The last rays of the setting sun had long since faded, leaving only the flickering, dim candlelight Pope's Hall, which cast the towering dome as if it were an abyss.
Bibi Dong sat alone on the Pope throne, her slender fingers gripping the Pope Token tightly. Her knuckles turned white from the force, and blood seeped from her palm, slowly dripping down the decree's lines, blooming into glaring blood flowers on the cold ground.
" Hao Yi..." she murmured softly, her voice so light it seemed a gust of wind could carry it away.
Tears fell silently, landing on the gemstones inlaid in the scepter with a soft thud. She had never imagined that she would one day lose her composure like this because of someone—as the Pope of the Spirit Hall, she should have been a high and mighty being, devoid of emotion and desire, but at this moment, her heart felt as if it were being torn apart, the pain almost suffocating her.
She recalled Huo Yuhao's eyes—when he first stepped into the main hall, although he was indifferent, there was still a suppressed questioning deep in his eyes, as if he was waiting for her to give him an explanation.
But when Yu Xiaogang barged in, his aura suddenly changed. His golden pupils lost all warmth, leaving only a chilling killing intent and extreme cold. It was as if, in an instant, the boy who had once treated her gently had completely disappeared, replaced by a ruthless Asura.
"So... it was because of him..." She smiled bitterly, her nails digging deep into her palms again, but she felt no pain.
She should have thought of that sooner.
Na'er had once mentioned to her the mysterious young man who saved them in the Star Dou Great Forest —a man in black with golden eyes, whose strength was unfathomable. But she never imagined that the man was Huo Yuhao.
She slowly rose to her feet, her long robe trailing across the cold ground, her steps heavy as if carrying the weight of the entire world. She sat motionless in the empty Pope's Hall for an unknown amount of time until moonlight streamed through the stained glass windows, at which point she snapped out of her reverie and began to walk step by step toward her chambers.
Pushing open the door, she looked at herself in the mirror—the purple-gold crown was still magnificent, but those eyes that once looked down on everyone were now filled with endless emptiness and sorrow.
"It's over..." she said softly, her voice hoarse as if it had been sanded.
She slowly removed her Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown, letting her long hair cascade down like a waterfall, obscuring her pale face.
That night, the Pope of the Spirit Hall completely collapsed in the darkness, unknown to anyone.
The cold moonlight streamed into the bedroom through the French windows. Bibi Dong stood before the mirror, gazing at her reflection, which was torn apart by the moonlight. She suddenly realized that she was like someone standing in the middle of a turbulent river, unknowingly being swept into the abyss by Huo Yuhao's torrent.
This feeling was so unfamiliar—as the Pope of the Spirit Hall, she had always been in control of other people's destinies, and had never had her emotions controlled by anyone before. Even her unfulfilled relationship with Yu Xiaogang back then had never made her lose control like this.
But now, her heart felt as if it had been completely swallowed up by that golden vortex, and she could no longer find her original path.
"How... ridiculous..." She gave herself a bitter smile at her reflection in the mirror. Her fingertips lightly traced the mirror's surface, the cold touch reminding her of Huo Yuhao's last look—those Golden Pupils, frozen not only with warmth, but also with all the possibilities between them.
She suddenly coughed violently, a metallic taste rising in her throat. As she raised her hand to wipe it, she discovered that she had pinched her palm again, leaving bloody marks. These marks seemed to mock her: Look, the Pope, so dignified, has lost his composure for a mere boy.
The sound of patrolling knights' footsteps came from outside the palace. Bibi Dong immediately straightened her back and instantly resumed her unapproachable Pope posture. But as the footsteps faded away, her shoulders slumped uncontrollably again.
"Is this... what it feels like to have your heart stolen away...?"
She walked slowly to the window, gazing at the brilliant lights of Spirit City. This city, which she had ruled for decades, now seemed so unfamiliar and distant. Because she knew clearly that from now on, even standing at the pinnacle of power, her heart would forever be missing a piece—that piece, along with that resolute black figure that had left, had vanished forever into the night.
Under the moonlight, a crystal tear fell, shattering into countless points of light on the windowsill. Just like her heart at this moment, it could never be pieced back together.
Meanwhile, the next day, the morning sunlight streamed through the windows into the Shrek Academy's conference room, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere. Yu Xiaogang sat at the head of the table with a gloomy expression, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table, making a dull sound.
"That Huo Lai is in Spirit City right now," he suddenly spoke, his voice terribly hoarse, "And he's participating in this competition as a reserve member of the Spirit Hall Team."
Flender adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses flickering uncertainly. "No wonder he disappeared without a trace after leaving our academy; it turns out he joined the Spirit Hall." He sighed. "With his strength, he's probably unmatched among the younger generation."
"Teacher, there's no need to worry." Tang San suddenly stood up, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge, his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul uncontrollably appearing in his palm. "I was careless last time. This time, I will make him pay the price for hurting Xiao Wu!"
Liu Erlong frowned as she observed the solemn expressions on everyone's faces, then scoffed dismissively, "Aren't you all exaggerating? Xiao San's Twin Martial Souls are already top-tier among his peers. No matter how strong that Huo Lai is, can he possibly be more powerful than us old guys?"
"Teacher Erlong, you don't understand." Ning Rongrong bit her lower lip, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt. "Brother Huo... he's really strong. Last time, even the seven of us working together couldn't last three minutes against him." She looked up at Tang San, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "He even easily saw through Third Brother's Hidden Weapon."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded silently, a hint of apprehension flashing in her cat-like eyes. "His speed... is beyond human comprehension."
A brief silence fell over the conference room. Dai Mubai clenched his fist, the oppressive aura of his White Tiger Martial Soul faintly visible. "No matter how strong he is, the seven of us are no longer what we used to be."
"That's right!" Ma Hongjun slammed his hand on the table and stood up, fiery Phoenix Flame swirling around him. "We'll definitely get our revenge for what happened last time!"
Oscar twirled the sausage in his hand, and said with unusual seriousness, " Rongrong is right, but at least Uncle Ning is here now, so he won't dare to act rashly."
Ning Rongrong forced a smile, "Third Brother, don't worry, my father has already promised to pay attention to this matter. Although... I actually admire Brother Huo a lot, since we're on the opposite side..." Her voice gradually lowered.
Tang San looked at everyone gratefully, his eyes burning even brighter. "With everyone here, we'll definitely win this time. I'll show him what the price is for hurting Xiao Wu!"
Outside the window, a dark cloud quietly obscured the sunlight. Flender gazed at the gloomy sky, a vague unease creeping into his heart. Was the mysterious boy's strength truly only what they had witnessed?
after,
The Continental Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academy is in full swing.
In the rest area of Spirit Hall Team, Huo Yuhao sat alone in a corner, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly oblivious to the noise outside.
As a substitute player, he never played in the game, which puzzled many viewers - after all, this mysterious young man who suddenly appeared in the Spirit Hall Team had already become a key research subject for various academies.
"How boring..." Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly. This kind of competition was meaningless to him, just like the Star Luo Advanced Soul Tool Soul Fighting Tournament in the original timeline. Invincibility is sometimes a kind of loneliness. That was his inner thought. His strength was about the same as his previous opponents, just a bunch of idiots.
He could clearly sense gazes coming from all directions: Ning Fengzhi's thoughtful look, Yu Xiaogang's gloomy stare, Liu Erlong's wary scrutiny, Flender's thoughtful gesture of pushing up his glasses, and the Shrek Seven Devils' eyes filled with fighting spirit.
Especially Tang San, the hatred in his eyes was almost tangible.
"Let them watch." Huo Yuhao closed his eyes nonchalantly. In his Sea of Consciousness, Electrolux's voice slowly resounded. "Little fellow, do you need this old man to help you deal with these troubles?"
"No need," Huo Yuhao replied in his mind. "They're just a bunch of ants. Teacher, I'm about to begin my meditation phase. This will make it easier for me to use my new power. If anything happens outside, you must intervene immediately."
Electrolux said, "Don't worry, with me here, those guys aren't capable of taking you down."
outside world
"Staring blankly again." Yan gave Huo Yuhao a sarcastic look. "Stop pretending to be so profound."
Hu Liena was about to retort when Xie Yue pulled her back. She looked at Huo Yuhao with concern, only to find a mysterious smile suddenly appearing on his lips.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao's consciousness had already sunk into the Lotus Sea of Divine Soul. In this vast spiritual world, golden lotuses bloomed, radiating boundless light. Two figures were fiercely clashing on the lotus platform, their sword light like rainbows, their energy waves surging to the heavens.
"Clang--!"
The two Demon-Slaying Sword clashed, sparking dazzling flames. Third Prince Nezha, walked barefoot through the air, the flames in his hand having transformed into a long sword, and fought Huo Yuhao to a standstill.
"Use your magic weapons flexibly!" Nezha shouted, Red Armillary Sash suddenly flew out of his sleeve like a dragon emerging from the sea. "Think about the wondrous uses of the Red Armillary Sash! You must ensure that the two magic weapons work together seamlessly!"
Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted sharply. He twirled his Demon-Slaying Sword into seven sword flowers, attempting to ensnare the incoming Red Armillary Sash. The moment the sword's edge touched the red ribbon, he exerted his strength, trying to pull the magical artifact away. However, the Red Armillary Sash suddenly shone brightly, twisting and breaking free as if it were alive, instead Entanglement itself around him!
"Not good!" Huo Yuhao thought to himself. Before he could react, he was already tightly bound by the Red Armillary Sash and could not move.
"I lost." He conceded defeat with a wry smile.
Nezha chuckled softly, flicking his wrist, Red Armillary Sash) returned to his sleeve like a serpent returning to its nest. "Your swordsmanship has achieved some success, but your control over power still needs refinement." He landed gracefully, his bare feet touching the golden lotus. "Your use of the Samadhi True Fire is also too rigid. Remember, a true master must be able to integrate all skills seamlessly."
Huo Yuhao respectfully cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, Third Prince."
Nezha waved his hand, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "No need for that. In this world, there are very few people who can achieve what you have." He then changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming serious, "But true strength is never satisfied with the status quo. Breaking through oneself and pursuing a higher realm—that is the path of cultivation, because the world is not as small as you imagine; there are many strong people out there."