Aftermath

Outside Skysea Stadium, the crowds in the night surged in all directions like the receding tide, but the clamor about the game was like the rising tide, one wave higher than the next.

From the bar street surrounding the stadium to the subway cars on the other side of the city, the entire Skysea City was immersed in heated discussions. The competition had even begun to spread throughout the Federation via the Soul Tool Network.

However, Huo Yuhao and the others paid no attention to this matter and simply returned to the hotel to rest as before.

After all, in Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena's eyes, this was nothing.

As for Xie Xie and the others...

"What's so great about winning by doing nothing? We're just the boss's background."

Xie Xie rolled his eyes.

It was too brutal. Boss Yuhao's fighting style almost destroyed people's confidence in cultivation.

Fortunately, they were no match for their opponents; otherwise, the psychological trauma they would have suffered would have been much more severe.

Don't compare yourself to others.

Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, "There will always be someone more outstanding than you; you can't always beat them."

"I don't believe there's anyone better than you, boss." Xie Xie pouted.

"You're just better than me?" Huo Yuhao chuckled. "I can't learn your sharp tongue."

"... Pfft!" Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the others couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"How can that be the same?"

Xie Xie retorted verbally, but his mood eased considerably, and he became more relaxed.

Yeah, the boss is a monster, why bother comparing yourself to him?

"..."

In front of the Soul Guidance Screen, Yu Zhen and Long Hengxu watched the entire match without saying a word for Jiujiu.

Long Hengxu closed his eyes, waiting for his emotions to calm down, before opening them and saying, "Dean, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't have believed that such a genius came from Eastsea and even had some connection with our academy."

The Soul Guidance Screen was still replaying Huo Yuhao's previous scene—a single palm strike that shattered his opponent's Battle Armor inch by inch.

Who could have imagined that Eastsea Academy would one day defeat Shrek Academy? And in such a crushing way at that?

Yu Zhen shook his head. "He's no longer a genius, he's a strongman."

Huo Yuhao's ability to defeat Shrek Academy prodigy with Battle Armor demonstrates that he ranks among the top in the Eastsea Sea.

"Next, I'm afraid the East Sea Governor will approach me to discuss some matters. Please keep an eye on things at the academy."

Yu Zhen stood up from his office chair, straightened his back, and walked towards the door.

With the Eastsea Academy making such a splash, it's bound to attract attention from all sides.

But this is exactly what he wanted, isn't it?

"Taking advantage of the momentum created by Yuhao, our Eastsea Academy can also rise to prominence."

As for the Shrek Academy's attitude... Yu wasn't too worried.

The contestants this time are essentially the Spirit Pagoda and Shrek Academy. Once Huo Yuhao and his group's identities as members of the Spirit Pagoda are revealed, not many people will pay attention to them.

Moreover, he had already contacted Hua Yichen, who said he wouldn't implicate them.

Having cooperated with the East Sea Spirit Pagoda for so long, their reputation has always been trustworthy.

As an alliance composed of five major first-tier cities in the east, the Skysea Alliance naturally attracted the attention of the entire Federation during the competition. With the help of some forces, the news of Shrek's defeat to one person spread throughout the Federation in just a few days and was repeatedly broadcast and watched by some people.

It was at this time that the Spirit Pagoda moved Huo Yuhao from eighth to first place on the Young Genius List and bestowed upon him the name "Spirit Transmission".

Spirit Pagoda, no one who watched the match recording dared to directly raise any questions.

With Divine Power reaching the Spirit Abyss Realm, four Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, and the cultivation of Soul Ancestor, achieving such accomplishments at the age of ten is probably unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.

With the Spirit Pagoda as its backdrop, there's no doubt that Huo Yuhao will be a prominent figure of this era.

This competition brought Huo Yuhao into the spotlight of various forces, making him famous throughout the world.

"Boss, you're truly the best in the world now!"

Xie Xie was amazed as he read the praises of Huo Yuhao online and the new rankings on the Young Genius List.

"Not only Yuhao, but Na'er's ranking has also improved, reaching the same level as Yuhao," Xu Xiaoyan remarked. "If Na'er had performed even better in the previous competitions, she probably could have risen even further."

"I don't care." Gu Yuena sat down next to Huo Yuhao, gently picked up a delicate rose pastry, and ate it in small bites. Her long black hair fell down, shimmering softly in the sunlight.

"Rankings don't matter."

Gu Yuena swallowed the sweet pastry, her eyes curving slightly. "Anyway, Yuhao is already number one."

Huo Yuhao smiled and handed him a cup of warm honey flower tea, saying, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Xie Xie looked at the two of them, then exaggeratedly clutched his chest. "Hey, can you two stop being so calm? The entire Soul Master World is talking about Boss Yuhao right now, and even the rest of us have been dragged into this!"

Gu Yuena took the teacup. "You're famous throughout the continent now, isn't that good?"

"... That's true."

Xie Xie thought about it carefully and nodded.

To make a name for oneself, what young man hasn't dreamed of that?

However, the pressure is quite high. At least he can't be as calm as Boss Yuhao. Should he wear a mask when he goes out in the future?

Beside him, Tang Wulin held a crystal cake made by Huo Yuhao, eating it with a happy expression, and asked, "But what about Shrek? They lost so badly this time, and the online comments about them aren't very friendly... I hope something bad happens to them?"

People tend to favor the weak. Although Huo Yuhao single-handedly swept through the enemy forces, the age of the seven members of the Eastsea was a factor, so public opinion naturally sided with them, putting all the pressure on Shrek.

"Wulin, you're just too soft-hearted."

Wang Jinxi shook his head. "Everything has a price. Teacher Luo has already communicated with the Skysea Alliance and prevented the cause of the conflict from being exposed. That's very humane. Don't overthink it."

It's worth mentioning that during this public opinion storm, the Spirit Pagoda did not fuel the flames. Instead, it proactively communicated with the Skysea Alliance and appropriately controlled certain key information. Otherwise, if the true cause of the competition conflict had been exposed, the seven Shrek students would likely have suffered an even heavier blow.

Upon hearing this, Tang Wulin nodded and stopped thinking about it.

Xie Xie asked curiously, "Speaking of which, Wulin, how's your forging competition going?"

Tang Wulin swallowed the last piece of pastry and said confidently, "The final is in one day, and I can win!"

"That's great. Compared to us who won without effort, Wulin, you're really going to become famous." Xie Xie with some envy.

Side Profession... Although they also chose their own Side Profession, their progress wasn't fast; they needed time to improve.

Tang Wulin scratched his head and smiled slightly.

It was the members of the Spirit Pagoda who gave him this opportunity; before, he would never have dared to show his forging talent in front of outsiders.

In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere at the Eastsea Academy, the Shrek Academy students staying at the hotel were listless and lifeless.

Inside the spacious suite, the curtains were drawn, and dim light enveloped every corner. The once proud and confident young Soul Masters were now either slumped on the sofa or leaning against the wall, their eyes vacant, as if they had not yet recovered from the shock of that battle.

"We... lost to one person?" Yao Qixuan stared at the match footage playing on the Soul Guidance Screen, his voice hoarse.

In the scene, Huo Yuhao's figure moved like Gui Mei, and his four pitch-black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring exuded a suffocating sense of oppression, while they were as powerless as children in front of him.

"Divine Power of the Spirit Abyss Realm... How is this possible..." Ning Yue muttered to herself, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the hem of her clothes, still unable to believe it.

Lin Xuyao stared at the constantly popping up posts on the Soul Guidance Screen, his face grim.

[Seven VS Seven? Wrong, it's One vs. Seven! Shrek's glory days are over.]

[Shrek Academy student's post-match interview: "We didn't lose unjustly, he's just too strong..."]

[From eighth to first: This young man's path to victory shocked everyone.] (Small print: Especially those he defeated)

[Shrek Academy issues an urgent statement: This match was purely accidental; we are currently researching how to reasonably lose to a child!]

As he read on, especially after reading the fourth post, Lin Xuyao's forehead veins bulged, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he could no longer hold back, "These unscrupulous people..."

brush--

Perhaps sensing his anger, the fourth post quickly disappeared and was deleted.

"..."