Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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As it turned out, Huo Yuhao's judgment was correct. The place he had chosen was indeed the final "Core Circle" of this assessment.
Under Shen Yi's control, the range of the training ground was gradually shrinking, driving the survivors toward this area.
Fewer and fewer people remained, dropping from dozens to a dozen, then from a dozen down to single digits. They appeared in this open space one after another; no one ran or hid anymore because they had nowhere left to go.
However, the remaining few did not move to compete for the final class monitor position, as they were all stopping to watch the battle between Huo Yuhao and Wu Siduo.
Their eyes were fixed on the two figures in the field, one attacking and one defending, as if they were watching a meticulously choreographed performance.
In their eyes, Wu Siduo with her four rings was already strong enough, but in front of Huo Yuhao, she was simply no match at all.
Every one of her attacks missed, and every Spirit Ability was neutralized; her fierce offensive seemed like child's play before Huo Yuhao.
Although Huo Yuhao didn't directly strike back, only dodging and retreating, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the two were simply not on the same level.
This was also the first time everyone intuitively felt Huo Yuhao's strength; it was truly enough to make one stop in their tracks.
Those who had originally thought "maybe I can put up a fight" were now silent.
Those who had originally felt that "number one on the Young Genius List is just an empty title" also shut their mouths now.
Looking at the youth in the field with his hands behind his back, seeing his calm and unhurried posture and his effortless expression, only one thought remained in their hearts: he was... invincible!
Huo Yuhao tapped his foot on the ground and floated backward. The movement was as light as a swallow, instantly opening up a distance of several meters from Wu Siduo.
His gaze fell upon Wu Siduo, whose breathing was slightly ragged, and he said calmly, "If this is the extent of your strength, then the battle between us can end."
Wu Siduo took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. A flash of determination crossed her eyes, as if she had made a certain decision. Then, a layer of dazzling platinum light suddenly appeared on her body. At the same time, the four purple spirit rings originally at her feet suddenly merged into one.
In that instant, others might not have seen it clearly. But nothing could escape Huo Yuhao's eyes; his Spirit Eyes saw every detail with perfect clarity. He clearly observed a layer of white fur covering Wu Siduo's body. Her aura also underwent a distinct change; the dark nether aura weakened, replaced by a wild, overbearing aura.
Huo Yuhao had also conducted deep research into Spirits over the years; he had flipped through countless ancient texts and seen many Spirits, becoming intimately familiar with the characteristics and variations of various Spirits.
He quickly judged that Wu Siduo's Spirit had changed at this moment; she had switched Spirits!
The words "twin spirits" instantly appeared in his mind.
Wu Siduo was actually a twin spirits user!
This explained why she could be ranked ninth on the Young Genius List; the talent of twin spirits, combined with a four-ring cultivation, indeed deserved such a rank.
But her other Spirit only had one spirit ring; even if she switched Spirits, she couldn't possibly be his opponent.
Huo Yuhao thought this to himself, but then he discovered another anomaly.
Because that dark aura on Wu Siduo's body had not disappeared; instead, it intertwined with that wild platinum light, like the blending of water and fire, the coexistence of yin and yang.
The black and platinum colors gradually merged, and at this moment, two different powers became one. A layer of dark gold erupted from within her; the light was deep and restrained, like the luster of metal. The white fur on her body began to become crystal clear, like threads made of crystal.
Then she bent down, and her entire person actually disappeared. The figure was like a reflection in water, scattered by the wind, turning into nothingness. In its place was a strange, entirely transparent white tiger!
The white tiger was not large, comparable to an ordinary tiger, and its entire body was transparent as if carved from crystal. It stood there, radiating an aura that made one's heart skip a beat.
Huo Yuhao, who had remained calm until now, finally had a change of expression. On that face, indifference and composure were instantly replaced by surprise.
A look of shock clearly showed in his eyes as memories from the past flooded his mind.
It was two years ago, three months after he had first joined Shrek Academy Ten Thousand Years ago. At the Shrek Academy freshman competition, he had faced his "brother," Dai Huabin. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had performed the Martial Soul Fusion Skill passed down through their families, the "Hell White Tiger."
The scene he saw then was almost identical to what was before him now—the same transparent texture, the same white tiger form.
So in an instant, he judged that what Wu Siduo was performing right now was precisely the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger!
Only... wasn't a Martial Soul Fusion Skill something that could only be performed by two Spirit Masters?
But how did Wu Siduo use it all by herself?
This completely defied common sense, defied Spirit theory, and defied all the knowledge he knew. It was normal for Huo Yuhao to be shocked by something that so far exceeded his understanding.
However, he had no time to ponder these matters now, because Wu Siduo had already launched an attack.
The Hell White Tiger, over five meters in length, leaped into the air with its four claws and pounced toward Huo Yuhao with a flash.
Its speed was astonishingly fast, its massive body trailing a transparent afterimage in the air. Sharp tiger claws slashed through the air, bringing gusts of wind and even a piercing whistle. Wherever the tiger claws passed, the air was torn apart, leaving behind visible white marks.
Huo Yuhao judged at a glance that the attack power of the Hell White Tiger at this moment was comparable to a Spirit Emperor.
That kind of pressure and power had already far exceeded the scope of what a four-ring Spirit Ancestor should possess. However, it was still far from enough to deal with him.
Though his expression was surprised, he was not flustered.
Ultimately, a Martial Soul Fusion Skill was two Spirit Masters merging two Spirits in a specific way.
It was a delicate balance, like two streams flowing into the same riverbed, requiring the Spirit Power, mental force, and Spirit attributes of both sides to merge completely.
Therefore, the best way to deal with a powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill was not to confront it head-on, but to find a way to destroy the balance of the opponent's Fusion. Once that balance was broken, the Martial Soul Fusion Skill would collapse on its own, like a house having its foundation pulled out.
And in this regard, Mental-type Spirit Masters had a natural advantage. Mental attacks were formless and invisible, striking directly at the Soul, making them the best at disrupting that delicate balance.
With Huo Yuhao's high-level Spirit Abyss Realm mental force, a single Soul Shock would be enough to force Wu Siduo out of her Martial Soul Fusion Skill state.
But in the end, Huo Yuhao did not do so.
In that instant, he remembered Wu Siduo's stubborn and determined gaze from before. In those eyes, there was unwillingness, longing, and a yearning for greater strength. So Huo Yuhao decided to defeat her head-on with his own strength.
But unfortunately, the Spirit Abilities of his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul were too "underhanded"; every one of them was a strange method that was impossible to guard against, not upright or open enough.
And the Ice Jade Scorpion Spirit could not be used freely in this era Ten Thousand Years later.
Finally, with a flick of his right hand, a soul tool longsword appeared in his grasp. The blade was slender, silver light flowing over it, glinting with a cold luster under the sunlight.
Huo Yuhao's figure flashed, his footsteps shifting lightly, easily dodging an attack from the Hell White Tiger.
The massive tiger claw swept past his side, bringing a gust of wind that made his robes rustle loudly.
Failing to hit with one strike, the Hell White Tiger turned and pounced again, its mouth wide open and fangs bared, carrying a ferocious power intended to tear everything apart.
This time, Huo Yuhao did not dodge again.
Six spirit rings appeared one after another at his feet; six pitch-black spirit rings circled around him, radiating a deep and restrained light.
His aura also surged tremendously in an instant, like ignited gunpowder, erupting violently. That aura was majestic and sharp, even overshadowing the ferocity of the Hell White Tiger, causing the hearts of the surrounding spectators to tremble.
Watching the Hell White Tiger pouncing toward him, Huo Yuhao's Sword Intent erupted. There were no fancy sword moves, no magnificent sword styles; he simply thrust the longsword straight forward.
One sword, a straight thrust.
Simple, direct, yet containing a power that returned to its original simplicity.
That one sword seemed to cross time and space, pointing directly at the center of the Hell White Tiger's brow.
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.