The Necromancer Scourge

The white bone claws that had trapped Huo Yuhao were completely frozen, then shattered!

"How is that possible?" The gaunt Spirit Saint was shocked.

Just then, Huo Yuhao suddenly felt the gray pearl that had long lain dormant deep within his Sea of Consciousness tremble violently.

An ancient, desolate aura, filled with supreme majesty, quietly awakened.

"With the sun and moon in my grasp and the stars at my fingertips, none in this world can compare to me..."

The old voice echoed through Huo Yuhao's mind, carrying a trace of disdain for the Evil Soul Masters before him.

"Such lowly Necromancy—and you dare show it off before me, the Necromancer Scourge?" "Boom—!"

A terrifying surge of Soul Power exploded. Huo Yuhao was blasted backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but the gaunt Spirit Saint hadn't fared any better.

A Four-Ring Soul Ancestor had gone head-to-head with an Evil Soul Master at the Seven-Ring Soul Sage level!

Though neither side could gain the upper hand in such a short time, the feat alone was enough to horrify the Evil Soul Masters across from him.

The endless stream of Soul Tools, his bizarre mental attacks, and the domineering power of his Ultimate Ice forced the Evil Soul Masters to give it everything they had. They even began to fear that if they didn't kill him, he would become a grave threat.

Aside from Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao, all the other Shrek students were at a disadvantage. They had exhausted every means at their disposal and were close to running out of strength.

But just then, an old voice filled with fury roared across the sky.

"You bastards! How dare you lay a hand on my students!"

Xuan Zi had arrived.

The phantom of the Godly Taotie Bull blotted out the sky, and the pressure of a Titled Douluo crashed down like the collapse of heaven and earth.

The battle ended without a shred of suspense.

The arrogant Evil Soul Master was reduced to dust by Xuan Zi's furious strike.

But victory had come at a terrible cost.

As Xuan Zi looked at the fallen members of the main team, his hands trembled.

Aside from Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochеn, almost everyone else was badly wounded and unable to fight. The life flames of several students were even flickering.

"It was my carelessness..."

Xuan Zi took a swig of wine. His voice was hoarse, full of self-reproach.

There was no time to hesitate.

Xuan Zi made a quick decision. "Lexuan, take the Reserve Team and continue on to Star Luo City to register. I must take them back to the academy for treatment immediately. If we're late, it'll be too late!"

"Yes, Elder Xuan!" Zhang Lexuan replied, her expression grave.

On the way to Star Luo City, Huo Yuhao brought out the streamlined Soul Tool Flying Shuttle.

It flew steadily through the clouds, but the atmosphere inside the cabin was oppressively tense.

The girls on the Reserve Team were pale.

This was their first time facing the cruelty and terror of Evil Soul Masters.

The suffocating sensation of being on the brink of death had made them acutely aware of how weak they were.

"I'm going to get stronger..." Xiao Xiao clenched her fists.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao sent a wisp of his consciousness sinking into his Sea of Consciousness.

There, the gray pearl condensed into a hazy phantom.

"You did well, child."

An old and dignified voice sounded as a gray figure slowly took shape. It was the first time Huo Yuhao had truly seen the mysterious old man—Electrolux.

"Faced with evil, you didn't retreat. Your spiritual power is pure and strong. You're the best candidate to inherit my legacy." Electrolux gazed at Huo Yuhao, his eyes deep. "Are you willing to become my disciple and learn Necromancy?"

Huo Yuhao bowed without the slightest hesitation. "I am willing, Master!"

He understood perfectly well that in this world, Necromancy wasn't evil. Whether a power was good or evil depended on the one who wielded it.

Besides, Necromancy was a natural counter to Evil Soul Masters!

"Good! Good! Good!" Electrolux laughed with satisfaction. "I can say with certainty that you aren't my only disciple, but you are the only one to inherit my complete legacy."

A vast stream of information flowed into Huo Yuhao's mind.

Then Electrolux's figure gradually faded. "My divine sense has been depleted. I must fall dormant once more. Take care, child..."

As he watched the gray pearl return to silence, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Snow Empress were already staring in stunned disbelief.

"Yuhao, that old man... He's terrifying!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm stammered. "For a split second, I felt like a single wisp of his divine sense could crush me. That power was absolutely divine!"

Huo Yuhao thought to himself, Naturally. Electrolux, the Holy Necromancer and Necromancer Scourge, was once powerful enough to fight an entire plane single-handedly. If he hadn't wanted to become a god, the Divine Realm would have made a place for him long ago.

Star Luo City, Star Emperor Hotel.

As soon as they checked in, Huo Yuhao grabbed Ma Xiaotao and rushed into a hotel room, without even having time to admire the imperial capital's splendor.

"Yuhao, I... I'm so hot..."

Ma Xiaotao was in terrible condition. Her normally fair skin was flushed an eerie red, and her eyes were unfocused. The Evil Fire within her had been stirred up by the Evil Soul Masters' wicked Soul Power, and now it was raging like an erupting volcano.

"Big Sister Xiaotao, then let's begin."

Huo Yuhao knew his back was in for another rough time.

The room became a clash of ice and fire.

Two full hours passed before that turbulent Evil Fire was finally released.

Looking at Ma Xiaotao, limp on the bed and drenched in sweat, Huo Yuhao wiped his brow and considered the matter. This will only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Looks like I'll have to find an opportunity to visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in Sunset Forest. Only the Immortal Herbs there can completely resolve the flaw in Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul—and even help her evolve into a true Ultimate Fire.

Once he had made up his mind, Huo Yuhao scooped Ma Xiaotao up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom.

Ma Xiaotao was limp as a rag, unable to wash herself, so Huo Yuhao had to do it for her.

A short while later, in the conference room.

When Huo Yuhao helped Ma Xiaotao into the conference room, her cheeks flushed, everyone gave them odd looks.

"Ahem." Zhang Lexuan cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence. Her expression serious, she said, "You all know the situation. The academy's reinforcements won't arrive anytime soon. That means our Reserve Team will have to carry the load in this Soul Fighting Tournament for Advanced Soul Master Academies Across the Continent."

At her words, the Reserve Team felt a mountain of pressure descend on them.

This was the most elite competition on the entire continent. Their opponents were all young prodigies under twenty, while the average age of their team was only twelve or thirteen.

"But it's not all bad news." Zhang Lexuan glanced at Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochеn beside her. "Xiaotao and Luochеn will be back in fighting shape after half a month of rest. Until then..."

Her gaze fell on Huo Yuhao and the usually taciturn Jin Nier. "With Yuhao and Jin Nier here, getting through the first elimination round won't be a problem at all."

Then Zhang Lexuan began explaining the competition format. "A total of 133 academies are taking part. The first round is an elimination round: lose, and you go straight home. After that comes the round-robin stage. The match format will be decided by draw: singles, three-two-two, or team battles."

Seeing the girls' nervous expressions, Huo Yuhao tapped the table lightly. His tone was calm, yet carried a force that inspired confidence.

"Don't be nervous. It's only the elimination round. I'll handle it."

"Since we're here, we have only one goal—the championship. Whoever gets in our way, we'll crush them."