It Was Dai Huabin After All—I Thought It Was Tigrex

Shrek Academy, final match venue of the assessment area.

As the final battle of the freshman assessment, this match drew the attention of nearly all the teachers and students of the outer academy. Even Dean Yan Shaozhe and several senior elders watched with great interest.

One side of the arena.

Dai Huabin's golden hair whipped wildly around him, his gaze icy. Zhu Lu beside him wore an equally murderous expression.

"Huo Yuhao." Dai Huabin spoke coldly, his voice carrying the White Tiger's distinctive majesty. "No matter what underhanded tricks you used to make it this far, they're a joke before true strength."

"I'll show you that the glory of the White Tiger Duke's Estate cannot be shaken!"

The other side of the arena.

The three members of Huo Yuhao's team were adjusting their breathing.

"Breathe... in... out..." Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, his mind rapidly analyzing his opponent.

Within his Mental Detection field, Dai Huabin had become a mass of red data radiating violent energy.

"Target confirmed." Huo Yuhao opened his eyes. There was no fear in his pale golden pupils, only the coldness of a hunter facing prey.

He had already classified Dai Huabin.

"Target: Fanged Beast. Codename: Tigrex."

"Characteristics: likes roaring and charging in straight lines. Its attack power rises when enraged, but its defense drops."

"The battle plan is simple: wear him down. Don't clash with him head-on. Wait until he's exhausted."

Wang Dong tightened her grip on the simulated Insect Glaive in her hand—actually a Soul Tool spear, generously sponsored by Fan Yu—and curled her lips into a smile. "Got it! Tigrex, huh? I love cutting off the tails of reckless brutes like that!"

Xiao Xiao hefted the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron as well. "As long as he dares roar, I'll smash his teeth in!"

"The match begins!" the referee announced.

There was no probing whatsoever.

Dai Huabin immediately activated Martial Soul Possession, his first and third Soul Rings lighting up at once.

White Tiger Body-Protection Barrier! White Tiger Vajra Transformation!

His body abruptly swelled, radiating a savage aura as he charged straight at Huo Yuhao's group like a Tigrex.

"Die!" Dai Huabin's claws tore through the air with such force that they produced a sonic boom.

Facing an attack powerful enough to instantly kill an ordinary Soul Grandmaster, Huo Yuhao's voice remained unnervingly calm. "Dragon Charge incoming! Don't panic, watch the wind-up."

"Roll left."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As if they had rehearsed it countless times, the three of them rolled left in perfect unison.

Dai Huabin's claws grazed their clothes and slammed into the empty ground, sending shattered stones flying.

"He dodged?" Dai Huabin froze.

Before he could turn around.

"Now! He's vulnerable!" Wang Dong flapped her wings and launched herself into the air, driving her spear down at Dai Huabin's back with the force of her descent.

Aerial leap! Mounting attack!

Clang!

The spear struck the White Tiger Body-Protection Barrier, scattering sparks. Though it failed to break through, the tremendous impact still made Dai Huabin stagger.

"Get lost!" Dai Huabin spun and swept his tiger tail across the arena. He was starting to get angry.

However, Wang Dong retreated immediately after landing the blow, drawing a graceful arc through the air with her wings and perfectly evading the sweep.

"All you know how to do is run? Cowards!" Dai Huabin roared, the Soul Power fluctuations around him surging once more.

Since he could not hit them, he would use an area attack! Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Radiant Wave!

A thick beam of white light burst forth, sweeping across the entire arena.

"Area attack incoming." Huo Yuhao remained calm. "Xiao Xiao, raise the shield."

"Coming!" Xiao Xiao shouted sweetly. The Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron instantly enlarged and crashed down before them.

In the past, she would have merely used it to block.

But now, she adjusted it behind the cauldron to a special supporting angle, adopting a stance remarkably similar to a Gunlance shield-guarding posture.

The Radiant Wave struck the cauldron. The massive cauldron trembled violently, yet it did not retreat even a single step.

"That's it?" Xiao Xiao poked her little head out from behind the cauldron and made a face. "It's not even as powerful as Anjanath's fire breath!"

"You're courting death!" Dai Huabin was completely enraged.

As a favored prodigy, when had he ever been toyed with like this?

"Zhu Lu! Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Dai Huabin let out a roar.

He would use Hell White Tiger to end this match!

Zhu Lu flashed forward, rushing toward Dai Huabin. Their Soul Powers began to resonate, and a terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the arena.

The spectators below held their breath.

"It's over! Hell White Tiger is coming out!"

"That attack is comparable to a Soul Emperor's strike!"

However, Huo Yuhao looked at the two of them charging up and sneered inwardly.

Trying to transform? When a monster was changing zones or sleeping, that was a hunter's best chance to deal damage.

Besides... their fusion wind-up was way too long!

Huo Yuhao suddenly stepped forward.

Soul Shock!

He condensed all his spiritual power into a needle and viciously drove it into Dai Huabin's mind as he resonated his Soul Power with Zhu Lu.

Dai Huabin, fully focused on the fusion, felt as though his mind had exploded.

The agonizing pain at the level of his soul plunged his vision into darkness, instantly cutting off the previously smooth flow of Soul Power.

"Ah!" Dai Huabin screamed, coughing up a mouthful of blood as the Martial Soul Fusion Skill was interrupted!

"Backlash!" Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up on the platform. "What precise timing! This child's perception of Soul Power fluctuations is incredibly sharp!"

"Now! Everyone, rush him!" Huo Yuhao gave the order.

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, who had long been ready, began a righteous group beating.

Wang Dong activated Butterfly Goddess's Light in midair, her feet kicking Dai Huabin's face like phantoms.

Xiao Xiao swung the massive cauldron and relentlessly smashed it into the back of Dai Huabin's head.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao continuously released Mental Interference from the outskirts, making Dai Huabin unable to even stand steadily.

Bang! Bang! Thud!

The pitiful son of the White Tiger Duke was now like a Tigrex caught in a trap, pinned down and beaten by three hunters.

One minute later.

As Xiao Xiao's final cauldron strike came down, Dai Huabin rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.

"Freshman Class One, Huo Yuhao's team, wins!" The moment the referee announced the result, the entire venue erupted.

After the match.

Though he had lost, Dai Huabin still could not understand it after waking up.

Why?

Why was his strength clearly so much greater than theirs, yet he had not even been able to touch the corner of their clothes?

Those strange rolls and coordination, along with that tactic that made a fool out of him... where had they learned it?

"I refuse to accept this!" Dai Huabin grabbed a passing student and demanded with a twisted expression, "Tell me! Where do Huo Yuhao and the others usually train?!"

The student trembled in fright and stammered, "I-I heard... they train at a place called Origin Internet Cafe near the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. They say it offers hellish special training..."

"Origin Internet Cafe?" Dai Huabin gritted his teeth, a vicious glint flashing through his eyes.

"Fine! I'll go see just who's teaching them!"

Dusk, at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Dai Huabin dragged his still-aching body to the legendary glass building, looking thoroughly menacing.

"This is Origin Internet Cafe?" Dai Huabin sneered as he looked at the futuristic structure.

"Putting on a mysterious act! Today, I'll see exactly what kind of tricks are hidden inside!"

He strode toward the entrance, White Tiger Soul Power surging through his body as he prepared to kick the door open.

However, just as his foot was about to touch the door.

"Grrr..." A low snore came from the doghouse beside the entrance.

Dai Huabin instinctively turned his head and met... no, three pairs of sleepy eyes.

It was a massive three-headed hound, its entire body crimson red.

It seemed to have just awakened and glared displeasedly at the human disturbing its sleep. The head in the middle slowly opened its mouth, revealing fangs still dripping with Lava.

A terrifying ferocious beast's pressure descended upon Dai Huabin like a mountain.

Scarlet King was normally treated like a husky in the shop, but that was only because of Lu Yuan. To outsiders, it was still the nightmare of this forest.

"Woof? What did you say you were going to tear down?" Scarlet King yawned, exhaling a cloud of black smoke reeking of sulfur directly into Dai Huabin's face.

Dai Huabin froze.

His White Tiger Martial Soul, which he had always taken such pride in, was like a kitten encountering its natural predator before that aura. It recoiled straight back into his body, and he did not dare make a sound.

"Sc-Sc-Scar..." Dai Huabin's teeth chattered and his legs trembled.

As the duke's son, he had read soul beast encyclopedias. This was fucking Scarlet King, one of the legendary Ten Great Ferocious Beasts!

"Get lost." Scarlet King lazily spat out a single word.

Dai Huabin, who had been so aggressive about tearing down the shop moments ago, rolled his eyes back and very decisively... fainted from fright.

Lu Yuan looked at the freeloader who had collapsed at the entrance and helplessly shook his head.

"Scarlet King, how many times have I told you to be gentler with customers? Forget it, Yuhao, drag this young White Tiger master inside."

"Since he's here, how can we let him leave without dropping some gold coins?"