Bei Bei: It's Xiao Ya!

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed quietly.

For this All-Continent Youth Soul Master Tournament, the Sun Moon Empire specially built a new competition venue in the eastern suburbs of Ming Capital.

The enormous main stadium is laid out in a ring shape, with tiered stands capable of accommodating 100,000 spectators.

The surrounding area is fully equipped with soul-guiding facilities, demonstrating the Sun Moon Empire's abundant financial resources and the importance it attaches to this event.

The morning sunlight slanted into the field from above the east stands, bathing the entire field in a light golden glow.

The stands were already packed with people, their voices from all over the mainland mingling together, creating a noisy yet enthusiastic atmosphere.

Led by their guides, the 168 participating teams entered the Preparation Area one after another. The colorful sect costumes and academy uniforms intertwined, like a long, colorful scroll.

Amidst this dense crowd, the Spirit Pagoda's Preparation Area stood out.

Although this is the first time the Spirit Pagoda has participated in this competition, they have received just as much attention as those established powerhouses.

Many participating teams frequently glanced at that area, their gazes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of wariness.

This is not only because the Spirit Pagoda is now a hot new force on the continent, but also because of Huo Yuhao, the Founder of the Spirit Pagoda.

Huo Yuhao's performance in the previous All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament is still talked about by many people.

That year, he turned the tide with his Soul Emperor cultivation, displaying terrifying combat power far exceeding his cultivation level; otherwise, Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year championship might have changed hands.

Five years have passed, and Huo Yuhao is only eighteen years old, still meeting the age requirement for the competition.

No one knows just how powerful he has become, but no one doubts his ability to single-handedly end the entire match.

Whether it was a deliberate arrangement by the Sun Moon Empire or not, the area where the Spirit Pagoda Team was located was right next to the Shrek Team's Preparation Area in the Preparation Area.

Several familiar faces from Shrek had previously interacted with the Spirit Pagoda members. They nodded to each other and exchanged a few pleasantries, so the atmosphere wasn't too awkward.

This time, the captain of the Shrek Team was Bei Bei. He walked over, looked at Huo Yuhao, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Yuhao, are you leading the team this time?"

Huo Yuhao smiled and shook his head, "I'm not participating; I just came to watch the fun."

Upon hearing this, Bei Bei's shoulders, which had been slightly tense, visibly relaxed a bit.

A relieved smile appeared on his gentle face, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart.

Huo Yuhao's absence from the competition means that the biggest variable on the Shrek Academy's path to victory has been eliminated.

However, before he could completely relax, Huo Yuhao's next words made his heart jump again.

"The Spirit Pagoda is leading the team this time with Jin Li, who has already broken through to the Soul Saint level."

Bei Bei's brow twitched slightly as he turned to look at the bright figure not far away.

Jin Li was talking to several teammates around her. Her long, golden-red hair shone so brightly in the morning light that it made people dizzy, and her whole body seemed to be wrapped in a layer of burning flames.

Bei Bei looked away, a sense of frustration welling up inside her.

As the captain of the Shrek Team, his cultivation level was already the highest in the team, but he was only a level 68 Soul Emperor.

He shook his head with a wry smile, "It seems Shrek Academy has gained another formidable rival this time."

Huo Yuhao looked at him and said calmly, "Shrek's honor is too heavy a burden. Sometimes letting go is not a bad thing."

Upon hearing this, Bei Bei paused for a moment, then sighed softly.

As the captain of the Shrek Team, he certainly felt a lot of pressure.

Shrek Academy has dominated the continent-wide advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament for ten thousand years, a record that weighs heavily on the shoulders of every generation of participants.

If Shrek doesn't win this Shrek, his ten-thousand-year reign as "number one" will come to an end.

Just thinking about this possibility was enough to keep him tossing and turning at night.

However, Bei Bei's gaze then swept over the Spirit Pagoda members beside Huo Yuhao. Apart from Wang Dong'er and He Caitou, the cultivation levels of the others seemed to be below the Soul Emperor level.

He silently calculated, his gaze sharpening again, realizing that if they fought with all their might, they weren't entirely without a chance of victory.

Just as Bei Bei was about to say something, his gaze inadvertently drifted towards the entrance of the Preparation Area, and he immediately froze on the spot.

At the edge of the horizon, a group of people dressed in black robes were slowly walking into the Preparation Area.

However, the person at the very front of the group had their hat brim blown off by a gust of wind as they turned a corner, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.

It was an extremely young face, with skin as white as jade and features so exquisite that it seemed as if the Creator had shown it special favor.

Her black hair was simply tied into a ponytail and hung down her back, with a few stray strands falling in front of her forehead, unable to cover her dark blue eyes.

But those eyes, which should have been lively and bright, now seemed somewhat empty and lifeless, as if something important had been taken away, leaving only a beautiful empty shell.

Bei Bei's body began to tremble slightly. His gaze was fixed on that face, his lips moved a few times, and finally, he squeezed out a few barely audible words from deep in his throat. "Xiao Ya... Xiao Ya..."

The two words trembled with suppressed emotion, and with a quick movement of his feet, he was about to leap in that direction.

However, he had only taken half a step when a tremendous force pressed down on his shoulder, making him unable to move as if he were nailed to the spot.

Bei Bei suddenly turned her head and saw Huo Yuhao's left hand firmly resting on her shoulder, clearly indicating that the other person was restricting her movements.

Bei Bei's voice suddenly became excited. "It's Xiao Ya! I've been looking for her for years! Let me come over!"

Huo Yuhao knew that Bei Bei was emotionally agitated at the moment, and that she probably wouldn't listen to anything he said.

He didn't rush to explain; instead, a thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly pulled away the intense emotions that belonged to Bei Bei.

The excitement and eagerness on Bei Bei's face receded quickly like the tide, replaced by a sudden calm.

Only after his expression calmed down did Huo Yuhao slowly speak, "That's a team from the Holy Spirit Cult."

Bei Bei did not show any surprise at Huo Yuhao's methods. They had once been teammates who fought side by side, and he was well aware of some of Huo Yuhao's Spirit Type Soul Skill.

At this moment, he was more concerned about the name Huo Yuhao had just mentioned, his tone tinged with confusion and a hint of unease. "The Holy Spirit Cult?"

Huo Yuhao explained simply, "This competition allows sects to participate, and the Holy Spirit Cult can be considered a sect."

"However... the Holy Spirit Cult is composed of Evil Soul Master."

"Evil Soul Master?!"

Bei Bei's voice involuntarily rose a few decibels, filled with an undisguised shock.

The exclamation sounded particularly abrupt in the Preparation Area, instantly attracting the attention of many people nearby.

Even a middle-aged man among the group of black-robed figures in the distance turned his head slightly and glanced in their direction.

The man's gaze swept over Bei Bei, then stopped on Huo Yuhao's face.

Huo Yuhao recognized him; it was Zhang Peng, the Scorpion Tiger Douluo, whom he had fought before.

The moment Zhang Peng's gaze fell on Huo Yuhao's face, he involuntarily shuddered, clearly recalling the scene when Huo Yuhao had Ice Seal.

He quickly averted his gaze, turned his head away, and quickened his pace.