Just as Ice Empress was about to explode, the stars within the Sea of Consciousness shook violently.
Her delicate little-girl body was enveloped in emerald light, and she was on the verge of breaking through Xiao Yan's brow to go outside and tear apart the brat who dared to use an Ice Jade Scorpion as his Martial Soul.
Sensing the turmoil in his Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Yan immediately split off a strand of spiritual sense and forcibly cut off Ice Empress's path of escape.
"Calm down." Xiao Yan used his spiritual power to suppress the raging chill around Ice Empress and warned her,
"This is Shrek's Beast Fighting Zone. Shrek has powerful people capable of suppressing you. I may not fear them, but making a commotion now would expose our trump cards and bring endless trouble for nothing. Once we leave this place, find a suitable chance to make your move. I won't stop you then."
Ice Empress clenched her fists tightly, her chest rising and falling violently.
Though she was desperate for revenge, the rationality of the ruler of the Extreme North remained.
Every word Xiao Yan spoke made sense. Rushing out now would only turn the situation into a mess and might even drag Xiao Yan and Xue'er into it.
She took two deep breaths, suppressing the anger in her heart and abandoning the thought of charging out of the Sea of Consciousness.
Yet her cold orange-gold eyes remained fixed on Huo Yuhao in the center of the arena through Xiao Yan's Sea of Consciousness. The killing intent in her gaze was so intense that she wished she could skin him alive.
On the main arena, Huo Yuhao had already been shivering from the cold when cold sweat suddenly broke out densely across his back.
The terrifying feeling of being watched by an apex predator left his nerves stretched to the limit.
Not only him—even Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, residing within his Sea of Consciousness, smelled the scent of impending disaster.
The spiritual instincts of the million-year Soul Beast were screaming warnings.
"Ah-choo!"
At the moment Huo Yuhao was distracted, he let out an uncontrollable, thunderous sneeze.
His body lurched forward with it, exposing an opening.
The Gale Demon Wolf opposite him had been waiting for exactly this chance.
A blue-gray afterimage swept across the arena. Sharp wolf claws tore through the air and shot toward Huo Yuhao's chest, about to rip him open.
At the brink of life and death, Huo Yuhao bit down hard on his tongue, using the pain to regain a moment of clarity.
He crossed his arms before his chest as the source power of his Second Martial Soul poured out without reservation.
Icy crystals rapidly spread along his arms, and the temperature around him plummeted.
The moment the Gale Demon Wolf's claws touched the crystalline armor, its joints were frozen by the tyrannical chill.
A thick layer of white frost quickly formed over its blue-gray fur. The demon wolf howled miserably, its movements turning sluggish and clumsy.
Forcing himself to stay conscious, Huo Yuhao relied on the unreasonable attribute suppression of the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul and smashed the thousand-year Soul Beast to the ground, leaving it unable to rise again.
After delivering that blow, Huo Yuhao had exhausted the last trace of his strength.
He straddled the Gale Demon Wolf's broad back, gasping for breath as his chest heaved violently, then raised his head toward the elevated platform to await the verdict.
Du Weilun stood on the platform, taking in the entire battle.
As the dean of instruction for the Spirit Soul Department, his eye was exceptionally sharp.
The chill Huo Yuhao had unleashed just now, capable of instantly freezing even a thousand-year demon wolf, was unmistakably Ultimate Ice!
Du Weilun raised his amplifying Soul Tool and announced in a booming voice, "In the first advancement assessment, Huo Yuhao has defeated a thousand-year Soul Beast. He has passed the assessment and is permitted to retain his enrollment!"
After announcing the result, Du Weilun lowered the Soul Tool and shifted his gaze to the right, glancing at Fan Yu and Qian Duoduo standing not far away with delighted expressions.
A super genius with an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul should have been a core prospect treasured by the Spirit Soul Department.
Yet that brat now bore the label of the Spirit Guidance Department.
That made things difficult.
However, Du Weilun had no intention of overstepping his authority to snatch someone away. He would report this troublesome matter truthfully and leave it to Dean Yan Shaozhe to negotiate and decide.
Upon hearing that he could retain his enrollment, a smile of immense relief finally bloomed across Huo Yuhao's pale face.
He braced both hands against the demon wolf's back and barely managed to stand, preparing to leave the arena.
He had no idea that an invisible giant hand, ready to crush him at any moment, hung above his head.
Ice Empress had long since sentenced him to death in Xiao Yan's Sea of Consciousness.
The first assessment ended, and Huo Yuhao was about to leave the combat arena.
At the same time, Xiao Yan adjusted the cuff of his moon-white robe and stepped out from the preparation area, walking toward the combat arena in Huo Yuhao's direction.
The two passed one another.
Huo Yuhao looked up and met Xiao Yan's gaze.
After enduring life-and-death trials in the Extreme North and successfully fusing with the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao's confidence had reached an unprecedented height.
He looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
In Huo Yuhao's mind, he had a million-year Soul Ring as his foundation, possessed the rare Twin Martial Souls, and now had the continent's most powerful Ultimate Ice as his Second Martial Soul.
Given enough time to grow, surpassing the monstrous Class One monitor before him was only a matter of time.
Xiao Yan caught the pride in Huo Yuhao's gaze.
He secretly shook his head.
This brat got himself an Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul and thinks he can turn the world upside down? Does having Ultimate Ice really make him this bold?
Xiao Yan had never indulged this sort of blind confidence.
Since Huo Yuhao regarded Ultimate Ice as his greatest support, Xiao Yan would show him who was the true master of the laws of water and ice.
Xiao Yan did not slow his steps. At the instant he brushed past Huo Yuhao, a thought turned in his mind.
[Mystic Yellow Water Controller].
The authority of the water-element sovereign activated without a sound.
Under Xiao Yan's will, invisible laws directly entered Huo Yuhao's body.
The "ultimate" attribute attached to the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul was, at this moment, like a title forcibly stripped away by a king seated high above.
Extreme Ice Deprivation.
Huo Yuhao, who had been preparing to leave the arena, suddenly shuddered and froze in place.
To his horror, he discovered that his perception and control of the ice element had fallen sharply.
The pure chill that had once obeyed him like his own limbs, capable of freezing all things, had become obscure and muddled at this moment.
That absolute suppressive power unique to Ultimate Ice had vanished!
He was no longer within that transcendent realm of "ultimate." The Second Martial Soul he had taken such pride in had been forcibly cast down from its pedestal.
"Brother Sky Dream! Brother Sky Dream! What's going on?!"
Huo Yuhao completely panicked and asked frantically within his Sea of Consciousness.
The foundation of his pride had collapsed in an instant. The sensation of falling from the clouds into the mud hurt worse than death.
Xiao Yan had already passed him and walked upright into the center of the combat arena.
On the elevated platform, Du Weilun watched Huo Yuhao remain standing blankly in the arena, frowned, then urged him aloud.
"Huo Yuhao, leave the combat area immediately! The second advancement assessment is about to begin!"
The reprimand jolted Huo Yuhao awake.
He nodded numbly, his face bloodless, and dragged his heavy steps out of the Beast Fighting Zone's combat arena in a daze, his mind filled with the image of his Martial Soul falling from its pedestal.