Shrek's Twin Stars Shine

The night was as dark as ink, and the bustle of Star Luo City gradually faded into silence.

Inside the hotel where Shrek Academy was staying, Huo Yuhao navigated the familiar path to Ma Xiaotao's door and gave it a gentle push; it was unlocked.

"Sister Xiaotao, are you asleep?" Huo Yuhao poked his head in, a harmless, innocent smile plastered on his face.

Inside the room, Ma Xiaotao, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed in meditation, snapped her eyes open. Seeing that it was Huo Yuhao, the cold and glamorous expression on her pretty face instantly gave way to a look of wariness, and she subconsciously shrank back into the corner of the bed.

"What are you here for?" Ma Xiaotao asked vigilantly, her voice laced with a hint of panic.

Huo Yuhao walked in with a look of concern and closed the door behind him: "The tournament starts tomorrow, doesn't it? I was worried you might be too nervous, so I came over specifically to help you 'relieve' some tension."

"Relieve tension?" Ma Xiaotao sneered. "I think you're looking to wear me out, aren't you? Don't try that on me! I don't need it!"

As she spoke, she crossed her arms over her chest, looking as if she would rather die than submit, though her tone betrayed a hint of pleading: "Yuhao, I'm begging you, okay? Last night... we tossed and turned all night, and my waist is still sore. If we do it again, forget about the tournament tomorrow—I don't even know if I'll be able to get out of bed. You don't want your sister to just be a placeholder in the tournament, do you?"

"Uh..." Huo Yuhao rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward. It seemed he had indeed gone a bit overboard last night; after all, the attraction of Ultimate Ice to the Evil Fire was too strong, and it was easy for them to lose control once they touched.

"Then get some good rest." Huo Yuhao didn't press the matter.

"Go away, hurry up and go!" Ma Xiaotao acted as if she had been granted a pardon, waving her hands to shoo him away. "Go bother that little filly Ling Luochen; she has the ice attribute, she's definitely more durable than I am."

After being kicked out by Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao stood in the hallway and sighed.

"Since Sister Xiaotao said so..."

He turned and knocked on Ling Luochen's door next door.

The door opened, and Ling Luochen was wearing a pale blue nightgown; her cold, aloof temperament looked exceptionally moving under the moonlight.

However, when she saw Huo Yuhao standing at the door, the same look of panic that had been on Ma Xiaotao's face instantly appeared on her own cold features.

"Yu... Yuhao?" Ling Luochen subconsciously gripped the doorframe, her eyes flickering. "It's... it's so late, is something the matter?"

Huo Yuhao was just about to speak, but Ling Luochen seemed to anticipate his intentions and spoke first: "Um, Yuhao, Xiaotao has a top-tier beast soul, her physical constitution is formidable. I... I'm just a control-type soul master, my frame is weak, I really can't handle being worn out. Why don't you... go back to Xiaotao?"

After saying this, she looked at Huo Yuhao with a pitiful expression, like a little white rabbit about to be eaten by a big bad wolf.

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Why was everyone treating him like some kind of rampaging monster? Was he really that scary?

"It seems being too strong isn't necessarily a good thing." Huo Yuhao shook his head helplessly and turned to leave, feeling dejected.

Just as he was lamenting the long, sleepless night, two soft laughs suddenly came from behind him.

"Pfft—"

Huo Yuhao turned back to see the twin sisters, Lan Susu and Lan Ruoruo, standing at the end of the hallway, covering their mouths and giggling.

Clearly, they had witnessed the entire scene.

"Class monitor, you're too pathetic, actually being kicked back and forth like a soccer ball by two senior sisters." Lan Susu blinked her large eyes and teased.

Huo Yuhao glared at them irritably: "What are you laughing at? Be careful, or I'll drag you two back and 'administer family law'."

Lan Ruoruo wasn't afraid; instead, she boldly stepped forward and said softly: "Class monitor, if you're in a bad mood... we can keep you company and chat."

Looking at the sincere expressions of the sisters, the gloom in Huo Yuhao's heart dissipated quite a bit.

The three of them walked to the balcony, where the night breeze was blowing gently.

"Class monitor, actually, we feel really guilty." Lan Susu lowered her head, her voice sounding a bit downcast. "In this tournament, you've been the one carrying everything alone. Whether facing strong enemies or protecting your teammates, you're always the one charging at the front. And us... besides cheering from the sidelines, we can't do anything."

Lan Ruoruo also nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes: "Sometimes I feel like I'm so useless. Even though we're teammates, I can only watch you fight for your life alone."

Huo Yuhao felt a warmth in his heart; he reached out and ruffled their hair, saying softly: "Silly girls, what are you saying? You're still young, your stage is the next tournament five years from now. I brought you here this time just so you could feel the atmosphere and gain experience. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves; if the sky falls, I'll be the one holding it up."

Feeling the warmth on their heads, the sisters were filled with emotion and peace.

The three chatted for a long time, from the initial freshman assessment to every little detail along the way. Under the moonlight, the boy's profile, resolute yet gentle, was deeply etched into the girls' hearts.

"Alright, it's getting late, go get some rest. We have the tournament tomorrow," Huo Yuhao said, checking the time.

"Mm." The sisters nodded obediently.

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to turn and leave, the sisters suddenly exchanged a look, as if they had made a decision.

They simultaneously stood on their tiptoes and gave Huo Yuhao a quick peck on his left and right cheeks.

"Goodnight, class monitor!"

With that, their faces flushed red, and they ran back to their room hand-in-hand like startled deer.

Huo Yuhao stood frozen in place, touching the lingering warmth on his cheeks, and it took him a long while to come back to his senses.

"Was I... just teased?"

The next morning, the sun shone brightly over Star Luo Plaza.

The cheers of hundreds of thousands of spectators swept across the arena like a tsunami.

"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament, the elimination rounds continue! Next match, Shrek Academy versus Dou Spirit Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy!"

Following the host's announcement, the teams entered the arena.

On the Shrek side: Huo Yuhao was in the center, Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were on his left and right, and behind them were Wang Dong, Jin Nier, and the Lan Sisters.

The Dou Spirit team had also sent out their elite: captain Gu Zhujian, a level 57 assault-type Spirit King with the Purple Imperial Bamboo martial soul; vice-captain Xiao Feng, a level 54 control-type Spirit King with the Mystery Pearl martial soul. The remaining members, Qian Yuan, Chi Hengyu, Han Linger, Qing Feng, and Tang Niuniu, were all powerful experts at the Spirit Ancestor and Spirit Saint levels.

This was an incredibly formidable team, even considered a strong contender for the final four of this tournament.

However, Shrek was a bit different today.

Ma Xiaotao, in particular, had been "scared" into seclusion by Huo Yuhao yesterday and was bursting with pent-up frustration. Looking at the Dou Spirit team across from her now, her eyes were like those of a predator watching a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

"The match begins!"

The moment the referee's voice fell, Gu Zhujian let out a loud shout: "Form up!"

His Purple Imperial Bamboo glowed brilliantly, and countless purple bamboo stalks shot up from the ground out of thin air, instantly forming a dense bamboo forest that shrouded the entire arena.

Purple Imperial Bamboo Forest Domain! Within this bamboo forest, the figures of the Dou Spirit team members became erratic and elusive, while their opponents' perception would be significantly weakened.

"Hmph, petty tricks!"

Huo Yuhao stood his ground without moving, a flash of golden light appearing in his eyes.

"Soul Shock!"

An invisible mental storm instantly swept across the entire arena. The bamboo forest domain, previously thought to be indestructible, was covered in cracks like a shattered mirror the moment it met this mental impact, and then it completely collapsed with a loud crash!

"Pfft—!"

As the core of the domain, Gu Zhujian was struck as if by lightning; he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

With their domain broken, the members of the Dou Spirit team were struck with terror.

Before they could even react, a red figure had already charged in front of them like a meteor.

"Phoenix Sky-Screaming Strike!"

Ma Xiaotao let out a sharp cry as a pair of massive flaming wings unfurled behind her.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black!

Seven spirit rings!

The moment that seventh black, ten-thousand-year spirit ring lit up, the entire Star Luo Plaza fell into a deathly silence.

A Spirit Saint!

A Spirit Saint under the age of twenty!

"Good heavens! Shrek actually has a Spirit Saint?!"

"This... how is this even supposed to be fought?!"

The members of the Dou Spirit team were completely desperate. They had originally thought that as long as they defended against that strange Huo Yuhao, they would have a chance. Who could have imagined that this red-clad woman, who had been recuperating the whole time, was an even more terrifying monster!

Boom—!

Terrifying phoenix flames swept across the field, and the Dou Spirit team's defensive formation instantly disintegrated.

There was no need for Huo Yuhao to make another move; Ma Xiaotao, simply venting her pent-up rage, was like a runaway chariot of fire, rampaging through the enemy ranks.

So-called tactics and coordination appeared so pale and powerless in the face of absolute strength.

In less than a minute, the battle was over.

The entire Dou Spirit team lay on the ground, black smoke rising from their bodies.

Ma Xiaotao retracted her martial soul and stood proudly in the center of the arena, her red hair flying, radiating an overbearing aura.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao stood calmly in the back, as if this match had nothing to do with him at all.

Shrek Academy, with its twin stars shining, had once again shocked the entire continent!