Chapter 22: Water Orb

"Heh."

Facing the incoming attack from behind, Bei Bei instead revealed a smirk of triumph, a flash of light sweeping across his fourth soul ring.

"Thunderbolt Dragon Head!"

Dense blue currents erupted instantly, coalescing behind Bei Bei into a web of lightning about a meter in diameter. A dragon head with bared, crystalline teeth lunged forward, its blood-red maw opening toward Xu Sanshi amidst the roar of thunder and the cries of a dragon.

Caught off guard at such close range, Xu Sanshi had no time to dodge. The ripples manifesting on his tortoise-shell shield were shattered instantly by the dragon head, and the explosive web of lightning snakes sent him flying backward.

"Yes! That’s it! Beat him up, Bei Bei!"

"Counterattack! Xu Sanshi, counterattack!"

As the two clashed, cheers erupted from the spectator stands. The sheer intensity of the crowd's excitement left those in the waiting area somewhat bewildered.

"Are they really just watching a sparring match?" Xiao Xiao’s eye twitched.

It felt as though they viewed the event as some kind of variety show or theatrical performance, purely there to spend money for a bit of entertainment.

"Who knows? Maybe they placed some bets," Huo Yuhao shrugged.

As they spoke, the situation on the stage shifted several times. After a period of intense back-and-forth, Bei Bei suddenly pulled back, raising his hands to flick several throwing knives.

Whatever technique he used, the knives carved out strange, devious arcs through the air after leaving his hands, attacking Xu Sanshi from every conceivable angle.

"Tang Sect hidden weapons? He’s also from the Tang Sect?" Xiao Xiao was stunned.

Huo Yuhao, standing beside her, was equally taken aback.

*That’s right... Xiao Xiao should have joined this so-called Tang Sect by now.*

*Then why is she so unfamiliar with Bei Bei?*

Tang Ya and Bei Bei were usually seen together; how could she only know one of them?

"Forget it, none of my business."

Huo Yuhao stopped thinking about it within half a second. At most, he was only passingly acquainted with the two of them; whether they could even be called friends was debatable. It was better not to pry into other people's private matters.

"Damn it! If you want to fight, fight properly! Why all these tricks?" Xu Sanshi roared, clearly annoyed.

On stage, Bei Bei’s hands were moving so fast they were mere blurs, pelting Xu Sanshi with dozens of metal hidden weapons from every direction. With only a shield the size of his torso, Xu Sanshi had to dodge and weave desperately, struggling to keep his entire body protected.

"I’ve had enough... Profound Underworld Power!"

With a low growl from Xu Sanshi, the sound of rushing water filled the arena. A thick, heavy white mist engulfed him, followed by layers of water quickly manifesting from the air, swirling around his body.

The moment Bei Bei’s hidden weapons entered the water, they stalled in mid-air due to the sudden resistance, swirling along with the currents.

"A domain?" Huo Yuhao’s eyes narrowed. He tentatively released his spiritual detection toward the stage to probe the technique.

"Doesn't look like it."

The water around Xu Sanshi’s body seemed more like a manifestation of elemental power, naturally gathered after the activation of a soul skill, lacking a fixed range or special effects.

In that case... could Huo Yuhao practice this too?

As long as his soul power was strong enough, he could gather enough water elements from the surroundings. If the external energy was insufficient, he could draw from his own internal soul power to compensate.

Ignoring the scene on stage where Xu Sanshi was being mercilessly electrocuted while trying to gather metal and water, Huo Yuhao tentatively held out his hand.

No incantations, no magic circles, not even magic. Just pure reliance on his own soul power for control.

A moment later, a mist of water slowly condensed above his palm, forming a water droplet the size of a walnut, which then began to grow rapidly.

But just as it grew larger than a fist, the water ball suddenly lost its structure and splashed into his palm.

"It seems I need something to stabilize the elemental form?" Huo Yuhao frowned, making a few grasping motions in the air, but he couldn't quite grasp the essence of it.

"Hey! What are you spacing out for?" Wang Dong slapped him on the shoulder. "It’s our turn!"

Huo Yuhao looked up.

Xu Sanshi stood there with a sour expression, his hair standing on end from the electricity, listening as the referee announced the results.

Even though he had been nearly "cooked" by the lightning, and even though he had spent most of the time being beaten by Bei Bei without landing a single decent counterattack, the match was declared a draw.

There was no helping it—one was defensive, the other offensive. Unless they were secretly colluding to fix the match for money, it was impossible to determine a definitive winner. It was merely a question of whether Xu Sanshi was left looking disheveled or composed.

"You’ve secured your first victory. Do you wish to stay on stage and continue?" the teacher acting as referee asked Bei Bei.

"Hmph~ Of course!"

Bei Bei scanned the arena, his fighting spirit high. "Within today, I’m going to hit the maximum bonus points for this year’s spirit fighting! I won’t step down until I’m undefeated!"

The announcement caused the crowd to erupt.

"Very well."

The referee nodded. This made things much easier for him; he could simply call the next contestants by their numbers instead of bothering with random matchups.

"Next is number twenty-three... hmm."

The referee frowned as soon as he read the card. "This is a three-person squad."

"Ahem! The next to take the stage is a three-person squad formed by first-year students. Does contestant Bei Bei wish to skip this match?"

A three-person squad? First-year?

Bei Bei’s eyebrows twitched, an ominous premonition suddenly rising in his heart.

The audience, however, fell silent for only a moment before erupting into even louder cheers: "Fight! Fight!..."

"Then, let's fight."

Caught on the spot after his bold declaration, Bei Bei couldn't back down now. He accepted with a dark expression.

"Who is number twenty-three...?"

In the waiting area, Xiao Xiao rubbed her hands nervously as she heard the announcement.

Then, she was hoisted up by Wang Dong.

"That’s us."

Huo Yuhao held up his registration tag and walked toward the stage, leading the way.

"Here they come..."

Some eagle-eyed spectators locked onto them the moment they moved. "Look at their age, they really are first-year freshmen! How dare they come here to fight?"

"Hmph! Don't underestimate these guys. I heard the quality of this year's freshmen far exceeds previous years. There are even a few three-ring soul masters among them."

"Hisss—three rings at that age? That’s incredible! By the time they’re in the higher grades, they’ll probably be pushing for soul emperor status..."

"For sure. Who knows, this batch might even produce a bunch of Titled Douluos..."

Amidst the chaotic noise of the stands, Xu Sanshi and the trio of Huo Yuhao met halfway.

The former’s eyes lit up instantly. With a mischievous grin, he slung an arm around Huo Yuhao’s shoulder: "Give it your all! Let that guy Bei Bei see what you’re made of! If you win, I’ll give you a Profound Water Pill. How about that?"