Chapter 73: The Soul Battle Arena, Huo Yuhao's Cheating Begins
The school day passed quickly.
Although the lesson content was meaningless to Ye Chen, sitting among lively, beautiful classmates filled each moment with a kind of pleasant freshness. What was boring before had become surprisingly enjoyable.
...
That afternoon, after class.
From the freshmen to the sixth years, countless students poured toward the Soul Battle Arena.
After all, today promised a match worth watching—the most hyped duel in the Outer Court.
The new "rising star" Ye Chen, the freshman king, would face one of the Outer Court's most dazzling veterans—Beibei.
The challenge between them had been publicly announced earlier that week, and word had spread across the entire Outer Court like wildfire.
Some rumors even claimed Ye Chen had also challenged Xu Sanshi.
But since Xu Sanshi had only given a vague response, that part hadn't fully caught on.
For most students, the focus was the battle between Ye Chen and Beibei.
...
By the time Ye Chen arrived, the arena was already overflowing with people.
The Soul Battle Arena was one of Shrek Academy's most important facilities—a formal battleground for students to settle disputes through combat.
Every match had an official referee, healing staff, and support teams—though all services required a fee.
Private matches could still be held elsewhere on campus, but those spaces were cramped; no one could unleash their full power there.
Here, though, combat was absolute. Every blow, every roar, every soul ring lit in brilliance.
Participation required each competitor to pay ten gold soul coins, but victors earned contribution points—necessary for grade advancement.
Beibei, the strongest offensive-type warrior of the Outer Court, was so famous he'd earned the title "Thunder-Beibei."
Ye Chen, meanwhile, was the newly crowned prodigy on everyone's lips.
Their duel was destined to shake the academy.
After paying his entry fee, Ye Chen stepped casually onto the stage.
Instantly, murmurs of awe swept through the crowd.
"He's so handsome… I can't believe I've never seen him before."
"I heard he's a special transfer—the academy admitted him directly. Not only is he gorgeous, he's ridiculously strong too. Why can't I get a classmate like that?"
"Please. Just another pretty boy. Beibei's going to drop him flat. If that kid wins, I'll eat three hundred tons of dirt!"
"Heh, you might want a spoon, then. I heard the new kid's already a forty-first-level Soul Ancestor," another student sneered.
"What—what?! A Soul Ancestor? At twelve years old?! That's insane. He's qualified for the Inner Court already—what's he even doing in the Outer Court?!"
...
The spectators' discussions filled the stands with a rising wave of excitement.
The girls, understandably, focused on Ye Chen's striking looks.
The boys, equally predictably, wrote him off as a shallow face with no substance.
But as information spread between groups, more and more students realized the truth—Ye Chen really was a Soul Ancestor.
At that revelation, mockery turned to uneasy awe.
Because in Shrek, advancing to Soul Ancestor was the bare minimum requirement for graduation as a sixth-year student.
For a twelve-year-old to have already achieved it meant his talent easily qualified him as an inner-court candidate.
And with that kind of strength at his age, his potential was terrifying.
...
Across the stage, Beibei slowly stepped into the arena.
When the referee saw who his opponent was, he couldn't help but ask, almost hesitantly, "Beibei, are you sure you want to proceed? There's still time to reconsider."
His eyes held a peculiar concern.
Normally, it was the other way around—he would ask Beibei's challengers that same question to spare them a crushing humiliation.
At the Soul Elder rank, Beibei was practically invincible among the same level.
He and Xu Sanshi were twin champions—Beibei, the unrivaled offense; Xu Sanshi, the unbreakable defense.
Countless students had challenged them in the past, hoping to prove their grit, and left the arena broken, pride shattered.
But today, for the first time, the referee found himself worrying for Beibei.
Because today, Beibei's opponent was not some eager youngster—but a level 41 Soul Ancestor.
The difference between Soul Elder and Soul Ancestor wasn't measured by mere levels—it was an entire rank of evolution.
What's more, Ye Chen's third soul ring was a ten-thousand-year ring.
In raw potential, he far outclassed Beibei's configuration.
Sure, Shrek students were known for punching above their rank—but Beibei wasn't the only "genius" here.
Against a peer with equivalent talent but superior cultivation, the outcome was practically decided.
"I'm sure," Beibei said confidently.
So what if it was a Soul Ancestor? He'd faced stronger before—and won.
Besides, he wasn't fighting unprepared.
He had the Tang Sect's strongest secret skills at his disposal—Jade Hand, Purple Demon Eye, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, and the Crane-Capturing Dragon-Controlling technique—all refined to expert mastery.
Ye Chen? He was new.
At best, he'd barely scratched the basics of Xuantian Skill.
As for the advanced martial techniques? Forget it—he couldn't hope to control them yet.
And Beibei had another advantage.
He wasn't truly fighting alone.
A faint smile curled his lips.
Right now, thanks to mental synchronization, he was already connected to Huo Yuhao—receiving the benefits of Spiritual Sharing in real-time.
When the match began, Huo Yuhao's perception would feed directly into his vision, revealing Ye Chen's every flaw, every opening.
One single lapse, one single space—and Beibei would strike.
There was no way he could lose.
...
"Go get him, Senior Beibei!"
Down by the edge of the stage, Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed with faint gold light.
He had already activated his spiritual ability, silently linking his consciousness to Beibei's mind.
Although he had withheld releasing his spirit rings to avoid detection (which weakened the skill slightly), the link was successful. The effect would still be more than enough.
"Yuhao, save your energy. Beibei's not going to win anyway," Tang Ya said quietly, not bothering to hide her amusement.
She knew perfectly well what Huo Yuhao was doing.
He had always used his spirit to cheat for Beibei in matches—helping him analyze and predict opponents' movements—like the last time with Xu Sanshi.
But Ye Chen was no Xu Sanshi.
Against overwhelming power, stealthy tricks meant nothing.
Even if Huo Yuhao personally joined Beibei on stage, neither would stand a chance.
Still, she didn't stop him.
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists. "No! Senior Beibei will win!"
To him, this wasn't cheating—it was teamwork.
As long as he remained undetected, it didn't count as breaking rules.
It was strategy—intelligence.
Tang Ya sighed, shaking her head. She'd expected as much.
...
"Very well. The match begins!"
The referee saw Beibei's determination and no longer argued.
He waved his hand sharply, stepping back to safety as sparks of energy buzzed in the air.
Crackle—ROAR!
Beibei moved first.
The stage erupted in lightning as arcs of electric blue streaked from his clenched fists, coiling around his body. His right arm expanded, scales shimmering along its surface.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's awakening—a powerful "dragonification" ability.
From the Soul Elder stage onward, each new soul ring allowed partial dragon transformation, culminating in full-body dragon form at the Soul Saint level.
It was recognized as one of the world's strongest offensive beast spirits.
Circling his feet, his spirit rings glowed—two yellow, one purple.
Though it looked like the standard combination, that purple ring told another story. Its radiance pulsed with intensity uncommon for its level.
His third ring hovered near the limit of what his body could withstand—nearly 1,900 years.
That alone made him stand head and shoulders above most peers.
It was also the foundation of his confidence in challenging a Soul Ancestor.
(END CHAPTER)
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