Meng Kun left, and Nanmen Yun'er also departed, leaving only Yu Feng to look after Ning Tian. In truth, among the three members of this team, only Yu Feng and Ning Tian were close; Nanmen Yun'er was merely a classmate of the two girls.
"Young Miss, we cannot let this matter go. That damned guy dared to injure someone. Let's use our family's power to retaliate against them." Yu Feng said resentfully.
A flicker of unwillingness appeared in Ning Tian's eyes.
"Feng-mei, don't let anger cloud your judgment. This is Shrek Academy; can we really use our family's power? Moreover, we lost because our strength was inferior; we cannot blame heaven or earth. If we want to wash away this humiliation, we must rely on our own efforts. Also, I've told you before, at the academy, you shouldn't call me Young Miss. We are sisters."
"Yes." Yu Feng nodded quickly and obediently.
Ning Tian thought for a moment, then said, "Tomorrow, we must find a way to watch their match. As long as we observe carefully, we will surely find some clues. They defeated us not by luck, but by true strength. However, that person named Huo Yuhao, the one with the ten-year Spirit Ring, is very much worth our attention. Perhaps when they were still in the outer court, they were our most formidable competitors."
Fortunately, the previous matches all took place simultaneously, so not many people came to watch Huo Yuhao's trio's match, which meant they didn't attract too much attention.
Today, they successfully advanced into the top sixteen leading teams, and even defeated one of the three teams with the greatest threat. The three of them, Huo Yuhao, were extremely excited. Not only did they directly prove their strength, but they also gained more confidence. A Spirit Ancestor wasn't truly terrifying; hadn't they just defeated a team whose captain was a Spirit Ancestor?
And finally, Huo Yuhao fulfilled his promise to treat Xiao Xiao to grilled fish. He ran to a stall and bought twenty grilled fish, then took the extra fish with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. The three of them ran to find a cool, open spot to eat and enjoy the scenery, only returning to the dormitory at dusk.
When Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong returned to their room, they went to shower separately. Huo Yuhao knew Wang Dong liked cleanliness, which was why he was especially careful. After everything was done, he finally spoke.
"Tonight, on your bed or on my bed?"
Wang Dong froze for a few seconds when he heard the question, then angrily shouted, "Why didn't you finish saying 'cultivate'? Would it kill you to add two more words? Don't talk like that anymore!"
Huo Yuhao said with a hint of helplessness, "Don't mind what Xiao Xiao said carelessly. I won't like you. I only like pretty girls."
Wang Dong snorted and said, "Then everyone stays on their own bed."
Huo Yuhao frowned and said, "Don't make trouble. If we cultivate together, our speed will double. Don't you want to quickly reach the Spirit Ancestor rank and catch up to that girl Ning Tian?"
Wang Dong smiled slyly and said, "Who's making trouble? Everyone can cultivate on their own bed. Just pull your bed over here, about 50cm from my bed, and then we can clash palms. Use that space as a boundary, and we're done."
Huo Yuhao glanced at him and said, "Are you too idle? Isn't this just deceiving yourself?"
Wang Dong glared threateningly.
"So, are you going to do it or not? If not, I'm going to sleep. I'm not usually a diligent person; if it weren't for you, who would bother cultivating late at night?"
"Alright, alright. You scare me."
Cornered, Huo Yuhao pulled his bed next to Wang Dong's and sat down cross-legged.
Wang Dong did the same, their four palms pressed together, and the Hao Dong power within their bodies immediately began to circulate.
Today, when they defeated Ning Tian, it was the first time the two of them had used Hao Dong power to unleash a Soul Skill. When they succeeded, both Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao vaguely felt that any Soul Skill, as long as they combined their efforts to activate Hao Dong power, would immediately become a Soul Skill equivalent to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Although its power was not as great, it was not far behind, and it far surpassed the power they could achieve when casting skills individually. This was the reason they were able to smoothly defeat their opponent.
And thanks to today's battle, Huo Yuhao truly experienced what it felt like to be powerful. When the two of them joined forces to use Hao Dong power to unleash a skill, the power released was roughly equivalent to that of a Soul Ancestor. This was because Huo Yuhao's cultivation was still too weak; otherwise, they could have achieved victory faster today when using that mental attack skill.
In just one day, three-quarters of the teams had been eliminated. Currently, only the top sixteen teams remained in the assessment area, which meant the forty-eight most outstanding students from the New Student class. It could even be said that they were the most excellent and prominent Soul Masters among all Soul Masters of their generation across the entire continent.
As they prepared for the battle draw, Huo Yuhao's trio once again met acquaintances: the Huan Chu Tian team, who had previously lost to them in the initial round-robin matches.
Huo Yuhao leaned close to Wang Dong's ear and asked, "Hey, I wonder how long it will take for those Lam sisters to be able to use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill again?"
Wang Dong replied, "I don't think it will be long. I feel that even though these two girls are twins, the harmony between their Martial Souls isn't exceptionally high. Perhaps that's why when they use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, it consumes a lot of Soul Power but doesn't yield much power. If we encounter their team again, you just need to assist me in unleashing the Light of the Butterfly God, and we can break their Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
Today, the number of people observing the matches on the high platform was much greater than yesterday; the seats were almost full even before the matches began. But it was a bit strange that in the center, an area of about three meters was left empty. Only one old man with disheveled hair and tattered clothes sat there. This old man had his feet propped up on the railing, a wine gourd in his hand, and several golden-brown roasted chickens beside him. He would take a sip of wine, bite into a piece of chicken, and savor it.
The people who could ascend this observation platform were all teachers at Shrek Academy, yet no one dared to approach the old man, nor did anyone dare to question why he was acting that way.
"Elder Xuan, greetings."
Wang Yan respectfully walked to the old man's side and greeted him in a low voice.
"Hmm."
The old man merely grunted in response and continued eating.
Wang Yan pointed below the platform and said, "Those three young people are standing over there. Yesterday..."
He had just started speaking when Elder Xuan waved a chicken leg, cutting him off.
"I'll see for myself."
"Yes."
Wang Yan dared not say anything more and stepped back to the side.
After the draw, the remaining sixteen teams began to prepare for their matches.
The competition area was adjusted once again, and eight large arenas were ready for the matches to begin. Huo Yuhao's opponents this time were a bit strange; yesterday it was three girls, and today it was three boys.
As soon as the three entered the arena, they lined up in a horizontal row. Standing in the middle was a tall, large boy. According to Shrek Academy's selection rules, he should be no more than twelve years old, but with that physique, he didn't look twelve at all!
He was at least one meter seventy tall, a head taller than Huo Yuhao and his two teammates. More importantly, his width was roughly the same...
He stood there, towering like a mountain of flesh.
The two people beside him were much slenderer. Not only were they a head shorter, but they were also as thin as sticks. These two looked quite similar, appearing to be brothers but not twins. Their arms were strangely long and thin.
If one were to look at these three students from a distance, the two small, thin brothers would likely be overlooked.
"Both teams, state your names. Prepare for the match."
The supervising teacher outside said in a deep voice.
The boy, like a mountain of flesh, slapped his chest hard, making his entire fleshy body jiggle.
"My name is Xie Huan Yue, Class Two, New Student Division."
"Class Two, New Student Division, Luo Tianlong."
"Class Two, New Student Division, Luo Tianba."
The two extremely thin and weak disciples had truly imposing names.
Huo Yuhao and his two teammates also stated their names in turn. After a shout from the supervising teacher, the match to compete for a spot in the top eight officially began.
However, neither side had launched an attack yet, and the expressions of Huo Yuhao and his two teammates were a bit crumpled.
The reason was quite simple: they had once again seen three spirit rings...
Xiao Xiao couldn't bear it anymore and cried out, "Is our luck too bad, or is the academy deliberately messing with us?"
Three spirit rings clearly appeared on Xie Huan Yue's body, and they were the best three spirit rings: two yellow and one purple. Moreover, when his body began to move, it was even more astonishing. As soon as his spirit rings were released, his entire body expanded, growing from 1.7 meters to 1.9 meters. His skin also darkened, and he repeatedly punched his chest, emitting booming sounds. Then, he strode towards Huo Yuhao and his two teammates.
Luo Tianlong and Luo Tianba did not rush to release their martial spirits but instead leaped up, hiding behind Xie Huan Yue, concealing themselves behind his enormous body.
This was their familiar fighting style, which had given them an advantage more than once before. Unfortunately, this time they encountered Huo Yuhao.
Hiding what! Could they hide from Spiritual Detection? Following the golden light from the depths of Huo Yuhao's eyes, a three-dimensional image appeared in Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's minds.
At this moment, Xiao Xiao did not use the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron but instead released the Nine Phoenixes Auspicious Flute. Since her twin martial spirits had already been exposed, she naturally had to use the one that was more advantageous.
A flute melody with a slowing effect rang out, instantly causing Xie Huan Yue and the two people hiding behind him to slow down.
Wang Dong did not rush forward either but released his martial spirit, the Goddess of Light Butterfly. Its two beautiful wings spread wide, covering Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao. At this moment, in the arena, only he and Xie Huan Yue could be seen.
Xie Huanyue seemed not to care that his speed had slowed. His feet continued to move, but the rumbling sounds were no longer present. His first Soul Ring also lit up.
Using Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao clearly saw him gathering momentum to prepare for a jump. However, with such a massive body, could he really jump?
As Huo Yuhao and the other two wondered, they instantly realized their mistake a split second later.
Xie Huanyue's body shot up more than ten meters, flying like a cannonball. Then, his entire body curled into a massive ball of flesh, slamming towards Huo Yuhao and the other two.
At the same time, the Luo brothers, Luo Tianlong and Luo Tianba, also began their attack. The two yellow Soul Rings on their bodies shone brightly. Both of their forearms had transformed into large silver blades. Although their speed had been reduced earlier, it was still quite fast, and their bodies were very agile.
Wang Dong saw this and stomped his foot on the ground, gathering momentum and charging out. He did not rely on his flying ability to meet Xie Huanyue's aerial attack. Instead, he targeted the Luo Tianlong brothers. Zha Yao had appeared; he wanted to use hardness to break softness. The Luo Tianlong brothers' speed had been suppressed by Xiao Xiao, making it difficult for them to overpower him. He was confident he could stop these two alone. As for confronting Xie Huanyue falling from the sky, that was clearly left to Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron.
The Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron had split into three parts in the air, its second Soul Skill, Cauldron's Surge.
Xiao Xiao had no intention of underestimating her opponent; this was a genuine Soul Venerable. So, from the very beginning, she immediately unleashed her strongest Soul Skill.
However, her opponent, Xie Huanyue, had no intention of dodging, nor did he unleash any Soul Skills. He simply allowed the three great cauldrons to strike his body.
A moment after impact, Xie Huanyue's entire body spun in the air. His first Soul Ring finally lit up, and he prepared to unleash his first Soul Skill.
His plump body once again swelled, becoming as round as a balloon.
After the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron struck him, as the power of Cauldron's Surge was unleashed, the "air balloon" suddenly contracted a little, and then the power of Cauldron's Surge was completely neutralized. After that, it simply fell straight towards Xiao Xiao.
So strong! After witnessing what had just happened, both Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao thought this to themselves. This Xie Huanyue was too bizarre. His Martial Soul was definitely a special type of Beast Martial Soul, but they didn't know what kind it was.
Fortunately, Wang Dong on the other side was not at a disadvantage. Although his two opponents were strong, with Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Resonance assisting him and his sturdy Zha Yao, fighting two against one was not very difficult. However, the two Luo brothers were not only fast but also extremely cunning. They tried to avoid direct confrontation with Wang Dong, making it difficult to determine a winner for a while.
Boom!
Xie Huanyue's massive body, like a rubber ball, thumped to the ground. In the end, he was still sent flying by the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, the reason being that he had simultaneously received attacks from Xiao Xiao's Cauldron's Surge and Huo Yuhao's Soul Shock.