Chapitre 98: Chapter 98: Personal Grievance
As Zhang Lexuan's words slowly fell, a chill swept through the teacher's section of the grandstand, silencing everyone instantly.
Yan Shaozhe's smile faded slightly as he stared at Zhang Lexuan before him, his tone losing its playful edge.
"Then I'll wait and see. I look forward to seeing what surprises your precious students can bring me, Teacher Zhang."
"You will see."
As a calm, clear voice rang out, Yan Shaozhe's face darkened further. He looked up to see Xian Liner walking toward them on the grandstand, having arrived unnoticed. After his expression shifted several times, he forced a grim smile.
"Liner, what brings you here?"
"Enough with the pretense. I'm here to make sure you don't pull any tricks during the assessment."
Xian Liner glanced at the six students below and spoke with a cold sneer.
"Yan Shaozhe, let me make this clear. I don't care about a fair assessment, but if I find out that anyone on your side tries to sabotage the fairness of this match, I'll not only tear down your assessment area today but also report it directly to Elder Mu."
"Xian Liner, don't tell me you think your side has already won?"
Yan Shaozhe's face darkened further at her blatant lack of respect.
"You think we need to resort to tricks to defeat you? Don't overestimate those two students!"
"Oh? Think our students are weak?"
Xian Liner raised her eyebrows, not appearing the least bit offended. Instead, she shot Yan Shaozhe a confrontational look.
"If that's the case, Dean Yan, feel free to lift the restriction on the use of soul tools. Surely, Dean Yan doesn't mind if our Soul Tool Department students use what they excel at?"
Yan Shaozhe's face froze, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he hesitated to agree to her suggestion.
Since Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena joined the Soul Tool Department, Xian Liner had taken full responsibility for their training in soul tools. No information about their talent in this area had leaked.
Although details were scarce, the occasional hint of delight on Xian Liner's face over the past few months hinted that these two prodigies had an unusual level of skill.
Originally, it was risky enough for Tang San to face two opponents alone, and if they were allowed to use soul tools, he might be in serious trouble.
With this in mind, Yan Shaozhe maintained his air of authority and responded with a cold sneer.
"I'm not falling for that. Just because I'm not in the Soul Tool Department doesn't mean I know nothing about soul tools. They've only been in the Soul Tool Department for three months; how good could they really be? They probably haven't even reached the level of a Level One Soul Engineer!"
"If I agreed, those two would pull out soul tools tailor-made for them by you, wouldn't they?"
As if she had anticipated his response, Xian Liner didn't bother to argue further.
"Coward. Since Dean Yan is so unwilling, our Soul Tool Department will give way to you."
Ignoring Yan Shaozhe's expression, which was darkening with suppressed anger, Xian Liner walked over and stood next to Zhang Lexuan.
"From a distance, I could hear the two of you bickering. It's just a few young ones fighting; what's there to argue about?"
As the teachers respectfully moved aside, an old man with a wine gourd swaggered over, lazily approaching the group.
Seeing Elder Xuan—who usually showed little interest in freshmen—present here, Wang Yan was momentarily stunned. He couldn't resist asking.
"Elder Xuan, what brings you here?"
Lying down at the edge of the grandstand in a comfortable spot, Elder Xuan waved dismissively.
"Don't mind me; I'm just here to see what makes that kid who dared to insult me to my face so special."
"What?"
Wang Yan's expression changed, and he subconsciously glanced down at Huo Yuhao below.
This young man, who seemed so well-mannered, actually dared to insult Elder Xuan? He didn't dare to inquire further, so he simply refocused his gaze on the upcoming match.
As one of the top contenders, this match had drawn the attention of every teacher present. Even students who had been defeated earlier crowded around the area where the two teams stood, eager to watch this much-anticipated battle.
Under normal circumstances, the academy would have kept students from gathering like this.
But this time was different. Watching their peers—truly talented fighters—would not be a waste of time. It would give the students a sense of their own gap from the top, motivating them to train harder.
The academy chose to turn a blind eye.
Some teachers even brought their classes along to witness this match, which felt as momentous as the final championship, resulting in an audience as large as that of an actual championship match.
"Both sides, step forward and introduce yourselves!"
Seeing all six contestants ready, Du Weilun spoke in a serious tone.
For him—a Title Douluo—to be acting as the judge of this match, it was clear how seriously Yan Shaozhe took it.
"Class One, Zhou Sicheng."
"Class One, Cao Jinxuan."
Unlike the excited spectators around them, Zhou Sicheng and Cao Jinxuan were not feeling thrilled.
Being forcibly placed on a team with the "Naked War God" was embarrassing enough; now they were surrounded by so many onlookers. They could already picture people pointing and whispering about them in the cafeteria.
At first, they'd comforted themselves, figuring they'd at least found a strong teammate and could keep a low profile. They were ready to aim for at least second place in the tournament. But here they were in the round of 32, up against an even more fearsome team.
This wasn't what they signed up for!
"Class One, Tang San."
Tang San had no time to worry about his teammates' thoughts. Staring at Huo Yuhao, who was looking back at him, he felt his heartbeat pounding.
The traitor who had wronged him in his previous life was right there before him. The effort it took to keep himself from tearing Huo Yuhao to shreds was immense.
A pity...
Noticing Tang San's outward calm but the veins bulging on his neck, Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly.
If not for the three-day cooldown, his Wrath Sin ability might already be unlocked thanks to Tang San.
"Class Five, Huo Yuhao."
"Zhu Lu."
"Gu Yuena."
After everyone introduced themselves, Du Weilun nodded, his voice carrying clearly through the venue as he amplified it with soul power.
"For this match, because of both sides' exceptional strength, I will act as referee. Also, as I'll handle the outcome, feel free to go all out and attack without holding back."
"If I have to pull someone from the arena, they'll be disqualified. Understood?"
As Du Weilun spoke, Huo Yuhao felt a tug on his hand. He turned to see Gu Yuena winking at him.
Without words, Huo Yuhao understood her meaning.
—We can go all out!
"…dream on!"
Struggling to contain a laugh, Huo Yuhao coughed lightly and looked back at Tang San, pausing before he gently squeezed Gu Yuena's hand.
"There's something I'd like to ask of you two."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhu Lu and said softly.
"This match… is a bit of a personal matter. So let me handle it alone."
Both Gu Yuena and Zhu Lu, as well as Zhou Sicheng and Cao Jinxuan on the other team, were taken aback.
Was he serious?
Did he intend to take on all three alone?
Tang San's face turned especially grim at Huo Yuhao's words. He almost couldn't believe his ears.
Huo Yuhao wanted to duel him?
In his previous life, Huo Yuhao had barely managed to bring him down with the power of the Seven Deadly Sins God's wrath. Did he now see himself as Tang San's equal?
Even if Huo Yuhao had a million-year-old spirit ring, its power was limited by his physical capability. Tang San was confident this wouldn't bridge their gap.
How could he dare?
Huo Yuhao had no intention of clarifying, and as soon as he finished speaking, his teammates gave their answer.
"…Alright."
Without hesitation, Gu Yuena and Zhu Lu immediately declared their forfeit to the still-stunned Du Weilun and walked off the arena.
The sight of this left even Elder Xuan frowning in uncertainty as he scrutinized Huo Yuhao.
After meeting Huo Yuhao that evening, he'd gained some insight into his personality. He didn't think the young man would give up on the match, so this must mean he was genuinely confident in fighting all three of his opponents alone.
Had he misjudged?
That didn't seem possible.
Huo Yuhao was just a control-type soul master with slightly stronger physical attributes than those in his rank and skills leaning toward support.
So what was he relying on?
In the arena, watching as his two teammates left the field without hesitation, Du Weilun swallowed nervously. He suddenly felt a strong sense of unease.
With every match, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena had revealed less of their abilities, becoming more mysterious.
Could these two really be brought under Shrek's or even the Spirit Hall's control?
(End of Chapter)
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone