The atmosphere in the spectator stands was fervent and tense, with cheers and discussions rising and falling like waves, as if threatening to overturn the entire stadium.
The two opposing sides entered under the watchful eyes of the crowd, stepping onto the competition platform.
Huo Yuhao and Yu Longheng, as the team leaders, walked at the forefront, their eyes meeting.
Yu Longheng, maintaining his composure, smiled gracefully and said, "At this moment, facing us is still too early for you. You shouldn't have rashly agreed to the match yesterday, leaving both sides in a difficult position."
Xie Xie, standing behind Huo Yuhao, heard Yu Longheng's blame-shifting but unusually remained silent, only giving Yu Longheng a peculiar look.
This guy... will he still be able to laugh later?
Hearing Yu Longheng's words, Huo Yuhao also smiled and replied, "Yes, it's too early."
Seeing this, Yu Longheng narrowed his eyes and let out a cold snort.
The match hadn't even started, but the air was already thick with an invisible tension. Ye Xinglan also gave Gu Yuena a cold glance, while the latter indifferently looked back without paying much attention.
The noise from the spectator stands gradually quieted down as everyone held their breath, awaiting this historic showdown.
As Yu Longheng waited for the referee's signal, he suddenly frowned, noticing the expressions of the team members behind Huo Yuhao, there wasn't a trace of nervousness or fear, but instead, they all had a strange sense of anticipation.
Yesterday, they should have seen his strength. What's going on now? What did he miss?
Something was wrong, very wrong.
"The match begins!" The referee's voice broke the brief silence.
Yu Longheng forcibly collected his thoughts and shouted, "Finish it quickly!"
Yu Longheng and his team released their martial souls and soul rings.
The glow of various colored soul rings lit up.
Just as they were about to launch their attack as they had done yesterday,
An overwhelming pressure suddenly enveloped the entire arena.
Huo Yuhao stepped forward slowly, and four soul rings that defied common knowledge in the soul master world rose beneath his feet:
Black! Black! Black! Black!
The entire Skysea Stadium fell into dead silence in an instant.
Eighty thousand spectators, along with millions of residents watching through screens, were collectively struck dumb.
In the first VIP box, Long Hantian, Shen Yi, and others suddenly stood up, wide-eyed and stunned.
A ten-year-old Soul Ancestor with four ten-year-old soul rings, this was an unprecedented miracle in the history of the Federation!
Could this be real?
No one could believe it!
On the field, the four ten-thousand-year soul rings and the Soul Ancestor-level soul power emitted an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.
Under this pressure, Ye Xinglan, whose soul power had only reached the Great Soul Master level, instantly halted her steps as she prepared to charge at Gu Yuena.
Her face turned as pale as paper, her eyes filled with terror and shock.
The Soul Ancestors from Shrek Academy were not spared either; Their movements were slowed by an invisible gravitational force, and cold sweat dripped from their foreheads.
"This is impossible!" Yu Longheng's voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable.
At this moment, he seemed to understand why the others from Eastsea Academy were so calm, and he also believed he understood the deeper meaning behind Huo Yuhao's earlier words.
It was indeed too early, for them, facing such a monster, they were far from prepared!
But... he didn't believe it. This must be fake!
It must be some notorious simulation soul skill!
"Attack!" Yu Longheng's roar snaps everyone back to reality. Ning Yue, pale-faced, added buffs to him, and Xu Lizhi's buns were handed to them.
In the next moment, Yu Longheng's battle armor materialized, and he charged at Huo Yuhao.
At the same time, the two other Soul Ancestors beside him,
Yao Qixuan, who possessed the Sky King Falcon martial soul, tore through the air, flying into the sky and diving down towards Huo Yuhao.
Lin Xuyao, a control-type soul master with the "Prison King Vine" martial soul, stood in place and directly unleashed two soul skills at Huo Yuhao.
Third Soul Skill, Iron Thorn Cage!
Fourth Soul Skill, Decaying Mist!
Clearly, the configuration of four ten-thousand-year soul rings had frightened them, prompting them to unanimously decide to take down Huo Yuhao first.
A cage of thorny vines rose from beneath Huo Yuhao's feet. When Lin Xuyao unleashed this soul skill, even a power-type soul master of the same level will take two seconds to break free.
Not to mention that the purple poisonous mist from the fourth soul skill had already begun to spread, seeping towards Huo Yuhao, surely controlling him for a moment.
But with a flash of silver light, Huo Yuhao's figure appeared outside the cage, and his body showed no signs of discomfort.
"Space soul skill? Poison immunity?" Lin Xuyao's expression drastically changed.
This was practically his nemesis.
The place where Huo Yuhao had teleported to was directly in Yu Longheng's path. Seeing this, the latter's face darkened, and his fourth soul ring shone brightly.
Ten-thousand-year Soul Skill, Thunderous Dragon's Wrath!
With a roar, thunder and lightning converged in the sky, instantly forming a ten-meter-long thunder dragon.
The moment the thunder dragon appeared, the entire arena was bathed in an eerie azure light.
Yesterday, he had used this move to disrupt the formation of Skysea Academy, giving his teammates an opportunity to end the match within a minute.
"Roar, "
The thunder dragon's roar shook the heavens, its violent sound waves carrying high-voltage currents that ionized the air, filling it with a scorching scent.
The airflow created by the dragon's descent tore open grooves in the ground, and the flying debris turned to dust before it could even land.
"It seems the memory I left you yesterday wasn't deep enough."
Seeing Huo Yuhao neither dodging nor avoiding, Yu Longheng let out a cold snort, but then he noticed a silver glow suddenly appearing on Huo Yuhao's right arm.
Soul power, spiritual power, and physical power, preliminary fusion.
A bone-chilling cracking sound echoed. That hand, wrapped in silvery soul power, pierced through the thunder dragon as if it were tofu.
The thunder and lightning in the sky froze at this moment, then shattered into countless light spots.
Before Yu Longheng could even feel shocked, his vision was filled with an increasingly large fist.
The silver light swirling around the fist's edge tore through space, creating fine cracks as it slammed into the core of his battle armor.
"Boom, "
The powerful soul masters among the spectators witnessed an astonishing scene, that battle armor shattered like fragile glass.
A one-word battle armor component actually... broke?
Yu Longheng felt as if his internal organs had been displaced, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
His body was sent flying like a rag doll, crashing into the protective barrier, his vision blurring.
The shattered battle armor components scattered around, much like his shattered pride.
In the final moment before his consciousness faded into darkness, his vision was filled with endless bitterness.
All the talent praised by his teachers, the strength admired by his peers, now turned into sharp fragments, piercing deep into his self-esteem.
But he couldn't even muster any hatred.
Because that attack carried a spiritual and bloodline force that ignited his dragon bloodline, instilling a sense of submission from the depths of his soul.
At this moment, he even felt the urge to acknowledge Huo Yuhao as his master, and he could no longer harbor any hostility towards Huo Yuhao...
"Space power? A self-created combat skill that fuses spiritual power, soul power, and even bloodline power?"
Shen Yi, testifying this scene, claims to herself, her heart filled with shock.
The latter was something she couldn't comprehend. Was that a power a Soul Ancestor could awaken?
As for the former, if the martial soul was related to the space attribute, it could be understood.
But for a Soul Ancestor to use space power, it shouldn't have been possible to destroy a one-word battle armor. What exactly had just happened...
The battle in the arena didn't pause for Shen Yi's thoughts.
Yao Qixuan, seeing Yu Longheng being sent flying with a single punch, was deeply shaken. Before he could react, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly crept up his spine, Huo Yuhao's gaze had, at some point, locked onto him and his teammates not far away.
Those pale golden eyes were calm to the point of being unsettling.
"Not good!" Just as Yao Qixuan wanted to warn his teammates, it was already too late.
The moment their eyes met, he felt as if a spiritual bomb had exploded in his mind. An invisible spiritual pressure, like a tidal wave, mercilessly crushed their spiritual seas.
This wasn't just a simple intimidation, but a precise strike of spiritual power that was terrifyingly accurate!
"Ah!!!"
Yao Qixuan let out a blood-curdling scream. He felt as if thousands of ice needles were simultaneously piercing his brain, each one stirred his nerves, and the world before his eyes instantly shattered.
"Thud! Thud!"
One after another, the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed. His teammates behind him fell like harvested wheat.
Some rolled on the ground clutching their heads, some directly lost consciousness, and others even had blood seeing from their orifices...
The entire arena fell into an eerie silence.
In the spectator stands, countless people opened their mouths, but no sound came out.
The more powerful soul masters were especially dumbfounded. They could feel that, in that brief moment, the spiritual power Huo Yuhao had released had reached a level typically only seen in Title Douluo, the Spirit Abyss Realm!
This also proves that his four ten-thousand-year soul rings were real!
"What kind of monster is this?"
When compared to Huo Yuhao, the students of Shrek Academy were like small fry. Huo Yuhao was the true monster!
At the edge of the arena, Xie Xie barely managed to grab the pale-faced Xu Lizhi, his Adam's apple involuntarily bobbing. "The boss is even more terrifying than I thought."
He looked around with a bitter smile. His teammates, who had been preparing to charge at their opponents, were now frozen in place.
Only he, as an agility-type soul master, had managed to seize a slight gap and grab this little fatty before the spiritual storm swept through.
This guy was one of the only two who hadn't been devastated by Boss Yuhao's spiritual impact.
As for the other one...
Xie Xie's gaze turned to the distance.
Gu Yuena was looking down at Ye Xinglan, who had collapsed at her feet.
Her black hair floated gently in the soul power turbulence, and traces of various elements wreaking havoc surrounded her.
"Being knocked unconscious by the spiritual impact might be a blessing for someone like you, who holds Shrek Academy's honor above all else. Why bother coming after me?"
Ye Xinglan stared blankly at the center of the arena, unable to respond.
There, only Huo Yuhao remained, standing calmly, while his teammates lay scattered around him.
It was the exact same scene as yesterday, only the roles were reversed.
Ye Xinglan, who had wanted to struggle to her feet, instead fell to her knees. It wasn't due to injury, but the impact of her shattered beliefs made it impossible for her to support herself.
The Star God Sword in her hand clattered to the ground, much like her pride shattered.
Since childhood, she had been the most dazzling genius, the future star that Shrek Academy's inner court had pinned their hopes on.
But now, this previously unknown youth had used the most brutal method to tell her, you and Shrek's honor are nothing!
"Referee, the match is over."
Huo Yuhao looked at the stunned referee.
The referee, shocked into silence, took a moment to process the words before finally reacting. With a trembling voice, he announced, "Eastsea Academy vs. Shrek Academy, Eastsea Academy wins!!!"
The silent spectator stands, after a few seconds of stillness, erupted into a frenzy. Deafening cheers, like a tsunami, swept through the entire arena.
Was it ten seconds? Or five?
No one could accurately measure the time in such a situation, but they knew one thing, Shrek had lost, lost to Eastsea Academy, lost to a single individual.
This was Huo Yuhao's victory, and also the victory of the Skysea Alliance!
Unconcerned with these superficial accolades, Huo Yuhao took one last look at the Shrek students lying haphazardly on the field, then turned and left with his team.
The roaring cheers from the spectator stands felt like a thick layer of frosted glass to Ye Xinglan.
Her world was now reduced to that gradually receding figure. In her daze, she seemed to catch a glimpse of Huo Yuhao's expression, there was no triumph in his eyes, only calmness.
Crushing us, the pride of Shrek, doesn't even bring you a hint of joy?
Ye Xinglan's lips trembled, but no sound came out. That figure, though not releasing any soul power, made her feel an even more suffocating pressure than before.
This wasn't the arrogance of disdain, but a true indifference that regards the so-called "number one academy on the continent" as mere dust.
The lights on the arena's ceiling suddenly became unbearably bright, and she realized her vision had long since blurred.
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, condensing into cold pearls at her chin, each one falling onto her trembling hands.
We lost.
She had lost, and the academy had lost.
It was all her fault...
In a corner of the spectator stands, Wu Zhangkong closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
The words he had once wanted to say to Luoyang Lu resurfaced in his mind.
Even Shrek Academy had never produced a monster like Huo Yuhao. That Atlas Douluo... couldn't compare to him either.
...
After watching the match, Shen Yi, hearing the roaring cheers around her, had a complex expression.
She wanted to step down and stop Huo Yuhao and his team, to say something to salvage some dignity for the academy. But Luoyang Lu, sitting beside her, spoke indifferently:
"This was just an ordinary match. No rules were broken, and no lives were endangered. What do you intend to do?"
"..."
Shen Yi pursed her lips, her expression turning cold. "Does the Spirit Pagoda intend to pave the way for its younger generation in this manner?"
Stepping on Shrek Academy to pave the way for their own younger generation, what a shrewd move!
Luoyang Lu turned to look at her, Hua Yichen's words echoing in his mind.
"Yuhao has exceeded my expectations. He will dominate this era, perhaps even unify the Spirit Pagoda's forces like the first Pagoda Master did. This is an unprecedented change in history... whether it's a blessing or a curse, I don't know. But with the Spirit Pagoda's ten-thousand-year legacy, we have no reason to fear."
Thinking this, Luoyang Lu didn't offer any explanations. Instead, he smiled at Shen Yi and said:
"Since a figure like Yuhao, who can truly dominate an era, has emerged, why shouldn't we, the Spirit Pagoda, take this opportunity?"
Shen Yi suddenly turned to look at him, an indescribable fear rising in her heart.
Is the Spirit Pagoda no longer planning to remain low-key?
...
At the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda, Hua Yichen, after watching this brief yet shocking match, appeared faintly.
Yuhao, this is your first step onto the Federation's stage.
He called over a staff member and insisted in a low voice, "Send the news to headquarters and move Yuhao to the top of the Young Genius Ranking. His title, Spirit Sovereign!"
...
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy.
An elderly woman watched the scene of Shrek's defeat on the screen and crushed the teacup in her hand. The scalding tea dripped down her fingers, but she didn't seem to notice.
The Spirit Pagoda, using our Shrek Academy as a stepping stone, you've gone too far!