Chapter 23: Thunderbolt Beibei

"Are you serious?"

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. He was surprised that this guy was so incredibly extravagant, offering such a generous reward just to vent his frustration on Bei Bei.

"Of course!"

Xu Sanshi grinned, then leaned in close to Huo Yuhao's ear and whispered, "Just a heads-up: other than his third soul skill, all of that guy's attacks are energy-based. His fourth soul skill has a brief charging period—you can try to interrupt it. Also..."

In the span of just a few dozen seconds, Xu Sanshi laid bare all of Bei Bei's secrets, stopping just short of reciting his cooldown timers and personal habits. He seemed determined to ensure that every move Bei Bei made would be transparent.

"It's all in your hands now!"

Having finished his rapid-fire exposé, Xu Sanshi patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder with satisfaction. Now, it was time to sit back and enjoy the show.

"What did he tell you?" Wang Dong asked, glancing at Xu Sanshi’s retreating back with curiosity. Xiao Xiao also turned her gaze toward them.

"Bei Bei's Achilles' heel." A light began to glow deep within Huo Yuhao’s eyes.

...

"Both sides, take your positions!"

The referee raised a hand and brought it down sharply. "The match begins!"

*Whoosh.*

Wang Dong immediately pushed off the ground, a brilliant blue radiance erupting behind him. A pair of broad, warm-glowing butterfly wings unfurled as he hovered in mid-air, locking eyes with Bei Bei from across the arena.

Xiao Xiao was about to release her martial soul, but Huo Yuhao held her back. "Not yet."

Standing before them was a full-fledged Power Attack System Beast Soul Grandmaster. If they rashly released the Three-Life Soul Suppression Cauldron, it would likely be blasted apart by his barrage of soul skills, instantly neutralizing one of their teammates.

"Your second soul ring is actually a thousand-year one?" Bei Bei looked at Wang Dong with interest, then shifted his focus to Huo Yuhao, greeting him with a smile. "Little brother Yuhao, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

As he spoke, Bei Bei shifted his stance, looking for an opening to charge.

"Indeed." Huo Yuhao stared intently at his subtle movements, his Spiritual Detection fully enveloping Bei Bei. "We haven't seen each other since school started. I’ve missed you—"

*Crackle!*

Before Huo Yuhao’s voice had even faded, Bei Bei transformed into a bolt of blue electricity, lunging forward and crossing dozens of meters in an instant.

"Butterfly Goddess's Light!"

Wang Dong immediately activated his thousand-year soul skill. Golden light patterns on his butterfly wings fired off a dozen dazzling orbs of light, trailing brilliant streams as they bombarded the lightning-fast figure below.

Unfortunately, he was a step too slow.

"Thunderous Might!"

Bei Bei’s figure flickered for a moment, and then countless electric snakes flashed into existence simultaneously, weaving into a blue electric net that swallowed the light orbs, the remaining momentum even surging toward Wang Dong.

Barely having released that attack, Bei Bei suddenly reached out toward Huo Yuhao. "Sorry, Yuhao! I won't hold back in the arena!"

First Soul Skill: Thunder Dragon Claw.

As his soul ring flashed, a thick, crackling claw of lightning erupted from Bei Bei's hand, striking directly at Huo Yuhao’s face.

Speed… and power!

Bei Bei’s offensive was far stronger than that of the defensive-type Xu Sanshi. His moves were fierce, thunderous, and unrelenting, leaving his opponents no room to breathe. Even among peers, very few outside of the defensive-type soul masters could withstand such an assault head-on.

'It seems the decision was the right one...'

Huo Yuhao's gaze shifted slightly, and he instantly unleashed a Spiritual Disturbance. "Xiao Xiao!"

*Hum—*

A heavy, inscribed cauldron emerged from a yellow glow. In a split second, it split into three, hovering in a triangular formation above Bei Bei.

"Vessel of the State, Cauldron’s Tremor!"

Both of Xiao Xiao’s soul rings flared. Accompanied by the inherent suppression force of the Three-Life Soul Suppression Cauldron, the air within a ten-meter radius instantly warped and fluctuated, collapsing inward with a roar.

Black ripples radiating from the cauldrons overlapped, growing stronger and stronger, causing the very light and shadows within the attack range to tremble and shake.

"Ugh!"

Caught in the center and taking the full brunt of the attack, Bei Bei let out a muffled groan. He felt as if the world around him had shifted; his body felt like it was being crushed by a hydraulic press and then tossed into a blender, his internal soul power thrown into chaos.

*Boom—*

The lightning claw inches away shattered into tiny arcs of electricity that brushed past Huo Yuhao’s cheek. Amidst the faint blue light, a pair of golden eyes ignited.

Soul Shock!

"Butterfly Goddess's Light!" A low shout echoed from above as Wang Dong, his clothes slightly singed, unleashed his full firepower.

First came the spiritual hammer, followed by the bombardment of light.

Unable to react and pinned in place, Bei Bei had no choice but to endure the full force of the onslaught while in his spirit-fused state.

*Boom!*

Dazzling golden light erupted, but the energy from the explosion was pressed toward the ground by the force field of the Three-Life Soul Suppression Cauldron, effectively giving Bei Bei a second bath in the blast.

"How amazing..." Wang Dong covered his eyes in astonishment.

From the moment the battle began, it felt as if a holographic map had opened in their minds. Every move of the opponent, every change in the environment, every trajectory and distance… all this information surfaced as their thoughts flickered. They could even understand and execute Huo Yuhao’s commands instantly, without the slightest obstacle.

"Huo Yuhao, did you do this?" Xiao Xiao asked, her face filled with shock, feeling as though the world around her had never been so clear.

"We'll talk later." Huo Yuhao stared intently at the center of the explosion, his expression suddenly changing. "Back away!"

As soon as the words left his lips, a violent surge of soul power erupted from the heart of the blast. The terrifying force instantly sent the three cauldrons flying into the air, and Wang Dong, hovering above, was naturally knocked off balance by the shockwave.

*Crackle—snap—*

Within the swirling dust, blue electricity flickered, outlining a figure with a terrifying aura.

*Whoosh!*

The thick shadow vibrated, and the dust was blown away by a powerful gust of wind, revealing a pair of dragon wings covered in electricity.

At this moment, Bei Bei’s arms had completely transformed into dragon claws, and shimmering dragon scales covered nearly his entire upper body, exuding an impenetrable aura.

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon secret technique.

Dragon Transformation.

"Ooh—"

Seeing him in this state, a wave of unprecedented cheering erupted from the soul fighting arena. "Bei Bei! Lightning Bei Bei! Lightning Bei Bei!!"

Shrek Academy naturally admired strength.

And amidst the cheers, only Xu Sanshi, sitting in the audience, saw his expression gradually stiffen.

So, when Bei Bei fought him, he hadn't even been using his full strength?

"How much more are you hiding, you brat!" Xu Sanshi’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Heh~ I didn't expect you all to be this strong. I was almost taken out by those few moves."

On the field, Bei Bei wiped away the blood spraying from his nose and mouth, his scorched, damaged scales steaming with heat. If he hadn't activated his Dragon Transformation at the critical moment, he would likely have been carried off the stage by now.

"Same to you. You're truly worthy of being a leader among the senior students. Your strength is extraordinary." Huo Yuhao muttered some hollow pleasantries, his eyes locked onto Bei Bei’s vertical dragon pupils.

"You’re in a bit of trouble now." Within the Sea of Consciousness, Tian Meng, who was watching the live broadcast, gave a serious warning. "Dragon-type soul beasts are born with extremely high spiritual resistance, and Bei Bei naturally possesses this after his Dragon Transformation. That is exactly why he could withstand the Spiritual Shock and maintain his soul power defense."

"You guys might really lose this match."

In a sense, Bei Bei was a natural counter to a spiritual-attribute soul master like Huo Yuhao.

Spiritual attacks had severely reduced effects on him, his strikes were swift, his skills were mostly energy-based attacks that could be used at long or short range, and his physical body was further enhanced by the Dragon Transformation.

A perfect battle soul master.

In almost every aspect, it seemed there was no way for Huo Yuhao’s team to win.

"Is that so?"

Feeling the indescribable sense of crisis and urgency, Huo Yuhao exhaled steadily, a fighting spirit surging in his eyes. "How would we know unless we try?"