Xiao Hongchen sneered as he commanded hundreds of Soul Tool Rays with extremely strong Soul Power fluctuations, firing them in different directions, yet with uncanny precision toward a specific spot:
"My Cluster Soul Tool Ray is not to be underestimated!"
The Thunder God's Wrath, the Sixth-Rank high-altitude Soul Guidance Device that Ma Rulong had tossed into the air, had already deployed. He spoke in a deep voice:
"Execute according to plan!"
He raised his right hand, and the silver ring instantly flashed with light. A metal cannon barrel, one and a half meters long with a muzzle diameter exceeding ten centimeters, appeared on his shoulder.
Simultaneously, his Martial Soul, the Great-Headed Martial Soul Ape, was released, shielding Lin Xi and Mi Jia behind him:
"Focus all fire on Xiao Hongchen!"
Xiao Hongchen focused on manipulating the hundreds of Cluster Soul Tool Rays, converging them into one. A crimson Cluster Soul Tool Ray took shape.
If Xiao Hongchen's full-power strike last time, aided by Huo Yuhao, had touched the level of a Soul Saint,
then this time, with Xiao Hongchen returning with five Spirit Rings, this crimson Cluster Soul Tool Ray, empowered by ten layers of Golden Heart, and fueled by forty percent of his Soul Power,
had completely entered the Soul Saint tier!
Ma Rulong, having learned his lesson from having his positioning predicted last time, the three of them chose not to move to evade but rapidly converged.
His response was simple: directly summon the Fifth-Rank Invincible Barrier!
No matter how high your burst power is?
Last time, even three layers of Sixth-Rank Firm Wall Shield barely withstood one of Xiao Hongchen's blasts. This time, he went all out.
A layer of faint golden light emanated from Ma Rulong's body, forming a golden shield half a finger thick.
However, this thin golden shield completely absorbed the entire damage from the crimson Cluster Soul Tool Ray!
There wasn't even a violent explosion or a blinding flash.
There was only a slight 'zi' sound on the shield, and the crimson Cluster Soul Tool Ray vanished as if sinking into the sea.
Your burst isn't outrageously strong and incredibly precise?
Then I'll use deeper Soul Power.
I'll use the Invincible Barrier, which is sufficient to block any attack from a Soul Master below the Eighth Ring for three seconds, to fight you in a war of attrition!
Meanwhile, the various Soul Guidance Device rays on the shoulders of Ma Rulong and the other two had finished charging, and the first Lightning Punishment of the Thunder God's Wrath was poised to fire.
Lin Xi fired the charged Fifth-Rank Soul Guidance Device first.
The Light of Spiritual Marking!
A white barrier shot out. In just a short second, it swept across the entire area, marking Huo Yuhao, who was standing next to Meng Hongchen in an invisible state!
The principle of this Soul Guidance Device was to mark all targets for one minute by exciting an energy field similar to Mental Power within the core array substrate!
Based on this single auxiliary function, it qualified as a Fifth-Rank Soul Guidance Device.
It relied on its characteristic of being extremely effective against insidious Martial Soul abilities like invisibility.
The three did not follow Ma Rulong's command to focus fire on Xiao Hongchen. Instead, they used a feint, directly turning all their barrels.
They aimed at the mark on Huo Yuhao and unleashed their full firepower!
Focusing fire on Xiao Hongchen was just talk; eliminating Huo Yuhao was the real objective. Without Huo Yuhao, it was almost as if Xiao Hongchen were dead.
Huo Yuhao was not surprised. Before being marked, he snatched the Fourth-Rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle that Meng Hongchen had already charged up.
He skipped aiming and activated the lock-on directly.
A crisp—
Bang!
The Martial Soul-infused cast-iron bullet whistled as it tore through the air, passing through the gaps between the numerous Fifth-Rank and Sixth-Rank Soul Guidance Device rays, high-energy Soul Guidance Device cannons, and the Lightning Punishment.
It arrived later but struck Lin Xi first, precisely at the moment the Invincible Barrier ended.
Ding!
Lin Xi's Invincible Barrier was triggered immediately.
Huo Yuhao's expression didn't change. He tossed the soul tool sniper rifle to Xiao Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen, who was already prepared, grabbed Huo Yuhao and rapidly elevated her attributes to the Ultimate State.
A sense of dominance and invincibility surged through Meng Hongchen's heart again. Her blue eyes turned crimson, and she let out a soft cry:
"Ice Refraction!"
Over a large expanse of mirrored ice plates, the two used Mental Detection to accurately judge the landing points of various rays and energy projectiles, refracting light and shadow to shift their positions.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
For a time, numerous cannonballs landed one after another, and the ice mirrors were blasted into scattered fragments.
But in the intervals between each cannonball landing, the ice mirrors rapidly spread with a strange creeping speed.
On the ice mirrors, the two achieved the optimal solution with every refraction.
They dodged every attack they could, moving like nimble butterflies.
For attacks they couldn't dodge, Meng Hongchen used her Sixth-Rank ice-element fine sword to slice and block.
They didn't sustain much damage!
But there was still one Lightning Punishment flickering among the artillery fire, constantly closing the distance between them like a persistent maggot.
The two's refraction suddenly paused. Meng Hongchen held Huo Yuhao with one arm and gripped the Sixth-Rank ice-element fine sword tightly with the other.
Her crimson eyes were icy as she faced the Lightning Punishment head-on and brought her sword down vertically:
"Break!"
A blue arc light, carrying bone-chilling coldness and a strong Soul Power fluctuation, collided with the Lightning Punishment.
Boom!
A massive explosion sounded, and the shockwave, mixed with the large amount of shattered ice crystals from before, quickly swept across the entire area.
Ma Rulong and the other two stared blankly at everything that had unfolded, exchanging glances. They all perceived a faint sense of powerlessness in each other's eyes.
A full-power output from one Sixth-Rank Soul Engineer commanding two Fifth-Rank Soul Engineers, intended to secure victory in one decisive move,
was nullified in such a way by 'exploiting loopholes.'
What's the point of fighting then!
Ma Rulong had sparred with Meng Hongchen enough times when Xiao Hongchen pulled her in; he was quite familiar with her Ice Refraction.
Although Ice Refraction was powerful, it required a foundation of ice mirrors. While setting up the ice mirrors was fast, it had never been this ridiculously fast!
What happened just now wasn't setting them up; it was as if they had grown directly out of the ground.
Ma Rulong stared intently at Huo Yuhao beside Meng Hongchen.
Was this another change brought about by Huo Yuhao?
Ever since Xiao Hongchen brought this guy along, he hadn't had a smooth fight!
Wait a moment...
Ma Rulong noticed the Mental Power fluctuation emanating from Huo Yuhao, which was almost as strong as his own, a Spirit Emperor's, and felt a great sense of foreboding.
The mark from the Light of Spiritual Marking could be quickly erased by powerful Mental Power, right?
Swish, swish, swish!
The mark from the Light of Spiritual Marking was rapidly wiped away, just like ink erased by a rubber!
Then Huo Yuhao took a step back and vanished again.
Ma Rulong realized something and quickly looked toward Xiao Hongchen.
He saw that the Fourth-Rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle, which had finished charging in Xiao Hongchen's hand—who was maintaining the glow of his fifth Spirit Ring—had disappeared.
It hadn't vanished; it was in Huo Yuhao's hand!
Ma Rulong immediately shuddered. Weren't live ammunition soul tool sniper rifles single-use Soul Guidance Devices?
What was going on with the one Xiao Hongchen had just been holding?
What he feared most was what happened next. A fierce look flashed in Ma Rulong's eyes:
"Execute Plan Two: High-Altitude Pull!
As soon as his voice fell, just as he was preparing to summon the Seventh-Rank Eye of Fear,
a 'bang' sounded. Ma Rulong felt something brush past him.
When he turned to look, Lin Xi, without his Invincible Barrier, couldn't even be protected by his triggered Fifth-Rank Soul Guidance Device shield.
He had already been shielded by the referee teacher, effectively becoming a casualty.
Ma Rulong's head felt as big as an ox. He suppressed his unease and turned to face the enemy.
The one rushing toward Ma Rulong and Mi Jia was Meng Hongchen, holding the Sixth-Rank ice-element fine sword and stepping on the ice mirrors.
She had only one objective: use her agility to harass Ma Rulong and Mi Jia.
To give Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen the time and space to unleash the finishing blow
The casualties caused by Huo Yuhao calling them out completely shattered Ma Rulong's plan to stall the pace using high-altitude Soul Guidance Devices.
And Ma Rulong and his partner were left with only one Invincible Barrier.
To make matters worse, Meng Hongchen, who specialized in close combat, adhered to a guerrilla fighting style of 'you advance, I retreat; you retreat, I advance.'
She wasn't aiming to deal massive damage, only to maximize harassment.
Ma Rulong indeed lived up to his reputation as the main team captain.
Facing such a dire situation, he coordinated with the tracking function of the second Thunder Punishment, first deploying a Sixth-Rank Spiritual Barrier Soul Guidance Device that inherently possessed a mental shielding effect.
He abruptly enveloped Meng Hongchen within it.
After isolating the mental support for Meng Hongchen via Mental Detection,
Ma Rulong desperately grabbed Mi Jia's Invincible Barrier and voluntarily triggered it, once again enveloping Meng Hongchen.
While blocking Meng Hongchen's second Cluster Soul Tool Ray, he created a two-on-one situation inside the Invincible Barrier.
Ma Rulong held a Seventh-Rank close-combat Soul Guidance Device, the Demon-Breaking Greatsword, while Mi Jia was encased in full-body armor-type Soul Guidance Devices along with a Soul Guidance Device greatsword. A terrifying fluctuation of Soul Power emanated from both of them.
Meng Hongchen remained calm, not choosing to clash with the two, but instead directly triggering the Invincible Barrier!
Ding!
Another layer of Invincible Barrier opened from the inside. Ma Rulong roared,
"Full power output!"
The two swung their swords with all their might, accurately hacking at Meng Hongchen's Invincible Barrier.
Meng Hongchen felt her internal Soul Power rapidly evaporating, yet she watched the two with a calm expression.
Was the Invincible Barrier truly invincible?
Once activated, the amount of Soul Power consumed was not solely up to the user.
The stronger the attack endured, the more intense the Soul Power consumption.
In just three seconds, her Soul Power was nearly depleted. But what about Ma Rulong and his partner's Soul Power?
Ma Rulong had used two Invincible Barriers consecutively.
And both times he had gone all out without holding back.
What chance did the two have against the upcoming attacks from Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen?
The instant the Invincible Barrier vanished, Huo Yuhao fired a Spirit-Imbuing Cast Iron Bullet that tore through the Spiritual Barrier, accurately destroying the main body of the Sixth-Rank Spiritual Barrier Soul Guidance Device.
Almost instantly, he activated lock-on, marking the positions of both Ma Rulong and Mi Jia.
And guided Xiao Hongchen's crimson Cluster Soul Tool Ray.
Hitting the pair directly!
Boom!
This soul tool ray unleashed an explosion on the Soul Dueling Platform that reached the might of a Soul Saint for the first time.
Fierce air currents rolled, and even the students below, protected by linked shields, involuntarily held their breath.
Victory and defeat were decided!
Xiao Hongchen glanced at the several-meter-deep pit left at the explosion site, turned to face Feng Tingting's camera directly, and mused with his hands behind his back:
"Forging soul with gold melted in youth is hard, daring to command a steel phoenix to break the clouds high above.
A hundred refinements of mechanisms make the body a blade, while ten thousand mechanisms rise and fall, I alone lead.
Burning the heart and quenching the bones to forge an iron will, exhausting wisdom and melting the soul to forge star-tipped nails..."
"Hmm, Junior Brother, where are my special effects?" Xiao Hongchen winked at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched. The exclamations and cheers from below were too chaotic, so he simply used Mental Sharing to set up a temporary mental communication channel.
Xiao Hongchen: Junior Brother, what's the situation? The fight isn't over yet.
Huo Yuhao:?
Xiao Hongchen: Isn't the fight about defeating the opponent and then showing off?
Huo Yuhao: Senior Brother Xiao, my Mental Power...
Xiao Hongchen: Senior Brother will tell you which brand of stockings Little Meng likes the most!
Huo Yuhao: Ah? This...
After this exchange, Xiao Hongchen saw the splendid special effects reappear on his body, regained his feeling, and recited the final line of his declarative poem:
"Today, I laugh pointing where the Ma's were defeated, refining artifacts, refining the mind, refining the heavens!"
"Tingting, cut out the part without special effects later, okay!"
Huo Yuhao took this opportunity to quickly interpret the thoughts of the students below while standing on the platform.
"Ah! Cool Senior Sister Meng is killing me, I want to have her babies!"
"Can you swap faces with me?"
"It hurts, how can someone really hug Miss Meng's slender waist!"
"Let's go, it's boring."
"It's more painful than killing me."
"Huo Yuhao only has the minor merit of being accurate with his shots, why does he get to fawn over the Mingdu's most dazzling gem?"
Huo Yuhao heavily reaped a wave of Chaos Qi from the astonished, envious, and mentally broken students.
At this moment, Wang Shaojie below excitedly said to Zimu beside him:
"Didn't I tell you? Huo Yuhao really got close to Miss Meng by fawning over her!"
Meng Hongchen, the eldest daughter of the Hongchen family, who possessed the most wealth, the greatest talent, and the best looks, was in some ways even more famous than Xiao Hongchen.
Her fame had long surpassed the academy's boundaries and echoed throughout Mingdu.
However, this genius beauty, known as the Mingdu's most dazzling gem, had always kept a low profile.
It was rumored outside that she had a cold personality and had never interacted much with any male other than her brother.
Zimu had absolutely not believed, before, that someone could reach this level of girl just by being a simp, as Wang Shaojie claimed.
Wang Shaojie pressed his advantage:
"Don't disbelieve it yet. I've made significant progress just by executing the philosophy Huo Yuhao taught me!"
"If you learn this philosophy, you'll definitely win over Ju Zi."
"Oh?" Zimu was slightly surprised, saying half-believingly, "Tell me in detail."
He knew the object of Wang Shaojie's pursuit was a notorious player who kept multiple romantic interests on the line, and Wang Shaojie had made no progress before.
"Hu Mei let me eat her leftover breakfast today!" Wang Shaojie said proudly, "How about that? Big progress, right?"
Zimu was speechless: "What about your dignity as a quarter royal?"
"What use is dignity?" Wang Shaojie laughed, "You have dignity, but does Ju Zi even notice you?"
Zimu frowned slightly, but his resolve had already begun to waver.
Wang Shaojie's words were crude but held truth. Ju Zi truly treated him like just another ordinary classmate.
Being a simp was too humiliating; if Zimu hadn't seen tangible results before, he wouldn't have easily followed suit.
But now, Zimu glanced at Meng Hongchen on the Soul Dueling Platform, who was smiling brightly and walking lightly toward Huo Yuhao.
Damn it, so what if I fawn! This is love!
...Rest Area.
"Huo Yuhao is still too overpowered!"
A dejected and dusty Ma Rulong walked over, reiterating:
"Meng Hongchen's Ice Refraction couldn't possibly be that strong; Huo Yuhao must have pulled something!"
"Without him, you two definitely wouldn't have won!"
Although Ma Rulong was puzzled, he also felt a bit relieved.
At least Xiao Hongchen was already a Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer; otherwise, it would have been too humiliating!
Xiao Hongchen looked relaxed: "Senior Brother Ma, after the competition ends, go settle down in Mingde Hall!"
"Stop playing dirty here. The title of the strongest student of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy should be mine for a while."
Ma Rulong rolled his eyes and ignored Xiao Hongchen: "In this battle, I tried my best to overestimate Huo Yuhao's Mental Power, but I didn't expect it still wouldn't be enough."
"Otherwise, based on your soul tool ray sweeping the field?"
Ma Rulong then looked at Huo Yuhao and suggested:
"Yuhao, you have over two months before the competition. Hurry up and reach the Three Rings. Your skill in operating Soul Guidance Devices is currently being limited by your cultivation level."
"If you reach Three Rings, given your Mental Power that far surpasses that of same-level Spirit Masters who focus on the Spiritual system."
"Even the Sixth-Rank Mark of Light would pose little threat to you."
"Moreover, cough, cough, if there's any breakthrough in the continuous firing technique for the live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle."
"Well, you can ask for help from, um, elders or something. Expedite the development of a Fifth-Rank, or even Sixth-Rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle."
Ma Rulong could only say so much.
His grandfather was, after all, a staunch confidant of Jing Hongchen. Under the situation where Old Master Ma intentionally or unintentionally required him to maintain a good relationship with Huo Yuhao,
He had vaguely guessed who was backing Huo Yuhao.
If Huo Yuhao, wielding a Fourth-Rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle, could only serve as a role to deliver crucial finishing damage in battle,
Then what if Huo Yuhao wielded a Fifth-Rank, or even Sixth-Rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle?
That would absolutely be a battlefield killing weapon
In the Tranquility Hall, only Jing Hongchen, Huo Yuhao, and Feng Yu were present.
After watching the recording details of Huo Yuhao piercing Lin Xi's triggering Fifth-rank shield with one shot, Jing Hongchen smiled.
"This is the penetration power a live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle should possess, but as for who can perfectly utilize its tactical significance..."
"I'm afraid it has to be Yuhao."
Jing Hongchen paused, glanced at Feng Yu, and after a brief thought, said:
"Yuhao, I will arrange for people to help you perfect the design and manufacturing of the Fifth and Sixth-rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifles."
"However, after solving the problem of the cooling core formation array, the soul tool sniper rifle still has a very big issue."
"Yuhao, do you know what it is?"
"Soul Power storage." Facing Jing Hongchen's test, Huo Yuhao answered calmly and confidently:
"With the semi-automatic capability of the live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle, the requirement is only placed on the Soul Power reserves of the wielder themselves."
"A Soul Engineer can, at most, charge the same-rank soul tool sniper rifle two to three times."
"Coupled with the time required for recharging, this greatly affects combat."
Huo Yuhao then asked, "Teacher, regarding the Soul Power storage issue, is there any possibility of solving it with the technology of the 'milk bottle' type storage?"
The benefit of having an elder around became apparent at this moment.
If one wanted to find out who had the deepest understanding of the technical reserves of the Academy and Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen was undoubtedly the first person.
Administrative matters did not qualify to occupy too much of his time.
Having achieved success and become the Hall Master and Dean, he had always strived on the front lines of research.
Especially taking charge of the giant humanoid Soul Guidance Device, a large-scale comprehensive research and development project, allowed his understanding of various technical reserves to reach a new level.
"That is natural." Jing Hongchen nodded after a moment of thought:
"Currently, the most mainstream milk bottles of various ranks can only supply Soul Power to Spirit Masters."
"But there is a type of milk bottle technology called the 'Excited State Human Soul Power Configuration Milk Bottle' that can supply power to Soul Guidance Devices."
"Unfortunately, it has been sealed away for two hundred years."
A milk bottle that can supply power to Soul Guidance Devices? Huo Yuhao looked extremely surprised:
"Such a revolutionary milk bottle technology would also be sealed?"
Jing Hongchen shook his head and smiled:
"The ability to supply power to Soul Guidance Devices is indeed epoch-making, but its flaw is also terrifying."
"Back then, despite consuming a massive amount of manpower and material resources, this problem was never solved."
"Its principle is to simulate the human Soul Power effect by exciting the Soul Power inside, 'tricking' the Soul Guidance Device into thinking a Spirit Master is supplying it power."
"But one irreplaceable step in this excitation process causes the Soul Power within the milk bottle to become chaotic and unstable."
Huo Yuhao said solemnly, "The Soul Power stored in this type of milk bottle will dissipate rapidly!"
"Correct." Jing Hongchen gave him an appreciative look and continued:
"Moreover, the higher the rank, the faster the dissipation speed. How fast is it?"
"For a Seventh-rank Excited State Human Soul Power Configuration Milk Bottle, the speed at which a Spirit Master charges it is even slower than the Soul Power dissipating from it."
Huo Yuhao's eye corner twitched slightly; this milk bottle indeed seemed useless.
But upon second thought, it would be extremely suitable for use in competitions.
Jing Hongchen hinted, "This way, a new problem arises: the milk bottle outputs non-attributed Soul Power, which is temporarily incompatible with the extreme cooling formation."
"Little Meng said that your second Spirit Ability, Spiritual Eyes, is the Divine Soul Integration of the Ice Butterfly. It can greatly enhance your control over Soul Power."
Huo Yuhao understood, "Then in the next two months, while fully breaking through to the Thirtieth Rank Soul Power..."
"I will research how to use Divine Soul Integration to solve this problem."
"You don't need to worry about the rest," Jing Hongchen said with satisfaction:
"I will assign an Rank 8 Soul Engineer to open a new project to resolve these issues as soon as possible."
"Senior Brother Feng will just act as the middleman to coordinate things."
Huo Yuhao looked at the wryly smiling Feng Yu and showed an apologetic expression indicating trouble.
Alas, Senior Brother Feng was good in every way.
It was just that the Chaos Qi he provided hadn't been as abundant recently.
Was it because he had become numb to it?
... The matter of the soul tool sniper rifle didn't require Huo Yuhao to worry too much.
He adjusted his upcoming life rhythm.
The theoretical knowledge he originally needed to grind away at was temporarily unnecessary to push forward.
According to Feng Yu's assessment, his knowledge reserve already surpassed the requirements for obtaining the Fourth-Rank Soul Engineer Certificate.
Moreover, when he learned theoretical knowledge, it was completely 'once learned, always remembered,' requiring no review.
Continuing to study ahead of schedule would actually slow down his efficiency due to his cultivation level.
Therefore, Huo Yuhao decided that apart from researching Divine Soul Integration, he would focus entirely on meditating to raise his Soul Power rank.
Huo Yuhao's single dormitory finally welcomed its owner's long stay.
Unbeknownst to him, the recording of his three-on-three battle had spread.
If he was previously only slightly famous within the Academy across different grades, now his name was known by most people in the Academy.
However, the students' evaluations were not entirely consistent.
Under the greater publicity of 'soul tool master genius' and the influence of Huo Yuhao's handsome portrait for joining the reserve team,
The girls overwhelmingly considered him a stock with potential:
"Haven't heard which faction Huo Yuhao belongs to. If I could just win him over, haha!"
"That wouldn't be an alliance through marriage; that would be a net gain of a future high-ranking Soul Engineer!"
"Too bad, looking at the recording, he seems a bit close to Meng Hongchen."
"What if Meng Hongchen makes a move first?"
"So what if it's Meng Hongchen? My waist isn't exactly thick either!"
A certain female student in the Second Year Class One looked out the window with a sense of loss, feeling like she had let go of a 'demon stock' (a stock with volatile but potentially huge returns).
The boys had a completely different tone.
Initially, only some boys envied Huo Yuhao for being close to Meng Hongchen; most boys were indifferent.
But upon seeing so many girls researching how to win over Huo Yuhao,
Huo Yuhao instantly drew public ire.
If you truly managed to pursue the most dazzling pearl of Mingdu, the guys wouldn't have any lingering thoughts anyway; at worst, they'd compliment you as awesome.
But you attracting the attention of so many girls, even causing some girls who already had boyfriends to praise you in front of their boyfriends?
Then, sorry, guys are going to trash you!
Thus, numerous male students converted their jealousy and dissatisfaction into the drive to criticize!
"Huo Yuhao is only good at shooting accurately; what else is there to him?"
"His so-called number one below Intermediate Soul Engineer is merely a Second-rank Soul Engineer!"
"The guy spends all day just hanging around the Library and the laboratory; how could he understand romance?"
"A low-grade student with no background, where will he get the financial resources to impact high-ranking Soul Engineer technology in the future?"
"Damn it, I heard the'Simp's Bible' was spread by Huo Yuhao, increasing everyone's emotional investment costs!"
"That truly deserves death!"
Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Fourth Year Class Three.
Wang Shaojie was still proselytizing, saying proudly:
"Zimu, my relationship with Hu Mei has advanced another step! She let me eat her leftovers again today."
"Really?"
Zimu secretly glanced at Ju Zi, feeling a bit envious of Wang Shaojie's progress.
It seemed he needed to learn more from Wang Shaojie, as his'Simp's Bible' was personally taught by God Huo.
Ju Zi, who saw everything, held her forehead:
"Wang Shaojie, what does that prove?"
Wang Shaojie retorted, "Why doesn't she let anyone else eat her leftovers?"
Ju Zi: "..."
Ke Ke stood to the side, not daring to interrupt, afraid of being preached to by Wang Shaojie.
Shrek Academy, Soul Fighting Arena.
In the audience stands, Xuanzi watched the outer academy students fighting chaotically below while taking a bite of chicken leg and a gulp of wine. He asked the person beside him:
"Wang Yan, are the main team members this time the previous reserve team?"
"How is their strength now?"
Wang Yan, having been confirmed as the supervising teacher for this competition, was naturally very familiar with the students' information.
He slightly bowed and respectfully replied:
"Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng's cultivation levels have reached Level Sixty-Seven and Level Sixty-Four, respectively."
"Besides these two Spirit Emperors, the Soul Power of the remaining five members is all above Level Fifty-Five."
As if recalling something, Wang Yan added:
"Under the absorption of Tang Yin's Eight Spider Lances, Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire has been suppressed to a certain extent. She can now unleash her full power for short periods without any pressure."
Xuanzi took a large gulp of wine and laughed heartily:
"Wonderful, wonderful! Our Shrek truly has an abundance of talent!"
Wang Yan was puzzled: "Dean Xuan said Tang Yin must enter the reserve team, yet you directly organized a free-for-all selection for the reserve team members. This..."
Xuanzi pointed at the battle below and chuckled:
"Do you think I don't know Tang Yin is close with Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and the others? I have my reasons for doing this."
"Moreover, that kid Tang Yin's Eight Spider Lances wield power reminiscent of Ancestor Tang San's divine might!"
Wang Yan followed Xuanzi's gaze, and his pupils contracted slightly.
He saw Tang Yin unleash his Eight Spider Lances.
Moving rapidly across the Soul Fighting Arena like a true Man-faced Demon Spider.
Coordinated with the battlefield insight from his Purple Demon Eye and the unpredictable trajectories provided by Ghost Shadow Perplexing Tracks, he approached a target without taking much damage.
The Eight Spider Lances lightly stabbed, then immediately retreated, moving on to the next target without hesitation.
Since He Caitou had previously 'mocked' him, Tang Yin deliberately paid extra attention to him.
First, he used the Zhuge Divine Crossbow for rapid-fire shield breaking, then injected ten times the usual dose of poison!
This resulted in the students stabbed by the spider legs.
Only five breaths later did their limbs go soft, their faces turned purple, and they collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
As soon as the spider legs retracted from He Caitou, he rolled his eyes, convulsed, and fell down.
Watching this scene, Fan Yu, standing in the audience, had a face as black as the bottom of a pot.
He couldn't help but walk up to Xuanzi to protest:
"Elder Xuan, can't we even get one spot for the Soul Guidance Department?"
"Besides, I didn't even prepare standard Soul Tool cannonballs for He Caitou."
"But Tang Yin can use mechanical Hidden Weapon!"
Xuanzi frowned: "Shrek Academy is the holy land of Spirit Masters, not the holy land of Soul Engineers. He Caitou's skill was simply inferior; who is to blame?"
"Moreover, the Sea God Pavilion's motion to ban mechanical Hidden Weapon just passed and only takes effect next month."
"Tang Yin is not violating the rules."
Finally, Xuanzi waved his hand impatiently.
A terrifying oppressive aura, close to that of a Limit Douluo, descended upon Fan Yu, rendering him unable to speak.
In the Soul Fighting Arena, most students finally reacted and fiercely attacked Tang Yin for his 'improper' behavior!
Suddenly, vast swathes of yellow and purple Spirit Rings flashed, and the Soul Power fluctuations within the Soul Fighting Arena rose another level.
All sorts of long-range hundred-year and thousand-year Martial Soul Abilities were hurled at Tang Yin without regard for Soul Power consumption.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Tracks under his feet and the Eight Spider Lances assisting his movement, Tang Yin still suffered significant losses.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his Soul Power became chaotic.
He was not only lightly injured but had also consumed more than half of his Soul Power!
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Yin's eyes. To fulfill the promise he made to Teacher Ya before entering the arena, he thought to himself:
"It's simple, I'll just devour them."
With that, the aura of the Eight Spider Lances stopped being concealed and was fully revealed.
Purple-black, sinister light bloomed on the Eight Spider Lances, instantly reversing the tide of battle.
Tang Yin lunged directly at the nearest two-ring Spirit Master. With a stab from the Eight Spider Lances, he instantly refined a portion of that student's Soul Power and life force!
Tang Yin's aura surged dramatically. After his condition greatly recovered, he lunged toward the next target.
A group of low-level Spirit Masters with two or three rings—how could they possess enough varied means to resist the sharp spider legs and potent poison of the Eight Spider Lances?
Wang Yan watched Tang Yin fight to sustain his fight, growing stronger as he battled.
Stabbing the vast majority of outer academy students into wails, and draining the vitality of the vast majority of outer academy students.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill was also neutralized by Tang Yin using an old technique, without any suspense.
Wang Dong didn't even have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill; he could only choose to team up with Xiao Xiao to resist, but due to a lack of methods, he also struggled against the Eight Spider Lances.
Wang Yan was stunned: "Elder Xuan, isn't the devouring ability of these Eight Spider Lances too similar to that of Evil Soul Masters?"
He dared not directly say it was an Evil Soul Master ability, only hinting at it vaguely.
Tang Yin might be unveiled in the competition, and causing a massive uproar wouldn't be his responsibility as the supervising teacher!
"Wang Yan, you dare question Ancestor Tang San after reading a few books?"
"Ten thousand years ago, before Ancestor Tang San became a god, there were very few Evil Soul Masters on the continent. Are you implying Ancestor Tang San was an Evil Soul Master?"
Wang Yan wiped cold sweat from his brow and quickly lowered his head: "Wang Yan dares not."
Xuanzi slowly set down the wine pot in his hand and continued looking at Wang Yan:
"Your worries are also unnecessary."
"Tang Yin's situation was already decided in the Sea God Pavilion; even the Pavilion Master said nothing about it."
"With Shrek Academy's supreme authority in the Spirit Master Domain, if we say this is a legitimate skill, then it is a legitimate skill."
"It's not just Tang Yin; Ma Xiaotao is the same. I'd like to see who dares to comment or spread baseless rumors!"
While they spoke, Tang Yin had already successfully subdued the entire Soul Fighting Arena using the Eight Spider Lances, and even a thin layer of purple toxic mist permeated the air.
Except for Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan, who were relatively close to him, no one else was standing.
Watching from the sidelines, Tang Ya screamed excitedly. This was the Qilin Son of the Tang Sect, Tang Yin!
Wang Shengjia, who was recording the battle nearby, pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses.
The shock in his heart was no less than that of Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan on the field.
What the hell is happening here?
Is this still Shrek Academy, the holy land of Spirit Masters that despises evil?
A spy!
The Holy Cult definitely has a spy within the academy's high-ranking officials!
He clearly saw Tang Yin's method of devouring life force and Soul Power!
It's enough to make Tang Yin a Holy Son if he were brought into the Holy Cult.
The fact that Tang Yin dared to openly use the devouring ability of the Eight Spider Lances without being apprehended—if that isn't protection by a spy, what is it?
Now, the biggest question is: who is this spy?
Tang Yin, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan successfully secured spots in the reserve team. The remaining selections, however, caused Wang Yan some difficulty:
"Elder Xuan, the reserve team still needs three more members."
"I have screened the following list based on the performance and growth potential of the students who were eliminated from the free-for-all. Please make your decision."
Xuanzi took the list and glanced at it:
He Caitou, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Wu Feng, Ning Tian, the Lan Sisters.
He said lightly:
"We'll give the Soul Guidance Department some face; add He Caitou."
"Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Wu Feng, and Ning Tian all have clan imprints that are too heavy; it will be difficult for them to be of use to me. They won't enter the reserve team for now."
"Although the Lan Sisters' Martial Soul Fusion Skill is somewhat interesting, the essence of their Martial Souls is too weak. Xiao Xiao, after all, is the only one with Twin Martial Souls in many years."
"So, the remaining two spots will go to Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong."
Hearing this, Wang Yan felt a slight regret. He had initially held high hopes for these two pairs of students who possessed Martial Soul Fusion Skills.
Xuanzi smiled slightly and said:
"Wang Yan, you need to broaden your thinking. Whether I release one sheep or a flock of sheep, it's still releasing them."
"It's not a big deal if they weren't selected. Even if they can't enter the reserve team, bringing them along to the spectator seats to see the world is also a good thing."
"Just arrange for a few more teachers to look after them."
Wang Yan's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Elder Xuan, you will be secretly protecting them this time?"
Xuanzi smiled warmly:
"With so many talented youths, I wouldn't feel at ease leaving them to others."
"It's better if I escort and protect them myself."
There were still more than two months before the start of the tournament.
During this period, Huo Yuhao also took time to formally meet the members of the main team and the reserve team.
Afterward, he practiced tactics separately with the main team and the reserve team.
The most surprising thing for Huo Yuhao was that Feng Tingting had also been selected for the reserve team!
According to her, she got the spot thanks to Huo Yuhao's influence.
She had only recently advanced to a Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master and hadn't even reached the level of an elite Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master.
However, her Martial Soul was the Hundred-Gaze Demon, which was considered a semi-mental-type Martial Soul.
The Hundred-Gaze Demon had a Martial Soul characteristic where the more attention it received from people over a short period, the greater the boost its total Soul Power could gain.
With the tens of thousands of attention points she had gained from writing 'soul tool master genius' inside and outside the academy, once she activated this Martial Soul characteristic,
her total Soul Power could briefly rival that of a high-rank Soul King, and this wasn't even her limit.
Unfortunately, her Martial Soul lacked offensive capability, and the physical enhancement it provided was almost zero.
This was also the main reason she started publishing the 'soul tool master genius' periodical.
It was precisely because of this periodical that she became acquainted with the academy star, Xiao Hongchen, and later developed feelings for him.
Therefore, even though the academy higher-ups knew last semester that she possessed such a potent Martial Soul characteristic, they didn't consider adding her to the reserve team.
But now, the live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle, capable of continuous fire, was about to be successfully manufactured.
And Huo Yuhao, its perfect user, was already in the reserve team.
Consequently, she was also selected for the reserve team.
Once she entered the field, her tactical mission would be singular: to charge the live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle!
Besides Feng Tingting's situation, there was another matter that gave Huo Yuhao quite a headache.
After the extreme pressure test against the starting lineup of the reserve team, Huo Yuhao sensed that Meng Hongchen's mood was slightly off.
Using his mind-reading ability, and after asking detailed questions, Huo Yuhao finally understood what she was thinking.
Meng Hongchen felt down because she constantly needed Huo Yuhao's help to elevate her to the Ultimate Ice attribute.
If she didn't bind with Huo Yuhao, the Mental Detection alone, while greatly beneficial, didn't achieve the qualitative transformation effect that Xiao Hongchen experienced.
She felt she was dragging Huo Yuhao down.
Because when the time came, Huo Yuhao could completely dominate the battlefield by relying on simulation.
Wouldn't the role he played holding the live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle be better than being her accessory?
Huo Yuhao wanted to comfort her but found himself without a good way to do so.
What brought him some slight relief was that Feng Bujue had returned from hunting Martial Souls.
After some explanation, Huo Yuhao learned that the Martial Soul hunting trip took longer than expected because Feng Bujue had found a clue regarding his father's disappearance.
Huo Yuhao told him not to be reserved and to share any developments immediately,
to see if the teachers could offer any assistance.
But upon learning that Huo Yuhao was fully focused on breaking through to the thirtieth Soul Power ring and preparing for the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament,
he even refused the welcoming banquet Huo Yuhao organized for him, unwilling to discuss the matter further,
fearing he might distract Huo Yuhao's limited focus.
...
There were only a little over twenty days left until the start of the competition.
In the Tranquility Hall, Jing Hongchen's office.
"Yuhao, how has your recent cultivation been? When do you think you can break through to the thirtieth ring?"
Jing Hongchen poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Huo Yuhao, smiling:
"Today, we will finalize your third Spirit Ring, your final choice."
Huo Yuhao quickly accepted it, excited:
"In the next couple of days, I believe. I can already feel the bottleneck subtly loosening."
Feng Yu, who was beside them, first took out a list.
The list contained several Soul Beasts that were the final candidates. He pointed to one of them and brought up the topic:
"Junior Brother, how about the Thousand-Year Purple Martial Soul Wolf's Group Weakness?"
"It affects the central nervous system through mental fluctuations."
"It won't reduce their Soul Power, but it will cause symptoms like dizziness, weak legs, and general fatigue in their bodies."
"This Spirit Ability from a Thousand-Year specimen can last for a full dozen seconds. It's considered a rare and powerful team battle Spirit Ability."
"Although the Purple Martial Soul Wolf is rare, the academy's Beast Fighting Zone happens to have one that just entered the Thousand-Year mark."
Jing Hongchen frowned, shaking his head:
"Group Weakness is indeed rare for ordinary mental-type Soul Masters."
"But this Spirit Ability has very low growth potential. It might be useful in team battles,"
"but it's too much of a filler for individual growth, especially for Yuhao."
"Tell me, once Yuhao grows stronger, how much use will such a Spirit Ability have?"
Huo Yuhao nodded, agreeing with Jing Hongchen's reasoning.
Feng Yu hesitated: "How about the Evil Eye Tyrant?"
"It's a pity that pure-blooded, single-attribute Evil Eye Tyrants are too few, and Thousand-Year ones are even rarer."
"I don't know if there's enough time to acquire one."
"Moreover, it's rumored that pure-blooded, single-attribute Evil Eye Tyrants are basically direct descendants of that one person..."
"Hmph." Jing Hongchen looked at Huo Yuhao seriously:
"Yuhao, as long as you want a Thousand-Year, single-attribute Evil Eye Tyrant,"
"Teacher will take a few Ninth-rank Soul Engineers and use the Ninth-rank God Sealing Platform to capture one for you."
"As long as we are clean, there shouldn't be any major issues."
Hearing Jing Hongchen's declaration, Huo Yuhao was deeply moved.
However, first, the third Spirit Ring planned by the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress for him was definitely not an Evil Eye Tyrant.
Second, attacking a single-attribute Evil Eye Tyrant carried genuinely high risks.
The Sun-Moon Empire hadn't had a record of killing a single-attribute Evil Eye Tyrant for hundreds of years.
Huo Yuhao also didn't want Jing Hongchen to risk so much for his third Spirit Ring.
He pointed to one on the list and said: "Teacher, I want this one!"
Jing Hongchen and Feng Yu followed his finger. It was the Silver Hero Beast!
The Silver Hero Beast imprint? Jing Hongchen nodded; this was the choice with the highest growth potential on the list.
Even when cultivated to the extreme level, the imprint could still exert an extremely powerful effect.
Currently, Huo Yuhao could rely on the live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle for numerical advantage.
And the imprint could perfectly compensate for some of Huo Yuhao's mechanical deficiencies.
The only pity, Jing Hongchen said regretfully:
"Besides the Silver Hero Beast and the Evil Eye Tyrant on the list, Mingdu has inventory of Thousand-Year Soul Beasts."
"But it seems the Silver Hero Beast only has one, a Ten-Thousand-Year specimen that was captured not long ago."
Huo Yuhao was also slightly surprised upon hearing this. An inventory of Soul Beasts?
And coincidentally, there was a Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Hero Beast. Was it that coincidental?
Jing Hongchen noticed Huo Yuhao's confusion and explained:
"Soul Guidance Device Sealing Devices were originally developed to compensate for the Sun-Moon Empire's scarcity of Soul Beast resources."
"The ones secretly captured are also extremely rare and seldom-seen Soul Beasts. This plan is only circulated among the Empire's high-ranking officials."
"The most famous of these Soul Guidance Devices is the Ninth-rank Martial Soul Sealing Device, the God Sealing Platform."
Huo Yuhao rubbed his temples and laid out his entire plan:
"Uh, Teacher, I think this Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Hero Beast is perfect for me."
"Firstly, my Mental Power has already touched the threshold of the Spirit Emperor rank, so Soul Shock is not an issue for me."
"Secondly, I consumed so many high-rank Soul Engineer sets, which included quite a bit of Thousand-Year Whale Gel."
"I also separately bought a piece of Thirty-Thousand-Year Whale Gel, plus the enhancement to my physique from the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Soul..."
Jing Hongchen and Feng Yu exchanged glances, seeing hesitation and doubt in each other's eyes.
Jing Hongchen frowned:
"Yuhao, are you sure you understand the risks involved?"
..."
"Brother Lin Xi, have another drink!"
Wang Shaojie nudged the swaying, drunk Lin Xi. Seeing he was truly intoxicated, he grinned and asked:
"Brother Lin Xi, just tell me about God Huo's recent situation! Why doesn't he come to the Library anymore?"
Lin Xi mumbled drunkenly:
"God Huo? He truly deserves that title."
"His tactical status now already surpasses Ma Rulong's."
"Shao Jie, how can a Second-rank Soul Tool Master be this monstrous