Huo Yuhao's gaze also turned toward Wang Gang as he stepped onto the platform.
Deep in his eyes, a faint white light quietly rippled. His Spirit Eye Martial Soul had already possessed him, yet he had still not revealed his Soul Ring.
The moment Wang Gang set foot on the Soul Fighting Platform, Huo Yuhao's gaze had already seen right through him.
He was powerfully built, with a broad back and thick waist. The muscles in his arms bulged like they had been cast in steel, and his exposed skin was a deep, dusky bronze—the marks of long years spent tempering his body.
His steps were steady and sure. Every time his foot came down, he seemed to merge with the earth.
A body-tempering martial artist.
And a skilled one, at that.
Huo Yuhao quickly reached a conclusion.
The man's Martial Soul was likely a strength-based Beast Martial Soul, and possibly a kind known for its defense and power.
Under Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection, the path of Soul Power circulating through Wang Gang's body was laid bare—twenty-nine levels.
A twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster, just one step away from breaking through to level thirty and entering the ranks of Soul Elders.
Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed slightly.
A twenty-ninth-level strength-type Soul Grandmaster was indeed a tricky opponent for him at present.
Of the seventy-one opponents he had faced before, the strongest had been only level twenty-seven, and most had ordinary Martial Souls.
This Wang Gang, however, was a cut above them all, whether in Soul Power Level or physical strength.
But—
Tricky was all he was.
Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze, his expression still as calm as water.
The referee walked to the center of the Soul Fighting Platform, looked at the two of them, and raised a hand.
"Please state your names, Martial Souls, and Soul Power Levels."
This was basic etiquette in a Soul Fighting match, as well as a sign of respect for one's opponent.
Wang Gang took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions churning in his heart.
He looked at Huo Yuhao across from him and spoke in a low voice:
"Wang Gang, Martial Soul: Thousand Jun Steel Ant, Soul Power Level—twenty-nine!"
His voice was steady and powerful, like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of everyone below.
Twenty-nine levels!
The new students below stared in disbelief before a wave of gasps broke out—
"Twenty-nine levels?! Did I hear that right? Twenty-nine!"
"Oh my god, it really is twenty-nine! He's only one level away from becoming a Soul Elder!"
"Fifteen levels above level fourteen—and he still could lose?"
A male student slapped his thigh in excitement, the gloom lifting from his face.
He had watched Huo Yuhao defeat seventy-one students in a row with his own eyes, and his heart had nearly sunk into his boots. Those five hundred Gold Soul Coins of his had looked all but certain to go down the drain.
But now, Wang Gang had stepped forward.
A twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster!
Now they were safe!
"Of course he can't lose!" another student beside him chimed in, his face full of confidence. "I saw the Thousand Jun Steel Ant in a copy of the Martial Soul Compendium. It's an extremely rare Mutated Martial Soul, born from the Thousand Jun Ant.
"This Martial Soul is known for its strength and defense. With twenty-nine levels of Soul Power, he wouldn't fear even a level-thirty Soul Elder!"
"Seriously? He's not even afraid of a level-thirty Soul Elder?"
"Of course not! Haven't you seen all those muscles on Wang Gang? They're the result of years of body tempering!
"Strength-type Soul Masters like him are the perfect counter to flashy Soul Skills. Huo Yuhao doesn't stand a chance against Wang Gang!"
"Thank goodness! My five hundred Gold Soul Coins are safe!"
The male student let out a long breath, a smile of survival after a close call on his face.
The others around him chimed in one after another, as if they could already see Wang Gang swatting Huo Yuhao off the platform with a single palm.
Yet many in the crowd remained silent.
Xiao Xiao was one of them.
She sat in her seat, gripping the hem of her clothes so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
Her eyes were fixed on the slender figure on the platform, full of worry.
She wasn't upset about the thousand Gold Soul Coins.
She was worried about the boy who had caught her eye at first glance.
Seventy-one opponents, one after another, without a break or even a moment to catch his breath.
No matter how strong he was, his stamina had to have a limit, didn't it?
And now he had to face a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster.
Xiao Xiao bit her lip and silently prayed: Huo Yuhao, you have to win!
"Huo Yuhao, Martial Soul: Spirit Eye, Soul Power Level—fourteen."
Huo Yuhao's calm voice rang out from the platform.
The crowd below was taken aback, then a low murmur of discussion arose.
"Fourteen? Wasn't he level thirteen?"
"Teacher Zhou kept saying he was level thirteen. How did he suddenly become level fourteen?"
"What's so strange about that? Either he lied about his Soul Power Level when he signed up, or he was already close to breaking through to level fourteen before coming to the academy and happened to break through during these five days."
"What's the difference between level thirteen and fourteen? They're both in the teens. Facing level twenty-nine, he's still as good as dead."
"Fair enough."
The discussion soon died down.
To the new students below, there really was little difference between level thirteen and level fourteen.
As they saw it, a Soul Master in the teens facing a twenty-ninth-level Soul Grandmaster had only one possible outcome—
A one-to-nine chance.
Wang Gang would throw one punch, and Huo Yuhao would be sent straight to the underworld.
The referee looked at them, confirmed both were ready, then stepped back and raised his right hand—
"Begin!"
The moment the words fell, Wang Gang moved.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
A low growl sounded from within him, like the cry of an ancient beast.
The muscles all over his body bulged, and a faint metallic sheen spread across his skin. He stood on the Soul Fighting Platform like an iron tower.
At the same time, two bright yellow Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet, gleaming in the sunlight.
Two Hundred-Year Soul Rings.
Twenty-nine levels of Soul Power.
Another wave of gasps rose from the crowd below.
Wang Gang, however, didn't rush to attack.
He simply stood where he was, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao, like a lurking beast patiently waiting for its prey to show a weakness.
He had heard Teacher Zhou Yi talk about Huo Yuhao's fighting style.
A bizarre Soul Skill that could reflect other people's Soul Skills.
A palm technique where every strike hit harder than the last.
And a movement technique so fast he was like a ghost.
Any one of these Self-Created Soul Skills was enough to give an opponent a headache.
Now, all of them belonged to a fourteen-year-old boy.
Wang Gang wouldn't underestimate him.
He wouldn't charge recklessly like Liu Ping, nor would he let his opponent lead him by the nose like Zhou Yang.
He would use his own pressure to force Huo Yuhao to reveal a weakness, then—
Kill him with one strike.
Huo Yuhao also entered Martial Soul Possession.
The pale light deep in his eyes grew brighter, and a bright yellow Soul Ring slowly appeared beneath his feet—a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, shining with a gentle glow in the sunlight.
The crowd below looked surprised.
Not because Huo Yuhao's Soul Ring was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring—everyone had one, and they were used to seeing them.
What surprised them was—
Huo Yuhao had defeated seventy-one Soul Grandmasters without even using his Soul Ring?
And the Soul Ring he did have was only around a hundred years old?
Didn't that mean he hadn't even used his full strength in any of those seventy-one matches?
The moment that thought crossed their minds, the expressions of many in the crowd changed.
Wang Gang noticed it too. His pupils contracted slightly, and alarm bells rang in his mind.
But Huo Yuhao didn't give him much time to think.
After entering Martial Soul Possession, Huo Yuhao simply stood there, calmly watching Wang Gang, as if admiring a ferocious beast trapped in a cage.
After a moment, he suddenly spoke.
"You're level twenty-nine, and I'm level fourteen. You still don't dare come at me?"
His voice wasn't loud, but every person there heard it clearly.
The crowd below was stunned.
What was Huo Yuhao doing?
Deliberately provoking Wang Gang?
Had he gone mad?
Wang Gang didn't move.
He still stood where he was, staring fixedly at Huo Yuhao, his expression unchanged.
But his hands had quietly clenched into fists.
Down below, Zhou Yi was growing impatient.
She watched the two facing off on the platform, her brows drawn tightly together.
What was Wang Gang doing? Why wasn't he attacking?
A level-twenty-nine Mutated Martial Soul against Huo Yuhao's level-fourteen Spirit Eye Martial Soul—however she looked at it, Wang Gang had the absolute advantage!
What's more, she still had a backup plan: the Blood Soul Pill was in Wang Gang's hands.
And he still didn't dare make a move?
Zhou Yi drew a deep breath and spoke sternly:
"Wang Gang, defeat him!"
Her voice carried an authority that brooked no argument.
At her words, Wang Gang's body stiffened slightly.
He knew he couldn't delay any longer.
He took a deep breath and drove his foot into the ground—
Boom!
The Soul Fighting Platform shuddered beneath him. He shot toward Huo Yuhao like a charging rhinoceros!
The ten-meter distance vanished in an instant!
At the same time, the first Soul Ring beneath his feet blazed—
"First Soul Skill: Steel Arm!"
A dark light surged from within him, quickly spreading over both arms.
The light gathered instead of dispersing, forming a thick, steel-colored layer over his arms, as if he had pulled on a pair of steel bracers.
That was his First Soul Skill—transforming his arms into steel and granting them formidable defensive and offensive power.
One punch could shatter stone and split a monument!
Wang Gang charged up to Huo Yuhao, raised his right arm high, and sent his Steel Arm crashing toward Huo Yuhao's face. The arm glinted with a cold light in the sun!
His fist howled through the air, swift and fierce as thunder!
The crowd below held its breath—
If that punch landed, Huo Yuhao would be badly injured at best!
And yet—
Huo Yuhao remained where he was, not moving an inch.
The pale light deep in his eyes suddenly flared.
The First Soul Ring beneath his feet slowly lit up.
Void God Vision.
This was his First Soul Ring skill. It had only one effect—seeing through things.
In his vision, Wang Gang's body instantly became transparent.
Muscles, bones, meridians, the paths along which Soul Power flowed—nothing escaped his notice.
At that moment, tiny white lights appeared all over Wang Gang's body.
Those points of light marked the major acupoints through which the Soul Power within him flowed.
Shanzhong, Qihai, Mingmen, Dantian... Every major acupoint was a crucial juncture in the circulation of Soul Power.
If Huo Yuhao struck even one of them, the Soul Power sustaining Wang Gang's Soul Skill would immediately seize up, or even collapse.
Wang Gang's fist was already right in front of him.
Huo Yuhao didn't dodge.
He merely parted his lips slightly and breathed out.
That breath was as thin as a strand of hair, yet swift as lightning. It flashed through the air and vanished—
It struck a major acupoint on Wang Gang's chest with pinpoint accuracy.
The Shanzhong acupoint.
Wang Gang felt a numbness spread across his chest, as though a fine needle had lightly pricked him.
Then he felt the Soul Power within him abruptly stall, as if something had blocked its channels.
The Steel Arm gathered around his arms vanished in an instant.
Wang Gang's pupils contracted—
What?!
Before he could react, Huo Yuhao had already moved.
His left hand shot out like lightning and seized Wang Gang's right arm, which had just lost the reinforcement of Steel Arm. His five fingers clamped down hard, locking it in place like iron pincers.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao turned slightly, lowered his right shoulder, and slammed into Wang Gang's chest like a mountain crashing down—
Iron Mountain Lean!
"Bang!"
A dull thud rang out. Wang Gang felt as though a charging rhinoceros had smashed into his chest. A tremendous force surged toward him like an avalanche, drawing a muffled groan from his lips.
"Hmph!"
His body swayed, and he nearly lost his footing.
Wang Gang clenched his teeth and tried to wrench his right arm out of Huo Yuhao's grasp.
But that hand seemed welded to Huo Yuhao's palm. It didn't budge.
Wang Gang's expression finally changed.
He looked up and met Huo Yuhao's calm, placid eyes. A chill unlike any he had ever felt before welled up in his heart.
Was this boy really only at level fourteen?
Just then, Huo Yuhao moved.
He released Wang Gang's right arm with his left hand, joined the fingers of his right hand, and pushed his palm straight forward.
The movement was still unhurried—gentle, even.
But the instant his palm thrust out, a terrifying force began to gather, surge, and build within it—
Fourth Layer Overlapping Wave Palm!
The four layers of palm force stacked together. Four times the power surged toward Wang Gang's chest like four enormous waves, one crashing after another!
Liu Ping had been knocked unconscious on the spot after taking just one layer of Overlapping Wave Palm.
Zhou Yang had taken two.
And now, it was four.
Four times the force—even a true Soul Elder would be injured taking that blow head-on!
Wang Gang's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
As he felt the terrifying force contained in that palm, countless thoughts flashed through his mind—
I can't dodge.
I can't dodge this palm.
Huo Yuhao had chosen the perfect moment to strike.
He had just been hit by Iron Mountain Lean, his blood and qi in turmoil and his footing unsteady. His previous strength was spent, and his new strength had yet to rise.
If he forced himself to dodge now, he would only expose an even greater opening.
If he couldn't dodge—
Then he wouldn't dodge!
A ruthless glint flashed through Wang Gang's eyes. The second Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up!
"Second Soul Skill: Vajra Body!"
Brilliant golden light burst from within him, instantly enveloping his entire body!
The light gathered without dispersing, forming a pale golden barrier over his skin, as though he had donned a suit of vajra armor.
This was his second Soul Skill—Vajra Body.
For a short time, it turned his body into a vajra form, multiplying his defensive power!
Blades and swords struck him as if they were hitting steel, leaving him completely unharmed! Even Soul Skill attacks could be greatly weakened!
This was Wang Gang's ultimate life-saving skill.
With this move, he had once taken the full-force attack of a level-thirty Soul Elder without a scratch.
Now, facing Huo Yuhao's palm—
He believed Vajra Body was more than enough to withstand it!
"Bang!"
The palm landed squarely on Wang Gang's chest.
Golden light blazed as it collided with the palm force, erupting in a piercing roar.
A smile appeared on Wang Gang's face.
He blocked it—
But that smile lasted only an instant.
The next second, it froze on his face.
A strange force pierced through Vajra Body's defenses and surged straight into his body!
Instead of striking outward, that force seeped inward, spreading between his internal organs through an unusual form of vibration!
Vibrate.
This was Huo Yuhao's other Self-Created Soul Skill.
It was the bane of defensive-type Soul Masters.
The principle was simple—he channeled Soul Power in vibrations that pierced through an opponent's outer defenses and attacked their internal organs directly.
Could you defend against what was inside, just as you defended against what was outside?
Before you continue