Huo Wu's Worries

Huo Wu practically fled the Imperial Fighting Team's rest area. She did not stop until she reached a corner of the passageway far from the crowd, where she leaned against the cold wall.

She covered her still-burning cheeks with her hands, her heart still pounding uncontrollably.

"That bastard! Shameless lecher!" she muttered, yet Zhang Bufan's handsome face with that wicked grin kept replaying in her mind, along with the feeling of his large hand ruffling her hair.

And that line—"my little Wu"...

"Who's your little Wu?!" Huo Wu stamped her foot, embarrassed and furious. She felt as if that guy would anger her to death, yet deep inside, an indescribable sweetness quietly began to spread.

She had to admit that when she saw Zhang Bufan standing on the arena stage, crushing everything in his path, shattering the Clear Sky Hammer with one finger and casually blocking every Hidden Weapon, she had been utterly shaken.

Powerful, confident, and carrying a touch of roguish mischief.

That combination of traits in one man was lethally attractive to women. Especially for a girl like Huo Wu, who possessed extraordinary talent and a proud nature, a man who could completely conquer her through strength while also leaving her helpless with his personality was practically poison.

"He... should really be alright, right?" Huo Wu shook her head, trying to drive that irritating face from her mind, but concern still won out. Tang San's Hidden Weapons were far too strange. When she had watched Shrek's previous matches, she had seen a Soul King suffer greatly after being caught off guard.

That bastard was absurdly strong, but what if?

"Hmph, I'm not worried about him! I just... I just don't want him getting injured by such underhanded tactics and affecting his performance in the finals, making our Heaven Dou Empire lose face! Yes, that's all!" Huo Wu emphasized it to herself once more, only then feeling somewhat relieved.

She straightened her slightly disheveled hair and dress, took several deep breaths, and tried her best to restore her usual proud, composed expression before heading toward Blazing Fire Academy's spectator area.

The moment she returned to her seat, Brother Huo Wushuang gave her an inquisitive look.

"Wu, where did you go just now?"

"Nowhere... I just took a walk." Huo Wu guiltily avoided her brother's gaze and pretended to calmly look toward the arena. The next match seemed to have already begun, but she had no interest in watching it.

Feng Xiaotian sat beside her, watching the faint blush on Huo Wu's ears and the flicker in her eyes. His heart was filled with bitterness. How could he not guess what Huo Wu had gone to do? That Zhang Bufan... his strength was powerful enough to inspire despair, and now it seemed that his place in Wu's heart was also...

He clenched his fists, then weakly loosened them. Before such an absolute gap in strength, he did not even seem qualified to compete.

Inside the Imperial Fighting Team's rest area, the tactical discussion regarding Spirit Hall Academy's Golden Generation continued, though Zhang Bufan had barely listened to any of it.

Yu Tianheng held the information in his hands, his expression solemn. "...According to their previous match records, Hu Liena is a level fifty-one control-type Battle Soul King. Her Martial Soul is the Demon Fox, and she possesses extremely powerful charm abilities. Often, a single glance can make an opponent lose their fighting strength. She is the core of the three."

"Xie Yue is a level fifty-two Assault Department Battle Soul King. His Martial Soul is the Moon Blade. His attack power is exceptionally formidable, and his Self-Created Soul Skill, 'Full Moon,' combines offense and defense. Its power is astonishing."

"Yan is a level fifty-two Assault Department Battle Soul King. His Martial Soul is the Flame Lord. Both his defense and strength are top-tier, and the quality of his flames is extremely high."

"Most importantly, Hu Liena and Xie Yue are biological siblings. The two possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Bewitching Charm! Once activated, it forms a Red Mist Domain. Within the domain, an opponent's senses, Soul Power, and speed are greatly weakened. It is extremely troublesome!"

Upon hearing the terms "Martial Soul Fusion Skill" and "domain," everyone on the Imperial Fighting Team turned serious. These were among the highest-level abilities in the Soul Master world.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill... that sounds a little troublesome." Yu Feng scratched his head.

"And all three of them are Soul Kings. Their Soul Power Levels are far higher than ours," Osler added.

Ye Lingling said softly, "My Nine Heart Begonia may not be able to completely dispel the negative effects of that domain."

Yu Tianheng summed up, "So, the key to the finals lies in how we deal with their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Bewitching Charm. Bufan, are you confident?" He still placed his final hopes on Zhang Bufan.

Zhang Bufan finally snapped out of his thoughts about Huo Wu. He yawned and drawled lazily, "Bewitching Charm? Red Mist Domain? Sounds flashy."

He stood up and stretched, his joints cracking softly.

"Don't worry, Captain." A confident curve appeared at the corner of his lips. "Whatever Demon Fox or Ghostly nonsense it is, before my cauldron, they're all Worthless Trash."

He patted Yu Tianheng on the shoulder. "Just protect yourselves when the time comes. Don't get hurt by the aftershock. Leave everything else to me."

Seeing Zhang Bufan's relaxed gaze, which even carried a hint of anticipation, Yu Tianheng suddenly felt that his worries might have been unnecessary.

This guy... where exactly was the bottom line of his strength?

Perhaps Spirit Hall's Golden Generation truly was nothing more than a few slightly larger stumbling blocks on his path to the championship.

The following matches held no suspense.

In the other semifinal, the Martial Soul Hall Academy Team faced an equally powerful team directly admitted from the Star Luo Empire.

This match thoroughly displayed the terrifying strength of the Golden Generation to everyone.

Yan was like a flame war god. By himself, he suppressed two Assault Department Soul Ancestors from the opposing side, his raging flames nearly turning half the arena into scorched earth.

Xie Yue's Moon Blades appeared and vanished unpredictably, their attacks incomparably sharp. The opponents' defenses were like paper before him.

But the most chilling one was Hu Liena.

She barely made any moves at all. She merely stood at the back of the team, and with a gentle sweep of those soul-stealing eyes, filled with endless charm, the gazes of the opposing side's two core members instantly became dazed. Then, they actually turned their Soul Skills on their own teammates!

Although their teammates stopped them in time and no serious damage was done, their formation was thrown into chaos in an instant.

Spirit Hall Academy won with almost overwhelming force, easily advancing to the finals.

This match also filled every spectator with endless anticipation for the upcoming final.

On one side was the Imperial Fighting Team led by the unfathomable and mysterious "Nine Cauldrons Douluo," Zhang Bufan, who had yet to suffer a single defeat.

On the other was Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, painstakingly cultivated by Spirit Hall itself, possessing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill and flawless coordination among the three of them.

This was destined to be a fierce clash of dragons and tigers!

The atmosphere at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena was completely ignited the moment the finalists were confirmed! Everyone waited eagerly for the birth of the ultimate champion!