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Huo Yu'er slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"You may proceed as usual, referee. This is our own strategic decision, and we will take full responsibility for our actions."
Though still somewhat hesitant, the referee nodded after hearing Huo Yu'er's words. Such situations had occurred in previous tournaments, so he reluctantly raised his right hand.
"Begin!"
Yet at this moment, neither side moved. What should have been an explosive clash between two fierce opponents remained eerily still.
The reason? The members of Baiye Academy were completely intimidated from the start.
After all, their opponents were none other than the renowned Tian Xing Academy. Though newly established—less than a year old—the supreme powerhouse backing them was far beyond what their small, obscure academy could challenge. Their only hope was to lose gracefully.
Besides, before the match began, the opposing team had explicitly stated it was part of their strategy. They couldn't afford to be careless—it would be humiliating to be instantly defeated.
To play it safe, many of them even equipped defensive soul-guiding devices, adopting a posture of utmost vigilance.
This unexpected display left Huo Yu'er momentarily stunned. She hadn't anticipated her opponents being so cautious.
But this suited her just fine. She was secretly worried they might strike first and catch her off guard.
The other girls exchanged glances, then quickly leapt off the stage in unison, taking three steps in two strides.
This move added another layer of mystery to the already bizarre situation on the competition stage. Everyone present was baffled by what Tian Xing Academy was trying to achieve.
"Lord Tian Xing… What is this?" Emperor Xu Jiawei of Star Luo, unable to contain his curiosity, turned to Ye Wen beside him.
Ye Wen smiled faintly. "Your Majesty, just watch. My good disciple is about to begin."
In that tense moment, Huo Yu'er's initially serious expression gradually turned icy, resembling an otherworldly goddess descending upon the mortal realm.
Though far away, Ma Xiaotao—the only person in the arena with an Ultimate attribute—immediately sensed something amiss and stared at Huo Yu'er on the stage in disbelief.
Even though Shrek's inner court students didn't need tactics to secure victory, Wang Yan was still the team's instructor for this tournament. Seeing Ma Xiaotao's shocked reaction, he grew curious.
"What is it, Xiaotao?"
Without looking at Wang Yan, Ma Xiaotao gave her answer.
"Ultimate Ice."
"What?!" Wang Yan exclaimed loudly, his gaze immediately locking onto Huo Yu'er.
In this era, where dragon martial souls hadn't yet reached supremacy, Ultimate martial souls stood at the pinnacle of all martial souls.
Though they came with the drawback of slower cultivation before level 70, once they matured, they became invincible at the same rank.
Moreover…
Wang Yan bit his lip. If he remembered correctly, Huo Yu'er had once been a student at Shrek but had never revealed her Ultimate Ice martial soul. Even though she had become Ye Wen's disciple at the time, if such a promising talent had shown her true potential, Shrek would never have let her go.
Alas, it was too late to change anything now. Wang Yan could only sigh in resignation. No wonder he was a Supreme Douluo—his judgment was ruthless.
The spectators in Shrek's contestant area were also drawn to the conversation between Ma Xiaotao and Wang Yan, their gazes turning toward the seemingly delicate figure on the stage.
Among them, Tang Wulin's eyes burned with particular intensity, though his expression soon mirrored Wang Yan's regret.
If only they had discovered Huo Yuer's potential earlier, Tang Wulin's attitude back then would undoubtedly have been much more enthusiastic. To lose such a remarkable girl felt like a missed opportunity for someone as gifted as himself.
However, Tang Wulin regained some confidence when he recalled his identity as the Chosen One of the divine prophecy.
Given enough time to grow stronger, even if her teacher was a Supreme Douluo, what did it matter? Behind him stood the legendary founder of Shrek Academy—Tang San, the Sea God.
"Wait for me, Huo Yu'er. I will prove myself and make you my partner," Tang Wulin vowed silently, clenching his fists tightly.
But the next moment, a scene that shocked everyone unfolded.
Huo Yu'er's light blue hair instantly turned frost-white, and her golden eyes shimmered with a pale glow.
In an instant, a faint chill spread across the competition stage.
Huo Yu'er donned a white feathered cloak, resembling a goddess descending from the heavens.
At this moment, the members of Baiye Academy trembled uncontrollably. Though Huo Yu'er hadn't yet made a move, their plant-based martial souls were inherently weak against ice and fire attributes.
And Huo Yu'er's Ultimate Ice was among the most terrifying of them all.
"C-Captain, do you feel your martial soul trembling?!" one member of Baiye stammered nervously.
Though reluctant to admit it, the fact that their martial souls were already faltering before the battle even began filled the Baiye captain with awe. No wonder she was the senior disciple of a Supreme Douluo—a mere Soul Honored could instill such fear in a Soul King's martial soul with her mere presence.
"Don't overthink it. It's normal for them to be this strong. All we can do is try not to lose too disgracefully," the Baiye captain said with a strained smile, attempting to reassure his teammates while pondering how to lose in a more stylish manner.
But the next scene caused the captain to drop his shield outright.
Amidst the frost-covered stage, a streak of crimson light appeared, standing out vividly against the snowy backdrop like ink spilled on white paper.
"Is this… real?" the Baiye captain muttered in disbelief.
Faced with this crimson glow, anyone in the audience who understood its significance immediately stood up, straining their eyes to confirm whether it was an illusion.
As the ruler of a nation, Emperor Xu Jiawei was well-versed in such matters, but even he couldn't believe his eyes. With his mouth agape, he turned to Ye Wen beside him and asked:
"My Lord, is that a 100,000-year soul ring?"
Ye Wen chuckled, taking the opportunity to correct the emperor's misunderstanding.
"Your Majesty, red 100,000-year soul rings are special.
Once a spirit beast surpasses 200,000 years and reaches the Fierce Beast realm, the 100,000-year soul ring it provides gains two additional golden lines to signify its cultivation. Therefore, my disciple's soul ring is not merely a 100,000-year one."
It was only then that Emperor Xu Jiawei recalled this nearly forgotten piece of knowledge. Upon closer inspection, his disbelief deepened further.
"B-But… My Lord, there are seven golden lines on your disciple's soul ring!!!"
Hearing the emperor's slightly distorted voice, Ye Wen smiled faintly and spoke softly.
"That's right. After all, this soul ring of my disciple comes from a 700,000-year Fierce Beast—the Snow Empress, the foremost of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North Ice Plains."
?
When this question mark appeared, it wasn't because there was something wrong with me—it was because there was something wrong with you, Emperor Xu Jiawei instinctively thought.
"The Snow Empress, ranked third on the Fierce Beast list!?"
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