Eve of the Finals, Undercurrents Surging

Xu Jiujiu struggled to stand up, her long golden dress swaying slightly in the wind. Her face, usually noble and elegant, was now filled with unwillingness and dejection.

"We... concede."

These four words seemed to drain every ounce of her strength.

She was a princess of the Star Luo Empire, the captain of the Star Luo Royal Academy, and the favorite to win this tournament.

She possessed the absolute defense of the Star Crown martial soul and had devised exquisite tactical arrangements; even a power-attack Spirit Saint of Ma Xiaotao's caliber found her defense troublesome to deal with.

Yet, all of this became a joke in front of that young man.

Huo Yuhao, that seemingly harmless boy, had used nothing more than a single Soul Shock to ignore all the defenses she took such pride in, striking directly at her spiritual origin and causing her to lose her combat ability in an instant.

The excruciating pain of her brain being torn apart still left her with lingering fear.

"Huo Yuhao... you really are a monster." Xu Jiujiu looked at the boy not far away, who was chatting and laughing with his teammates, her eyes complex. "I lost, and I accept the defeat wholeheartedly."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao turned around and smiled politely. "You flatter me, Your Highness. It was just luck."

He still had to say the polite things; after all, the Star Luo Emperor still held that Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone, and that was something he was determined to obtain. If he offended this princess too deeply, it wouldn't be good if the old emperor decided to make things difficult for him later.

"Luck?" Xu Jiujiu gave a bitter laugh, shook her head, and led her teammates away.

Huo Yuhao had no intention of lingering, as he had something more important to do—fighting a fire.

During the team battle just now, in order to end the fight quickly, Ma Xiaotao had not hesitated to actively trigger the Evil Fire within her. Although her combat power had skyrocketed, it had also caused the Evil Fire to spiral completely out of control.

At this moment, although she was forcing herself not to collapse, her crimson eyes and scorching body temperature said it all.

"Yuhao... hurry..." Ma Xiaotao's voice was hoarse, carrying a gasp she couldn't suppress.

Without a word, Huo Yuhao helped Ma Xiaotao up and rushed toward the hotel room.

Star Emperor Hotel, top-floor suite.

"Boom—!"

The moment they entered the room, the Evil Fire inside Ma Xiaotao erupted completely. A terrifying high temperature instantly swept through the entire room; if Huo Yuhao hadn't been prepared and set up an isolation barrier, the entire hotel might have been set ablaze.

"Hot... give it to me..."

Ma Xiaotao had completely lost her reason by now, clinging to Huo Yuhao like an octopus, crazily demanding that cooling aura.

"Sigh, I really owe you."

Huo Yuhao sighed, his Ultimate Ice erupting in full force.

However, this treatment process became an indelible shadow for Ma Xiaotao.

Previously, she had only thought the Evil Fire going out of control was terrifying, but now she realized that the process of Huo Yuhao helping her suppress it was even more terrifying!

This kid was simply not human!

The collision between the Ultimate Ice and the Evil Fire, the stimulation of ice and fire, combined with Huo Yuhao's seemingly endless stamina...

"No... no more... Yuhao... I beg you..."

"We're barely getting started. Senior sister, your Evil Fire hasn't been suppressed yet, just bear with it."

"Wuwuwu... I was wrong... I won't ever dare to do this again..."

That night, Ma Xiaotao experienced an infinite loop of going from hell to heaven, and then falling from heaven back to hell.

It wasn't until the next morning that sunlight spilled onto the bed through the gaps in the curtains.

Ma Xiaotao lay on the bed like a puddle of mud, her body covered in blue and purple marks. Her eyes rolled back, and she didn't even have the strength to move a finger.

She swore that even if she were beaten to death in the future, she would never actively trigger the Evil Fire again! This was simply torture!

Huo Yuhao walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. Seeing Ma Xiaotao in such a miserable state, he felt a bit guilty.

"Senior sister, shall I carry you to take a bath?"

Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao, who had been playing dead, instantly widened her eyes. They were filled with terror, and she shook her head frantically, her body instinctively shrinking into the quilt. "No! Don't! Don't come over! I'm not washing! I'm not washing!"

She was truly terrified, fearing that Huo Yuhao would use the excuse of a bath to do it all over again.

Huo Yuhao chuckled and shook his head helplessly. "Don't worry, it's just a bath. I won't touch you."

After a long period of coaxing, Ma Xiaotao finally let down her guard and allowed Huo Yuhao to carry her into the bathroom.

Over the next two days, the other semi-final matchup took place as scheduled.

Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy versus Di'ao Academy.

This match could be described in four words: crushing the withered and rotten.

Ma Rulong, the captain of the Sun Moon Team, displayed his terrifying strength for the first time. Once his two level-7 Soul Tools were brought out, they provided direct fire coverage over the entire arena. The other six members transformed into mobile artillery platforms, and dense soul rays poured down like a rainstorm.

Although Di'ao Academy was also a veteran powerhouse, in the face of such unreasonable firepower suppression, they didn't even have a chance to get close and were directly blasted off the stage.

In the individual battles the next day, although Di'ao Academy fought back desperately, they ultimately had no choice but to admit defeat in the face of the absolute advantage of Soul Tools.

With this, the finalist list for this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament was officially released:

Shrek Academy vs. Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy!

A fated showdown was about to unfold.

On the day of the finals, Star Luo Plaza was packed with a sea of people.

The team members from both sides entered the arena.

On the side of the Sun Moon Team, Xiao Hongchen still held his nose in the air. Seeing Huo Yuhao walk over, he provocatively made a throat-slitting gesture.

However, Huo Yuhao ignored him completely.

His gaze passed over Xiao Hongchen and landed on the girl with short silver hair—Meng Hongchen.

The corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth curled up into a brilliant smile, and he even playfully winked at her, sending a spark of charm her way.

"Zzzzt—"

Meng Hongchen had been trying to act reserved, but upon seeing this, her pretty face turned beet red instantly, and her heart began to pound wildly.

He... he smiled at me! And he even winked at me!

A young girl's heart is always sensitive and sentimental. Ever since Huo Yuhao had taken the initiative to greet her last time, this outstanding youth had taken root in her heart. He was two years younger than her, possessed Twin Martial Souls, was incredibly powerful, and was so handsome to boot...

Grandfather probably wouldn't object, right... Meng Hongchen lowered her head, her mind already beginning to imagine the names of their future children.

Beside her, Xiao Hongchen saw this and was so angry he nearly shattered his teeth: "Damn you, Huo Yuhao! How dare you seduce my sister!"

Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze and subconsciously looked toward the city tower.

There, the Star Luo Emperor, Xu Jiawei, was sitting upright on his dragon throne, and standing beside him was Princess Xu Jiujiu.

Xu Jiujiu's gaze remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, her expression extremely complex. There was a hint of unwillingness, a hint of curiosity, and even... a hint of shyness?

Huo Yuhao was completely bewildered: What is up with this princess? Her eyes are acting strange.

How could he have known that after the match ended that day, the Star Luo Emperor had pulled Xu Jiujiu aside for a long, earnest talk.

"Jiujiu, this child's talent is monstrous; he is destined for greatness. If we can win him over to our Star Luo Empire, even if it means marrying you off to him, I would be willing..."

Thinking of her imperial brother's words, how could Xu Jiujiu's gaze toward Huo Yuhao not be complex?

Just then, the referee's booming voice echoed throughout the arena, interrupting everyone's thoughts.

"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament, finals, officially begins!"

"The rules for the finals are as follows: the match will be divided into three modes: team battle, individual elimination, and the Two-Two-Three Battle Method. It is a best-of-three series!"

"Will the team members from both sides please take the stage!"

The atmosphere instantly solidified to the extreme.