It was just like a father beating his son—there was no suspense at all.
"Let the match begin!"
At the host's command, everyone's attention was drawn back to the arena.
Chen Miao struck first, swiftly summoning his Martial Soul. Layer upon layer of hexagonal, azure ice armor appeared over his body, giving him a dreamlike look. Two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.
Although he had won seven matches in a row, his cautious nature made him take every opponent seriously. That was also one of the main reasons for his winning streak.
His Second Soul Ring lit up. The temperature around him dropped once more, and a faint blue glow appeared in his eyes. Judging by the effect, it seemed to be an enhancement skill.
Immediately afterward, his Third Soul Ring lit up. The ground around Chen Miao rapidly froze, and the ice spread toward Huo Yuhao.
Only after the ice covered most of the arena did he finally let out a small sigh of relief.
In his previous Soul Fighting matches, once he released this domain, it was difficult for anyone to break through. He could then win the match at his leisure.
Even if someone forced their way up to him, the cold and other factors would greatly slow them down, while he himself moved across the ice as if he were a fish in water.
Chen Miao always took his opponents seriously. When he learned that his opponent had won his first match through sheer physical prowess, he had come up with this plan.
He looked up at Huo Yuhao, and his First Soul Skill lit up. His cheeks puffed out as he spat a block of ice viciously toward Huo Yuhao.
The block of ice was thick with Soul Power. It was definitely no ordinary chunk of ice, and it likely had another trick in store if it hit.
Huo Yuhao dodged to the side. Before Chen Miao could spit out a second block, Huo Yuhao planted his foot hard and charged toward him in an instant, moving at incredible speed.
The moment Huo Yuhao entered the Extreme Cold Domain, Chen Miao's delighted pupils shrank.
The scene he had imagined, where the extreme cold slowed his opponent down, never came. Even the slick ice posed no problem for Huo Yuhao, who ran over it as if it were level ground.
Is this guy completely immune to the cold? Chen Miao had no time to think. He spat out three blocks of ice in quick succession, sending them onto the ground in front of him. He knew that, given Huo Yuhao's speed, the ice blocks themselves wouldn't hit him.
The blocks shattered as soon as they struck the ground, erupting into a thick cloud of white mist. The temperature in that area dropped even further.
The mist blocked Huo Yuhao's path. Chen Miao intended to use it to slow him down while he quickly retreated, widening the distance between them.
The whole sequence flowed seamlessly, a clear sign that Chen Miao was a seasoned Soul Fighting veteran.
The spectators nodded slightly. Chen Miao really was quite capable, responding to every situation like a textbook example.
"It's a shame he ran into Yuhao," Tang San sighed.
Huo Yuhao didn't slow down at all. He charged straight through the white mist, tiny ice crystals clinging to his clothes. The mist was clearly bitterly cold, but it had no effect on Huo Yuhao whatsoever.
He closed in, raised his hand, and threw a punch.
Everyone saw Chen Miao fly backward. With a loud thud, he crashed heavily outside the arena.
Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, slid across the ice with his forward momentum, still holding his punching stance. It took him a while to come to a stop.
Ma Hongjun stared blankly. "If I were as handsome as Yuhao, why would I ever have trouble finding a girlfriend..."
"This is truly astonishing! Huo Yuhao has once again defeated his opponent with nothing but his extreme physical prowess! I hereby announce that the winner of this Soul Fighting match is Huo Yuhao, wielder of the Dark Spirit Eye Martial Soul!"
Amid the crowd's cheers, Huo Yuhao returned to the lounge.
"Since we're all done, shall we go?" Dai Mubai suggested.
When everyone returned to the academy, Flender gave them their assignment for the next day on the training field.
They would all follow Zhao Wuji to the Star Dou Great Forest and help Oscar obtain his Third Soul Ring.
Huo Yuhao raised his hand. "Dean, I'd like to request permission to stay at the academy."
Zhu Zhuqing immediately stepped forward too, taking her place beside Huo Yuhao.
"Hm?"
Flender rubbed his chin, hesitating. If he hadn't seen the two of them training on the field in the middle of the night, he absolutely wouldn't have agreed. But since they were both working so hard...
"Fine. If you two don't want to go, then don't."
Xiao Wu was stunned. "??" What was going on with those two? What had they done to get themselves excluded like that?
"Dean, I also..."
Before she could finish, Huo Yuhao covered her mouth and whispered into her ear, "Xiao Wu, you need to go."
"Why?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.
"You're almost at level thirty. You need a chance to get a Soul Ring... Once we're in the Star Dou Great Forest, play it by ear," Huo Yuhao continued.
"Mm... That's true. Fine, but why are you and Zhu Zhuqing staying at the academy?" Xiao Wu's curious gaze moved between them.
"Zhu Zhuqing asked me to help her get stronger, so I'm going to train her."
"You've never trained me!" Xiao Wu's face flushed red. She glared at Huo Yuhao indignantly.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head. "Zhu Zhuqing was the one who came to me. You're usually too lazy to even cultivate, let alone train."
"I don't care. When I get back, you have to train me too, or you're playing favorites!"
"Fine, fine, as long as you can take it."
"Hmph. If Zhu Zhuqing can take it, then so can I."
Seeing that Xiao Wu had nothing more to say, Flender nodded. "All right, everyone go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, you'll set out with Teacher Zhao!"
Huo Yuhao returned to his dormitory. After meditating for half an hour, he opened his eyes, went outside, and followed the path onward.
He arrived in front of a wooden cabin much like his own and gently knocked on the door.
"Zhuqing."
A moment later, the door opened, revealing the young woman inside. Moonlight fell across her face, making her look like a celestial maiden.
She wasn't surprised by Huo Yuhao's arrival. In a soft voice, she asked, "Now?"
"Mm. We'll go as soon as you're ready."
"Then let's go." She had known Huo Yuhao would come, so she had been waiting in her dormitory ever since she returned. She hadn't even changed out of the clothes she'd worn earlier.
Fortunately, both of them lived alone, which made things very convenient at a time like this.
The young man and woman left the academy together once more and returned to the Soul Fighting Arena. Even late at night, the arena was far from quiet; it was still bustling with activity.
Everyone was letting their emotions run wild, cheering on the competitors in the arena.
"Put this on."
Huo Yuhao handed her a mask. It was a half-mask that covered only the eyes, leaving everything below the nose exposed.
Zhu Zhuqing took it and put it on. "What's this for?"
"You've already teamed up with Xiao Wu, so you need to register for another Soul Fighting Badge. That way, we can form a team. I'll use my Simulation Soul Skill to change your appearance. After that, you can just wear the mask to hide your identity."
As he spoke, he put on a mask of his own.
Huo Yuhao had noticed that Zhu Zhuqing had started following his instructions first and asking questions later. It meant she trusted him deeply now.
"Oh." Zhu Zhuqing understood and nodded. She walked up to the counter. Watching her from behind, Huo Yuhao's gaze flickered. All he could do was try his best to help her grow stronger and live up to that trust.
"I'm registered. My name is Black Cat." Zhu Zhuqing came back to Huo Yuhao and said, smiling softly.
"...Good name."
The two of them then went to the two-on-two registration desk.
"Just a reminder: since one of you is a Soul Elder, you'll be matched against a team of Soul Elders. Your opponents will both be Soul Elders. Are you still sure you want to do this?"
The clerk kindly reminded them. To him, they were practically handing their opponents a free win.
"We're sure. Go ahead and register us." Huo Yuhao nodded.
"Please choose a name for your team."
Huo Yuhao turned to Zhu Zhuqing, letting her decide.
"Hmm... Let's call it the Hao-Qing Duo."
"Hao-Qing Duo, registration complete. Please take your Soul Fighting Badges."
The two of them had officially formed a team and began waiting for their match to be scheduled.
"Eighth Soul Fighting Arena. Let's go."
In the lounge, the two waited for a while before finally hearing their team's name.
"Two-on-two, ninth match: the Hao-Qing Duo versus the Red Soul Duo..."
Huo Yuhao stood up and encouraged Zhu Zhuqing. "It's our turn. This is our team's first match, so we have to make a strong impression!"
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath. Her ample breasts rose and fell, and she smiled and nodded.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Her opponents were both Soul Elders.
With Huo Yuhao there, losing was out of the question. Still, she didn't want to get beaten too badly in front of him.
Once they were onstage, the two saw their opponents: a man and a woman, just like them, who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. The man was tall and robust, while the woman was slender.
"Is there some mistake? Those two are just kids!"
The host looked uncertain when he saw Huo Yuhao and Zhu Zhuqing. Only after checking several times and confirming there had been no mistake did he speak.
"Looks like you two are talented students from some academy! Well then, let the match begin!"
As the match began, both teams summoned their Martial Souls.
The man's Martial Soul was a Flame Lion, making his body even more robust and turning his hair red.
The woman had a red flower in her hand, a plant called Yan Nan. Both opponents had the optimal Soul Ring configuration of two yellow rings and one purple ring.
Zhu Zhuqing and Huo Yuhao released their Martial Souls. When the crowd saw that Zhu Zhuqing had only two rings, everyone present was stunned.
"What's the big idea? There's a Soul Grandmaster here!?"
A two-ring Soul Grandmaster was competing in a two-on-two match against Soul Elders? Could they really win?
The man opposite them looked at Huo Yuhao with contempt. Is he trying to carry his girl to an easy victory? He must have no idea how high the sky is to be pulling something like this.
Huo Yuhao paid no attention to the looks everyone was giving him. He turned to Zhu Zhuqing and spoke softly.
"The man's a Power Attack System fighter, and the woman's a control-type. Try to take out the woman first."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly.
Huo Yuhao's First Soul Ring lit up. Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt as though the whole world had become crystal clear. A stream of processed information entered her mind, and the feeling was intoxicating.
The two opponents, on the other hand, felt as if an icy chill had enveloped them. Their bodies grew heavy, and even circulating their Soul Power became difficult.
"What kind of ability is this?"
The two were horrified. The boy's First Soul Skill alone had such a powerful effect on them. It was simply incomprehensible.
The man growled, "A-Ying, their Soul Skills are strange. We can't afford to underestimate them. Let's go!"
His Second Soul Ring lit up, and his whole body transformed into a mass of flame as he shot toward Huo Yuhao.
The woman called A-Ying nodded. Her Second Soul Ring lit up, and red powder drifted from the flower in her hand, quickly floating toward Huo Yuhao.
The man, who was charging forward, inhaled some of the powder. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he charged even faster.
In theory, it would have been easier to target Zhu Zhuqing, who was only a Soul Grandmaster. But under the effects of Huo Yuhao's Mental Interference, their thoughts were no longer clear. They could only instinctively charge at the person they felt was the greatest threat: Huo Yuhao.
Zhu Zhuqing looked slightly surprised. "Is she a support-type?"
"No. The powder only enhances fire-attribute Martial Souls. That's probably a secondary effect. Give me your hand. Go after the woman; I'll hold the man off."
Huo Yuhao shook his head and held out one hand toward Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing felt a little shy, but she knew this wasn't the time to hesitate. She reached out and placed her hand in his.
"Hm?"
Both of them froze. The moment their hands touched, a strange connection appeared in their hearts.