Seeing his eyes light up with golden glow, could it be that his martial soul is actually his eyes?
Realizing something, Xian Lin'er's eyes sparkled as she focused even more on Huo Yuhao, watching his every move.
Meanwhile, Beibei, having collected himself, took a deep breath and charged toward Huo Yuhao like a streak of blue lightning.
With his extensive combat experience, Beibei wasn't about to lose his composure just because his opponent had two thousand-year soul rings. Like Xian Lin'er, he had already guessed that Huo Yuhao's martial soul was somehow connected to his eyes, so he decided to engage in close combat immediately.
However, what Beibei didn't know was that as he charged forward, Huo Yuhao was already thinking about how to hold back and show just a hint of his true abilities.
Facing his senior brother, who had helped him immensely in his previous life, Huo Yuhao could not treat Beibei like an evil soul master or Dai Huabin, taking a heavy-handed approach.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Huo Yuhao stomped his foot, choosing not to create distance as Xian Lin'er had expected. Instead, he rushed forward like an arrow shot from a bow.
"Hmm?"
Beibei furrowed his brows, surprised that his opponent intended to face him head-on. But he was an attack-type soul master — could it be that Huo Yuhao's martial soul wasn't his eyes after all?
With rising caution, Beibei activated his millennium soul skill, Thunder Fury.
Blue-violet scales spread across his right arm, covering the right side of his chest. The blue lightning took on a purple hue, releasing such intense energy that even the surrounding air had a slight burnt odor.
Seeing Huo Yuhao coming closer, Beibei timed his strike and activated his first soul skill.
Electric energy gathered around his arm, forming a blue-purple dragon claw, which he swung toward Huo Yuhao.
"This guy isn't dodging!?"
Xu Sanshi, watching from the resting area, held his breath seeing Huo Yuhao recklessly charging at Beibei's full-force attack.
Xian Lin'er, however, didn't rush to intervene; instead, she glanced at Zhang Lexuan. Noticing her calm expression, Xian Lin'er felt slightly relieved.
Yet Beibei was startled. He knew exactly how strong that strike was; even Xu Sanshi, with his Xuanwu Shield Martial Soul, wouldn't dare to take it head-on. Was Huo Yuhao crazy?
As Beibei instinctively pulled back his strength, something strange happened. The dragon claw passed through Huo Yuhao's body as if it had struck nothing but air, leaving no blood or collision — just a dissolving shadow.
It was a trick!
The thought had barely formed in Beibei's mind when Huo Yuhao appeared before him and reached for Beibei's scaled right arm.
Upon contact, Beibei felt a wave of intense dizziness, and his vision went black.
This was naturally Huo Yuhao's second soul skill, Mind Thread. To avoid revealing that his soul ring had multiple effects, he chose to release Mind Thread through physical contact.
Although he was only a Soul Grandmaster, Huo Yuhao's spiritual power was far beyond ordinary, rendering Beibei unable to resist the dizziness.
While Beibei was briefly immobilized, Huo Yuhao gripped his arm and wrenched it backward.
A resounding crack echoed as Beibei's right arm was dislocated under Huo Yuhao's immense strength, refined by his Pride Origin.
The intense pain snapped Beibei out of his daze. Seeing Huo Yuhao so close, he instinctively charged lightning into his leg and kicked out.
But his kick only repeated the same scene. It passed through Huo Yuhao, as though Huo Yuhao were a mirage.
Seeing the illusion disintegrate under his attack, Beibei was dumbfounded.
Having learned from his earlier mistake, he had struck this time only after detecting a presence — but Huo Yuhao had vanished again.
Realizing he was about to lose, Beibei took a step back and activated his second soul ring, unleashing Thunderous Might.
Electric currents around him thickened like serpents, writhing across his body.
Just as the energy was about to erupt, Huo Yuhao appeared beside him once more, calmly grabbing Beibei's arm and returning it to its socket with a swift push.
With a muffled groan, Beibei's intense pain caused him to tremble, disrupting his Thunderous Might and dissipating the lightning.
Placing a hand on Beibei's shoulder, Huo Yuhao's calm voice echoed, "Thank you for letting me win, Senior Beibei."
Beibei relaxed slightly, knowing he'd lost. Huo Yuhao's hand on his shoulder meant he could've aimed for Beibei's neck just as easily.
Reflecting on the battle, Beibei gave a bitter smile.
"Miss Lexuan has quite the eye. I've lost," he said, making sure his last words echoed across the field, stirring an uproar.
No one could've guessed that a new student with only two soul rings would defeat an outer-court legend so easily.
Though many felt Huo Yuhao had used his illusion-like soul skill to his advantage, some sensed the abnormal strength hidden behind his victory.
After all, dislocating Beibei's right arm with a single hand was a feat no typical soul master could achieve, especially with just martial soul possession alone. And why hadn't Beibei struggled?
Simple as it seemed, the battle left the audience with unanswered questions.
But Huo Yuhao didn't care about others' opinions. Glancing at the amused smile on Beibei's face, he asked, "What did you mean by 'Miss Lexuan's fiancé'?"
Beibei grinned, clapping Huo Yuhao's shoulder.
"Age aside, you're like her husband already. I've heard her mention you so many times, and today, I finally met you."
Smiling, Beibei added, "I've never seen her care about anyone like she does for you. If she's going to pick a boyfriend, you'd definitely be first in line."
Huo Yuhao felt his head spin. Was this going in the wrong direction?
Seeing Huo Yuhao's silence, Beibei assumed he was concerned about the age gap and reassured him. "You've got great talent, so you'll catch up to her in no time. Don't worry about the age difference."
Unaware of Huo Yuhao's increasingly stiff expression, Beibei continued, "Honestly, I feel a strange kinship with you, like fate. If you become my brother-in-law, that would be fantastic. Don't worry — I'll help you."
You're going to help me!?
Huo Yuhao's expression twitched as he waved his hands. "No need, no need. Thank you, Senior Beibei."
Beibei chuckled, and Xian Lin'er, acting as referee, approached, impressed.
"I understand now why Lexuan admires you so much. Is your martial soul really your eyes? Could you explain your soul skills?"
Acknowledging the curious glances, Huo Yuhao activated his mental detection sharing and added Beibei and Xian Lin'er.
"Is this…"
Both widened their eyes. Huo Yuhao then demonstrated his illusion skill, and Beibei shook his head with a sigh.
"I don't feel bad about losing now."
Recalling the dizziness when Huo Yuhao first grabbed him, Beibei realized his junior brother likely had more hidden cards.
But then again, wasn't it better if his future brother-in-law was even stronger?
(End of Chapter)
Suppressing her curiosity, Xian Lin'er chose not to press Huo Yuhao about his spirit skills and instead spoke with a warm smile.
"I can tell you very responsibly that your spirit skill is exceptionally suited for pairing with soul tools in combat. If you join the Soul Tool Department, it will fully maximize your potential."
"Uh..."
Huo Yuhao blinked, momentarily unsure how to respond.
He couldn't exactly say he was joining the assessment just to enjoy the perk of three months of free meals, could he? As for joining the Soul Tool or Martial Soul Department, it didn't matter much to him since he didn't really need anyone to teach him either cultivation or soul tools.
Still, if he had to pick, Huo Yuhao was slightly more inclined toward the Soul Tool Department. Joining the Martial Soul Department might only grant him the fully-equipped set of spirit bones promised by Yan Shaozhe in his past life, which included at least one hundred-thousand-year bone.
In his previous life, he'd been thrilled by the thought of such treasures, but after reincarnating, he valued the rare metals the Soul Tool Department could provide even more.
Luckily, he didn't have to make a decision right then, as Zhang Lexuan came over to his side.
Zhang Lexuan shot him a meaningful look, suggesting she would handle things, then turned to Xian Lin'er with a smile.
"Dean Xian, this is only the first day of school, and Yuhao hasn't even figured out the differences between the Martial Soul and Soul Tool Departments yet. How can he decide so soon? Why don't you give us a couple of days? I'll explain both departments to him in detail first, and then he can make a decision."
Since Xian Lin'er had already seen Huo Yuhao's potential, it was only natural for Zhang Lexuan to wait until Yan Shaozhe returned before they discussed it further.
With no competition at hand, Xian Lin'er wouldn't be offering high incentives right now. If Huo Yuhao were to join the Soul Tool Department under such conditions, the resources he'd receive would likely be much lower.
"This girl… trying to make us bleed, huh?"
Xian Lin'er easily understood the implications of Zhang Lexuan's words but wasn't offended. She looked at Huo Yuhao with an amused expression and teased, "I must say, your new homeroom teacher is looking out for you. I'm almost a little envious. Fine, since Lexuan says so, I'll come back after Yan Shaozhe returns."
She was determined to secure Huo Yuhao for the Soul Tool Department, after all. With the Soul Tool Department's abundant resources, Huo Yuhao's talent justified any cost she might need to pay.
Most importantly, she doubted Yan Shaozhe would be as eager to fight for Huo Yuhao as she was, especially after witnessing his spirit skill. While Spirit Detection and Simulation were powerful, they mainly provided a significant boost in using soul tools, whereas in the Martial Soul Department, they'd only be supplementary.
With Gu Yuena and Tang San around as well, would Yan Shaozhe compete for three students at once? Even if he wanted to, the Martial Soul Department didn't have the resources for it.
With this thought, she patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and looked toward Du Weilun.
"Director Du, let's begin the next match."
Du Weilun wiped his forehead with a weary expression and nodded.
"Everything is according to Dean Xian's arrangements."
With how things were going, even if the Martial Soul Department could keep a few of these talents, it would cost them dearly. They were now in an auction battle for two treasures they'd hoped to snag without much effort. The pain was real.
As Huo Yuhao, Zhang Lexuan, and other spectators exited the field, the second assessment was about to start, and the students' excitement had reached its peak. They eagerly watched the direction of the waiting area.
When a silver-haired girl slowly walked out, their eyes lit up.
"First a handsome guy, now a beautiful girl—this year's freshmen are incredible…"
Ignoring the attention on her, Gu Yuena walked straight to the center of the field and stood still. Before the audience could snap out of their admiration of her beauty, three purple spirit rings unexpectedly rose around her feet, and the intense purple glow caused Xu Sanshi to stagger in shock, nearly tripping over.
"Goodness… what kind of monsters did the academy enroll this year?"
Both freshmen he'd seen so far were starting with thousand-year spirit rings! Xu Sanshi was starting to wonder if he was falling behind the times.
Facing this newcomer, who seemed even stronger than Huo Yuhao, Xu Sanshi dared not show any hint of arrogance and immediately released his martial soul.
With two yellow and one purple spirit ring appearing, his already muscular figure swelled, and his black school uniform stretched taut over his robust physique.
"Huh? Xuanwu Shield?"
Noticing the dark green, blood-red-eyed snake on Xu Sanshi's shield, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
He remembered in his previous life, Xu Sanshi had a Black Tortoise Shield during his time in the outer court since his Xuanwu bloodline had not yet fully awakened. But this time, it seemed his opponent had already awakened his Xuanwu Shield.
"Junior Brother Huo, you actually know about it?"
Bebe, noticing Huo Yuhao's interest, asked with curiosity.
"I just happened to hear about it but haven't actually seen it."
Bebe didn't care if Huo Yuhao was being truthful. He chuckled and explained, "Since you passed the assessment, I can tell you. Before you freshmen arrived, Xu Sanshi was considered the most talented in the outer court, and even I could only match him when using my full power."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. These two were known as the Twin Stars of the outer court in his past life, not just for their cultivation speed, but because their martial souls were more than they appeared.
One had the bloodline of the Xuanwu divine beast, and the other carried the top-tier Holy Light Dragon bloodline. Their natural talent was truly exceptional.
After explaining, Bebe's curiosity was piqued. "By the way, Junior Brother Huo, if you were up against Xu Sanshi in the assessment, do you think you'd have a chance?"
"It's hard to say."
Huo Yuhao smiled. "Xu Senior's defense-type spirit is naturally a counter to me."
Using the tactics he'd just shown against Bebe, defeating Xu Sanshi would be nearly impossible. In terms of inter-departmental restraint, control spirits were often least effective against defense spirits, which excelled at enduring attacks.
Without activating his Sin of Pride, his physical power alone couldn't break through the Xuanwu Shield.
Of course, if he used Spiritual Shock, that would be a different story. Xu Sanshi, with only Spirit Elder-level cultivation, would likely be knocked out instantly.
"Looks like you held back a lot against me, huh, Junior Brother Huo?"
Bebe laughed at himself, "Finding a strong opponent in the outer court isn't easy, so let's spar again sometime."
"Sure thing."
Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile. In the meantime, the duel on the field was about to begin.
"Come at me—"
Finally, Xu Sanshi suppressed his usual smirk and looked at Gu Yuena, his face filled with determination.
"Let me see what this freshman class can do!"
As his words fell, an aura of dark green energy surged around him, exuding the terrifying pressure of a divine beast. Xu Sanshi was not one to back down before a fight; even though Gu Yuena's spirit ring composition was intimidating, his spirit skills were also enhanced by the divine beast imprint.
"Ready—Begin!"
With Xian Lin'er's command, everyone in the arena froze at the sight before them.
Gu Yuena's first and second purple spirit rings lit up in succession, and her long, silver hair began to emit a faint glow. A silver staff appeared in her hand, and as she waved it, nearly ten fiery orange-red fireballs materialized around her.
The scorching heat swept across the field, and even the audience felt its intensity.
Seeing the fireballs, Xu Sanshi's battle spirit completely vanished. He swallowed hard and muttered despairingly.
"Hey, can we call a truce?"
But the next moment, with a wail, the fireballs swarmed toward him.
"Arrgh—!!"
Xu Sanshi's screams echoed through the arena for several minutes before dying down.
The spectators covered their eyes, unable to bear watching this one-sided battle any longer.
In addition to fireballs, an array of elemental attacks relentlessly assaulted Xu Sanshi. He managed to hold his own at first, but soon, all he could do was scream.
Finally, scorched and bruised, Xu Sanshi raised his trembling hands, shouting in anguish.
"I surrender! I surrender!"
With the battle over, Gu Yuena calmly retracted her staff and spirit, then turned to Xian Lin'er.
"I won."
(End of Chapter)
I had a fever yesterday so I couldn't post a chapter.
Anda mungkin juga menyukai
Komentar Paragraf
Fitur komentar paragraf sekarang ada di Web! Arahkan kursor ke atas paragraf apa pun dan klik ikon untuk menambahkan komentar Anda.
Selain itu, Anda selalu dapat menonaktifkannya atau mengaktifkannya di Pengaturan.
MENGERTI