Finals

Finals.

Spirit City.

Because there were no spectator stands open to the public, there were no roaring crowds, no deafening cheers. Only a few people sat scattered across the VIP seats at the highest point.

Pope Bibi Dong sat upright in the center, her dazzling golden gown gleaming beneath the sunlight. Beneath the Nine-Curve Purple-Gold Crown, her face was calm as still water. Several red-robed bishops stood at her sides with their hands lowered, their gazes fixed on the arena below.

Three people sat in the stands on the other side.

Flander, dean of Shrek Academy, stood with his arms crossed, his expression grave. Beside him, Liu Erlong gripped the railing so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Next to her, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang sat there wearing his glasses, his eyes staring fixedly through the lenses at the stage below, his lips pressed into a thin line.

This was the final.

Spirit Hall versus Shrek.

Below the stage, the two teams faced one another.

On Spirit Hall's side, Qian Ren Duo stood at the very front. Nineteen years old, a level fifty-three Soul King. Beside him stood his younger brother, Qian Ren Jun, a level forty-eight Soul Ancestor. The two brothers stood together, their presence imposing.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena stood shoulder to shoulder, one cold and stern, the other bewitching. There was a strange tacit understanding between them. Yan stood beside them, radiating scorching heat. Behind them, Wang Qiu'er's golden hair shone brilliantly beneath the sunlight, her red eyes calmly watching the opponents across from her.

Huo Yuhao stood at the very back of the team. A level forty-two Soul Ancestor, his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul quietly activated. He looked like an ordinary support-type Soul Master, utterly inconspicuous. No one even spared him a second glance.

On Shrek's side, the seven had also taken their positions.

Dai Mubai stood at the front, possessed by his White Tiger Martial Soul. His golden fur trembled faintly in the wind. Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing wore black, the aura of the Netherworld Spirit Cat flickering in and out of existence.

Tang San stood in the center of the formation, Blue Silver Grass swaying softly around him. Four Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, one purple, and one black.

Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun stood beside Tang San. Behind them were Ning Rongrong and Oscar.

Tang San's gaze swept over the seven people opposite him before finally settling on Huo Yuhao at the rear of the opposing team.

Those deep blue eyes were looking at him as well.

There was no expression in them.

"Begin."

The referee's voice fell.

There was no hesitation.

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing moved at the same time.

One white and one black figure crossed past each other. A tiger's roar shook the heavens. A massive phantom of a white tiger condensed over the stage, spread its wings, and lunged directly toward Spirit Hall's team.

Netherworld White Tiger.

Qian Ren Duo's pupils contracted slightly. He had not expected them to use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill right from the start. Golden wings of light fully spread behind him as he possessed the Sacred Angel Martial Soul. Five Soul Rings flashed as he charged toward the enormous white tiger.

Wang Qiu'er followed close behind, her Golden Dragon Martial Soul roaring as she met the giant tiger head-on. One on the left and one on the right, they tangled with the Netherworld White Tiger. The white tiger's claws tore through the air. The Sacred Angel's light sword struck its body, erupting in blinding radiance, while Wang Qiu'er's dragon claws occasionally pierced its body and ripped through its "flesh."

The three people and one beast twisted and clashed across the stage. Every collision made the ground tremble.

On the other side, Xie Yue and Hu Liena moved simultaneously, their hands clasping together as crimson light burst from their bodies. The light was as thick as blood, spreading in an instant to envelop the entire arena. Red mist poured down like a blizzard, swallowing Shrek's remaining five members in the blink of an eye.

Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Demon Charm.

Within the mist, a figure slowly condensed. A mask dropped over its face, hiding its features. It wore blood-red armor that glowed with strange crimson light, and it held two crescent blades.

The blood-colored mist spread everywhere, cutting off everything.

Oscar's third Soul Ring lit up.

"Wishful Thinking Mushroom Sausage."

Seven green mushroom sausages appeared in his hands. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun each took one and swallowed it. Oscar ate one himself as well.

Four figures shot into the sky.

They flew out from the edge of the red mist, crossed over that zone of death, and dove straight toward Yan on the other side.

Yan raised his head and looked at the four descending figures, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"Perfect timing."

Flames ignited across his body, and the phantom of the Flame Lord emerged behind him. The aura of a level fifty Soul King erupted in full as he met the four head-on.

Xiao Wu's soft skills, Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames, the shining light of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and Oscar's sausages constantly falling into their mouths—the four worked together seamlessly, attacking Yan from different directions.

Facing four opponents alone, Yan's flames surged, yet he did not fall behind in the slightest.

Within the red mist, Tang San was the only one left.

In front of him, the figure clad in black armor and wielding twin blades slowly approached. The crescent blades dragged across the ground, producing a piercing scraping sound. Red light flowed across the armor, eerie and alluring.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread outward.

He did not know how long this fusion could last, but he knew that he had to hold on. Hold on until Boss Dai and the others dealt with the two brothers with angel Martial Souls, until Xiao Wu and the others defeated the Flame Lord, until the scales of victory tipped toward Shrek.

What he did not know was that all of this was being watched by someone.

Huo Yuhao stood at the very back of the team, completely still.

Spiritual Detection spread outward, covering the entire battlefield. Every person's position, every movement, every direction in which soul power flowed—all of it appeared clearly within his mind.

He "saw" Qian Ren Duo and Wang Qiu'er battling the Netherworld White Tiger. Though they were slightly disadvantaged, they would not lose in the short term.

He "saw" Yan fighting four alone, his flames suppressing Xiao Wu and the others so thoroughly that they could not get close.

He "saw" Tang San struggling desperately within Demon Charm, his Blue Silver Grass being severed by the crescent blades again and again, only to grow back again and again.

He "saw" every battlefield.

He "saw" every victory and defeat.

He did nothing.

He merely stood there with Spiritual Detection activated, like a true support-type Soul Master.

Qian Ren Jun stood beside him like a sword-bearing guard.

A pair of pure white wings of the Sacred Angel spread behind him. Behind him, the angel phantom pressed its hands together as though praying. Seeing Yan having some difficulty, he shifted his feet slightly.

"No need." Huo Yuhao's voice was soft.

Qian Ren Jun stopped and looked at him.

Huo Yuhao did not explain.

He only continued watching the battlefield, watching the four battlefields, watching every expression on every face.

Qian Ren Duo and Wang Qiu'er were fighting bitterly, but they could still endure.

Yan was surrounded by four opponents, but he could still hold on.

Tang San was finding it harder and harder to endure within Demon Charm, but he had not yet reached his limit.

Everything was under control.

Or rather, everything was under his control.

Outside the arena, in the VIP seats, Bibi Dong's gaze remained fixed on Huo Yuhao.

She saw it clearly.

Very, very clearly.

With Spirit Hall's strength, this battle could have ended within five minutes. Four Soul Kings, Wang Qiu'er—a monstrous talent who did not possess Soul King cultivation but had Soul King strength—and Huo Yuhao's bizarre Spiritual Detection—they could have launched a full assault the instant the opponent used the Netherworld White Tiger and crushed them with absolute power.

But they did not.

Qian Ren Duo and Wang Qiu'er merely kept the beast entangled. They were not fighting with their lives on the line.

Yan fought one against four, but spent most of his time defending.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena's Demon Charm had trapped Tang San. They lurked within it like venomous snakes, in no hurry to strike.

Huo Yuhao and Qian Ren Jun remained at the back the entire time, unmoving.

They were waiting.

Maintaining some delicate balance.

Like a hunter toying with prey. He could clearly kill it with one blow, yet he insisted on taking his time, taking his time as he watched the prey struggle, watched it despair, watched it gradually exhaust every last ounce of strength.

Bibi Dong's brows furrowed slightly.

"Huo Yuhao," she softly murmured his name. "What exactly are you trying to do..."

She remembered the child who had come to Spirit Hall seven years ago—small, silent, yet with flames burning in his eyes, just as they had burned in hers when she first arrived.

She remembered the evening Qian Renxue had brought him back, when she had seen him from afar. She remembered Qian Daoliu personally taking him as a disciple, and all the rumors about him over the years.

Twin Martial Souls, yet his main Martial Soul's first Soul Ring had been a white ten-year Soul Ring.

Those eyes that could see fate.

That child had grown up beneath her very eyes, and she understood him less and less.

On the stage, the battle continued.

Demon Charm's red mist grew thicker and thicker.

The Netherworld White Tiger's roars shook the sky.

Phoenix flames and soft skills struck Yan with increasing frequency.

Yet on Shrek's side, no one noticed the inconspicuous figure at the rear of the opposing team.

No one knew that the rhythm of this battle had always been in his hands.

Huo Yuhao stood there, Spiritual Detection covering everything.

His gaze pierced through the red mist and fell upon the figure in blue.

That person was struggling.

Fighting desperately.

Using every ounce of strength to defeat his enemy.

The mist dispersed.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena emerged from the red fog, both pale-faced and breathing heavily. Having their Martial Soul Fusion Skill forcibly interrupted had inflicted tremendous exhaustion and damage upon them.

And Tang San, standing before them, looked utterly miserable.

All of the Eight Spider Lances on his back had shattered. Only a few remnants still hung there, blood gushing from the wounds and dyeing half his body red. He gripped the Clear Sky Hammer in one hand, its body black as ink, while his other hand remained hidden behind his back. He knelt on one knee, gasping for air.

More than a dozen wounds covered his body. In several of the deepest, bone was almost visible. Yet his eyes were bright—terrifyingly bright.

"Third Brother!"

Xiao Wu's voice rang out from the other side of the battlefield. When she saw Tang San's condition, her heart shattered. She turned and rushed toward him.

A golden figure blocked her way.

Qian Ren Jun.

Angel's Sacred Feather spread open, blocking her view of Tang San.

Xiao Wu activated her soul skill, first using Charm, causing Qian Ren Jun to freeze for a moment. Joy rose in her heart as she moved to circle around him, but the next instant, Qian Ren Jun's longsword had already fallen. In panic, she activated her third soul skill, Invincible Golden Body, to block his attack.

"Move!" Xiao Wu's eyes had turned red.

Qian Ren Jun said nothing.

He simply stood there without giving an inch, swinging his sacred sword again.

The second yellow Soul Ring on Xiao Wu's body flashed. Her second soul skill, Teleportation. Her figure instantly appeared behind Qian Ren Jun.

At that moment—

In a flash, Tang San's hand, hidden behind his back, suddenly opened.

At that instant, his figure seemed like a thousand-armed Buddha, countless afterimages blooming behind him. He sharply flung his hand, and the broken fragments of the Eight Spider Lances—the fragments scattered around him and across the ground, which he had secretly gathered—shot out all at once.

Batwing Reincarnation.

A Tang Sect hidden weapon technique. Using fragments as weapons and clever force as the trigger, its trajectories were strange and impossible to defend against.

Hu Liena's pupils abruptly contracted.

Those fragments split into three waves. The first flew directly toward her and Xie Yue at astonishing speed. She twisted aside, swinging her crescent blades to knock down most of them.

The second wave flew in different directions, as though it had missed.

The third wave shot toward Wang Qiu'er, Qian Ren Duo, Qian Ren Jun, and Yan from every conceivable tricky angle.

Xie Yue blocked them, knocking several fragments aside, but he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Then, the image transmitted through Huo Yuhao's shared Spiritual Detection made him understand in an instant—

The fragments that had "missed" traced bizarre arcs through the air, then flew back from behind!

A pincer attack from both sides!

"Watch out!"

He shouted, but it was already too late. Those fragments were too fast and their angles too vicious. They had just suffered the interruption of their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and their reactions were half a beat too slow.

Hu Liena and Xie Yue gritted their teeth, circulating all their soul power to form soul power shields and prepare to take the attack head-on.

Walls of ice rose around them.

Crystal-clear ice walls reflected seven-colored radiance beneath the sunlight. They appeared out of thin air, enclosing all of them within.

Clink, clink, clink, clink—

The Eight Spider Lance fragments struck the ice walls with crisp sounds. Some fell to the ground, while others lodged within the ice.

Huo Yuhao walked forward from behind Xie Yue and Hu Liena.

His steps were steady, his expression calm, as though nothing had happened. He walked up to the two of them, glanced at them, and gave a faint nod.

Xie Yue froze for a moment, then let out a long breath.

Hu Liena looked at him, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through her eyes.

Huo Yuhao.

He had always been there.

He had been watching everything through shared Spiritual Detection.

He had been waiting.

Waiting for Tang San to make his move.

"Huo Yuhao!"

An enraged roar came from ahead.

Tang San stood there, his eyes nearly splitting apart as he stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao. Those eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, hatred, and unwillingness.

So close.

He had been so close.

Just like in his previous life, he had calculated everything. He had calculated when Demon Charm would end, the instant they would be weakest and most relaxed, the angles and trajectories of the Eight Spider Lance fragments. He had used Batwing Reincarnation, used Tang Sect hidden weapon techniques, and seized that instant when everyone would let down their guard.

If that attack had succeeded, at least half of Spirit Hall's team would have been eliminated. Then Xiao Wu and the others could have seized the chance to counterattack. Then Shrek would have had a chance to win.

But Huo Yuhao had ruined everything.

It was Huo Yuhao again.

Him again!

"Tang San."

Huo Yuhao looked at him, at that twisted face, and gently shook his head.

Then he could not help blurting out a curse.

"I knew it," he said. "But I still didn't expect you to be this fucking underhanded."

Tang San's face turned the color of pig liver.

Qian Ren Duo and Wang Qiu'er exchanged a glance.

Then they both laughed.

Their smiles held a trace of understanding, a trace of mockery, and a trace of—the sheer exhilaration of finally being able to cut loose.

The Golden Dragon martial soul threw back its head and roared. Golden light flickered over Wang Qiu'er's body, while the white wings behind Qian Ren Duo fully spread open as his Sacred Angel martial soul erupted with all its power. The two charged at the still-struggling Netherworld White Tiger at the same time.

In the blink of an eye.

The White Tiger phantom shattered with a boom. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground, unable to rise again.

On the other side, Yan moved.

The Flame Lord roared behind him, and the aura of a level-fifty Soul King burst forth without restraint. He charged toward Xiao Wu, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong, flames churning and heat waves rolling.

Qian Ren Duo circled around him and rushed at the Shrek team.

His golden longsword tore through the air and slashed savagely at them.

The four were blasted off the platform.

The entire process took no more than ten breaths.

Of the Shrek Academy team, only Tang San remained on the stage.

He stood there, gripping the Clear Sky Hammer, covered in blood and gasping for breath. Looking at the seven people opposite him, at those indifferent gazes, he suddenly felt like a sheep that had fallen into a pack of wolves.

He had lost.

Completely lost.

But he did not want to admit defeat.

He raised his head and looked at Huo Yuhao.

The young man stood at the center of the team, surrounded by everyone. There was no expression on his face, and those dark eyes were fixed on Tang San.

"Huo Yuhao," Tang San said hoarsely. "How about we make a bet?"

Huo Yuhao looked at him without speaking.

"The two of us will duel," Tang San continued. "One-on-one. If I win, you give us the championship. If you win..."

He paused.

"Anything you want."

This was his final trump card. A God King's secret technique: gambling. In his previous life, no one had been able to refuse this kind of challenge. It was the privilege of a protagonist, destiny's favor.

As long as Huo Yuhao agreed, he would have a chance. In a one-on-one fight, he had the Clear Sky Hammer, hidden weapons, fragments of the Eight Spider Lances, and Ring Detonation as his trump card. As long as he could get close to Huo Yuhao, as long as he could seize an opening—

Huo Yuhao looked at him.

As though he were looking at an idiot.

There was no anger or contempt in that gaze, only an indescribable... confusion. As if he were looking at someone whose brain was broken.

Before he could speak, Qian Ren Jun behind him had already opened his mouth.

"Tang San, are you fucking sick?"

Qian Ren Jun stepped forward, pointing at Tang San's nose, his face full of disbelief.

"Why the hell should Yuhao make a bet with you? This is a team battle. We won, and you lost. The championship is ours, so why would we bet with you? Who the hell do you think you are?"

Tang San's face darkened.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

Qian Ren Jun was right. This was a team battle, and the outcome had already been decided. What right did he have to propose a bet?

But he could not give up.

He gritted his teeth.

He still had one last move.

The black Soul Ring on the Clear Sky Hammer suddenly erupted with blinding light.

Ring Detonation.

A secret technique of the Clear Sky Sect. By burning and detonating a Soul Ring, one could exchange it for enormous energy and instantaneous explosive power.

The ten-thousand-year Soul Ring exploded with a boom. At that moment, Tang San's aura surged to the level of a Soul Emperor.

Normally, the backlash from Ring Detonation was something only Soul Douluos and Titled Douluos could endure. It should not have been something a mere Soul Ancestor like Tang San could use.

However, relying on memories from his previous life, Tang San had found and killed a strange ten-thousand-year soul beast called the Twin-Headed Turtle.

These soul beasts were always born as twins. They could synchronously share everything they suffered with their sibling according to both parties' wishes, and the proportion could be adjusted through mutual agreement.

The soul skill Tang San gained was called Two-in-One. He could form a contract with a target and synchronously share any attacks and backlash he suffered with that person.

That person was his father, Tang Hao. Before this match, Tang San had found him and told him what he planned to do. As a father, Tang Hao had readily agreed.

Tang San had set the transfer ratio at ninety-nine percent.

Tang San roared, swung the Clear Sky Hammer, and smashed it toward Huo Yuhao.

Since he could not claim the championship, then—

I'll take your life, Huo Yuhao!

The Clear Sky Hammer crashed down with world-destroying force, tearing the air apart with a piercing shriek.

Huo Yuhao moved.

He sidestepped, and the Clear Sky Hammer grazed past his body before smashing into the ground.

Boom!

The entire arena platform shook. A massive crater was blasted into the ground, sending shattered stone flying everywhere.

Tang San's second hammer strike followed immediately.

Huo Yuhao dodged again.

The third hammer.

Boom!

Another huge crater.

Huo Yuhao stood by the edge of the crater, looking at Tang San. At last, a flicker of emotion appeared in those deep blue eyes.

It was not fear.

It was—pity.

"Emperor Tian · Snow Dance Radiant Sun."

His voice was very soft.

An aura of extreme cold erupted from his body. Snowflakes filled the sky, instantly blanketing the entire arena platform. They were no ordinary snowflakes; each contained chilling cold powerful enough to freeze soul power.

"Eternal Frozen Domain."

The second voice fell.

Ice-blue light spread out from Huo Yuhao. Everything in its path froze.

Snow Dance Extreme Ice Domain.

The combined technique of Emperor Tian and Eternal Frozen Domain, one of Huo Yuhao's trump cards.

The blizzard engulfed both him and Tang San.

All Tang San could see was endless white. He could see nothing at all. His Purple Demon Eyes operated at full force, yet he still could not see through the heavy snow. His soul power was rapidly draining away, and the strength granted by Ring Detonation was quickly fading.

He began to panic.

"Tang San."

Huo Yuhao's voice came from every direction, like a ghost in the snow.

"Do you know? When I was six years old, I saw a Clear Sky Hammer."

Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted.

"That day, it smashed apart my home," Huo Yuhao said calmly. "It smashed apart my mother's corpse. It smashed apart everyone's corpses."

"So—"

An ice-blue streak slashed out from the snow.

Emperor Sword · Icebound Unparalleled.

Tang San raised the Clear Sky Hammer and took it head-on.

Boom!

His arm trembled, his body staggered backward, and the web between his thumb and forefinger split open, blood pouring out.

But Huo Yuhao gave him no chance to catch his breath.

Soul Shock.

An invisible ripple struck Tang San's mind, and his consciousness blurred for an instant.

That instant was enough.

A palm passed through the wind and snow, gently pressing against his chest.

Emperor Palm · Great Cold No Snow.

Extreme cold spread from that palm, instantly coursing through Tang San's entire body. His blood, soul power, bones, muscles—all of it froze.

He stood there, utterly motionless.

He had become an ice sculpture.

The blizzard dispersed.

Sunlight poured down once more.

Huo Yuhao stood before Tang San and withdrew his palm. He looked at the ice sculpture, at the terror and unwillingness frozen on that face, without any expression.

He turned around and walked toward his teammates.

"The match is over," he said.

Behind him, the ice sculpture glittered beneath the sunlight.

In the stands, Bibi Dong slowly rose to her feet.

Her gaze fell upon Huo Yuhao's back, upon that slender figure that could not be ignored.

Seven years.

That frail child who had always pressed his lips tightly together had finally grown up.

"Huo Yuhao..." she softly murmured his name, the corner of her lips lifting slightly.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a hint of deeper meaning.

In the stands on the other side, Flander stood up, his face ashen. Liu Erlong clenched her teeth, tears welling in her eyes. Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang sat there without moving, only staring fixedly at the ice sculpture on the stage.

They had lost.

Completely lost.

On the arena platform, Qian Ren Duo walked over to Huo Yuhao and patted his shoulder.

"Nicely done."

Huo Yuhao said nothing.

He merely raised his head and looked toward the sky.

The sun was like molten gold, brilliant and dazzling.

The sunlight it cast was radiant and warm.