Ling Luochen exudes an aura that naturally keeps strangers at bay. Her cold and aloof demeanor is reminiscent of plum blossoms blooming in the harsh winter, radiating an icy elegance that repels those who dare to approach.
At this moment, the chilling breath emanating from her causes the people around her to shiver and quickly disperse.
Some students from the outer courtyard who had initially planned to take advantage of the situation quickly realized the inappropriateness of their intentions and promptly dismissed any misguided thoughts. At most, they mustered the courage to offer a polite greeting.
"Hello, Senior Sister Ling!"
"Goodbye, Senior Sister Ling!"
Ling Luochen responded with a slight nod, her footsteps never faltering. In the blink of an eye, all that remained was the sight of her hurried figure retreating into the distance.
It wasn't until Ling Luochen had completely left that the registration office, which had fallen into a sudden silence, gradually returned to its usual bustling atmosphere.
The students and even the teachers conducting the freshman assessments couldn't help but gossip.
Aside from inquiring about Huo Yuhao's background, most of the freshmen were particularly curious about the fiery red figure they had seen.
Who on earth could have the audacity to snatch a man right in front of Ling Luochen, the revered senior from the inner courtyard? And with such a fiery temper, no less!
But even the seniors were puzzled.
If they weren't mistaken, that fiery figure was none other than Ma Xiaotao from the inner courtyard. But what could have possibly caused the famously hot-tempered, big-breasted senior to act in such a manner?
Was this a tale of love and rivalry between the inner courtyard's fiery demon and the cold, aloof iceberg? Or had the two inner courtyard seniors publicly clashed over an outer courtyard student?
'Damn, Junior Huo really know how to stir up envy.'
How could the gap between them be so vast when they were all outer courtyard students?
These seniors, who were assisting with the freshman assessments at the academy's gate, were no ordinary students.
Those who could represent Shrek Academy in such a capacity were not only handsome and beautiful but also possessed cultivation levels of at least a three-ring Soul Master.
At the Soul Elder level, one held considerable status on the continent. The minimum requirement for graduating from Shrek Academy's outer courtyard was to reach the fourth-ring Soul Master level.
Those who couldn't achieve this would be eliminated during the assessments and wouldn't be able to advance to the sixth grade.
Twenty-eight days had passed since the holiday, and with the new school year starting in just two days, the freshmen were busy with their entrance exams while the older students were preparing for their own upgrade assessments.
Those who had the spare energy to assist with the freshman registration were naturally confident in their abilities and strength.
But compared to Huo Yuhao, even those who considered themselves prodigies were willing to admit defeat.
After Ling Luochen left the scene, her emotions remained unsettled for a long time.
She had known that Ma Xiaotao seemed to have some kind of relationship with Yuhao, but she hadn't expected it to have reached this point.
With her high level of soul power, she could clearly see the dynamic between the two: a domineering older sister and a reserved younger brother.
The poor junior was being exploited by the wicked elder sister.
'Damn Ma Xiaotao, relying on your ample bosom to do as you please!'
Yuhao was only in the second grade, just thirteen years old!
Although it was common for soul masters on the Douluo Continent to mature early, with many marrying and having children in their teens, it didn't make the situation any less outrageous. After all, soul masters matured faster than ordinary people due to the nourishment of their soul power.
By thirteen or fourteen, they were practically considered adults, and it was natural for them to harbor fantasies about the opposite sex during this period.
But that didn't stop Ling Luochen from secretly grumbling: Ma Xiaotao was an old cow eating tender grass, simply coveting Yuhao's youth.
How shameless! Especially since Ma Xiaotao had a notorious reputation in the inner courtyard. Along with Wu Ming, she was known as one of the two active volcanoes of the inner courtyard, and no one dared to provoke her.
And now, Ma Xiaotao, relying on the power of her evil fire and her own strength, was targeting the innocent junior with ultimate ice attribute. And she did it so blatantly, in public no less... How utterly shameless!
Just thinking about it made Ling Luochen's fists clench in anger, and an indescribable rage welled up within her.
She had been here first... No, that wasn't the right way to put it. She was the one with the ice attribute martial soul!
In terms of compatibility, her martial soul was clearly the most suitable for Yuhao, right? This was the aspect she envied the most about the evil fire.
Humph, but when the preliminaries of the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament were held in the Shrek Inner Courtyard in a few days, she would make her move! After all, without the interference of the evil fire, Ma Xiaotao would also be participating in this competition. However, the individual duels were only one part of the Tournament; the team battles were equally important.
With the help of Yuhao's ultimate ice, Ling Luochen believed that defeating Ma Xiaotao would be a piece of cake.
From there, she would become the winner of the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, bring glory to Shrek once again, marry Huo Yuhao, and reach the pinnacle of her life...
Suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her heart, Ling Luochen walked straight toward the inner courtyard. Her expressionless face gave no hint of what she was thinking.
...
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was still enduring Ma Xiaotao's "torment."
Ma Xiaotao held Huo Yuhao in the air, muttering curiously, "Yuhao, I haven't seen you for a month. You seem to have changed a little, but I can't quite put my finger on it..."
"I've grown stronger. After obtaining the spirit ring in the Star Dou Forest, my soul power has reached level 42," Huo Yuhao replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Sister Xiaotao, what happens when the evil fire breaks out? Haven't I been helping you suppress it? If I remember correctly, your evil fire is practically harmless now. It's a waste."
Why do you keep suppressing this evil fire more and more often?
Ma Xiaotao's face flushed red. She had mainly sensed that Ling Luochen and Huo Yuhao were walking together, and a sudden wave of jealousy had overtaken her.
Originally, she and Ling Luochen had some past conflicts due to the Evil Fire. Now, seeing signs of a potential rivalry over a man, she couldn't hold back and launched a direct demonstration of her claim.
Now that her little scheme had been pointed out by Huo Yuhao, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed and angry.
The tips of her ears turned red, but she quickly brushed it off with a careless remark: "Anyway, it's been over a month since I last suppressed the evil fire... When will you be free?"
Seeing Ma Xiaotao's double-layered invitation, Huo Yuhao didn't refuse. "It's been a month, which is indeed a long time. If you want, I'm available anytime."
For him, suppressing the evil fire also helped improve his physical fitness, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
"That's good. Let's continue tonight," Ma Xiaotao said.
Flying over Sea God Lake, the two slowly landed and continued their conversation as they walked.
Ma Xiaotao mainly asked Huo Yuhao about his experiences over the past month.
"Yuhao, I heard from the teacher that the spirit ring you absorbed in the Star Dou Forest is quite rare. What kind of soul beast did you get it from?" Ma Xiaotao asked with a charming smile.
"I originally planned to find the Silverbrave Beast that the academy had discovered earlier for me, but after waiting in the Star Dou Forest for several days, I couldn't find it. In the end, I happened to encounter a mutated Silverbrave Beast and took it down," Huo Yuhao explained.
"How many years was it?" Ma Xiaotao knew that with Huo Yuhao's physical fitness, he wouldn't settle for anything less than a high-year spirit ring.
"Forty-five thousand years," Huo Yuhao replied softly.
Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's delicate body trembled, and she looked at Huo Yuhao in shock. She reached out and touched his body with both hands, exclaiming, "Your physical fitness is truly abnormal..."
He truly deserved to be called the number one genius of Shrek Academy!
Even Ma Xiaotao herself, as a Soul Emperor, had only absorbed a sixth spirit ring of less than 50,000 years, which was already considered an exceptional achievement. Yet, Huo Yuhao had reached this level with just his fourth spirit ring. It was unparalleled.
Then, Ma Xiaotao put her hands behind her back and continued with a smile, "So, what's your fourth soul skill called?"
"It's a variation of the Silverbrave Beast's innate soul skill—Spiritual Engraving," Huo Yuhao explained, his eyes shining slightly. "This soul skill allows me to instantly store the soul skills released by enemies or teammates for one-time use. It's quite versatile."
Hearing the heaven-defying effects of Spiritual Engraving, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but open her mouth in awe. "This is almost on par with a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. With two soul skills, you're practically invincible! In my opinion, your Spirit Eyes martial soul is definitely not weaker than the Ultimate Ice..."
From Ma Xiaotao's understanding, Huo Yuhao's current four soul skills were Mental attack, Imitation, Teleportation, and now Spiritual Engraving. Each of these skills was incredibly powerful.
Huo Yuhao modestly replied, "It's not that impressive. Although Spiritual Engraving is powerful, apart from the permanent engraving slot, the temporary storage slots are quite restrictive. I can only make three imprints a day, and at the moment, I can only perfectly replicate soul skills at the Soul Emperor level. It consumes a lot of soul power."
After reaching the 50,000-year mark with Spiritual Engraving, Huo Yuhao could now perfectly replicate and use soul skills that were less than 50,000 years old. However, for higher-level skills like the Blue Water Field, although he could make imprints, they were still relatively incomplete due to his current cultivation level and the age of his spirit ring.
In the case of the 90,000-year Blue Water Field, Huo Yuhao could only exert about half of its effect, and the soul power consumption was even greater than using the original skill.
Mainly because domain-type soul skills were extremely rare, and since it synergized well with Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice, he had kept it in the permanent replication slot.
"Hmm? You're acting all modest after gaining such an advantage. You're asking for a beating," Ma Xiaotao teased.
"Hehe..."
In truth, the main reason for his rapid progress was the strength of Skydream's spiritual origin, which enhanced the lifespan of his spirit ring. Otherwise, Spiritual Engraving would have been stuck in a mediocre state. But explaining this to Ma Xiaotao would have been difficult.
Then, Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up, and she patted her chest proudly. "So, you can replicate my soul skills now, right?"
Huo Yuhao naturally understood what she meant and responded with a business-like tone, "That's true, Sister Xiaotao. Your cultivation speed is really impressive. In just one year, your soul power has reached level 69. You're just one step away from becoming a Soul Saint."
Indeed, compared to the level 64 soul power in the original timeline, Ma Xiaotao, now less than twenty years old, had reached level 69—a five-level increase in just one year.
Ma Xiaotao placed her hands on her hips, a look of pride on her face, and said with a smile, "As expected, you noticed, Yuhao. I just made a breakthrough a few days ago. Thanks to your help, the evil fire problem with my martial soul has been resolved, allowing me to practice without any worries. That's why my cultivation speed has improved so much."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Sister Xiaotao, it seems like no one in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament has a higher soul power level than you. You are guaranteed to win."
Ma Xiaotao proudly raised her head and chest. "Hehe, without the trouble of the evil fire, I'll definitely crush all my opponents in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament this time."
Although she might not have enough time to reach the Soul Saint level, she was confident in her abilities.
Looking at Ma Xiaotao's lively demeanor, Huo Yuhao smiled. "Sister Xiaotao, didn't you participate in the last competition as a reserve team member?"
"Don't remind me. Last time, because of the evil fire problem, the teacher didn't let me participate," Ma Xiaotao said, shaking her head. She then rubbed Huo Yuhao's cheek with one hand and continued, "So, do you need to replicate my soul skills?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "My replication slots are full right now, and I have more suitable soul skills. As for the temporary storage slots, they only last for a day at most, so there's no need to replicate them so early."
"Well, let me know if you need anything," Ma Xiaotao said with a nod.
"Okay, thank you, Sister Xiaotao."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Ma Xiaotao laughed.
The two then headed to the inner courtyard cafeteria for dinner.
...
Time flew by, and the new school year began.
Huo Yuhao had advanced from the first grade to the second grade. Originally in the white teaching building for first graders, he now moved to the yellow building reserved for second and third graders.
Except for the freshmen, there were only four classes in the other grades, making it easy to find his way.
Class 1, Second Grade.
Wang Yan stood on the podium, explaining the details of the afternoon upgrade assessment to the students.
"This time, our class's upgrade assessment will be held in the academy's Beast Fighting Arena. The Beast Fighting Arena is located to the south of the Spirit Battle Arena, within the gray high walls that resemble a castle."
"Over the years, the college has captured various levels of soul beasts and placed them in this area, specifically for senior students to train and showcase their skills. If you advance to the fourth grade in the future, you'll also have practical classes in the Beast Fighting Arena, which will be an important part of your assessments..."
Huo Yuhao sat quietly, his expression calm.
In truth, given his current status, he didn't need to participate in the entrance examination at all. If he wanted, he could directly enter the inner courtyard for advanced studies. However, with greater power came greater responsibility.
The inner courtyard disciples of Shrek had their own set of challenges, including monitoring tasks in addition to their training.
Therefore, with the tacit approval of Shrek's senior executives (mainly Mu En), Huo Yuhao remained in the outer courtyard to continue his training. With his current strength, the freshman assessment was merely a formality.
As for the main team selection for the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the spots were already determined.
Even though Huo Yuhao had been added to the team selection list at Yan Shaozhe's request, he still needed to compete with a main team member to secure his place. Whoever won would earn a spot on the main team.
Just as Ma Xiaotao had parachuted into the main team by defeating a soul guide student with her strength, it wouldn't be difficult for Huo Yuhao to do the same. He could simply challenge an inner courtyard disciple and take their spot.
While most of the students in Class 1, Grade 2 were distracted by Wang Yan's instructions, their eyes were fixed on Huo Yuhao.
That strange yet familiar girl, Wang Dong'er...
…
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