The Enemies I Defeat Have Never Been Worthy of Being Called My Opponents

The smoke of the team battle had cleared, but the atmosphere in Star Luo Plaza grew ever more tense.

In the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy's rest area, Xiao Hongchen stared fixedly at the calm-faced boy in the distance. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing thin trails of blood.

"Damn it! Damn it! How could I lose? I'm the greatest genius in the Sun Moon Empire!"

Proud as he was, he simply couldn't accept the fact that Huo Yuhao had crushed their team all by himself. The helplessness he felt was like an ant looking up at a dragon.

"Brother, don't be like this." Meng Hongchen took her brother's hand and gently comforted him. "We still have a chance. If we win tomorrow's individual elimination rounds, we can force the match into the Two-Two-Three Battle Method. With our Soul Tool advantage, we might still turn things around."

Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath, the flames of battle reigniting in his eyes. "That's right. I haven't lost yet! In tomorrow's individual matches, I'll make them pay!"

What he didn't know was that Huo Yuhao had no intention of giving them a chance to turn things around.

Shrek's rest area.

Huo Yuhao leisurely straightened his cuffs, his tone as casual as if he were discussing what to have for lunch. "The Two-Two-Three Battle Method is too much trouble. Let's finish it in the individual matches. We'll wrap things up early and send them home."

The Lan Sisters waved their little fists beside him. "The class monitor is awesome! Beat them all down!"

The next day, the individual elimination rounds officially began.

Xiao Hongchen's face was still pale, and his mental trauma had yet to heal, but the murderous glint in his eyes was even fiercer than the day before.

This was their last chance. If they lost, they'd be stuck with the title of runner-up for another ten thousand years.

Unfortunately, reality was often far crueler than the ideal.

Ma Xiaotao was the first to take the field for Shrek.

Her Phoenix Flame swept across the arena, giving her opponent no chance to catch their breath.

First match, victory!

Second match, victory!

Third match, victory!

Ma Xiaotao surged forward, defeating three opponents in a row and leaving the Sun Moon Team questioning everything. She didn't stop until the team captain, Ma Rulong, entered the arena.

Ma Rulong held a pitch-black greatsword—an eighth-grade close-combat Soul Tool, the Judgment Sword!

The sword was not only incredibly sharp; it also held both dark and light attributes, designed specifically to draw out the negative emotions within a Soul Master.

"Ma Xiaotao, your time has come!"

Ma Rulong sneered. The Judgment Sword flared with light, and a strange force instantly invaded Ma Xiaotao's body.

Her Evil Fire, already being suppressed, erupted like a volcano under the influence of that force!

"Ah—!"

Ma Xiaotao let out a pained roar. Her eyes turned scarlet, and she rapidly began to lose control of her senses.

"Not good! Sister Xiaotao's losing control!" Wang Dong cried in alarm.

Huo Yuhao's gaze turned cold as he saw through his opponent's sinister intentions.

He was trying to make Ma Xiaotao fall completely and become an Evil Soul Master, destroying one of Shrek's geniuses!

"Referee, we forfeit this match!" Huo Yuhao shouted without hesitation.

But Ma Rulong on the arena seemed not to hear him. The Judgment Sword in his hand shone even brighter, binding Ma Xiaotao tightly and leaving her no chance to get off the stage.

"You want to forfeit? Too late! Turn into a monster!" Ma Rulong laughed inwardly.

"You're asking for death!"

Huo Yuhao was furious.

He flashed onto the arena. His Ultimate Ice domain spread in full, and a terrifying chill instantly froze the entire platform.

"Get lost!"

Huo Yuhao struck out with one palm. Great Cold No Snow unleashed an unstoppable force, blasting Ma Rulong and his sword dozens of meters away.

Then he caught Ma Xiaotao as she staggered, pouring a steady stream of Ultimate Ice Soul Power into her body to forcibly suppress her rampaging Evil Fire.

"Yuhao..." Ma Xiaotao regained a trace of clarity and leaned weakly against Huo Yuhao.

"It's all right, Sister Xiaotao. Leave it to me."

Huo Yuhao handed Ma Xiaotao to Teacher Wang Yan, who had rushed over, then slowly turned to look at Ma Rulong, who was just getting back up.

At that moment, the killing intent in Huo Yuhao's eyes seemed to freeze the air around them.

"Referee, I'll be taking the field for Shrek from here on."

Huo Yuhao's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly across the arena.

The match continued.

Ma Rulong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared at Huo Yuhao with malice. Although he'd been knocked back just now, he thought he'd only been careless—and Huo Yuhao had also been distracted by suppressing Ma Xiaotao.

"Huo Yuhao, you're strong, I'll give you that. But you're only a Soul Ancestor, while I'm a Spirit Emperor! And with the Judgment Sword, what chance do you have of beating me?!"

Ma Rulong roared. Every Soul Tool on his body activated, countless cannons aiming at Huo Yuhao, while the Judgment Sword burst with a black light more brilliant than ever before.

"Die!"

Facing the barrage of attacks, Huo Yuhao stood perfectly still.

He slowly raised his head. In his Spirit Eyes, it was as if stars were falling and an abyss was opening.

"Soul... Devour!"

This was the perfect fusion of the Necromancy bestowed on him by Electrolux and his own spiritual power.

There was no dazzling display of light—only an invisible wave that pierced through layer upon layer of Soul Tool Shields, ignored all physical defenses, and struck deep into Ma Rulong's Sea of Consciousness.

"Ugh..."

Ma Rulong's charge came to an abrupt halt.

The light vanished from his eyes. Like a body drained of its soul, he fell straight to the ground.

"Thud!"

The sound of his body hitting the ground rang out sharply across the silent arena.

Dead?

The hundreds of thousands of spectators, including the referee, were all stunned.

A single strike had killed him?!

And the victim was a fully armed Level 7 Soul Engineer, a Spirit Emperor-level powerhouse?!

"Captain!!!"

The Sun Moon Team's rest area erupted. Xiao Hongchen and the others rushed to the edge of the stage, eyes bulging with rage as they shouted, "Murder! He killed him! That's a foul! He must be punished!"

The referee panicked and hurried over to examine Ma Rulong. He was still breathing, but his Sea of Consciousness had been completely shattered, leaving him a vegetable. That was even worse than death.

As the Sun Moon Team accused him and the referee questioned him, Huo Yuhao spread his hands with an innocent look.

"Sorry, everyone. My cultivation is still shallow, and I only recently mastered that move. I couldn't control its power. It was an accident. I'm truly sorry."

He said he was sorry, but there wasn't a trace of remorse on his face. It was obvious what he meant: I killed him. What are you going to do about it?

Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over the remaining members of the Sun Moon Team, and a cold smile tugged at his lips.

"Are we continuing the match? I don't mind seeing it through. But..."

He paused, his voice turning icy. "I can't promise that whoever takes the field next will walk away alive. After all, my Soul Skill is... really 'hard' to control."

It was an outright threat!

Xiao Hongchen trembled with rage, his finger shaking as he pointed at Huo Yuhao. "You... you..."

But he didn't dare take the risk.

Even their strongest, Ma Rulong, had been taken out with one strike. The others would only be throwing their lives away. And judging by Huo Yuhao's expression, he was clearly ready to kill.

In the end, Xiao Hongchen could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

"We... forfeit!"

Those two words seemed to drain all the strength from his body.

But he wasn't willing to accept it!

"Huo Yuhao! Don't get cocky! I'll remember this humiliation! In five years, at the next tournament, I'll make you pay! I'll make you kneel before me and beg for forgiveness!" Xiao Hongchen howled hysterically.

Facing the loser's wail, Huo Yuhao merely glanced at him, then turned and walked off the stage. His proud silhouette left behind one casual remark:

"Those I defeat have never been worthy of being called my opponents."

"I'll give you time to catch up, until you can no longer even hope to reach me."

Silence fell over the arena. Only those domineering words echoed in the wind.