Chapter Nine: Battle

“...A first-ring?!”

Not only Wang Dong, but even Xu Sanshi was momentarily stunned, hardly believing his own eyes.

Just a mere first-ring soul master, and one with a ten-year-old soul ring at that? Relying on such a ridiculously low-level setup, he actually managed to defeat four second-ring opponents without injury? And still had the strength and courage to accept a challenge from him, a fourth-ring soul master?

This had to be a joke.

“Wait!”

Xu Sanshi raised his hand to stop the fight, his face filled with disbelief as he looked at Huo Yuhao. “Young brother... is your soul ring real or fake?”

Huo Yuhao frowned slightly, manipulating the soul ring to move rhythmically. “It’s genuine. Why?”

“No, no... I mean—”

Xu Sanshi quickly waved his hand. “Does this soul ring match your level? You’re not a twin martial soul, are you?”

No matter what, he refused to believe that a first-ring with such a trash soul ring could be so powerful.

It simply defied logic!

“I just reached level ten not long ago.”

Huo Yuhao brushed off the topic, not wanting to dwell on it. He frowned and asked, “So, are you going to fight or not?”

“This? Fight, fight...”

Xu Sanshi responded blankly.

No matter what, this was a matter of pride for Shrek Academy. As one of the two senior leaders, he had to step up to salvage some dignity. But... win or lose, his reputation was probably doomed after this battle.

“Then I’m coming!”

Huo Yuhao shouted low and charged forward swiftly, wielding a wooden stick.

Though he didn’t expect much damage from the stick, it was still better than fighting empty-handed.

“Whoosh~”

Huo Yuhao’s figure grew larger in Xu Sanshi’s pupils. Xu discarded his chaotic thoughts and raised his turtle shell shield defensively.

If this kid could knock down second-ring opponents, he must have some unique skill. Overconfidence might cause him to fail.

Where would his own face be then?

“Shhh—”

Huo Yuhao twisted his body and swung the stick, the pointed end raking across the ground, stirring up the remains of shredded dead fish tissue. This mixture, combined with soil, formed a reddish-brown clump that he violently flung toward Xu Sanshi’s face.

“You’re cheating!”

Xu Sanshi shouted in surprise, raising his shield to defend.

But Huo Yuhao’s soul ring activated just in time.

Mental interference!

An invisible wave of spiritual energy spread out. Xu Sanshi’s pupils dilated instantly, but his consciousness froze for just under a second before recovering swiftly, narrowly blocking the mud ball.

“It’s a mental attack.”

Sensing the faint stench, Xu Sanshi immediately deduced Huo Yuhao’s soul attribute.

No wonder he could defeat great soul masters...

The growth of a soul master’s mental power is much slower compared to physical soul power. A first-ring spiritual soul master’s mental power can rival some third-ring ones.

“Moreover, the strength of this mental attack is far beyond what a first-ring should possess!”

Xu Sanshi’s mind raced, but his expression suddenly froze.

Two disgusting crimson blobs stuck to his calves with a crackling sound.

“...”

So the first attack was just to force him to hide his head and lose sight?

“You little brat!”

Feeling the sticky clumps on his legs, Xu Sanshi roared angrily. A translucent barrier of soul power spread over his body, shaking the mud off his legs. “I shouldn’t have held back!”

With a fierce shout, he stomped the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. His figure shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The turtle shell shield covering his arm rose up. Though primarily defensive, the edges gleamed with sharp light under the soul power, possessing the texture of a metallic blade.

“Crack!”

The wooden stick in Huo Yuhao’s hand shattered into two pieces instantly, the remaining impact forcing him to stagger back several steps.

“Huff—!”

The heavy shield swung again, like a fist-blade crashing down.

“Yuhao, watch out!”

Tian Meng inside the Spirit Sea shouted, immediately trying to take over his body.

“Relax~”

Huo Yuhao responded calmly, his eyes glowing steadily as he looked at Xu Sanshi. “Didn’t I just prove... mental interference works against soul elders?”

As the soul ring flashed, Xu Sanshi’s fierce assault suddenly faltered, his movements twisting oddly.

Then,

Huo Yuhao’s body bent with astonishing flexibility at an exaggerated angle, as if precisely calculated. His temple nearly grazed the edge of the shield, leaving only a thin trail of blood.

“Thud!”

Barely evading the attack, Huo Yuhao gathered soul power and raised the broken short stick, fiercely jabbing at Xu Sanshi’s chin.

“Bang!”

“Ugh!”

The stick shattered on impact.

Despite a layer of soul power defense, Xu Sanshi groaned in pain, his head twisting and body staggering.

He was tall and sturdy, and the speed of his charge and twisting punch all funneled into the force against the short stick, transmitting the impact from his chin into his brain.

Huo Yuhao felt as if his arm had been slammed by a wild beast, losing sensation with a soft crack, and his body was flung backward.

“Thud, thud...”

Two muffled sounds as they rolled on the ground, quickly twisting to recover their stances.

“Hiss~ ugh~”

Xu Sanshi gasped painfully, half his face swelling rapidly within seconds. The redness was visible to the naked eye, squeezing his eyelids and bringing a sharp pain to his brain.

This kid...

How exactly did he do it?

Though one eye opened and the other closed, the doubt in Xu Sanshi’s gaze was unmistakable.

He couldn’t understand how Huo Yuhao seized such a precise moment and angle to counterattack, nor how he aimed at his chin in just a fraction of a second.

It made no sense!

Even someone like Bei Bei, known for swift attacks, couldn’t perform such rapid and exquisite movements.

“Again!”

Xu Sanshi growled and charged once more.

But this time, Huo Yuhao was not so easy to deal with...

Mental interference!

Soul shock!

Huo Yuhao’s eyes blazed with unprecedented intensity, nearly exhausting all his mental strength.

An invisible soul projectile appeared within inches, crashing into Xu Sanshi’s mind!

“Bang!”

“Gah...”

With a tangible thud, Xu Sanshi’s head snapped back as if struck by a heavy punch, blood trickling from his mouth and nose as he arced through the air.

“Huff… huff…”

Though his head throbbed fiercely, Huo Yuhao pressed on, dragging his body forward again, aiming the short stick at Xu Sanshi’s swollen cheek for another jab!

The sharp spearhead even sliced through the air with a whistle.

“Stop!”

A startled shout arose from the crowd as a streak of blue lightning shot forth. A dragon claw covered in blue scales grasped Huo Yuhao’s wrist tightly.