The battle between Shrek Academy and the Star Luo Royal Academy officially concluded. As both sides retreated, the moment Ye Hao's Spirit Hall team faced off against Shrek Academy, the atmosphere became tense, reaching a boiling point.
"Ye Hao, you killed my teacher. I will never let you go," Tang San said, supporting Xiao Wu, whose face was even more swollen than before, as he glared fiercely.
"Yu Xiaogang brought it upon himself. He joined forces with the Strength Clan, your father, and your uncle to kill me. He deserved to die, and no one should sympathize with him," Ye Hao replied coldly.
Ye Hao's words infuriated Tang San, but considering they were on Spirit Hall's turf, he had no choice but to suppress his anger.
"Fine, very well! Ye Ritian, don't let me find an opportunity. I'll make you pay a hundred times over for the pain of having my bones stripped back then."
"Tch!" Ye Hao sneered, then led his team toward the arena.
"Young Master, that Tang San is too arrogant. After the tournament, let me take care of him personally," Yan said, clearly irritated.
After learning Ye Hao's true identity, Yan had changed his attitude and felt remorse for his past behavior. Ye Hao, however, didn't hold it against him. They were all family now.
"Tang San is hiding his true strength. You're not his match," Ye Hao said with a bitter smile.
Tang San's greatest strength wasn't his twin martial souls but his ridiculously overpowered hidden weapons. In Ye Hao's understanding, hidden weapons were things like throwing knives or needles, similar to the flying daggers in TV dramas. But in Tang San's hands, they seemed to transform into something far more deadly.
Perhaps this was the power of "cheating"!
"Young Master, does Tang San have some secret weapon?" Hu Liena asked, puzzled.
"He does. Those hidden weapons of his," Ye Hao joked, glancing at Hu Liena.
Soon, both teams entered the arena.
As Ye Hao's Spirit Hall team and Yu Tianheng's Emperor Team stood on the same stage, Ye Hao couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Yu Tianheng and the others felt the same. Their former teammate had now become the young master of the Spirit Hall and stood on the opposite side. No one would feel good about this.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stood in the Emperor Team's lineup, their eyes sharp. Their opponent was Ye Hao, but for the sake of victory, they wouldn't back down just because of their past relationship.
"Come on, Young Master of the Spirit Hall. The Emperor Team will not surrender," Yu Tianheng said with a sigh, his expression complex.
Ye Hao's gaze was indifferent, but his heart was filled with melancholy.
"Let's begin," Ye Hao said calmly.
As both sides prepared, the referee announced, "Spirit Hall Team versus Emperor Team, the battle begins!"
Instantly, both sides released their martial souls.
The participants in the elimination round were no ordinary individuals. The lowest among them were Soul Ancestors, with the Spirit Hall team's top four being the most eye-catching.
Ye Hao had one yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings, while the Golden Generation trio led by Hu Liena had two yellow, two purple, and one black. The rest of the team also had optimal soul ring configurations.
Four Soul Kings—the pressure immediately fell on Yu Tianheng's shoulders.
Yu Tianheng swallowed hard. Back at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, even when they teamed up, they were no match for Ye Hao. And just yesterday, Ye Hao had absorbed the Titan Giant Ape's left leg bone, a 100,000-year soul bone.
As for the outcome of today's battle, Yu Tianheng and the others had already accepted it. What they wanted was an explanation—why had Ye Hao deceived them?
"Attack!"
Yu Tianheng roared, and Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda shone brightly. At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing transformed into a purple shadow, like an assassin hidden in the darkness. Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor spat venom, its green scales shimmering under the sunlight. The Xuanjia Tortoise martial souls of Shi Mo and Shi Ge stood at the front, while Ye Lingling, as a healing-type soul master, naturally took on the role of support.
This lineup was all too familiar to Ye Hao...
Ye Hao shook his head and sighed deeply. Honestly, he didn't want to fight them, but fate had other plans.
"Titan Giant Ape left leg skill: Gravity Swamp."
Ye Hao lightly stomped his left foot, and in an instant, all seven members of the Emperor Team collapsed to the ground, unable to move as if trapped in a swamp. The more they struggled, the deeper they sank.
"Is this... the power of a 100,000-year soul bone?"
The crowd's eyes gleamed with greed. The value of a 100,000-year soul bone was simply too high.
Ye Hao would have his moments of vulnerability, and when that time came...
They all had their own schemes, their lips curling into sinister smiles.
Ye Hao smiled faintly, amused by their shortsightedness and overconfidence.
Suddenly, a black light emanated from the sickle mark on Ye Hao's forehead, and a man in black robes appeared, holding a black sickle as if he were a reaper descended from the heavens.
Everyone was stunned, their hearts pounding as if the reaper might swing his sickle and claim their lives at any moment.
"A bunch of selfish parasites. It's a tragedy that the Douluo Continent has people like you," Bibi Dong said, standing on the high platform and observing everything. The greed in their eyes didn't escape her notice.
"Just wait. After the tournament, we'll settle accounts slowly."
On the arena, Yu Tianheng, pinned to the ground, gritted his teeth in frustration, trying to break free but to no avail.
"We... surrender," Yu Tianheng said weakly.
With that, Ye Hao stopped exerting pressure. The crimson light from his left leg faded, and everything returned to normal.
"Captain, we..." Shi Mo hesitated.
Yu Tianheng slowly stood up, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked at Ye Hao.
"Why did you deceive us?"
Ye Hao shook his head. "From the beginning to the end, I never deceived you. Ye Hao is Ye Hao, and the young master of the Spirit Hall is also Ye Hao. Nothing has changed."
With that, Ye Hao turned and left without looking back.
---
Late at night, Ye Hao sat alone in his study, surrounded by piles of Spirit Hall documents.
Perhaps only by burying himself in work could he calm his restless heart.
"Now, there is only Ye Hao, the young master of the Spirit Hall. The Ye Hao of the past is gone forever.
From this day forward, anyone who stands in my way, I'm sorry, but you're in my way."
Ye Hao put down his pen and stood up, walking to the balcony. He gazed at the city lights, his eyes gradually growing distant.
---
The elimination round of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament was in full swing, and the Spirit Hall team remained as dominant as ever.
Soon, the final day arrived.
After days of fierce competition, the championship battle was about to begin!
Spirit Hall Team versus Shrek Academy!
Old rivals.
The atmosphere on the field was heavy. Even before the battle began, the tension was palpable.
Ye Hao's Spirit Hall team was ready, while Shrek Academy, upon facing Ye Hao, felt their legs go weak.
During the one-on-one matches in the qualifiers, Ye Hao had beaten them senseless. Among Shrek Academy's members, only Tang San was a Soul King, while Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu were Soul Ancestors. The other four were only Soul Elders.
The two sides were not on the same level. How could these people possibly fight against four Soul Kings?
In other words, Shrek Academy had made it this far largely thanks to Tang San.
The pressure was now squarely on Shrek Academy.
"Four Soul Kings," Dai Mubai muttered, sweating. How were they supposed to fight this?
Tang San alone couldn't turn the tide, and his most formidable hidden weapons were banned, effectively tying his hands.
---
The situation was dire for Shrek Academy. With Tang San's hidden weapons banned, their chances of winning were slim. To make matters worse, Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai had fallen out after Xiao Wu insulted Dai Mubai's ancestors. The team was now divided into three factions: Tang San, Liu Erlong, Xiao Wu, and Tai Long formed one group; Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar formed another; and Flender, Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu made up the third. It was clear that after the tournament, the team would likely fall apart.
The finals were about to begin, and Bibi Dong personally attended to oversee the event. She had made thorough preparations to capture the rabbit. With Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo by her side, their combined martial soul fusion skill, "Two-Pole Static Domain," could turn the tide of any battle. Additionally, numerous soul masters were stationed in the shadows, surrounding the arena to ensure no one could escape.
The rabbit had no way out. As for Tang San...
Bibi Dong glanced behind her, and Ah Yin was brought to her side.
"Do you see that? That's your son," Bibi Dong said.
A Yin looked down and saw Tang San, whose feet were surrounded by Blue Silver Grass. His aura was unmistakably similar to hers. Moreover, when Ah Yin was still weak, Ye Hao had once brought her to Tang San for a reunion. Therefore, Ah Yin immediately recognized him as her son.
"Please, don't kill my son. You can take my soul ring and soul bone. I beg you, just spare my son," Ah Yin pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
Bibi Dong, also a mother, understood Ah Yin's pain.
"I'm a mother too. Look, my son is down there as well, about to face your son in battle," Bibi Dong said, sealing Ah Yin's soul power, reducing her to an ordinary woman.
"However, you can rest assured that although I want to kill Tang San right now, due to certain circumstances, your son is temporarily safe. We won't kill him—for now."
Hearing this, Ah Yin's heart eased slightly.
"But that's only temporary. When the time comes, your son will die," Bibi Dong said coldly, her eyes gleaming with malice.
"Do you see that girl with the scorpion braid?" Bibi Dong pointed to Xiao Wu.
Ah Yin followed Bibi Dong's gaze and saw a girl shorter than Tang San, with a scorpion braid. Her face was slightly red, with faint slap marks, as if she had recently been through a rough time.
"She's just an ordinary girl. There's nothing special about her," Ah Yin said, confused.
"Is that so?" Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "That's just a disguise. You can't see it, but that girl, Xiao Wu, is your son's love interest."
"Xiao Wu..." Ah Yin murmured. "It's a nice name..."
"Are you planning to use Xiao Wu to manipulate my son?" Ah Yin asked, her voice trembling.
"You think too little of us. Humans and soul beasts are inherently incompatible, but in your case and Tang Hao's, I don't understand. You, a soul beast, willingly bonded with a human and even gave birth to a child with both human and soul beast blood," Bibi Dong said, her expression bitter.
"Do you know? That girl is just like you—a 100,000-year soul beast."
Bibi Dong's words struck Ah Yin like a thunderbolt. She stared at Xiao Wu in disbelief, trying to sense any trace of soul beast aura but finding none.
Soul beasts who took human form had to start from scratch, going through a juvenile stage before reaching maturity. If Xiao Wu was truly a soul beast, she must still be in her juvenile stage.
The thought sent chills down A Yin's spine. A juvenile 100,000-year soul beast had dared to enter the human world and even participated in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. This girl had nerves of steel.
"The Tang father and son have peculiar tastes. Are human women not good enough, or are they just obsessed with soul beasts in human form? Like father, like son," Bibi Dong sneered.
"Now, watch as we capture that rabbit," Bibi Dong said, signaling for the match to begin.
Capture?
Ah Yin's heart sank. Was history about to repeat itself? Would what happened to her now happen to her son?
---
"The finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament are about to begin! Both sides have one minute to summon their martial souls. Let the battle begin!"
With the referee's announcement, the atmosphere grew even more tense.
On Shrek Academy's side, Dai Mubai led the team as they released their martial souls one by one.
Ye Hao's five soul rings lit up, followed by Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan. The pressure from four Soul Kings was overwhelming, making Ma Hongjun and the others struggle to breathe.
"Xie Yue, Nana, use your martial soul fusion skill to deal with the others. As for Tang San, leave him to me," Ye Hao ordered.
Following Ye Hao's command, Xie Yue and Hu Liena began to merge their martial souls.
A thick red mist filled the arena, carrying a mix of illusion and malice. But that wasn't the most terrifying part.
Within the mist, Hu Liena and Xie Yue's figures began to merge...
"Not good, it's a martial soul fusion skill!" Tang San's heart raced. In previous matches, he hadn't noticed that the Spirit Hall team possessed such a skill.
"First soul skill, Entanglement!"
Tang San's first soul ring lit up. Using his Purple Demon Eyes, he could see through the red mist and observe the movements of Hu Liena and Xie Yue. Blue Silver Grass surged from the ground, aiming to stop the fusion before it was complete.
Suddenly, Ye Hao's arms transformed into sickles, slicing through Tang San's Blue Silver Grass with ease.
"Tang San, I'll give you a chance to fight me one-on-one."