"Huo Yuhao, why is there always a puddle of water outside your room? Are you doing this on purpose?" Jin Qiu'er demanded.
It was her team's turn to do the cleaning these past two days, and she had noticed something odd. She suspected that Huo Yuhao was trying to stir up trouble.
Don't ask why there are no attendants to clean up. Who knows if an attendant might be an undercover enemy? They could be trying to steal intel or sabotage the team.
Something like that had happened before—so now, the academy handled all cleaning internally. Each academy's meeting rooms and dorms were strictly off-limits to outsiders.
As for Jin Qiu'er's question, Huo Yuhao looked genuinely confused.
"I don't know!"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Wang Dong snapped, immediately taking Jin Qiu'er's side.
"The class rep doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do something so petty," Xiao Xiao murmured.
Jin Qiu'er's brows furrowed sharply as she warned, "Xiao Xiao, don't be fooled. Huo Yuhao has plenty of tricks up his sleeve!"
"How could I? You're slandering me! I'm warning you, don't go around slandering me!" Huo Yuhao shouted in protest.
But Jin Qiu'er and Wang Dong weren't buying it.
Huo Yuhao looked completely innocent.
Xiao Xiao appeared torn.
Watching all this, Jiang Nannan couldn't help but smile faintly. "Even though they're powerful, they're still just kids. This kind of bickering is actually kind of nice."
After spending a few days with them, Jiang Nannan had noticed something else—Jin Qiu'er and Wang Dong had amazing chemistry. They almost seemed like siblings.
And maybe it was just her imagination, but they even shared a few physical and temperamental similarities.
The rest of the team just listened to the quarrel without getting involved.
Xu Sanshi sat in the front row, munching on metaphorical popcorn.
Ma Xiaotao's expression stayed neutral.
Wei Na's face turned a bit red, quietly relieved that she'd cleaned her own room.
Ling Luochen, slightly trembling, put down her utensils. "I'm going back to rest."
With that, she quickly left the dining room—almost like she was fleeing.
Just another peaceful day.
The round-robin matches were held every other day.
In Group One, where Shrek Academy had been placed, each team had to play seven matches.
To qualify for the next round, they had to win at least five matches. Six wins would be a safe bet.
In the two days that passed, the first round of the round-robin had ended.
Compared to the elimination matches, these matches were much more laid-back.
Teams adjusted their strategies, and each match had higher technical quality, but none had that desperate, life-on-the-line intensity.
Because there was still room to recover in later rounds, the first round wasn't particularly fierce.
Shrek Academy was taking things easy.
They didn't worry about the matches at all—there wasn't even a team meeting.
Jin Qiu'er, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Jiang Nannan were enjoying themselves—eating, drinking, and occasionally roasting Huo Yuhao. Wang Dong and Jin Qiu'er even teamed up to give him grief.
Xu Sanshi was constantly trying to step in and pay for the group, hoping to look cool.
But the girls found it irritating.
As if they didn't have money themselves—Wang Dong just pulled out his golden soul card.
With a wave of the card, he went on a buying spree. Clearly, money wasn't an issue.
Xu Sanshi's antics didn't win him any favor with Jiang Nannan—in fact, it slowed down his own injury recovery.
But Xu Sanshi didn't care anymore.
He was feeling threatened.
Let's not forget—Wang Dong was actually a girl in disguise. Not only was she handsome and generous, but also young and wealthy.
What girl wouldn't be smitten?
Wang Dong would often hold hands and hug Jin Qiu'er and Xiao Xiao like it was nothing, which made Xu Sanshi conclude—Wang Dong is bad news!
"That pretty face just screams trouble!"
Wang Dong: "If I told you we're just gal pals, would you believe me?"
Unlike Huo Yuhao, who kept his distance from Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong kept hanging out with her all the time!
Huo Yuhao: "Actually… I care more about you than Jiang Nannan!"
Xu Sanshi was losing sleep.
Even when he did fall asleep, he'd cry out, "Nannan! How am I supposed to live without you?!"
Then wake up in a cold sweat.
In contrast, Ling Luochen's injury recovery was going smoothly. Wei Na was treating her every day.
However, Ling Luochen always seemed uncomfortable around Huo Yuhao, Ma Xiaotao, and Wei Na.
She couldn't forget that special scent wafting from Huo Yuhao's room.
No doubt about it—meat and nutmeg were the true gods here!
As for Zhou Yi, she'd become almost a shut-in, barely seen around the hotel.
No one knew what she was doing, and no one asked.
Nightfall.
The second round of the round-robin would begin tomorrow.
But tonight, Huo Yuhao led the team out of the hotel—to an auction house.
He said it was for relaxation and team bonding.
Because the auction he'd been waiting for… was finally here!
No one objected.
Since it was a team event, Zhou Yi wasn't invited. She wasn't at the hotel anyway.
Jin Qiu'er insisted: "She must've gone off to have fun by herself and didn't take us!"
The silly fawn's heart was focused only on enjoyment.
Like other shape-shifting soul beasts, Jin Qiu'er had already been dazzled by the human world.
Fortunately, the corruption of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soul by the daughter of the Divine King hadn't yet gone too deep, allowing Jin Qiu'er to retain some of her true nature.
Very different from her original personality in the canon.
In five years, she'd probably have turned into Wang Qiu'er—and might even change her hair color.
The Divine King had already started targeting her. The faint spiritual resonance between Huo Yuhao and Jin Qiu'er was the clearest evidence.
Right now, the only reason Jin Qiu'er hadn't chased after Huo Yuhao was her poor first impression of him. But who knew how long that would last?
Under Huo Yuhao's lead, the group arrived before a building.
It didn't look especially striking. Though not small, it seemed modest compared to the taller buildings nearby. A sign above the entrance featured a hammer symbol. Beneath the hammer was a golden platform-like design.
"This is the auction house? Doesn't look like much," Jin Qiu'er commented.
"This is the largest auction house in the Star Luo Empire. You'll see once you go inside," Huo Yuhao replied with a chuckle.
From the outside, it seemed like a small operation. But once inside—it was an entirely different world.
Because the auction house wasn't above ground—it was underground.
The building above was just the entrance.
Upon entering, they found a red-carpeted staircase nearly five meters wide that led downward. No staff greeted them outside.
They descended for about twenty meters before reaching the registration area.
After completing some complicated procedures, each person received a numbered card. With this card, a girl in a long red dress led them deeper inside.
Jin Qiu'er grumbled, "All this fuss. If it's not fun, I'm tearing this place down."
Most thought she was joking.
But Huo Yuhao knew—she meant it.
Getting into this auction house wasn't easy. It required not only asset evaluation but a two-week background review.
In the original novel, they only got in through Dai Yaoheng's connections.
This time, the Shrek team didn't have that relationship—but they still got in.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's reputation.
The man behind the auction house, Star Luo Empire's Emperor Xu Jiawei, was willing to do Huo Yuhao a favor.
After Huo Yuhao submitted the application, it was approved the same day.
Still, the formalities had to be done properly. In the novel, it was Wang Yan who ran around handling everything.
Huo Yuhao had just tried submitting the application for the heck of it.
If it didn't work out, he was ready to force his way in!
Fortunately, Xu Jiawei knew better than to refuse.
Stepping through an antique wooden door, the scenery changed dramatically. Before their eyes stretched a dazzling golden vista.
A wide corridor shimmered with luxury, so opulent it even surpassed the lavish decor of the Star Emperor Grand Hotel where Huo Yuhao and the others were staying.
Pillars of white jade, beams of violet gold, walls carved with dragons and phoenixes, all sparkling with jewels—everything screamed extravagance.
Even the usually composed group from Shrek Academy couldn't help but be impressed by the sheer splendor.
It was undeniably awe-inspiring.
"This place is... kinda pretty, huh," Jin Qiu'er commented with an air of indifference, though her wide-eyed gaze betrayed her fascination.
Huo Yuhao, however, looked distinctly uninterested. Gold and jewels had little appeal to him—he wasn't one for material luxuries.
"If a Spirit Master with a jewel-type martial soul trained here, this environment might actually be beneficial," he mused.
Indeed, this place could be seen as a high-level imitation environment for cultivating jewel-type powers.
The hostess led them onward, through another grand door—though they were still within the corridor.
The passage stretched onward out of sight, with more doors ahead and steps descending into unknown depths.
"So, what's on auction today?" Wang Dong suddenly asked, rubbing his fingers together as if itching to activate his storage-type soul tool.
The hostess gave a soft smile and began explaining.
"Tonight's auction is dedicated to soul tools, but only those below level six. So this is considered a lower-tier auction—specifically, a tier-four auction. Our Starlight Auction House categorizes auctions from tier one to five, with tier one being the highest and held only in the main auction hall. We're currently in Hall No. 12, which accommodates up to 200 people and is used exclusively for tier-four auctions."
"Huh? Soul tools?" Wang Dong's face twisted with distaste, as though he'd stepped in something gross. "I'm out. No way I'm using soul tools!"
Jin Qiu'er also frowned slightly. For some reason, she instinctively disliked soul tools. "If that's the case, I'm not participating either."
Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao glanced at them in concern.
Ma Xiaotao also frowned. She had never thought highly of soul tools.
But when it came to those little gadgets Huo Yuhao made—she actually liked those a lot.
They were just trinkets he whipped up casually.
As for why Huo Yuhao knew how to make soul tools? The reason was simple—he just watched and learned.
He often scavenged materials from soul tool workshops and incorporated the metals into his Ghost Banner martial soul.
Sometimes, he'd score entire soul tools, bring them back to the dorms, melt them down, and absorb them into his martial soul.
That naturally gave him exposure to soul formation arrays.
Combining this with his knowledge and skills in crafting, Huo Yuhao quickly picked up soul tool fabrication.
He even easily developed compact soul tool gadgets with multiple array effects—vibration, heating, electric shock, and more.
Wei Na remained composed. Naturally, she was sticking with Huo Yuhao.
Ling Luochen and Xu Sanshi chose to stay silent.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Jin Qiu'er and Wang Dong with an odd expression. "Junior Sister Jin Qiu'er, Classmate Wang Dong, we're just here to watch. Whether you buy anything is your own choice. It's not like anyone's reimbursing you."
Jin Qiu'er and Wang Dong both turned red with embarrassment.
"Hmph! Then I won't leave. Who knows, there might be other things besides soul tools!"
"Exactly! I'm staying too!"
Huo Yuhao shrugged as if to say, "Whatever."
In truth, Shrek Academy had provided the students with activity funds and a generous credit limit.
The activity fund alone was a solid 100,000 gold soul coins in cash.
The credit line was even more impressive—students could bid first at auctions, and Shrek would settle the bill afterward.
These funds and credit credentials were originally handed to Zhou Yi.
But now? They were all in Huo Yuhao's pocket—and he hadn't said a word to the others.
No one left. The entire group entered Hall No. 12. The lights dimmed.
Only the wall sconces provided soft lighting. Upon entering, each guest received a beautifully crafted mask, color-coded by rank.
Huo Yuhao's group received white masks. Other colors included yellow, purple, black, red, and gold.
Clearly, the masks denoted status—white being the lowest, gold the highest.
The different colors reflected each guest's wealth tier.
Though Huo Yuhao had entered via Xu Jiawei's connections, there was no special treatment for him regarding mask rank.
Not that Huo Yuhao cared. He deemed his wealth level the lowest anyway.
The auction hall had a very different atmosphere from the corridor—antique, elegant, and luxurious, yet warm and inviting.
Just stepping in felt comforting.
Two hundred plush velvet chairs in dark blue were arranged in a semicircle.
And Huo Yuhao's group was seated in the very last row.
Not the front row, as described in the original story.
After all, they wore white masks and hadn't used Dai Yaoheng's credentials.
Xu Jiawei allowed Huo Yuhao in because of his personal talent—not for the sake of Shrek Academy's reputation. Unless Huo Yuhao revealed himself as a disciple of Dragon God Douluo, Xu Jiawei wasn't about to give him VIP treatment.
And that was perfectly fine.
Today, Brother Hao wasn't here to flex wealth. He was just here to take his Devouring Spirit Engraving Knife back home.
Everyone donned their masks and took their seats, waiting for the auction to begin.
The masks would prevent unnecessary trouble.
But a mask couldn't hide someone's aura… or their presence.
By now, about 60 to 70% of the seats were filled.
Beneath his mask, Huo Yuhao's expression suddenly shifted. A faint smile crept across his face.
He'd spotted two familiar faces—
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu!
"They're here too? Planning to buy soul tools for the upcoming matches?" Huo Yuhao silently guessed.
Unfortunately, Star Luo Royal Academy and Shrek Academy weren't in the same tournament group.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, seated in the front row, hadn't noticed Huo Yuhao's group way in the back.
A waiter came by to ask if they wanted any beverages.
Huo Yuhao requested a drink—something sweet to lift the mood.
Jin Qiu'er ordered a whole bunch of snacks, almost as if she were ordering off a menu. She really had no regard for manners or decorum.
Honestly, expecting etiquette from a soul beast? Who was the one being ridiculous?
"Welcome, esteemed guests, to the Starlight Auction House. Tonight's auction is about to begin. Please take your seats."
A melodious female voice echoed through the hall, and the room fell silent.
The wall sconces dimmed further, while spotlights lit up the auction stage.
The auction—had begun!
A woman in a flowing purple gown stepped onto the stage. She looked about thirty, graceful and elegant, with a subtle smile. Her gown, perfectly tailored, accentuated her mature curves as she moved with practiced poise.
Xu Sanshi's eyes went wide. His throat bobbed as he subconsciously swallowed.
Jiang Nannan shot him a look of disgust. The others also stared at him with disdain.
Feeling the chill from behind, Xu Sanshi snapped back to reality and saw everyone's expressions.
Noticing Jiang Nannan's glare, he gave an awkward smile and quickly covered his eyes.
Huo Yuhao remained impassive.
To him, a woman without talent—no matter how beautiful—was just a toy.
And who would get emotionally attached to something they could throw away at any time?
Besides, this woman was merely... pleasant-looking.
"Good evening, honored guests. I am Qingya, your host and a Purple-Rank Auctioneer of Starlight Auction House. I will be presiding over tonight's event."
Item No. 1 up for auction was a Grade-3 offensive soul tool, a fairly common soul ray with a paralysis effect.
However, this one was crafted by a Grade-6 Soul Engineer, which significantly boosted its value.
It had the same vibe as those "small canister teas made by masters."
Of course, among soul tools of the same level, it was indeed a fine piece.
Its greatest value, however, lay in being purchased by a lower-level soul engineer for study—to analyze the craftsmanship of a master.
Using it in battle while yelling at your opponent "You're paralyzed!"… Well, that'd be quite a scene—too beautiful to imagine.
In the end, Zhu Lu won the bid with 2,400 gold soul coins.
It seemed Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had come well-prepared, financially.
The auction continued, and as this was a special event focused on soul tools, everything on display was high-quality.
Most of the items were Grade 3 to Grade 5 soul tools, which were just right for Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu.
They made frequent bids, and in one go, bought eight soul tools to gear themselves up.
Since their soul power levels couldn't be quickly increased in the short term, the power of soul tools offered a fast way to boost combat strength.
However, the Shrek Academy team hadn't bought a single item.
Jin Qiu'er and Wang Dong hated soul tools. Xiao Xiao opted to lie flat (stay passive).
Wei Na, secretly a disciple of the Body Sect, only used defensive soul tools and avoided offensive ones.
Jiang Nannan was a bit tempted, but her wallet wasn't.
Xu Sanshi wanted to buy something for Jiang Nannan, but she coldly snapped at him, and he had to give up with a sigh.
Ma Xiaotao didn't like soul tools either.
Ling Luochen simply found the items at auction unsuitable for her.
And Huo Yuhao—needless to say—had only one target: the Soul Devouring Engraving Knife.
Eventually, the auction neared its conclusion.
The second-to-last item was brought up.
Just like in the original story, it was a Grade-4 soul power storage jar (a.k.a. milk bottle).
Storage jars are soul tools that can be preloaded with soul power, which soul masters can later draw from in combat. The minimum grade is 3. Each grade corresponds to the level of soul master it can assist.
However, they must be used outside of active combat.
Ling Luochen found it a pity—it would've been perfect if it were a Grade-5 storage jar. As a soul master with soul skills that consumed a lot of energy, she did need more "mana."
But a Grade-5 jar was beyond what her personal savings could cover.
Since the crafting process for these jars was extremely complex, they remained rare and valuable.
At this auction, a Grade-4 storage jar was prestigious enough to be one of the final showcase items.
Within the Shrek team, those suitable for using it included Wei Na, Jiang Nannan, and Xu Sanshi.
But none of them actually needed it.
So again, Shrek Academy stayed silent.
Instead, Dai Huabin got excited—he was already a four-ring Soul Ancestor.
In the end, they won the bid at 23,000 gold soul coins.
Naturally, they wrote an IOU.
With the previous purchases included, they'd already spent nearly 50,000 gold soul coins.
That kind of sum was already beyond what they could freely spend.
If not for the Duchess giving Dai Huabin a credit note, essentially allowing him to "charge on White Tiger Pay Later," he wouldn't have dared buy so much.
Don't assume that children from influential families like Dai Huabin or Xu Sanshi could casually shell out 100,000 or 200,000 gold soul coins.
Unless you're someone like Wang Dong or Ning Tian, real "trust fund kids," even guys like Dai Huabin and Xu Sanshi would be considered wealthy if they could bring out 50,000 gold in cash.
On normal days, even betting 10 gold coins would be a big deal to them.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, sitting atop a fortune worth millions, felt there was now a thick, invisible barrier separating him from the others.
They weren't even six-digit rich—how could they dare dine at the same table as a seven-digit millionaire like him?
The massive stash of gold coins Huo Yuhao had collected from various young ladies earlier didn't really belong to them—it had been given to them by their families as "investment funds."
The idea was to invest in a genius soul master. If they could snag a prodigious son-in-law in the process, all the better.
The girls weren't allowed to use the funds as they pleased.
Even giving the money to Huo Yuhao for gambling was technically embezzlement.
If he lost it all, their families would definitely blame and even punish them.
Thankfully, Huo Yuhao taught them what a true gambling monster looked like.
Finally, the final item—the long-awaited Soul Devouring Engraving Knife—took the stage!
Even with its aura concealed, Huo Yuhao could already feel the malice and curse energy it radiated.
"What a delicious thing…" Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes.
But up on stage, the auctioneer Qing Ya looked a little disappointed.
In truth, there were originally two final items.
One was a Grade-5 ice-element soul tool, extremely powerful and valuable, starting at 100,000 gold soul coins.
The other was this Soul Devouring Engraving Knife, also known as the Demonic Engraving Knife, which had failed to sell at numerous previous auctions due to fear.
It also started at 100,000, but that was the upper limit.
Two final items in one auction wasn't unheard of, especially in smaller venues.
The intent was to "tailor" the sale to specific buyers.
These items were pre-arranged for certain individuals.
Qing Ya didn't know exactly who the auction organizers were targeting.
But it was clear that the target had either not shown up—or failed to meet expectations.
So in the end, they had to present the Soul Devouring Engraving Knife.
Yes, the person being watched was Huo Yuhao.
If Shrek's supervising teacher had come along, or if Huo Yuhao had shown signs of being flush with cash, the auctioneers would've presented the Grade-5 ice-element soul tool—something perfectly suited to Huo Yuhao's weakness in raw power.
He definitely wouldn't have missed out on that.
But unfortunately, not only had Zhou Yi not come, Huo Yuhao had also stayed low-key the entire time.
If they brought out the ice-element tool and Huo Yuhao couldn't afford it and someone else bought it… awkward.
So instead, they just auctioned the Engraving Knife as usual.
Qing Ya then read out both the pros and cons of the item as per regulations.
The good news: it's a List-Tier Engraving Knife!
The bad news: it's called the Soul Devouring Engraving Knife!
The bidders immediately lost interest.
"Nope. Nope. Not touching that."
Then, Huo Yuhao gave both Qing Ya and the people behind the auction a surprise.
"100,000 gold soul coins!" Huo Yuhao raised his paddle and calmly stated the highest bid of the entire auction.
No one contested it.
Qing Ya didn't even ask for counter-bids—afraid Huo Yuhao might back out, she quickly hammered down three strikes.
"Congratulations to our distinguished guest for winning the Soul Devouring Engraving Knife at 100,000 gold soul coins!"
Full price. No fuss.
Wei Na looked worried, wanting to say something to Huo Yuhao—but when she saw his confident expression, she remained silent.
The auctioneers backstage were dumbfounded.
Dude! If you had that much money, why didn't you say so earlier?!
Now they were worried: if anything happened to Huo Yuhao because of this evil knife, would Shrek Academy come after them?
Item in hand, time to leave.
Huo Yuhao led the group out of the auction house.
"Little Martial Uncle," Ma Xiaotao asked with concern, "are you sure it's okay to buy that knife?"
Her relationship with Huo Yuhao had warmed up a bit recently.
"Relax. I'll be fine," Huo Yuhao replied casually. "I just want to test whether my Ultimate Ice can suppress the curse on it. If it turns out I can't use it… I'll just give it to Director Qian Duoduo. He's done a lot for me."
"Director Qian Duoduo will definitely be touched," Ma Xiaotao said with feeling.
Everyone else: "…"
They walked out of the auction house.
The Shrek Academy group didn't interact with anyone else. Only Jin Qiu'er and a few others were whispering among themselves.
From what could be overheard, Jin Qiu'er was planning to take Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao out for some fun.
But Jiang NanNan reminded them that there was still a competition tomorrow and hoped they would stay in the hotel to rest properly.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, who had drawn Huo Yuhao's attention, immediately prepared to leave at the fastest speed possible.
Because they were carrying quite a few valuable items.
There were even guards waiting to escort them outside.
This wasn't paranoia — it was a precaution. The Duke's Mansion of the White Tiger could not afford another scandal that would damage its already fragile reputation.
After all, there had just been that incident involving the heir to the duke firing a cannon at dawn...
Just as they were about to leave, Zhu Lu suddenly felt something and abruptly turned around.
She spotted Huo Yuhao in the crowd.
Standing amidst the masses, Huo Yuhao had already removed his mask. His eyes met Zhu Lu's across the sea of people, and a perfect smile curved his lips.
Like a gemstone atop a glacial peak — aloof, dazzling, and breathtaking.
To Zhu Lu, the surrounding people faded into the background.
That one glance felt like an eternity.
Her heart began to pound wildly. A strange, unfamiliar sensation quietly stirred within her.
Her martial soul instincts, along with her bodily reaction, combined into a double whammy that left her dazed. She couldn't even look away, let alone move.
Zhu Lu suddenly felt: This must be fate…
But someone had to ruin the moment.
"Zhu Lu!" Dai Huabin's low voice snapped her out of it. He frowned and asked suspiciously, "What are you looking at?"
Following her gaze, Dai Huabin saw the Shrek group — and Huo Yuhao standing in their midst.
His face instantly twisted into a snarl, and through clenched teeth, he spat, "Huo! Yu! Hao!"
He was instantly seething.
He hated him.
If not for Huo Yuhao, would he have been pressured into withdrawing from Shrek Academy? Would he have suffered such disgrace?
In truth, Dai Huabin had not initially wanted to make an enemy out of Huo Yuhao. Though arrogant, he wasn't stupid. Huo Yuhao had power and connections — there was no need to provoke him.
Especially when doing so could jeopardize his path to becoming the next Duke.
But he had a "wonderful mother."
Because of Dai Yaoheng's death, the Duchess harbored a deep resentment toward Shrek Academy and had no intention of letting the matter go.
They say a gentleman waits ten years to take revenge.
Well, the Duchess was no gentleman — she preferred her revenge immediate and relentless.
So she urged Dai Huabin to provoke Huo Yuhao, the "Dean's disciple," in an attempt to publicly humiliate Shrek Academy.
Was the Duchess being irrational?
Yes.
Losing her eldest son had been a crushing blow for a mother who doted on her children. Her rage clouded her judgment.
In her eyes, Huo Yuhao was at most a three-ringed Soul Elder, while Dai Huabin had advanced to four rings. With his top-tier beast martial soul, the White Tiger, how could he possibly lose?
The White Tiger martial soul was practically deified in the eyes of many.
After all, their ancestor from ten thousand years ago had been a literal war god.
As a royal princess, the Duchess loved Dai Hao deeply — so much that she competed with Huo Yun'er and targeted her and her son, Huo Yuhao.
Just like how the Tang Sect revered the Blue Silver Grass martial soul.
An equally irrational obsession.
Besides, Dai Huabin had Zhu Lu as a partner. Their martial soul fusion technique was no joke.
During the freshman exam, yes, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had lost to Huo Yuhao. But that had only been because Huo Yuhao had poisoned them, and they were caught off guard.
Not to mention Zhu Lu had already been seriously injured by the time they tried to use their fusion technique.
So they hadn't been able to unleash its full potential.
Had they been prepared, the outcome would've been reversed.
Thus, the Duchess declared: "Go get him, my good son!"
Dai Huabin: "Yes, Mother!"
His mother's love gave Dai Huabin boundless courage, rekindling his arrogance.
And then, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu were expelled.
Shrek Academy's support for Huo Yuhao had far exceeded the Duchess's and Dai Huabin's expectations. The ruthlessness of their break with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion was chilling.
Now Dai Huabin and Huo Yuhao had enmity, whether they had started with it or not.
Later, Dai Huabin even led a group to ambush Huo Yuhao, only to run into Compassionate Demon! — and suffer humiliating defeat.
At that point, their feud became irreconcilable.
Now, seeing his enemy again made Dai Huabin's blood boil.
Huo Yuhao sensed Dai Huabin's murderous hostility.
But he didn't glare back. Nor was he angry.
Instead, he smiled.
Would an adult take a child seriously?
That only made Dai Huabin more furious, and he was about to storm over to confront him.
But Zhu Lu quickly stopped him.
During the Soul Master Tournament, they couldn't afford to cause trouble — especially not trouble that landed on them.
"Huabin, the match is more important," Zhu Lu urged.
Dai Huabin barely managed to suppress his rage, yanking his arm free from Zhu Lu's grip.
"I know, Zhu Lu," he said stiffly.
There was no warmth in his tone.
To him, the Zhu family supporting the Dai family was only proper.
"The poison on Zhu Lu is wearing off, and she's starting to think clearly again," Huo Yuhao mused.
That's right. That strange flutter in Zhu Lu's heart and the unusual reaction of her body?
It wasn't destiny.
It was poison.
As for when he poisoned her?
Would a master poisoner get caught in the act?
No one noticed the tiny phantom of a flesh-scented nutmeg ghost quietly vanishing at Zhu Lu's feet.
But to Huo Yuhao, Zhu Lu was just a little side quest to pass the time — maybe good for unlocking some personal CG scenes.
Today's main quest hadn't even started yet.
The area around the auction house was one of the most bustling parts of Star Luo City.
At this hour, many people were leaving the auction.
Among them were nobles and high officials.
Even students from other academies had come to participate in the auction. Not through back channels, but via legitimate, pre-booked slots.
Suddenly — chaos broke out.
A fiery red figure came charging from afar, barreling through the crowd and injuring several people.
Heading straight for Huo Yuhao and the others.
This person bore two yellow, two purple, and two black spirit rings — a Soul Emperor!
"Who is that?! Activating their martial soul and running wild in the city?!"
Many people turned to look.
Shocked.
Whose subordinate is this lunatic?
Don't they know security is tight right now?
The red figure reached Huo Yuhao's group. Everyone was stunned to see — it was Zhou Yi!
But Zhou Yi was in terrible shape.
One arm was grotesquely twisted — clearly broken — and she had multiple other wounds. She looked terrifying.
If she hadn't been a six-ringed Soul Emperor, injuries like those would've killed her many times over.
Others noticed something was wrong too, and seeing Zhou Yi's injuries, they all realized: something terrible had happened!
Dai Huabin's eyes lit up with joy. "That's one of Shrek Academy's instructors! She's injured? That must mean something happened to the Academy! Haha, serves them right! Karma!"
But Zhu Lu frowned slightly — to her surprise, she found herself worrying about Huo Yuhao.
"What's happening to me?"
The crowd watched as Zhou Yi grabbed Ma Xiaotao's arm with a twisted expression and urgently cried:
"Beware the White Tiger Duke's Mansion — they…"
The next second.
A cold glint flashed.
A blade pierced through Zhou Yi's slender neck.
The attack came suddenly.
Zhou Yi didn't have the slightest chance to dodge.
No one else reacted in time either.
A single blood-colored sunflower seed dropped to the ground.
Zhou Yi's throat was pierced, a gaping wound forming—she could no longer speak.
Blood surged up and poured from her mouth. Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
She never imagined that in the end, she would be killed by someone.
Eventually, the light faded from Zhou Yi's eyes. Her martial spirit possession was released, and her lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Only one strange remark was left behind.
And it was heard by many people.
"Teacher Zhou Yi!" Huo Yuhao cried out, rushing forward to catch her body before it hit the ground. In the process, he quietly collected Zhou Yi's soul and discreetly erased any clues that could expose him.
This way, if anyone later detected Huo Yuhao's aura on Zhou Yi, he'd still have plausible deniability.
To the others, though, he looked completely normal.
"You're seeking death! How dare you kill someone from Shrek Academy?!" Ma Xiaotao exploded in rage.
Just because she usually had a good temper didn't mean she couldn't get angry.
But what truly infuriated her wasn't Zhou Yi's death—she had no deep connection to Zhou Yi.
What enraged her was that someone dared to kill a member of Shrek Academy right in front of her!
This was a direct provocation against her—and against Shrek Academy!
BOOM!
A Soul Sage's aura erupted without restraint.
The Blazing Phoenix possessed her instantly.
Two yellow, two purple, three black—seven soul rings emerged one after another.
Then Ma Xiaotao took to the sky, sharp eyes sweeping across the surroundings. She shouted coldly, "Show yourself!"
Gasps rang out from the crowd.
"A Soul Sage! She's a Soul Sage?!"
Don't think a Soul Sage is nothing. Even in this age where titled Douluos are more common, Soul Sages remain the backbone of many major powers.
They truly deserve the title of "powerhouse."
"That woman is actually a Soul Sage!"
"Isn't she the captain of the Shrek Academy team? She's a Soul Sage? Their team actually has a powerhouse like that?!"
"Let's go! This is going to get ugly."
"Yeah, yeah—let's go, now…"
Some melons just aren't worth eating—especially when they involve powerful cultivators and major forces.
Huo Yuhao also activated his martial spirit: Frost Jade Centipede Armor, then used his Ultimate Ice to encase Zhou Yi's corpse in ice.
The other members of Shrek Academy activated their martial spirits as well, forming a protective circle, tense and alert to all sides.
At that moment, Ma Xiaotao's eyes locked onto a suspicious figure. Without asking questions, she immediately launched an attack.
A sea of fire surged toward the figure—and engulfed the surrounding crowd as well.
Panic spread through the bystanders.
Ma Xiaotao didn't feel the need to explain herself.
To catch the killer, any price was worth it!
The firestorm roared.
But the suspicious figure was ready. A blood-colored sunflower rose into the air. As soul rings flashed, countless blood-hued seeds shot forth, breaking apart the firestorm and, incidentally, saving the innocent bystanders around.
Seeing the blood-colored sunflower seeds, Ma Xiaotao's gaze grew colder. She spat icily, "So it really is you!"
The figure didn't respond—just turned and bolted, trying to escape.
"Stay right there!" Ma Xiaotao would never allow that. She surged forward, ignoring all obstacles, hand reaching to seize the figure.
Seeing her closing in, the figure no longer held back—summoning their martial spirit in full.
Eight soul rings flared into existence.
"Sky-Crippled Earth Sunflower!"
"Fourth soul skill—Erratic Surge!"
A massive phantom of the Sky-Crippled Earth Sunflower appeared, blocking Ma Xiaotao's hand and even knocking her back.
And in that instant, the killer dashed away—several quick flickers of movement, and they vanished.
No one could tell whether they'd changed appearance and hidden in the crowd or slipped into one of the nearby buildings.
Either way, finding them again would be incredibly difficult.
Dai Huabin stood frozen in shock.
Others might not recognize the martial spirit—but he did.
Sky-Crippled Earth Sunflower.
That was his grandfather's martial spirit!
And there was no one else with that same martial spirit!
Because his grandfather was a eunuch—his martial spirit was a variant, and he left behind no descendants.
But wasn't his grandfather's head twisted off by Compassionate Demon?
Did he come back from the dead?
No—he just killed a member of Shrek Academy!
Dai Huabin's body trembled. He hadn't expected the "melon" to land squarely on his own head.
Finally, his mind cleared. He turned and ran without hesitation—didn't even think to call for Zhu Lu, only shouted for the White Tiger Duke's guards.
"Hurry! Protect me! We must get back to the Duke's mansion!"
The guards, loyal as ever, immediately formed a protective formation around him.
Zhu Lu was completely forgotten.
And she didn't follow Dai Huabin as she usually would.
Her expression was dark and conflicted.
Combining Zhou Yi's final words and Dai Huabin's reaction, she realized—this incident might be connected to the White Tiger Duke's house.
This was now beyond her ability to meddle in.
"The Star Luo Empire is about to be shaken!"
Without another moment's hesitation, Zhu Lu turned and ran in another direction—toward the Zhu family estate.
Unlike the White Tiger Duke's house, the Zhu family still resided within Star Luo City.
Zhu Lu needed to inform her clan immediately.
Yet, as she left, she couldn't help but glance at Huo Yuhao one last time.
The youth clad in ice armor stood taller than ever—firm and brave beside his companions, without a trace of retreat.
Meanwhile, Dai Huabin had fled in fear.
The difference couldn't be clearer.
Zhu Lu didn't even spare a glance at Dai Huabin's retreating figure. She lowered her head and ran toward her family estate.
Perhaps… it was time for a new choice.
At that moment, the City Guard arrived, alerted by Ma Xiaotao's explosive aura.
Leading them was a Soul Sage as well.
"Who dares make a move within Star Luo City?! Are you seeking death?!" the Soul Sage shouted while running forward.
Without a flying-type martial spirit, even Soul Sages had to rely on their feet before reaching nine rings.
High in the sky, Ma Xiaotao glared down and retorted coldly, "I should be the one asking that! A teacher from Shrek Academy was murdered in broad daylight—will the Star Luo Empire give us an explanation?!"
The Soul Sage skidded to a halt—wanting nothing more than to turn around and flee.
A Shrek Academy instructor murdered in broad daylight?
Was that something he should be handling?!
He wished he could break his own legs—then he wouldn't have run so fast and put himself in this mess.
But now that he was here, if he turned and ran, he'd be labeled a deserter—and punished by the Empire.
"No choice. I need to calm them down first!"
The Soul Sage quickly changed his demeanor. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Please calm down. I will report this to the Empire. You will receive a proper explanation."
"No need!" Ma Xiaotao snapped coldly. "We already know who the killer is."
"What? You know the killer's identity?" the Soul Sage exclaimed. "Who is it? The City Guard will do everything to help apprehend them!"
They had been specifically instructed to cooperate during the Soul Master Tournament.
Ma Xiaotao replied icily: "The White Tiger Duke's House!"
The City Guard Soul Sage: Just kill me now!
Seeing the man fall silent, Ma Xiaotao snorted dismissively and looked down at Huo Yuhao and the others.
"Let's go. We're heading to the White Tiger Duke's estate!"
"I want to see whether the White Tiger Duke truly dares to destroy us all in Star Luo City!"
Huo Yuhao gathered Zhou Yi's corpse, rose into the air, and said to Ma Xiaotao:
"Xiaotao, I'm your martial uncle. Let me take the lead."
Huo Yuhao: I'll lead the charge!
A heroic youth, standing up for his teacher, unafraid of powerful foes—leading the way to confront the White Tiger Duke's House!
What a glorious moment for his reputation.