Finally, the last day of the promotion tournament had arrived.
The battle between Skywater Academy and the Botany Academy had already begun. The next match would be Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Second Team versus Shrek Academy.
On the royal hunting grounds' arena, as the last contestant fell, the referee announced,
"Skywater Academy vs. Botany Academy, Skywater Academy wins!"
Then, the referee continued, "The next two academies, please prepare for battle."
Excitement surged through the audience. The various academies quickly found the best vantage points to watch what was expected to be a thrilling spectacle—Ye Hao single-handedly defeating the Shrek Seven Devils.
At this moment, all other battles had concluded. The match between Shrek Academy and Ye Hao was set to be the grand finale of the promotion tournament.
…...
In Shrek Academy's seating area, the Grandmaster staggered as he walked, every step causing him to grimace in pain from his sore backside.
"Is everyone ready? It's time to make Ye Hao pay the price." The Grandmaster's expression was serious. This battle was of utmost importance to Shrek Academy—they could not afford to lose.
"Teacher, rest assured, today, I will make sure Ye Hao crawls out of the arena," Tang San's eyes turned blood-red as he spoke, a faint murderous aura emanating from him.
The surrounding teammates were all startled. They knew Tang San harbored a grudge against Ye Hao, but they hadn't expected his hatred to run this deep.
"Grandmaster, are you sure our strategy from last night will work? We planned to wear Ye Hao down with a continuous onslaught, similar to what Thunder Academy attempted, but even they failed to injure him much before being defeated," Dai Mubai asked skeptically. He had personally witnessed Ye Hao's terrifying strength and wasn't entirely convinced that they could claim victory.
At this moment, Tang San turned his red eyes toward Dai Mubai and scolded, "Dai Mubai! You dare to question the Grandmaster? I have always believed that our teacher's strategies are flawless. All we need to do is follow orders—there is no room for doubt!"
Hearing this, Ma Hongjun sneered and pulled Dai Mubai aside. "Boss Dai, don't waste your breath on this bootlicker. You were merely expressing reasonable concerns, but look at how that guy reacts. Talk about a thankless task—he's nothing but an ungrateful wolf."
Dai Mubai frowned. "How do you know that?"
Ma Hongjun scratched his head awkwardly. "Well… I overheard some gossip when I was at the Rose Hotel with a pair of twin sisters…"
Dai Mubai's expression darkened immediately.
"You—"
Ma Hongjun quickly waved his hands. "Relax, Boss Dai. I've changed my ways. No need to get all worked up."
As they spoke, Dai Mubai couldn't shake a growing sense of unease.
"Fight to the death?" Dai Mubai muttered, feeling a chill. "Tang San actually said something like that?"
"What do you think?" Ma Hongjun rolled his eyes. "This guy just scolded you in front of everyone. Do you think he wouldn't say something like that? Back when Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing left Shrek Academy, I was confused and even blamed them. But now, looking back, they were the smart ones.
"Staying with Tang San feels like standing on the edge of a knife. The moment we're no longer useful, who knows what he'll do to us? I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to 'deal with' us after the tournament."
Dai Mubai fell into deep thought.
Tang San's behavior had been growing increasingly concerning. The way he fiercely protected Xiao Wu, the venom in his eyes whenever someone opposed him—it was unsettling.
And Xiao Wu… there was something off about her, too. Ma Hongjun had only eaten a bit of rabbit meat, and yet she reacted as if he had committed some unforgivable crime.
Dai Mubai recalled a particular look in Xiao Wu's eyes—one of deep, murderous intent. He had seen such eyes before, in people prepared to kill without hesitation.
"She's a hypocrite," Dai Mubai muttered.
At that moment, Xiao Wu's rabbit ears twitched. She turned to glare at him. "Dai Mubai, who are you calling a hypocrite?"
Her loud voice caught Tang San's attention, and he immediately fixed Dai Mubai with an icy stare.
"Did I say your name?" Dai Mubai shrugged. "If you have a guilty conscience, that's your problem, not mine."
"Crazy woman," he muttered before turning away, leaving Xiao Wu fuming.
Seeing Xiao Wu furious, Tang San's gaze toward Dai Mubai turned even colder.
"Arrogant woman," Ma Hongjun suddenly added.
Tang San snapped his head toward Ma Hongjun, his killing intent rising. "Say that again if you dare!"
Ma Hongjun didn't back down. "Arrogant woman. I said it—so what?"
Dai Mubai immediately caught on and chuckled. "Oh, Fatty, we were just discussing some completely unrelated matter, weren't we?"
"Exactly," Ma Hongjun grinned. "We were just talking about a certain someone being unreasonable."
Tang San clenched his fists but had no way to refute them. They hadn't called out Xiao Wu by name, meaning he couldn't act against them without seeming petty.
With a final glare, Tang San suppressed his anger. The competition was more important—he would deal with them later.
Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai exchanged smirks.
"Nice teamwork," Ma Hongjun whispered.
"Likewise," Dai Mubai replied, feeling an unexpected sense of relief.
…...
Meanwhile, in the audience, Ye Hao watched the internal strife unfolding within Shrek Academy with amusement.
"Shrek Academy seems to be in chaos," he commented with a smirk. "Looks like they're already tearing each other apart. That saves me some trouble."
As he spoke, he carefully tucked away a golden-veined Blue Silver Grass leaf. His preparations were complete.
"Do you have absolute confidence?" Ning Rongrong asked beside him.
Ye Hao flashed a confident grin. "Of course. I never take on a battle unless I'm a hundred percent certain of victory."
Ning Rongrong hesitated for a moment before softly saying, "I have a request."
Ye Hao turned to her. "What is it?"
"When you face Xiao Wu in battle, give that rabbit a few extra slaps for me." Ning Rongrong whispered.
Ye Hao raised an eyebrow. "You still have a grudge against that rabbit? It's been over a year."
"What do you mean!" Ning Rongrong was displeased. "It's all because you sent the Royal Knights hunting a few days ago, so I couldn't resist tagging along. We brought back quite a few rabbits, and on the way back, I happened to run into Xiao Wu. For some reason, she completely lost it and started cursing me, saying some really nasty things. That made me absolutely furious!"
"So!" Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. "You have to beat that rabbit up for me! What a hypocrite—her martial soul is a rabbit, and yet she won't let others eat rabbits. What kind of logic is that?!"
Hearing this, Ye Hao smiled slightly, leaned in, and whispered, "When we get back, ask your two Title Douluo grandfathers or your father about it. Then you'll understand that the rabbit has another hidden identity."
"When you find out the answer, you'll understand why she got so worked up."
With that, Ye Hao gave a mysterious smile and left to prepare for the upcoming match.
"My dad, Grandpa Bone, and Grandpa Sword know something? Could it be that the rabbit really has some kind of unspeakable secret?" Ning Rongrong was puzzled and turned her gaze to the three powerful figures seated in the VIP area.
After a short intermission, once the staff finished cleaning the arena, the battle was about to begin.
"The second team of Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the Shrek Academy team, please send your participants forward." The referee officially announced the start of the match.
On Shrek Academy's side, their first participant was Tai Long, whose martial soul was the Vigorous Orangutan. His soul rings were two yellow and one purple—one of the infamous "cannon fodder trio."
On the side of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team, only one person stepped forward.
Ye Hao.
As he took the stage, his long, silky hair was tied up in a style reminiscent of the Grim Reaper. Clad in a flowing black robe, simply standing there, he exuded an indescribable charm that caused many female students in the audience to throw flirtatious glances his way.
"A bunch of shameless people! What's so good-looking about Ye Hao? He's absolutely insufferable!" Xiao Wu cursed under her breath, annoyed at the girls' lack of taste. What was so special about Ye Hao?
Seeing Shrek Academy send out Tai Long, Ye Hao wasn't surprised. Everything was within his calculations.
Next would undoubtedly be the rest of the cannon fodder trio. After defeating them, people like Tang San and Dai Mubai would take the stage.
For these initial battles, Ye Hao needed to finish them quickly. Otherwise, things would get difficult later.
Ye Hao understood that Tang San would either be the last to enter the fight or would step in after Dai Mubai.
If others were willing to wear down his soul power and stamina for him, why wouldn't he let them?
"Battle begins!"
With the referee's command, Tai Long's muscles swelled, and golden fur sprouted all over his body. The two yellow and one purple soul rings under his feet slowly rose. He pounded his chest and roared like a mighty gorilla.
"Aren't you going to summon your martial soul?" Tai Long frowned when he saw Ye Hao standing still, not even activating his martial soul.
Ye Hao gently shook his head. "No need for that against you."
The moment he spoke, Tai Long's face twisted with anger. That was pure, blatant disrespect! He was still one of the Shrek Seven Devils and the young master of the Strength Clan—how dare Ye Hao look down on him like this?!
The audience burst into an uproar.
Although Tai Long was only a Soul Elder, his raw power was immense. Many students had fought him before and could attest to his strength.
Ye Hao was being far too arrogant—this time, he was going to pay for it.
"I'll make you understand the price of looking down on me!" Tai Long pounded his chest in fury, his aura rapidly surging.
"Ye Hao is too full of himself! He's not even using his martial soul—he's doomed!" Xiao Wu smirked, her expression strangely gleeful.
"I wouldn't be so sure." At that moment, Ma Hongjun poured cold water on her excitement.
"You fat bastard! Are you deliberately going against me?!" Xiao Wu fumed, glaring at him in rage.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! How am I going against you? I'm just stating the facts! You should be grateful if Ye Hao doesn't beat you into a pig's head when it's your turn!" Ma Hongjun spat on the ground, ignoring Tang San's deadly glare as he continued watching the fight.
At this moment, Ma Hongjun was also feeling uneasy. Ye Hao had already made it clear the day before—he would make him pay the price.
Once the cannon fodder trio were defeated, it would be his turn. Ma Hongjun could only silently pray that Tai Long and the others could hold out for a while longer. He really didn't want to face that "monster" Ye Hao so soon.
Meanwhile, Grandmaster looked supremely confident, certain of the battle's outcome.
"Tai Long's martial soul, Vigorous Orangutan, represents raw strength among beast-type martial souls. Ye Hao is being ridiculously arrogant. But this is good—since he refuses to use his martial soul and is willing to take Tai Long's strongest attack head-on, let's just sit back and watch him get beaten down." Grandmaster smiled confidently.
Standing beside him, Tang San also nodded, agreeing with his teacher's assessment.
The difference between fighting with martial soul possession and without it was immense.
Tai Long leaped into the air, his bulging muscles swelling several times over. His bloodshot eyes were filled with rage as the sheer power of his Vigorous Orangutan martial soul was fully unleashed.
But Ye Hao remained unfazed, calmly stepping back as a trace of black light flickered in his eyes.
Faced with Tai Long's powerful strike, Ye Hao chose to meet it head-on, extending his arm.
Seeing this, Tang San was delighted.
Tai Long's strength was the greatest among the Shrek Seven Devils. Ye Hao was underestimating him—this was a mistake.
But in the next second, Tang San's smugness was instantly shattered.
"You… How is this possible?!" Tai Long's face was filled with shock.
Ye Hao had neutralized his attack with just one hand, standing completely still, his expression as calm as ever—like nothing had even happened.
"For half a year, I hunted and fought soul beasts, including some massive thousand- and ten-thousand-year-old ones. Your strength? It's not even worth mentioning."
With that, Ye Hao suddenly exerted force with his right hand, pulling Tai Long toward him. Then, he delivered a devastating punch straight to Tai Long's abdomen.
"Ahhh—!"
Tai Long felt his insides churn violently as he spat out bitter liquid from his mouth.
Ye Hao didn't waste time. His fists turned into afterimages, and with a Pegasus Meteor Fist, he pummeled Tai Long until he was completely dazed. Within moments, Tai Long's body tilted and collapsed onto the arena floor. His eyeballs still rolled in their sockets, his face was covered in bruises, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His body was battered, covered in patches of blue and purple.
Ye Hao had no intention of holding back against the Shrek Academy group.
"The Strength Clan?" Ye Hao sneered in disdain. "Nothing special. As Tang San's lapdog, you're pathetic."
The referee quickly stepped forward to check Tai Long's condition. Seeing that he had only passed out, the referee immediately announced:
"Ye Hao wins! Shrek Academy, send out your next competitor."
From the moment Tai Long entered the match, less than a minute had passed before he was defeated—without Ye Hao even using his martial soul. This shocked everyone.
"Who's next? Hurry up and come take your beating! If all of you from Shrek Academy can still stand by the end of today, I'll write my name backward!" Ye Hao stretched his limbs. The previous fight had been completely unsatisfying.
He had expected Tai Long to give him at least a little warm-up, but the guy was way too fragile.
He had to thank Xiao Hong for this. Back when he spent six months in the Sunset Forest, every day was filled with grueling training. The hardest part had been the wooden dummy stance practice and countless battles against soul beasts.
That period of time had been pure hell. But—hard work always pays off. In return, Ye Hao had gained immense strength.
Grandmaster never expected Tai Long to fall so quickly. Just a moment ago, he had been boasting about the Vigorous Orangutan martial soul's power, only to be completely humiliated the next second.
"Useless!" Tang San cursed under his breath, deeply disappointed in Tai Long. He had hoped Tai Long could at least drain some of Ye Hao's energy, but the guy turned out to be utterly worthless.
Grandmaster remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Jing Ling, you're up next. Remember, your main task is to stall for as long as possible—drag it out as much as you can."
Jing Ling nodded, forcing himself to step onto the stage.
But as he walked, his legs were already trembling. The image of Tai Long being dragged away was still fresh in his mind. Facing Ye Hao head-on? He wasn't confident at all.
When he finally stood in front of Ye Hao, his entire body went numb. He couldn't move—perhaps this was the aura of a true powerhouse.
At this moment, Ye Hao decided not to reveal too much of his strength. Before the elimination tournament in Spirit City, he needed to teach Shrek Academy a painful lesson.
"Jing Ling, get moving! What are you standing around for?!" Tang San couldn't hold back and urged him.
Hearing this, Jing Ling instantly activated his Martial Soul Possession. His martial soul was a skeleton, a rare type on the continent, and his three soul rings appeared—identical in configuration to Tai Long's.
"I'll finish you instantly!"
Ye Hao didn't waste words. In the next second, he appeared right in front of Jing Ling.
That speed…
"So fast!" Emperor Xue Ye couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Beside him, Ning Fengzhi nodded repeatedly. "His speed is indeed impressive. Ye Hao was clearly holding back earlier, but now that he's facing Shrek Academy, he's going all out."
Ye Hao unleashed another Pegasus Meteor Fist, and within moments, Jing Ling followed in Tai Long's footsteps. He was beaten unconscious and dragged off the stage.
The fight once again lasted less than a minute.
"Who's next?"
Ye Hao's cold gaze swept across the Shrek Academy team. He was growing impatient.
"Damn it!" Tang San clenched his teeth in frustration. He turned his head toward the last remaining member, Huang Yuan, and urged, "Senior Huang Yuan, it's your turn."
For some reason, Tang San's words seemed to carry an ominous power. Huang Yuan instantly felt dizzy, his body swaying. If just facing Tang San's pressure made him feel this way…
Then facing Ye Hao…
His fate was already sealed.