Finals

The next day, in the freshman Assessment Area.

The stands weren't open to students from other years, yet the main viewing platform was nearly full.

Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo sat in the front row, with Du Weilun and Fan Yu behind them. An empty seat separated Zhou Yi and Mu Jin, and neither made any move to speak.

On a raised platform behind the stands, Xuan Zi was as scruffy as ever, a wine gourd in one hand and a chicken leg in the other. Wang Yan sat beside him, holding information on both teams.

“Huo Yuhao. His Martial Soul is the spiritual-attribute Body Martial Soul, Spirit Eyes. Though he only has one Soul Ring, his Spiritual Detection Sharing can help the team—”

Xuan Zi waved his greasy hand.

"I'm not blind yet."

Wang Yan faltered and closed the file.

Below, both teams had entered the arena.

Gu Mingyuan stood at the front, Cao Jinxuan tucked in behind him, and Zhou Sichen half a step farther back.

Across from them, Huo Yuhao stood in the middle, flanked by Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.

At the referee's signal, Huo Yuhao's white Soul Ring lit up first.

Spiritual Detection Sharing!

Invisible spiritual energy instantly linked Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. The arena's terrain, fluctuations in Soul Power, and even the slightest movements of Gu Mingyuan's team appeared in all three of their minds.

Then gold flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Soul Shock!

An unseen surge of spiritual power shot straight at Gu Mingyuan.

Purple light flared in Gu Mingyuan's eyes. The two spiritual forces collided before his forehead. He swayed slightly, and a stab of pain struck his temples, but it lasted only an instant.

In raw spiritual power, Huo Yuhao did have the edge.

But the spiritual power tempered by the Purple Emperor Eyes remained tightly focused. If Huo Yuhao thought a single Soul Shock could take him down, he was dreaming.

In the Sea of Spirit, Yu Xiaogang snorted.

"His spiritual power is concentrated, and his will is strong. Don't waste more time on him. Take out the control-type soul master behind him first."

Huo Yuhao changed tactics at once.

"Xiao Xiao, keep Gu Mingyuan busy. Wang Dong, go for Cao Jinxuan!"

The wings of Wang Dong's Light Goddess Butterfly spread behind her. Brilliant blue-gold light filled the arena as she soared into the air.

Xiao Xiao raised both hands. Three Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons slammed to the ground and pressed forward in a triangular formation, aiming to separate Gu Mingyuan from his two teammates.

The pages of the Grimoire in Zhou Sichen's hand flipped rapidly.

A bear's roar and a tiger's howl rang out together.

The Earth Bear landed on the left and swiped a massive paw at Wang Dong overhead. The Flame Demon Tiger leaped out on the right, breathing a mass of crimson fire.

After summoning the two Soul Beasts, Zhou Sichen didn't stay put. He quietly moved backward.

Xiao Xiao immediately turned one cauldron to block him.

But the moment the three-cauldron formation shifted, Gu Mingyuan moved.

His first Soul Ring lit up.

He threw his first punch of the match.

Boom!

His fist struck the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron head-on.

A heavy hum shook the arena. The cauldron did not break, but the force of the punch scattered the formation, sending all three cauldrons sliding several meters in different directions.

Xiao Xiao went pale. She immediately formed a seal with her hands, trying to call the cauldrons back.

But Gu Mingyuan had already raised his left hand.

Heaven and Earth Attraction!

A sudden Traction Force caught Xiao Xiao. She stumbled and slid forward half a step against her will.

Only half a step.

It was enough.

"Cao Jinxuan."

"Got it."

The Passage of Time Clock behind Cao Jinxuan flashed, and his second Soul Ring blazed to life.

"Time Lock!"

A faint, unreal chime sounded. Distorted time power fell over Xiao Xiao. Her movements froze, and even her gaze went still.

Cao Jinxuan's face rapidly drained of color, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Two seconds!"

Gu Mingyuan was already in front of Xiao Xiao.

"Enough." He kicked.

He held back enough to avoid serious injury, though it would still hurt. The referee flashed forward and caught Xiao Xiao.

"Xiao Xiao is out of bounds. Eliminated!"

Barely ten seconds had passed between the start of the match and the first elimination.

Mu Jin's fingers loosened slightly on the railing. Zhou Yi's face darkened.

Behind them, Xuan Zi narrowed his eyes.

"An eye technique, footwork, and that boy's move..."

"The Tang Sect," Wang Yan said quietly.

Xuan Zi tore off a piece of chicken and spoke around it.

"It all bears the Tang Sect's mark, but it's a little different from the Tang Sect of today."

In the arena, Huo Yuhao did not hesitate over Xiao Xiao's elimination.

To take Xiao Xiao out, Gu Mingyuan had left Cao Jinxuan's side.

That was the opening Huo Yuhao had been waiting for.

"Wang Dong!"

Wang Dong snapped her wings shut midair to evade the Earth Bear's enormous paw, then dove. As she passed over Huo Yuhao, their palms touched for an instant.

Blue-gold Hao-Dong Power surged into Huo Yuhao.

"Soul Shock!"

This Soul Shock was far more powerful than the first.

A hint of purple had only just appeared in Cao Jinxuan's eyes when his face turned deathly pale. The Passage of Time Clock's chime cut off. He dropped to one knee, bracing both hands against the ground to keep from collapsing.

The Purple Demon Eyes had strengthened his spiritual power, but nowhere near enough to withstand the Hao-Dong Power unleashed by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong together.

Wang Dong seized the opening.

Her first and second Soul Rings lit up at once.

Winged Blade!

Butterfly God's Light!

Blue-gold wing blades crossed as they slashed down, with a dazzling sphere of light close behind. Cao Jinxuan had only just regained a little awareness after the Soul Shock. He had no time to dodge.

The referee appeared before him in an instant, stopping the sharp Butterfly Wings with one hand and sweeping Cao Jinxuan out of the arena with the other.

"Cao Jinxuan can no longer fight. Eliminated!"

In the stands, Fan Yu's gaze sharpened.

"That spiritual attack just now wasn't powered by Huo Yuhao alone."

"Wang Dong's Soul Power flowed into his Soul Skill." Wang Yan watched the pair intently. "Their Soul Power can flow between them. Their coordination goes well beyond that of ordinary teammates."

Qian Duoduo rubbed his chin.

"Interesting. If they can use their combined Soul Power so freely, then a true..."

He left the thought unfinished.

Gu Mingyuan had already turned back to defend.

He punched at Wang Dong. Unable to dodge, she crossed her arms and Butterfly Wings in front of her.

Thud!

The dull impact sent Wang Dong flying backward. He used the force to climb rapidly into the air, but his arms were numb, and the blue-gold glow of his Butterfly Wings had noticeably dimmed.

Each side had lost one fighter.

Gu Mingyuan and Zhou Sichen faced Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

Gu Mingyuan did not pursue Wang Dong into the air. Instead, he turned toward Huo Yuhao alongside the Earth Bear and Flame Demon Tiger.

One man and two beasts closed in from three sides.

Huo Yuhao used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to weave between the bear's paw, the tiger's claws, and Gu Mingyuan. Spiritual Detection showed him every attack clearly, but the three-way assault kept shrinking the space he had to move.

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly said:

"Don't get tangled up with that boy. You can't break through his defenses right now. Take out Zhou Sichen first, and those two beasts will disappear."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice followed:

"Yuhao, you've already used some of your Hao-Dong Power. The longer this drags on, the worse it gets for you. If that boy gets close, you won't survive even one hit."