Who Was the Prey?

Star Luo Plaza was packed, and the roar of the crowd filled the air.

The enormous plaza, large enough to hold two hundred thousand people, was filled to capacity. Cheers surged like a tidal wave, each swell louder than the last.

atop the towering city walls, the Star Luo Emperor wore a bright yellow dragon robe and had come in person with his ministers and officials. It was clear how seriously the empire took this grand event, which drew the attention of the entire continent.

Under the gaze of the masses, the Shrek Academy team slowly entered the arena.

Leading them was their senior sister, Zhang Lexuan. She looked calm, gentle, and poised. But behind her was a group of youthful faces.

"Those are Shrek's competitors? Why do they look like a bunch of children?"

"Besides the beautiful girl leading them, the others probably aren't even fifteen yet, are they?"

"What does Shrek think it's doing? Sending its reserve team to the knockout rounds? They're showing us way too much disrespect!"

Whispers spread through the rest areas of the various teams. Teachers and students from many academies looked indignant. Losing meant going straight home, and Shrek actually dared to be this arrogant?

Zhang Lexuan heard the comments around her. Though she felt a little tense, her heart settled the moment she glanced at the composed young man beside her.

Huo Yuhao was only twelve years old. Though his cultivation was merely at the Four-Ring Soul Ancestor level, his regular combat strength was already comparable to that of a Spirit Emperor.

If he unleashed his full power, he could even take on a Spirit Saint.

With him here, this tournament might truly become a one-man show.

"For the first match, Shrek Academy will face Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy!"

At the host's loud announcement, both teams took the stage.

The seven Tianling Academy competitors looked at the "little boys and girls" before them, grinning viciously.

Five of the seven were Four-Ring Soul Ancestors, while the other two were Three-Ring Soul Elders. By the standards of previous tournaments, they were utterly ordinary.

But this year, they had a chance to eliminate Shrek Academy. They might even break Shrek's undefeated record. How could that not fill them with excitement?

"Shrek brats, go home and drink your milk!" the Tianling captain shouted arrogantly, releasing his Martial Soul first.

But the next second, the entire arena fell silent.

Huo Yuhao calmly stepped forward. Rings of light rose beneath his feet.

Purple.

Black.

Black.

Black!

One purple and three black!

The profound black light swallowed all the surrounding light like a black hole. It swallowed the Tianling Academy students' arrogance, too.

Huo Yuhao didn't even bother using the Simulation Soul Skill to imitate a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. The Golden Eyes Martial Soul's own Soul Ring configuration was already astonishing enough.

"Th-this is impossible!" The Tianling captain's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Begin!" The referee was also stunned by the terrifying Soul Ring configuration. A second passed before he managed to call out.

"Silence."

Huo Yuhao uttered the word softly, and golden light suddenly burst from his eyes.

A group mental Soul Skill—Soul Shock!

An invisible Spirit Storm swept across the arena. The seven Tianling Academy students felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed into their minds, abruptly cutting off the flow of their Soul Power.

Like puppets with their strings cut, all seven stiffened at once.

"Go!"

At Huo Yuhao's command, he shot forward like lightning.

Beside him, Jin Nier let out a clear dragon's cry, the Golden Dragon Spear in her hand as her aura soared.

This wasn't a match. It was a wolf among sheep!

Ning Tian's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda shone as precise boosts to strength and speed descended upon the team. Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing gave everyone a god's-eye view of the battlefield.

Wang Dong's Light of the Butterfly Goddess, Xiao Xiao's Three-Life Soul Suppression Cauldron, and the Lan Sisters' web of threads rained down on their helpless opponents.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosive blasts rang out, followed by screams as the seven members of the Tianling Empire were blasted off the stage like scattering petals.

From the start of the fight to its end, only three short seconds had passed.

The cheers in the stands were still caught in the crowd's throats when the match was already over.

Huo Yuhao withdrew his Martial Soul and stood with his hands behind his back. He swept his gaze across all the competing teams, as if to say, Who's next?

Back at the Star Emperor Hotel, Zhang Lexuan quickly gathered everyone for a meeting. "The round-robin stage is coming up. We have to fight our way through the group stage. We won today, but we mustn't let our guard down."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Only Huo Yuhao looked entirely relaxed.

After the meeting, Huo Yuhao headed straight for Ma Xiaotao's room.

As he reached the corner of the hallway, he came face-to-face with a young man and woman.

The young man was tall and slender, his face full of arrogance. The girl was sweet and adorable, with a striking head of wine-red hair.

They were none other than the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy.

"You're Huo Yuhao?"

Xiao Hongchen blocked his way, lifting his chin and looking down his nose at Huo Yuhao. "Remember my name. I'm Xiao Hongchen. In the matches to come, I'll personally crush Shrek's glory and show you what a true genius is."

Huo Yuhao stopped and gave him a look as if he were an idiot. Then he ignored him completely and turned to look at Meng Hongchen.

"You're quite lovely, miss. That wine-red hair really suits you." Huo Yuhao's lips curved with playful interest, and his gaze held open admiration.

Meng Hongchen had meant to back up her brother, but when she saw Huo Yuhao's handsome face and recalled his imposing figure on the field, her cheeks instantly reddened. She stammered, "Ah... Th-thank you. Y-you're really strong, too."

"You!" Xiao Hongchen's face turned green with rage.

That bastard had ignored him and flirted with his sister right in front of him?!

"Meng Hongchen, let's go!" Xiao Hongchen grabbed his lovestruck sister and stormed off in a fury.

Huo Yuhao shrugged and pushed open Ma Xiaotao's door.

Inside, Ma Xiaotao sat cross-legged on the bed. Her face was still a little pale, but her voluptuous figure remained impossible to look away from.

"You won?" Ma Xiaotao opened her eyes and glanced at him.

"Of course. We crushed them in seconds." Huo Yuhao poured himself a glass of water without asking. "You should know who was leading the team."

"Please. It was just the knockout round, and the opponents were a bunch of minnows. What's there to brag about?" Ma Xiaotao gave a scornful laugh. "If I could've competed, I'd have burned them all to ashes."

Huo Yuhao set down his glass and raised an eyebrow.

This woman still had a sharp tongue.

"Looks like you're in good spirits, senior sister. In that case, let's add a little something extra to today's treatment." A "benevolent" smile crept across Huo Yuhao's lips as he slowly walked toward the bed.

Seeing the ill-intentioned look in Huo Yuhao's eyes, Ma Xiaotao felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. "Y-you... What are you doing? I'm warning you, I'm injured. Don't do anything reckless!"

"I'm just helping you suppress your Evil Fire."

Huo Yuhao grabbed Ma Xiaotao's wrist, and the aura of Ultimate Ice burst forth, making her shiver all over.

He leaned close to Ma Xiaotao's ear and whispered, "Someone provoked me outside, and I'm in a bad mood. Xiaotao, you'll have to bear with me and let me... blow off some steam."

"Huo Yuhao! You wouldn't dare... Mmph..."

The temperature in the room plunged. Amid Ma Xiaotao's furious, embarrassed protests, a very unusual "treatment" began.