Surprisingly, the girls weren't crowding around Huo Yuhao as usual.
After greeting him, they each went to find their own teammates.
Tomorrow was the freshman assessment. The newly formed temporary teams needed to get familiar with one another in order to cooperate effectively during the trial.
After all, the assessment directly determined whether or not they could become official students of Shrek Academy—no small matter.
Instructor Huang Tao had also turned the afternoon physical training class into a squad training session, ready to share some experience on team combat.
Huo Yuhao naturally offered the girls some encouragement but didn't reinforce the mental suggestions he had previously planted.
He then went to find his own teammates.
Huo Yuhao had a fairly good relationship with Xie Huan Yue, since they had sparred many times.
"Haha, Yuhao! We're teammates this time! For tomorrow's match, you two just focus on damage and support. I'll tank everything else!"
Xie Huan Yue, as bulky as a meat mountain, wrapped his short arms around Huo Yuhao in a hearty hug.
He was quite confident about the upcoming freshman assessment and didn't show the nervousness that other students did.
His only concern was what place their team would finish in.
As Huo Yuhao was pulled into the bear hug, he realized that while Xie Huan Yue was indeed extremely fat, he didn't have the usual unpleasant odor or sweaty stench of typical overweight individuals. Instead, he felt more like a human-sized plush toy.
Leaning on him felt like sinking into cotton—surprisingly comfortable.
Not to mention, Xie Huan Yue had the largest bust in the class—enough to bury one's face in…
Huo Yuhao quickly shook his head and pushed Xie Huan Yue away.
"Brother Xie, don't!"
Xie Huan Yue grinned. "Don't what?"
"Don't do any of that!" Huo Yuhao hurriedly distanced himself.
He silently wondered whether Xie Huan Yue had been traumatized somehow over the past month, seeing how his preferences seemed to have… shifted.
He then turned to his other teammate.
A cute and obedient-looking little girl with a round face and short stature.
Not the kind of "short" that couldn't breathe at 1.5 meters—but the more cost-effective 1.4 meters.
In a world like Douluo Continent, where kids developed extremely fast and being 1.8 meters tall at twelve was normal, her 1.4-meter height was certainly on the shorter side.
"Hello, I'm Lulu." She glanced at Xie Huan Yue, then at Huo Yuhao.
In the end, she chose looks over power and walked to Huo Yuhao's side.
Xie Huan Yue's smile instantly disappeared.
After the joking ended…
The three got down to business, explaining their situations and soul skill effects.
Both Xie Huan Yue and Lulu were surprised to learn that all of Huo Yuhao's soul skills were poisonous.
And when they started practicing together that afternoon…
Seeing the two thousand-year soul rings floating around Huo Yuhao's Variant Ice Jade Centipede Martial Soul, Xie Huan Yue and Lulu thought they hadn't woken up properly.
Even Instructor Huang Tao, who was observing them, rubbed his eyes unconsciously.
"…A monster indeed."
In the end, Huang Tao sighed with emotion, his smile nearly splitting his face.
In his eyes, the championship of the assessment was already in his grasp.
A Soul Elder with three rings, plus a Grand Soul Master with two millennium-level soul rings? With talents like these, how could they not seize victory?
Xie Huan Yue and Lulu were equally thrilled. Who wouldn't love powerful teammates?
Xie Huan Yue once again threw an arm over Huo Yuhao's shoulder, the other hand gesturing dramatically.
"When the time comes, we'll go up there and crush everything. That championship is ours!"
Huo Yuhao: "Ah, right, right…"
Lulu: Claps cheerfully~
The freshman assessment was tomorrow, but Yan Shaozhe didn't summon Huo Yuhao for training today.
In truth, the training Yan Shaozhe arranged for Huo Yuhao was extremely grueling: fighting centipede soul beasts with the Variant Ice Jade Centipede without using soul skills, while also enduring intensive physical conditioning.
Compared to the normal student training, Yan Shaozhe's version was much harsher—he even brought in soul masters who could control gravity to exert additional pressure on Huo Yuhao.
Tonight, Huo Yuhao gave himself a break. He didn't go to the library and instead returned to the dormitory early.
The sun had already set.
The soul lamp wasn't turned on.
The dormitory was cloaked in darkness.
But in the dark, rustling sounds could be heard.
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede was lying next to Huo Yuhao's bed, its body emitting a faint ice-blue glow. Mixed into the blue light was a hint of bloody red, making it look sinister and malevolent.
If one followed the Centipede 's body upward, they would see it was devouring something.
The glow from its body illuminated its target—a pale face, now tinged ice-blue.
It was Huo Yuhao's face.
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede lay atop him, its sharp mandibles pierced into his neck.
It was feeding on Huo Yuhao's blood.
With each gulp, the bloody hue on the Centipede intensified. Its aura grew stronger, its body larger.
Was it turning against its master?
No—this was a form of demonic cultivation known as Nourishing the Demon with Blood.
By feeding a creature one's own fresh blood, the bond between the master and the spirit deepens, accelerating its growth.
Though not yet a true demon, the Variant Ice Jade Centipede—still a high-level spirit—could be cultivated using this method.
But the risks were enormous.
Once a spirit creature tastes human blood, it develops an instinctive craving. This can awaken its savage nature, leading to a complete rebellion and the master being devoured.
Even if the creature doesn't turn, the blood loss can severely hinder a cultivator's strength.
Moreover, spirits nurtured this way tend to become vicious and prone to violence.
However, the payoff is high—greater power and faster growth.
Thankfully, Huo Yuhao wasn't in danger.
With the ten-thousand-year snow lotus protecting him, the worst outcome was a temporary period of weakness.
Plus, the Skydream Iceworm could also control the Variant Ice Jade Centipede if needed, ensuring it wouldn't spiral out of control.
Eventually, the Centipede finished its feast and withdrew its mandibles, retreating silently as its glow faded.
The wounds on Huo Yuhao's neck healed rapidly, not a drop of blood wasted.
Still, even with prompt recovery, it took Huo Yuhao half an hour of lying in bed before he could sit up weakly, his face pale.
"Whew… Good thing I practice Blood Medicine Technique and have the snow lotus as backup, or I'd be meeting Buddha early," he muttered, rubbing his neck and marveling at the danger of nourishing a demon with blood.
In that half hour, the Variant Ice Jade Centipede had completed a transformation.
It now stretched nine meters long, with nineteen pairs of legs. It coiled like a snake on the floor.
Luckily, Huo Yuhao didn't have roommates. Otherwise, someone might've fainted from the sight.
With the Centipede 's growth, he and the Skydream Iceworm had deduced its development pattern:
Before 1,000 years: 10 pairs of legs.
After 1,000 years: every additional 1,000 years adds one meter of length and one pair of legs.
Now with nineteen pairs and a length of nine meters, it had clearly reached 9,000 years of cultivation.
Two soul rings floated above it. The second was still a 2,000-year purple ring.
But the first one was now tinged black—having grown to 9,000 years!
Though not a top-tier spirit beast, at this level, it already had the battle power of an ordinary 30,000-year soul beast.
In theory, it could rival a Soul Emperor with six rings.
Still, it wasn't truly elite.
Above top-tier soul beasts were super soul beasts. If it were one of those, even 9,000 years of cultivation could let it take on a 50,000-year regular beast.
This power came at a cost—Huo Yuhao had essentially replaced all the blood in his body.
"Brother Hao, honestly, your blood is pretty tasty~" the Skydream Iceworm quipped.
The Centipede clicked its mandibles, savoring the flavor.
"No kidding. Blood nurtured by a ten-thousand-year snow lotus? Of course it's tasty," Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes.
Staring at its increasingly sinister form, he sighed, "Brother Tianmeng, you're looking more and more like a demon."
The Iceworm paused and nodded. "That's true. I'm getting close to fully becoming a yao."
In this context, jing (精) refers to a spirit creature that has gained intelligence; power isn't the key. These may eventually become guardian spirits, divine beasts, or celestial beings depending on their path.
They're like Eevee—depending on the energy absorbed, they evolve differently.
But the Variant Ice Jade Centipede had followed a demonic cultivation path from the start. After being nourished with blood, it was fully set on becoming a yao.
It still needed one final push—just like its first soul ring hadn't yet fully broken through to the ten-thousand-year mark.
"Brother Hao, I can feel I'm right at the bottleneck. If I keep drinking your blood, I might eventually break through," said the Skydream Iceworm.
"No rush. Your current strength is already enough to help us win the freshman assessment," Huo Yuhao replied confidently.
Defeating opponents would let him steal their fate.
If he could win the championship, he'd gain a ton of fate points—at the cost of a few days of weakness.
Previously, the Centipede 's power was just barely enough. But this year's assessment had wildcards like Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's fusion skill, and even Princess Wang Dong.
Better to play it safe.
With the snow lotus, Huo Yuhao would recover quickly.
"But before that, Brother Tianmeng, try using demon cultivation to change your form. You're way too big."
"Alright, with my current near-demon level, I can already use some transformation techniques…"
Like, for example—size manipulation.
Finally, looking at the Variant Ice Jade Centipede, Huo Yuhao could feel a new kind of connection forming.
It seemed they were breaking through the limitation that usually came from incomplete martial souls not resonating properly with soul masters.
"Maybe… if I continue exploring this connection, unexpected changes might happen between us."
After all, the Variant Ice Jade Centipede wasn't just a pet—it was linked to Huo Yuhao's very life.
A new day arrived.
In the morning, at the request of Xie Huanyue and Lulu, Huo Yuhao continued training with them to improve their coordination and adjust their state.
Although Huo Yuhao was in a weakened condition today, it didn't matter since he wouldn't be personally fighting. As long as the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit was still operational, neither Xie Huanyue nor Lulu would notice anything wrong.
Meanwhile, Huang Tao had gone off to attend a meeting, joining the other instructors to finalize the grouping for the freshman assessment.
They all had lunch together at noon.
By the afternoon, the freshman assessments officially began.
Before the assessments started, Huang Tao cheered everyone on in the classroom.
"Everyone, do your best! Believe in the hard work you've put in these past three months!"
Class Two's freshmen were immediately pumped up.
Huo Yuhao also gave some words of encouragement to the girls around him.
Then, the entire freshman Class Two headed to the assessment area.
The assessment area was located in the northern part of the Martial Soul Department, adjacent to the Dueling Soul Arena.
Compared to the Dueling Soul Arena, the assessment area was much larger.
It was oval in shape—not a stadium like the arena, but a vast open space. A low wall encircled the area, and inside it was divided into sections by movable partitions that could be rearranged at will to adjust the size of each zone.
Currently, the entire area had been split into fifty regions, each about 400 square meters in size, essentially 20x20 meter squares.
After an intense morning of group assignments, the assessments officially kicked off in the afternoon.
The assessments followed a round-robin format.
Each group had to fight at least ten matches, with final results determining who would stay or go.
Out of over 300 groups of freshmen, only 150 would pass and officially become Shrek Academy students.
Because Huo Yuhao wasn't in Freshman Class One this time, more of their members were eliminated, and there were fewer assessment groups than in the original story.
Whether they could still have a perfect pass rate was now uncertain.
This version of Freshman Class One consisted merely of tamed spirit masters—there was no spiritual leader like Huo Yuhao from the original work.
Since it was the first day of assessments, each group only had to fight one match to start with—just to get everyone acclimated.
Zone 22.
The assessment had officially begun.
A middle-aged female teacher acted as the referee and called out the names of two freshman groups.
"First round, first match. Freshman Class Two: Xie Huanyue, Huo Yuhao, Lulu. Freshman Class Seven: Shuiyue, Youlong, Zhu Dagang. Please enter the field, take your corners. You are not allowed to release your spirits until I say 'start.' Violators will be disqualified. Now enter."
"Huh? We're the first up?" Lulu said in surprise.
"Let's go. Prepare for a soul battle—make it quick and clean." Xie Huanyue crossed his arms, speaking coolly.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Xie Huanyue.
Putting on a show just because there are others around?
"Well, good luck then," Huo Yuhao said, playing along.
Besides the referee, the only audience were the other assessment groups.
Yan Shaozhe didn't pay attention to the freshman assessments either.
After all, there was no need to worry about Huo Yuhao.
In truth, there was an unspoken rule to the assessments: during the ten matches, groups rarely encountered others from their own class, to avoid internal strife. Also, strong teams wouldn't face off early on.
Both teams moved to their assigned corners.
"Begin!"
At the teacher's signal, both sides activated their spirits.
Freshman Class Seven:
Shuiyue summoned a mass of water—his spirit was the Water Element, with two yellow soul rings. A control-type soul master.
Shuiyue: "You're kinda weak, aren't you?"
Youlong shouted, summoning an iron card—his spirit. Also two yellow rings, a long-range attack-type.
Youlong: "My turn—draw a card!"
Zhu Dagang had a beast spirit. With his spirit possessed, his head turned pig-like with tusks protruding from both sides of his mouth. His body was now as big as Xie Huanyue's. His spirit was a Jungle Wild Boar, also with two yellow soul rings, a power attack-type.
Zhu Dagang: "The universe in my heart, and watermelons on the ground!"
Their trio was balanced: one control, one ranged, one melee. A solid team setup, giving them confidence.
Freshman Class Two:
Xie Huanyue entered spirit possession mode—his body bulked up again, displaying two yellow and one purple ring (three rings total).
Lulu summoned her Fairy Staff—two yellow rings.
Huo Yuhao summoned the Variant Ice Jade Centipede Spirit, which stood protectively in front of him and Lulu. No soul rings were displayed.
Immediately, their opponents—and even the onlookers—turned green with dismay.
A Soul Elder?!
What kind of garbage group assignment was this?!
The fight began.
Huo Yuhao shielded Lulu.
Lulu raised her staff—first and second soul rings flashed in turn.
"First skill—Whoosh Whoosh Acceleration!"
"Second skill—Buzz Buzz Shield!"
Both landed on Xie Huanyue. He gave a wicked grin, stomped the ground, and leapt ten meters into the air with incredible speed. Shielded, he looked like a glowing orb flying into the sky.
Then, his first soul ring lit up.
Xie Huanyue's body swelled again—into a huge sphere.
With the increased weight, he plummeted back down hard.
Boom!
That day, everyone in Zone 22 learned what it meant to face an unbearable weight.
As the opposing trio lay flattened, Huo Yuhao quietly sent his visualized White Tiger to loot the battlefield.
Victory in the first match was easy.
The next day, they had four matches and didn't face much trouble either.
Combat experience improved their teamwork.
Their team strategy was extremely simple:
Lulu boosts Xie Huanyue's speed and shields him.
Xie Huanyue charges in and crushes enemies with his sheer mass.
The Variant Ice Jade Centipede protects Huo Yuhao and Lulu.
If the first charge didn't finish the enemy, they just charged again.
After every battle, Huo Yuhao sent out his visualized White Tiger to loot.
Simple tactics are often the hardest to defend against.
Most two-ringed soul masters couldn't handle Xie Huanyue's body weight, especially falling from such height.
Though Xie Huanyue claimed to be a defense-type, he was clearly dealing all the damage.
As a result, he became the most dazzling star of the arena.
Even students in other zones heard of the "Heavyweight Bomb" known as Xie Huanyue.
Of course, repeated battles drained Xie Huanyue and Lulu's soul power. That's when the Variant Ice Jade Centipede would step up.
Its fighting style was straightforward—wielding twin axes, swinging them around, looking a bit standard, even goofy.
Though it could now dominate the battlefield, it wasn't time to reveal its full power yet.
Its size had returned to previous levels, and though it had grown more legs, unless someone looked closely, they wouldn't notice.
After all, Xie Huanyue and Lulu weren't bored enough to count the number of centipede legs.
Besides, they were having so much fun, Huo Yuhao didn't want to interrupt.
On the third day, the final five matches were scheduled.
The trio encountered trouble—a team of three control-type soul masters.
One had an Ice Bird martial soul with a freezing skill.
Another had a Vine martial soul that could entangle and bind.
The third had a Cotton martial soul, sticky cotton that clung to people, multiplying with soul power to envelop them completely.
Three layers of control made it nearly impossible for Xie Huanyue to get close for a bombardment, leaving him struggling to move.
In the end, they had to let the Variant Frost Centipede martial soul tank the control. It was immune to freezing, got tied up by vines, and wrapped in cotton.
Seizing the chance, Xie Huanyue unleashed his third soul skill, attacking the trio from range and defeating them.
Thus, Huo Yuhao's team passed the freshman assessment with a perfect ten-win streak.
They advanced to the top 64, qualifying for the knockout rounds.
After the victory
"We're so strong!" Lulu exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement.
"Lulu, don't worry, your bro's got the championship in the bag!" Xie Huanyue boasted, pounding his chest as if the title was already his.
Huo Yuhao, absorbing the scattered luck from their opponents, nodded along. "Yeah, sure, sure…"
In these ten matches, Huo Yuhao's biggest gain was the luck he siphoned from defeated opponents.
Not just those who faced him directly.
When other freshman teams fought, Huo Yuhao seemed to be spectating, but he'd send his Visualized White Tiger to siphon luck from all six participants.
Just like he'd done with Beibei and Xu Sanshi before.
Ordinary freshmen had varying amounts of luck, but even mosquito legs are meat.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao didn't spare the referee teachers either.
Teachers were stronger, with more luck to siphon.
The Visualized White Tiger charged in, munching away.
Huo Yuhao noticed that defeating a target first made siphoning their luck easier and yielded more than direct absorption.
And opponents he personally defeated gave even more luck.
The result?
If anyone checked, they'd be shocked to find only *one* team that faced Huo Yuhao or shared his group passed the assessment.
Other teams either matched against tough opponents
Or got injured in one match, couldn't recover for the next, and were taken out by weaker teams.
In short, bad luck.
Even the referee teachers suffered misfortune for days.
The ripple effect hit sixty or seventy people!
The only one who noticed was probably Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao: *Call me MVP!*
Yet he was still dissatisfied. "How did one team still pass? Gotta step it up next time."
He lectured his Visualized White Tiger.
The tiger nodded earnestly. "Roar~ Roar~"
Costing Shrek Academy several talented freshmen, Huo Yuhao was in high spirits.
This round didn't pit them against seeded teams, or he'd guarantee those teams wouldn't pass either!
Then it'd be up to Shrek to decide: seeded teams or academy rules?
…
The day after the freshman assessment, there was a rest day.
When Huo Yuhao arrived at class, he found Freshman Class 2 still had over seventy students.
The assessment's pass rate was under 50%, yet Class 2 retained 70% of its students.
As for whose spots those extra passers took…
In Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, the Visualized White Tiger burped, staying silent.
Losing twenty-some classmates after three months together saddened some, but the joy of passing dominated.
Class 2 was buzzing with excitement.
The girls swarmed Huo Yuhao as soon as he arrived.
"Yay, Yuhao's here!"
"Let big sis soak up some Yuhao energy!"
*Sniff sniff sniff~*
"Yuhao's looking even hotter!"
Huo Yuhao struggled as usual.
"No, stop…"
Eventually, he got lost in the sea of girls.
Xie Huanyue and Lulu watched, envious.
Xie Huanyue envied Huo Yuhao.
Lulu envied the girls.
Every girl who stuck close to Huo Yuhao passed the assessment!
Surprising, yet expected.
First, these girls, backed by family resources, entered as two-ring soul masters with dual yellow soul rings.
Second, under Huo Yuhao's mental influence, they trained hard for over a month, each gaining at least one soul power level. They also spent gold soul coins on century-old soul beast meals, boosting their physiques.
Finally, unknowingly, their luck had formed a preliminary connection with Huo Yuhao's.
This was luck linkage!
Even without direct action, Huo Yuhao's moves and luck shifts affected the girls' luck, altering their life paths.
His Child of Destiny fate amplified this effect.
Child of Destiny isn't a joke—aside from jinxing parents, siblings and girls usually benefit.
The girls dispersed only when Huang Tao entered.
"Congratulations, everyone! Seventy percent of our class passed the freshman assessment, with Xie Huanyue, Huo Yuhao, and Lulu going ten for ten!"
Huang Tao beamed from the podium.
The class erupted in applause.
Huang Tao's smile never faded. Seventy percent passing made him ecstatic.
Teachers' performance hinged on students' results. If Xie Huanyue's team won the championship, it'd be perfect.
Promotion and raise, no longer a dream!
Xie Huanyue's team was Huang Tao's chosen seed team!
Once the class settled, Huang Tao raised a hand to quiet them and discussed the knockout rounds.
"The top 64 teams advance to the next phase—the freshman assessment knockout rounds."
"The 64 teams will face off in pairs. Winners advance, losers are out, until we crown a champion."
"The top four get rewards, with the champion's prize being especially rare!"
Huang Tao's expression turned serious. "Xie Huanyue, Huo Yuhao, Lulu."
"Here!" ×3
The trio stood.
Huang Tao asked earnestly, "As Class 2's seed team, are you confident you can win the championship?!"
"Our only goal is the championship!" Xie Huanyue roared, raising a fist in a chuunibyou pose.
Lulu, equally hyped, summoned her fairy staff, waving it high. "Yes! Champion!! Champion!!!"
All eyes turned to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao: "…"
The vibe was too strong.
He raised both hands in surrender.
"Champion!"
"OHHHHH~~~~" The class exploded into chaos.
Huang Tao smiled, satisfied.
"This is youth."
…
But the next morning, Huang Tao wasn't smiling.
"Where's Huo Yuhao?" He couldn't find him.
"No clue!" Xie Huanyue was baffled. "Teacher Huang, I checked Yuhao's dorm this morning—he wasn't there."
Lulu: (ΩДΩ)
The trio broke into a sweat.
How does a whole person just vanish?
Huang Tao: *My bonus!*
Xie Huanyue: *My championship!*
Lulu: *My Hao-ge!*
*Brothers, have pity on this kid—gimme some votes…* (╥╯^╰╥)
Huang Tao and his two teammates were anxious, frantically searching for Huo Yuhao.
The elimination round was about to begin.
Only then did Huo Yuhao show up—leisurely late.
He came from outside the academy.
And he reeked of alcohol, his clothes were disheveled, and his face was covered with lipstick marks.
Thankfully, he was still sober.
Huang Tao's expression immediately darkened. As someone with experience, he didn't need to guess what Huo Yuhao had been up to.
"Yuhao, were you out messing around? Don't you know today's the elimination round? Do you still want to win the championship or not?" Huang Tao scolded, deeply disappointed.
Huo Yuhao blinked innocently. "I wasn't messing around. It was our classmates who invited me to a celebration party last night. I couldn't say no, so I ended up coming back late."
Xie Huanyue and Lulu froze in place.
A celebration party? Funny—we weren't invited.
Guess who didn't get the invite?
Yep, us!
The two immediately felt like they were being bullied.
As Huo Yuhao recalled last night's celebration, he shuddered slightly.
The party had been initiated by a group of girls, who brought along other girls—more than twenty of them.
At first, everything seemed normal… until someone opened a bottle of alcohol.
And then...
The sleeping beasts inside those girls were awakened!
Their goal was simple: get Huo Yuhao drunk, then do as they pleased with him—again and again and again.
But who was Brother Hao?
With his Ultimate Ice soul power and medicinal energy circulating within, he was immune to alcohol—never drunk no matter how much he drank. In the end, he outlasted and outdrank every one of them.
It wasn't that Huo Yuhao had any particular resolve to remain celibate.
His current cultivation had no requirement to remain pure, and as far as his dark cultivation path was concerned, staying chaste didn't matter for slightly faster progress.
In fact, the memories from the Pudu Cihang (Mercy of Universal Salvation) contained many dual cultivation and energy-extraction techniques. With them, Huo Yuhao could've easily handled twenty girls at once.
Twenty flowers? Not nearly enough. Bring on twenty more!
But… the situation didn't allow it.
There was a competition today, and Yan Shaozhe was sure to attend the elimination round.
If Brother Hao suddenly showed soul power at level 30, knowing his previous pace, Yan Shaozhe would definitely sense something was wrong.
Of course, one might suggest not using dual cultivation techniques during those encounters, so the rise in power wouldn't be suspicious.
But our Brother Hao isn't someone who wastes resources.
The nectar that flows when a flower is plucked for the first time is the most potent—how could he waste that?
If he had extracted all the nectar from those twenty blossoms last night, Brother Hao could've increased his level by five or six. If he had gone all-out, he might have shot up to level fifty right on the spot.
Even the efficiency of evil soul masters couldn't compare to his.
Which is why—evil soul masters must be eliminated.
Not being able to harvest those flowers was truly a pity.
But if he let the flowers mature a bit longer, becoming even more vibrant and beautiful, the first-time nectar would be even sweeter and more rewarding when he finally collected it.
"How many people were there? Who? Where are they now?" Huang Tao asked darkly. "Don't they know there's an elimination match today? Why would they drag you out for a night of indulgence?!"
"About twenty-something. They're still sleeping at the hotel. Teacher Huang, please don't blame them. I couldn't stop them from drinking too much—it's all my fault," Huo Yuhao said with a worried face.
Huang Tao: "…"
So... why were they at a hotel again?
The three of them didn't know that Huo Yuhao hadn't actually done anything. All they heard was "hotel," and their minds went there immediately.
Xie Huanyue was practically grinding his teeth to dust. "You really deserve a beating!"
Lulu covered her face in disbelief, cheeks flushed red. "T-twenty something?! Brother Hao is too strong…"
In the end, Huang Tao could only sigh in resignation.
"We'll deal with this later. No time to waste—go assemble at once. The elimination round is about to start."
"Got it." ×3
Huo Yuhao, Xie Huanyue, and Lulu hurried toward the arena.
Huang Tao looked at Huo Yuhao's retreating back with concern. "Hope this doesn't affect his performance today…"
Then, he stormed toward Shrek City, ready to round up the "absent" students and give them a serious lecture.
Especially since those students were drunk—if something actually happened, he might really have to commit seppuku.
At the Arena.
The other sixty-three teams had already assembled.
Huo Yuhao's group was the last to arrive.
Naturally, their entrance drew all attention, with everyone's eyes locked onto Huo Yuhao.
His rumpled clothes, uncleanable lipstick marks, and overpowering smell of alcohol told the story of his "joyful" night.
On the platform, Du Weilun's face turned pitch-black.
"What happened to Yuhao? Why does he look like that?"
But he also breathed a secret sigh of relief.
"Good thing it's not the finals yet—Dean Yan hasn't come to watch. If he saw Yuhao like this, even I might get punished!"
After all, Huo Yuhao was someone Yan Shaozhe had taken a special interest in.
And Du Weilun clearly remembered that Huo Yuhao had been a well-behaved student—yet in just three months under Huang Tao, he'd turned into this?
Had he known this would happen, he'd have sent Huo Yuhao to Class One instead.
He'd definitely have a talk with Huang Tao later.
"Get to your positions! The elimination round is about to begin," Du Weilun said with a stern face, unusually lacking his typical smile.
Huo Yuhao simply offered a polite smile in return.
Then he entered the ranks with Xie Huanyue and Lulu.
The other two didn't have Huo Yuhao's thick skin. They just wanted to reach their positions quickly and move past this embarrassment.
They couldn't really blame Huo Yuhao either—it was their own class's girls who were out of their minds.
Some of the students who had been on Huo Yuhao's radar were also in the elimination rounds and made their opinions known.
"Pah, spoiled rich brat!" Wang Dong spat, expressing his disdain bluntly.
Xiao Xiao looked at him, her expression one of speechless disapproval.
Dai Huabin gave him a cold glance and scoffed—making his disdain crystal clear.
Zhu Lu remained icy.
Ning Tian, however, still maintained her polite smile and even nodded at Huo Yuhao courteously.
Wu Feng raised her brows and sneered, "Yo, where'd the young master go for his fun? Why so late?"
Wu Feng: I must ruin the image of Huo Yuhao in Ning Tian's eyes!
Xie Huanyue immediately furrowed his brows.
He might feel embarrassed, but you can't mock his teammate!
As a defense-type soul master, it was his duty to stand up when enemies launched verbal attacks.
He glared at Wu Feng, ready to speak—
But Huo Yuhao cut in first, responding coldly, "Do I have a habit of being early?"
His words stunned everyone around.
You're late and you're still talking back?
But Huo Yuhao didn't even look at Wu Feng again.
He calmly stood in place.
Wu Feng came to her senses, furious at being sassed. "You bastard! Just a pampered brat—believe it or not, I'll cripple you!"
Only then did Huo Yuhao glance at her, sneering, "Who the hell do you think you are? Acting all high and mighty? Don't think that just because you're a girl, I'll go easy on you—if I don't like what I hear, I don't care who says it!"
Gasp—
Many eyes locked on Huo Yuhao again, reevaluating him. They hadn't expected him to be this bold.
A trace of fire lit at the corner of Wu Feng's mouth—she was on the verge of summoning her martial soul out of pure rage.
"Silence!" Du Weilun barked from the stage. "The elimination round is about to begin. Any private fighting—disqualified!"
Ning Tian quickly grabbed Wu Feng to hold her back. Only then did she not make a move—but her eyes still blazed with anger.
Du Weilun felt a headache coming on.
"What's happened to Yuhao? I must talk with him after this match. This must be the influence of Class Two's environment. Yuhao wasn't like this before!"
"Huang Tao, what the hell have you been teaching!!!"
Just outside Shrek Academy's gates, Huang Tao suddenly sneezed. "Achoo~ Why do I feel like I might not have a job when I get back?"
The elimination tournament officially began.
The arena had been expanded, and the competition format changed to one match in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Winners advanced, and losers... went back to class.
However, the elimination tournament would no longer expel students. Instead, it determined who would become core disciples.
As long as a student could demonstrate their potential in the elimination rounds—even if they lost in the first round—they still had a chance to receive core disciple treatment for an academic year.
Even if a student wasn't strong themselves but was carried by their teammates into the top ranks, they could still enjoy core disciple benefits for a year.
For example, in the original work, Huo Yuhao was viewed by the upper management as a weakling carried by his team, yet he still received core disciple treatment.
From Huo Yuhao's and the readers' perspectives, the Shrek Academy higher-ups seemed blind.
But from the academy's perspective, they were being generous and benevolent.
Although, to be fair, the original Shrek Academy's system was indeed unjust.
In theory, the champions should become official core disciples, not just be given a "one-year trial" of core disciple benefits. Turning a permanent reward into a trial card? That's just disgraceful.
Shrek Academy: "What, you don't want your steamed bun of luck?"
After Du Weilun explained the tournament rules and precautions, the matches officially began.
Huo Yuhao and his team entered the arena.
All the freshman class advisors were present, except for Huang Tao, who was out searching for students.
At that moment, the class advisors were chatting, mostly about Huo Yuhao.
"That Huo Yuhao—isn't he a member of Class Two's seed team? I heard his spirit is a rare mutation."
"Haha, old Huang sure has it rough."
"At least that Xie Huanyue and Lulu from his class aren't bad. Their teamwork is pretty good."
"Class Two has the most teams in the elimination round. I wonder if any of the others are strong."
The other advisors silently offered a moment of sympathy for Huang Tao.
Having a deadweight in your seed team—who could you blame for that?
Huo Yuhao's performance made people wonder if he had bribed Huang Tao to assign him two strong teammates.
Well, if that was the case, the other class teams would just have to beat Class Two's seed team and rise by stepping over them.
Even if Xie Huanyue was a Soul Elder with three rings, there was no way he'd sweep through the tournament. Other classes had Soul Elders too.
After all, every student in the elimination round was among the strongest in the grade. No team would be easy to handle—they all had at least one specialty.
At that moment, the class advisors heard two women arguing.
"Old hag! Want to make a bet?!"
"Afraid of you? How are we betting?"
"..."
The advisors turned their heads and saw Zhou Yi and Mu Jin.
Oh, those two. Nothing surprising.
Whenever they crossed paths, there was always open or hidden conflict. It was common gossip among the teachers.
As for the reason they didn't get along—
Some said they were fighting over a man. Others said Zhou Yi had expelled Mu Jin's brother. There were even rumors that Mu Jin had unrequited feelings for Zhou Yi and was trying to get her attention in other ways…
Whatever the case, the gossip was always entertaining.
The advisors immediately shifted their attention to the drama.
When they heard that Mu Jin was betting a spirit bone with Zhou Yi, they were all electrified.
Now that's some juicy gossip!
In the arena, Huo Yuhao and his team faced their opponents.
The opposing team consisted of two girls and a tall young man leading them. The girls were twins.
The referee announced, "Class Two: Xie Huanyue, Huo Yuhao, Lulu. Class Seven: Huang Chutian, Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu. Both sides, prepare..."
"Oh, it's really them," Huo Yuhao thought to himself.
In the original story, he had fought these three in an earlier round. The twin sisters Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu had left a deep impression because they could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
As for Huang Chutian—if Huo Yuhao hadn't reviewed the source material, who would even remember him?
Most straight guys wouldn't pay him much attention.
Now, Huo Yuhao was facing them in the first match of the elimination round.
Huang Chutian was tall and broad-shouldered—a power-type Battle Soul Master with the spirit Mighty God Ape.
Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu had long blue hair, delicate features, and looked very cute—possibly even younger than Huo Yuhao.
The sisters were control-type Soul Masters with the rare Body Martial Soul: Hair. Together, they had a fusion skill.
As Huo Yuhao studied the three of them, he also prepared for battle.
"Match, begin!" the referee shouted.
Huang Chutian launched the first strike. With his spirit activated, he let out a low growl and charged toward Huo Yuhao's team with heavy stomps.
His footsteps echoed—thud, thud, thud—like drums against the ground.
When he got within three meters of Xie Huanyue, he leaped into the air and swung both fists down hard.
"Oh? You're targeting me?" Xie Huanyue grinned.
Didn't they know he was a defense-type Soul Master?
He activated his spirit and braced for impact, planning to counterattack hard.
But while his attention was on Huang Chutian, he didn't notice the twins behind him silently preparing a move that would shock everyone.
The two girls' spirit rings vanished simultaneously. In the heat of battle, they embraced each other.
The next moment, an enormous wave of soul power burst out—far beyond the level of Soul Masters—and enveloped them.
Their long blue hair shimmered, turning crystalline and transparent, weaving into a giant net that flew toward Xie Huanyue.
Seeing this, the referee's expression changed.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?!"
Feeling the energy spike behind him, Huang Chutian smirked mid-air, then abruptly canceled his charge and dropped straight down.
The net of hair took his place, falling directly onto Xie Huanyue.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill — Heaven's Net!
Xie Huanyue had no time to react and was immediately ensnared.
Xie Huanyue: You cowards! You ambushed me!
Meanwhile, Huang Chutian casually bypassed the entangled Xie Huanyue and charged at Huo Yuhao and Lulu.
Xie Huanyue, alarmed, struggled and shouted, "Be careful!!"
Huang Chutian's team was Class Seven's seed team.
Their advisor had analyzed all the other seed teams yesterday and designed custom strategies. Naturally, they had one for Class Two.
Since Xie Huanyue was a Soul Elder and strong, they had to strike first to avoid falling into his rhythm.
The plan: ambush and control Xie Huanyue with the fusion skill, then let Huang Chutian take out the backline, and finally group up to finish Xie Huanyue.
Seeing Huang Chutian charging, Lulu stepped back nervously and turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, fall back—!"
Then she noticed… Huo Yuhao had already retreated even farther than her.
Lulu: Wait, I'm the support here!
Huang Chutian's eyes lit up as he approached.
"Even if that weird centipede spirit is in the way, it can't fully possess its host. That's Huo Yuhao's weakness! If I take out Huo Yuhao and Lulu, that special centipede will fall apart on its own!"
But then—Huo Yuhao's Variant Ice Centipede spirit stepped between them.
Huang Chutian wasn't fazed.
"Heh, that thing just swings two ice axes around. It's neither man nor centipede. Watch me drive it back easily!"
To him, no matter how strange the Ice Centipede was, it was still just Huo Yuhao's spirit—and he only had two rings. How powerful could it be?
Huang Chutian's first spirit ring glowed.
"First Soul Skill: Titan's Fist!"
As expected, the Ice Centipede used its ice axes to counter.
"Back off!!" Huang Chutian roared, surging forward with soul power.
Then—
He was blasted backward, flying past the still-bound Xie Huanyue, and crashed to the ground… unconscious.
Anyone watching had to admit: Youth is great—fall and sleep instantly.
The Ice Centipede slowly retracted its axes.
Skydream Iceworm: "So flashy."
A strike equivalent to a 30,000+ year-old soul beast—
You, a two-ring little sprout, thought you could resist it?
Whimper~ Slept through it.