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Wang Xiaolei's martial soul was Bone Claw, allowing him to control or attack by summoning spectral claws.
With his martial soul, he excelled in both close and ranged combat, so he didn't rush forward immediately.
Bu Po Douluo, watching as Huo Yuhao finally made his move, noticed that he seemed to have abandoned his usual strategy of defeating opponents with a single spiritual attack. Thinking his warning had taken effect, he let out a sigh of relief.
Although Huo Yuhao was Jing Hongchen's disciple, he was still reasonable.
Bu Po Douluo and Jing Hongchen had some unresolved conflicts.
At that moment, the soul rings around Huo Yuhao began to shift, and an intense chill spread across the arena.
Ultimate Ice!
Some had speculated that Huo Yuhao possessed the Ultimate Ice attribute, but witnessing its full display still sent shockwaves through the crowd.
This tournament was the most chaotic and intense in history.
No exaggeration.
After all, just among the competitors, there were already four Soul Saints, along with three Ultimate Ice wielders and one possessing Ultimate Life.
As Huo Yuhao activated his second martial soul, the color of his soul rings became even more striking.
Red, orange, orange, red, orange, orange.
The Ice Empress had granted Huo Yuhao two soul rings—one before becoming a soul spirit and another after, which turned orange. The Ice Bear King, Xiao Bai, had bestowed a single orange ring, while the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass contributed a red one. Finally, his fifth and sixth orange rings came from three powerful soul spirits combined.
His soul ring configuration was nothing short of terrifying.
However, as he revealed the colors of his rings, most of the spectators were left bewildered.
They had no idea what an orange soul ring signified.
Long Xiaoyao's expression grew solemn.
Previously, Su Yu had also displayed an orange soul ring. Now, Huo Yuhao revealed the same, and based on Long Xiaoyao's own perception, these weren't some artificial imitations. They were real—true soul rings of immense power, surpassing even the legendary 100,000-year red rings.
Could they be from ferocious beasts?
That didn't seem right. Ferocious beast soul rings were blood-red, just like his own ninth ring.
The Dark Holy Dragon, Long Xiaoyao, fell into deep thought.
The sight of Huo Yuhao's soul rings caused an uproar.
Even if the spectators didn't understand their significance, the sheer aura of primordial terror radiating from him left them in shock.
It was a tangible, oppressive force.
Wang Xiaolei, standing opposite Huo Yuhao, was particularly affected. His movements noticeably faltered.
Even as a Soul Emperor, the pressure of a 100,000-year soul ring, let alone one from a possible ferocious beast, was overwhelming.
He might not understand the meaning of the orange rings, but the weight of their presence was undeniable.
With a hardened expression, Wang Xiaolei gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure the crushing pressure, summoning his Bone Claw.
Dark, eerie bone claws erupted from beneath the arena.
Even with the Ultimate Ice enveloping the battlefield, these spectral claws remained largely unaffected. In fact, the chilling frost only made them appear even more sinister and terrifying.
However, only Wang Xiaolei knew the truth—his Bone Claw only looked more terrifying.
Huo Yuhao waved his hand, and a vast amount of ice-attribute energy converged above him, merging with his soul power to form a barrage of frosted spears.
Outside his body, his fourth soul ring flickered.
Fourth Soul Skill—Ultimate Ice Amplification! Ultimate Ice Control!
One skill amplified the power of his Ultimate Ice, while the other enhanced his control over it, allowing him to expand his mastery of this extreme element.
A rain of ice spears descended.
Wang Xiaolei's third soul ring shone as he activated Death Guard, summoning a massive Bone Claw in front of him for defense. His entire form seemed to merge into the claw's ethereal shadow, encasing himself within.
However, as the ice spears rained down, they pierced through the shadowy claw and struck Wang Xiaolei directly.
His eyes widened in shock.
What a powerful soul skill.
His defenses had been completely shattered—he could hardly resist the attack.
Wang Xiaolei's fourth soul ring gleamed, and a wave of dark purple-black energy seeped from beneath his feet, spreading in a ten-meter radius around him.
Deathly Sea.
A domain-like ability that significantly boosted all of Wang Xiaolei's powers while also nurturing and resurrecting vengeful spirits.
In the past, under the Deathly Sea's amplification, he had slain two Soul Saints using his fifth and sixth soul skills.
As the Deathly Sea expanded, a sinister black whip shot out from beneath his gray robe.
Countless vengeful spirits coiled around the Whip of Death, two of which exuded an especially terrifying aura.
Huo Yuhao's expression darkened as he watched Wang Xiaolei's techniques.
His anger grew.
Every one of Wang Xiaolei's soul skills was accompanied by restless wraiths, their powers fueled by the slaughtered dead.
The Deathly Sea, seemingly just a soul skill, was in truth a construct built from countless tormented spirits.
Fury ignited within Huo Yuhao.
He showed no mercy in his assault.
"Third Soul Skill—Ice Meteor!"
A massive ice-blue sphere materialized around him, shot into the sky, then came crashing down—straight toward Wang Xiaolei.
Under Huo Yuhao's control, the Ice Meteor moved at incredible speed, arriving before Wang Xiaolei in the blink of an eye.
"Third Soul Skill—Death Guard!"
"Fifth Soul Skill—Death Decay!"
Within the Deathly Sea, countless vengeful spirits surged, shielding Wang Xiaolei in a formidable defense while spreading a corrosive aura throughout the battlefield.
Even Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice-fueled Ice Meteor suffered slight erosion upon entering its range.
However, only one percent of its mass was affected.
BOOM!
The gigantic Ice Meteor crashed down.
Its terrifying destructive force obliterated Wang Xiaolei's defenses in an instant.
Clang!
A fifth-tier Invincible Barrier activated around Wang Xiaolei, shielding him from the remaining impact.
Even so, the Invincible Barrier, which should have lasted three seconds, shattered immediately after blocking the attack.
It had already reached its damage threshold.
Such was the overwhelming power of Huo Yuhao's attack.
Wang Xiaolei felt the threat of death pressing upon him.
If not for the Invincible Barrier, he would have already perished.
His gaze shifted toward Huo Yuhao, but all he saw was an icy, indifferent expression—not the slightest sign of weakness from exertion.
Despair crept into Wang Xiaolei's heart.
He only had one Invincible Barrier.
"I—"
"Still thinking of cursing me?"
Huo Yuhao let out a cold snort, cutting him off before he could finish.
Before Wang Xiaolei could utter another word, Huo Yuhao activated his fifth soul skill.
In an instant, Ultimate Ice engulfed Wang Xiaolei, encasing him in a statue of solid frost.
Within the ice, his life force was instantly extinguished—frozen to absolute stillness.
Bu Po Douluo appeared at Wang Xiaolei's side in the blink of an eye, carefully sensing for any sign of life within the frozen sculpture.
"Sigh… dead."
Although he was dissatisfied that someone had died under his watch as a referee, he also knew the truth—Wang Xiaolei was a Dark Soul Master. A prodigy among them, yes, but also a murderer who had slaughtered countless innocents.
A strange mix of emotions surged within him.
A sigh of regret. A wave of satisfaction.
Bittersweet.
"Damn it!"
"Bastard!"
In the preparation area, Zhang Peng's eyes locked onto Huo Yuhao, his gaze brimming with cold killing intent.
Yan Feng had already risen from his seat, his murderous intent entirely undisguised.
He wanted nothing more than to step into the arena himself and kill Huo Yuhao on the spot.
Although he had been easily defeated by the Snow Empress, Yan Feng was no ordinary opponent.
As a Soul Saint wielding the Ice Bone Dragon Martial Soul, he was both a Dark Soul Master and a true dragon-type soul master—his combat power far exceeded his peers at the same rank.
He had even killed a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse before.
Huo Yuhao's current display of strength placed him among the top Soul Saints, but to Yan Feng, he was still someone he could crush with a single hand.
And yet, this insolent brat dared to be so brazen.
Even so, something held Yan Feng back.
Huo Yuhao's performance so far suggested that this might not even be his full strength—so he chose not to act impulsively.
Meanwhile, Su Yu watched in silence, sighing inwardly.
"Yuhao was too impatient. Killing them so effortlessly twice in a row… he's scaring the rest away."
This wasn't according to their original plan.
Still, he could understand Huo Yuhao's emotions.
Facing Dark Soul Masters directly, it was nearly impossible to suppress the urge to kill them all.
On the arena, Huo Yuhao was well aware that his actions had deviated from the original plan.
But he had his own way to remedy the situation.
"What's wrong? Are you angry now?"
"You haven't even begun to feel the rage and resentment of the countless innocent lives you've slaughtered."
His voice, amplified by soul power, resonated throughout the resting area.
"Brat, you've got guts."
Zhang Peng clenched his teeth, his killing intent evident in the fluctuations of his soul power. A wave of sinister energy surged forth.
The audience held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Such an evil aura…
---
VIP Stand.
Xu Tianran observed the scene with a furrowed brow, though a hint of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
Huo Yuhao… he should be Jing Hongchen's disciple, right?
Publicly executing a Dark Soul Master in the arena…
Xu Tianran cast a discreet glance at Jing Hongchen, only to find that not only did he show no discontent—he actually looked pleased.
Interesting.
There were factions within the Empire that opposed the Dark Soul Masters, and this would help curb the spread of the Holy Spirit Cult. When the time came for Xu Tianran's plans to unfold, at least they wouldn't have grown too powerful to control.
---
"Since when did a bunch of Dark Soul Masters dare to show themselves so openly?"
"Filthy rats lurking in the gutters—now that you've entered this tournament, don't even think about leaving alive."
Huo Yuhao's voice was loud and arrogant, his declaration echoing through the arena.
"I alone will cut through all of you."
"Filthy rats in the gutters!"
He repeated the insult, his eyes flicking briefly toward the VIP Stand, toward the shadowy figure cloaked in black robes.
The mesSaint was clear.
A crude provocation—but extremely effective.
---
Su Yu analyzed Huo Yuhao's approach.
"Not bad. But, kid… you're heading to the front lines soon. You're really not afraid of becoming the Dark Soul Masters' number one target?"
He sighed inwardly.
A moment of silence for Huo Yuhao's future.
---
"Go. Kill him."
Zhang Peng's command was short and direct, spoken to a team member behind him.
Though furious at Huo Yuhao's provocation, he remained rational.
First, they would wear him down—then Yan Feng would finish him off.
Huo Yuhao's strength was undeniable.
A Soul Saint with Ultimate Ice could contend with a Titled Douluo.
Huo Yuhao was already Rank 69. The only gap between him and a true Soul Saint was the Martial Soul Avatar and the soul ring synergy boost that came with it.
But his cultivation far surpassed ordinary Ultimate Ice soul masters, making up for much of that difference.
In terms of pure combat strength, he might not yet reach Titled Douluo-level, but he could easily kill most Soul Douluos.
And if he had a Battle Armor?
Even a Titled Douluo could die by his hands.
Currently, Huo Yuhao's Battle Armor was only mid-tier.
During their intensive training, he had worked with vast amounts of rare metals, but his Soul Engineer abilities hadn't improved significantly—after all, he was entering the high-level domain of Soul Engineering.
That said, he had successfully created an eighth-tier soul tool.
His Battle Armor, however, had yet to be upgraded.
That pair of bone wings—due to their unique nature and high degree of spirituality, along with Huo Yuhao's continuous refinement of the core formation arrays, had gradually been upgraded to match the high-tier battle armor standard for wing components.
But… that was the only part that had been fully upgraded.
The rest of his armor?
Still mid-tier.
---
As Huo Yuhao declared his challenge, the audience's emotions were fully ignited.
The initial fear and oppression caused by Zhang Peng's dark, terrifying aura vanished, replaced by burning excitement.
Even Unbreakable Douluo found himself at a loss.
For now, he could no longer justify protecting the lives of these Dark Soul Masters.
Instead, his full attention shifted to Huo Yuhao.
Protecting Huo Yuhao—this was now his mission.
When it came to major issues of right and wrong, Unbreakable Douluo was clear-headed. Besides, looking at it from another angle, having Huo Yuhao execute Dark Soul Masters in the arena under his watch wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
---
"Huo Yuhao!"
"Huo Yuhao!"
"Huo Yuhao!"
The colosseum erupted into deafening chants.
Huo Yuhao had already killed four Dark Soul Master Soul Emperors.
His condition was not as fresh as before.
Yet, his expression remained unchanged—still that same unshakable composure.
---
The fourth Dark Soul Master, Lu Genggeng, had a Wraith-like martial soul called Hatred.
A top-tier Dark Martial Soul that excelled in speed, offense, and defense, making him an extremely difficult opponent.
On top of that, Lu Genggeng had brought five invincible shields into battle.
It had taken significant effort for Huo Yuhao to break through and kill him.
This was by far the fight that had drained Huo Yuhao the most.
---
Yan Feng's expression darkened.
"He actually has the power to kill me."
Through these four battles, Yan Feng had fully recognized Huo Yuhao's terrifying strength.
Especially in the fight against Lu Genggeng—when faced with invincible shields, Huo Yuhao had not chosen to fight strategically or outmaneuver them.
Instead, he had taken the most direct and brutal approach—obliterating the shields head-on with overwhelming power.
That's not Soul Emperor-level strength.
That's Soul Douluo-level power.
Luckily, they had sent their other team members first to drain him.
---
Unbreakable Douluo's thoughts wandered as he looked at Huo Yuhao.
His expression was complicated—he truly didn't know what to think.
Are all young people this monstrous nowadays?
Having power makes you so arrogant?
The enemy had invincible shields, and you still insisted on brute-forcing them?
Not just breaking through, but actually shattering the shields' defensive limit in one attack?
A fifth-tier invincible shield could withstand any attack from below Soul Douluo level for three full seconds.
A high-quality one could even last five seconds.
Even if the attacker was a Soul Douluo unleashing their full power, the shield would block the attack, but in doing so, it would drain a massive amount of the user's soul power—and then shatter.
Lu Genggeng was a peak Soul Emperor at Rank 68.
Yet, after activating five invincible shields…
He was completely drained.
His death was the strangest of all.
The invincible shields had forcibly siphoned his soul power dry—draining him to death.
When his soul power ran out, they started extracting his stored Wraith energy.
And when that was exhausted…
They drained his life force.
In his final moments, Lu Genggeng truly experienced what it meant to be terrified.
He tried everything to seize a last chance at survival.
But in the end, his life force simply couldn't hold on.
---
"Who's next?"
---
(End of Chapter)