huo Yuhao's mind—he was preparing to make a move on Nova.
While it wasn't convenient to act within Star Luo City, ambushing them just outside the city was very feasible. With Huo Yuhao's abilities and speed, he could strike quickly without wasting much time.
It was a bit of a "draining the pond to catch the fish" situation, but Huo Yuhao only cared about what he could consume.
But what Huo Yuhao didn't expect at all… was that his prey would come looking for him first.
That night, as he strolled through the lively streets of Star Luo City, intending to find Nan Shuishui to cultivate with before making his move on Nova Academy…
A figure suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Tu Xijun?" Huo Yuhao looked at the woman blocking his path with a puzzled expression.
Tu Xijun wore casual clothes and tried to stay low-key, but her seductive aura couldn't be hidden.
Huo Yuhao also noticed someone lurking in the crowd—Tu Xijun's teammate, Taylor.
"Huo Yuhao, you remember me?" Tu Xijun asked in surprise.
"You're a worthy opponent—how could I forget?" Huo Yuhao smiled gracefully, then asked, like a courteous gentleman, "May I ask what brings you here?"
No one could have guessed that just a second ago, Huo Yuhao had been plotting how to ambush and consume Tu Xijun.
"…" Tu Xijun blushed slightly at the memory of their match, but quickly composed herself and spoke seriously, "Huo Yuhao, I want to talk. Is that okay?"
"Why not?"
"Then come with me."
Tu Xijun turned and walked off, not worried that Huo Yuhao wouldn't follow.
Naturally, he did.
Taylor emerged from the crowd and followed discreetly like a bodyguard.
Tu Xijun led them to a private room in a high-end hotel.
The hotel was elegantly decorated, and the private dining room could seat more than twenty people. Once the door was closed, it blocked out all outside sound—ensuring complete privacy.
Only Huo Yuhao and Tu Xijun entered.
Taylor stood guard outside, dutiful as ever.
Inside, the two sat across from each other. The table was filled with sumptuous dishes, but neither paid them any attention.
"So, Captain Tu Xijun, what is it you want to talk about?" Huo Yuhao asked directly, still smiling politely.
Tu Xijun looked at him and thought to herself that there was a kind of innocent stupidity in his eyes—a bit adorably naive.
"Is he confident, or just naive?" she mused. "To come here alone without even informing his teammates."
To Tu Xijun, Huo Yuhao looked like a pure, clueless chick.
Fortunately, she—this cunning fox—didn't harbor any evil intentions. Otherwise, she'd have eaten this little chick clean.
After some hesitation, Tu Xijun finally spoke, "What was that power you used during the match?"
"Why do you ask?" Huo Yuhao didn't answer directly but asked back.
"I've never felt anything like it before," Tu Xijun took a deep breath and said seriously, "My martial soul is a mutated soul, with no known precedent, so I don't fully understand it. But when I fought you, I felt an overwhelming… sense of pleasure. Yes, pleasure. I want to understand why."
The reason Tu Xijun approached him tonight was to understand the unusual reaction she had during their match.
For a Soul Master, understanding their own martial soul was essential—especially if it could trigger unique transformations.
Being able to fully master every change in one's soul could bring unimaginable power boosts.
Since Huo Yuhao hadn't revealed his soul bone and had only infused his spirit power with "extras," others assumed the strange effects were due to his soul power alone.
Hearing her question, a sharp glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
Then he suddenly became evasive, stammering, "Th-that had nothing to do with me…"
Tu Xijun narrowed her eyes. "This kid… he can't even lie well."
Which only confirmed her suspicion that Huo Yuhao definitely knew something.
A charming smile curled her lips.
"Really? I don't believe you. Let big sis take a look~"
Emboldened by Huo Yuhao's soft, shy demeanor, Tu Xijun got up, walked over, and reached out with her mischievous little hand.
Since he wouldn't explain, she would probe directly with her own soul power.
This time, however, Huo Yuhao increased the dosage.
The atmosphere in the room became increasingly ambiguous.
Tu Xijun's eyes grew hazy as reason gave way to instinct.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's skillful use of aphrodisiacs, she didn't even sense anything unusual—believing everything was her natural response.
The untouched food was knocked to the floor. A seductive fox spirit lay sprawled across the table, becoming the main course of the night.
Outside, Taylor remained faithfully on guard.
The next morning.
Tu Xijun got dressed and left.
She didn't even wait for Huo Yuhao to wake up.
As she walked out of the hotel, Taylor noticed her odd posture and looked like he wanted to say something.
Tu Xijun sighed, having caught his expression. "Taylor, I know what you're thinking."
"Why?" Taylor asked, utterly confused.
What happened last night had effectively destroyed Tu Xijun's chances of ever entering the palace—he knew she had ambitions.
"Because my martial soul chose him." Tu Xijun looked up at the sky and replied solemnly.
"Huh?" Taylor was dumbfounded.
Just then, Tu Xijun released a wave of her soul power. Taylor was stunned.
"Xijun, you broke through?!"
Tu Xijun nodded with a radiant smile. "That's the proof! It wasn't a soul fusion technique, but something even deeper—a soul-level resonance! I can feel it—when we're together, our growth will be much faster, without any side effects."
"There's actually something like that?" Taylor was shocked. "Then what will we do now?"
"Taylor, whether it's the position of Empress—or even the throne itself—those are just external tools. Only true strength lets us control our destinies and achieve our desires."
Tu Xijun continued, "Forget the idea of entering the palace. I'll explain it to the family. I've found a better choice now. The next time I find him, I'll make him mine—exclusively!"
"And I may need your help."
Tu Xijun's expression was radiant and charming.
"I understand!" Taylor agreed without hesitation—she would follow Tu Xijun loyally, because she believed in her.
After Tu Xijun left, Huo Yuhao, who should have been asleep, slowly opened his eyes. A glint of gold flashed in them as he licked his lips, savoring the moment.
"What a vixen!"
Among all his experiences, Nan Shuishui had the most skillful "driving," Wei Na was the smoothest, Ma Xiaotao was the wildest, and Ling Luochen had the most striking contrast.
But Tu Xijun? She was the one who drained the very marrow from his bones.
That made her all the more unforgettable and addictive.
Even a male soul master of the same level, facing the naturally gifted Tu Xijun, would be fated to be drained dry, perhaps even shortening their lifespan.
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao's robust physique, exceptional talent, and superior skills allowed him to tame this fox spirit.
"I wonder what kind of temptress that cat demon Zijin will be? But first, my sister-in-law has been waiting for me for quite a while," Huo Yuhao mused.
Love?
That was the most useless thing.
Having just savored Tu Xijun, Huo Yuhao was already plotting about Zhu Lu and Zijin.
All for the sake of cultivation!
Last night's cultivation had slightly enhanced his strength.
Tu Xijun's natural gifts, combined with her being a maiden, made the first session the most effective. For someone as talented as her, future dual cultivation would also yield noticeable results.
That first session directly pushed Tu Xijun to break through a soul power level.
Giving the natives of Douluo Continent a taste of dual cultivation's shock!
Tu Xijun mistook the benefits of dual cultivation for a synergy between their martial souls and souls.
She wasn't entirely wrong. With continued "grinding," Tu Xijun would eventually be molded, inside and out, into Huo Yuhao's shape.
Because the dual cultivation technique Huo Yuhao used wasn't orthodox—not even Joyful Zen. It was an extremely domineering method designed to reshape the "cauldron," making them increasingly submissive to their master, until they were utterly dependent, willing to sacrifice their lives and unable to part from him.
Undoubtedly, this was an evil dual cultivation technique.
Less dual cultivation, more enslavement.
Specifically designed for captured female cultivators.
Killing them outright would be wasteful, and forcibly harvesting them would be like draining a pond to catch fish. Far better to transform them into loyal "weapons."
They could even be summoned to take a hit when needed.
Some evil cultivators used this method to seduce high-born women, quietly seizing their wealth and status.
Almost all enslaved women ended up in tragic circumstances.
On one hand, they lost their sense of self.
On the other, those practicing such evil methods often became erratic and volatile, harming those closest to them first.
Huo Yuhao made no promises. He only ensured that anything of value wouldn't be wasted.
Beyond the cultivation boost, Tu Xijun's phoenix aura was completely harvested by Huo Yuhao, leaving her to slowly recover on her own.
All the phoenix aura was fused into the 100,000-year snow lotus, making it appear even more majestic.
But it hadn't fully transformed yet.
Huo Yuhao was eagerly anticipating it.
…
Two days later, the quarterfinals arrived.
Shrek Academy finally faced the Dou Ling Team.
The Dou Ling Team, a top-four team from the previous tournament, was formidable, fielding five Soul Kings and two Soul Ancestors.
Their martial souls were also powerful.
Clearly, the Dou Ling Team was far stronger than the Zhengtian Team.
With the semifinals approaching and fewer teams remaining, it wasn't surprising for the two academies to face off.
Perhaps there was some behind-the-scenes manipulation.
But that didn't matter. Huo Yuhao wanted the championship—all the glory for himself!
Without a leading instructor, Huo Yuhao's team had limited intelligence on the Dou Ling Team.
Conversely, the opponents knew Shrek Academy's team inside out.
After all, Shrek's lineup was predictable, always the same few faces.
But knowing their situation didn't guarantee victory.
When Huo Yuhao unleashed his poison, no one could withstand it. Luckily, he was a "gentleman."
His reputation as a gentleman was even amplified by other academies, who spread it as a label, hoping he'd avoid using poison in matches due to his image.
A classic off-field tactic.
Huo Yuhao was delighted to play along.
Even without poison, he wasn't someone others could easily handle.
Shrek Academy's lineup and formation were identical to the last match.
The Dou Ling Team was thrilled.
Huo Yuhao, recalling information about the Dou Ling Team, began selecting suitable "targets."
In this Soul Master Tournament, he had secretly marked every valuable talent he encountered.
Like Yu Mengdi from the Zhengtian Team in the previous match.
The Dou Ling Team's lineup:
- **Captain Gu Zhujian**: Purple Radiance Bamboo martial soul, Level 57 Assault-Type Soul King. Surprisingly, he carried dragon aura, clearly royalty. *Must mark.*
- **Vice-Captain Qian Yuan**: Fearful Claw Bear martial soul, Level 53 Assault-Type Soul King. A weaker offshoot of the Dark-Gold Fearful Claw Bear bloodline, but still valuable. *Worth marking.*
- **Xiao Feng**: Team core, Enigmatic Pearl martial soul, mental attribute, Level 54 Control-Type Soul King. No special bloodline or traits, just decent talent and strong martial soul abilities. *High-grade fodder.*
- **Chi Hengyu**: Diamond Shield martial soul, Level 52 Defense-Type Soul King. *High-grade fodder.*
- **Han Linger**: Lightning Mink martial soul, Level 51 Agility-Type Soul King. *High-grade fodder.*
- **Tang Niuniu**: Raccoon martial soul, Support-Type Soul Ancestor. *Fodder.*
- **Qing Feng**: Suspected Earth Element martial soul, Control-Type Soul Ancestor. *Fodder.*
Qing Feng's earth element had some use, but Huo Yuhao wasn't desperate enough to resort to "swordplay," and Qing Feng's strength was too weak. Besides, earth-element power for body refinement wasn't limited to this source.
Like picking vegetables at a market, Huo Yuhao had priced out the entire Dou Ling Team.
The match soon began.
Before it started, Jin Qiuer unleashed a barrage of taunts, her arrogant demeanor drawing all the aggro.
Of course, she didn't curse outright—she just haughtily called others trash, which, oddly, some people with peculiar tastes enjoyed.
But when the match began, the Dou Ling Team didn't take the bait.
Unlike the Zhengtian Team's reckless charge, they opened with defense.
Chi Hengyu deployed his defense.
Tang Niuniu enhanced others' soul skills, prioritizing Qing Feng, who raised an earth wall.
They were wary of Huo Yuhao's rush.
Jin Qiuer roared furiously, "Charge with me!"
She led Jiang Nannan and Wang Dong in a frontal assault.
Her Golden Dragon Spear swept forward, piercing the earth wall with ease, its ultimate power almost graceful.
Then, Gu Zhujian seized the moment, his Purple Radiance Bamboo martial soul slashing down, striking Jin Qiuer's forehead with a *smack*, leaving a red mark.
Jin Qiuer froze: *I got hit?!*
Gu Zhujian was equally stunned: *She didn't faint?*
Is her head made of alloy?!
Jin Qiu'er's face began turning red at a visible speed.
Guzhu Jian thought he had made Jin Qiu'er cry.
In reality, Jin Qiu'er had been enraged to boiling point.
Before Guzhu Jian could say anything, a powerful wave of soul power burst forth from Jin Qiu'er's body.
She finally activated her soul skills.
And not just one—but three in a row!
One yellow, two purple soul rings—three soul rings flashed consecutively.
"First Soul Skill: Golden Dragon Body!"
"Second Soul Skill: Dragon's Strength!"
"Third Soul Skill: Golden Dragon Fist!"
Jin Qiu'er's entire body turned a gleaming golden hue. Her first and second soul skills greatly amplified her physical strength and power.
Then, her empty left hand clenched into a fist and swung toward Guzhu Jian.
A golden dragon's head condensed around her fist, and a faint yet thunderous dragon roar echoed, radiating unmatched majesty.
As the fist swung, the dragon's head lunged to bite at Guzhu Jian's skull.
Jin Qiu'er: "You look absolutely starving—so let me feed you my fist!"
"Eat this punch!"
Guzhu Jian's pupils shrank suddenly as he leaned back hard to dodge—barely avoiding the ferocious strike.
Yet the force of the punch alone scraped his face, drawing blood as droplets flew into the air, causing his eyes to tremble violently.
No doubt—if that punch had landed, he would have died!
That kind of power was absolutely beyond what a three-ring Soul Elder should possess!
After dodging the attack, Guzhu Jian immediately widened the distance and questioned gravely,
"You're definitely not a simple three-ring Soul Elder!"
"Hmph! Ignorant fool!" Jin Qiu'er stood proudly on the arena, holding her golden dragon spear as she declared loudly,
"I, Jin Qiu'er, possess the Golden Dragon martial soul—an attribute of Ultimate Strength!"
At this moment, Jin Qiu'er was full of spirit and confidence, looking down on all.
It would've been more impressive if not for the slightly comical red imprint still on her forehead.
But her words caused an uproar throughout the venue.
Some were confused.
Some were shocked.
Even the ministers watching from the imperial palace stood up in surprise.
The rest areas for the competing academies erupted into unrest.
"Ultimate Strength? An ultimate attribute? No wonder!" Guzhu Jian's face shifted from shock to sudden realization and then to utmost seriousness.
As a top student from Douling Academy, Guzhu Jian understood what ultimate attributes meant.
If she was an ultimate attribute soul master, her terrifying power made sense—but...
"Does Shrek Academy have another ultimate attribute soul master?"
Given his royal connections on his mother's side, Guzhu Jian thought more deeply.
If Shrek Academy once again nurtured an ultimate-attribute Title Douluo, then in the next two centuries, they would continue to reign supreme—perhaps becoming even stronger!
While this would stabilize the situation in the Douluo Continent, it wasn't good news for the empires seeking progress.
But that wasn't his burden. His connection to royalty was distant; the Douling Empire didn't rely on him—his only duty was to grow stronger.
"A three-ring ultimate attribute soul master… This might be the only chance in my life to defeat her!" Guzhu Jian's fighting spirit blazed in his eyes.
"Let's witness the power of an ultimate attribute soul master!"
Then Qian Yuan and Chi Hengyu joined the siege against Jin Qiu'er.
After all, this was a team battle. Choosing to duel someone one-on-one? What a joke.
Why duel when you can gang up?
Jin Qiu'er's face darkened. She snapped,
"Despicable! Ganging up on me! But even against the likes of you, under the might of my ultimate strength, you're all nothing but small fry!"
Yes, Jin Qiu'er looked down on everyone equally.
But unexpectedly, the three elites from Douling Academy actually held their own against her.
Wang Dong and Jiang Nannan wanted to help Jin Qiu'er.
However, the agility-attack soul king Han Ling'er, assisted by Tang Niuniu and Qing Feng, easily blocked their efforts.
Xiao Xiao and Wei Na rushed in to assist, barely keeping Wang Dong and Jiang Nannan from outright defeat.
Xu Sanshi was left pacing around in frustration, unable to help, only waiting for a chance to strike with a soul skill and catch the enemy off guard.
Huo Yuhao didn't make a move—because it wasn't yet his time to act.
It wasn't about showing off. They had agreed beforehand: unless others were defeated, Huo Yuhao wouldn't go all out.
After all, the rest of the team needed the experience of the tournament too.
Those on stage were all reserve team members. Five years later, they'd be competing in the next tournament—they couldn't just stand in Huo Yuhao's shadow forever.
If all fights depended solely on Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er, it wouldn't be glory for the team—it would be an insult.
Douling's third core member, Xiao Feng (Little Madman), wasn't going all out either—he was on guard against Huo Yuhao's eventual move.
But as a control-type soul king, Xiao Feng was hardly idle. His environmental control abilities were extremely powerful.
Even without going all out, he caused great trouble for Shrek's team, slowly tipping the match in their favor.
Especially for someone like Jin Qiu'er, whose fighting style was straightforward and direct—Xiao Feng's control rendered her extremely uncomfortable.
A purple light radiated from Xiao Feng's martial soul, enveloping the area in an illusory haze. Everything became vague and unreal, even soul power fluctuations turned erratic and disorienting.
Jin Qiu'er could no longer lock onto her targets—forced to fall into a defensive counterplay, completely passive.
In the original story, Douling had planned to use a combo soul tool to launch a massive strike. But now, wary of being taken out en masse by one of Huo Yuhao's poisons, they gave up on using it.
That didn't mean they were weak.
As time dragged on, the golden glow on Jin Qiu'er's body dimmed.
This showed her massive soul power consumption.
The others, even weaker in strength, were worse off.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's faces turned pale. They had already expended all their soul power—they could no longer fight.
Han Ling'er easily knocked them away.
Huang Jinxu moved swiftly to pull them off the stage.
From the stands, Ma Xiaotao rushed a healing-type soul master over to treat them.
That left only Jiang Nannan and Wei Na—and they were barely holding on.
One soul ring weaker, and both being agility-type soul masters, Jiang Nannan was quickly grabbed by the throat by Han Ling'er.
Wei Na immediately shouted,
"Jiang Nannan and I surrender!"
Han Ling'er let go accordingly.
Though Jiang Nannan lost, she stayed composed and politely said,
"Thank you for sparing me."
"No problem." Han Ling'er smiled back, wearing the calm confidence of a victor.
But Xu Sanshi in the back, seeing Jiang Nannan choked, turned red-eyed and roared,
"Nannan, no!!"
Then he charged forward, activating his martial soul:
"Fourth Soul Skill: Xuanming Swap!"
Xu Sanshi instantly switched places with the eliminated Jiang Nannan, then stood before Han Ling'er and declared loudly:
"If you want to hurt Nannan, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
The forceful use of his soul skill further injured him—he vomited blood, looking utterly tragic.
Han Ling'er fell silent.
Oh, so this is how hard you're simping, huh?
And now I'm just part of your romantic drama, am I?
Wei Na in the back looked utterly confused.
Even Jiang Nannan, who'd been swapped out, stood there stunned.
Even her teammates couldn't keep up with Xu Sanshi's erratic moves.
Now Wei Na and Jiang Nannan just wanted to say one thing:
"Don't feed!"
Huang Jinxu took several seconds to even register the stupidity of what Xu Sanshi had just done.
Then, Huang Jinxu escorted Jiang Nannan, Wei Na, and Xu Sanshi off the field.
Xu Sanshi, spitting blood, was still shouting indignantly, "I'll avenge Nannan!"
At this point, even dogs would shake their heads at him. Who would still let him keep fighting?
Who would be responsible if he died in the ring?
But now Xu Sanshi's rage was fully ignited—his entire body was falling apart, but his mouth was still stubborn.
Just as he was about to recklessly activate his Xuanwu bloodline—
Ma Xiaotao delivered a physical "mute" and knocked Xu Sanshi into baby-like sleep.
Jiang Nannan showed no emotion. At this moment, she wished she could change her name—even to something like Jiang Dog-Egg—as long as it wasn't Jiang Nannan anymore.
Wei Na kept her usual smile, said nothing—but in that silence, it was as if everything had already been said.
Then all three were taken away by healing-type soul masters.
Although Jiang Nannan and Wei Na had fought in succession, they weren't really injured—similar to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, it was mainly severe soul power depletion.
Ironically, Xu Sanshi, who never got attacked by anyone, ended up with severe injuries just by being himself. He upgraded from moderately injured to critically wounded, and wouldn't be able to fight again for at least a week.
Back on the stage.
Only Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er remained on Shrek Academy's side.
But Jin Qiu'er, suppressed by a counter-attribute, was beginning to run out of soul power, her movements growing increasingly frantic.
She was just about to be knocked out by the "small fry" she'd been trash-talking.
"Tsk tsk, what a pitiful plotline," Huo Yuhao sneered internally. Still, he knew it was time to step in.
Finally, Jin Qiu'er exposed a flaw—Gu Zhu Jian seized the moment and blasted her off the stage.
The trio from Gu Zhu Jian's team let out a long breath.
What a struggle.
Even under heavy counter-suppression, Jin Qiu'er's threat, tenacity, and explosive attacks were overwhelming.
Despite having the advantage, they had to stay on high alert, fearing she might turn the tables with one counter-strike.
Jin Qiu'er was nearly spent—and so were they.
Fortunately, their "shameless" 3v1 combined with countering abilities eventually led to their victory.
Call it shameless if you want—but hey, they won, didn't they?
Jin Qiu'er, flung off the stage, didn't crash to the ground.
She landed instead in a warm embrace.
Jin Qiu'er looked up slightly—and saw Huo Yuhao's impossibly handsome face.
"Junior sister," Huo Yuhao said gently, "Leave the rest to me."
His voice was soft, his eyes warm, exuding a comforting radiance—like a spring breeze carrying the scent of flowers, gentle and intoxicating.
Behind him, countless red rose petals fluttered in the air.
Huo Yuhao looked like a spirit from a fairy realm, the embodiment of all earthly beauty.
He fulfilled the fantasies of countless maidens and married women.
The female spectators erupted into screams.
Partly because Huo Yuhao was finally stepping in, and partly because his current charm was utterly overwhelming.
Countless women looked at Jin Qiu'er with envy, jealousy, and hatred—wishing they could take her place in Huo Yuhao's arms.
What's certain is that tonight, quite a few sheets would be soaked.
"If I could just be held like that once, I'd gladly die the next second," Meng Hongchen muttered, her eyes full of longing.
Xiao Hongchen was utterly shocked—he had just heard his own sister say something so dangerously delusional.
Immediately, Xiao Hongchen's gaze toward Huo Yuhao became even more hostile.
Huo Yuhao, you need to die!
But Jin Qiu'er herself instinctively believed this was all just an act.
Yet she couldn't deny—in her weakened state—Huo Yuhao's appearance had been seared into her heart.
Her heart skipped a beat.
It was like returning to that spring day, lying on the grass, basking in the sun, watching two Soft Bone Rabbits… "communicating" one atop the other, and feeling a strange flutter inside.
She hadn't known what that feeling was.
So, to investigate, she ate those two Soft Bone Rabbits.
But their taste wasn't anything special.
Now, in Huo Yuhao's arms, his soul power flowing into her body and merging with hers, she once again felt that strange, stirring emotion.
Her heart was a mess.
Still, Jin Qiu'er quickly regained her composure—her pride wouldn't allow her to just lie in his arms like that.
Her cheeks flushed for a moment, then returned to normal. She got up and walked off the stage.
"If you lose, I won't forgive you!" she shouted over her shoulder, her tone unusually coy.
"Don't worry. I'm here," Huo Yuhao replied with his ever-gentle smile.
Jin Qiu'er walked faster, her head lowering slightly.
The Heavenly Dream Spirit hovering nearby shook his head.
"Offering kindness without reason—must be up to no good~"
Too bad Jin Qiu'er didn't realize it.
The moment Huo Yuhao started approaching her, it meant he was preparing to resolve her—though not just yet.
When Huo Yuhao looked toward the Douling Battle Team, he saw all their members huddled together.
Oh, right—the stage was still covered by the Illusion Pearl soul skill, which to outsiders looked like nothing but warped violet light.
But it couldn't block Huo Yuhao's Evil Eye perception.
He clearly saw them assembling a large soul tool—for a big move.
Yes, it was the ultimate combo weapon they never got to use in the original story.
"Trying to use your strongest weapon on me, huh?" Huo Yuhao saw through their plan.
But he wasn't about to give them the chance.
He stepped forward, heading straight into the area shrouded by the Illusion Pearl soul skill.
As he walked, pieces of his Frost Centipede Armor began materializing on his body.
And beneath his feet, a blood-red rose garden bloomed with every step he took, spreading across the stage.
It was a dreamlike beauty—a peerless presence.
"Everyone," Huo Yuhao said softly, "I'm making my move now."
Then, wearing his Ice Boots, he stomped the ground.
"Ultimate Ice!"
A blast of soul power erupted. Enormous spires of Ultimate Ice erupted from the floor like furious dragons, roaring toward the Illusion Pearl's domain.
The ice spread—and along with it, the blood roses grew, carpeting the entire arena.
The Douling Battle Team, who were channeling soul power into their combo soul tool, were all startled.
They felt the chilling aura of Ultimate Ice.
They saw the blood-red roses growing toward them.
Before they could react—
The roses climbed onto their bodies, wildly absorbing their soul power.
Had Huo Yuhao not been in control, the roses would've been draining their blood instead.
The Ultimate Ice gradually froze all of their bodies.
Even their so-called "Invincible Shields" failed to activate.
Because at some point, the blood roses had pierced right through the core units of their shields.
This scene was enough to traumatize any soul engineer.
The Invincible Shields couldn't block the attack?!
What kind of "invincible" is that?!
Inside the Illusion Pearl's veil, soul fluctuations grew weaker and weaker.
Their ultimate combo weapon was never activated.
At last, the illusion faded.
The entire stage had become a sea of blood-red roses.
All members of the Douling Battle Team were asleep in that sea of flowers.
The ground was red—but no blood was in sight.
Huo Yuhao walked calmly past them, dropping a single rose over the face of their captain, Gu Zhu Jian.
As he walked, the gossamer cloak behind him fluttered in the breeze.
Everything looked effortless, elegant.
Even battle could be breathtakingly beautiful.
Come, breathe in this fragrance—
At this moment, Great One descends.