With no time to be shocked, Tang San gritted his teeth and used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to reach for Huo Yuhao.
A faint glow appeared on his hands. It was Mystic Jade Hand. Since he couldn't control Huo Yuhao with a Soul Skill, he could only get in close.
Huo Yuhao didn't dodge, letting Tang San grab at him. Xiao Wu seemed to see an opportunity, too. She knew Tang San's grappling techniques very well.
Once caught, it was hard to break free. This was her chance. She quickly leaped up, ready to kick Huo Yuhao down while he was restrained.
It was a lovely plan, but just as Tang San grabbed for Huo Yuhao's shoulder, his hand passed straight through!
Tang San's eyes widened.
A fake? How could that be?
Realizing he had been tricked, he was about to warn Xiao Wu. But when he turned around, Huo Yuhao was already standing behind her, one hand resting on her neck.
"You're out."
Huo Yuhao smiled. Xiao Wu pouted. She hadn't expected to be eliminated so quickly. She stamped her foot, walked off to the side, and glared angrily at Huo Yuhao.
"What kind of skill is that...?"
Tang San felt utterly defeated. They had lost one person in an instant, leaving him alone to face Huo Yuhao, who was at the second ring.
Huo Yuhao didn't rush to attack. Instead, he said to Tang San, "Use your gadgets, and your Second Martial Soul, too. Otherwise, you won't be able to beat me."
Tang San had already witnessed Huo Yuhao's terrifying combat instincts and didn't dare underestimate him.
"Then watch out. I can't hold back with my Hidden Weapons."
"It's fine. Come on."
The battle resumed. This time, Tang San changed his approach. He still used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but didn't charge at Huo Yuhao again.
Instead, he moved unpredictably around Huo Yuhao, sending Hidden Weapons flashing with silver light flying from his hands.
Huo Yuhao nodded to himself. Tang San had immediately understood the situation and changed his strategy. Not bad.
He wasn't in a hurry, either. He dodged from side to side, and a strange scene unfolded.
Faced with the barrage of Hidden Weapons, Huo Yuhao dodged some, while others appeared to hit him—only to pass straight through.
This threw off Tang San's judgment completely. He couldn't tell which was an illusion and which was the real Huo Yuhao.
When Tang San saw that he was almost out of Hidden Weapons, he gritted his teeth and charged at Huo Yuhao. At the same time, a fine little hammer appeared in his hand, swinging toward his opponent.
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. Before the hammer could hit him, he stepped forward twice and instantly seized Tang San's wrist.
Then, using his momentum, he threw Tang San over his shoulder.
With a thud, Tang San landed on his back, staring up in bewilderment.
Huo Yuhao clapped his hands lightly, answering Tang San's unspoken question.
"My first Soul Skill lets me see your movements from every angle. It's easy to spot your openings."
Seeing that the winner had been decided, Xiao Wu hurried over.
"Yuhao, what kind of skill was that? How did you make an illusion appear there?"
"That was my second Soul Skill. I call it Simulation. It's not perfect yet. If you look closely, you can spot the difference between the illusion and the real me. You just couldn't see it because I moved too fast."
He demonstrated it, leaving Xiao Wu and Tang San marveling.
"No way, no way! That's way too unfair. You can't use that Soul Skill. Let's have another match."
Being eliminated so quickly last time had left her unconvinced.
"Sure. What about you, Xiao San?" Huo Yuhao asked Tang San.
"I'm in, too. You're too strong, Yuhao."
Tang San got to his feet and brushed off the dust, smiling wryly. But a defiant fighting spirit had also risen within him. If Huo Yuhao couldn't use his second Soul Skill, Tang San refused to believe he would lose again.
So, after Tang San retrieved his Hidden Weapons, the second round began.
This time, Huo Yuhao really didn't use Simulation Soul Skill. Instead, relying on his extreme speed and formidable physical strength, he kept Xiao Wu tied up in close combat, leaving Tang San no chance to use his Hidden Weapons.
The other Soul Skill Tian Meng had granted him after his Spirit Eye evolved—Mental Interference—had also changed.
Those affected felt a chill, and even simple movements consumed far more of their strength. The Soul Power required to release Soul Skills also surged.
Using this effect, Huo Yuhao quickly subdued Xiao Wu, and the match returned to a one-on-one fight.
This time, Tang San understood just how powerful Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection was: it tracked every one of his Hidden Weapons.
The instant Tang San moved a finger, Huo Yuhao could dodge in advance. There was no way to hit him! In the end, Tang San had no choice but to admit defeat. He didn't want to be thrown again.
"Come on! Couldn't you go easy on me?"
Xiao Wu was furious. Both times, Huo Yuhao had eliminated her right away. And that cold, sinister feeling she'd felt when he got close had been awful.
"I already went easy on you."
Huo Yuhao scratched his head. Otherwise, he would only have needed one Soul Shock to lay Xiao Wu out. Of course, he didn't dare use that move.
After evolving into the Dark Spirit Eye, the Soul Shock it unleashed absolutely couldn't be used on his friends.
Huo Yuhao recalled the experiment he'd conducted back then. His test subject had been a Snowfield Wolf Soul Beast that had tried to eat him.
One Soul Shock had directly eaten away part of the wolf's mental strength with darkness. The terrified wolf had tucked its tail between its legs and fled. The damage had been permanent!
Back in the present.
After two battles, the two of them had seen just how terrifying Huo Yuhao's strength was. Tang San silently resolved to train even harder from then on, so Huo Yuhao wouldn't leave him behind.
A few days later, the new school year began.
The three set out to return to school. Before leaving, Huo Yuhao gave Old Jack most of the money he'd earned selling Soul Tools over the past year.
He'd also bought Old Jack plenty of things. Old Jack was so startled that he thought Huo Yuhao had robbed some noble's home.
Only after Huo Yuhao explained, laughing helplessly, did Old Jack pat him on the shoulder with relief. The boy had grown up. He didn't need Old Jack worrying over him anymore.
That night, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked in Huo Yuhao's mind, "Yuhao, what are you planning to do about your next Soul Ring?"
It was already the end of his third school year, and the long holiday was about to begin. Huo Yuhao's Soul Power had reached level thirty, too. To others, the speed was simply unbelievable: a nine-year-old Soul Elder?
But that was the result of Huo Yuhao doing his best to keep his progress in check. He had directed most of the energy toward improving his physical abilities. Otherwise, Tian Meng's terrifying energy alone could have pushed him up an entire rank in a year.
But that would make Tang San's father wary of him. The man might attack him one day, and Huo Yuhao currently had no way to fight back. It was better to keep a low profile.
Call on the Snow Empress for help?
Not to mention whether his little body could withstand it, if anyone sensed the Snow Empress's aura, countless Titled Douluo would come to capture him and take him away for research.
In this life, he didn't have a powerful backing like Shrek. He would probably have to hide and flee from place to place.
Keeping his rank down had plenty of benefits, too. The improvement to his physical abilities was remarkable, and he estimated that he could already absorb a Soul Ring of around thirty thousand years.
By the time he reached level forty, he should be able to bear a good deal of the Snow Empress's power. The skills released through the Snow Empress Soul Spirit should be enough to keep him alive.
Returning to Tian Meng's question, Huo Yuhao thought it over.
"After my rebirth, my physical abilities far surpass what they were in my previous life. It wouldn't suit me to keep following the same old path, and I might not even encounter a Soul Beast of the right age. I'll have to make a new plan."
Besides, with Huo Yuhao's current perspective, ordinary Soul Beasts wouldn't help him. His goal was godhood, so he needed to choose Soul Skills that would still be useful after he became a god.
"Bingbing, do you have any suggestions?"
Tian Meng looked at the Ice Empress beside him and nudged her with his body.
"Don't push your luck. I usually stay in the Far North and only spend time with the Snow Empress. I don't know which Soul Beasts would suit Yuhao."
The Ice Empress shook her head. Her first words were directed at Tian Meng, and she subtly edged away from him.
"I've got it! In my previous life, Teacher Wang Yan told me about a Soul Beast. He'd looked so regretful when he said that if that kind of Soul Beast hadn't gone extinct, it would've been perfect for me. But it should still exist now."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.