It was early morning, and a thin mist hung in the air.
The atmosphere in Shrek's Soul Fighting Zone was tense. All the core disciples of the Outer Court had gathered there, waiting for the upcoming test.
As soon as Huo Yuhao entered, he felt two frightened gazes dart away from him.
Not far off, Dai Mubai and Zhu Lu were pale, with dark circles under their eyes. They had clearly been up all night.
The previous evening, they had received word that several blood-soaked sacks had been dumped right outside the gates of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion by people from the academy.
They contained the corpses of the assassins who had attacked Huo Yuhao. The academy hadn't said anything outright, nor had it taken action without concrete evidence, but the blatant warning had struck Dai Huabin like a heavy hammer.
Now, seeing Huo Yuhao's calm gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine and wanted nothing more than to stay as far away from him as possible.
Besides those two, Huo Yuhao also spotted a few familiar faces: Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, the Outer Court Twin Stars, and Jiang Nannan, the Outer Court's most beautiful girl.
While everyone whispered among themselves, the aroma of alcohol wafted over.
"Hic—everyone's here, right?"
Xuan Zi came wobbling in, holding a chicken leg in one hand and a wine gourd in the other. A slender young woman followed behind him.
Her golden hair fell like a waterfall, and her skin was as fair as snow. Her breathtakingly beautiful face carried an innate air of pride and aloofness.
She gripped a golden spear with sharp points at both ends. The whole of her seemed like a drawn sword, its edge gleaming.
Everyone's gaze snapped toward her. Since when had the Outer Court gained such a peerless beauty?
Her appearance made her the focus of the entire arena. Even Jiang Nannan paled beside her.
Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted.
That aura... It's so familiar! It's the bond of fate, the scent of the Star Dou Great Forest's Core Circle.
The Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion? Huo Yuhao was rocked by a storm of shock. How did she take human form? And why did she come to Shrek several years early?
Though he was puzzled, Huo Yuhao kept his expression calm.
Xuan Zi took a bite of his chicken leg and said indistinctly, "You little brats, today's test is simple. A free-for-all. You can fight however you like in this Soul Fighting Zone. There are no rules. Anyone who surrenders or has to be rescued by me is eliminated. The last seven standing are the winners."
As soon as he finished speaking, the whole arena erupted.
The rules were brutally simple!
"Begin!"
Before anyone could react, Xuan Zi gave the order and vanished from the platform in an instant.
BOOM!
The Soul Fighting Arena erupted into chaos.
Huo Yuhao reacted instantly, planting his foot and standing as firm as a mountain. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were already used to his rhythm and immediately closed in. Not far away, Lan Ruoruo and Lan Susu exchanged a glance before charging toward Huo Yuhao without hesitation.
A team of five formed in an instant.
The other two core disciples from Class One, Cao Jinxuan and Zhou Sicheng, weren't so lucky. The crowd swept them apart at once.
"Let me show you what the big guns can do!"
A roar rang out. Countless metal tubes sprouted from He Caitou, making him look like a porcupine.
The next moment, a thunderous roar filled the arena as Soul Guidance Rays poured down like a rainstorm.
This walking artillery platform didn't care who was friend or foe. He unleashed a barrage of indiscriminate fire.
Unlucky Cao Jinxuan and Zhou Sicheng took the brunt of it. They were blasted out of the arena before they could even use a Soul Skill, eliminated on the spot.
But He Caitou's attempt to draw all the attention also enraged everyone.
"Enough noise!"
The golden-haired girl gave a cold snort and turned into a streak of golden lightning, darting straight through the dense barrage. She flicked up her Golden Dragon Spear, and He Caitou's massive body went flying like a rag doll, crashing hard outside the arena.
A one-hit knockout!
The entire crowd sucked in a breath. The seemingly young girl was already a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened. Since the free-for-all had begun, it was time to clear the field!
"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, cover the flanks. Ruoruo, Susu, control the field!"
Huo Yuhao gave his orders calmly. Like a pillar of stability, he led the four girls straight through the chaotic crowd.
As luck would have it, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu ran right into them.
"We have to fight!" Seeing that he couldn't escape, Dai Huabin roared and was about to pull Zhu Lu close to perform their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
"You don't stand a chance against me."
Huo Yuhao's cold voice exploded in their ears. Soul Shock activated instantly, and Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu froze in place.
In that instant, Huo Yuhao was already upon them.
Thud! Thud!
Two swift kicks flew out.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu were sent flying out of the arena before they could even cry out. They hit the ground face-first.
Next, Huang Chutian, Wu Feng... one core disciple after another crumpled before Huo Yuhao like a pile of chickens and dogs.
By now, the situation in the arena had begun to settle.
The trio of Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan had also cleared out quite a few minor opponents. In the end, they faced off against the Golden Dragon Girl.
Three Soul Ancestors ganging up on one person seemed like a sure win.
Yet the golden-haired girl's spear swept and thrust like a dragon. Her attacks were broad and forceful, and she held her own against all three!
Her terrifying strength forced Xu Sanshi to defend with everything he had, while her spear shattered Bei Bei's lightning with a single blow.
"Such incredible strength. Is this the Golden Dragon Martial Soul?" A flash of light gleamed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
Now that he knew she was the Auspicious Beast in human form, she was one of his own.
"Move!"
Huo Yuhao led his team straight into the fight like a sharp blade.
"Ruoruo, Susu!"
The Lan Sisters understood at once. Their hair whirled as their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Heavenly Net, activated, trapping the agile Jiang Nannan.
"Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong!"
The Three-Life Soul Suppression Cauldron crashed down, followed close behind by the Light of the Butterfly Goddess.
Jiang Nannan was left without support and eliminated in an instant. Huo Yuhao was already standing in front of Bei Bei.
"Huo Yuhao, I didn't expect you to be the last one I'd face." Bei Bei gave a bitter laugh, his fighting spirit rising. "Then let me see just how strong you are!"
"Roar!"
Lightning surged around Bei Bei. He pushed his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul to the limit, even burning a trace of his bloodline power. His Martial Soul seemed on the verge of transforming into a Bright Sacred Dragon.
This was his trump card!
But Huo Yuhao merely raised his right hand. The aura of Ultimate Ice instantly froze the lightning elements in the air.
Empress Palm: Great Cold No Snow!
The giant palm of ice collided violently with the lightning dragon.
There was no suspense. The seemingly ferocious lightning fell silent before the Ultimate Ice.
Huo Yuhao didn't take a single step back, while Bei Bei was struck as if by lightning and sent flying. Xuan Zi caught him in one hand.
On the other side, having lost Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan's support, Xu Sanshi faced the Golden Dragon Girl's fury alone.
"Get down!"
The golden-haired girl shouted, bringing her Golden Dragon Spear crashing down with the force of ten thousand jun onto the Xuanming Turtle Shell Shield.
Xu Sanshi, famed as the strongest defender, spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying from the arena, shield and all.
And with that, the battle was over.
Huo Yuhao stood with his hands behind his back. Behind him were Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and the Lan Sisters. The Golden Dragon Girl stood nearby, while Ning Tian panted heavily in a corner. That made seven.
Ning Tian had survived. As Huo Yuhao's team swept the arena, she had decisively given up resisting and instead used the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to bolster Huo Yuhao and the others.
Since she was a support and had willingly shown goodwill, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao hadn't attacked her.
But seeing the seven "little brats" standing in the arena, Xuan Zi nearly tore the messy hair right off his head.
Awkward. Utterly awkward!
Before you continue