Ye Hao Was a Genius

Ye Hao was a genius. That was plain for all to see.

The moment Ye Hao joined Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he was singled out for focused training. In another two years, it would be time for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition—a grand event unlike any before it.

Under the arrangements of the Three Education Commissioners, Ye Hao joined the team under Qin Ming's command: the Imperial Dou Team. It was the ultimate lineup assembled by Heaven Dou Royal Academy, a team meant to contend for the championship in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition. With Ye Hao now among them, it was undoubtedly a much-needed boost for the Three Education Commissioners.

Ye Hao, eleven years old. Martial Soul: Death Demon Spider (Spider Emperor). Soul Power Level: twenty-nine.

This was the introduction Ye Hao gave when he first met the Imperial Dou Team. Once everyone learned that Ye Hao possessed Innate Full Soul Power, the seven of them gained an added sense of mystery toward this Ye Hao who had suddenly dropped into their midst.

Over the next three months, under Qin Ming's guidance and support, Ye Hao gradually integrated into the Imperial Dou Team and officially became one of them.

Today was the day Ye Hao's soul power reached level thirty. Early in the morning, under Qin Ming's lead, Ye Hao, Yu Feng, Yu Tian Heng, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling headed to Sunset Forest, intending to capture the rumored Purple Winged Demonic Spider.

To add another brick to the foundation of Ye Hao's Third Soul Ring...

Everyone had their mischievous moments, and Ye Hao was no exception. Though this body was, strictly speaking, already more than twenty years old, Ye Hao was only eleven after the system's adjustments. Whenever he felt bored in daily life, he would occasionally tease Dugu Yan or play a trick on Ye Lingling. That was what made life enjoyable.

If Ye Hao had gone to Shrek Academy in Suotuo City instead, he would have had to deal with Xiao Wu and Tang San, two people he was all too familiar with; Dai Mubai, who started fights at the slightest disagreement; Oscar, that sleazy sausage uncle; two-faced Tang San; hot-tempered Xiao Wu; petty Ning Rongrong; and Zhu Zhuqing, who had both a fiery figure and an equally frosty temperament. Ye Hao simply could not get along with people like them.

During his days in Nuoding City, Ye Hao had always maintained a certain distance from Tang San and Xiao Wu. He was neither close to them nor hostile toward them. That sort of relationship was quite good.

There was also the most crucial point of all: Ma Hongjun. Ye Hao despised that fat man the most.

Sleazy, greedy, lustful, fond of taking petty advantages—he seemed to embody nearly every flaw.

That was why Ye Hao had refused Grandmaster and chosen not to enter Shrek Academy.

Couldn't he simply walk his own path in peace?

Why did everything have to follow Grandmaster's arrangements? Grandmaster was nobody to him, so what gave him the right to act so high and mighty?

Within Sunset Forest, Dugu Yan shot Ye Hao an irritated glare. This guy's skin was thicker than the walls of Heaven Dou City.

The past three months spent with him had been warm and pleasant enough, but this guy was simply a freak.

During their earlier sparring sessions, even Captain Yu Tian Heng had been no match for Ye Hao. Then there were the two brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, whose Martial Souls were Black Tortoise Turtles. Yet Ye Hao's physical strength had actually matched theirs. What kind of monster was he?

Moreover, the Purple Winged Demonic Spider Soul Ring Ye Hao was about to absorb was an exceptionally fitting match in terms of Soul Ring configuration. It was incomparably compatible with Ye Hao's Death Spider Emperor Martial Soul.

Looking at Ye Hao's grinning face, Dugu Yan felt exhausted. Though she was the vice-captain, her strength was more or less at the bottom of the team.

With her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison, she was considered someone of note even within the academy. Yet when she encountered Ye Hao's Death Spider Emperor Poison, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison she had always been so proud of was utterly eclipsed.

One was a Death Spider Emperor, the other a Jade Phosphorous Serpent. Which was stronger and which was weaker was obvious at a glance.

Thanks to Ma Xiunuo's poor judgment back then, Ye Hao had presented his first Martial Soul as the Death Demon Spider all these years. From beginning to end, Spirit Hall had seemed to let the matter sink without a trace, not noticing him in the slightest.

Ye Hao did not know whether he should feel secretly pleased or saddened by that.

"Forget it. I'll let you off this time. Hurry up and absorb the Soul Ring. Teacher Qin and Lingling are still waiting for us outside the forest."

Ye Hao nodded and walked before the Purple Winged Demonic Spider, sitting cross-legged. Drawn by his soul power, the Purple Winged Demonic Spider's Soul Ring slowly descended around Ye Hao. The one yellow and two purple Soul Rings beneath his feet made him particularly conspicuous at that moment.

The demonic spider before him happened to fall within the range Ye Hao could absorb for his Third Soul Ring. As soul power poured into him, the shackles within Ye Hao's body broke apart. A powerful aura instantly spread through the forest, and the phantom image of the Death Spider Emperor even caused Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent and Yu Tian Heng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon to pale in comparison.

Little did they know, the demonic spider before them was not a Death Demon Spider, but... a Death Spider Emperor!

Absorbing a Soul Ring was originally a slow process. Ye Hao sat upright, sensing his Third Soul Ring resonate with him as soul power surged through his body like raging rivers and seas. His internal organs became warm and comfortable, though he did not know why.

Ye Hao realized that the Soul Ring absorption had ended, yet for some reason, he felt as though something had been left behind. His spine itched, as if something was about to emerge. Ye Hao endured the itch as a ceaseless flow of soul power rapidly soothed his back.

This was Ye Hao's first time experiencing something like this, so he had no experience to draw upon. Feeling the burning sensation on his back, he could do nothing at present except rely on his unyielding will to withstand the crushing pressure coming from behind him.

The forest was silent. Under the watch of Yu Tian Heng, Dugu Yan, and Yu Feng, Ye Hao's absorption of the Soul Ring encountered no disturbances and proceeded as ordinarily as ever.

At that moment, a handsome man emerged from the forest. He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in the custom uniform of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, with a wolf-head insignia hanging from his chest.

Behind the man stood a woman as cold as frost. She wore black, and even her face was veiled by a thin layer of gauze. Her slender figure was framed by a cascade of long blue hair flowing down her back. Her blue eyes were calm as water, devoid of the slightest emotional ripple.

The woman's aura was cold—cold enough to make one shudder.

"How is it? Has Xiao Hao not finished absorbing the Soul Ring yet?"

The man asked softly, looking at Ye Hao in the midst of absorbing the Soul Ring. A trace of concern flashed through his eyes.

Yu Tian Heng shook his head. "Teacher Qin, Xiao Hao hasn't finished absorbing it yet. When I first absorbed a Thousand Year Soul Ring, it took quite a while as well."

"I'd say it won't be long before Xiao Hao finishes absorbing it."

The man nodded vaguely, then fell silent and patiently waited for Ye Hao's next reaction.

Just then, Ye Hao reacted. With a sharp crack, the clothes on Ye Hao's back were torn to shreds...