'That was unexpected.' Huo Yuhao stared at the arena in surprise, especially at the cool and graceful lady who was smiling at him. He nodded at her.
....Was it just him, or did her face seem to gleam at his approval?
"I...I never knew senior Ling was this capable," Jiang Nannan gasped.
"She normally isn't, trust me." Xi Xi said, her face set in a frown. "I've been friends with Luochen since our first year in the academy, I'm familiar with her powerset."
"The power she just unleashed? It was as strong as Ma Xiaotao's sixth soul skill at full blast."
Ma Xiaotao nodded in agreement and glanced at Huo Yuhao, "What did you do to her make her this strong? In fact, why did you chose her to fight on stage?"
Huo Yuhao then explained,
"I just made her martial soul stronger, as you all already know, my second martial soul has the Ultimate Ice attribute. As an Ultimate attribute, it reigns absolute supremacy over its respective element. Not only does it suppresses normal ice element, it can also temporarily boosts it to almost the same level as an Ultimate Ice."
"As for why I chose her, in my perspective, I had calculated what the necessary skill and power needed to defeat the Thousand Spirits Advanced Soul Academy. To which I came to the conclusion that Ling Luochen, as a control-type Soul King with an Ice martial soul, could handle them if she had a bit an upgrade."
He paused, placing a hand over Ma Xiaotao's shoulder.
"....Plus, I wanted for you all to show off your capabilities, and I meant everyone."
"Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, Xi Xi, and those that had passed away were the official team for the tournament. They deserve to be here more than us," Ma Xiaotao and Xi Xi had suppressed tears in their eyes, staring firmly to Huo Yuhao.
After the whole incident with the Evil Soul Masters and being told to take a low profile for the latter part of the tournament, Ma Xiaotao and the others were naturally frustrated.
This was supposed to be their time to shine! Their once in a lifetime opportunity to awe millions of people and leave a mark in history as one of the most legendary teams from Shrek Academy.
But instead, they had been sidelined, forced to watch from the shadows as their juniors took the spotlight. Huo Yuhao's words resonated deeply with them, stirring a mix of pride and sadness.
The outer courtyard students remained silent, sharing a similar opinion to Huo Yuhao.
Although it was great to bask in the glory of being the official team, they all knew deep down that this wasn't supposed to be their time to shine. Their seniors had trained for years, honing their skills and facing countless challenges, only to be pushed aside in their moment of triumph.
Ma Xiaotao blinked away her tears and nodded, a determined smile forming on her lips. "Yuhao....since when were you this mature?"
"Don't know, probably when I decided to become the strongest in the world so that the people I care about wouldn't suffer."
"...You're right. We deserve to be here, and we deserve to show the world what we're capable of." Ma Xiaotao held his hand, her expression softening.
Xi Xi clenched her fists, her eyes shining with resolve. "For those who can't be here with us, we'll make sure to honor their memory with our best performance."
Huo Yuhao gave them both a reassuring smile. "That's the spirit. We are all Shrek Academy, not a single one of us is lacking in terms of talent—we are, Unrivaled!"
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Tang Ya and the others raised their right fist to their chest, their faces resolute. "We are Unrivaled!"
Wang Yan, who had been watching his students silently, felt tears forming in his eyes.
Honestly, he had been worried about the feelings Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen and Xi Xi had towards the Huo Yuhao and the rest. Although it wasn't obvious in the surface level, logically speaking, they should be feeling some resentment or disappointment for not being able to participate as much as they deserved.
However, seeing their unity, his worries melted away.
And this was al due to Huo Yuhao.
'He really does deserved to be called the student equal to Ancestor Tang San....no, he isn't just that.' Wang Yan wiped his tears. 'I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Huo Yuhao would surpass Ancestor Tang San and the rest of the original Shrek Seven Monsters.'
When that day comes, Wang Yan wonders just how far Huo Yuhao's influence and legacy will reach. For now, however, he was content to watch these young talents carve their own path.
"Oh, Ling Luochen's coming back. Hey girl, you did great back there—" Ling Luochen walked past Ma Xiaotao who was trying to congratulate her.
Instead, she made a beeline straight for Huo Yuhao. Her usually composed expression held a rare hint of excitement and....a bit of arousal?
Huo Yuhao went wide-eyed as Ling Luochen grabbed his left arm and hugged him tightly, due to the difference of their height, she looked up at him with starry eyes.
"Brother Yuhao...."
'Brother what?' Huo Yuhao broke out in cold sweat. The others stared at her in disbelief, especially Ma Xiaotao and Xi Xi.
Her face was red as she smiled at him, "Thank you for the wonderful blessing you have given me. I swear, I will do anything to repay you back."
'W-What's going on? Why is senior Ling acting this way towards me?!'
Huo Yuhao's impression of Ling Luochen, was that she was a natural cool and aloof senior sister. She doesn't talk much and always kept a professional distance from others. This sudden display of affection was completely out of character for her, leaving him utterly flabbergasted.
"Ah, you don't have to...."
"No, I must insist that I repay you back! I must! This wonderful blessing, though it might be temporary, the absolute power of Ice is simply out of this world. It is just disrespectful of me to not repay such a profound kindness." Ling Luochen's voice was fervent, her grip on Huo Yuhao's arm tightening slightly.
Huo Yuhao has stared many scary things in his life, most would've killed him if he had made the wrong move, but even so, they didn't instill a deep sense of fear into him.
But looking into Ling Luochen's eyes....Huo Yuhao shuddered.
Ma Xiaotao, finally recovering from her shock, stepped forward and forcibly separated Ling Luochen from Huo Yuhao. "Luochen, you don't need to feel indebted. We're all teammates, and helping each other grow stronger is what we do."
Ling Luochen's eye twitched and she shook her head vigorously, her eyes never leaving Huo Yuhao's. "It's not just about getting stronger, Ma Xiaotao. It's about the experience of feeling an element in its purest form. The Ultimate Ice is beyond anything I've ever felt. It feels like I touched the essence of ice itself. I... I want to explore this sensation more."
Xi Xi frowned, sensing the odd intensity in Ling Luochen's words. "Luochen, are you okay? You're not usually this... expressive."
"....I'm fine," Ling Luochen sweetly smiled at them. "Apologies, everyone. I got a bit carried away. The experience was overwhelming, and I just wanted to express my gratitude to brother Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao forced a smile, "It's okay, senior Ling. I'm glad the enhancement was helpful. Remember, it's temporary, it'll disappear with 5-6 uses, so use it wisely—"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. 'Her face-!'
It was terrifying. Her whole face was completely devoid of all emotions, her eyes looked dead and hollow, contrasting starkly with the sweet smile she forced. It was as if she had become a puppet, masking her true feelings behind a facade.
Ling Luochen lowered her head, slightly nodding her head softly. "...Hm. I understand. I'll make sure to make the most of it."
'Scary!!'
"....So, what happens now?" Bei Bei said.
Huo Yuhao snapped out of his thoughts and composed himself. Taking on a calm expression, he turned to Bei Bei with a smirk. "Now? We walk on out of here."
As such, Shrek Academy has achieved yet another flawless victory that left everyone in awe. The crowd erupted into applause, cheering for the incredible display of skill and power. The announcers marveled at the sheer dominance Shrek Academy had shown, highlighting the unexpected brilliance of Ling Luochen's performance.
....
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