"Ah, that was refreshing!"
After taking care of personal business, Ye Hao rushed back to the arena without noticing the new presence of the Crown Prince in the stands.
The Crown Prince, intently watching the battle, was equally unaware of Ye Hao's return to the Emperor Team's side.
On the field, Oslo was moving with lightning speed. His Ghost Leopard martial soul turned him into a flash of black lightning, making him appear and disappear unpredictably as he attacked the Elephant Armored Clan disciples. Just as expected, the Elephant Armored Clan disciples' defenses were formidable. With their Diamond Mammoth martial soul—renowned for their impenetrable defense, second only to the Black Tortoise—they stood strong like mountains, completely unscathed by Oslo's fierce Leopard Claws.
Then, the third soul ring on the Elephant Armored Clan disciple's body lit up. Oslo, who had been moving quickly across the arena, suddenly felt as if he was sinking in mud, his limbs weakening as he struggled to stand upright.
Watching this from the sidelines, Ye Hao shook his head slightly. Oslo was sure to lose; his opponent's third soul ability was a gravity suppression technique, which posed a significant threat to a speed-oriented soul master like Oslo.
As expected, Oslo's body soon collapsed to the ground, and he fell out of the arena.
The other members of the Emperor Team rushed over to help the injured Oslo, carrying him away while Ye Lingling activated her Nine Heart Begonia martial soul to heal his wounds.
Up in the stands, the three Education Committee members looked dejected; losing the first match was a significant blow to the team's morale.
In stark contrast, Huyan Zhen was grinning from ear to ear, basking in his victory.
At that moment, the Crown Prince noticed Ye Hao among the Emperor Team members as he assisted Oslo with his injuries. He froze, a look of astonishment spreading across his face. That face, that aura, and a brief flicker of cold determination in his eyes—Ye Hao reminded the Crown Prince of someone. *Her*.
"Chief Meng, who is that?" the Crown Prince asked, curiosity piqued.
Meng Shenji respectfully replied, "Your Highness, that is a new student who recently joined the academy. Teacher Qin Ming brought him in from outside. His name is Ye Hao, and his martial soul is the Death Spider. Not only does he possess innate full soul power, but he even has a millennium-level second ring."
Meng Shenji spoke with pride, and, having finished, he cast a derisive glance at the bewildered Huyan Zhen.
"A millennium-level second ring?" Huyan Zhen murmured, deep in thought. A soul master with such a powerful second ring was almost unheard of, even in the entire soul master community. This match was bound to be fierce, and he could sense a change in the situation.
Huyan Zhen's lips moved slightly, whispering instructions to Huyan Li, his grandson and the Elephant Armored Clan's team captain, without alerting the three Education Committee members. In this round, the captains would face off, and Yu Tianheng was already on the stage. However, after receiving his grandfather's instructions, Huyan Li subtly signaled to his teammate, who nodded and stepped forward to replace him.
Seeing that the Elephant Armored Clan had swapped out Huyan Li for another, unknown member, Qin Ming frowned. Something felt off; it was clear that their true target was Ye Hao. Everyone knew that Huyan Li was Huyan Zhen's successor, and both teams had the right to switch members. However, once a member entered the arena, they couldn't be replaced again, a rule the Elephant Armored Clan had clearly planned to exploit.
Yu Tianheng and the substitute from Elephant Armored Clan now faced each other. The outcome of their match was all but certain.
The next battle would be Ye Hao vs. Huyan Li.
"They're planning to have Huyan Li face Ye Hao," Qin Ming murmured to himself, quickly turning to address Ye Hao.
"Innate full soul power, Death Spider..." the Crown Prince mused, his interest in Ye Hao intensifying as he listened to Meng Shenji's explanation. This boy, Ye Hao, resembled her so much.
With a millennium-level second soul ring and possessing innate full soul power, he was indeed a rare talent. Having grown up in the royal palace, Xue Qinghe had heard rumors about a prodigy at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy but hadn't expected it to be this youth.
Ye Hao's Death Spider martial soul differed from her Death Spider Emperor martial soul. Although similar, there was a vast difference between the two—the former, a Death Spider, was leagues apart from the latter, a Death Spider Emperor. If she were to learn of a genius with such a rare martial soul, a millennium-level second ring, and a resemblance to herself, she'd likely be intrigued as well.
The existence of two identical people was almost impossible without some sort of connection. Xue Qinghe frowned, dismissing the thought. It couldn't be. He had no siblings, and besides, Ye Hao was only eleven, so the timing didn't match. Surely it was all just a coincidence.
Curious and increasingly interested, Xue Qinghe refocused on the match in front of him.
Meanwhile, the battle was nearing its conclusion. Yu Tianheng delivered a powerful Dragon Punch to his Elephant Armored Clan opponent, sending the disciple crashing out of the ring with a spray of blood.
"The second match goes to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!" the referee announced, and as the words left his lips, the previously somber academy team erupted in cheers, the atmosphere reminiscent of a festival.
"Huyan Li, is it?" Ye Hao muttered after Qin Ming informed him that he would be facing Huyan Li in the final match. His eyes shifted briefly to the towering, muscular figure standing among the Elephant Armored Clan team.
This was going to be easy.
Huyan Li's Diamond Mammoth martial soul was known for its formidable defense, but no matter how tough it was, it couldn't be as impenetrable as the Black Tortoise defenses of Shi Mo and Shi Mo. Ye Hao's Death Spider Emperor spears had pierced those before, so against someone like Huyan Li, it was just a matter of skewering him.
"Don't worry, Teacher Qin, I'll make sure we win this last round," Ye Hao declared confidently, thumping his chest.
"Don't get overconfident. Huyan Li is Huyan Zhen's grandson and has impressive skills. If you lose, I'll have my grandfather pay Huyan Zhen a personal visit to 'discuss' things."
The group went silent.
Ye Lingling simply added, "Be careful."
That single sentence was enough to make Ye Hao feel invigorated and fully prepared.
He composed himself, wiping away his usual carefree expression. He stepped forward, wearing a solemn gaze and radiating an air of natural authority, until he stood face-to-face with Huyan Li.