Chapter 35: First Blood

 To participate in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, one must first qualify as an advanced soul master academy. 

For a "wild" academy like Shrek, it was doubtful whether they could even meet the entry requirements. 

Under the dim night sky, after two days of travel, the Emperor Team finally arrived at Sylvis City, a transit point on their journey to Soto City. 

They planned to stay overnight before resuming their journey the next day. 

Ye Hao was assigned to share a room with Yu Tianheng. Sitting alone by the balcony, he gazed at the bustling night market below, feeling a strong sense of yearning. 

Meanwhile, Tianheng had gone off to find Dugu Yan. Young couples always seemed to have their ways, leaving Ye Hao wondering—where was his fated true love? The thought made him a little excited. 

Still restless with time to spare, Ye Hao decided to head downstairs. He approached the room shared by Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan, knocking on their door. 

Click. 

In moments, Ye Lingling opened the door and saw Ye Hao. 

"What's the matter?" she asked coolly. 

Ye Hao glanced into the room. "You're alone?" 

"Is there a problem with that?" 

Her tone was indifferent, as always. 

Since Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were off on their date, Ye Lingling was naturally alone in her room. It was a rare situation where the two of them shared the same lonely fate. 

"Want to take a walk? Who knows where Tianheng went. I'd guess he's probably having a good time with Sister Yan," Ye Hao teased. 

Ye Lingling rolled her eyes at him. Since she was alone anyway, a walk sounded like a decent distraction. 

Walking out of the inn together, they strolled through the lively streets. The roads were bustling with people and carriages, the flow of the crowd unending. 

Ye Hao took Ye Lingling's hand as they walked. At first, she felt a little uneasy but soon convinced herself—Ye Hao was just an eleven-year-old child. What bad intentions could a kid like him possibly have? 

Ye Hao, however, was like a seasoned guide, deliberately taking detours to visit all the scenic spots. By the time night deepened, they found themselves seated on a bench outside a building. 

Ye Lingling rubbed her sore legs and glared at Ye Hao. How did this kid have so much energy? He looked like he hadn't had enough yet. 

Ye Hao grinned and, after a brief rest, prepared to leave. 

Just then, a group of burly, drunken men stumbled out of a nearby building, their tattered clothes and empty bottles suggesting they had been drinking heavily. 

Ye Hao and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance and chose to ignore them—better to avoid trouble than to invite it. 

Although Shrek Academy advocated the philosophy that "a soul master who doesn't stir trouble is mediocre," Ye Hao found the idea absurd. If someone hadn't provoked you, why go out of your way to provoke them? That was just asking for trouble. 

As the two walked away, they suddenly realized the men had surrounded them. 

Ye Hao and Ye Lingling's expressions darkened—they sensed trouble brewing. 

Before they could speak, one of the men reached out, trying to grab Ye Lingling. His greedy eyes betrayed his vile intentions. 

"Ahhh—!"

A scream tore through the air. Ye Hao's face was cold and emotionless as he grabbed the man's wrist. With a light squeeze, there was a sickening crack. 

The man fell to the ground wailing, clutching his broken wrist. Tears and snot ran down his face as he convulsed in pain. 

"Sis, let's go!" Ye Hao quickly pulled Ye Lingling along. 

But before they had run more than a few meters, an oppressive force surged toward them. The two split up to evade the attack. 

Their assailants revealed their martial spirits, their muscular bodies bulging unnaturally. The air around them reeked of bloodlust, and the metallic tang of blood filled the atmosphere. 

Ye Hao remained calm. Three soul rings appeared beneath him, lighting up: yellow, purple, and purple. His Death Spider Emperor martial soul activated, and black armor encased his body. Eight black spider spears unfolded from his back. 

The six attackers were all Soul Ancestors, each bearing four soul rings. Judging by their varying ring colors and the pungent stench of blood, it was clear these men were no strangers to killing. 

"You brat! How dare you provoke the Fiend Team! Don't you know that in all of Sylvis City, no one dares mess with us?" one of them growled. 

Ye Hao raised an eyebrow. "The Fiend Team?" 

He recalled hearing of this infamous group—a registered soul master team in Sylvis City's Great Spirit Arena. They were notorious for killing opponents during matches, which eventually led to their banishment from the arena. 

Their notoriety had waned ever since. In their last match, they had been defeated and crippled for life by the Shrek Seven Devils, using Zhuge Crossbows to devastating effect. 

Ye Hao smirked, wiping his nose. He glanced at the six bloodthirsty men and the one still writhing on the ground with a broken wrist. Serves them right for targeting Ye Lingling. 

"Kid, hand over the girl and kill yourself. Save us the trouble," one of them sneered, his eyes lingering on Ye Lingling's slender figure. 

Ye Hao took a deep breath. He had initially intended to avoid conflict, but since things had escalated to this point, why bother being merciful? 

"Third Soul Ability: Spider Prison!" 

With those words, Ye Hao's third soul ring flared to life. Black venomous webs erupted from beneath the Fiend Team, releasing a rancid stench that assaulted their senses. 

Ye Hao's right hand shot upward. Suddenly, sharp, poisonous spider spikes emerged from the ground. Under Ye Lingling's horrified gaze, the spikes pierced through their enemies, blood splattering everywhere. 

The once-white ground was now stained crimson. 

Ye Hao appeared calm and collected, but deep down, he felt something was off. Perhaps it was the influence of his martial soul, but the more he killed, the more exhilarated he felt. It wasn't a good sign. 

The Death Spider Emperor, as the king among demon spiders, thrived on slaughter. Its bloodlust rivaled that of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, if not surpassing it. 

Ye Hao clenched his teeth, withdrawing his martial soul and abilities. He glanced at the mangled bodies on the ground and exhaled, relieved he hadn't lost control. 

To his surprise, he noticed a faint white aura emanating from his body—a chilling, solemn presence that even Ye Lingling, standing several meters away, found unsettling. 

"Is this killing intent? Or something else…" 

"Sis, let's head back," Ye Hao said. 

Snapping out of her daze, Ye Lingling suppressed her unease and followed Ye Hao as they quickly left the scene. Killing soul masters without cause was a serious crime, even if the Fiend Team was notorious for their wicked deeds. Rules were rules. 

Fortunately, the area was remote, and without modern surveillance, the incident would fade into obscurity. With the Fiend Team's demise, their reign of terror had finally ended…