Night was as dark as ink, and the clamor of Star Luo City gradually subsided.
Inside the hotel where Shrek Academy was staying, Huo Yuhao made his way to Ma Xiaotao's room with practiced ease. He gave the door a gentle push, and it swung open. It wasn't locked.
"Xiaotao, are you asleep?" Huo Yuhao leaned halfway into the room, wearing an innocent smile.
Inside, Ma Xiaotao had been meditating cross-legged on her bed. Her eyes snapped open. When she saw Huo Yuhao, a guarded look instantly appeared on her otherwise cool, beautiful face, and she instinctively shrank toward the corner of the bed.
"What are you here for?" Ma Xiaotao asked warily, her voice carrying a hint of fear.
Huo Yuhao walked in with a concerned look and casually shut the door behind him. "The competition's tomorrow, isn't it? I was worried you might be too nervous, so I came to help you 'relax' a little."
"Relax?" Ma Xiaotao scoffed. "You mean you want to ravish me, don't you? Save it! I don't need it!"
She folded her arms over her chest, looking as though she'd rather die than give in, though there was a hint of pleading in her voice. "Yuhao, can't you please let your big sister off the hook? Last night... we went at it all night. My back's still aching. If we do it again, I won't just miss tomorrow's match—I might not even be able to get out of bed. You don't want your big sister to show up just to go through the motions, do you?"
"Uh..." Huo Yuhao rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. It seemed he really had gone too far last night. Ultimate Ice was simply too alluring to Evil Fire; whenever the two came together, things easily got out of hand.
"Then get some good rest," Huo Yuhao said, not pressing her.
"Go on, get out!" Ma Xiaotao waved him away as if he'd rescued her from a disaster. "Go bother that little minx Ling Luochеn instead. She's an ice-type Soul Master, so she can probably take more than I can."
After Ma Xiaotao chased him out, Huo Yuhao stood in the hallway and sighed.
"If that's what Xiaotao wants..."
He turned and knocked on the door next to hers.
The door opened. Ling Luochеn stood there in a pale blue nightdress, her cool elegance made especially captivating in the moonlight.
But when she saw Huo Yuhao at the door, the same look of terror that Ma Xiaotao had worn instantly appeared on her cool face.
"Yu... Yuhao?" Ling Luochеn instinctively gripped the doorframe, her eyes darting about. "I-it's so late. Is something wrong?"
Huo Yuhao was just about to speak when Ling Luochеn seemed to anticipate what he was going to say and cut him off. "Well, Yuhao, Xiaotao has a top-tier Beast Martial Soul and a strong physique. I... I'm just a control-type Soul Master. I'm frail, and I really can't take any more rough treatment. Why don't you... go find Xiaotao instead?"
She gazed at Huo Yuhao with a pitiful look, like a little white rabbit about to be devoured by a big bad wolf.
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Why was everyone treating him like some kind of monster? Was he really that scary?
"Looks like being too strong isn't always a good thing." Huo Yuhao shook his head helplessly and turned away in a gloomy mood.
Just as he was lamenting that the night was long and sleep wouldn't come, two soft giggles suddenly sounded behind him.
"Pfft—"
Huo Yuhao turned around and saw the twin sisters Lan Susu and Lan Ruoruo standing at the end of the hallway, covering their mouths as they giggled.
They had clearly seen the whole thing.
"Class monitor, that was so rough. Those two senior sisters tossed you back and forth like a ball," Lan Susu teased, blinking her big eyes.
Huo Yuhao shot them an annoyed look. "What are you laughing at? Keep it up, and I'll drag you both back and discipline you by family rules."
Lan Ruoruo wasn't scared. Instead, she boldly stepped forward and said softly, "Class monitor, if you're in a bad mood... we can keep you company and talk."
The sisters' sincere expressions eased the gloom in Huo Yuhao's heart.
The three of them went out to the balcony, where a gentle night breeze stirred.
"Class monitor, we really do feel guilty," Lan Susu said, lowering her head, her voice a little dejected. "You've been carrying this whole tournament on your own. Whether it's facing powerful enemies or protecting your teammates, you're always the one out front. And we... can't do anything except cheer for you from the sidelines."
Lan Ruoruo nodded, tears glimmering in her eyes. "Sometimes I feel so useless. We're supposed to be teammates, but all I can do is watch you fight alone."
Huo Yuhao felt a warmth in his heart. He reached out and ruffled their hair, speaking gently. "You silly girls, what are you saying? You're still young. Your time will come at the next tournament, five years from now. I brought you along this time so you could get a feel for the atmosphere and gain some experience. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up."
Feeling the warmth of his hand on their heads, the sisters were filled with gratitude and a sense of peace.
The three of them talked for a long time, from their freshman assessment to all the moments they had shared along the way. In the moonlight, the young man's profile was both resolute and gentle, leaving a deep impression on the girls' hearts.
"All right, it's getting late. Get some rest. You have a match tomorrow," Huo Yuhao said, glancing at the sky.
"Mm." The two sisters nodded obediently.
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to turn and leave, the sisters exchanged a glance, as if they had made up their minds.
They rose onto their tiptoes at the same time and quickly planted a kiss on each of Huo Yuhao's cheeks.
"Good night, class monitor!"
Then, blushing, they ran hand in hand back to their room like startled fawns.
Huo Yuhao stood rooted to the spot and touched the lingering warmth on his cheeks. It took him a moment to come back to his senses.
"Did I just... get teased?"
The next morning, sunlight bathed Star Luo Plaza.
The cheers of hundreds of thousands of spectators swept across the arena like a tidal wave.
"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament continues with the elimination round! In the next match, Shrek Academy will face the Dou Ling Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy!"
At the host's announcement, both teams entered the arena.
For Shrek, Huo Yuhao stood in the center, with Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochеn on either side. Behind them were Wang Dong, Jin Nier, and the Lan Sisters.
The Dou Ling Team had also sent out its strongest lineup: captain Gu Zhujian, a level 57 Power Attack System Battle Soul King whose Martial Soul was Purple Imperial Bamboo; and vice-captain Xiao Feng, a level 54 control-type Battle Soul King whose Martial Soul was the Mystery Pearl. The other team members—Qian Yuan, Chi Hengyu, Han Linger, Qing Feng, and Tang Niuniu—were also powerful Soul Ancestors and Spirit Saints.
This was an exceptionally powerful team, and many considered them strong contenders for the top four in this year's tournament.
But Shrek was different today.
Ma Xiaotao, in particular, had been "scared" by Huo Yuhao into turning him away the day before and was still seething with pent-up frustration. Now, she looked at the Dou Ling Team as if they were a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
"Begin!"
The moment the referee spoke, Gu Zhujian shouted, "Form the formation!"
Purple Imperial Bamboo blazed in his hand, and countless purple stalks burst from the ground, forming a dense bamboo forest that instantly enclosed the entire arena.
Purple Imperial Bamboo Forest Domain! Within the forest, the Dou Ling Team members' movements became elusive, while their opponents' senses were greatly weakened.
"Hmph, a cheap trick!"
Huo Yuhao stood perfectly still. A flash of golden light gleamed in his eyes.
"Spiritual Shock!"
An invisible Spirit Storm swept across the arena. The seemingly indestructible bamboo forest domain filled with cracks as soon as the Spiritual Shock struck it, then shattered completely with a resounding crash!
"Pfft—!"
Gu Zhujian, the core of the domain, was struck as if by lightning. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face turned deathly pale.
With their domain broken, the Dou Ling Team members were stunned.
Before they could react, a red figure had already streaked toward them like a meteor.
"Phoenix Sky-Screaming Strike!"
Ma Xiaotao cried out as a pair of enormous flaming wings unfurled behind her.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black!
Seven Soul Rings!
The moment the seventh black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring lit up, Star Luo Plaza fell into deathly silence.
A Spirit Saint!
A Spirit Saint under the age of twenty!
"Good heavens! Shrek has a Spirit Saint too?!"
"H-how are we supposed to fight that?!"
The Dou Ling Team members were utterly despairing. They had thought they might stand a chance if they could just hold off the strange Huo Yuhao. Who could have guessed that the red-haired woman who had been recovering all this time was an even more terrifying monster?
Boom—!
Terrifying Phoenix Flame swept across the arena, and the Dou Ling Team's defensive formation crumbled in an instant.
Huo Yuhao didn't need to lift a finger. Ma Xiaotao, with all her pent-up anger, charged through the enemy formation like a runaway chariot of fire.
Their so-called tactics and teamwork looked utterly feeble in the face of absolute strength.
The battle was over in less than a minute.
The entire Dou Ling Team lay on the ground, smoke still rising from their bodies.
Ma Xiaotao withdrew her Martial Soul and stood proudly in the center of the arena, her red hair flying and her commanding presence on full display.
Huo Yuhao stood behind her, perfectly calm, as if the match had nothing to do with him.
Shrek Academy's twin stars shone brightly once more, stunning the entire continent!
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