"With sun and moon in hand, I grasp the stars—there is no other like me in all the world!"
The old man lightly waved his sleeve, and in an instant, the turbulence in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea was completely calmed. His gaze slowly dropped to where Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress stood.
Under the weight of that look, both of them immediately felt a crushing pressure descend upon them.
Even though neither was the most powerful being in the world, they were unquestionably part of the top tier. And yet, in front of this elder—they felt utterly insignificant.
It was as if they weren't even on the same plane of existence.
One glance. That was all it took from the old man to make Skydream and the Ice Empress abandon any thought of resistance.
After subduing them with nothing but his gaze, the elder slowly raised his hand and pointed into the void.
—
In the real world, a beam of grey light suddenly erupted from Huo Yuhao's forehead and struck Dai Huabin directly. His face went pale, and he immediately collapsed into unconsciousness.
Among the spectators, only Nana understood what had happened.
His soul!
Dai Huabin had suffered a spiritual-level attack!
Nana looked at Huo Yuhao in disbelief, muttering to herself, "Impossible… He can actually launch soul-level attacks? If that's the case…"
Up ahead, Jiang Shengyu noticed her sudden agitation and turned back. "What's wrong, Nana?"
Snapping back to her senses, Nana shook her head quickly. "Nothing."
Before Huo Yuhao had a chance to process or speak with the being inside his spiritual sea, a tremendous pressure descended. Xuanzi dropped from the sky, landing beside the unconscious Dai Huabin.
He first checked Dai Huabin's condition—and upon realizing his soul had been wounded, his expression darkened. He turned toward Huo Yuhao and the rest of the Sun Moon team, fury in his eyes.
"You brat! Such ruthless cruelty—you've revealed your wolfish ambitions!"
Xuanzi's voice was cold as steel. He raised his hand, preparing to seize Huo Yuhao.
But just then, a grey light flared around Huo Yuhao, shielding him. He used the moment to retreat, returning to the safety of his team.
"Yuhao, are you alright?" Meng Hongchen and Tang Ya asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Huo Yuhao said with a shake of his head.
Tang Ya stepped forward and respectfully cupped her hands. "Elder Xuan."
Seeing her greet him, Xuanzi's expression flickered. He gave a faint grunt of acknowledgment. "Tang Ya… to think you'd represent the Sun Moon Empire in the tournament. If the ancestors of the Tang Sect could see this, I wonder what they'd think."
Tang Ya's voice remained calm and steady. "If the ancestors saw that I've revived the Tang Sect, I think they'd be pleased."
Her words struck home. Xuanzi's expression turned grim. "You and I go way back. I won't make things difficult for you. But hand over that boy."
He pointed directly at Huo Yuhao.
But Tang Ya and the others immediately stepped forward to block him.
She looked straight into Xuanzi's eyes. "Please be just, Elder Xuan. It was Dai Huabin who provoked the fight without cause. And on the battlefield, victory is all that matters. Yuhao won—what crime has he committed?"
"He won, yes. But why did he injure Huabin's soul?" Xuanzi demanded.
This injury would leave Dai Huabin comatose for at least a month! Shrek Academy's lineup was already strained. Now with Huabin down, would they be forced to send in still-recovering main team members for the next round?
Tang Ya answered coldly, "Anything can happen in battle."
"This was a duel, not a war!" Xuanzi snapped. "Sect Master Tang, for the sake of our old friendship, I don't want to act by force. Hand him over."
But Jiang Shengyu snorted in disdain. "Shrek Academy sure knows how to throw its weight around. Is bullying the weak your academy's tradition now?"
Xiao Hongchen nodded and added, "Exactly. Where's the fairness and justice you preach? Beat the kid and send in the elder? Why don't you just rename yourselves Sore Losers Academy!"
"You arrogant brats!" Enraged, Xuanzi lashed out with a powerful slap of spiritual pressure.
But Xiao Hongchen had his Red Dust Blessing, and Jiang Shengyu was equipped with seven grade-9 soul tools. They had nothing to fear from such an attack.
The Seven-Leaf Mirror Lotus on Jiang Shengyu's body activated instantly, forming seven layers of radiant shields before them.
Xuanzi's strike shattered two layers of those barriers.
"Impressive, Elder Xuan, a level-98 Super Douluo—still choosing to pick on a bunch of teenagers. Can't hold your own against peers, so you came to us for an ego boost?"
Jiang Shengyu's expression remained unchanged as he coolly taunted him.
Xiao Hongchen added with a shake of his head, "Forget equal-level opponents—even that Evil Soul Master Soul King the other day nearly escaped you, didn't he?"
"Come one, come all! Titled Douluo bullying kids—get your front row seats here!" Jiang Shengyu cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted mockingly.
Xuanzi's face darkened. He could already sense other people approaching the scene.
Even though the Sun Moon team were his opponents, as a Titled Douluo of Shrek Academy, if word got out that he had been bullying the younger generation, it would be a disaster for the Academy's reputation.
Truth be told, if Dai Huabin's standing had been higher, Xuanzi might have gone all-out regardless of the consequences. But with just Huabin at stake? This wasn't worth it.
Just then, Huo Yuhao finally stepped forward. He bowed respectfully and said, "Senior, Dai Huabin only needs a month of rest to recover. There won't be any lasting damage. Also, if Shrek Academy lacks the necessary herbs, I'm willing to provide—"
"We're not so poor that we need your help," Xuanzi snapped coldly.
With that, he turned and left, carrying the unconscious Dai Huabin with him.
—
After Xuanzi left, the rest of the Sun Moon team crowded around Huo Yuhao, showering him with praise.
A little embarrassed by the attention, Yuhao smiled sheepishly and returned with the others to the lounge.
Once there, Dean Gu Lingjun carefully examined Yuhao and confirmed there were no injuries.
"Good. But next time, don't be so reckless. Two rings against three isn't something to joke about," she scolded gently.
"Yes, Dean Gu," Yuhao nodded, expressing his gratitude.
Then Dean Gu turned to Xiao Hongchen and Jiang Shengyu. "Come with me. I want to take a look at that kid from Shrek Academy."
Xiao Hongchen frowned. "Dean, why bother? He brought this on himself. Challenged Yuhao, got wrecked, and now he's lying there like a useless lump. Why should we care?"
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