Soul Beast Cloak, Soul Beast Jade: Battle Ma Xiaotao

After listening to Huo Yuhao's story about the "Uzumaki Clan and Konoha Sect," Tang Ya remained in a daze even after returning to her dormitory.

She sat by her bed, staring at the statue of the Original Shrek Seven Devils standing in the plaza outside her window. For the first time, confusion appeared in her eyes.

Konoha Sect... Shrek...

Why were they so similar?

Once, she had been filled with gratitude and reverence for Shrek Academy. She had believed it to be the holy land of Soul Masters on the continent, the embodiment of justice.

But now, that story had shattered its glamorous facade.

Iron Blood Sect, such an insignificant little sect, had actually dared to openly wipe out the Tang Sect.

That had been a massacre that destroyed an entire sect!

Shrek could clearly have crushed Iron Blood Sect with a single finger and saved the Tang Sect.

Yet they had done nothing.

Beibei told me that the academy's rule was "help the desperate, not the poor." Since the Tang Sect's decline was caused by its own problems, the academy could not interfere.

But... did having your entire family slaughtered not count as being "desperate"?

If that so-called ally only added flowers to the brocade when you were glorious, yet stood by and watched when you fell into hardship—

Then that kind of ally was simply ridiculous!

The seed of doubt had already taken root in her heart.

Tang Ya bit her lip, a trace of determination flashing through her eyes.

No. The next time I see Beibei, I have to ask him myself. Why did Shrek stand by and do nothing back then?

After parting with Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao did not return to his dormitory to rest.

He went alone to the shore of Sea God Lake.

The night was deep, and ripples shimmered across the lake.

Rather than meditate by the shore, Huo Yuhao walked straight toward the lake's surface.

One step, then another.

Something miraculous happened.

His feet did not sink into the water. Instead, he stood firmly atop its surface, sending faint ripples spreading outward.

This was a basic training method from the Naruto world—water walking.

By precisely attaching Chakra to the soles of his feet, he maintained a delicate balance.

After this week of weight training, combined with water walking and tree climbing, my control over the energy in my body has risen to a whole new level.

Carrying several hundred jin of specially made weights on his back, Huo Yuhao walked across the lake as though on solid ground.

As he walked, he tried to draw upon the power within his Sea of Consciousness.

The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path devoured the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. As its Jinchuriki, I can naturally borrow that power.

Buzz—

A layer of pale blue radiance began to emerge over his body. It was the manifestation of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual origin and ice-element power.

This is... the prototype of a Tailed Beast Cloak, or rather, a Soul Beast Cloak.

Feeling the boost brought by that power, Huo Yuhao was preparing to conduct the next test.

Suddenly.

A scorching wave of air swept over from the direction of Sea God Island, instantly evaporating the surrounding mist and turning the cool night unbearably hot.

Huo Yuhao abruptly raised his head, his Sharingan activating at once.

Within his dynamic vision, a red point of light rapidly expanded at an astonishing speed.

It was a human figure.

She was wrapped in crimson flames from head to toe, like an out-of-control meteor hurtling toward him with world-destroying momentum.

Wherever she passed, the lake water boiled.

Evil Fire Phoenix, Ma Xiaotao?

With a single glance, Huo Yuhao recognized the newcomer.

That crazy woman who had nearly roasted Huo Yuhao alive in the original story.

Had the higher-ups of Sea God Pavilion gone insane?

Huo Yuhao frowned, a flicker of disgust passing through his eyes.

They clearly knew she had the Evil Fire defect and could lose control at any time, yet they still allowed this ticking time bomb to run wild everywhere?

This was the so-called Shrek?

They could not even keep a student under control?

In the blink of an eye, Ma Xiaotao had charged right in front of him.

She had lost her mind completely. Her eyes were blood-red, and only the most primal urge to destroy remained.

It was a terrifying pressure comparable to that of a Soul Saint.

An ordinary one-ring Soul Master would probably have wet himself in terror by now.

But Huo Yuhao stood upon the water. Not only did he not retreat, he instead assumed a fighting stance.

A Soul Saint?

Perfect. I'll use you to test this move!

With a thought from Huo Yuhao, the eye within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path that represented the One-Tail suddenly lit up in his Sea of Consciousness.

"Soul Beast Cloak, activate!"

Boom!

This time, it was no longer the illusory thin layer he had used against Zhou Yi.

A vast tide of pale blue energy erupted from his body like a volcano, instantly enveloping him completely.

This was a complete Soul Beast Cloak!

Empowered by this force, Huo Yuhao's aura surged explosively.

His spiritual power broke through its bottleneck in one stroke, reaching the level of a high-rank Soul Emperor!

The fluctuations of his Soul Power were also forcibly raised to the level of a Soul King!

Though it was borrowed power, it was enough to grant him the right to stand against the strong.

Facing the Evil Fire rushing at him, Huo Yuhao slowly extended his right hand.

Countless pale blue motes of light frantically gathered in his palm.

Under the influence of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's attribute, this sphere of energy took on a crystalline ice-blue color, surrounded by piercingly cold air.

"Since this is a Soul Beast Cloak, then this move will be called—"

Huo Yuhao's gaze turned cold as he looked at that crazed face looming close before him.

"Soul Beast Jade!"

Buzz—!

A deep blue energy sphere the size of a fist, yet containing a destructive aura, instantly formed in his palm.

The terrifying cold instantly froze the lake beneath his feet into ice.

"Go!"

Huo Yuhao thrust forward with one hand. The Soul Beast Jade shrieked through the air as it met Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire charge head-on.

On one side was Evil Fire nearing Ultimate Fire.

On the other was a Soul Beast Jade compressed to the limits of Ultimate Ice.

The two forces collided violently above Sea God Lake.

Bang—!!

There was no imagined deadlock.

Although Ma Xiaotao's level was higher, she had lost her mind and was merely venting energy blindly.

Meanwhile, as a Jinchuriki, Huo Yuhao possessed the nearly inexhaustible endurance converted by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Combined with the high-density energy structure of the "Soul Beast Jade," he instantly gained the advantage in quality.

Ice and fire tore savagely at each other.

At last, an earth-shaking explosion rang out.

Rumble!

The enormous shockwave raised waves several meters high, blasting the lake water into a sky full of rain.

"Argh!"

Ma Xiaotao let out a cry of pain as the Soul Beast Jade blasted her flying backward. The Evil Fire around her body was like it had encountered its natural nemesis, instantly scattered and extinguished.

Like a kite with a broken string, she crashed heavily into the distant lake, sending up a huge spray.

"Whew... whew..."

Huo Yuhao stood atop a chunk of floating ice, panting heavily.

His right hand trembled slightly, a backlash from the intense energy output.

The power wasn't bad.

That single Soul Beast Jade had actually shattered the defenses of a Soul Emperor-level expert directly.

However, before he could steady his breathing—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several extremely powerful auras raced over from the direction of Sea God Island.

They were the elders of Shrek Academy, alerted by the disturbance here.

The old geezers are here.

Huo Yuhao's expression changed.

I can't let them discover me.

Watching the approaching streaks of light draw nearer and nearer, Huo Yuhao did not hesitate any longer.

He abruptly covered his right eye and desperately activated the Mangekyō Sharingan he had only recently awakened and had yet to fully master.

"Kamui!"

The three Tomoe in Huo Yuhao's right eye spun madly, then instantly linked together, transforming into three black sickle patterns connected end to end.

Space began to distort.

A vortex-like black void rapidly formed around his right eye.

Huo Yuhao's body twisted and stretched within the vortex. Finally, amid a ripple of spatial fluctuations, he vanished completely from above Sea God Lake.

All that remained was the devastated surface of the lake and the unconscious Ma Xiaotao.