Sea Tiger in the Crosshairs

"Sea Tiger?"

Hu Yuxiu narrowed his eyes, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, his tone flat and unreadable, "Where is he today?"

The fat man had already drunk some alcohol, and relying on his status as the president of the Chamber of Commerce, a figure of considerable influence in Eastsea City, he was immediately displeased to see an "outsider boxer" daring to put on airs with him.

He stiffened his neck, his tone tinged with impatience. "They haven't signed a contract with the boxing ring, they can come and go as they please, what the hell is it to you?"

The moment these words were spoken, Hu Feng's face turned pale.

My goodness!

This fatso must have a death wish!

Who is Hu Yuxiu? He's a prodigy at the Shrek Academy, incredibly arrogant and proud. He came back this time with a belly full of pent-up anger and nowhere to vent it. This fat guy actually dared to insult him in public? Does he really think he's someone important?

Hu Feng was extremely anxious. It wasn't that he felt sorry for the fat man, but he was afraid that Hu Yuxiu would make a move directly. With Hu Yuxiu level, one punch would probably kill the fat man on the spot. If someone died, the Hu Clan would have to clean up the mess, which would be a huge problem.

Thinking of this, Hu Feng took a step forward without saying a word, swung his arm, and slapped the fat man hard across the face.

"Smack!"

The sharp crack was deafening, drowning out most of the surrounding noise.

The fat man was spun around on the spot after being slapped, half of his face instantly swelling up, and two bloody teeth spurted from his mouth. He was stunned, covering his face and looking at Hu Feng in disbelief. "Young Master Hu? You... you hit me?"

"Hit you? I'll beat you to death, you blind bastard!"

Hu Feng cursed and kicked the fat man repeatedly, one kick after another, until the fat man rolled on the ground. As he kicked, he continued to yell and curse, his words clearly aimed at the fat man. "Who do you think you are? How dare you talk to my brother like that? Are you tired of living? Apologize to me! Now!"

The fat man howled as he was kicked, and he instantly realized what had happened.

Hu Shao?

Someone whom the young master of the Hu Clan would protect so humbly must have an extraordinary background.

He was filled with remorse. How could he have been so blind as to mistake this man for an ordinary boxer? He quickly curled up and kowtowed repeatedly in Hu Yuxiu's direction. "I'm so sorry! I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness! I was so foul-mouthed! Please forgive me this time!"

His face was covered in blood and snot, and all traces of his previous arrogance had vanished.

Hu Yuxiu stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching expressionlessly, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

Back at the Shrek Academy, the bullying he endured from those genius disciples was far more brutal. This little spectacle wasn't even an appetizer.

Only when the fat man was almost kicked unconscious did Hu Yuxiu slowly speak, "Alright."

Hu Feng immediately stopped, caught his breath, and turned back to Hu Yuxiu with a fawning smile, "Brother Yuxiu, don't bother with this good-for-nothing. He's just a country bumpkin who's never seen the world."

"I'm asking you," Hu Yuxiu ignored him, his gaze falling on the fat man on the ground, "Sea Tiger, what's your cultivation level? What's your background?"

The fat man covered his swollen face, stammering and his words slurred, "I... I don't know the specifics. I only know that this guy suddenly came to Eastsea City a year ago, plunged into the underground boxing world, and within two months he had beaten up every single place. Even the big boss from Skysea City next door came with his men to challenge him, but he was soundly beaten up and thrown out. Oh! By the way! The bodyguard with that beaten-up boss was a real Soul Ancestor!"

"Soul Ancestor?"

Hu Yuxiu narrowed his eyes, his fingertips pausing for half a second.

Unlike Eastsea City, a wasteland for Soul Master, Skysea City is the core city of the entire East Sea region. The quantity and quality of Soul Master there are a level higher. Anyone who can secure a big boss position in Skysea City must have Soul Ancestor bodyguards who are definitely not mediocre.

Even a powerful figure like Guojianglong was defeated by Sea Tiger, which shows that this man has some real skills and isn't just a pretty face promoted by the boxing ring.

But that's all.

Hu Yuxiu's lips curled into a cold smile, his disdain in his eyes was undisguised.

What real power do local Soul Ancestor possess?

The Soul Master of the Shrek Academy and the unorthodox Soul Master outside are from two completely different worlds.

Those ruthless Soul Ancestor who bully others in their localities might not even rank in the middle if they were placed in Shrek Outer Court. He might be overwhelmed by the geniuses in the academy, but that doesn't mean he can't beat these local tyrants.

These frogs in a well have no idea what the name Shrek means.

Hu Yuxiu, being from that place, was naturally a cut above the Soul Master of those places.

He raised his chin and instructed Hu Feng beside him, "I'll give you three days to find this Sea Tiger. Three days later, right here on this arena, I want everyone of importance in Eastsea City to see for themselves what a true Soul Master duel is all about."

"Okay! Alright!"

Hu Feng nodded and bowed hastily, his face beaming with smiles. "Brother Yuxiu, don't worry, I'll take care of this! I can find the person for you in a day, let alone three! I'll invite all the bigwigs over and let them see the brilliance of Shrek's genius!"

Hu Yuxiu snorted but didn't speak, though the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his feelings.

It feels so good to be fawned over.

Once he publicly defeats Sea Tiger, the legend of Eastsea City's underground boxing world, who in the Eastsea City would dare to disrespect him?

By then, Hu Yuxiu's reputation will be fully established. Even if he fails to complete the final exams at the Shrek Academy, he will be able to leave with ease and return to Eastsea City to embrace a better life.

This kind of life, where you can command the wind and rain, is much better than having to be subservient to others at Shrek.

As he was lost in his thoughts, the atmosphere in the underground boxing ring suddenly changed.

The previously noisy clamor suddenly intensified, rising several decibels in an instant, as if a switch had been flipped. People in the audience stood up, waving their chips and bottles, and screaming the same name wildly, the sound almost lifting the ceiling off their heads.

"Sea Tiger! Sea Tiger! Sea Tiger!"

The frenzied shouts were so loud they made people's eardrums hurt. The hormones and the smell of blood in the air seemed to be ignited. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the direction of the arena entrance, their eyes filled with worship and madness.

Hu Yuxiu frowned and looked up.

From the depths of the passage, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged.

The man wore a pure white tiger-shaped mask that covered most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline and a pair of dark, deep eyes. He was dressed in simple black tight-fitting clothes, with an upright posture and a slow pace, yet he exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression. With each step he took, the cheers around him grew louder.

Even though he didn't release a single bit of Soul Power, just standing there, he looked like a lurking Ferocious Beast, making people afraid to look directly at him.

It was none other than Sea Tiger, a legend in the underground boxing world.

No one knows his name, no one knows where he came from, all that is known is that he wears a white mask, is ruthless, and is invincible.

Bai Yushan yawned and slowly walked to the center of the arena.

He comes here to play a couple of matches whenever he has nothing else to do, to earn some pocket money and stretch his muscles at the same time, since nobody recognizes him anyway.

Today was supposed to be just a final match and then I left, but as soon as I stepped onto the field, I felt an undisguised scrutinizing gaze, carrying a strange sense of superiority. It was quite annoying that he was sticking to me like that.

"Looks like we don't need to look anymore."

Hu Yuxiu lightly, his tone full of confidence.

Without waiting for the host to speak, and without caring who the original challenger was, he lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaped over the several-meter-high ring railing, and landed steadily on the ring. His white clothes fluttered, and his posture looked rather dashing.

The audience erupted in an uproar.

"Who goes there? How dare they jump onto the ring?"

"Are you looking for death? Didn't you see Sea Tiger is here?"

"Holy crap, isn't that someone from the Hu Clan? And Young Master Hu is with him!"

Hu Yuxiu ignored the murmurs below the stage, his gaze fixed on Bai Yushan. He looked him up and down, then said in a dismissive tone, "You must be the Sea Tiger they're talking about."

He raised his chin, his tone condescending, "I'll give you a chance. Attack me with all your might, however you like. As long as you can make me back down, you win. If you satisfy me, you'll get your share of the rewards."

These words are completely nonsensical; they sound like someone in a superior position teasing a pet.

Bai Yushan paused for a moment, his eyebrows slightly raised beneath the mask.

Where did this lunatic come from?

Before he could even speak, the other side of the ring erupted.

The boxer who was originally scheduled to fight Sea Tiger tonight was a burly man who was two meters tall. As soon as he walked to the edge of the ring, he saw someone take his place and make arrogant remarks. He was furious on the spot.

"Who the hell are you?!"

The burly man leaped onto the stage, pointing his massive hand at Hu Yuxiu, spitting as he shouted, "Don't you know the difference between first come, first served when you want to challenge Sea Tiger? Where did this brat who hasn't even grown his first hair come from? Get off the stage!"

As he spoke, his Soul Power instantly began to circulate. An earthy yellow halo covered his entire body, his muscles expanded at a visible speed, and three Soul Ring— two yellow and one purple—slowly rose from beneath his feet.

The Brute Force Bear Martial Soul, Three-Ring Soul Elder!

He's a formidable figure in the underground boxing world; otherwise, he wouldn't be qualified to challenge Sea Tiger.

The burly man roared, stomped his foot on the ground, and charged towards Hu Yuxiu like a small Xiaoshan. His large, fan-like hand, accompanied by a whistling sound, slapped hard at Hu Yuxiu's face with a force that could shatter an ordinary person's skull.

A gasp of surprise immediately erupted from the audience.

No one expected that they would start fighting without warning. If that blow had landed, the young man in white would probably have been half-dead.

Hu Feng, standing below the stage, was not worried at all; instead, he sneered.

court death.

Facing the oncoming gust of wind, Hu Yuxiu showed no panic whatsoever; instead, a cruel smile appeared on his face.

Just when I was worried about where to establish my authority, this person delivered themselves right to my doorstep.

"Gale Leopard, possess me!"

The moment the low shout fell, azure Soul Power erupted from his body. His pupils narrowed into beast-like shapes, sharp claws shot out from his fingertips, and several leopard-striped patterns appeared on his face.

Immediately afterwards, four purple Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, one after another, hovering steadily.

Purple, purple, purple, purple!

Four Thousand-Year Soul Ring!

The entire audience fell silent for a second, then erupted in even louder gasps.

"Four purple Soul Ring! My god! The Soul Ancestor! It's the Soul Ancestor Master himself!"

"He looks only a teenager, right? He's already Soul Ancestor?!"

"No wonder he was so arrogant! He's a Soul Ancestor Master!"

The Impact of four Thousand-Year Soul Ring was too great. Among the younger generation in the entire Eastsea City, the strongest was only Soul Elder. Suddenly, a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor appeared, and such a young boy at that. Everyone was shocked.

The burly man's figure froze as he charged forward, his fury instantly turning into terror.

Soul Ancestor?!

His legs started trembling, and it was too late to stop.

"First Soul Skill, Wind Blade Claw!"

Hu Yuxiu sneered, his figure blurring as he moved so fast he left a trail of afterimages. He dodged the burly man's slap by the side, his right hand's sharp claws slashing fiercely across the man's arm with a sharp, swift force.

Sizzle--

The sound of flesh tearing apart was clearly audible.

Three deep, bone-revealing wounds instantly appeared on the burly man's entire arm, and blood gushed out.

"Ah!!"

The scream had barely begun when Hu Yuxiu's second move arrived.

Second Soul Skill: Gale Step!

He suddenly accelerated, circled around to the burly man's side, and slammed his knee into the man's abdomen.

"Puff!"

The burly man spat out a mouthful of blood, his body curling up like a shrimp.

Hu Yuxiu showed no sign of stopping. His eyes were fierce, and his Third Soul Ring lit up.

Third Soul Skill: Gale Bite!

Several sharp Wind Blade coalesced into the shape of a giant maw, which bit down hard on the burly man's shoulder.

Blood and flesh splattered, and the cracking sound of bones breaking was enough to make your teeth ache.

The burly man was thrown out like a rag doll, crashing heavily onto the edge of the ring. He was covered in blood, his chest heaving slightly, and he looked like he was barely clinging to life.

It only took three moves.

A Three-Ring Soul Elder was beaten to the point of near death.

The audience fell silent; everyone was stunned by this ruthless move.

Hu Yuxiu patted non-existent dust off his hands, his face expressionless, as if he had merely crushed an ant. He turned his head and looked back at Bai Yushan in the center of the arena, his arrogance growing even stronger.

"Do you see that? That's the difference between you and a true Soul Master."

He walked step by step toward Bai Yushan, four purple Soul Ring swirling beneath his feet, his Soul Power power pressing down on his opponent without any concealment.

"Now it's your turn. I'd like to see how many moves you, this so-called underground boxing champion, can withstand."

Bai Yushan stood still, without even moving a step.

The pressure of that soul force on him was no different than a gentle breeze. He looked at the arrogant young man opposite him and felt a little bored.

It's that same kind of naive, unsophisticated person again, who thinks he's someone special just because he has a little bit of ability.

Training with Leng Yaozhu during the holidays and practicing with Gu Yue —wouldn't that be more interesting than this?

He was too lazy to waste words, tilted his head slightly, and his voice came through the mask, slightly hoarse and nonchalant. "To fight or not? If you're going to fight, hurry up, I'm in a rush."

These words, when they reached Hu Yuxiu's ears, were interpreted as a blatant provocation.

"Fine, very well." Hu Yuxiu laughed angrily, "I'd like to see if your mouth is tougher than your bones."

Before he finished speaking, his Second Soul Ring lit up again.

Gale Step!

His figure instantly transformed into a streak of azure light, heading straight for Bai Yushan. His right claw gathered a sharp gust of wind, aiming straight for the opponent's throat; his attack was a killing blow, showing no mercy whatsoever.

It moved so fast that those below the stage could only see a blurry shadow.

Everyone held their breath.

They wanted to see if the legendary, invincible Sea Tiger could withstand the attack of this young Soul Ancestor.