Dark Duel!

Of course, Mystic Water Pills were so expensive on the Black Market that it was hard to say the Xu Family had no hand in it. After all, most of the Mystic Water Pills given away as gifts would be consumed internally by the receiving factions, leaving virtually no chance for them to circulate outside. It was difficult to say how many of the Mystic Water Pills on the Black Market had been released by the Xu Family themselves.

But for the Xu Family, this situation naturally brought nothing but benefits. Mystic Water Pills sold for as much as ten thousand Gold Soul Coins on the Black Market. When the factions receiving the gifts saw the pills, they would feel they had gotten a bargain and sigh over how lavish the Xu Family was, allowing the Xu Family to gain goodwill for free.

At the same time, by controlling the number of Mystic Water Pills released each month, the Xu Family could make a fortune while maintaining the pills' lofty status. It was killing several birds with one stone.

Huo Yuhao's previous information channels had simply been too low-level for him to learn about something as valuable as Mystic Water Pills. Otherwise, forget ten thousand gold coins per pill—even if they cost twenty thousand each, he would have gritted his teeth and bought a few.

Xu Sanshi did not want to admit that he had been so casually taken down by a mere nine-year-old. His eyes were wide with fury, and he looked ready to devour someone.

"Let's raise the stakes a little, since Senior Xu wants another match so badly."

Huo Yuhao put away the Adamantine Umbrella in his right hand and took the katana back out of his Storage Soul Guidance Device.

"One Mystic Water Pill is too little. In the next soul duel, if Senior Xu loses, he'll have to put up two more Mystic Water Pills."

Huo Yuhao's voice was not loud, yet every word seemed to strike Xu Sanshi squarely in the heart.

"Of course, since Senior Xu is putting up such a huge wager, I can't be too stingy either. All the rules from the previous soul duel are void. We'll follow the requirements of a normal soul duel in every respect. Besides, there's no need to keep playing this best-of-three game. If I lose the next soul duel to Senior Xu, I'll forfeit my right to compete in the third round."

Boom!

It was as if a Fixed Soul Guidance Cannon Shell had exploded in the Soul Duel Arena. The crowd, already somewhat stunned, was now completely shocked.

Under Huo Yuhao's proposal, not only had he accepted Xu Sanshi's request for another match, but he had also deliberately abandoned the best-of-three format, which was enormously favorable to him and gave him two match points. Instead, he had turned the next soul duel into a single-bout deathmatch.

Even more incredibly, Huo Yuhao had voluntarily demanded the removal of every restriction from the previous duel. Xu Sanshi could unleash his full strength, using the soul skills granted by both of his Soul Rings. There would also no longer be a sixty-second time limit. That meant one of them had to fall on the Soul Duel Stage before a victor could be decided!

"Dark Duel! This is a Dark Duel!"

"Damn it, I finished my drink just now! Ahhh!"

"At least you still have food! I'm completely out of both food and drink—damn it, can someone buy some for me?!"

The students watching the match erupted into an uproar, so excited that they nearly leaped to their feet. The students from Star Luo in particular were utterly stunned.

"How the hell does this kid like duels even more than us Star Luo people? Besides, when was it that bloody duels and Beast Fighting Arenas were popular in Star Luo? You'd have to trace that back to the reign of the Star Luo White Tiger Emperor, wouldn't you?!"

"So? Do you dare accept?"

Huo Yuhao's gaze became incomparably sharp, so sharp that Xu Sanshi almost did not dare meet his eyes. Those eyes were like an owl's in the darkness of night—keen, merciless, as if they might extend their talons at any moment and tear an enemy to pieces.

"Why wouldn't I dare? It's a deal!"

The Evil Fire filling Xu Sanshi's heart had been stoked into blazing battle intent by Huo Yuhao's few words. Xu Sanshi was about to give it his all and show this brat just how formidable he was, while Huo Yuhao wanted even more to tear another juicy chunk of meat from Xu Sanshi.

Under the Referee's witness, Xu Sanshi VS Huo Yuhao—Dark Duel—was officially confirmed!

The Referee had gotten interested as well, joining the students in their antics.

"Fourth Grade student Xu Sanshi challenges outsider Huo Yuhao! Dark Duel! Deciding match! No additional rule restrictions! Begin the soul duel!"

Huo Yuhao slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again. His already brilliant golden eyes now burned with illusory Golden Flame, making him seem even more noble and extraordinary. A pale yellow Hundred Year Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

On the other side, Xu Sanshi showed no weakness. His body expanded once more, stretching his school uniform taut, while the massive tortoiseshell shield appeared in his right hand. Two yellow Soul Rings emerged one after the other, bringing with them an intense sense of oppression.

Both of them slowly stepped sideways, their sharp gazes fixed on one another as dense Soul Power continuously surged upward. Gold on one side, black on the other, the two were clearly divided within the Soul Duel Arena.

Huo Yuhao flicked the Soul Guidance Hand Axe in his left hand. His First Soul Ring flashed, and golden flames ignited simultaneously along the axe blade and the edge of the katana in his right hand. At that instant, the spectators even felt slightly dazed, as an incomparable divinity quietly flowed from Huo Yuhao like Flowing Water.

Although Huo Yuhao was approaching him extremely slowly, Xu Sanshi somehow felt a trace of pressure from him. To dispel that discomfort, Xu Sanshi made the first move.

With a sudden roar, Xu Sanshi charged at Huo Yuhao like a bolt of black lightning. As he sprinted, even the Soul Duel Stage seemed to tremble almost imperceptibly beneath his footsteps.

Xu Sanshi was incredibly fast. Having nearly reached the realm of a Soul Elder, his physical condition was exceptionally powerful. As he ran, he was like a crazed wild bull.

When he was roughly five meters from Huo Yuhao, Xu Sanshi suddenly leaped up. Gripping the black tortoiseshell shield with both hands, he lit up his First Soul Ring.

Mystic Tremor!

A flash of smugness passed through Xu Sanshi's eyes. Earlier, he had merely been careless, allowing Huo Yuhao to press a Soul Guidance Ray Gun directly against his little brother and losing a round in humiliating fashion. Now that he had leaped three meters into the air, what else could Huo Yuhao possibly do?

Now, he would use thunderous means to tell Huo Yuhao that within a mere sixty seconds, using only his First Soul Skill, he could defeat him with no effort at all!

Yet, facing Xu Sanshi as he soared high into the air, Huo Yuhao's lips curled into an unfathomable smile.

What was he smiling about?!

Xu Sanshi's heart inexplicably tightened. In the next moment, Huo Yuhao actually leaped up in sync with him, and the folding Soul Guidance Hand Axe in his left hand closed with a soft click.

Taking advantage of moving later, Huo Yuhao slammed his chest into Xu Sanshi's midair body, knocking Xu Sanshi off balance as he hung helplessly in the air.

Then, Huo Yuhao's freed left hand forcefully pressed down on Xu Sanshi's right shoulder. The two were nearly pressed together as the katana in Huo Yuhao's right hand swept fiercely upward from below, slashing toward the red mark on Xu Sanshi's neck!