Domain Expansion

"I understand, Master!"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and, following Zhao Ze's instructions, began attempting to fuse his spiritual power with his soul power.

At first, he struggled to maintain the balance.

Either his spiritual power was too strong and dispersed the soul power, or his soul power was too dominant and overwhelmed the spiritual power; the resulting slashes were crooked and couldn't even cut through a leaf.

But he did not lose heart, trying again and again. Under Zhao Ze's patient guidance, he gradually found the trick.

Half an hour later, when he flicked his finger once more, a silver-white slash finally tore through the air, striking the nearby tree trunk and leaving a deep mark.

"I did it! I succeeded, Master!"

Huo Yuhao jumped up in excitement, his face beaming with joy.

"Not bad, you've mastered the basics quickly."

Zhao Ze watched the excited Huo Yuhao and nodded slightly, then his tone shifted.

"However, that was just an appetizer. Next, I am going to teach you about—Domains."

"Domains?!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes widened sharply, the smile on his face instantly freezing and being replaced by shock.

He had learned about this concept in his Spirit Department classes; a Domain could create an absolute home-field advantage, amplifying oneself while suppressing the opponent.

He was only level thirty!

His master actually wanted to teach him a Domain?

Could he even learn it?

"Surprised?"

Zhao Ze chuckled as he watched the boy's stunned expression.

"As long as your control over power reaches the extreme, you can create a Domain of your own.

The one I am teaching you is not awakened naturally through a breakthrough in soul power, but a Self-Created Soul Skill condensed purely from spiritual power and soul power."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat solemn:

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

Once an enemy steps into the range of the domain, they will fall into an omnidirectional, inescapable storm of spiritual slashes.

These slashes are generated continuously until the domain dissipates or the enemy is completely defeated; it is the most persistent of all my self-created soul skills."

Huo Yuhao's heart hammered against his ribs.

That single spiritual slash from earlier had been able to easily cut through a large tree.

If infinite slashes were to descend simultaneously, the power would be unimaginable!

If he could cast this, let alone soul masters of the same rank, even a Soul Ancestor or perhaps a Soul King would likely be shredded to pieces in an instant!

"Let me show you the effect firsthand... Domain Expansion."

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

There was no earth-shattering momentum, nor any dazzling light.

There was only a vast, star-like sea of spiritual power that spread silently like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire hundred-meter radius of the dense forest.

The next second, a sudden change occurred!

The air seemed to turn into the sharpest of blades; countless transparent spiritual slashes appeared out of thin air, dense and sweeping across the entire domain like a torrential rain.

Without a sound, without any warning, those thick trees, hard rocks, and even the weeds on the ground were sliced into smithereens like tofu the moment they touched the slashes.

It took only one second.

When Zhao Ze retracted his spiritual power, the once lush forest had turned into a barren, flat plain.

All the trees had been slashed into fine powder, not even a single intact leaf could be found, and the ground was as smooth as if it had been meticulously polished.

Huo Yuhao opened his mouth wide, standing frozen in place, unable to speak for a long time.

Just a single moment!

The entire hundred-meter radius of the forest had simply vanished!

What kind of power was this?!

It completely exceeded his understanding of a soul master's power!

Just then, an illusory figure emerged from Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness; it was Electrolux.

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

Electrolux muttered to himself, his eyes full of shock:

"To think that spiritual power could be utilized in such a way? Your control over power, sir, is truly surprising."

"It is nothing, merely a more refined application of spiritual power," Zhao Ze said indifferently, waving his hand.

"The core of this domain lies in the extreme compression and continuous output of spiritual power.

The stronger your spiritual power, the larger the range of the domain, and the more powerful the slashes become.

Yuhao, with your current level of spiritual cultivation, while you cannot yet reach my level, condensing a small-scale domain with a ten-meter radius is already sufficient."

Huo Yuhao snapped back to reality, his entire body trembling with excitement. He looked at Zhao Ze, his eyes filled with a burning radiance:

"Master! I want to learn! I must learn this domain!"

With this domain, he would no longer have to fear those Soul Masters with higher ranks than his own!

Even if he encountered an opponent at the Soul King level, he would have the strength to put up a fight!

Learning the domain was a hundred times more difficult than he had imagined.

Even with Huo Yuhao's spiritual power and comprehension far exceeding that of ordinary people, a full night of arduous practice allowed him to barely grasp the basics.

He was still a long way from condensing a complete Abyss of Endless Slashes.

When the east turned a pale, fish-belly white and the first rays of morning light pierced through the dense forest, Huo Yuhao dragged his exhausted body and hurried back toward the academy.

His clothes were covered in mud and grass clippings, and his hair was a mess; he looked as if he had been rolling around in the woods all night.

"Ring-a-ling!"

The bell for class rang the exact moment he dashed into the classroom.

"What the hell? Yuhao! Where did you go last night?!"

Cao Jinxuan whipped his head around, his eyes widening into circles as he stared at his disheveled appearance.

"You didn't go off and get into a fight, did you? How did you end up like this?"

The surrounding students also cast curious glances his way. Wang Dong'er, sitting diagonally in front, couldn't help but turn around as well; her powder-blue eyes scanned him up and down, her brows slightly furrowed.

She could sense that although Huo Yuhao's aura was somewhat fatigued, it was more refined than yesterday, faintly revealing a sharp, cutting edge.

Huo Yuhao scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile:

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

"Hmph, playing mysterious."

Wang Dong'er let out a soft huff, her chin lifted slightly, her tone filled with a competitive spirit.

"Huo Yuhao, no matter what you've been secretly practicing, I will definitely beat you in the Freshman Assessment three days from now! I want everyone to know that I am the strongest among the freshmen!"

"Freshman Assessment?"

Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment; he had been so focused on Soul Tools and cultivation lately that he had completely forgotten about this.

"That's right!"

Cao Jinxuan slapped his thigh.

"It's that Freshman Assessment that decides whether or not we can stay at Shrek! I thought you already knew about it!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the classroom door was pushed open with a "bang."

Zhou Yi strode in with an expressionless face, her icy gaze sweeping across the entire class, and the previously noisy room instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

"Quiet!"

Zhou Yi spoke in a deep voice.

"Today, I am announcing an important matter:

One week from now, the Freshman Assessment will be held.

The assessment will be conducted in groups of three, comprehensively evaluating your Martial Soul, soul power, and combat ability.

Those who fail the assessment will be expelled immediately and must leave Shrek Academy."

A collective gasp echoed through the classroom, and many students wore expressions of nervousness.

Shrek's elimination rate had always been brutal; every year, nearly half of the freshmen were weeded out during the assessment.

Zhou Yi paused, her gaze slowly landing on Huo Yuhao, her tone remaining stern:

"Huo Yuhao, you are the exception!

For this assessment, you will be in a group by yourself."