Dai Yueheng, the eldest son of Duke White Tiger and Dai Huabin's older brother. Compared to his foolish younger brother, this one was clearly far more dangerous.
That was why Huo Yuhao wanted to force Dai Yueheng to make a move, then kill him.
However, Dai Yueheng merely smiled apologetically. "What are you talking about, Junior Huo? We're all students of Shrek Academy. You'll enter the inner court one day, too. We're practically family—how could we fight to the death?"
Huo Yuhao gave him a long, searching look. Dai Yueheng's restraint left him with no excuse to strike, even if he wanted to.
Xuan Zi barked, "Enough! What kind of behavior is this, squabbling like children? This matter ends here. Continue!"
Dai Yueheng breathed a huge sigh of relief. His back was soaked with cold sweat. He buried his venomous resentment and murderous intent toward Huo Yuhao deep inside and didn't dare show a trace of it again.
The introductions of the main team members continued:
"Chen Zifeng, fifty-seventh level, Power Attack System Battle Soul King."
"Xixi, fifty-sixth level, Agility Attack System Battle Soul King."
"Ling Luochen, fifty-fifth level, Control System Battle Soul King."
"Yao Haoxuan, fifty-fifth level, Support System Battle Soul King."
"Gongyang Mo, fifty-ninth level, Support System Battle Soul King."
Every one of them was at least a Soul King, and there were even a Spirit Emperor and a Spirit Saint.
This was the foundation that allowed Shrek Academy to command respect across the continent.
Once the introductions were over, Xuan Zi clapped his hands. "Talk is cheap. Now that you've met each other, let's have a friendly match. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, you two have the highest cultivation levels, so you'll each lead a team. Since Xiaotao is a Spirit Saint, she can only pick two main team members, while Dai Yueheng can pick three. The remaining spots will be filled by the Reserve Team."
Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes flickered. Without hesitation, she pointed to Huo Yuhao beside her. "For the first round, I choose Huo Yuhao, and... Gongyang Mo!"
Dai Yueheng quickly composed himself and said in a low voice, "I choose Chen Zifeng, and... Jin Nier."
Though he'd never seen Jin Nier fight, her forty-eighth level of Soul Power spoke for itself. Only a fool wouldn't know whom to choose.
The selection continued.
Ma Xiaotao: "Xixi, Wang Dong."
Dai Yueheng: "Ling Luochen, Yao Haoxuan."
Ma Xiaotao: "Lan Ruoruo, Lan Susu."
Dai Yueheng: "Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian."
The two mixed teams quickly took shape, tension crackling in the air.
Ma Xiaotao looked at Huo Yuhao standing beside her and curled her lips into a playful smile. She lowered her voice. "Yuhao, don't embarrass me."
Huo Yuhao chuckled. "Don't worry. If we lose, you can do whatever you want with me tonight."
Ma Xiaotao's pretty face flushed red. She shot him a reproachful look.
"You have ten minutes to plan your tactics." Xuan Zi took a bite of his chicken drumstick and mumbled around it.
On the red team, Gongyang Mo furrowed his brows and couldn't help speaking up. "Captain, wasn't that a little too random? Why didn't you pick a Control System Soul Master from the main team? Without strong control, it'll be hard for us to fight as a team."
Ma Xiaotao glanced at him, the corners of her lips lifting into a meaningful smile. "Who says we don't have a Control System Soul Master? The strongest one here is standing right in front of us."
As she spoke, she pointed her slender finger straight at Huo Yuhao.
Gongyang Mo froze. He looked at Huo Yuhao, who was only at the four-ring level, and stared at her in confusion. "Captain, we're fighting Dai Yueheng's team, not playing house."
"Quit wasting words. You'll understand once the fight starts." Ma Xiaotao couldn't be bothered to explain. "Your job is to maximize our boosts. Leave the rest to Yuhao."
Ten minutes passed in a flash.
The two teams took their places in the center of the Soul Fighting Arena.
At Xuan Zi's command, fourteen powerful surges of Soul Power erupted at once. Soul Ring lights of every color illuminated the entire arena.
"Spiritual Detection Sharing, activate!"
Golden light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and an invisible wave of spiritual energy instantly spread over the seven members of his team.
The next moment, Gongyang Mo, who had been grumbling a moment earlier, stiffened. His expression changed from confusion to shock in an instant.
"Ho...ly crap?!"
The world before his eyes had changed. He could see in every direction, with no blind spots. His opponents' Soul Power flows, their muscles tightening, even their next movements—all appeared clearly in his mind as if laid out in a report.
How was this a Control System Soul Skill? It was practically a full-map wallhack.
"This is incredible!" Gongyang Mo trembled with excitement. The Rainbow Dragon behind him shone brilliantly as he cranked his boosts to the maximum.
The battle erupted at once!
"Dai Yueheng, get over here!"
Ma Xiaotao cried out. Phoenix Flame surged skyward. With Spiritual Detection's aid, she dodged Dai Yueheng's White Tiger Intense Light Wave with pinpoint precision, then shot toward him like a blazing meteor and slammed into him.
Dai Yueheng was a Spirit Emperor, but he was no match for Spirit Saint Ma Xiaotao. With Huo Yuhao's "god's-eye view" added to the mix, every one of Ma Xiaotao's attacks struck the weak points in his defense, making him feel as though he might cough up blood.
And Ma Xiaotao showed no mercy. She trusted Huo Yuhao's judgment. Since he'd said Dai Yueheng intended to kill him, she would make Dai Yueheng pay.
On the other side, Xixi, renowned for her speed, faced off against Jin Nier. The two became a pair of blurring shadows, locked in a fierce, evenly matched fight.
Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, went straight for the main team's Ice-type Control System Soul King, Ling Luochen.
"Junior, even though you're a dual-core disciple, you're still nowhere near ready to challenge me." Ling Luochen held an ice staff, her expression cool. The temperature around her dropped sharply as countless icicles appeared out of thin air.
Huo Yuhao looked at the snow and ice filling the sky and smiled.
"Senior, you're not good enough when it comes to ice."
Before his words had even faded, the peerlessly beautiful figure of the Heavenly Snow Woman flickered into view behind Huo Yuhao.
Ultimate Ice, Sovereign's Descent!
A terrifying pressure, rising from the depths of one's bloodline, descended in an instant.
The Ice Element that Ling Luochen had controlled with ease suddenly went completely berserk. The icicles that had been flying toward Huo Yuhao froze in midair, then—
"Crack!"
They all shattered into powder!
"W-what? How is this possible? My Martial Soul is afraid?!"
Ling Luochen's face turned deathly pale, and the ice staff in her hand trembled.
Before Ultimate Ice, her ordinary Ice-type Martial Soul was like a commoner facing an emperor. It couldn't muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
"You... You have Ultimate Ice!" Ling Luochen cried out in terror and lost the ability to fight.
Huo Yuhao didn't respond. With his Psychic Power, he controlled nine flying knives and sent them around her, precisely cutting off the opposing Support System Soul Master's line of aid. He even helped the Lan Sisters out of a dangerous situation.
One man controlled the entire battlefield!
That was the terrifying dominance Huo Yuhao commanded now.
"Boom—!"
Just then, a deafening crash rang out. Even with Gongyang Mo's boosts, Xixi was no match for Jin Nier. A Golden Dragon Roar knocked her unconscious, then sent her flying out of the arena.
She still couldn't understand it. As a Soul King boosted by Gongyang Mo, her fighting strength should have been no weaker than a Spirit Emperor's. How could she still lose to a Soul Ancestor?
"Hmph. That's one down." Jin Nier's golden hair streamed behind her as she turned to help the others. Then she felt a chill run down her back.
One Spiritual Shock from Huo Yuhao was enough to rob Jin Nier of her ability to fight.
The battle ended even faster than expected.
With Ma Xiaotao's overwhelming offense and Huo Yuhao's flawless control of the battlefield, Dai Yueheng's team fell apart completely.
Before you continue