With a single claw strike—
heaven and earth split apart.
Such was the might of the Sky-Splitting Claw.
Where the dark-golden claws passed, the protective barrier shattered inch by inch.
Heavenfiend Douluo and several Spirit Sage experts were blasted backward by the escaping sharp aura.
The claws had not even fully descended—
yet the combined assault of the seven Sun Moon team members collapsed like a bursting bubble.
The Level-8 soul tool, the "Sword of Judgment," let out a mournful cry as it broke into several pieces. The intertwined forces of light and darkness were extinguished before they could even erupt.
"How… how is this possible?!"
The spectator stands erupted like a tidal wave.
Even tens of thousands of soldiers striving to maintain order could not suppress the boiling uproar.
People stared up at the dark-golden claw enveloping the entire arena, their faces filled with horror.
"Even a Titled Douluo was forced back—what level of power is this?!"
"Spirit Douluo? Huo Yuhao is clearly already at the Titled Douluo realm!"
"A twelve-year-old Titled Douluo?! Unheard of!"
In the rest areas of the various academies, whether students or leading teachers, all had gone pale.
"In the ten-thousand-year history of the Spirit Master Tournament, even Spirit Sages have been rare—how could a Titled Douluo appear?!"
"Who still dares question whether Huo Yuhao is merely a Spirit Douluo? This is unmistakably the might of a Titled Douluo!"
...
"Stop!"
Seeing the dark-golden claw about to crush the seven members of the Sun Moon team,
Elder Ma's eyes nearly split with fury.
The light of soul tools around him flared wildly.
Several Level-8 soul tools roared toward the sky with terrifying force.
In an instant,
soul cannon fire tore through the air.
Laser beams bleached Star Luo Plaza in ghastly white.
However—
to his horror,
those soul tools, which even Titled Douluo would treat with utmost caution, were reduced to dust with mournful cries before they could even touch the dark-golden claw.
"A twelve-year-old boy… how could he command such power?"
Under the backlash of his shattered soul tools, Elder Ma coughed up blood, his face ashen.
As a Level-9 soul engineer with Spirit Power at the peak of Spirit Douluo, he could contend even with ordinary Titled Douluo.
Yet before this sky-rending claw, he was defeated utterly and completely.
Bei Bei and the other five stood frozen in place.
Zhang Lexuan's black attire billowed like ink in the howling wind, shock and awe intertwined within her beautiful eyes.
She had always been proud and discerning.
Few geniuses of her generation—or even the next—had ever caught her attention.
But her little junior brother had shown her what true, peerless brilliance meant.
The dark-golden claw descended slowly.
Within a thousand-meter radius, the arena disintegrated piece by piece.
Ma Xiaotao and the other six were immobilized by the overwhelming pressure; the seven members of the Sun Moon team had already fainted on the spot.
Huo Yuhao stood suspended in the air, gazing down indifferently.
Silver light flowed within his eyes.
Vast spiritual power surged outward,
sweeping Ma Xiaotao's group and the seven Sun Moon members off the arena.
These Sun Moon team members did not even qualify to enter his sight—neither fit to walk beside him, nor worthy to be his enemies.
Taking their lives would have been effortless.
But he would need to travel to the Sun Moon Empire in the future to collect soul tool scriptures.
Moreover, the grandfather of Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen was the foremost soul engineer of the current era, the master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall—
a figure capable of contending with Elder Xuan, the Level-98 Taotie Douluo.
Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"Still… punishment is necessary."
As the thought turned in his mind,
the dark-golden claw finally crashed down completely.
Where the arena once stood, five ferocious claw marks, each plunging a hundred meters deep, now scarred the earth.
Cracks radiated outward from those marks across the entirety of Star Luo Plaza; the entire city trembled three times.
Amid the rolling smoke and dust,
Huo Yuhao's mind stirred.
Countless fine threads of spiritual power, like strands of hair, wound outward, wrapping around the seven members of the Sun Moon team and stripping away every soul tool from their bodies.
A single thread even extended toward Elder Ma.
He could easily shatter such a wisp of spiritual force.
His face darkened as he prepared to react—
but Huo Yuhao's calm voice sounded directly in his ear.
"If you dare to act rashly, Xiao Hongchen and the other six will die."
Elder Ma's surging Spirit Power froze instantly.
He could only watch helplessly as his storage soul tool was swept away, his face flushed red with fury yet powerless to resist.
"I'm merely completing the task assigned by that person. The soul tools of the Sun Moon Academy are indeed not bad."
...
Dozens of breaths later…
The billowing smoke gradually dispersed.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators stared blankly toward the arena.
They saw—
upon the five abyss-like claw marks,
only a single blue-robed youth standing in midair.
Aside from him,
no one else remained standing in the entire field.
The ravaged Star Luo Plaza was deathly silent, broken only by the clear echoes of falling rubble.
"Senior Heavenfiend, you may announce the result."
Huo Yuhao looked toward Heavenfiend Douluo, who was still momentarily dazed, and spoke calmly.
Heavenfiend Douluo took a deep breath and nodded.
Infused with Spirit Power, his voice spread across the plaza and echoed throughout the entire Star Luo City.
"In the finals of the Spirit Master Tournament, due to improper interference by a teacher of the Sun Moon team—"
"It is hereby ruled—"
"The Sun Moon team is disqualified from the remaining two final matches!"
"The ultimate victor of this Spirit Master Tournament is—Huo Yuhao!"
By convention,
the name of the academy should have been announced at this moment.
But this was Heavenfiend Douluo's first time presiding over the tournament, and he had been utterly shaken by Huo Yuhao's astonishing display.
He could not help but cry out the young man's name instead.
Star Luo Plaza fell into brief silence.
Then—
from a few scattered shouts, it swelled into the unified cheers of hundreds of thousands.
The sound shook heaven and earth,
reverberating long above Star Luo City:
"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"
"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"
The geniuses of the other academies exchanged bitter smiles, then joined the roaring crowd.
When someone's strength is so far beyond reach—
even jealousy becomes impossible.
"Yuhao is just too strong!" Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou clenched their fists tightly.
Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan's pretty faces were filled with admiration.
A trace of complexity flickered in Wang Dong's blue eyes.
...
Upon the imperial city wall,
the White Tiger Duke stepped half a pace back, positioning himself before the Star Luo Emperor, and asked:
"Your Majesty, are you well?"
The Star Luo Emperor slowly shook his head. His dignified face was full of emotion.
"Huo Yuhao's strength still took me by surprise."
"To gain such a youth would be worth more than a million soldiers."
The White Tiger Duke nodded solemnly.
"If Star Luo could possess such a genius, it would be the nation's great fortune."
The Star Luo Emperor stepped forward and, using an amplification soul tool, projected his voice in all directions.
"This Spirit Master Tournament has come to a successful conclusion!"
"My thanks to the citizens of Star Luo and the guests from various nations for sharing in this grand event!"
"After a brief rest, the tournament rewards will be presented, and a banquet will be held in Star Luo Plaza for all to celebrate together!"
These words ignited the crowd once more, wave after wave of cheers rising.
That night, Star Luo City became a city without sleep.
The Star Luo Emperor personally hosted a banquet for the various academies.
Huo Yuhao had originally intended not to attend.
But Zhang Lexuan pulled him along,
having him appear as the academy's representative to receive the awards.
Midway through the banquet,
the Star Luo Emperor excused himself.
The atmosphere immediately grew more relaxed, and geniuses from various academies stepped forward to toast Huo Yuhao one after another.
Huo Yuhao accepted all who came, drinking heartily with everyone.
After several rounds of wine,
a guard quietly approached his side and respectfully said:
"Your Excellency Huo Yuhao, His Majesty requests your presence."