Chapter 99: Not on the Same Starting Line

After a brief hesitation, Du Weilun looked at Huo Yuhao with evident unease before asking,

"Huo Yuhao… are you really sure you want to fight all three freshmen by yourself?"

Huo Yuhao nodded resolutely. Taking a deep breath as if he were warming up for a match, he moved his joints fluidly and replied,

"Yes, I'm sure. Let's begin."

Du Weilun sighed and, after a moment of silence, declared,

"If that's your decision, then players on both sides should move to the edge of the field. Wait for my signal before releasing your martial spirits."

As Du Weilun's voice rang out, Huo Yuhao took one last glance at Tang San before turning toward his starting position. However, just as he turned, a venomous voice echoed behind him.

"Huo Yuhao… I've been waiting for this day for five years."

Huo Yuhao paused and turned slightly, meeting Tang San's glare. Tang San's expression was twisted with resentment, his voice dripping with spite as he spoke,

"I don't know where you get your confidence from. If you think we're equals now, you're sadly mistaken. Today, I'll make you pay for every humiliation I've endured. You'll regret your ignorance—and I'll make sure you suffer double for it!"

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk forming on his lips. He nodded almost imperceptibly and said,

"Funny… because I've also been waiting for this day for the past five years."

Stepping forward, he added coldly,

"But I'm afraid your wish won't come true. You see, I made a promise to my teacher—to win a championship. And to Dong'er, I promised something else entirely…"

He paused for effect before continuing, his voice sharp and cutting,

"…that I'd give you the beating you deserve. Oh, and one more thing."

Looking at Tang San's increasingly contorted face, Huo Yuhao's lips curled further. His blue eyes were void of warmth, exuding only icy indifference as he said,

"We are not equals."

Du Weilun, observing the escalating tension, wisely refrained from interrupting. Only once both sides had taken their positions did he raise his hand and shout,

"Ready—Begin!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Huo Yuhao sprang into action. His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. As golden light flared in his pupils, his Spiritual Eye martial spirit activated instantly.

In mere seconds, he was at the center of the ring. Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan, who had barely managed to release their martial spirits, felt a chill run down their spines.

So fast…

Before they could react, Huo Yuhao's first and second spirit rings lit up in succession. The faint golden glow in his eyes was the last thing they saw before everything turned dark.

The first Soul skill: Soul Shock.

The overwhelming mental assault struck like a hammer, leaving Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan unconscious before they could put up any defense. Under Du Weilun's shocked gaze, the two collapsed simultaneously, just as Wu Feng had earlier that morning.

Though Huo Yuhao had not even physically engaged, the tide of battle had shifted dramatically. The three-versus-one match had already become one-on-one.

With a flick of his wrist, two near-invisible life threads coiled around Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan's waists. Like fish on a line, their limp bodies were dragged through the air and deposited gently at the edge of the arena.

With this, Huo Yuhao ensured that no harm came to their spiritual sea. It was, after all, a personal matter between him and Tang San now.

"This… this is impossible!"

Yan Shaozhe, seated on the high platform, abruptly stood, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Wasn't his spirit skill supposed to be an illusion?!"

His sharp eyes had discerned the intricacies of Huo Yuhao's techniques. The golden light from his pupils was clearly a mental attack, and the near-invisible threads guiding the unconscious pair were another mystery altogether.

But what baffled him most was how Huo Yuhao had effortlessly defeated two Great Spirit Masters in an instant.

This shouldn't be possible.

Beside him, Xian Lin'er's expression mirrored his disbelief. Her lips pursed tightly as she muttered,

"This brat… no wonder he wasn't afraid to share his spirit skills with us. He was hiding his true capabilities!"

Meanwhile, Elder Xuan watched intently, a strange glimmer flashing in his eyes. A second later, he let out a cold snort and muttered,

"Impressive, but let's see how far he can go. Raw talent won't win the match for him."

In the ring, Tang San's expression darkened. The loss of his teammates had been so abrupt that it left him momentarily stunned. His mind raced as he reassessed Huo Yuhao's strength.

His mental power… it surpasses even mine, despite years of cultivating the Purple Demon Eye.

Tang San's first spirit ring lit up, and a wave of Blue Silver Grass surged forward like a tidal wave. The sheer magnitude of the display drew gasps from the audience.

Even Elder Xuan nodded approvingly, thinking,

To elevate Blue Silver Grass to this level… truly extraordinary.

But just as the torrent of blue approached, Huo Yuhao's body shimmered and… vanished.

Tang San's eyes widened in shock.

An illusion? No… this feels different. How is this possible?

Before he could ponder further, a subtle ripple in his Blue Silver Grass alerted him to something—or someone—moving at incredible speed. His pupils shrank as Huo Yuhao reappeared less than a meter away, his fist glowing with golden light.

"That… that's…"

On the platform, the elders collectively froze, recognizing the unique fusion of mental and soul power.

Master Mu's technique…

Bang!

The punch landed squarely on Tang San's cheek, sending him flying. But Huo Yuhao didn't let up. With a flick of his life threads, he dragged Tang San back and slammed him to the ground.

Tang San groaned in pain, his body trembling. As his blurry vision cleared, he saw Huo Yuhao looming over him, cold and emotionless.

For the first time, an inexplicable fear gripped Tang San's heart.

Am I… afraid?

The realization enraged him. With a furious roar, he activated his third spirit skill. A burst of blue light shot toward Huo Yuhao, transforming mid-air into a massive web that ensnared him. Tang San switched to his Clear Sky Hammer, determined to end the fight with brute force.

Yet, as the hammer descended, a dazzling white and blue light enveloped Huo Yuhao, deflecting the attack. Scales began to spread across Huo Yuhao's arms, emanating a powerful aura.

The elders gasped.

"Twin martial souls?!"

(End of Chapter