Ripples spread across the Lotus Sea of Divine Soul. Nezha, the Third Prince Nezha, stood barefoot in the void, and with a gentle shake of his lotus-root-like arms, Samadhi True Fire Entanglement out as if it were alive.
The blazing flames surged and coalesced in his palm, instantly transforming into a fiery Fire-Tipped Spear. The flickering tongues of fire at the spearhead scorched and distorted the surrounding space.
"Watch out, kid!" Nezha shouted, and his Fire-Tipped Spear suddenly thrust out. It was clearly just a simple straight thrust, but the spear's momentum was like a celestial river pouring down, carrying a blazing intensity that could burn the entire world.
Huo Yuhao, wielding his modified Fire-Tipped Spear, stood ready, ice and fire elements swirling alternately on its surface. However, the moment they clashed, he felt immense pressure. The instant the two spears collided, a crisp metallic clang mingled with the sound of elemental explosions, "Clang—!"
Amidst the deafening clang of metal, Huo Yuhao staggered back seven steps, a tingling sensation spreading through his hands. He was shocked to discover that Nezha's spear thrust hadn't used a single ounce of strength; it was purely the mastery of his spear technique that had left him defenseless.
With a flick of his wrist, he wielded the Fire-Tipped Spear as if it were his own arm, sometimes like a serpent spitting its tongue, sometimes like a tiger descending a mountain. The spear's shadows multiplied, weaving an impenetrable net of fire in the air.
"Too fast!" Huo Yuhao was secretly shocked. He could barely make out three spear shadows and was about to block them when a burning pain came from his shoulder—it turned out that Nezha's fourth spear had already broken through his defenses.
"The way of the spear emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness!" Nezha's voice echoed in his Sea of Divine Soul. He turned, and his Fire-Tipped Spear accelerated abruptly. "It must be like a dragon emerging from the abyss, the spear striking like a dragon, with the force of thunder! A single strike must kill!"
Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted sharply, and he hastily swung his Ice Fire-Tipped Spear to create a screen of light. But Nezha's spear speed was unbelievably fast. He only felt flashes of red light before his eyes, and stinging pains came one after another from his shoulder, ribs, and wrist.
What's most terrifying is that the force of each shot is controlled to the absolute minimum, just enough to break through his defenses without harming his soul.
"Your weapon combines the attributes of ice and fire, yet you wield it so clumsily!" Nezha's voice came from all directions, his spear thrusts suddenly becoming like a torrential downpour. "Elemental transformation should be fluid and graceful, combining strength and gentleness!"
Beads of sweat appeared on Huo Yuhao's forehead as he rapidly swung his spear. He tried to infuse his parries with Ultimate Ice and counterattack with Samadhi True Fire, but the hesitation in the transitions always gave Nezha an opening. A tricky upward slash came, and he barely managed to dodge to the side, only to see Nezha flick his wrist, causing the spear shaft to bend like a serpent and strike him heavily on the back.
"Bang!"
Huo Yuhao staggered forward, kneeling on one knee on the surface of his Sea of Consciousness, stirring up ripples of silver light. He gasped for breath, realizing that his soul was beginning to dissipate. Nezha stood with his spear sheathed, the flames at the spear tip gently Entanglement around his arm.
"Do you understand the difference now?" Nezha tilted his head, his golden eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "Just now, I only used thirty percent of my spear skills. True spear technique..." He suddenly hurled his spear into the air, the Fire-Tipped Spear transforming into a Lie Yan dragon in mid-air, "... to make the weapon an extension of the body!"
The dragon swooped down, transforming back into a spear just before Huo Yuhao. The spearhead hovered three inches in front of his brow, the scorching heat making his hair flutter. Huo Yuhao gazed at the flowing flame patterns on the spear, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him.
"Thank you for your guidance." Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly with golden light. The modified Fire-Tipped Spear in his hand suddenly emitted a strange blue-white halo, and spiral patterns of intertwined ice and fire appeared on the spear. "Please enlighten me further!"
(In the real world, Huo Yuhao, inside the laboratory, suddenly broke out in a fine sweat, and the surrounding temperature strangely showed both frost and scorch marks. At that moment, Ju Zi was standing outside the laboratory door, holding an extra serving of shrimp and eel that she had specially bought, hesitating whether to knock on the door...)
Huo Yuhao's body trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He leaned against the laboratory chair, his eyes closed, a faint frost between his brows, while the ends of his hair were strangely curled and charred, as if he were simultaneously experiencing the torment of extreme cold and intense heat. Within three feet of him, tiny ice crystals and sparks constantly burst forth in the air, leaving eerie patterns of charred black and frosty white on the ground.
"Squeak--"
The laboratory door was gently pushed open. Ju Zi held a bowl of steaming shrimp and eel noodles, her amber eyes filled with worry. When she saw Huo Yuhao's unusual state, she almost dropped the bowl of noodles.
" Huo Yuhao?" She gently placed the bowl of noodles on the workbench, the rising steam forming a small cloud of white mist in the cold laboratory. Ju Zi hesitated for a moment, then gently placed her hand on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, but was repelled by a strange force the instant she touched him—her fingertips simultaneously felt a burning sting and the numbness of frostbite.
Deep within his lotus-shaped Sea of Consciousness, Huo Yuhao was completely focused on dealing with Nezha's relentless onslaught. His modified Fire-Tipped Spear danced in his hands, creating a blue and red light screen, yet it was still being suppressed by Nezha's pure Samadhi True Fire Spear, forcing him to retreat steadily.
"Being half-hearted in battle can cost you your life!" Nezha's voice suddenly exploded in his ears. Huo Yuhao was startled to realize that the real killing move was coming from above—the spear, made entirely of Samadhi True Fire, was less than three inches from the top of his head!
At the critical moment, Huo Yuhao vaguely heard Ju Zi's anxious calls in reality. In that instant of distraction, Nezha's spear tip was already pointing at his brow. The expected excruciating pain did not come; instead, a warm and gentle spiritual power surged into his mind.
"Your performance today was so-so." Nezha sheathed his spear and stood up, the Samadhi True Fire transforming into a lotus flower blooming beneath his feet. "Master the spear techniques and key points I taught you. If you're this bad next time, I'll burn your butt!"
Huo Yuhao knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Thank you, Master..."
"Hmm?" Nezha narrowed his eyes dangerously, and sparks began to fly from the Fire-Tipped Spear in his hand again.
"Ahem... Thank you for your guidance, Third Prince." Huo Yuhao quickly corrected himself, but couldn't help but smile. "Next time, I'll definitely bring plenty of fine wine and barbecue; we won't leave until we're drunk."
Nezha snorted, his figure gradually turning into specks of fire. "You're smart enough, kid. Go on, your little sweetheart is waiting." The last few words were so faint they were almost inaudible.
" Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao! What's wrong? Are you sick??"
Ju Zi's anxious calls grew louder and louder in his ears, her delicate face drawing ever closer, so close that Huo Yuhao could even count her trembling eyelashes. The unique citrus scent emanating from the girl mingled with the aroma of stir-fried shrimp and eel, creating a wonderful fragrance.
Perhaps subconsciously, she felt a strange familiarity with the boy, Ju Zi boldly reached out and touched his forehead. The temperature of her touch startled her—one side was icy cold, and the other was burning hot.
In that instant, Huo Yuhao suddenly opened his eyes. His icy blue eyes were extremely cold and aloof, his gaze deep and captivating!
"Ah!"
Ju Zi cried out in surprise and instinctively tried to back away. In her panic, she tripped over the Ju Zi scattered on the ground and fell backward. Huo Yuhao subconsciously reached out to help her, but because he had just returned from the spiritual world, his body was still a little uncoordinated.
"Bang!"
The two fell heavily to the ground. Huo Yuhao braced himself with his elbow just in time, preventing all his weight from falling on Ju Zi, but their posture was still extremely ambiguous—his nose was only an inch away from her lips, and his hot breath sprayed directly onto her face.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Ju Zi's cheeks flushed red at a visible speed, spreading from her cheeks to her ears, and even her fair neck was tinged with a faint pink. Her wide eyes reflected Huo Yuhao's face so close to hers, and her heartbeat was so loud that it seemed the entire laboratory could hear it.
"What... what are you going to do?" she stammered, her voice barely audible.
Huo Yuhao also noticed the awkward angle and then tried to adjust his state. To be honest, he could usually catch the Ju Zi steadily, but today was a bit of an accident.
"I'm sorry, I..." He tried to stand up in a fluster, but accidentally pressed down on Ju Zi's loose hair, making her hiss in pain.
"Idiot, you idiot!" Ju Zi pushed against his chest in embarrassment and annoyance. "Get up first!"