Just as Mu Jin explained the formidable opponents Huo Yuhao and the others might face in the Freshman Assessment elimination rounds, the teachers of the other freshman classes had also evaluated Huo Yuhao's team.
Before their match against Huang Chutian's team, Huo Yuhao's team had not been worth singling out for analysis by the other teachers. But the terrifying combat strength Huo Yuhao suddenly unleashed during that battle had sent their team's rating soaring.
He had single-handedly broken a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, then fought one against three in the previous elimination match, defeating Freshman Class One's far-from-weak team in a flash of lightning.
Huo Yuhao was like a sharp sword thrust suddenly out of the darkness, its edge pressed against the throats of every team in the elimination rounds. Almost every freshman teacher except Zhou Yi had given him exactly the same assessment.
Combat strength unknown. Do not confront him head-on!
During their pre-match planning, Xie Huanyue and his teammates had also discussed what tactics to use if they encountered Huo Yuhao's team. It was simple: abandon the idea of focusing their attacks on Huo Yuhao and take out Ning Tian in the back line instead.
Thus, Xie Huanyue's approach toward Huo Yuhao just now had been nothing but a feint. His true target was Ning Tian, who stood behind Huo Yuhao, providing powerful support boosts to both her teammates.
"Hmm, this boy is quite cunning. He even slipped a little deception under everyone's noses." Xuan Zi nodded as he took great bites out of his chicken leg.
Yet a second later, he froze. He even rubbed his eyes with his filthy sleeve, as though he had seen something utterly unbelievable.
"Has this little fatty taken the wrong medicine?"
In the arena below, Xie Huanyue's enormous body had clearly begun falling toward Ning Tian, yet for some inexplicable reason, he suddenly veered off course and flew toward Huo Yuhao instead.
Light flashed within Huo Yuhao's Flame God Eyes Martial Soul, and he chuckled inwardly.
Naturally, Xie Huanyue had not done this because he wanted to feint again and ambush him. He was under the effect of Huo Yuhao's Soul Skill.
Mental Interference disrupted the target's mind, throwing their mental state into disarray and causing their attacks to veer off course.
The four Soul Skills Brother Sky Dream had passed down to him were all highly practical, but the original Huo Yuhao in the source novel had rarely seemed to use Mental Interference.
That was hardly surprising, though. Back then, Huo Yuhao had lacked combat experience and could not accurately seize the right moment to unleash Mental Interference.
But a perfectly timed use of Mental Interference could absolutely change the entire course of a battle.
Take Xie Huanyue right now, for instance. He desperately wanted to escape, but there was no escape...
Meanwhile, the two Luo brothers were already on the verge of collapse under Wu Feng's attacks alone. They were merely Soul Grandmasters with ordinary Martial Souls. Even together, they could hardly withstand Wu Feng, who possessed a top-tier Beast Martial Soul and was further enhanced by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
"Second Soul Skill, Dragon's Wrath!"
Her second Soul Ring shone, and the Dragon's Fire rising from Wu Feng's body abruptly turned dark red. The scales covering half her body also grew thicker and heavier.
As the red light in her eyes blazed, her left hand fully transformed into a dragon claw, which she swung fiercely at the Luo brothers.
The Luo brothers' Mantis Blades conjured dozens of blade rays in an attempt to block Wu Feng's dragon claw. But their hopes were plump, while reality was all skin and bones. Whether in soul power level or Martial Soul quality, they were inferior to Wu Feng. Any resistance was futile.
In the Outer Academy's private evaluations, the freshman Soul Elder Xie Huanyue currently ranked even higher than Ning Tian. The Luo Brothers, however, lagged far behind the other students in the elimination rounds, dragging down their team's overall strength.
An opponent like a god was nothing to fear; a teammate like a pig was the real nightmare!
Wu Feng's dragon claw blasted the Luo Brothers straight backward. The supervising teacher had already slipped into the arena like a ghost, seized the two of them, and withdrawn from the competition grounds like lightning.
The supervising teacher's intervention also meant that the two Luo brothers were eliminated outright. Xie Huanyue was now the last lone seedling left in the arena.
"Damn it, I'm always the only one left."
Xie Huanyue muttered helplessly. After inexplicably landing beside Huo Yuhao, he had no choice but to engage him in combat.
Although his close-combat skills were far inferior to Huo Yuhao's, his rolls of fat were genuinely tough. Every punch and kick Huo Yuhao landed had its force dispersed, failing to inflict any actual damage.
"Pretty boy, have you had enough? It's my turn!"
The second Soul Ring around Xie Huanyue's body suddenly lit up. His short, thick right arm abruptly lengthened and lashed fiercely toward Huo Yuhao like a flexible whip.
Huo Yuhao remained unhurried. He calmly caught Xie Huanyue's right arm, then lifted both feet off the ground and allowed Xie Huanyue to swing him around.
Xie Huanyue swung his right arm hard, trying to fling Huo Yuhao away. But Huo Yuhao gripped his sleeve tightly, clinging to his arm like a stubborn lump of sticky candy.
No matter how strong he was, swinging an entire person around on his arm was becoming more than Xie Huanyue could handle. If he kept wearing himself out against Huo Yuhao like this, he would soon exhaust his stamina and have no choice but to lie down and concede.
The third Soul Ring around his obese body finally shone. Purple light instantly illuminated him, making Xie Huanyue look like a gigantic purple rubber ball.
With a low roar, an intense ring of purple light burst from his body, blasting Huo Yuhao away.
A second later, Xie Huanyue's body caught up with Huo Yuhao. His enormous frame descended with terrifying force, attempting to pin Huo Yuhao beneath him.
Under the effect of his thousand-year Soul Skill, Xie Huanyue's burst of speed was astonishing. He reached Huo Yuhao in practically the blink of an eye. Wu Feng no longer had time to come to Huo Yuhao's aid and cried out in alarm.
Xie Huanyue was somewhat surprised to see Huo Yuhao standing still without moving. But he knew exactly how powerful his thousand-year Soul Skill was. It was absolutely not something a Soul Master with a soul power level in the teens could withstand.
"Eight Extremes Collapse!"
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao moved. His upper body twisted, and his right elbow blasted forward with the force of his entire body, striking Xie Huanyue squarely in the abdomen.
"It's useless. Your attacks can't break through the bodily defenses of my Rubber Elephant Martial Soul." Huo Yuhao's blow briefly stalled Xie Huanyue's body, but he continued pressing down toward Huo Yuhao.
"It's over." Xuan Zi stood up, seemingly ready to turn and leave.
"You're right. It really is difficult for me to break through your outer defenses." Huo Yuhao suddenly raised his head and smiled at Xie Huanyue. "But if I attack the inside of your body, how will you block it?"
"Eight Extremes Collapse, Hidden Force!"
Bang!
A muffled explosion sounded inside Xie Huanyue's body. He stared at Huo Yuhao in disbelief as blood streamed from the corners of his mouth.
The purple light around his body scattered. Xie Huanyue's enormous frame toppled to the ground, and he immediately lost consciousness.
I'd like to recommend a friend's book. If you enjoy historical fiction, take a look. It's quite well written.
Title: Ming Dynasty: Told to Be a County Magistrate, You Built an Imperial Capital
Author: Loves Stewing Pork Rib Soup
Before you continue