Ring Fusion

Whoosh!

Eight throwing knives spun violently around Huo Yuxi like a whirling skirt, expanding outward as they turned.

Wherever the knives passed, the tough strands of hair were severed. Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo could already feel their Soul Power, stamina, and mental strength draining rapidly the moment Huo Yuxi used her skill.

With their Soul Power Levels, they could not have sustained the Martial Soul Fusion Skill for long to begin with. This immediately exhausted their Soul Power ahead of time, and they fainted.

Huang Chutian, who had been fighting Luo Ling, was no exception. A strong-attack Battle Soul Master was naturally countered by a control-type Soul Master. In less than two exchanges, Luo Ling successfully knocked him off the stage.

At the same time, Lu Wanwan also fainted. Without even waiting for the match result to be announced, Luo Ling hurriedly carried her over to the healing teacher. In an instant, Huo Yuxi was the only one left on the stage, holding the Soul Devouring Spider.

The skill she had just used was Ring Fusion. It consumed Soul Power comparable to a third soul skill, so her face was still somewhat pale.

On the other side, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had chosen to attack head-on. Although the Haodong Power had replenished Wang Dong's overdrawn Soul Power from that morning, the depletion in her body could not recover so quickly.

A prolonged battle would only wear her body down faster, which was why they had chosen such a high-burst battle strategy.

Even after leaving the assessment area, Huo Yuhao still could not believe that they had truly reached the semifinals. As long as they won one more match, they would be able to receive the reward.

Win two more matches, and they would be champions!

The more Huo Yuhao thought about it, the more his heart surged with emotion. Ever since the day he awakened his Martial Soul, the restaurant owner had only ever had one thing to say about him: what a pity.

But now he had done it! So what if his Innate Soul Power had only been Level 1? He had still successfully entered the continent's number one academy, Shrek Academy.

And he had passed the freshman assessment, making it into the top four of the elimination rounds.

Mom, did you see that? Not only was your daughter outstanding, but your son had also escaped those people's judgment and become a true Soul Master!

One day, he would return and make everyone who had looked down on them and bullied them pay the price.

Ultimately, what drove him to cultivate so diligently was revenge.

That vicious woman had endless ways to torment people. Huo Yuhao would never forget how, in the dead of winter, she had made his mother wash clothes by hand in freezing water.

After their mother passed away when they were ten, he and Huo Yuxi had never eaten a proper meal again. They either ate other people's leftovers or half-cooked rice and rotten vegetable leaves.

At that thought, a flash of scarlet passed through Huo Yuhao's eyes.

"Hey, Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"

Seeing his strange expression, Wang Dong could not help saying, "What's wrong with you? I've called you so many times."

Huo Yuhao blinked hard, shaking away his tears. Looking at her, he said, "Nothing. I'm just overwhelmed. I actually made it into the semifinals too."

"What are you thinking about? Did you forget that our goal is the championship? We've barely gotten started." Wang Dong secretly glanced at him. "We agreed that if we run into your sister, you can't go easy on her."

"Don't worry, I definitely won't. Besides, even if I wanted to go easy on her, I couldn't." Huo Yuhao patted her shoulder. "Xixi is immune to all mental-attribute attacks. When the time comes, I'll be counting on you two."

"No way. That ridiculously unfair skill doesn't work? Then what use are you?"

The two of them returned to their dorm joking and fooling around. After eating, they began cultivating. They still had a tough battle to fight tomorrow!

Huo Yuxi did the same. After returning to the dorm and feeding Xiao Xiao her medicine, she quickly climbed into bed and began cultivating.

The next day.

Xiao Xiao woke up early, but the healing teacher had said that she had to rest properly. Otherwise, she might be left with lasting complications.

So she stayed in the dorm to rest.

Huo Yuxi was very happy that morning. She had deliberately changed into her favorite white dress. The black Soul Devouring Spider in her arms stood out sharply against the white background—and looked rather out of place.

Its plush form simply had nothing to do with being pretty. At best, it could be called ugly-cute.

When they arrived at the gathering area, the four team captains stood together in front, with their teammates behind them. Huo Yuxi looked like the youngest of them all, standing there obediently.

At the same time, a youth taller and more strongly built than most boys his age caught both her and Huo Yuhao's attention.

He had a handsome yet cold face. His long golden hair was parted down the middle and draped over both sides, while his dark blue eyes had double pupils.

The instant Huo Yuxi saw him, her body began trembling instinctively, as though she had been swallowed by fear.

When Huo Yuxi was five, she often lost control of her body and would wander outside unconsciously. That time, she had been taking a nap while clutching the little thing Huo Yuhao had given her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in the snow outside.

A youth dressed in lavish clothes stood before her, holding the item Huo Yuhao had given her.

"That thing is mine." Somehow finding the courage, Huo Yuxi pushed past eight burly guards and snatched it back.

"You little bastard. Who knows where a cheap little trash like you came from, and you dare steal my things? You're courting death."

The youth took out the whip hanging at his waist and lashed little Huo Yuxi viciously. The whip was covered in barbs, and every strike tore away a small piece of flesh from her body.

"Wah... I'm not a bastard. I didn't steal your things. My brother gave this to me. It's mine."

Because of her frail body, five-year-old Huo Yuxi looked no more than three. She had no chance to resist at all.

After two lashes, both her clothes and the snow beside her had been stained red with blood. Her voice gradually weakened, like the dying whimper of a small animal.

Huo Yun'er, who had found Huo Yuxi, hurriedly threw herself forward and shielded her daughter tightly in her arms.

"Bitch, you still want to protect that little bastard? Beat them both."

The guards beside the youth received the order and attacked the mother and daughter together. Huo Yuxi was frail, and Huo Yun'er was not much better off.

When Huo Yuhao found them, all he saw was his barely conscious mother and his dying sister.

Later, they paid an enormous price to save them both. After awakening her Martial Soul, Huo Yuxi's health gradually improved. Huo Yun'er's old injuries, however, never healed. Coupled with years of overwork, she eventually fell gravely ill when they were ten.

Xixi, Xixi.

As a mental-attribute Soul Devouring Spider, it naturally knew what was happening to Huo Yuxi. This situation was so similar to the methods it often used.

She had clearly fallen into a nightmare. It transformed back into its spider form, crawled onto Huo Yuxi's cheek, and woke her as it had before.

Don't be afraid. It's all right now. If we draw him later, I'll avenge you properly.

Huo Yuxi forced herself to calm down. She would definitely avenge herself.

Huo Yuhao, beside her, was different. His eyes were full of disbelief, and his entire body trembled with excitement. Thinking of something, he turned toward Huo Yuxi and, sure enough, saw his sister's reddened eyes.

He clenched his fists tightly. He could not go over there. He could not! He had to endure it.

"Yuhao, what's wrong?"

There was a trace of pained reproach in Wang Dong's voice. Looking down, Huo Yuhao realized that he had unconsciously grabbed her wrist. He immediately released it and hurriedly apologized. "Sorry."

Huo Yuhao's eyes were bloodshot. Seeing him like this, Wang Dong's eyes filled with worry. "Can you still compete?"

"It's fine. I'm just a little excited."