A Convincing Victory

A Convincing Victory

The moment they saw Huo Yuhao charge directly into the web of artillery fire, many of the students watching the match held their breath.

"Is that junior really going to tank Level 5 Soul Tool cannons?"

"That's too reckless! This is just a preliminary round; it'll be trouble if he gets hurt."

"Hey, why are you worrying about him? Would a genius like that joke with his life? I bet he has a high-grade defensive Soul Tool."

"But to defend against Level 5 Soul Tool cannons, wouldn't that drain the little brother's soul power dry?"

Even Meng Hongchen, who had just taken her seat, frowned slightly. "Brother, is Junior Huo going to be alright?"

Xiao Hongchen, who had already used Spiritual Detection Sharing, waved his hand at his sister with a relaxed air. "It's a small matter. Just watch."

He hadn't finished his sentence for long before everyone saw a cyan-green figure flash out from the smoke and charge straight toward the position where Xu Feng was standing!

The moment he charged in, Huo Yuhao's Ice Empress Bodyguard was already active. He did indeed carry several soul-shielding tools, but their limits were all Level 3; he wouldn't use them to block Level 5 Soul Tool cannons.

When Xu Feng's cannons fired, Spiritual Detection Sharing had already pinpointed their explosion coordinates, and Huo Yuhao's path had already been mapped out. The Ice Empress Bodyguard was there to prevent any potential accidents and to block the high temperatures and shrapnel generated by the explosions.

At this moment, Huo Yuhao, having easily charged out of the artillery blockade, had shimmering ice crystal fragments dancing on his arms. As he raised his right hand, the Spirit Slashing Blade came crashing down toward Xu Feng's head.

Xu Feng did not hesitate; he slapped his own chest, instantly triggering his Level 5 soul shield. A soft blue light enveloped his side, and the Spirit Slashing Blade felt as if it had lost its momentum upon striking it.

This was a water-attribute soul shield. Unlike ordinary defensive Soul Tools, the water element was better at overcoming hardness with softness. For a melee soul master, facing a defensive Soul Tool of this attribute was truly tricky.

However, Huo Yuhao had already guessed this piece of intelligence. After all, having conducted a detailed investigation, he naturally knew his opponent possessed a water-attribute martial soul.

His aura turned frigid, and he poured his Ultimate Ice soul power entirely into the Spirit Slashing Blade.

Xu Feng wanted to use this opportunity to create distance and return to his preferred combat position, but Huo Yuhao immediately activated the Soul Guidance Thruster on his body, sticking tightly to his opponent. Although the thruster was Level 3 against a Level 5, the two still managed to create some distance, but it was far from the range where artillery fire could carpet the area without harming Xu Feng himself.

Gritting his teeth, he raised a soul gun and fired directly at the pursuing Huo Yuhao. But just as he pulled the trigger, he felt a blur before his eyes, and the shot went wide.

Huo Yuhao, as if he knew the shot would miss, charged right in front of him without dodging at all, swinging the Spirit Slashing Blade directly at the blue soul shield.

This kid, he never learns! Xu Feng thought to himself, still believing this strike would be neutralized by his shield. But the next moment, he watched in horror as the moment the cold, cyan-green blade touched his shield, the shield began to freeze from the point of contact, spreading rapidly outward.

Water-type martial souls fear two things: ice and electricity.

Within seconds, his entire shield had been frozen into a ball of ice.

Huo Yuhao covered his hands with a layer of crystalline ice; Ice Empress's Pincer was activated. With another surge of strength from his wrist, the Spirit Slashing Blade shattered the ice ball, with enough force left to strike down at Xu Feng.

"Hum—"

A soft golden-red light blocked the blade. The referee, holding a defensive Soul Tool, announced, "District B, Huo Yuhao wins."

Clean and decisive. Huo Yuhao had secured victory within five minutes. His combat style was so efficient that most of the students hadn't even been able to follow what happened.

At the very edge of the arena, Jing Hongchen, who had been observing silently, revealed a satisfied smile.

"He switched his martial soul three times in a short period. Excellent combat awareness, and he even utilized the delayed charging characteristic of his Level 3 Soul Tool. Not only was he well-prepared, but his logic was also very clear. Truly, the Sun Moon Empire is blessed."

After Huo Yuhao made contact with the opponent's water shield, he immediately used his Ice Empress martial soul to infuse the Spirit Slashing Blade with ice soul power, then switched back to his Spirit Eye martial soul to release Spiritual Interference, causing the opponent's shot to miss. Although he was using his Spirit Eye at that moment, the blade still contained the Ultimate Ice, allowing him to freeze the shield instantly.

At the final moment of the breakthrough, he activated his Ice Empress martial soul once more, using the powerful offensive skill Ice Empress's Pincer to strengthen the power of his hands, momentarily allowing the Spirit Slashing Blade to exert power beyond its rank.

More than a match, this was a display of Huo Yuhao's capabilities. He could have ended the match with Soul Shock, but he chose to use all his abilities to assist his Soul Tool, and then used the Soul Tool to end the fight.

How could Jing Hongchen fail to understand his intentions? This kind of showy combat style was practically writing "come cultivate me" in big letters on his face.

"Heh, I shall grant your wish. Hmm... also, it seems the students' practical combat courses need to be strengthened as well."

Inside the arena, Huo Yuhao bowed slightly to Xu Feng. "Apologies, Senior. The reason this match ended so quickly is also because you were unfamiliar with my abilities."

Xu Feng waved his hand with a smile. "It's fine, Junior. You are very strong. Even if I had known, I wouldn't have been able to hold out for long. After all, your ice martial soul is formidable, while my martial soul can only serve as a supplement to my Soul Tools and is almost useless to me personally... It's no surprise I lost."

Huo Yuhao smiled and stopped being modest. Deep down, he was also thrilled by this victory—it was the sum of all the abilities he had grown over this period.

Whether it was the Ice Empress martial soul integrated into actual combat for the first time, the combat experience accumulated from sparring, or his understanding and insights into Soul Tools during his two months of study, all of these were key factors in this victory.

In the stands, the students were also caught up in discussions.

"Twin Martial Souls? It really is Twin Martial Souls!"

"To be honest, I've only ever seen Twin Martial Souls on the protagonists of cheap novels..."

"It's just that we don't have them here in the Sun Moon Empire; you see plenty of them over in the three Douluo nations."

"Alright, aren't you seeing one right here in the Sun Moon Empire now?"

"Even if I had Twin Martial Souls, I'm not sure I could do as well as he did."

"The Soul Tools he used were all Level 3, right? Is he already a Level 3 soul master?"

"Level 3... how old is this junior?"

"Oh my." Wang Dong rested her chin on her hand and looked at Chi Qiu. "Twin Martial Souls are so popular; if I reveal my hammer later, will I also be able to gain a lot of popularity?"

"You are more than welcome to try." There seemed to be a hint of amusement in Chi Qiu's tone.

"Forget it." Wang Dong looked away, feeling guilty. She wouldn't dare to actually reveal the Clear Sky Hammer.

"District B, Wang Dong." At this moment, the referee called out.

"Speak of the devil." Wang Dong stood up, tugged at her hem, and straightened her hair, looking quite full of herself. "Hmph, it's not like it's reached the point where I need to use my hammer. One martial soul is enough to take them down."

Wang Dong's opponent was not strong, merely a Level 3 Soul Master. Although Soul Masters are theoretically stronger than Spirit Masters in same-level competitions, Wang Dong, equipped with a Level 5 Soul Guidance Thruster, could be considered to have donned the skin of a Soul Master.

When Huo Yuhao returned to the spectator stand, he was still worried that Wang Dong might be troubled by the opponent's offensive Soul Tools. As it turned out, before the opponent could even fire their weapon, they were taken out by two of Wang Dong's soul skills.

Watching that magnificent blue-pink light flickering in the arena, Meng Hongchen muttered to herself, "If only she were a boy..."

Xiao Hongchen glanced at his sister with concern. However, he also took an interest in the situation on the field. He noticed that Wang Dong had used that pair of Soul Guidance Thrusters.

After Wang Dong finished the battle, it was soon Qiu'er's turn. She entered the arena carrying two Level 3 Soul Guidance Shields, both of which had been crafted by Huo Yuhao himself. When Huo Yuhao had asked her if she needed any offensive Soul Tools during their creation, Qiu'er had stated that her Golden Dragon Spear was enough.

Even so, Huo Yuhao was still afraid that this Lucky Beast might get bruised or bumped, so he had equipped her with two defensive Soul Tools.

Qiu'er's opponent was a Level 4 melee Soul Master, and it was this person's misfortune to be matched against her. In a clash of strength, a standard Level 4 Soul Tool was far too inferior to go head-to-head with the Golden Dragon Spear.

However, the Soul Tools Huo Yuhao had made still came in handy. Although the opponent was a melee Soul Master, he was still equipped with a Soul Ray Gun. Unfamiliar with this type of weapon, Qiu'er failed to dodge in time, but fortunately, the Soul Tool Huo Yuhao gave her was trigger-activated.

At that moment, Huo Yuhao was so nervous that he even considered activating Spiritual Detection Sharing to help Qiu'er, but he quickly abandoned the thought. Regardless of the circumstances, cheating was not good, and he believed that Qiu'er would be able to win on her own.

While the reserve team selection tournament of the Sun Moon Empire was in full swing, the selections for Shrek Academy had already been completed. Because they had adopted a chaotic melee format, the selection process was much faster than the one-on-one tournament format of the Sun Moon Empire.

At this moment, the seven reserve team members who had stood out in the selection were heading out of Shrek City with the main team members, Wang Yan, and Elder Xuan, traveling toward the location of the Mingdou Mountain Range.