"Huh?"
In the ranks of the first freshman class, Wang Dong, the new class monitor, was suddenly dumbfounded.
What just happened? Why am I competing against Huo Yuhao in a race? Did you ask for my opinion? Do you have any manners?
And if it were a normal Soul Master duel, that would be one thing. I'm the young master of the Clear Sky Clan, and you want me to race against Huo Yuhao?
Isn't this just child's play? Only kids compare who runs faster to determine who's stronger. What do you take me for?
At this moment, Mu Jin turned around and gave Huo Yuhao an inquiring look. Ning Tian and Wu Feng, standing nearby, also fixed their gazes on Huo Yuhao's face.
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and gave Mu Jin a reassuring nod. Mu Jin immediately felt at ease, knowing that Huo Yuhao was incredibly perceptive and would never do something without confidence.
After a moment of contemplation, Mu Jin looked at Zhou Yi's hideous and sinister old face and suddenly had a bold idea.
"A bet?" Mu Jin asked provocatively.
Zhou Yi immediately agreed without hesitation, "Bet? What do you have to wager?"
Mu Jin paused and then softly said, "A soul bone. Do you dare?"
Huo Yuhao's inner thoughts at this moment were: Well, well, well, this is something!
In the original story, Zhou Yi used Huo Yuhao's team's freshman assessment to con a soul bone out of Mu Jin. But the tables have turned this time, and it's Mu Jin's turn to use herself to con Zhou Yi out of a soul bone.
The protagonist's halo really makes things exciting!
For Soul Masters, soul rings are already incredibly precious because they are essential for breaking through one's cultivation bottlenecks. But soul bones are a hundred times more valuable than soul rings.
Every soul beast will produce a soul ring, but soul bones are not guaranteed. Only hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts will always produce a soul bone. For soul beasts under a hundred thousand years, the chance of producing a soul bone is only one in ten thousand!
The appearance of any soul bone will undoubtedly trigger a fierce competition among Soul Masters. It's not just worth thousands of gold coins; even a million gold soul coins might not be enough to buy a suitable soul bone.
By proposing to wager a soul bone, Mu Jin was essentially betting her entire fortune against Zhou Yi.
I'm all in, you do as you please!
Zhou Yi was also taken aback at this moment. She couldn't understand where Mu Jin's confidence came from. However, no matter what, she didn't believe Wang Dong had even a slight chance of losing.
She had already inquired about Wang Dong's martial soul that morning, which gave her immense confidence.
The Bright Goddess Butterfly, the most beautiful martial soul on the Douluo Continent! But let's set aside its beauty for now; most importantly, the Bright Goddess Butterfly is a flying martial soul!
Comparing the maneuverability of an air force to ground troops? They're not even on the same level!
"Fine, I'll bet a soul bone!" Zhou Yi said coldly. "Have your prized student put on the iron vest and get on the track!"
Huo Yuhao exchanged a knowing smile with Mu Jin.
With a flick of his toe, the iron vest made entirely of thick iron chains flew into his hands.
It should be noted that the iron vest weighed a full thirty pounds. The fact that he could lift it a meter high with just a flick of his toe demonstrated the terrifying strength in Huo Yuhao's legs.
Zhou Yi's expression slightly changed. She leaned over and whispered a few words to Wang Dong, then handed her an iron vest.
Despite her inner complaints about Zhou Yi, Wang Dong didn't voice any objections. She and Huo Yuhao both walked to the edge of the Shrek Plaza track, ready with their heavy iron vests.
"Start!"
Wang Dong took the lead, running at the forefront. Despite wearing the iron vest, her speed didn't decrease significantly.
However, Huo Yuhao wasn't in a hurry. Though he fell behind Wang Dong, he maintained a consistent distance. No matter how much Wang Dong accelerated, she couldn't widen the gap between them.
Thus, the two ran around Shrek Plaza for ten laps. As time passed, the effect of the iron vest became more pronounced. Wang Dong was now drenched in sweat.
Following behind, Huo Yuhao remained calm and composed, moving at a steady, even pace that seemed slow but matched Wang Dong's flying speed.
"The first level of the Tian Luo Technique isn't too slow, at least it's pretty good for running," Huo Yuhao thought while running.
Yao Lao had taught him two martial techniques. Besides the highly offensive close-combat technique, Ba Ji Collapse, there was also an advanced Xuan-level movement technique, the Tian Luo Technique.
The Tian Luo Technique has twelve levels in total. By reaching the tenth level, one can manifest the Tian Luo Wings, transforming into a unique flying technique. If cultivated to the twelfth level, its speed would be comparable to that of a low-level Earth-rank movement technique.
Huo Yuhao had already reached the third level, confident in his speed to rival an Agility-type Soul Elder. Moreover, the Tian Luo Technique is no ordinary movement technique; it is a family heirloom of Yao Lao, making the use of soul power very efficient and long-lasting.
Huo Yuhao ran around the Shrek Plaza for ten full laps without feeling any fatigue. The iron vest on his body seemed as light as a feather.
This was partly due to the powerful physique he had developed through training in recent days and partly due to the wonderful effect of the Tian Luo Technique.
However, Wang Dong was starting to panic. She couldn't see Huo Yuhao, but the sound of footsteps behind her and the gazes of the people around told her that Huo Yuhao was right on her tail, not falling behind at all.
This situation put inexplicable pressure on her, causing her to instinctively activate her soul power and start accelerating like crazy.
"Tian Luo Technique, second level!"
Seeing that Wang Dong had begun to use her cultivation to speed up, Huo Yuhao smiled slightly and activated the second level of the Tian Luo Technique, still keeping up without missing a step.
He knew Wang Dong's mentality very well. People inevitably feel some fear towards the unknown.
Zhou Yi's teaching methods put immense pressure on the students of Class 1, and Wang Dong was bearing the sudden responsibility Zhou Yi had given her. Thinking about the punishment she would face if she lost, her psychological pressure naturally increased.
But using her cultivation to speed up was like drinking poison to quench thirst. While it temporarily increased her speed, it also rapidly consumed her soul power.
Her vision began to darken, her chest felt like it was burning, her mouth was dry, and her whole body was sticky with sweat. The heavy iron vest rubbed against her skin through her uniform, causing a burning pain.
"I can't hold on any longer," a voice kept ringing in Wang Dong's mind. And the sound of Huo Yuhao's footsteps behind her was like a death knell, forcing her to keep accelerating.
Zhou Yi's face was extremely ugly now, while Mu Jin had a smile on her face. Both of them could see that Wang Dong was at her limit, her soul power nearly exhausted and unable to hold on much longer.
"Wang Dong, use your martial soul!" Zhou Yi suddenly activated her soul power and shouted loudly.
"Shameless." Mu Jin sneered at Zhou Yi's shameless intervention.
Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, Wang Dong's eyes lit up. Right, she could use her martial soul while running laps. Why should a flying Soul Master compete in a foot race against Huo Yuhao?
A pair of blue butterfly wings instantly spread open, with the color at the tips changing from deep blue to azure to light blue. The entire wing surface looked like a bright blue sky embedded with a series of radiant halos, forming a V-shape that brought light to the world. Its shape and color were unmatched, utterly beautiful.
Even though the wings were just illusory light and shadow, under the sunlight, they created a mesmerizing effect. Wang Dong's butterfly wings spread open behind her, and with a powerful flap, she soared into the sky.
With her magnificent wings accelerating, Wang Dong began to fly rapidly around Shrek Plaza. Simultaneously, she heard the exclamations from her classmates.
Enjoying the cheers and shouts around her, Wang Dong suddenly realized that the cheering didn't seem to be for her.
"What's going on?" Wang Dong looked down at the track, and her body stiffened.
Huo Yuhao was running at an incredible speed, moving so fast that he left a trail of afterimages behind him.
Her flying speed was not just slower than Huo Yuhao's running speed; it was less than half his speed.
"Thud!"
Her vision darkened, and Wang Dong fell from the sky. The female students of Class 1 rushed over to help the fallen Wang Dong.
"He… he's not human!" Wang Dong, looking at Huo Yuhao who had lapped her five times, stammered.
"Ding-dong!"
At this moment, the bell signaling the end of class rang.
Mu Jin clapped her hands with satisfaction and said to Zhou Yi, whose face was livid, "Well, Teacher Zhou, you owe me that soul bone. Don't make me go to Fan Yu to collect."
"You!" Zhou Yi clenched her fists, her eyes almost spitting fire.
She turned to the students of Class 1 and angrily said, "A bunch of useless trash, get back to class immediately!"
Under Zhou Yi's furious lead, the students of Class 1 left Shrek Plaza.
It looked like they were going to get a severe scolding, as Zhou Yi would certainly vent her anger on them.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, drenched in sweat, was surrounded by the students of Class 9. They lifted him up and tossed him into the air.
"Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao! Huo Yuhao!"