Four into Two: Huo Yuhao's Team, Mu Jin's Bet

"Remember, although I've helped you clear away some of the stray Evil Fire, its source is inseparably linked to your Martial Soul. You still need to be careful in your future cultivation."

After a round of cultivation, Lu Yuan patted his backside and prepared to call it a day.

If he asked Elder Yi for help, then with Light-Breaking Demon, he truly could have painstakingly removed every last trace of Evil Fire from Ma Xiaotao's body—

But what would be the point?

For one, it would take time and effort. Once all the Evil Fire was removed, Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, which had originally been close to Ultimate Fire, would drop in quality. For another—and more importantly—without Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire, where would Lu Yuan find such suitable cultivation resources and popcorn?

Therefore, this time, Lu Yuan only burned away all the stray Evil Fire within Ma Xiaotao's body. As for its true source, it remained sealed away, completely untouched.

What a joke. When it came to sustainably draining a pond dry, Lu Yuan had always been excellent at it.

"Whew, whew, whew—" Ma Xiaotao was gasping heavily. The alternating extraction and burning of Evil Fire had given her a sensation of ice and fire, leaving her flushed, drenched in fragrant sweat, limp all over, yet feeling as though she were floating among the clouds.

Seeing Lu Yuan about to leave, she hurriedly got up to see him off. This time, Ma Xiaotao was entirely sincere, repeatedly promising that once Yan Shaozhe's next batch of heavenly treasures for suppressing Evil Fire arrived, she would come ask her junior uncle to treat her again.

As the saying went, hehe, she still had to thank him!

After cultivating with Ma Xiaotao for an entire night, Lu Yuan took part in the next day's quarterfinals. The entire process went exceptionally smoothly. Without any surprises, Lu Yuan, with the cultivation of a Soul Elder, fairly sent every Soul Grandmaster contestant flying, successfully advancing into the semifinals.

In the semifinals, the team they would face was—Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao.

On the spectator platform, Zhou Yi was staring intently at the arena below. A team centered on Huo Yuhao, a one-ring Soul Scholar, with not a single Soul Elder among them, had actually made it to the semifinals of the elimination rounds. That alone had already greatly surprised her.

Today's match could be said to be the harshest test Huo Yuhao's team had faced since entering the competition.

"Teacher Zhou, are you looking for your seed team?"

Just as Zhou Yi was cheering Huo Yuhao's team on, a voice she found both incomparably familiar and incomparably irritating sounded beside her.

A graceful figure swayed over, looking at Zhou Yi with feigned concern as she spoke.

It was none other than Lu Yuan's class teacher, Zhou Yi's sworn rival, Mu Jin.

"Oh my, what a coincidence. I just looked at the draw results. It seems your team has happened to run into our class's team!"

"Mu Jin, did you come here to provoke me?" Zhou Yi's face darkened at Mu Jin's words.

Zhou Yi knew that in terms of individual strength, that student called Lu Yuan in Mu Jin's class was indeed overwhelmingly strong. She had heard that at such a young age, he already possessed a Self-Created Soul Skill. But when she thought of the effects of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Zhou Yi knew they were not entirely without a chance in this match.

"You old hag, so what if I did?" Since things had reached this point, Mu Jin stopped pretending altogether. Besides, she had come here specifically to provoke Zhou Yi. "Do you dare make a bet with me? I'll wager a Soul Bone! If you lose, have Fan Yu forge a close-combat Soul Tool for me!"

Thus, after Fan Yu joined in and the group went back and forth for a while, they arrived at the same wager as in the original story.

On the other side of the spectator stands, Yan Shaozhe was present again today. However, after settling the price with Lu Yuan yesterday, his mood was now completely different.

"Teacher Wang, are the students on the team facing Lu Yuan the ones you mentioned from this year's intake—the ones with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill and Twin Martial Souls?" Yan Shaozhe asked Wang Yan beside Xuan Zi as if making casual conversation. "An eye Martial Soul, the Light Goddess Butterfly, and twin tool Martial Souls. Their qualities are all quite good, though their cultivation is a little too low."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yan adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Dean Yan, although Lu Yuan is indeed very strong, if he underestimates Yuhao and the others, he could very well suffer a loss. After all, the Martial Soul Fusion Skill between Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong has an extremely special effect. One could even say it specifically counters Lu Yuan as he is now."

"Is that so?" Yan Shaozhe did not particularly care. No matter which side won, they would all become disciples of the Martial Soul Department in the future. "Then I'll wait and see!"

Xuan Zi, who was gnawing on a chicken leg beside them, scratched his head after listening to their conversation. Why did Wang Yan's words sound so familiar?

On the arena, after both sides announced their names, referee Du Weilun gave the order and declared the match officially underway!

"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao!" "Yuhao!" ×2

At Du Weilun's command, Huo Yuhao and the other two exchanged glances—

They knew Lu Yuan was a mountain the three of them would struggle to cross in the elimination rounds. Yet after racking their brains for several days, they had finally found a sliver of hope amid their despair.

Wang Dong's Light Goddess Butterfly instantly possessed her body. Splendid butterfly wings unfolded from her back as she wrapped an arm around Huo Yuhao and shot into the air. At the same time, Xiao Xiao summoned her Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute Martial Soul.

Yuhao, what kind of surprise will you bring me this time?

Lu Yuan, whose strength had undergone another round of upgrades over the past few days, was not worried in the slightest. He stood with his hands behind his back, watching the three across from him act.

Second Soul Skill: Dragon's Wrath!

Lu Yuan's side still followed their usual tactical arrangement. He was responsible for protecting Ning Tian, while Wu Feng would prioritize taking out Huo Yuhao, the enemy team's support core. If Huo Yuhao was carried into the air by Wang Dong as he was now, she would switch to the second target—Xiao Xiao, also a support-type Soul Master and someone easily taken out once an opponent got close.

First Soul Skill: Cauldron's Shock!

Xiao Xiao's response was no slower. The first Soul Ring on the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron immediately lit up, and a powerful shockwave surged toward Wu Feng.

"Seven Treasures Have Names: Second, Dispel!"

After Xiao Xiao used her control-type Soul Skill, Ning Tian, who had long been prepared, let out a delicate shout. The second Soul Ring of her Seven Treasure Glazed Tower lit up as well, and a beam of light landed precisely on Wu Feng, dispelling the dizziness caused by the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron's Cauldron's Shock.

"Yuhao! Now!" With Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing controlling the entire battlefield, Wang Dong seized the moment Ning Tian used her Soul Skill. She immediately rushed toward Lu Yuan and shouted at Huo Yuhao in her arms.

Mental Shock!

Purple light filled Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes as a Mental Shock shot forth!

However, contrary to everyone's expectations, the Mental Shock's target was not Lu Yuan, but Ning Tian behind him!