Playing for High Stakes!

"Stop!"

Elder Xuan appeared in the center of the arena, his brows furrowed tightly as he shook his head in dissatisfaction while watching the one-sided situation.

"The gap is too large. Ma Xiaotao is a Spirit Saint, and when you add that unreasonable monster Huo Yuhao, Dai Yueheng and the others have no way to fight back."

Elder Xuan announced, "Rest for one hour, then we will regroup. This time, to balance the strength, Ma Xiaotao can only take one starting team member."

An hour later, everyone gathered once again.

Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze sweeping over the group before she grabbed Huo Yuhao without hesitation: "Yuhao is definitely mine, there is no room for negotiation on this."

"As for the starting spot..." Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes swirled, seemingly in thought.

"Let's pick Senior Ling Luochen," Huo Yuhao suggested.

The moment the words left his mouth, Huo Yuhao felt a pinch on his waist.

Ma Xiaotao pinched the soft flesh at his waist, leaning into his ear with a smirk: "You dog of a man, can't you keep your eyes off a pretty face?"

Ling Luochen was indeed a beauty, with skin like snow and a cold, aloof temperament that was completely different from Ma Xiaotao's fiery and unrestrained style.

"I'm innocent, wifey!" Huo Yuhao winced in pain, "I'm doing this for the sake of tactics. Her ice-type control is suppressed by me, but if she coordinates with my Ultimate Ice, she can unleash even greater power. Plus, with both ice and fire, our tactics will be more versatile."

Hearing the word "wifey," Ma Xiaotao's pretty face flushed red, "You're going to be the death of me."

After some playful bickering with Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao shouted, "Ling Luochen, come over! And Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Lan Ruoruo, Lan Susu. You all belong to me!"

This time, Huo Yuhao did not activate his Spiritual Detection Sharing, which was like a god's-eye view. He stood behind Ling Luochen and gently placed his right hand on her back.

"I grant you the blessing of the Ice Heaven Snow Empress!"

In an instant, a chill that made the soul tremble erupted from Ling Luochen's body. The surrounding air seemed to have its heat drained away in an instant, and even the light became distorted due to the extreme low temperature.

Ultimate Ice!

Although it was only temporary, at this moment, Ling Luochen was the empress of ice and snow.

"Seal!"

Ling Luochen raised her slender hand, and the spirit skills that usually required chanting and charging were unleashed instantly.

The sky full of ice and snow transformed into obedient soldiers.

The opposing starting team members hadn't even reacted before they were frozen into lifelike ice sculptures by the indestructible ice.

The match ended even faster than the previous one; it was simply a dimension-reduction strike.

Ling Luochen controlled the entire field, and Ma Xiaotao led the team to mop up; there was simply no way to play against them.

Having released the state, Ling Luochen's pretty face was flushed, and she panted heavily.

That feeling of controlling everything and being above everyone else with ultimate power made her crave more; it was even more addictive than the strongest wine.

She turned around, and the look in her eyes when she gazed at Huo Yuhao had completely changed.

Those originally cold eyes now seemed as if they could drip water, and even carried a hint of fanaticism.

"Junior Brother Yuhao, that feeling just now... can we do it again?" Ling Luochen completely ignored the murderous, fire-spitting gaze of Ma Xiaotao not far away, actively leaning toward Huo Yuhao with an incredibly gentle voice.

Huo Yuhao rubbed his nose, feeling the scorching, needle-like gaze on his back, and laughed dryly: "Senior Sister Ling, this move consumes too much energy. Next time, definitely next time."

Ma Xiaotao gritted her teeth, her fists clenching until they cracked.

Her own little boyfriend was practically a human succubus!

How long had it been? Even Ling Luochen, who was known for being cold and aloof, was about to fall for him!

"No, this can't go on." Alarm bells rang in Ma Xiaotao's heart, "I must drain him dry tonight so his legs are too weak to get out of bed tomorrow. Let's see how he goes around flirting with everyone then!"

On the spectator stand, Elder Xuan shook his head helplessly while gnawing on a chicken leg.

"This kid is simply a bug."

The subsequent rounds of group confrontations completely confirmed Elder Xuan's assessment; whichever side Huo Yuhao was on, that side won.

When Huo Yuhao joined Dai Yueheng's team, even when facing a team led by the Spirit Saint-level Ma Xiaotao, they were still pinned to the ground and rubbed into the dirt.

Ultimate Ice suppressed the Evil Fire, Spiritual Detection predicted movements, and on top of that, the elusive Soul Tool bombardment left Ma Xiaotao with no temper at all.

By the end of the day, the way all the starting team members looked at Huo Yuhao had changed.

This was supposed to be the reserve team?

This was clearly a ferocious beast in sheep's clothing! Everyone would be convinced if he were swapped in to replace anyone.

Besides Huo Yuhao, the girl named Jin Nier was equally terrifying. Her pair of pink fists looked delicate, but in reality, they broke all laws with raw power. No matter what spirit skill you used, she would smash it to pieces, perfectly demonstrating the aesthetics of violence.

Night fell, and the lights began to glow.

"Alright, today's training ends here." Elder Xuan patted his greasy hands, "Go back and pack your things. We gather at the academy gate early tomorrow morning, destination: Star Luo City!"

"Dismissed!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ma Xiaotao rushed over like a gust of wind, hooked her arm around Huo Yuhao's neck without a word, and dragged him away.

Wang Dong stood where he was, stomping his feet in anger, his large eyes filled with grievance and resentment: "That female hooligan, using her high cultivation to snatch people away! It's infuriating!"

Ma Xiaotao's boudoir was filled with a faint, fiery fragrance.

"Bang!"

The door was slammed shut, and the next second, Huo Yuhao was pinned directly against the soft bed by Ma Xiaotao.

The girl in red loomed over him, her long, fiery-red hair cascading down beside Huo Yuhao's cheeks, while her beautiful eyes glinted with a dangerous light.

"Speak! Did you set your sights on Ling Luochen again?" Ma Xiaotao demanded fiercely, her fingers tracing lightly across Huo Yuhao's chest.

"I'm innocent, Sister Xiaotao!" Huo Yuhao raised his hands in surrender. "She was the one who came onto me. You know how much Ultimate Ice attracts ice-type soul masters..."

"Hmph, don't play the innocent one with me!" Ma Xiaotao pinched his cheek irritably. "With your attitude of neither refusing nor taking responsibility, you'll end up ruining all the sisters in the Inner Court sooner or later! I could see that little hussy Ling Luochen practically dying to crawl into your bed right now."

Huo Yuhao blinked innocently, offering no response.

Ma Xiaotao was choked with anger. She leaned down, her red lips brushing against Huo Yuhao's ear, her breath sweet as orchids. "To prevent you from causing trouble on the road tomorrow, I'm going to 'punish' you properly tonight. I'll drain you completely and see if you still have the energy to think about other women!"

As she spoke, she reached out to undo the buttons on Huo Yuhao's clothes.

"Wait!" Huo Yuhao suddenly grabbed her hand, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. "Sister Xiaotao, since that's the case, let's play for higher stakes."

With a flash of light, a pitch-black object that emitted a strange, fishy odor appeared in Huo Yuhao's hand.

"This is... Whale Rubber?" Ma Xiaotao froze, her pretty face instantly flushing bright red.

As a top student of the Inner Court, she naturally knew the effects of this item.

While it was true that it enhanced one's physique, its side effect... was that of a top-tier aphrodisiac!

"I bought this specifically for you at the Treasure Appreciation Fair," Huo Yuhao said with a wicked grin. "Eating it will be of great benefit to your body, and besides... hehe."

Looking at Huo Yuhao's provocative gaze, Ma Xiaotao's competitive spirit as the Evil Fire Phoenix was instantly ignited.

"Eat it then! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Ma Xiaotao ignited a wisp of flame in her palm to soften the Whale Rubber, releasing a rich aroma, before splitting it in two and swallowing it together with him.

A wave of heat instantly exploded within their bodies, not just a surge of soul power, but a primal, restless heat that rushed straight to their heads.

"Huo Yuhao, you just wait!"

This night was destined to be a storm.

Ma Xiaotao, who had originally intended to "punish" Huo Yuhao, soon realized she was wrong. And she was wrong in the most outrageous way.

In his prime state, bolstered by two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones and the Whale Rubber, Huo Yuhao had essentially transformed into a tireless perpetual motion machine.

The momentum of offense and defense reversed in an instant.

Tears soaked the pillow as Ma Xiaotao drifted between agony and ecstasy.

The next morning, at the gates of Shrek Academy.

The morning sun had just risen, and the air was fresh.

Huo Yuhao stood in the ranks, refreshed and full of vigor, as if he had taken a potent tonic.

Beside him, the usually fiery and impulsive Ma Xiaotao looked listless, her gait strange; she winced with every step, and her legs trembled unnaturally.

"Captain, what happened to you? Are you injured?" Gongyang Mo asked with concern.

Ma Xiaotao's face flushed red. She glared fiercely at the nonchalant Huo Yuhao beside her and gritted her teeth. "It's... it's nothing. I had a mishap during cultivation last night... my leg cramped!"

Huo Yuhao looked up at the sky and began to whistle, hiding his merit and fame deep within.