After saying that, he strode toward Huo Yuhao. Though he looked carefree on the surface, he was extremely cautious inside.
He kept his first Soul Skill active, a golden light three meters in diameter surrounding him as he advanced.
But as he walked, he realized something was wrong. His Soul Power seemed to be draining much faster than usual. It was clearly his first Soul Skill, yet the consumption was like that of a thousand-year Soul Skill.
Seeing the faint curl of Huo Yuhao's lips, how could he not know the boy was behind it?
Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth and snarled.
"You sly little brat. Even your skills are this underhanded."
With that, his figure flashed as he charged toward Huo Yuhao. His second Soul Ring lit up, and his hands transformed into a pair of enormous bear paws that slammed toward Huo Yuhao's chest.
Huo Yuhao reacted just as Zhao Wuji had when facing Xiao Wu earlier: he neither dodged nor retreated. Zhao Wuji hurriedly pulled back some of his strength, startled.
That strike was no joke. Even a Soul King would lose half his life if it landed.
But when his paw passed through Huo Yuhao as if striking empty air, Zhao Wuji knew he had been tricked.
"Teacher Zhao, you really are a good teacher who cares about his students. But at this rate, time will be up in no time."
Huo Yuhao's teasing voice rang beside Zhao Wuji's ear, his flippant tone constantly needling him.
Zhao Wuji let out a sudden roar. His third Soul Ring blazed with purple light, and Huo Yuhao abruptly felt his arms and legs grow heavy.
He's come up with a countermeasure this quickly. Huo Yuhao was slightly surprised. As a renowned figure from Shrek's founding days, he really lives up to his reputation. He's got some tricks up his sleeve.
Zhao Wuji kept changing the gravity within his domain. He looked around and noticed that the space in one spot was slightly warped, out of place amid the surroundings compressed by gravity.
He laughed in fury, immediately unleashed his second Soul Skill again, and swung his paw toward the incongruous spot. "Found you!"
The sensation of hitting something solid delighted him. As the Simulation Soul Skill broke, the things inside it appeared before everyone.
It was Huo Yuhao, but a golden shield stood in front of him, blocking Zhao Wuji's strike.
Seeing ripples spread across the shield's surface, Huo Yuhao sighed. A Level 4 Soul Guidance Shield was still too much of a stretch. That last strike had nearly pushed it to its limit.
Looks like I can't drag this out any longer. Huo Yuhao's hands kept reaching for his belt. To everyone's shock, his figure instantly became terrifying, covered in all sorts of long and short cannons. The dark barrels gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.
This was the first time Huo Yuhao had fully armed himself. Facing Teacher Zhao, a Soul Saint, he could finally show off the terrifying suppressive power of a Soul Engineer to his heart's content.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Teacher Zhao, watch out."
Soul Power surged into the Soul Cannons of every size covering his body. In an instant, all the barrels began to glow faintly. Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted, and he abruptly raised both arms to shield his face.
The enormous cloud of dust blocked the spectators' view, while the roar of explosions rang out without end.
"This..."
Only Tang San could make out what was happening inside the smoke. His eyes were full of shock.
Xiao Wu turned and asked anxiously, "How's it going? Xiao San, tell us!"
Tang San's pupils trembled, and he struggled to get the words out.
"Teacher Zhao is... being completely suppressed. He can't fight back at all..."
"..."
"Are you sure you didn't get that backward? Teacher Zhao is being suppressed by Huo Yuhao?"
Dai Mubai was dumbfounded. What kind of monsters were these?
Looks like losing to Huo Yuhao really wasn't shameful. Recalling what had happened that day, Dai Mubai felt a little relieved. He didn't have Teacher Zhao's terrifying defenses.
Thank goodness Huo Yuhao held back... If he'd pulled out those metal contraptions, I'd have lost a layer of skin at the very least.
Just as everyone stared at one another, a roar thundered across the grounds, drawing their attention back.
A massive wave of air blew all the dust away, and at last everyone could see what was happening inside. They were all dumbstruck.
A nearly five-meter-tall Vajra Bear stood in front of Huo Yuhao. It was Zhao Wuji, who had activated his Martial Soul Avatar.
"He actually forced Teacher Zhao to go this far..."
Dai Mubai murmured to himself as he watched the two of them.
Zhao Wuji, who had used his Martial Soul Avatar, glared furiously at Huo Yuhao. He had lost a great deal of face this time.
If word got out that he'd had to use his Martial Soul Avatar to fight a Soul Elder, he'd be a laughingstock for the rest of his life.
A glint flashed in his eyes. Now that he had activated his Martial Soul Avatar, he no longer feared the glowing projectiles fired from those long barrels.
His figure flashed, and he appeared in front of Huo Yuhao. His second Soul Ring blazed!
With a single strike, he shattered the shield in front of Huo Yuhao, scattering it into a sky full of light.
Huo Yuhao wasn't startled. He gave his body a slight shake, and the heavy equipment covering him quickly fell away, clattering to the ground.
There was no time to pack it up. His speed exploded, rivaling Zhao Wuji's, and he rapidly retreated.
"Not bad, kid! You're only a Soul Elder, yet your speed is almost on par with mine. The others don't even come close to you! You're the real monster!"
Zhao Wuji laughed heartily. His earlier frustration had vanished completely. He didn't chase after Huo Yuhao, merely watching him from afar.
"This year's new students have given me a huge surprise. What else have you got? Bring it all out!"
"Then... let's fight fair and square!"
Huo Yuhao smiled happily too. He was savoring this exhilarating battle. At last, facing a Soul Saint, he could go all out.
He stomped hard, then charged toward Zhao Wuji, his figure blurring into a streak.
Only when Huo Yuhao drew near did Zhao Wuji feel the bone-piercing cold. It was the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Soul Bone Skill: Domain of Eternal Freeze.
Combined with the Mental Interference brought on by Martial Soul Evolution, Zhao Wuji felt his stamina and Soul Power rapidly draining away.
"What a terrifying little monster... You came just in time!"
With his Martial Soul Avatar active, every part of Zhao Wuji's body held terrifying destructive power. Huo Yuhao didn't dare meet him head-on.
He could only rely on the advantage of Spirit Detection to dodge Zhao Wuji's attacks.
Fortunately, Zhao Wuji was already lacking in speed, and the combined chill and drain on his stamina didn't make his movements so fast that Huo Yuhao couldn't keep up.
In Zhao Wuji's eyes, even with his Martial Soul Avatar active, he was locked in an even fight with Huo Yuhao. Almost all his attacks were dodged as if Huo Yuhao had predicted them.
And although Huo Yuhao's attacks couldn't hurt him, they still made him ache all over.
"Is he your friend? Is he really just a Soul Elder? He's amazing..."
Ning Rongrong turned to Tang San and Xiao Wu, her eyes full of curiosity. Beside her, Zhu Zhuqing watched Huo Yuhao's fists swing with shining eyes.
Tang San scratched his head.
"We knew Yuhao was strong, but we didn't know he'd gotten this powerful. He hasn't fought in nearly two years. Honestly, the last time he changed our understanding of him was just a couple of days ago..."
As he finished, he glanced at the person beside him, making Dai Mubai's face turn red and pale. So he really was the first person Huo Yuhao had beaten up in two years?
Seeing others curious about Huo Yuhao secretly delighted Xiao Wu. She knew plenty of Huo Yuhao's secrets, and all at once she felt rather superior.
Hearing people praise Huo Yuhao made her even happier than being praised herself; her nose nearly turned up to the sky.
At last, Zhao Wuji could take no more. His fifth Soul Ring suddenly blazed, and Huo Yuhao immediately felt enormous pressure closing in from all directions.
It kept forcing him toward Zhao Wuji, who swung out with a palm strike. To anyone watching, it looked as if Huo Yuhao were charging straight into it.
No choice. Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth, and a jade-green light appeared at his chest.
He released it at the instant they were about to collide. Extreme cold erupted from Zhao Wuji's palm, freezing his hand in an instant.
But that terrifying icy power continued spreading from his arm toward the rest of his body.
At the same time, Zhao Wuji's palm struck Huo Yuhao. The tremendous force hurled him away, and he crashed to the ground. His throat turned sweet, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
Xiao Wu's heart shuddered at the sight. She sprang to her feet. "Yuhao!"