Chapter 38: Sarcasm  

"The third two-versus-two match, the Double Ye Duo versus the Iron Hammer Duo. Let the soul fight begin!" 

As the announcer's voice echoed through the arena, the two brothers of the Iron Hammer duo summoned their martial souls. Beneath their feet, soul rings—white, yellow, and purple—emerged, circling them. In their hands appeared hammers, dark red with protruding spikes at the top. A powerful aura spread through the arena. 

Ye Lingling stood calmly as her three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—rose beneath her feet. While her spirit rings were superior in quality, her Nine Heart Begonia was a support-type martial soul, limited to healing and lacking any offensive capabilities. 

Ye Hao, on the other hand, stood motionless, neither summoning his martial soul nor activating his soul rings. Both the announcer and the audience were stunned. 

"Spicy Rabbit Head, are you not going to use your martial soul?" the announcer asked, perplexed. 

Ye Hao gave a casual nod. The announcer, though puzzled, declared the match to continue. Historically, contestants who refused to use their martial souls were often crushed, with some leaving the arena crippled. 

The audience watched with a mix of amusement and pity, assuming this cocky "Spicy Rabbit Head" would end up humiliated or worse. 

Ye Lingling remained unperturbed, standing silently. Her sole responsibility was to heal. If Ye Hao was injured, her Nine Heart Begonia would activate. 

She wasn't surprised by Ye Hao's choice. Back at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, she had seen him spar with the Shi brothers. At that time, Ye Hao had relied solely on physical combat until he was forced to use his martial soul. 

Ye Hao wasn't reckless—his level-headedness and resourcefulness were well known. 

The Iron Hammer brothers grinned smugly. To them, this opponent was handing them an easy win. They had initially assumed someone wearing a mask might be skilled, but clearly, they were wrong. 

"Ahhh—!"

Both brothers roared as they charged forward, hammers raised. Their momentum and the hammer's power created a fierce gust aimed at Ye Hao. 

Ye Hao didn't flinch. As the hammers swung down, he stepped forward to meet them head-on. Just as the hammers neared, six brilliant purple wings unfolded from his back, and he soared over their heads. 

He swiftly positioned himself behind the brothers and delivered two powerful punches to their backs, sending them staggering forward, nearly falling. 

Before they could recover, two black, massive spider spears emerged from Ye Hao's back, pressing against their throats. A chill ran down the brothers' spines. 

"We… surrender."

The match was over. Ye Hao could have easily pierced their throats, but this was a mere exhibition match with no real animosity. He saw no need to escalate. 

In a previous two-versus-two match, Xiao Wu had nearly killed two blacksmith brothers after Tang San was injured. Her Silent Sleeve Arrow had been ready to fire, and it was only Tang San's intervention that stopped her. Ironically, Tang San later approached those same blacksmith brothers to forge parts for his hidden weapons. 

Such reckless violence was why Ye Hao harbored disdain for the so-called "innocent rabbit." 

On the stage, the announcer struggled to regain composure. Clearing his throat, he declared, "The third two-versus-two match goes to the Double Ye Duo. One win, one point!" 

The audience, initially expecting a hard-fought battle, had instead witnessed a decisive and one-sided victory. Disappointed but impressed, they erupted into applause. 

Ye Hao and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance before leaving the stage, heading toward the resting area Qin Ming had prepared for them. 

Post-Match Strategy 

In the resting room, Qin Ming reviewed the Fury Battle Team's information, formulating strategies. He placed the documents on the table, confident in his team's abilities. 

The door creaked open, and Ye Hao peeked in. 

"Teacher Qin, was I first?" 

Momentarily startled, Qin Ming laughed. "I knew it was you. Come in. Your team battle opponents have been decided." 

"Really?" Ye Hao's eyes lit up as he approached the table and picked up the documents. 

"The Fury Battle Team?" 

Ye Hao smiled confidently. The Fury Battle Team's captain, Berserk Rhino, was strong but far from unbeatable. If the first match had been against the Shrek Seven, Ye Hao would have been serious. But against the Fury Battle Team? This was going to be easy. 

Seeing Ye Hao's grin, Qin Ming teased, "You seem awfully confident. Already certain of victory?" 

Thumping his chest, Ye Hao replied, "Absolutely." 

He skimmed the documents and continued, "Except for their support-type soul master, the rest have beast martial souls. Their soul power averages around level 35, but our Emperor Team is stronger across the board." 

Qin Ming chuckled. "Don't underestimate them. Their support-type soul master's third soul ability is particularly dangerous. If they use it, things could get tricky." 

After a brief wait, the remaining six members of the Emperor Team returned, all victorious. Spirits were high as they prepared for the team battle. 

A Familiar Name 

Late into the night, the Soto Great Spirit Arena remained bustling. The team battle arena, designed to host seven-versus-seven matches, was the largest and most intense of the arena's three formats. 

As Ye Hao wandered through the corridors, a voice caught his attention. 

"Up next: the Shrek Seven Devils versus..." 

Ye Hao stopped in his tracks. Shrek Seven Devils? So they were here after all. 

Smiling to himself, he donned his mask and joined the throng, heading toward the Shrek Seven Devils' match. 

Since the Emperor Team's match was the final event of the night, Ye Hao had plenty of time to observe his future rivals. 

The team battle arena was grand, capable of holding tens of thousands of spectators. Due to the Shrek Seven Devils' previous victories, their audience had grown significantly. Ye Hao found a quiet spot with a good view to carefully study their movements. 

The Shrek Seven Devils... Let's see what you've got.