The cheers from the stands abruptly died away. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the three-meter-tall Hell White Tiger on the arena, their faces filled with disbelief.
A Martial Soul Fusion Skill! That was a talent found in one among ten thousand, a supreme ability that required Martial Souls to be perfectly compatible and their wielders to be of one mind! Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had actually performed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!
Even Yan Shaozhe, seated in the stands, shot to his feet, his eyes filled with shock and delight. "Excellent! What a Hell White Tiger! These two children have such outstanding talents!"
On the arena, the pressure unleashed by the Hell White Tiger crashed down on Huo Yuhao and his companions like Mount Tai bearing down on them.
Xiao Xiao's face turned deathly pale. Her three Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons shuddered violently. She poured all her strength into driving her Soul Power, but she couldn't withstand the terrifying pressure. She spat out a mouthful of blood, and the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons shattered at once, flying backward. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, losing the ability to fight.
"Xiao Xiao!" Wang Dong's expression changed drastically. She tried to rush forward, but the Hell White Tiger's forepaw was already swinging down at her with world-destroying force.
This blow contained the terrifying power of a Soul King. There was no way she could withstand it as a mere Level 29 Soul Grandmaster.
Wang Dong could only give it everything she had, unleashing all her Soul Skills in an attempt to block the attack. But as the Hell White Tiger's giant claw came down, all her defenses shattered like paper.
Wang Dong was sent crashing to the edge of the arena. She passed out, losing the ability to fight.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong had both been defeated.
Only Huo Yuhao remained on the entire arena, standing alone before the Hell White Tiger.
The three-meter-tall Hell White Tiger lowered its head and fixed its tiger eyes on Huo Yuhao. They brimmed with Dai Huabin's mockery.
It raised its enormous paw toward Huo Yuhao, slowly lowering it with enough force to crush anything in its path.
"Huo Yuhao! Do you still think you can beat me?" Dai Huabin's voice rang out from the Hell White Tiger's mouth, edged with wild laughter.
"Get on your knees! Otherwise, I'll cripple your Martial Soul today and leave you a useless wreck for the rest of your life!"
The stands fell utterly silent. Everyone held their breath, staring at Huo Yuhao, stranded alone in the center of the arena.
On one side stood the Soul King-level Hell White Tiger; on the other was a Soul Grandmaster of only Level 25. The outcome of the match seemed beyond doubt.
Jin Ruiqiu anxiously grabbed Gu Yuan's arm. "Your Excellency! Yuhao's in danger! We have to help him!"
Gu Yuan sat steady, not the least bit flustered. He said calmly, "Don't worry. It's not time yet. He hasn't revealed his real trump card."
On the arena, the Hell White Tiger's giant paw drew closer and closer. The terrifying pressure of the wind made it almost impossible for Huo Yuhao to breathe, and fine cracks had already spread across the ground beneath his feet.
But Huo Yuhao's face showed no fear, only icy calm.
He looked at the Hell White Tiger before him, at the venomous expression on Dai Huabin's face. Ten years of hatred burst through the dam within him.
His body had already been pushed to its limits, and his Soul Power was nearly spent. Yet under the pressure, his Spiritual Sea had begun to boil over.
"You want me to kneel? You're not worthy." Huo Yuhao's voice was as cold as a blade in the depths of winter.
Just as the Hell White Tiger's enormous paw was about to strike him, an old and majestic voice slowly rang out from deep within his Spiritual Sea, carrying the vastness and sanctity of one who had crossed dimensions.
"Little fellow, can't hold on any longer? Very well. I'll help you this once and show these youngsters what true power looks like."
The instant the words fell, golden light burst from between Huo Yuhao's brows.
A holy and majestic aura of the undead swept across the arena like a vast ocean surge. Huo Yuhao's eyes turned brilliant gold, and the aura around him surged at a terrifying rate. His depleted Soul Power was filled with boundless strength.
The Holy Necromancer, Scourge of the Undead, Electrolux, had descended.
With Electrolux possessing him, Huo Yuhao slowly raised his head and calmly looked at the Hell White Tiger before him with golden eyes.
At a mere glance, the Hell White Tiger, which had been charging so fiercely moments before, let out a terrified whimper. Its massive body began trembling uncontrollably. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, trapped inside it, felt as if an invisible hand had seized their souls. They couldn't even circulate a trace of Soul Power.
"You dare to act so insolently before me?" Electrolux's voice came from Huo Yuhao's mouth, old and majestic, imbued with unquestionable power.
He slowly raised a hand. A point of golden light appeared at his fingertip. There was no earth-shaking explosion, only a seemingly ordinary streak of golden light that gently touched the Hell White Tiger's forehead.
Crack—
A crisp sound rang out, like glass shattering.
Before that streak of golden light, the mighty Hell White Tiger began to crumble like snow beneath the blazing sun. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill had been forcibly broken apart!
The two of them were thrown out of the Hell White Tiger and slammed into the arena like rag dolls. Blood streamed from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. They couldn't even scream before passing out.
The Vajra Bear Soul Master nearby was so terrified by this dreadful aura that his soul nearly fled his body. He scrambled off the arena and immediately surrendered, not daring to fight on.
The entire arena fell as silent as the grave.
Everyone stared at Huo Yuhao in the center of the arena, golden holy light swirling around him, their minds utterly blank.
Cornered with no way out, Huo Yuhao had unleashed such terrifying power that he'd scattered the Hell White Tiger with a single move and defeated Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu! This was beyond everything they knew about Soul Grandmasters!
Even Yan Shaozhe in the stands stood frozen in place. The smile had vanished from his face, replaced by utter shock.
He could clearly sense that the power from a moment ago had inspired an irresistible awe deep in his soul—even in him, a Titled Douluo.
"Th-this... what kind of power is this?" Yan Shaozhe murmured, his eyes full of disbelief.
On the arena, golden light once again ignited at Electrolux's fingertip. He pointed it toward Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, who lay unconscious.
The blow healed the injuries they had just suffered. After all, it would be troublesome for Huo Yuhao to cripple them in broad daylight.
Electrolux withdrew his power. The golden light slowly faded, retreating into the space between Huo Yuhao's brows.
Huo Yuhao swayed. His vision went dark, and he fell straight to the ground, sinking into slumber.
Only then did the referee come to his senses. He hurried forward and loudly announced, "The match is over! The Spirit Eye Team wins! They advance to the final four!"
It wasn't until the referee's voice rang out that the entire Soul Fighting Arena erupted in cheers like a tidal wave.
Everyone rose to their feet and applauded wildly, giving the most thunderous applause to this astonishing comeback and the young man who had worked a miracle.
Half an hour later, outside Shrek Academy's infirmary.
Huo Yuhao slowly woke. As soon as he stepped out of the infirmary, he saw Gu Yuan and the others waiting by the entrance, along with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, who stood nearby with worry written across their faces.
"Yuhao! You're awake! How do you feel? Does anything hurt?" Wang Dong rushed over at once and supported her arm, her voice full of concern.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little drained." Huo Yuhao smiled and shook his head at them, then turned to Gu Yuan and scratched his head sheepishly.
"Brother Yuan, I..."
"You don't have to say anything. I know." Gu Yuan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"You did well."
Huo Yuhao had told Gu Yuan about Electrolux long ago, so Gu Yuan wasn't surprised. Nourished by Life Gold and Soul-Nurturing Wood, Electrolux's divine consciousness had long since stabilized. It had been only natural for him to step in and protect Huo Yuhao.
The group chatted and laughed as they left the infirmary. They strolled along the shore of Sea God Lake, easing the tension that had wound them tight all afternoon.
The sun sank in the west. Its golden afterglow scattered across Sea God Lake like a sky full of stars, and the evening breeze carried the lake's damp freshness. It was wonderfully soothing.
Just as the group reached a bend in the depths of Sea God Lake, a red-clad figure suddenly appeared before them.
The woman wore a red outfit that hugged her curvaceous figure. She was breathtakingly beautiful—none other than Ma Xiaotao.
But her face was somewhat pale, and a trace of irritation lingered in her eyes. Dark red Evil Fire faintly swirled around her, clearly showing that it had grown unstable again.
Ever since her Evil Fire had run wild last time and Gu Yuena had casually suppressed it with an Ice Seal, Ma Xiaotao had kept the incident in mind.
She could sense that the silver-haired girl's ice powers were the absolute bane of her Evil Fire Phoenix. They could even suppress the Evil Fire within her at its source.
Over the past few days, her Evil Fire had been running wild more and more often. Elder Zhuang had tried every method he could think of, but could only suppress it temporarily. He couldn't cure it at all.
With nowhere else to turn, she had no choice but to seek out Gu Yuan and the others, hoping to ask for a way to suppress her Evil Fire.
But she had always been proud. The words were on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't bring herself to ask for help. In the end, she merely stared at them with a stern face and cut straight to the point. "I'm here because of the Evil Fire inside me. That silver-haired girl suppressed it with an Ice Seal last time. Tell me how to keep it under control."
Her tone was stiff and commanding, as if she had every right to demand it.
Jin Ruiqiu's brows instantly knitted together. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think we have to tell you? Your Evil Fire ran wild last time and nearly hurt someone. Sister Yue was the one who suppressed it for you, and you didn't even thank her. Now you're acting all high and mighty!"
Ma Xiaotao's face darkened. Her Evil Fire was unstable, and it had left her especially irritable. Jin Ruiqiu's retort instantly set off her temper.
"Is it your place to speak? I'm talking to them. Who do you think you are, sticking your nose in, little girl?"
"You!" Jin Ruiqiu puffed out her cheeks in anger and was about to step forward and argue, but Gu Yuena reached out and stopped her.
As the Emperor Auspicious Beast, Jin Ruiqiu had never suffered the slightest grievance since birth. She had never been treated like this before; how dare a mere human Soul Master insult her?
Gu Yuena looked at Ma Xiaotao, displeasure flickering in her eyes. She said coolly, "We have a way to suppress your Evil Fire. But why should we tell you?"
Ma Xiaotao was taken aback by her words, then her anger surged even higher.
She had always been proud. Lowering herself enough to come ask them was already the limit, yet they were treating her this way.
On top of that, her emotions stirred the Evil Fire within her, and it immediately began to surge. Dark red flames rose uncontrollably from her body.
"So you don't know what's good for you?" Ma Xiaotao's gaze turned cold as she released the full pressure of a Soul Emperor without holding back.
"If you won't tell me, then I'll beat it out of you! Let's see what makes you think you can act so arrogantly in front of me!"
As her words fell, the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul burst into view behind her. Six Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—lit up, and the terrifying power of a Soul Emperor crashed down on the group.
Dark red Evil Fire swept toward them. The air crackled and caught fire wherever it passed.
Wang Dong's expression changed dramatically. She instinctively stepped in front of Huo Yuhao, but the pressure of a Soul Emperor made it hard for her even to breathe. She couldn't move at all.
But just as the Evil Fire was about to engulf them, two figures stepped forward together, shielding everyone.
Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena stood side by side.
Gu Yuena gently raised her hand, and an extreme chill erupted from her in an instant.
Blue-white ice mist swept out and collided with the dark red Evil Fire.
There was no suspense. Faced with that extreme chill, the Evil Fire Phoenix flames, powerful enough to burn everything to ash, went out in an instant, leaving not even a trace of warmth behind.
The moisture in the air instantly condensed. A thin layer of ice formed across the ground and the lake, and even time itself seemed to freeze around them.
Ma Xiaotao felt an extreme chill invading her body. The Evil Fire that had been surging moments before was snuffed out like a flame pinched between fingers, and she couldn't move even a trace of Soul Power.
As before, her body was covered in blue-white ice. It raced upward from her toes, and in the blink of an eye she was frozen in place, only her eyes visible, wide with shock.
She couldn't have imagined that a mighty Soul Emperor like herself wouldn't be able to withstand even one move from this twelve-year-old girl. She had been frozen again.
Gu Yuan hadn't even made a move. Yet the faint trace of dragon might emanating from him alone had already made Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul tremble with fear at its very source, on the verge of failing to hold its form.
In an instant, the once-fierce Ma Xiaotao had been thoroughly suppressed, unable even to move.
Gu Yuena looked at the frozen Ma Xiaotao and spoke in a cool, measured voice, carrying an unyielding chill. "If you want to ask for help, then act like you're asking for help. Next time you lay a hand on anyone, an Ice Seal will be the least of your worries."
As she finished speaking, she moved her fingertip, and the ice melted away.
Ma Xiaotao stumbled back several steps. She stared at Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena, her face filled with shock. Not a trace of her earlier arrogance remained.
These two young people before her were simply beyond her reach.
The sun finally set, and night fell over Sea God Lake.
Gu Yuan and the others didn't even glance at Ma Xiaotao, who stood frozen in place. They turned and headed toward the dormitory area.
Before you continue