Domain Unleashed

"I understand, Master!"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and, following Zhao Ze's instructions, began trying to fuse his Spiritual Power with his Soul Power.

At first, he could never get the balance right.

Either his Spiritual Power was too strong and scattered his Soul Power, or his Soul Power was too strong and drowned out his Spiritual Power. The slashes he formed came out crooked and twisted, unable to cut through even a leaf.

But he didn't lose heart. He kept trying again and again. With Zhao Ze's patient guidance, he gradually got the hang of it.

Half an hour later, when he swung his finger again, a silvery-white slash finally shot through the air and struck the nearby tree trunk, leaving a deep gash.

"I did it! I did it, Master!"

Huo Yuhao jumped up excitedly, his face beaming with joy.

"Not bad. You picked it up quickly."

Zhao Ze watched the excited Huo Yuhao and nodded slightly before changing the subject.

"But that was just an appetizer. Next, I'm going to teach you a domain."

"A domain?!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes flew wide open. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by shock.

He had learned about the concept in class at the Martial Soul Department. A domain could create an absolute home-field advantage, strengthen its user, and suppress opponents.

He was only at level thirty!

And his master was going to teach him a domain?

Could he even learn it?

"Surprised?"

Watching Huo Yuhao stare at him, Zhao Ze chuckled.

"As long as you master your power to the utmost, you can create a domain of your own.

"The one I'm teaching you isn't something that awakens naturally when your Soul Power breaks through. It's a self-created domain formed purely from Spiritual Power and Soul Power."

He paused, his tone turning solemn.

"I call this domain the 'Abyss of Endless Slashes.'

"Once an enemy steps into its range, they'll be caught in a storm of mental slashes from every direction, with nowhere to hide.

"The slashes will keep appearing without end until the domain dissipates or the enemy is utterly defeated. Of all my Self-Created Soul Skills, this one lasts the longest."

Huo Yuhao's heart pounded wildly.

That single mental slash had been enough to cut through a tree with ease.

If an endless number of slashes came down all at once, the power would be unimaginable!

If he could use this, forget Soul Masters at his own rank—even a Soul Ancestor or a Soul King might be cut to pieces in an instant!

"First, I'll let you see it for yourself... Domain, unfold."

As Zhao Ze spoke, he slowly raised his right hand.

There was no earth-shaking noise, no dazzling light.

Only a vast Spiritual Power, as boundless as a sea of stars, silently spread like a rising tide, instantly enveloping the entire forest within a hundred-meter radius.

The next moment, everything changed!

The air seemed to become the sharpest of blades. Countless transparent mental slashes appeared out of nowhere, packed tightly together and sweeping across the entire domain like a torrential downpour.

There was no sound, no warning. The moment those slashes touched the sturdy trees, the solid rocks, or even the weeds on the ground, they were chopped to pieces as easily as tofu.

It took only a second.

When Zhao Ze withdrew his Spiritual Power, the lush forest had become a bare plain.

Every tree had been cut into fine powder. Not a single intact leaf remained, and the ground was so smooth it looked as if it had been carefully polished.

Huo Yuhao stood rooted to the spot with his mouth hanging open, unable to speak for a long time.

Just like that—in a single instant!

The whole forest, across a hundred-meter radius, had vanished completely!

What kind of power was this?!

It was far beyond anything he knew about the power of Soul Masters!

Just then, a faint figure emerged from Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness. It was Electrolux.

He looked at the bare plain before him and drew a sharp breath, his face filled with disbelief.

Electrolux murmured, his eyes brimming with shock.

"To think Spiritual Power could be used like this. Your mastery over power is truly astonishing, sir."

"It's nothing. I've just learned to use Spiritual Power with a little more precision."

Zhao Ze waved a hand and replied calmly.

"The core of this domain is the utmost compression of Spiritual Power and its sustained release.

"The stronger your Spiritual Power, the wider the domain and the more powerful the slashes.

"Yuhao, your current level of Spiritual Power isn't enough to reach my level, but you can already form a small domain with a ten-meter radius."

Huo Yuhao came back to himself, trembling with excitement. He looked at Zhao Ze, his eyes burning with fervor.

"Master! I want to learn it! I'll definitely master this domain!"

With this domain, he wouldn't have to fear Soul Masters whose ranks were higher than his anymore!

Even if he faced a Soul King, he'd have a chance to fight!

Learning the domain proved a hundred times harder than he'd imagined.

Even with Huo Yuhao's extraordinary Spiritual Power and comprehension, after an entire night of hard training, he had only managed to grasp a little.

He was still a long way from forming the complete "Abyss of Endless Slashes."

When the eastern sky turned pale and the first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the forest, Huo Yuhao finally dragged his exhausted body back toward the academy.

He was covered in dirt and bits of grass, and his hair was a mess. He looked as though he'd spent the whole night rolling around in the woods.

"Ring, ring!"

The class bell rang just as he rushed into the classroom.

"Holy crap, Yuhao! Where were you last night?!"

Cao Jinxuan whipped around. His eyes went round as he took in Huo Yuhao's disheveled appearance.

"Were you fighting someone or something? How'd you end up looking like that?"

The other students also turned curious eyes on him. Wang Dong'er, seated diagonally in front of him, couldn't help turning around. Her pink-and-blue eyes swept over him, and her brows knitted slightly.

She could tell that although Huo Yuhao seemed tired, his aura was more refined than it had been yesterday, with a faintly sharp edge to it.

Huo Yuhao scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"It's nothing. I just went to do some important training."

"Hmph. Don't be so mysterious."

Wang Dong'er gave a soft snort and raised her chin slightly, her competitive spirit plain in her voice.

"Huo Yuhao, whatever you've been secretly practicing, I'll beat you in the freshman assessment in three days! I'll show everyone that I'm the strongest freshman!"

"The freshman assessment?"

Huo Yuhao froze. He'd been so focused on Soul Tools and his training lately that he'd completely forgotten about it.

"Yeah!"

Cao Jinxuan slapped his thigh.

"It's the freshman assessment that decides whether we get to stay at Shrek! I thought you already knew!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom door burst open with a bang.

Zhou Yi strode in expressionlessly. Her cold gaze swept over the class, and the noisy classroom instantly fell so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

"Quiet!"

Zhou Yi spoke in a low voice.

"I have an important announcement:

"The freshman assessment will take place in one week.

"You'll compete in teams of three. The assessment will cover your Martial Souls, Soul Power, and combat ability.

"Anyone who fails will be expelled immediately and forced to leave Shrek Academy."

A wave of sharp intakes of breath swept through the classroom. Many students looked nervous.

Shrek's elimination rate had always been brutal. Nearly half of every year's freshmen were eliminated in the assessment.

Zhou Yi paused, then slowly turned her gaze to Huo Yuhao, her tone still stern.

"Huo Yuhao, you're the exception!

"For this assessment, you'll compete alone."