Just as Dai Huabin was about to raise his hand and surrender.
He suddenly heard Huo Yuhao's shout from within the crowd.
The next moment.
Everyone immediately turned their gaze toward Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao had already withdrawn from his Martial Soul state, so the confused onlookers had no idea what underhanded thing he had just done.
"Huo Yuhao, what do you mean by that?!"
Zhu Lu demanded.
Xiao Xiao was also momentarily stunned. She had thought Huo Yuhao was a pretty decent guy, so why did he seem like a completely different person today?
Had he been that good at pretending, or was it true that you could know someone's face but not their heart?
"Huo Yuhao, can't you see that Young Master Dai is already injured? Do you really want to see Young Master Dai lying in bed?!"
Cui Yajie spoke up as well.
As members of Dai Huabin's team, she and Zhu Lu had naturally been involved in the scheme just now.
However,
neither of them had trusted Huo Yuhao much from the start.
After all, they were both heaven's favored daughters. How could they possibly think much of someone their own age whose Soul Power was only in the teens and whose First Soul Ring was a ten-year white one?
"If we give it one more shot, there's still hope. If we surrender, then we'll truly lose both face and the fight!"
"Have you already prepared to pay over ten million Gold Soul Coins in compensation?"
"Even the White Tiger Duke Mansion probably wouldn't dare claim it could casually pay out resources like that!"
Huo Yuhao said coldly.
At that moment, he couldn't care less what his classmates thought of him.
He had staked everything on Dai Huabin's team. As long as they kept fighting with all their might, he could let the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm take over.
One strike would be enough to make Jiang Yang suffer a complete defeat.
As long as Jiang Yang lost, he would get cultivation resources he had never dared to dream of.
With those resources, why should he care whether his classmates liked him?
As for why Huo Yuhao hadn't planned to take the stage himself, it was precisely because he was worried that letting the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm make a move would expose his trump card.
Otherwise,
why would he have sought out Dai Huabin to work with him?
"Huo Yuhao, are you really sure that... that I can win?"
Dai Huabin came back to his senses, but Huo Yuhao's words had startled him.
He had nearly let his true thoughts slip.
After all, although he was a legitimate son of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, he wasn't the eldest legitimate son.
If his father found out that he had lost three Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones, ten million Gold Soul Coins, and other cultivation resources in a bet, then a beating would be the least of his worries.
"I'm certain!"
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly, then immediately contacted the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his spiritual sea.
[Sky Dream Ice Silkworm: Don't worry, little Yuhao. As soon as they clash, your big brother will take over your body. Your body is still weak, so I won't be able to bring out much strength, but it'll be more than enough to deal with a little three-ring Soul Elder!]
[Huo Yuhao: Thank you, Brother Sky Dream! I'm counting on you, Brother Sky Dream!]
"Fine!"
"Then I'll trust you this once!"
Dai Huabin replied in a low voice.
He immediately took a pill from his Soul Tool and swallowed it.
"Zhu Lu, Cui Yajie, stop holding back."
"Okay!"
"Understood!"
At that, Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie also took a pill each from their Soul Tools and swallowed them.
"Cheating!"
"That's cheating!"
"Teacher Mu Jin! Hurry and declare them the losers!"
Wang Dong grew anxious as well.
She could already sense that the Soul Power of Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Cui Yajie was increasing rapidly.
She didn't know by how much, but if they had rather surrendered than take those pills, then the pills were definitely no ordinary things.
"Ah—!!!"
"Ha—!!!"
"Yah—!!!"
The next moment.
Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Cui Yajie suddenly threw their heads back and roared.
It was obvious.
They were all suffering.
"That's a pill that forcibly draws on their potential. They've gone mad, they've gone mad!"
"Why does Dai Huabin have a pill like that on him?"
"Could it be—"
At the thought, Mu Jin suddenly recalled that a few days ago, she had mentioned to Teacher Wang Yan that she wanted to ask Jiang Yang to help with some sparring before the Freshman Assessment and arrange some prizes as well.
"Could Teacher Wang Yan have let the secret slip?"
"Or did someone else hear about it and tell Dai Huabin?"
"That must be it. I don't think I was keeping it secret from anyone at the time... It seems Dai Huabin had been preparing to beat Jiang Yang for a while!"
"These scions of great families really aren't easy to deal with."
At that thought,
Mu Jin immediately understood.
If Dai Huabin could beat Jiang Yang—or beat him after forcing him to reveal some of his strength—and had the backing of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, then it really was possible he could quickly attract the academy's attention.
As the saying went, one step ahead meant every step ahead.
That way, perhaps the candidate spot for the Shrek Seven Devils would fall into his hands.
"What a cunning plan!"
"What plan, Teacher?"
"Nothing. Just keep watching the fight."
Mu Jin muttered without thinking.
Her words carried to everyone's ears.
Xiao Xiao immediately asked in confusion.
"Jiang Yang, I believe in you!"
"You'll definitely win!"
"Justice will triumph over evil!"
Just then,
Wang Dong suddenly shouted as well.
It was as if she had taken up the challenge against Huo Yuhao.
If he could throw caution to the wind and support someone like Dai Huabin, then why couldn't she openly support Jiang Yang?
"That's right!"
"Big Brother—"
"Come on!"
"I believe you'll win!"
"Come on, Big Brother!"
With Wang Dong leading the way,
everyone began cheering Jiang Yang on.
Even Ning Tian and the others, who had run over from Class Nine, joined in.
Their cheers grew louder and louder.
Students from nearby classes couldn't help sneaking over too.
The area, which had originally held only Freshman Class One and a handful of students from other classes, was suddenly packed.
At a glance, there were at least three or four hundred people.
Even a teacher from one of the classes came over to Mu Jin and asked her what had happened.
"Ha ha ha ha—"
"What's justice? What's evil?!"
"I'm a thirty-seventh-rank Soul Elder now, and Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie have both reached thirty ranks of Soul Power. You? You're nothing but a three-ring Soul Elder who can't use his Martial Soul or Soul Skills!"
"How can you possibly beat me?!"
"Ha ha ha ha..."
"Accept your defeat, Jiang Yang!"
"Second Soul Skill—"
"White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
"Just settle down and be a stepping stone for the person I picked! Hey—"
Before you continue