While Sneaking

This was practically a father beating his son; there was no suspense at all.

"The match begins!"

As the host gave the order, everyone's attention was pulled back to the arena.

Chen Miao took the initiative, rapidly summoning his martial soul. A layer of hexagonal, azure ice armor manifested over his body, looking quite ethereal, while two yellow and one purple soul rings rose beneath his feet.

Although he had won seven consecutive matches, his cautious nature led him to treat every opponent seriously, which was a major reason for his winning streak.

His second soul ring lit up, the temperature radiating from his body dropped once more, and his eyes glowed with a faint blue light; judging by the effect, it appeared to be an augmentation skill.

Immediately following, his third soul ring ignited, and the ground centered on Chen Miao rapidly froze, the ice spreading continuously toward Huo Yuhao.

Only after the ice had covered more than half the arena did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

In previous soul duels, once he released this domain, others found it difficult to break through, allowing him to calmly secure final victory.

Even if they forcibly reached him, their mobility would be drastically reduced due to the cold and other factors, while he himself moved as freely as a fish in water on the ice.

Chen Miao had always valued his opponents. When he learned that his opponent had secured his first victory based solely on physical fitness, he had already devised this strategy in his heart.

He looked up at Huo Yuhao, his first soul skill lighting up. His cheeks puffed out, and he spat a block of ice fiercely toward Huo Yuhao.

The ice block was thick with soul power; it was certainly no ordinary ice, and there was likely a follow-up if it landed.

Huo Yuhao dodged to the side. Without waiting for Chen Miao to spit a second block, he stomped his foot hard and charged toward him, his speed reaching the extreme.

Just as Huo Yuhao entered the Extreme Cold Domain, Chen Miao's pupils, previously filled with delight, suddenly constricted.

The scene he had envisioned, where the extreme cold would impact his opponent, never occurred; even the slick ice surface was as flat as solid ground to Huo Yuhao.

Is this guy completely immune to the cold? Chen Miao had no time to think. He spat three consecutive ice blocks onto the ground in front of him, knowing that with Huo Yuhao's speed, he wouldn't hit him with the projectiles.

As the ice blocks shattered on the ground, they erupted into a dense white mist, and the temperature in that area plummeted once again.

Blocking Huo Yuhao's path, Chen Miao intended to use this to hinder his speed while he retreated rapidly to widen the distance between them.

The entire sequence was fluid and seamless; it was clear that Chen Miao was a veteran of many soul duels.

The spectators nodded slightly. This Chen Miao was indeed formidable, and his response to various situations could be called textbook.

"It's a pity he ran into Yuhao." Tang San sighed.

Huo Yuhao's speed did not diminish in the slightest as he charged straight through the area shrouded in white mist. Tiny ice crystals clung to his clothes, showing just how low the temperature of that mist was, yet it had absolutely no effect on him.

Closing in, he raised his hand and threw a punch.

The crowd watched as Chen Miao was sent flying backward, landing heavily outside the ring with a loud thud.

Because of his forward momentum, Huo Yuhao maintained his punching stance and slid across the ice, only coming to a stop after a long while.

Ma Hongjun muttered blankly, "If I were as cool as Yuhao, I wouldn't have to worry about not finding a girlfriend..."

"This is truly shocking! Huo Yuhao has once again defeated his opponent based solely on his extreme physical fitness. I announce that the winner of this soul duel is—Huo Yuhao, possessor of the Dark Spirit Eye martial soul!"

Amidst the cheers of the audience, Huo Yuhao returned to the lounge.

"Since the matches are over, shall we go?" Dai Mubai suggested.

Once everyone returned to the academy, Flender gave instructions on the playground regarding tomorrow's task.

The entire group was to follow Zhao Wuji to the Star Dou Great Forest to assist Oscar in obtaining his third soul ring.

Huo Yuhao raised his hand and said, "Dean, I request to remain at the academy."

Zhu Qing followed closely, stepping forward to stand beside Huo Yuhao.

"Hmm?"

Flender stroked his chin, hesitating. If he hadn't seen the two of them training on the playground in the middle of the night, he would never have agreed, but since they were working so hard...

"Fine, if you two don't want to go, then don't."

"???" Xiao Wu was stunned. What was going on with these two? What had they done to exclude themselves like this?

"Dean, I also..."

Before she could finish, Huo Yuhao covered her mouth and whispered in her ear, "Xiao Wu, you have to go."

"Why?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.

"You are almost at level thirty and need to find an opportunity to obtain your soul ring... Just play it by ear after you get to the Star Dou Great Forest," Huo Yuhao continued.

"Hmm... That's true, fine. But why are you and Zhu Qing staying at the academy?" Xiao Wu's curious gaze darted between the two.

"Zhu Qing asked me to help her get stronger; I'm going to provide her with guidance."

"You've never guided me!" Xiao Wu's face flushed red as she glared at Huo Yuhao with resentment.

Huo Yuhao scratched his head. "Zhu Qing came to me herself. You're usually too lazy to even move during cultivation, let alone train."

"I don't care! When I get back, you have to help me train too, or else you're playing favorites!"

"Alright, alright, as long as you can handle it."

"Hmph, if Zhu Qing can handle it, I certainly can too."

Seeing that Xiao Wu had stopped speaking, Flender nodded. "Then, everyone go back and rest now. We depart first thing tomorrow morning with Teacher Zhao!"

Huo Yuhao returned to his dormitory, meditated for half an hour, then opened his eyes, stepped out, and followed the path forward.

He arrived in front of a wooden cabin similar to his own and knocked gently on the door.

"Zhuqing."

A moment later, the door opened to reveal the young girl inside. Moonlight spilled onto her face, making her look like a celestial being.

Not surprised by Huo Yuhao's arrival, she asked softly, "Now?"

"Yes, we'll leave once you're ready."

"Then let's go." She had known Huo Yuhao would come, so she had been waiting in her room ever since she returned, not even having changed out of her clothes.

It was fortunate that both of them lived alone, which made such moments very convenient.

The man and woman left the academy together again and returned to the Soul Fighting Arena. The late hour had not made the arena quiet; it remained bustling and lively.

Everyone was venting their emotions to the fullest, cheering for the contestants on the stage.

"Put this on."

Huo Yuhao handed over a mask. It was a half-mask style that only covered the eyes, leaving the area below the nose exposed.

Zhuqing took it and put it on. "What is this?"

"You've already formed a team with Xiao Wu, so you need to register for another Soul Fighting Badge so that we can form a team. I will use my Simulation Soul Skill to change your appearance, and from then on, you can just wear the mask to hide your identity."

As he spoke, he put one on himself as well.

Huo Yuhao noticed that Zhuqing had begun to execute his orders first and ask for the reasons later, which meant that Zhuqing already trusted him deeply.

"Oh." Zhuqing realized, nodded, and walked to the counter. Watching her back, Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered; he could only do his best to help her grow and live up to that trust.

"Registered. The name is Black Cat," Zhuqing said as she walked back to Huo Yuhao, smiling faintly.

"...A good name."

The two then immediately went to the two-on-two registration point.

"A reminder: because one of you is a Soul Elder, you will be matched against a Soul Elder team. The opponents will be two Soul Elders. Is that okay?"

The staff member at the counter reminded them out of kindness; in his eyes, this was practically handing the opponents a free win.

"We are sure. Register us," Huo Yuhao nodded.

"Please name your duo."

Huo Yuhao turned to look at Zhuqing, signaling for her to decide.

"Hmm... let's call it Hao-Qing Duo."

"Hao-Qing Duo, registration complete. Please take back your Soul Fighting Badge."

The two officially became a duo, waiting for their match to be scheduled.

"The Eighth Soul Fighting Arena. Let's go."

In the lounge, the two did not have to wait long before they finally heard their team name.

"The ninth match of the two-on-two, Hao-Qing Duo versus Red Soul Duo..."

Huo Yuhao stood up and cheered Zhuqing on, "It's our turn. This is our first battle as a duo, we have to show some spirit!"

Zhuqing took a deep breath, her ample chest rising and falling, and nodded with a smile.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous; she was about to face two Soul Elders.

Although with Huo Yuhao there, losing was impossible, she didn't want to be beaten too miserably in front of him.

After stepping onto the stage, they saw their opponents—a man and a woman, just like them, appearing to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. The man was tall and sturdy, and the woman was slim.

"Did they make a mistake? Aren't these just two kids?"

The host seemed unsure after seeing Huo Yuhao and his partner, only speaking after confirming multiple times that there was no error.

"It seems these two are genius students from some academy! Then, let the match begin!"

As the match started, both sides summoned their martial souls.

The man's was a Flame Lion, which made his body even more robust while turning his hair red.

The woman held a red flower in her hand, a plant known as Yan Nan. Both of them possessed the optimal soul ring configuration of two yellows and one purple.

Zhuqing and Huo Yuhao released their martial souls. When the crowd saw that Zhuqing only had two rings, everyone present was stunned.

"What the hell! Is there a Soul Grand Master here!?"

A two-ring Soul Grand Master participating in a Soul Elder two-on-two? Could they even win?

The man opposite them looked at Huo Yuhao with contempt. Was he trying to carry a girl to rank up? Did he not know the immensity of heaven and earth, daring to play like this?

Huo Yuhao didn't care about the crowd's gazes and turned to whisper to Zhuqing.

"The man is an assault type, the woman is a control type. Try to take out the woman first."

Zhuqing nodded gently.

Then, Huo Yuhao's first soul ring lit up. Zhuqing felt as if the world had become transparent; a massive amount of processed information flooded into her mind. This feeling was simply intoxicating.

The two opponents felt as if their bodies had been enveloped by a chilling sensation, growing heavy and making even the circulation of their soul power difficult.

"What kind of ability is this??"

Both were horrified; they could not fathom how the boy's first soul skill alone could exert such a massive influence over them.

The man let out a low growl, "A-Ying, the opponent's soul skill is very strange. We cannot underestimate him—let's move!"

Immediately, his second soul ring lit up, and his entire body transformed into a ball of flame, charging rapidly toward Huo Yuhao.

The woman addressed as A-Ying nodded, her second soul ring igniting as red dust drifted from the flower in her hand, quickly floating toward Huo Yuhao.

As the charging man inhaled a portion of the dust, his eyes turned blood-red, and his speed increased even further.

Logically, dealing with Zhu Zhuqing, who was only a Soul Grand Master, would have been simpler, but under Huo Yuhao's Mental Interference, their thinking was no longer clear, leaving them to subconsciously charge at Huo Yuhao, whom they perceived as the greatest threat.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing's expression flickered with surprise, "Support type?"

"No, that dust only amplifies fire-attribute martial souls; it must be a secondary effect. Give me your hand. You go deal with that woman, and I will hold this man off."

Huo Yuhao shook his head and extended a hand toward Zhu Zhuqing.

Though she felt a bit shy, Zhu Zhuqing knew this was no time for hesitation, so she reached out and placed her hand in Huo Yuhao's.

"Huh?"

Both were stunned; the moment their hands made contact, a strange connection blossomed in their hearts.