"The match begins!"
Accompanied by the referee's shout, the team members from both the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy and Shashui Academy released their respective Martial Souls almost simultaneously.
A flash of golden light emanated from Xiao Hongchen, and, to everyone's surprise, another leg emerged from behind him.
This leg was entirely golden, and at the same time, a layer of dazzling gold covered his entire body.
On his slightly arched back, golden protrusions bulged out from beneath his clothes, emitting a soft golden halo.
Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Red, Red!
Seven Spirit Rings rose, still dazzlingly bright and filled with an intense sense of oppression.
In comparison, the three yellow, yellow, purple Spirit Rings on Huo Yuhao, who was standing beside him, were completely overshadowed.
Huo Yuhao stepped back and pulled a third-rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle from his storage ring.
Thanks to the extremely high quality of Soul Power from his Ultimate Martial Soul.
Even though he was only at level thirty-two Soul Power, it was more than enough to charge a shot for the third-rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle.
He just stood there and started charging it without doing anything else.
In reality, Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection had already enveloped the entire arena.
Supported by Mental Sharing, the battlefield situation was clearly visible to everyone from the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy down to the finest detail.
Not only that, but he also utilized his ten-thousand-year level Mental Sharing to establish a temporary Martial Soul communication channel shared by the entire team.
It had low latency, high reliability, and was not easily interfered with.
Huo Yuhao: "Senior Brother Xiao, be careful, don't get ambushed."
Xiao Hongchen: "No need to worry, I won't make that kind of low-level Error."
Huo Yuhao: "Everyone else, follow the plan and release the fifth-rank long-range Soul Guidance Devices. Let's start with a wave of probing fire coverage."
Meng Hongchen, Lin Xi, Mi Jia, Soul Engineer He Qiankun, Qin Wen: "Received × 5."
Dozens, even hundreds, of beams and light spheres condensed from Soul Power and released through Soul Guidance Devices bloomed like a peacock spreading its tail from everyone except Xiao Hongchen and Huo Yuhao.
Xiao Hongchen did want to replicate the feat of wiping out the team in one blow like in the previous match.
Unfortunately, Shashui Academy had been guarding against this, and they did not have special Martial Soul Abilities like defensive halos that would cause them to bunch up.
As soon as Xiao Hongchen's seven Spirit Rings, which carried an intense sense of oppression, appeared, the seven members of Shashui Academy, having been mentally prepared, were not slow in their actions at all.
The three in the front, Shui Shasha, Shi Fan, and Shi Mao, all had distinct three-colored lights rising from their bodies when they released their Martial Souls.
These three individuals' Martial Souls were quite unique; they were all possessors of Beast Martial Soul types.
However, their Martial Souls did not cause their own bodies to change.
Instead, they manifested as semi-solid entities in front of them.
In front of Shui Shasha was a four-meter-tall water-blue water-type giant, its entire body exuding a rich ice-blue aura.
And in front of Shi Fan and Shi Mao were a giant sand man and a mud man, both over four meters tall.
Three big guys suddenly appeared on the competition field. Not to mention that each of them embodied the full combat power of a Soul King.
Just their size alone was extremely oppressive.
Just how big were these three giants? Specifically, Lin Xi, who was over one meter ninety tall, could walk straight through between their legs without any difficulty.
Furthermore, the three of them, Shui Shasha and the others, were all Soul Kings, all with the best Spirit Ring configuration of two yellow, two purple, and one black.
There were no weak teams among those assigned to Group Eight.
Those who could start, apart from the monstrous talent Xiao Hongchen, were all Spirit Masters with the best Spirit Ring configurations.
During the pre-match information gathering phase, this method of releasing Martial Souls called Martial Soul Mimicry used by the three left a deep impression on Huo Yuhao.
After learning about it, he discovered that his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Martial Soul also had the opportunity to follow this path.
Because the prerequisite for this method of Cultivation was that the first Spirit Ring needed to be of the same form as one's own Martial Soul.
His second Martial Soul and first Spirit Ring were both provided by the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.
Moreover, Ice Empress was one of only two intelligent Spirit Rings on the continent.
It seemed there were few Spirit Masters in this world more suitable for Cultivating Martial Soul Mimicry than him.
However, the reason this path was not mainstream was because it had huge flaws.
The burden on oneself was indeed reduced, but Martial Soul Mimicry itself did not provide much of an enhancement to the Spirit Master.
Therefore, a Spirit Master using Martial Soul Mimicry not only had to direct their mimicked Martial Soul to fight but also had to carefully control the mimicked Martial Soul to protect their relatively fragile self.
If they didn't have powerful companions to protect them, or special tactics or Martial Soul Abilities to solve their own survival issues, they couldn't make it work.
Ice Empress in the Sea of Consciousness, upon learning the drawbacks of Martial Soul Mimicry, directly rejected Huo Yuhao's idea of trying it.
"Yuhao, I know you feel that us being trapped in the mental space is a restriction, but our goal is the plan to become gods."
"Every choice must be based on maximizing your own enhancement."
Although she said that, Ice Empress, accompanied by Skydream Iceworm, was also silently watching this match.
How did Shashui Academy's team overcome the limitations of Martial Soul Mimicry?
They gave the answer directly.
The first to release a Spirit Ability was the Auxiliary Type Spirit Ancestor at the back.
Shashui Academy actually had two main Auxiliary Type Spirit Masters, each adapted to a set of tactics.
The Auxiliary Type Spirit Ancestor who came onto the field today was clearly the one specifically meant for dealing with top-tier strong teams.
This girl with fire-red hair instantly completed her Martial Soul Possession; her Martial Soul was a vibrant, exotic red flower.
Four Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—alternated in their glow.
"Rationality Halo!"
"Breath Concealment!"
"Group Bloodlust!"
"Soul Power Source!"
Four Martial Soul Abilities—mental state, concealment, casting speed, and full attribute enhancement—were all released.
In an instant, lights of various colors flew toward all the members of Shashui Academy, placing various buffs on them.
Then, this Auxiliary Type Spirit Ancestor turned around directly, with the numerous soul tool light bullets and beams released by Lin Xi and the others as the backdrop.
She just jumped off the high platform, just like that.
All of her Martial Soul Abilities were hands-off skills; once released, they could continue to take effect.
Furthermore, the special tactics they had prepared for this match did not have a position responsible for protecting her.
After jumping off the stage, for some reason, she hurriedly left the place through the dedicated passageway as if fleeing.
She didn't show the slightest curiosity about how the rest of the match would unfold.
How did the others from Shashui Academy deal with the bombardment of various Soul Guidance Devices?
Although "Group Bloodlust" had some side effects that triggered a berserk state and reduced rationality.
Their mental state was stabilized by the "Rationality Halo," allowing them to think about problems normally.
On the bodies of the three who released Martial Soul Mimicry—Shui Shasha and the others—various Spirit Rings also shone.
Facing a title favorite like the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy, they learned the lesson from the previous match against Tiantong Academy and went all out as soon as they made a move.
In an instant, layers of small sand spears, water arrows, and stone blades spread out in a dense barrage.
Numerous sounds of breaking through the air overlapped, and one could only hear a single "swish."
It had to be said that Shashui Academy's method for dealing with the dense bombardment of long-range Soul Guidance Devices was very clever.
This was their fourth Spirit Ability, and its power was not necessarily inferior to a fifth-rank long-range Soul Guidance Device activated by a Fifth-Rank Soul Tool Master.
At this moment, it was used solely for interception.
When both sides collided in the center of the field, the initial collision instantly escalated into an explosion of full-scale impact.
The three seized this gap, and three ten-thousand-year Martial Soul Abilities were launched fiercely.
The sand man, water man, and mud man on the competition field suddenly emitted powerful fluctuations of Soul Power.
Although there were intense explosions and shockwaves on the field, Huo Yuhao's ten-thousand-year Mental Detection was not affected in the slightest under the reinforcement of his Spirit Emperor-level Mental Power.
Because Shashui Academy's opponents in the previous first round of the knockout tournament were not strong, they didn't reveal many of their abilities, and these three's ten-thousand-year Martial Soul Abilities had never been used at all.
Although their own side's overall cultivation was stronger than the opponent's, how could a Soul King's strongest ten-thousand-year Spirit Ability be simple?
Especially since they were Soul Kings from the Heavenly Soul Empire who were best at dealing with Soul Engineers.
Under Mental Detection, Huo Yuhao keenly discovered that these three Spirit Rings seemed to have a strange resonance.
This was likely not an individually released Spirit Ability, but a seven-in-one, Martial Soul Combination Skill?
In the mental channel.
Huo Yuhao: "Careful! These three ten-thousand-year Martial Soul Abilities are not simple."
Huo Yuhao: "Even if their power doesn't catch up to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, it's close."
Meng Hongchen: "The Invincible Barrier is ready!"
Xiao Hongchen: "Don't be afraid, my output is already invincible—"
Huo Yuhao did not have the slightest carelessness and output his Mental Power with full power.
He probed the Soul Power circulation patterns, mental fluctuations, and defensive weak points within the three giants clearly.
And in Mental Sharing, he marked them out for everyone.
Everyone focused intently on the movements of the three giants, waiting in full battle array for the violent attacks that might happen next.
Yet, unexpectedly, the sand man, water man, and mud man had no intention of rushing over at all; instead, they turned around and started building on the spot without any concealment.
Under the enhancement of "Soul Power Source" on casting speed, streams of cement-like liquid slurry, as thick as buckets, gushed out crazily from between the three giants.
What was the scene of four-meter-tall giants gluing things on the spot?
Among the over three hundred thousand people on Star Luo Square today, few could see it more clearly than Huo Yuhao and the others who had Mental Detection activated.
Ultimate picture quality, ultra-high frame rate, and uncensored.
The three giants were strong, but they really had nothing to do with being aesthetically pleasing; on the contrary, they were quite hideous.
Huo Yuhao's pupils dilated slightly, a great shock arose in his heart, and he felt his Martial Soul had even been polluted.
He hurriedly lowered his Mental Power output and mosaicked the image in Mental Sharing.
Meng Hongchen subconsciously reached out to cover her eyes, and the others were also dumbfounded.
They were all veterans of the competition field, but they had truly never seen such a scene before
The entire crowd of over three hundred thousand people fell silent for a moment, followed by an even more fervent outbreak of discussion.
"Where on earth has this brought me?"
"No, this isn't the kind of hand-to-hand combat I wanted to see."
"There's even a hidden program, though it's a bit bizarre."
"One ticket price, two times the enjoyment. Totally worth it!"
Many members of Shrek Academy, who had finished their first match, had not yet left.
Tang Yin was dumbfounded, feeling as though his worldview had been expanded.
He noticed that the people from the various teams in the rest area were all casting their gazes toward a certain spot.
The location where Shashui Academy was situated in the rest area?
Tang Yin followed their gazes, only to find that the place was already empty.
Never mind the team leader, even the members of the Reserve Team had run off.
And don't say that Huo Yuhao and his team were shallow in their experience.
Even Xu Jiawei, high above on the imperial dais, was silent for a few seconds before turning to beckon an elder and instructing, "After this match ends, add a rule to this tournament."
"I don't care what happens off the stage, but if anyone engages in behavior that is too indecent on the stage, they will be disqualified immediately!"
Although it was highly unlikely that a second team would do such a thing, this rule was effectively a warning to Shashui Academy.
If you do this on the competition stage again and ruin the reputation of the tournament hosted by my Star Luo Empire, you will regret it!
Shui Shasha and the other two on the stage didn't know the consequences; they were racing against time to release their Spirit Ability.
Before long, a layer of "cement slurry" over a meter high, emitting a tri-colored glow and possessing intense Soul Power fluctuations, had accumulated over a small half of the competition stage.
This "cement slurry" was the product of the collaboration of three ten-thousand-year Spirit Rings, and it possessed nearly extreme Soul Power assimilation properties.
Once adhered to by it, one's Soul Power would be frantically drained.
Moreover, because over ninety-nine percent of long-range Soul Guidance Devices and long-range Spirit Ability utilized output methods like energy projectiles and Soul Tool Ray, most long-range Soul Guidance Devices and long-range Spirit Ability, provided their output intensity did not exceed two major Realm, were ineffective against those hiding within it.
Furthermore, it also served to block various detection-type Spirit Ability and Soul Guidance Devices.
Even Mental Power could not penetrate it!
Huo Yuhao realized something was wrong and immediately ordered Lin Xi and the others to release instantaneous Soul Tool Ray.
But as the Spirit Ability was successfully released, Shui Shasha and the other two jumped directly into the "cement slurry."
The three brown-haired Spirit Ancestor of the Agility-Attack System behind them were also ready by now and followed them in one after another.
They had practiced this tactic several times.
Plus, their Martial Soul were Sand Scorpion, Sand Fox, and Sand Snake, respectively, so entering this environment was like a fish taking to water.
Several instantaneous fifth-level Soul Tool Ray shot into the "cement slurry," emitting only a few soft plop sounds without causing a single splash.
Huo Yuhao observed the effect of the probing shots; this trinity Spirit Ability was practically comparable to a powerful Domain-type Spirit Ability!
At this moment, the release of the three ten-thousand-year Spirit Ability had not yet ended.
The performance of the three Martial Soul giants was still ongoing, though their bodies were massive, so they had not yet been submerged by the "cement slurry."
The mental channel exploded.
Xiao Hongchen: "Yuhao, my Mental Detection can only penetrate a few dozen centimeters; what do we do?"
Xiao Hongchen: "The damage is sufficient, but it's meaningless if we can't aim accurately."
Meng Hongchen: "Their three Agility-Attack System Spirit Master all have sand-type Martial Soul."
Meng Hongchen: "In this environment, they might be able to display combat power close to the Soul King level."
Mi Jia: "Should I put on my melee armor and charge in?"
Lin Xi: "Without the support of Mental Detection, and with three giants in there, it's too dangerous."
Qin Wen: "It's flowing over, it's flowing over. It's very likely someone is sneaking over!"
Soul Engineer He Qiankun: "Should we each get a super-energy cannon and wait with it charged?"
Huo Yuhao: "That's too passive, it's unnecessary. Pay attention to the positions I mark for you."
A flash of light shone in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
When he realized something was wrong, besides commanding everyone to perform probing shots, he hadn't been idle either.
The "cement slurry" could block Mental Detection from the outside in, but it couldn't stop the vision of those hiding within from being taken!
The visibility inside was extremely poor; Huo Yuhao hadn't experienced this perspective before and could only obtain approximate locations.
He couldn't provide them as firing coordinates to Xiao Hongchen.
There were many ways to break the deadlock, and he chose the method least likely to be noticed.
First, he utilized the Frenzy skill of the "Psychiatrist."
Just before the opponents jumped into the "cement slurry," he took advantage of the momentum to detonate the sanity of the opponents, which had already been heavily affected by "Group Bloodthirst."
Then, he planted psychological suggestions like "holding breath" and "suffocation" within Shui Shasha's aether body.
If Shui Shasha, hiding in the "cement slurry," were in a normal mental state, she would certainly be able to completely suppress the urge to surface.
After all, being inside didn't mean she was invincible; the closer to the surface, the more dangerous it was.
But her already unstable sanity had been completely suppressed by Frenzy.
She suddenly developed an infinite craving for the fresh air outside—just a little bit, even just getting a little closer!
Just as she couldn't help but float up a tiny distance, slightly approaching the surface of the "cement slurry."
Although Shui Shasha had only floated up an insignificant distance, this opportunity was still seized by Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao moved; he pulled the trigger of the third-level Soul Guidance Device sniper rifle that had long been fully charged.
Bang!
Amidst an incomparably crisp firing sound, the spirit-infused cast iron bullet, with power comparable to a top-tier fourth-level long-range Soul Guidance Device, shot out fiercely.
At a firing speed that even Mental Power at the Soul King level would find difficult to track, it ferociously drilled into the "cement slurry."
Perhaps someone could guess that Huo Yuhao would shoot, but no one would think that he could actually accurately hit someone inside the "cement slurry"!
Under the conditions of extremely imprecise Mental Detection and blurred vision, Huo Yuhao relied on his intuition to accurately and unmistakably hit Shui Shasha in the chest.
The "cement slurry" could block energy-based long-range attacks, but the spirit-infused cast iron bullet was solid, high-grade metal.
Even if its power diminished after shooting into it, it was not something a Spirit Master like Shui Shasha, who followed Martial Soul mimicry, could easily withstand.
When the scream came from the "cement slurry," it had become barely audible.
But the "cement slurry" was, after all, a trinity; it was something that could only be formed and maintained for a long time by jointly releasing Spirit Ability.
After Shui Shasha was seriously injured, the "cement slurry" suddenly became illusory.
By the time Shi Fan and Shi Mao realized something was wrong in astonishment, they were already exposed to Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection.
Following that was a crimson light, constantly enlarging in their vision, emitting terrifying Soul Power fluctuations, as well as countless various Soul Tool Ray and Soul Guidance Device cannons.
Just as the two were in despair, a dense orange light shot into the sky, transforming into a Star Power barrier that stood abruptly in front of them.
As soon as all the attacks made contact with this Star Power barrier, they all thinned, faded, and finally disappeared.
Huang Jinxu, who already had experience, calmly and composedly blocked all the attacks this time.
He glanced at Shui Shasha, who was already lying on the ground groaning in pain nearby.
He then looked at the shaken Shi Fan and Shi Mao, and frowned, saying: "Go help her off the stage; she has no combat power left."
The other three Agility-Attack System Spirit Ancestor were still strictly executing their tactics the moment before the "cement slurry" suddenly became illusory.
They had even followed the leading edge of the "cement slurry" and snuck to within ten meters in front of Xiao Hongchen!
Their reaction was not only stronger than the two Soul King who practiced Martial Soul mimicry, but also more agile.
They didn't have time to check how the backline situation was.
Instead, seeing that the situation was not right, they immediately activated their Spirit Ability and dashed forward.
Even if they lost, they had to force Xiao Hongchen to make a move at close range!
Greeting them was Meng Hongchen, wielding a pair of sixth-level ice-attribute thin swords, having consumed the Assassin potion!
Dots of ice flowers scattered, and a bright mirror rapidly spread forward under her feet.
"Brother, let me handle this!"
Meng Hongchen slid forward, blocking the path of the three.
It is unknown which Agility-Attack System Spirit Ancestor shouted: "She's overconfident, one against three, let's all go together!"
The next moment, with the assistance of Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection and the physical abilities granted by the Assassin potion, she moved.
She displayed an extremely strong and precise swordsmanship.
Under Meng Hongchen's nearly terrifying predictions and tricky attack points, the three well-trained, tacitly cooperative, and exhaustive Agility-Attack System Spirit Ancestor discovered in despair.
Not only were they unable to instantly resolve Meng Hongchen as they had imagined, but they were instead suppressed to the point of having no power to fight back.
In just a few moves, they were defeated by Meng Hongchen with elegant and understated movements
The initial speed of the shot from the level 3 Soul Guidance Device sniper rifle was extremely fast, already beyond what the naked eye of an ordinary person could capture, plus the attacks of Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen were connected extremely quickly.
Most ordinary Spectators saw Xiao Hongchen make a sword finger gesture with his right hand, his blood-colored sixth Spirit Ring light up, and gently thrust forward.
That gathered the power of three Soul Kings.
Three black ten-thousand-year Spirit Rings shone simultaneously, and the "cement slurry" that had just been created by casting the spell was under the supreme power of his one finger.
It dissipated with a bang.
It even forced the chief referee to intervene personally to save the lives of the Shi family brothers.
Xiao Hongchen waved his hand with a lonely expression and sighed.
Dressed in white as pure as snow, he was as lonely as snow.
For a moment, it was unknown how many young men and women in the Spectator stands were shouting loudly that they wanted to bear children for Xiao Hongchen.
Hearing this in the rest area, Feng Tingting, who was clicking away taking handsome photos of Xiao Hongchen, was speechless.
She turned around and glared at the ignorant guys behind her.
Don't you know he's already taken?
The one holding his arm on the field last time was me!
Who knew that when those young girls noticed her looking over, instead of backing down, they proudly puffed out their small chests.
Feng Tingting was left with black lines all over her face.
Meng Hongchen's clean and efficient one-on-three victory also attracted the attention of many Spectators.
The Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy still has such a Genius girl?
You must know, in the first battle, Tang Yin's Eight Spider Lances were swung into afterimages just to defeat four Spirit Ancestors one by one.
Yet Meng Hongchen, while strolling leisurely, cleanly and efficiently defeated three Spirit Ancestors fighting together.
One turned into a human-shaped spider, the other shone like a gem.
The age difference is not large, but the difference in skill is immediately apparent!
Meng Hongchen has already displayed extraordinary strength.
Coupled with her already peerless beautiful face, it can be called a finishing blow!
There is no helping it, the most dazzling gem of the Mingdu is dazzling wherever it goes.
Wang Dong sat in the Shrek Academy rest area, looking at Meng Hongchen with bright eyes as she heroically put an end to this match.
Her eyes were full of envy and admiration.
Miss Meng is only a little older than me, yet she already has such strong power.
And she's so beautiful!
This is what I want to become!
She recalled visiting Meng Hongchen the day before yesterday, that ice beauty temperament that kept people at a distance.
For a moment, she was dazed.
In this match, laymen watched the excitement, while experts couldn't quite see the trick either.
Now, the Shrek Academy rest area was silent.
Xiao Hongchen's Soul Saint power displayed with a single finger was something everyone had discussed to death.
Apart from Meng Hongchen, who had initially displayed her strength, Huo Yuhao, who had shown three Spirit Rings for the first time, attracted their attention.
Because everyone present had basically had interactions with Huo Yuhao, who had sold grilled fish in Shrek City back then.
Beibei looked at Huo Yuhao on the field, who was slowly putting away his level 3 Soul Guidance Device sniper rifle with a calm expression, feeling bitter in his heart.
When he first met Huo Yuhao, he was a four-ring, and Huo Yuhao was a one-ring.
Now he was still a four-ring, and his Soul Power hadn't even exceeded level 45, while Huo Yuhao was already a three-ring.
Was Huo Yuhao really only level 1 Innate Soul Power?
The same question also appeared in Xu Sanshi's heart, and he frowned slightly and said: "Did the Sun-Moon Empire feed Huo Yuhao many Medicinal Pills to make him come—"
"Senior Xu, aren't you being too double-standard?" Wang Dong, who had already come back to her senses, said with an unhappy expression: "His cultivation speed surpassed yours, so you question if he came here by taking medicine."
"Didn't you take medicine when you were young?"
"You yourself ate Xuanshui Pill like candy since you were young. When you came to Shrek Academy, you even sold two Xuanshui Pills."
"Why is it okay for you to take medicine, but not for others?"
"Sophistry!" Xu Sanshi was cornered by Wang Dong's words and could only sneer: "Even if I did misjudge him back then, just looking at this match."
"He held that Soul Guidance Device with a Soul Power fluctuation of only level 3, did it have any effect?"
He Caitou said in a deep voice: "Brother Sanshi, that is a level 3 Soul Guidance Device sniper rifle."
"Since this thing's concept was proposed and a level 3 prototype gun was made and brought onto the field, it has never appeared in any subsequent competitions."
"Its advantage is—"
"I don't think that Soul Guidance Device is anything special," Xu Sanshi still didn't believe that the little grilled fish seller Huo, whom he hadn't seen in a year, could pose a threat to him.
Yes, perhaps everyone misjudged him, you Huo Yuhao have a little talent.
But how could you grow so fast?
He refused to believe it and said: "He Caitou, I know that the reason you joined the Reserve Team back then was because of Elder Xuan's charity."
"I understand your little thought of wanting to show off, but you don't need to brag about it in front of me."
"With my Black Tortoise Divine Beast bloodline Awakening, even a blow from a Spirit Emperor level can be blocked."
"No matter how special that Soul Guidance Device is, it still requires a Spirit Master to charge it. At most, Huo Yuhao can only use level 3 ones. What is there for me to fear?"
Watching the arguing crowd, Tang Ya, who was watching the match in the rest area as a support staff member, had an extremely complicated expression.
Did I really let go of a Genius in the field of Soul Guidance Devices?
Did I really misjudge him? Zhou Yi also began to doubt herself a little.
A Spirit Master with level 1 Innate Soul Power, how many Heavenly Treasuress and nourishing ingredients would he need to eat to make up for his Innate deficiency?
Zhou Yi didn't doubt the financial resources of the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
But she really couldn't understand what reason they had to spend a lot of money to cultivate a child from the Original Three Douluo Kingdoms.
And the cultivation process for a Genius isn't like this!
You have to check the admission qualifications first, then use running laps as an excuse to conduct obedience tests.
Then instill your own teaching philosophy into the student, letting them squeeze out their own potential.
Only then can you get an excellent student like Tang Yin.
How can you just throw heavy money at them right from the start?
This will be detrimental to the young Geniuses' struggle!
A flash of contemplation crossed Tang Yin's eyes, my Purple Demon Eye cultivation is currently still slightly weaker than myself with the same cultivation level ten thousand years ago.
Although I can't achieve detailed perception, my eyesight is already enough to see clearly what happened on the field at that time.
Huo Yuhao accurately blasted that female captain into serious injury with one shot.
Isn't it just relying on the eyes to release Mental Power, detecting and locking onto the person hidden in that Spirit Ability?
If it were me, I could do it too.
Tang Yin, having reached this conclusion, suddenly felt relieved, feeling that if they really met this team in the finals.
Xiao Hongchen is the biggest threat.
As for Huo Yuhao? Just let him be.
Seeing the dull atmosphere in the team, Tang Yin stood up and clapped his hands with a smile. After everyone's eyes were focused on him, he smiled faintly and said: "Everyone, we are Monsters taught by Shrek Academy."
"How can we fall into self-doubt just because of a Huo Yuhao who has just reached three rings?"
"Perhaps we all underestimated him back then. Alright, let's start taking him seriously now."
"Treat him as an opponent and give him enough attention."
"You will find that his cultivation, placed among us, is the worst."
"And he only knows how to use external things like Soul Guidance Devices."
"I imagine that if their team makes it into the finals and has the qualifications to fight us, they won't send him on the field."
"Studying him too much is useless, let him be!"
Tang Yin smiled slightly and then said: "In my opinion, we might as well focus on improving ourselves."
"It just so happens that I discovered something interesting while absorbing Evil Fire these past two days. I don't know if you are interested."
"The essence of Evil Fire is actually a kind of extremely high-level power—"
Tang Ya nodded in full agreement; the leader who will revitalize the Tang Sect in the future must have this kind of bearing.
At night, in the Star Luo Imperial City, inside the Emperor's living quarters, the candles flickered dimly.
Li Jie sat casually on a beautifully crafted chair, pouting as he said: "Brother-in-law, that Shashui Academy is just not good enough."
"They went to so much trouble and made such a fool of themselves, yet they couldn't even probe Xiao Hongchen's true strength."
Xu Jiawei's mind was elsewhere, but hearing this, he smiled faintly: "It doesn't matter. There are still six matches left in the round-robin tournament; we will surely gain something."
"You were watching from the referee's passage; did you sense the use of any Soul Guidance Device in that strike from Xiao Hongchen?"
Li Jie said firmly: "Absolutely, there was."
"Senior Sister Meng, where did you find such a small auction house?"
"An auction of two or three hundred square meters probably only sells low-Level Soul Guidance Devices; you shouldn't have any use for that, right?"
Meng Hongchen pulled Huo Yuhao along excitedly toward a building with a small footprint, smiling mysteriously: "Junior Brother, you've spent the whole afternoon helping me test the digestion of the magic potion, you need to come out and relax."
"I have inside information about this regular auction."
"There are two lots with great collection value."
"Besides, the main part of this auction house is underground, it's not that small!"
Hearing her say this, Huo Yuhao immediately became interested.
Last time he went to an auction with Meng Hongchen, he had managed to find a top-tier Soul Bone, a ten-year Wind Baboon torso bone.
Huo Yuhao would never question her nose for finding fun and collectibles.
Just as she said, this auction house was underground, not above, and this building was merely its entrance.
Walking into the auction house and stepping down the red carpet for over twenty meters, they finally arrived at the registration area.
Meng Hongchen took a black card out of her storage ring and swiped it to receive a number plate.
A young girl in a red dress guided them inside.
They passed through an antique wooden door, walked down a wide corridor, and stepped through a broad gate into the auction hall.
The moment before the two stepped into the auction hall, under the effect of Simulation, their facial features and clothing changed significantly.
Even if Xiao Hongchen were standing right in front of them, he probably wouldn't be able to recognize them.
Huo Yuhao scanned the room; many teams participating in the tournament had come.
Counting them up, there were as many as fifteen, and all of them were strong teams.
Even the team from Shrek Academy had come.
Seeing an attendant bring over two red masks, Huo Yuhao took one and asked doubtfully: "Senior Sister Meng, is this mask really necessary? What can it block?"
Meng Hongchen covered her mouth and laughed: "Relax, relax, I also think it's unnecessary."
"I heard this is an ancient rule of the Original Three Douluo Kingdoms, so we just have to follow the local customs."
Regardless, under Simulation, no one here could see through their disguise.
With the privilege of the red masks, the two were arranged in a relatively forward position.
Not long after Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen sat down, after the auctioneer named Qingya finished the procedure, the auction officially began.
"Today's auction mostly features Soul Guidance Devices below the Sixth Level. It is suitable for Spirit Masters and Soul Engineers with cultivation at or below the Soul King Level."
"At the same time, to enrich the variety of auction items, besides the final mystery grand prize, we have a special category of items."
"Honored guests, please do not miss it."
"Our auction now begins. May we ask the staff to present the first item of the day."
Two girls in red dresses pushed a small cart onto the auction stage.
They pushed the cart to the center and stopped, simultaneously lifting the cloth covering it. A black Soul Guidance Device was presented on the cart.
This Soul Guidance Device was rectangular, about a foot long, with complex patterns carved on it.
Qingya smiled: "Our item number one is a Third-Level offensive Soul Guidance Device. It is not ordinary; it comes from the hand of a Sixth-Level Soul Engineer."
"In the hands of the Grandmaster who created it, complexity was simplified, and the internal core formation was enhanced with a special effect."
"The Soul Tool Ray comes with a paralysis effect — — — —"
"Things are not as she says," Meng Hongchen, who had received Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection Sharing, commented sharply in a low voice: "The so-called special effect of this Third-Level offensive Soul Guidance Device is actually the special effect attached to a Ranked Carving Knife."
"A special effect from a Ranked Carving Knife?" Huo Yuhao became a bit interested, "Senior Sister Meng, tell me about Ranked Carving Knives."
Because his Soul Engineer Level was relatively low, even as a Disciple of Jing Hongchen, he actually didn't know much about the secrets of many advanced Soul Engineers.
Meng Hongchen took a pair of glasses out of her storage ring and put them on, speaking like she was reciting family treasures: "A Ranked Carving Knife is to a Soul Engineer what a Soul Bone is to a Spirit Master."
"After Grandfather's reform of the public ownership of Ranked Carving Knives, our academy plus the ones owned by Mingde Hall total over twenty."
"There is one in the top ten."
"There are three ranked between ten and twenty — — — —"
Huo Yuhao was very surprised: "So few? Can't high-Level carving knife Soul Guidance Devices be manufactured?"
"I am still using the Sixth-Level carving knife Soul Guidance Device you gave me last time."
"Using it to carve the Ultimate Cooling Formation reduces energy consumption by about five percent. Does that count as a special effect?"
"That doesn't count!" Meng Hongchen spread her hands: "Our Mingde Hall already has many carving knife Soul Guidance Devices, but we also have many high-Level Soul Engineers."
"So after Grandfather became a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer, he vigorously promoted the research project on carving knife Soul Guidance Devices."
"But the manufacturing difficulty of higher-Level carving knife Soul Guidance Devices does not increase linearly."
"After so many years of development, only five ranked carving knife Soul Guidance Devices have been created."
"And the materials used are extremely rare, with almost no reproducibility."
"I see." Huo Yuhao nodded and looked at Qingya.
In just this short while, over a dozen items had been sold.
But strangely, most of the people from these academy representative teams had not made a move, as if they were waiting for something.
"They are waiting for the Invincible Barrier," Meng Hongchen said concisely, "There are quite a few Invincible Barriers for sale at this auction."
"To defend against Senior Brother Xiao?"
"That's exactly it."
Huo Yuhao's facial muscles twitched slightly, feeling that the importance attached to Xiao Hongchen exceeded even his own imagination.
The lowest level of an Invincible Barrier is a Fifth-Level Soul Guidance Device, meaning that at least Soul King level Soul Power is required to activate it.
A Fifth-Level Invincible Barrier can block any attack from a Spirit Master below the Eighth-Ring Spirit Douluo level for three seconds.
And by the time it reaches a Sixth-Level Invincible Barrier, it can even defend against attacks from ordinary Titled Douluo for as long as three seconds.
The ones sold here to the students, Fifth-Level is definitely enough.
Invincible Barriers have another characteristic: they are triggered by mental intent, and the reaction is very fast.
This life-saving Divine Artifact relies on mental intent to trigger, increasing controllability and autonomy, avoiding meaningless consumption due to being too sensitive.
However, if one encounters an attack that even mental intent cannot react to, it becomes a bit useless.
Coincidentally, once a soul tool sniper rifle reaches the Fifth Level and above.
The flight speed of the special metal bullets is not something that ordinary Spirit Masters of the same Level can react to.
"Exactly how many Invincible Barriers will be sold?"
"At least ten or more."
"Does this auction have the backing of the Star Luo Imperial Family?"
Meng Hongchen nodded and said, "That is correct."
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly and analyzed, "Because of their rarity and functionality, Invincible Barriers have always been a strategic resource."
"Although the starting bid is generally one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, the market price is far higher than that; it is normal for one to sell for over three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
"This auction being able to bring out so many to sell is meant to cause us trouble. It reflects a certain reality."
"Either the Star Luo National Academy has sufficient reserves of Invincible Barriers, or they believe that when facing us, they do not need such things."
He vaguely felt that things were not simple.
Today, on the competition field, he had performed a simple mind reading on Shashui Academy.
Due to the tense and rapidly changing situation on the field, the opponents' thoughts were chaotic and varied, so he did not get much useful information.
But logically speaking, this tactic of Shashui Academy could have been used against other teams in the group to steadily secure a point.
Not to mention whether the Star Luo officials would adjust the competition rules to restrict their use.
The opponents would certainly be prepared and specifically devise tactics to counter them.
Why did they have to clash head-on with the Sun Moon Team?
Connecting this to these auctioned Invincible Barriers.
It did not seem like a coincidence, but rather some kind of arrangement targeting them.
Huo Yuhao fell into deep thought, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the armrest of the chair.
What kind of scheme was behind this?
After returning to the Star Emperor Grand Hotel tonight, he could use Mental Detection to focus on scanning the rooms where the other teams in Group 8 were staying to collect some information.
He figured that as long as he was discreet, it would not alert the enemy.
If the other party was acting discreetly enough, even having prepared mental barriers.
Perhaps he could try self-psychological suggestion to enter the Ocean of Collective Unconscious.
Even in a state of meditation, deep sleep, or other thoughtless states, the Ocean of Collective Unconscious would inevitably reflect the situation to some extent.
Huo Yuhao had just been promoted to the third ring and become a "Psychiatrist" for less than a month.
He had often used the psychological suggestion that could feedback Chaos water droplets, but he had not used the other skills much.
So now, regarding the Ocean of Collective Unconscious, he only had a simple understanding of mystical theory.
As for exploring it, he had not done so before.
It was a good opportunity to explore it.
After figuring it out, Huo Yuhao cast his gaze downward and smiled inexplicably, "We have plenty of reserves of Invincible Barriers for this competition."
The two exchanged a tacit look, and the corners of Meng Hongchen's mouth curled into a sly smile as she said, "But that does not mean we cannot do anything."
"There are also two or three teams from Group 8 here. Since they have gathered here, they must be determined to obtain these things."
"It would be unreasonable not to drive up the price for them!"
This auction did not have many items, and it quickly reached the Invincible Barrier auction segment.
Perhaps the auction officials had accurately gauged the mindset of certain academy teams that might encounter the Sun Moon Team and were extremely eager for Invincible Barriers.
Not only did they auction the Invincible Barriers one by one, but they also set the starting bid as high as one hundred and fifty thousand.
Coupled with Meng Hongchen fanning the flames from the side, and with the coordination of Huo Yuhao's mind reading, they repeatedly got stuck at the psychological bottom line price of these bidders.
After all dozen or so Invincible Barriers were auctioned off, the faces of many bidders were as dark as the bottom of a pot; none of them looked happy.
Next, several small carts were pushed onto the auction stage.
The girl in the red dress lifted the cloth covering the first few carts, leaving only one not yet uncovered.
Piles of damaged and variously colored bones suddenly appeared in the eyes of all the bidders.
These bones emitted Soul Power fluctuations of varying strengths.
Some were relatively intact with bright colors, while others were just a small fragment.
Among the bidders, there were many knowledgeable people, and someone recognized the pile of things: "So many scrapped Soul Bones? That is really a pity."
"Such rotten Soul Bone fragments, they were not dug out of some grave, were they?"
"I see that the energy loss in these things is too severe."
"Overall, the collection value is greater than the practical value."
Qingya looked around and smiled, "Before revealing the final mysterious grand finale item, please allow me to introduce these defective Soul Bones—"
"These Soul Bone fragments, in addition to collection value, can also be used for research and practice in the field of Soul Bone Soul Guidance Devices."
"Next, I will give everyone three minutes of viewing time."
"Soul Bones that can no longer be absorbed for various reasons?" This was the first time Huo Yuhao had seen such things being sold.
He immediately activated Mental Detection and swept it across these Soul Bones, and calculated in his heart the age these Soul Bones should have had when they were intact.
After scanning them once, his Mental Detection naturally fell onto the uncovered cloth.
Just as Huo Yuhao's Mental Power quietly slipped through the red cloth and landed on the object inside.
"Hiss!"
He suddenly trembled, and subconsciously narrowed his eyes, saying, "Senior Sister Meng, do not use Mental Detection to look at the object on the last cart."
Meng Hongchen was startled, and immediately reacted, saying, "I only knew that there would be an advanced carving knife auctioned at this auction. I did not expect that even a slight touch of Mental Power would be pierced."
"Junior Brother, are you okay?"
Huo Yuhao took two seconds to recover.
"I am fine, what a sharp feeling."
At this moment, Electrolux, who usually did not move much in the Sea of Consciousness, let out a sound of surprise: "Gold of Life, and fragments carrying the aura of divinity?"
He did not know how many years it had been since he was last surprised.
However, seeing Huo Yuhao being dragged to an auction and encountering two rare treasures, he was truly shocked.
When he was a Son of Destiny, he had not picked up leaks like this!
"At all costs, you must take down this carving knife and that piece of Soul Bone fragment!"
That carving knife was the final grand finale item.
Under Electrolux's instruction, Huo Yuhao noticed a dull, inconspicuous white bone fragment mixed among many broken Soul Bones.
Just now, after his Mental Detection swept past, he had not discovered anything unusual.
Huo Yuhao asked, "Old Electrolux, is that the fragment carrying the aura of divinity? It looks too ordinary, does it not?"
Electrolux said in a deep voice, "If I am not mistaken, it has been ten thousand years since it shattered."
"The long time plus the destruction of the God Position caused the divinity to hide itself, and it eventually became like this."
"But it is, after all, a part of a former God, and I can use it to analyze the rules of becoming a God in this world to a certain extent."
Ten thousand years?
Huo Yuhao's heart trembled. Which one of the two Gods who fell ten thousand years ago was this?
"I understand."
Huo Yuhao asked about the Gold of Life again, and after understanding the Gold of Life, he was very excited.
Auctions are great places; he should come often with Senior Sister Meng in the future!
Meng Hongchen asked in a low voice from the side, "Junior Brother, did your Mental Detection discover anything just now?"
"The material of that carving knife is Gold of Life!"
"What is Gold of Life?"
Huo Yuhao hurriedly replied, "It was an ancient book I found at a flea market."
"It describes the Gold of Life as an extremely rare and special metal."
"This metal itself is like it has life, but it does not have intelligence itself."
"It can decompose almost all known non-living objects, including metals and ores."
"According to the ancient book, this Gold of Life also contains an extremely huge amount of energy."
"Simply put, we found a hidden treasure!"