Time passed.

Another half hour slipped by under oppressive tension.

Every wrinkle on Zhou Yi's face seemed etched with growing impatience.

"In all my years of teaching, I've never seen such a lax student!"

"Strong talent?!"

"No matter how strong, can he surpass Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan?!"

Her words were heavy,

each syllable striking like ice against everyone's hearts.

Bei Bei braced himself and raised his hand. Only after Zhou Yi's stern gaze swept over him did he speak softly,

"Teacher Zhou, perhaps Huo Yuhao didn't know about today's reserve team assembly, or maybe something delayed him."

"No need to defend him," Zhou Yi replied coldly.

"Even if the reserve team may not get the chance to compete, they must remain combat-ready at all times. There can be no slack."

"With Huo Yuhao's attitude, I will recommend to the dean that his reserve team qualification be revoked."

Under the shade of the trees,

Dai Yueheng shook his head with a sneer.

"Some people get a little talent and think the world revolves around them. Shrek Academy never lacks geniuses."

Chen Zifeng and Gongyang Mo watched the scene with amused smiles.

"Teacher Zhou's angry!"

"That Huo Yuhao's in trouble now!"

"He's too arrogant for his own good. Teacher Zhou can speak directly to the dean!"

"I never realized you all loved gossiping so much."

A sharp glance from Ma Xiaotao swept across them.

The others didn't understand why their captain seemed to be defending Huo Yuhao, but they merely shrugged and fell silent.

"I clearly informed Yuhao about today's assembly. Could something really have delayed him?"

As the thought turned in her mind,

Ma Xiaotao was just about to stand and speak up for him—

when suddenly,

she sensed something.

She abruptly turned toward the entrance of the square.

A blue-clad youth was striding swiftly toward them. His long hair was tied back with a blue ribbon, his figure moving like the wind, leaving afterimages in his wake.

In the blink of an eye,

he had crossed the training grounds

and appeared before them.

"Apologies. I was cultivating outside the city and returned late."

The boy's voice, tinged with regret, rang in everyone's ears.

For a moment,

the entire field fell silent.

Countless gazes—each carrying different emotions—focused on him.

"What incredible speed…"

Everyone present was a prodigy in their own right, yet the speed Huo Yuhao had just displayed made their hearts tighten.

The chill on Zhou Yi's face eased slightly. She narrowed her eyes at the composed youth before her and suddenly barked:

"Attack him at full strength!"

After days of special training,

Bei Bei and the other five had developed an instinctive response to Zhou Yi's commands.

Their formation spread instantly.

Only then did they realize there was no external enemy.

When their gazes landed on Huo Yuhao, understanding dawned.

In a flash of exchanged glances,

the six erupted with Spirit Power.

As the main attackers, Bei Bei and Wang Dong struck first.

Lightning surged around Bei Bei's body, faint traces of light-attribute power flowing within it. The oppressive might of the top-tier beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, was fully displayed.

Four Spirit Rings shimmered beneath his feet.

His fourth Spirit Ring shone brilliantly purple.

"Fourth Spirit Ability — Thunderous Dragon Head!"

"Roar!"

A dragon's roar shook the air.

A ferocious dragon head formed from condensed lightning burst forth, charging straight at Huo Yuhao.

On the other side,

Wang Dong spread his resplendent butterfly wings behind him.

The Bright Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul shimmered like stained glass, casting dazzling light in all directions.

His Rank 31 Spirit Power was unleashed without reservation.

His third Spirit Ring blazed like a star:

"Third Spirit Ability — Butterfly Goddess Slash!"

One hundred and eight brilliant blades of light wove into an inescapable net, following close behind the Thunderous Dragon Head and sealing off every path of retreat.

Huo Yuhao's eyes sharpened slightly. His robes stirred though no wind blew.

A vast and imposing aura swept outward from his body, stirring a visible shockwave across the flat ground.

Under the shade,

Ma Xiaotao's red lips curved upward faintly.

Dai Yueheng's expression darkened as he clenched his fist within his sleeve.

Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, and the others shed their casual expressions. Their eyes widened in shock, faces filled with disbelief.

"This pressure… Level 50 Spirit Power?!"

"He's only twelve or thirteen, isn't he? How can his Spirit Power be this strong?"

"Even Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan, hailed as the youngest Spirit Douluo in three thousand years, was nowhere near this level at that age!"

All severity faded from Zhou Yi's face, replaced by blazing intensity in her eyes.

"Raw Spirit Power is rare, yes—but a true powerhouse must also prove himself in actual combat…"

Before the thought had fully settled,

her pupils suddenly contracted.

Four Spirit Rings slowly rose beneath Huo Yuhao's feet.

Aside from the first, which shone with an almost translucent pearly white glow, the remaining three were pitch black.

That inky radiance, dense and solid, was far beyond ordinary ten-thousand-year rings—they had clearly all reached the fifty-thousand-year tier.

"This… how is this possible?!" Zhou Yi could no longer maintain her composure and cried out in shock.

"First Spirit Ability — Soul Shock."

The pearly white Spirit Ring flared brightly.

A vast torrent of green-gold spiritual power burst forth like a breached dam, sweeping toward the charging Bei Bei.

Boom!

Flowers, grass, and trees within the training grounds shook violently, as if shoved by an invisible giant hand.

Under that overwhelming spiritual flood, Bei Bei had no strength to resist. He let out a muffled groan and collapsed limply to the ground, unconscious on the spot.

The once-mighty Thunderous Dragon Head grew dimmer and dimmer without its master's control.

By the time it reached Huo Yuhao—

he casually raised an arm and threw a punch.

Where the fist-wind passed,

the dragon head shattered instantly.

Countless arcs of lightning scattered like fireflies, illuminating Huo Yuhao's calm, unruffled face.

Bei Bei was defeated in an instant.

Wang Dong's attack had already followed close behind.

The white glow faded from Huo Yuhao's eyes as his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul quietly withdrew.

Behind him,

the phantom of a Titan Snow Demon King flashed briefly into existence.

Crack! Crack!

Crack! Crack!

The sound of fabric tearing rang out in succession.

Huo Yuhao's muscles swelled visibly, bulging and expanding at an astonishing rate.

His sleeves and pant legs burst apart.

Strands of white vapor rose from between his knotted muscle fibers.

In the blink of an eye,

the refined youth had transformed into a towering, fearsome humanoid beast.

At the sight,

even Ma Xiaotao and the rest of the Shrek Seven Monsters inhaled sharply.

Dai Yueheng's face turned iron-gray as he pressed down on his faintly aching right arm.

"Twin Martial Souls!"

"And both of unparalleled, top-tier quality!"

"That mysterious giant-ape Martial Soul—it's even rumored to possess an ultimate attribute!"

Zhou Yi's breathing quickened with excitement.

Though known for her strictness, she valued real combat above all else.

Otherwise, she would never have produced the academy's highest rate of inner court advancement.

With talent like this—

forget being late!

Even if he rode his teacher to class, she would accept it!

Thump! Thump!

Thump! Thump! 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Huo Yuhao's massive hands, swollen like sandbags, formed crystalline ice armor.

As his enormous fists swung,

every brilliant blade of light that reached him shattered instantly.

Wang Dong's expression changed drastically. The butterfly wings on her back beat rapidly as she drifted backward.

Huo Yuhao suddenly exerted force through the soles of his feet.

Boom!

The ground exploded beneath him.

Using that terrifying propulsion,

he smashed through the air with a sonic boom and appeared before Wang Dong in the blink of an eye.

A biting, frigid wind blasted into Wang Dong's face.

Then—

the sky went dark.

Her face turned pale as she looked up,

only to see a towering figure looming right before her.

Huo Yuhao blocked out the daylight,

completely enveloping her in shadow.

...

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