"Sorry, but aside from Yuhao, the weakest among us is me—a level 41 Soul Ancestor."
Jiang Shengyu waved his hand with a faint smirk on his face as he looked at Dai Huabin. "So… you wanna fight me?"
"Fight it is! You think I'm afraid of you?" Dai Huabin snapped back without hesitation. So what if Jiang Shengyu had a one-purple, three-black soul ring configuration? As a descendant of the White Tiger lineage, he feared nothing! Soul masters of the Evil-Eyed White Tiger never bowed to anyone!
Jiang Shengyu chuckled at his response. "I don't bully the weak."
He returned Dai Huabin's words to him verbatim—then turned to Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, give him a lesson."
"Understood," Huo Yuhao nodded.
In the courtyard of the Star Luo Grand Hotel, Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin stood facing each other, with Jiang Shengyu and the others gathered to watch.
"Brat, don't cry when you lose! You brought this on yourself," Dai Huabin taunted.
Huo Yuhao looked at him calmly. "Running your mouth before a fight only means you'll lose even harder."
His gaze was cold, emotionless—and full of undisguised hatred.
Nana quietly leaned in next to Jiang Shengyu and the others and asked, "Senior, everyone—who do you think will win this match?"
"Yuhao only has two rings, and his first ring's quality is poor. It might be a tough fight," Tang Ya said, "But I believe he can defeat Dai Huabin."
"With Yuhao's skills, beating that Shrek guy is child's play," Xiao Hongchen said with confidence, arms crossed.
What gave a three-ring Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul user like Dai Huabin any right to challenge Huo Yuhao—a twin martial soul user, one of which was Ultimate Ice, and a third-level Soul Engineer armed with an arsenal of soul tools?
—
On the field, Dai Huabin activated his martial soul and released his soul rings. His eyes transformed into tiger's eyes.
Huo Yuhao's own eyes glowed blue as he activated Spiritual Detection, instantly gaining full control over the battlefield.
"Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!" Dai Huabin roared and charged forward.
But Huo Yuhao remained composed. Under his Spiritual Detection, Dai Huabin's every movement was predicted in advance. He casually tossed a trigger-type offensive soul tool into the path of Dai Huabin's charge.
Although Dai Huabin managed to dodge the attacks, his rhythm was clearly disrupted.
The next instant, Huo Yuhao vanished like a shadow—reappearing right in front of Dai Huabin. His eyes, cold and glinting with icy light, locked onto his opponent.
Mindful of Jiang Shengyu's earlier warning not to reveal Jiang Qingtong's martial soul abilities, Huo Yuhao refrained from using Mental Shock or activating his Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul. Instead, he relied solely on soul tools.
When Jiang Qingtong used the simulated Spirit Eye martial soul, her eyes didn't change like his—because her version wasn't a true martial soul, but a simulation. As such, even if Dai Huabin realized Huo Yuhao's martial soul was spiritual in nature, he wouldn't connect it to Jiang Qingtong.
Huo Yuhao bombarded him with an array of soul tools, leaving Dai Huabin increasingly frustrated.
"You bastard! Fight me fair and square! What kind of man hides behind soul tools?" Dai Huabin shouted angrily.
Huo Yuhao responded coolly, "What a joke. I'm a soul engineer. If I don't use soul tools, what should I use?"
That earned chuckles from the Sun Moon team watching nearby.
So this is the traditional mindset of the three nations of the Douluo Continent? Still stuck on the idea that soul tools are mere gimmicks?
Dai Huabin's frustration mounted as he kept getting countered. "Damn it! I want to see how many soul tools you've got left. Let's see if you can keep dodging!"
With a shout, Dai Huabin launched his White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, activating his White Tiger Protective Barrier to shield himself from Huo Yuhao's attacks as he charged.
But Huo Yuhao's stockpile of single-use soul tools was limited—he needed to conserve them for future matches. He couldn't waste them all on Dai Huabin.
As Dai Huabin rushed in, Huo Yuhao equipped a pair of gauntlets—a grade-7 soul tool crafted by Xuan Ziwen, and named by Jiang Shengyu: Ice Arm Gauntlets.
Channeling the Ultimate Ice power of the Ice Jade Scorpion into them, Huo Yuhao struck out with a heavy punch.
Dai Huabin's White Tiger Barrier shattered instantly, and he was blown away like a rag doll, crashing into a decorative rock formation and tumbling into the rubble.
Jiang Shengyu looked at the crumpled Dai Huabin on the ground and said with a grin, "Hey master, no napping here."
Blood spilled from Dai Huabin's mouth. Clenching his fists, he struggled to his feet.
His eyes locked on the Ice Arm Gauntlets in Huo Yuhao's hand, teeth gritted. "Soul tools…"
Huo Yuhao stepped forward and asked, "So? Do you concede?"
Dai Huabin scoffed coldly. "If you didn't have soul tools, you'd be no match for me!"
"To use every tool available to defeat your enemy—that's what real battle is. Don't you think your words are a little ridiculous?" Huo Yuhao shot back.
"My father is the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire. Our family stands for honor and righteousness. Unlike you, who will use any underhanded means to win!" Dai Huabin retorted.
Huo Yuhao's expression didn't change—but his eyes grew cold.
"Your father is the White Tiger Duke… your family stands for honor… and I'm the one using underhanded methods…"
"Very well, Dai Huabin. Well said."
His tone turned icy, and within his spiritual sea, waves of unrest began to stir.
"Uh-oh… Yuhao's emotional state is unstable!" Skydream Iceworm frowned, sensing the turmoil.
The Ice Empress snapped, "Then what are you standing around for?! Your mental strength is stronger than mine—help stabilize him!"
Skydream nodded—but just as he was about to act, the platinum light orb hovering above Yuhao's spiritual sea descended, letting out a soft, exasperated sigh.
Sigh…
Skydream and the Ice Empress both froze. "Did that light… just sigh?"
As the orb descended, its glow began to fade, and in its place appeared an old man radiating divine light and holy presence—standing calmly before Skydream and the Ice Empress.
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