Huo Yuhao: That Year, Hands in My Pockets, I Knew Not the Meaning of an Opponent

"How is this possible? This is impossible!"

Zhou Yi stared at the scene, her face a mask of disbelief.

She stood beneath the Soul Fighting Platform, her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the strain. Deep within her pupils, shock and incredulity churned, nearly drowning her reason.

She had assumed this battle would be a total rout for Liu Ping—a level 23 Soul Grand Master against a level 13 soul master, with an extra soul ring, double the soul power, and years more practical experience.

The battle should have been decided from the start; Huo Yuhao would soon be beaten into kneeling for mercy, forced to fulfill the wager, kneel in public at Shrek Square to apologize to her, and then slink out of Shrek Academy in disgrace.

But she never expected—

It was indeed a rout.

But it was a rout delivered by the level 13 soul master, Huo Yuhao.

One move.

A single move.

Liu Ping hadn't even had the chance to fight back before he was slapped unconscious.

Zhou Yi's chest heaved violently, a ball of fire seemingly lodged in her throat.

She glared at the thin figure on the platform, her teeth grinding together.

On the other side, Mu Jin was equally stunned.

She stood at the front of the crowd, her beautiful eyes wide, red lips parted, forgetting to close them for a long moment.

But soon, the shock in her eyes transformed into a surge of wild joy.

I bet on the right person, Mu Jin murmured to herself.

She had known this boy had a hidden card.

From the moment Huo Yuhao confronted Zhou Yi in the classroom, she had sensed a level of certainty and composure in him that defied his age.

It wasn't bravado, nor was it the arrogance of youth; it was the gaze of someone who had truly faced life and death and taken control of their own fate.

That was why she chose to believe in him.

That was why she chose to suppress her urge to intervene and simply watch.

And now—

Huo Yuhao had repaid her trust with a single palm strike.

The corners of Mu Jin's mouth curled upward, a smile of genuine appreciation surfacing in her eyes.

The same shock rippled through the students of both classes.

The students of Class 1 and Class 9 sat frozen like wooden chickens, their expressions a vivid display of disbelief.

Some had their mouths agape, others stared with wide eyes, some stood up instinctively, and others covered their faces, afraid to look—but without exception, every one of them was replaying that scene in their minds.

Huo Yuhao caught the blade between his fingers, Huo Yuhao pushed out with his palm.

Liu Ping flew backward, knocked unconscious on the spot.

The image was so shocking, so inconceivable, that they still hadn't managed to snap out of it.

In the crowd, Wang Dong's gaze was locked tightly onto Huo Yuhao.

His brows were furrowed, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—shock, confusion, and more, all intertwined.

Although he believed that with his own strength and the quality of his martial soul, defeating Liu Ping wouldn't be a problem.

He couldn't do it so simply and easily.

He couldn't do it with such effortless grace.

And he certainly couldn't do it in a single move.

In Ning Tian's eyes, beyond the shock, there was a hint of "as expected."

She slowly straightened her posture, her platinum-blonde hair shimmering with a soft luster under the sunlight, and a faint smile emerged from the depths of her azure eyes.

She had said she couldn't have misjudged him.

From the moment Huo Yuhao stepped onto the Soul Fighting Platform, she had sensed a unique aura about him—mysterious, calm, and resolute.

These were not traits a typical youth possessed; they were the result of having weathered storms and tempered one's character.

And now, her intuition had been validated.

This Huo Yuhao was truly extraordinary.

As for Wu Feng, she was completely dumbfounded.

She sat blankly beside Ning Tian, her mouth open wide enough to fit an egg. The bag of snacks in her hand had long since slipped to the ground, spilling its contents everywhere, yet she remained completely oblivious.

Just moments ago, she had been swearing that Huo Yuhao was an idiot, that Ning Tian was overthinking things, and that there was no way a level 10-something soul master could defeat a level 20-something Soul Grand Master.

But now—

Reality had slapped her hard across the face.

Wu Feng's cheeks burned, her heart filled with embarrassment, and she darted her eyes away, not daring to look at Ning Tian.

On the platform, Huo Yuhao slowly retracted his palm after defeating Liu Ping.

He glanced down at Liu Ping, who lay on the ground, and after confirming that the other party had merely fainted and was not in any life-threatening danger, he looked away.

Then, he shoved his hands into his pockets, lifted his head, and cast his gaze over the dense crowd below the platform, landing it on Zhou Yi.

The youth's expression was calm, his eyes indifferent, as if he had just performed a trivial task.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity: "Next."

There was no arrogance in his voice, no mockery, only indifference.

It was faint, as if he were stating a fact.

Or perhaps, he was asking—

How many more do you have? Keep them coming.

But to Zhou Yi, those three words felt like a resounding slap across her face.

That indifferent gaze was clearly saying: The students you teach are nothing more than this.

Twenty-third level against my thirteenth level, a ten-level Soul Power gap, a hundred-year second soul ring, and you still couldn't beat me.

What a piece of trash.

Trash, he really is a piece of trash!

Watching Liu Ping being carried down by two students, Zhou Yi cursed inwardly.

She glared fiercely at the unconscious Liu Ping, the fury in her chest burning so intensely it nearly reduced her reason to ashes.

However, she quickly took a deep breath, suppressed the rage in her heart, and turned to walk toward the entrance of the Soul Fighting Arena.

In all her years of teaching, Zhou Yi had never suffered such a massive setback in front of a freshman.

But it didn't matter.

One Liu Ping had lost, but she still had a second, a third.

She refused to believe that Huo Yuhao could keep winning forever.

Soon, the second student Zhou Yi had summoned followed her to the base of the Soul Fighting Platform.

He was a burly youth, half a head taller than Liu Ping, with broad shoulders and thick back muscles; his arms were corded with muscle, marking him clearly as a power-type soul master.

He wore a dark blue school uniform, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, and his entire being exuded a fierce, predatory aura.

"Zhou Yang, you must treat Huo Yuhao with one hundred percent seriousness. Do not repeat Liu Ping's mistakes!"

Zhou Yi looked at the approaching young man and instructed him in a low voice.

Her gaze was fixed intently on Zhou Yang, her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

This Zhou Yang was one of the prize students of her teaching career.

A third-year student with the Crimson Flame Lion martial soul and a Soul Power Level as high as twenty-five—two levels higher than Liu Ping.

When he first entered the academy, his combat power had ranked in the top fifty of his grade; his strength went without saying.

More importantly, Zhou Yang's combat style was completely different from Liu Ping's.

Liu Ping was a tool soul master, relying on the sharpness and power of his martial soul itself.

Zhou Yang, however, was a beast soul master, possessing more comprehensive combat abilities and greater durability.

Even more crucial was the fact that Zhou Yang had rich combat experience and a cool head; he would not be as reckless or prone to underestimating his opponent as Liu Ping.