Fighting Through Shrek's Outer Court

On the high platform, Mu En's eyes erupted with an unprecedented brilliance. He stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao on the Assessment Platform, his voice trembling:

"A domain... it really is a domain!!"

Xuan Zi stood frozen in place. Having lived for so many years and seen countless geniuses, he had never once seen a Soul Elder capable of comprehending a domain!

This was a skill that even Title Douluo dreamed of attaining!

Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo exchanged glances, both seeing extreme shock in the other's eyes.

Qian Duoduo swallowed hard, muttering to himself:

"I knew this kid was a monster... but I never imagined he could be a monster to this extent! A domain at the Soul Elder level—who would believe that if they heard it?"

The silence across the arena lasted for a full half-minute before erupting into exclamations louder than any heard before.

"My god! Did I see that right? A domain!"

"A Soul Elder with a domain? This isn't just a genius; this is a freak of nature!"

"No wonder he dared to challenge everyone alone. With a domain in hand, who of the same rank could possibly beat him?"

Wang Dong'er stood below the stage, staring blankly at the figure surrounded by silver-white slashing light, the unwillingness in her heart long since replaced by shock.

She finally understood that the gap between herself and Huo Yuhao was no longer something that could be bridged by mere effort.

Mu En took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart, and announced loudly once more:

"Good! Very good! Since student Huo Yuhao possesses such strength, the assessment shall continue!

All students of the outer courtyard, regardless of grade or cultivation level, may step onto the stage to challenge him if they have the courage!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire arena boiled over!

Countless students who had been watching from the sidelines instantly turned red-eyed, scrambling and shoving to rush toward the Assessment Platform.

Who wouldn't want to experience the power of a domain?

"I'll go!"

"Me too!"

"Let me try!"

In an instant, the Assessment Platform was packed with people.

Yet, no matter how many people came up, there was only one result.

Once Huo Yuhao's Abyss of Endless Slashes unfolded, the fifty-meter radius became an absolute forbidden zone of death.

Countless transparent mental slashes descended like a violent storm; ordinary students couldn't even hold on for a second before being struck down by the slashes.

Occasionally, a few students with slightly stronger cultivation would exhaust all their strength to break through the blockade of slashes and reach Huo Yuhao, only to find that the Huo Yuhao before them was merely an afterimage.

By the time they reacted, they had already been stunned unconscious by a Soul Shock.

"You can't even tell which one is the real body!"

"How is anyone supposed to fight this?!"

Challengers came up in waves, only to be carried off in waves. Not a single person could injure Huo Yuhao in the slightest, nor could they even touch the hem of his clothes.

Just as everyone was beginning to despair, a tall figure carrying a massive soul cannon strode onto the Assessment Platform.

"Yuhao, let me have a go!"

The crowd looked toward the voice; it was He Caitou from the Soul Guidance Department.

He was fully armed, wearing Level 4 Defensive Soul Armor and carrying a Level 4 Explosive Soul Cannon on his shoulder.

Dozens of various types of soul cannon shells hung from his waist, making him look like a walking arsenal.

"Brother He."

Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile; he often went to the Soul Guidance Department to study and naturally recognized He Caitou.

"Be careful, Yuhao! I won't be holding back!"

He Caitou grinned and pulled the trigger.

"Boom!"

A Level 4 Explosive Shell the size of a washbasin whistled through the air, carrying a destructive aura as it smashed fiercely toward Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed. Instead of deploying his domain, he flashed to the side, dodging the shell.

The shell exploded behind him, the massive shockwave blasting a three-meter-deep crater into the ground.

"Not bad!"

He Caitou's eyes lit up. The soul cannon in his hands spat tongues of fire continuously, and shells rained down toward Huo Yuhao like raindrops.

At the same time, the propulsion soul tool at his feet activated, and he charged toward Huo Yuhao like a tank.

He Caitou dared not be careless. Although he was relying on his full armor to withstand the mental slashes, that protection was ultimately limited!

He had to defeat Huo Yuhao quickly, or he would be the one to lose!

Under the cover of the artillery fire, He Caitou finally charged to within five meters of Huo Yuhao.

He Caitou let out a furious roar, abruptly aiming his soul cannon at Huo Yuhao and firing an armor-piercing shell at point-blank range.

The audience below held their breath. At such a close distance, even a Soul King might not be able to dodge!

However, the very moment the armor-piercing shell was about to strike, Huo Yuhao's figure blurred once again.

"Another afterimage?!"

He Caitou's expression shifted, and he hurriedly unleashed his full firepower, blanketing the entire Assessment Platform in artillery fire.

With such dense firepower, Huo Yuhao surely had nowhere to hide.

Yet, to He Caitou's surprise, despite having unleashed his full barrage, not a single explosion occurred on the Assessment Platform the following second.

What was going on?

Was it just an illusion?

He Caitou could not comprehend what kind of soul skill he had been hit by.

At that moment, a pale blue soul ray shot out, precisely striking a weak point in He Caitou's armor.

The immense impact force sent him flying backward, where he landed heavily outside the Assessment Platform.

"Brother He, I concede the win to you."

Huo Yuhao said with a smile.

The entire arena fell silent once again.

Even the fully armed He Caitou had lost!

And he had lost so decisively!

On the high platform, Qian Duoduo watched He Caitou tumble off the stage; far from being angry, he grinned from ear to ear.

"Good! Good! Both are excellent seedlings! Caitou has already done quite well."

The battle had lasted from early morning until noon, and the once-level Assessment Platform had become riddled with craters and deep gouges left by soul cannon shells and mental slashes.

Below the stage, outer courtyard students lay scattered in every direction, having been carried off, each one bruised and battered with withered auras.

Huo Yuhao leaned on his knees, gasping for air in large, ragged breaths.

Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his white training suit was soaked through, clinging tightly to his body.

His soul cannon shells had run dry half an hour ago.

The Abyss of Endless Slashes could no longer be maintained due to his excessive mental energy consumption.

Now, all he could rely on was his most basic mental slashes and the soul ray gun at his waist.

"Is there anyone else who wants to come up?"

Huo Yuhao raised his head, his voice raspy, yet his gaze remained sharp.

The crowd below was silent, everyone watching the youth who, despite being clearly exhausted, still kept his spine straight.

The students in the outer courtyard capable of fighting had all been defeated; no one dared to step onto the stage anymore.

Just as everyone thought this unprecedented assessment was finally coming to an end, two figures slowly pushed through the crowd, walking step by step toward the Assessment Platform.

The youth in the lead was tall and handsome, yet carried an innate sense of arrogance.

He wore a white training suit, and walking beside him was a slender girl with a cold expression and eyes as sharp as blades.