27: Chapter 27 Freshman Tournament Champion! Time to go home!

"Hey, have you guys heard? Yesterday, when that Dai Huabin was carried off, he looked completely out of it!"

"Out of it? That's an understatement! My cousin said Dai Huabin's Spiritual Sea suffered heavy damage. Even if he recovers, he'll likely be traumatized, and his Soul Power cultivation might even stagnate!"

"Hiss... That Huo Yuhao, isn't he a bit too ruthless? The way he looked at Dai Huabin yesterday made my back chill even from far away! This isn't a freshman assessment; it's a vendetta!"

"Exactly! But today is the final. Class 5's opponents are Class 2! Those three people from Class 2 are all Spirit Elders above level 35. Plus, I heard their teacher stayed up all night devising tactics specifically to counter Huo Yuhao's eerie spiritual attack!"

"Really? Is there a way to counter it?"

"Of course! Class 2's support system Spirit Master is named Xu Hao. His Spirit is the 'Spirit-Stabilizing Bead,' a natural expert in spiritual defense! It's said he can significantly weaken spiritual-type attacks! If Huo Yuhao's trump card is neutralized, I think they're in trouble today!"

On the day of the final, the assessment arena was even more packed than the previous two days.

The focus of discussion had shifted from Dai Huabin's miserable defeat to this peak duel, which would decide the title of strongest freshman.

Almost everyone believed that the reason Huo Yuhao won so mysteriously yesterday was entirely due to his elusive and inescapable Spiritual Detection.

Now that Class 2 was prepared and had brought out a spiritual defense expert, this biggest dark horse, Class 5, would likely be stopped right here.

Amidst the noise of the crowd, the atmosphere in Class 5's preparation area was surprisingly calm.

Huo Yuhao was resting with his eyes closed, Gu Yuena stood beside him, gazing into the distance with a cold expression, while Wang Xiaoli was meticulously wiping his Zanpakuto.

"Huo Yuhao!"

A crisp, energetic voice broke the silence.

Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and saw Wang Donger and Xiao Xiao running toward them.

Wang Donger was wearing a neat combat outfit today, her powder-blue long hair shining in the morning light, with a bright smile on her face.

"Hey! Today is the final, you know!"

Wang Donger ran up to them, put her hands on her hips, and acted like a big sister. "You fought well yesterday! Although the methods were a bit cruel, it looked very satisfying!"

Xiao Xiao, behind her, added in a low voice: "Donger went back and checked yesterday. That Dai Huabin has a very bad reputation and often bullied people in his family... So, you did well to beat him!"

Huo Yuhao looked at them and smiled slightly: "Thank you."

"Just saying thank you won't cut it!"

Wang Donger tilted her chin up and shouted in an exceptionally loud voice, enough for everyone around to hear: "Class 5! Go! If you win the final, I'm treating! Anything delicious in Shrek City, pick whatever you want!"

This shout instantly attracted the attention of everyone around.

"Isn't that Wang Donger from Class 1? Why is she cheering for Class 5?"

"A beauty cheering for a handsome guy, is there a problem with that?"

"Why do I feel... the atmosphere is a bit subtle?"

The smile on Huo Yuhao's face deepened, and he nodded: "Alright, it's a deal."

"Mm!"

Wang Donger nodded heavily, then leaned in a little closer and whispered: "But you guys have to be careful. That Xu Hao from Class 2 has strong spiritual defense. Your... 'eye-kill' might not work anymore."

"I know." Huo Yuhao's answer remained calm and confident.

This confidence made Wang Donger stare in a daze.

She discovered that no matter what kind of opponent or predicament he faced, this youth always seemed to have everything under control.

"Anyway, good luck!" She waved her fist, then dragged Xiao Xiao to the spectator seats and chose a spot with the best view to sit down.

In another corner not far away, Wang Qiuer yawned lazily, but her gaze swept between Wang Donger and Huo Yuhao, and the corners of her mouth curled into an ambiguous arc.

"Both teams, take the stage!"

The referee's voice finally suppressed all the noise.

Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and Wang Xiaoli walked onto this highest stage belonging to the freshmen for the last time as challengers.

Opposite them, the three members of Class 2 had also taken their positions.

Leading them was a burly attack system Spirit Master, on the left was an agility-attack system Spirit Master holding a longbow, and on the right was a support system Spirit Master holding a white precious bead—it was Xu Hao.

All three of them had Soul Power above level 35, and their spirit rings were the standard two-yellow, one-purple configuration. In terms of momentum, they firmly suppressed Class 5.

"The match begins!"

The battle was on the verge of breaking out!

"Stabilize!"

Xu Hao, the support system Spirit Master from Class 2, did not hesitate. The moment the referee's words fell, he threw the Spirit-Stabilizing Bead in his hand into the air!

The bead emitted circles of soft white light, spreading like water ripples, enveloping his two teammates and himself.

An invisible spiritual barrier formed instantly.

At the same time, the attack system Spirit Master roared, activated his Spirit, and charged over like a wild bull!

The agility-attack system Spirit Master retreated rapidly, opening up distance, with three arrows condensed from Soul Power on his longbow already aimed at the three from Class 5!

Their tactics were very clear: use the Spirit-Stabilizing Bead to negate and defend against Huo Yuhao's spiritual interference.

Then, use the attack system to charge head-on and the agility-attack system for long-range suppression, defeating Class 5 completely with raw strength!

Facing these textbook classic tactics, a playful smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's face.

Who said my attack methods only consist of spiritual impact?

[Nana, Ice Mist, cover the whole field.]

A thought arose in Gu Yuena's mind.

Gu Yuena nodded slightly. She didn't look at the charging opponent but just stretched out her slender hand and made a light grasping motion at the air.

"Whoosh~"

A blinding white cold mist appeared out of thin air and instantly covered the entire competition platform at an astonishing speed!

Visibility instantly dropped to zero!

"What?!"

The Class 2 attack system Spirit Master, who was charging headlong, plunged into the thick fog and immediately lost his target.

He could only feel the temperature around him dropping sharply, the bone-chilling cold making his Soul Power circulation sluggish.

"Keep the formation! Don't panic!" Xu Hao yelled from the back.

However, it was too late.

[Xiaoli, front left, five steps, straight thrust.]

Huo Yuhao's instruction appeared clearly in Wang Xiaoli's mind.

Wang Xiaoli didn't hesitate at all, exerted force under his feet, and his figure instantly merged into the thick fog.

He, relying on the "battlefield map" constructed by Huo Yuhao in his mind, precisely located the attack system Spirit Master.

"Clang!"

The black Zanpakuto, like a poisonous snake leaving its hole, silently stabbed at the opponent's exposed flank!

"Clang!"

That attack system Spirit Master also had extremely rich combat experience. In a critical moment, he instinctively used the armor on his arm to block the strike.

But the tremendous force still made him stagger, revealing an even bigger opening.

"Damn it! If you have the guts, fight fair and square!" He roared into the thick fog, but couldn't see the opponent's figure at all.

High in the air, the agility-attack system Spirit Master, relying on his positional advantage, could barely see the surging fog below, but he also lost his target, and the three arrows in his hand were delayed in being fired.

[Nana, Ice Spikes, indiscriminate coverage.] Huo Yuhao's second instruction was issued.

Gu Yuena raised her head, looked at the fog-filled arena, and a silver light flashed in her eyes.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The next second, hundreds of crystal-clear ice spikes condensed out of thin air in the fog and then, like a torrential rain, poured down indiscriminately onto the entire arena!

The power of these ice spikes wasn't particularly great, but they excelled in quantity and range!

"Activate Soul Power shield!" Xu Hao shouted in horror.

The three from Class 2 could only awkwardly raise their shields to resist this endless ice spike attack.

Their Soul Power was consuming rapidly.

"This... what kind of tactic is this?" In the spectator seats, everyone was stunned.

They could only see the entire competition platform as a sea of white, and could only hear the constant sound of weapon collisions, roars, and the whistling of ice spikes breaking through the air.

"Huo Yuhao... he actually gave up his best spiritual attack and chose to fight this way instead?" Wang Donger opened her mouth in surprise.

"No, he didn't give up."

Teacher Mujin, who was beside her, had walked over at some unknown time. She stared closely at the arena, her voice trembling slightly with excitement, "He didn't give up; he used his Mental Energy on another level—perfect battlefield command!"

In the thick fog, the three from Class 2 were blind and deaf.

But Wang Xiaoli from Class 5 seemed to have a full-map hack!

Every movement of the opponent, every breath, every operation of Soul Power was captured clearly by Huo Yuhao's "Spiritual Detection."

Then it was converted into the most effective instruction and transmitted to Wang Xiaoli.

Advance, retreat, horizontal slash, straight thrust.

Wang Xiaoli was like a blade in Huo Yuhao's hand, the sharpest and most obedient blade.

And Gu Yuena was the queen who controlled the whole field.

Her Ice Mist isolated their vision.

Her Ice Spikes suppressed the opponents' activity space, constantly consuming their Soul Power.

This battle was not in the same dimension from the beginning.

"No! Must rush out!"

The Class 2 attack system Spirit Master finally realized that continuing like this meant certain defeat.

He roared, and the third spirit ring on his body, which was also a purple spirit ring, shone brightly!

"Savage Charge!"

He concentrated all his Soul Power in front of his body, forming a cone-shaped shield, and rushed in one direction regardless of everything, wanting to forcibly rush out of this damn fog!

[Xiaoli, let him charge.] Huo Yuhao's voice sounded calmly.

Wang Xiaoli followed instructions and stepped aside to let him pass.

The attack system Spirit Master felt a void in front of him and finally rushed out of the range of the thick fog!

However, before he could even take a breath of fresh air, he was met with a handsome, peerless face that was magnified in despair.

Huo Yuhao was standing at the edge of the thick fog, waiting for him quietly.

"You..."

The attack system Spirit Master was stunned.

It was this moment of distraction.

Light slowly rotated in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

This time, it wasn't a large-scale attack, but a concentrated single-target spiritual impact!

"Hum!"

The attack system Spirit Master felt as if his soul had been pulled out of his body, and his massive body fell to the ground with a bang, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Immediately after, Huo Yuhao's voice rang in Wang Xiaoli's mind again.

[Second Spirit Ability.]

Wang Xiaoli took a deep breath. The Zanpakuto in his hand lit up with a pattern like moonlight.

He leaped high, rushed into the thick fog, and slashed down in the direction guided by Huo Yuhao!

"Second Spirit Ability, Shadow Moon Slash!"

A huge black slash, five meters long and seemingly composed of shadows and moonlight, instantly broke through the fog.

At an extremely tricky angle, it slashed directly at Xu Hao and the agility-attack system Spirit Master who were struggling to support in the back!

"Oh no!"

Xu Hao's Spirit-Stabilizing Bead could defend against spiritual attacks, but it couldn't defend against this pure physical attack!

The shield they supported together shattered instantly in front of the Shadow Moon Slash as if it were made of paper!

The blade light flashed.

The two let out a muffled groan, were blown away by the tremendous force, and fell to the edge of the arena, losing their combat capability.

The thick fog slowly dissipated.

On the competition platform, only the three from Class 5 remained standing firmly.

The whole arena was dead silent at first, then erupted into thunderous applause and cheers!

"Won! Class 5 won!"

"They are the champions!!"

The referee raised his hand high and announced this result, which had long since had no suspense, in his loudest voice.

"The final champion of this Freshman Assessment is—the Class 5 team!"

Teacher Mujin could no longer control her emotions; she covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her face.

From being the Class 5 that everyone looked down on, to standing at the pinnacle of the freshmen.

This journey was too difficult.

She looked at the three upright figures on the stage, her voice choked with sobs.

"You did it... Our Class 5... really did it..."

...

At the award ceremony, Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and Wang Xiaoli stood on the highest podium.

Shrek Academy's Dean Yan Shaozhe personally awarded them the champion badge representing the highest honor for freshmen.

The moment Huo Yuhao received the badge, the applause of the audience reached its peak.

At this moment, he was no longer the bullied illegitimate child of the White Tiger Dukes Mansion, no longer the waste who couldn't even awaken his Spirit.

He was the Shrek Academy Freshman Champion!

After the ceremony, Huo Yuhao walked off the stage.

A figure came trotting over.

It was Wang Donger.

She ran to Huo Yuhao, her face flushed with excitement, and she reached out her hand as if presenting a treasure, with an exquisite hairpin lying in her palm.

"Here, for you."

She tilted her head and said with a smile, "Congratulations on winning the championship, this is the reward!"

Huo Yuhao looked down.

It was a hairpin made of unknown metal, with a small golden butterfly about to take flight at the head of the pin.

The workmanship was extremely exquisite, shimmering with a faint halo in the sunlight, somewhat similar to Wang Donger's Spirit, the Radiant Goddess Butterfly.

He reached out and carefully picked up the hairpin.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, but it seemed to carry a trace of warmth.

He didn't say thank you immediately but raised his head and gazed at Wang Donger with an extremely serious look.

That gaze penetrated her carefree exterior, as if seeing her equally proud and kind heart.

"Thank you."

He spoke, his voice low and sincere.

"I will cherish it."

Being watched by him so intently, Wang Donger felt her heart skip a beat.

A heat spread uncontrollably from her neck all the way to her earlobes.

She felt her cheeks must be bright red.

"Oh, you... don't look at me like that!"

She waved her hand in a panic, her eyes dodging, not daring to meet his gaze again, "It's just... just a small gift! It's not worth much!"

After speaking, as if afraid that Huo Yuhao would say something else, she turned and ran.

Leaving behind a "I... I'm leaving first! Have a happy holiday!", she disappeared into the crowd.

Huo Yuhao watched her fleeing back, then looked down at the butterfly hairpin in his hand, and the corners of his mouth curled into a gentle arc unconsciously.

Not far away, Gu Yuena's cold gaze swept over the hairpin, but she said nothing.

...

The freshman assessment ended, and the long vacation finally arrived.

The students in the academy set off on their journey home one after another.

Huo Yuhao also packed his bags. He decided to take Wang Qiuer, Tang Ya, and Jiang Nannan back to Heaven Dou City together.

On one hand, it was to visit his mother whom he hadn't seen for a long time; on the other, it was time to let his mother see Qiuer.

The night before departure.

Huo Yuhao sat by the window, stroking the golden butterfly hairpin in his hand, planning the arrangements for the vacation.

Just then, a lazy voice with a hint of excitement rang in his Spiritual Sea.

[Yuhao.]

It was Tianmeng Iceworm.

"Sister Tianmeng, what's the matter?"

[Don't just focus on lovey-dovey stuff during the vacation,] Sister Tianmeng's voice carried a hint of teasing.

[Since we have time, let's go to the Extreme North.]

"The Extreme North?" Huo Yuhao was stunned, "What are we going there for?"

Tianmeng Iceworm's voice became serious.

[Your current strength is already qualified to go meet my old friend.]

[It's time to go and meet one of the three kings of the Extreme North, the second-ranked...]

[The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, Ice Empress.]