Douluo Continent: The Peerless Hunting Heavenly Lord, Huo Yuhao!

Shrek's seat was in the front core area, and their dark green team uniforms stood out in the crowd.

This team uniform has been passed down through generations and modified by more than a dozen deans. The material is durable and sturdy, but the color is so dull it looks like old moss. It shines blindingly in the sunlight, which, in Huo Yuhao's eyes, only evokes an indescribable irony.

Shrek Academy always claims to be neutral and detached, yet in the capital, they project an even greater presence than the royal family, showing no sign of restraint whatsoever. How can you call yourself neutral?

He didn't stay with the group. Instead, he pulled Ning Tian around to a less crowded side corridor behind a pillar, stood still, turned around, and looked at Ning Tian seriously: "Ning Tian, ​​I won't allow you to use the power that the Gold of Life gave you."

Ning Tian suddenly looked up, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared: "You know everything."

"Mm." Huo Yuhao nodded, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Ning Tian's eyes immediately reddened.

She is a support-type Soul Master who has been by Huo Yuhao's side since joining the team. She watched Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue's strength improve by leaps and bounds, but she could only stand in the back to stack buffs. Even when she was attacked, she had to rely on her teammates to protect her.

That feeling of powerlessness clung to her heart like vines until she absorbed the Gold of Life. For the first time, she felt that she could stand by Huo Yuhao's side, even if the price was a one-time overdraft, even if it meant risking her life.

"Yuhao, I don't want to be a burden to you anymore." Her voice was strained as she stared into Huo Yuhao's eyes and said each word clearly, "Even if it means taking an attack for you, or dying for you, I'm willing. You have no idea how panicked I felt watching you and Gu Yue run forward while I stood still... I wanted to protect you, but I was just a support-type Soul Master. Now I finally have that ability, even if it's just once!"

"Fool, you've never been a burden."

Huo Yuhao reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back. His tone softened, but remained firm: "Precisely because you are my companion, I cannot let you use it. Promise me you won't."

Ning Tian buried himself in Huo Yuhao's arms without struggling. He wanted to argue in a muffled voice, but Huo Yuhao patted his back again and finally managed to squeeze out a "Okay".

Seeing her awkward expression, Huo Yuhao didn't know what to say for a moment.

The atmosphere was tense when Ning Tian snorted, suddenly broke free from his embrace, straightened the wrinkles in his team uniform, and turned to walk back to the team.

"Ning Tian," Huo Yuhao called out helplessly.

The person who had taken a few steps stopped again, dawdled back, took out two exquisitely crafted wooden boxes from his storage soul tool, and stuffed them into Huo Yuhao's hands: "This is what Gu Yue asked me to give you. It's a relic treasure and an external soul bone. Absorb it when no one is around tonight, and don't let anyone see it."

"Thank you, Ning Tian."

"Who needs your thanks?" Ning Tian turned his face away, his cheeks still red, and said stubbornly, "I'm not so easy to forgive you for yelling at me just now. Considering that the Life Gold helped my Martial Soul evolve yesterday, I'll let you off this time."

Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile and grasp her wrist: "Then I'll give you a soul bone as a return gift. Come to my room tonight."

Ning Tian's ears turned bright red instantly. He pulled his hand back, snorted, and walked away quickly, his back view revealing a hint of panic.

They're quite cute.

As Huo Yuhao pondered this, he weighed the wooden box in his hand. When he reappeared with the Shrek Academy team, the scene of Huo Yuhao and Ning Tian holding hands was immediately witnessed by everyone at Shrek Academy.

"Hmph, what a scumbag," said a girl surnamed Ma.

"Humph."

Huo Yuhao: "..."

He pretended not to hear and returned to his position. Wang Yan spoke up at the right time to smooth things over, his tone calm: "Everyone, calm down. The opening ceremony is about to begin. Take a deep breath and get yourself in the right state of mind."

Meanwhile, the Sun and Moon Empire team's seats

Meng Hongchen's eyes sparkled as she looked in the direction of the Shrek Academy team, and her gaze brightened even more when she saw Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

"Another handsome guy! Ugh, it's so hard to choose!!" Meng Hongchen let out a squeal like a groundhog. "One is a bit effeminate, the other is sharp yet gentle, oh my god! This one..."

"Meng, shut your mouth." Xiao Hongchen looked at Meng Hongchen with disdain, but put on a confident face and looked at his slender hands: "No matter what they look like, they are still us, and are just foils for me, this peerless genius."

"Xiao Hongchen, you might really be underestimating your opponent this time."

Ma Rulong's voice came from behind, interrupting his narcissism. Xiao Hongchen lazily raised his eyes: "What's wrong? Any new information? Whatever, this genius will still win the championship."

Ma Rulong ignored his childish remarks and opened the intelligence book with a serious tone: "First is Shrek Academy. Among the main team members, there is one Soul Emperor and five Soul Kings. Their overall strength is the highest among all the participating teams. They are a tough nut to crack. Then there is Zheng Tian Academy. Their captain is Long Aotian, a member of the Body Sect. His Body Martial Soul has extremely strong explosive power and cannot be underestimated."

"Interesting, but this genius will defeat him. 'Body Sect?' Interesting." Xiao Hongchen sat up a little straighter, then lay back down on the soft couch. "But that's all. By the way, in Shrek, isn't there someone named Huo Yuhao?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Hongchen immediately turned her head, her ears perked up, and stared at Ma Rulong, waiting for an answer.

Ma Rulong flipped through two pages and frowned, saying, "There are records. The most prominent one is the twin martial souls, which are spiritual attributes. However, the information on the specifics of the second martial soul is incomplete."

"Twin martial souls?" Xiao Hongchen raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with regret. "What a pity, they're not from our Sun Moon Empire."

“He could be!” The white-haired girl who hadn’t spoken until now suddenly raised her hand and leaned out to excitedly chime in.

"Shut up!" Xiao Hongchen glared at her irritably.

Before Ma Rulong could say anything more, Old Ma behind him waved his hand and slowly said, "Rulong, caution is a good thing, but there's no need to boost others' morale too much."

The titled Douluo leading the team appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but he knew perfectly well what was going on. He wasn't there to lead the team at all; to put it bluntly, he was a bodyguard sent by Jing Hongchen to protect Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, the siblings.

Winning or losing the competition is never the most important thing; protecting these two geniuses of the Sun and Moon Empire is the real priority.

Anyway, the Sun Moon Empire has been used to losing so many times. Winning the championship would be a surprise, but if they don't, no one will blame him, a titled Douluo.

When the sun was high in the sky, there was finally some activity in the VIP area on the city wall.

Huo Yuhao looked up and saw that the man at the head was dressed in a dark gold crown robe, with a steady gait and an aura of oppression from someone who had long held a high position. He was none other than Xu Jiawei, the emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

Standing beside him was Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger. The two, one a sovereign and the other a subject, were surrounded by royal generals, their demeanors quite different.

Huo Yuhao's spiritual power stirred slightly, and he could clearly perceive the deep shrewdness beneath the emperor's peaceful exterior, which was far from the mediocre and gentle persona that was rumored to exist.

Xu Jiawei walked to the center of the city wall and pressed his hand down.

The noise in the square actually quieted down at a visible speed, and the soul-guided amplification device clearly transmitted his voice to every corner: "Welcome elite soul masters from all countries to gather in Star Luo City."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weighty majesty of an emperor: "The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament is a grand event in the soul master world, and a stage for the younger generation to shine. On behalf of the Star Luo Empire, I wish you all the best in the upcoming month of competition, to fully display your talents and live up to your youthful spirit. Now—the tournament begins!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

The cannons roared, and soul-guided fireworks exploded in mid-air, as cheers swept across the entire Star Luo Square. Even though Huo Yuhao was mentally prepared, he was still momentarily stunned by the scale of this grand event, and a surge of excitement slowly rose in his chest.

Who wouldn't want to stand on the highest podium and receive the attention of the entire continent?

This is an honor, and the best proof of my strength!

(The following is an introduction to the rules. If you have any questions, you can refer to Chapter 101 of Douluo Continent II: The Peerless Tang Sect, "The Competition Begins.")

"Shrek! Shrek! Shrek!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, even louder than the cheers during the opening ceremony.

Huo Yuhao's lips twitched as he listened, inwardly cursing: Shrek Academy really doesn't consider themselves outsiders. They've already overshadowed the royal family in the Star Luo Kingdom, yet they're making such a big show of it. Aren't they just inviting hatred?

No wonder later...

He quickly gathered his thoughts and stopped thinking about it.

"Everyone, perk up!" Wang Yan straightened his clothes, his tone tinged with excitement. "It's our turn to take the stage."

“That’s right, Yuhao. This attention is what Shrek Academy deserves. Let’s strive forward for our glory,” Ma Xiaotao said earnestly.

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Faced with the sudden attack of Ma Xiaotao's Shrek Glory Gu, Huo Yuhao showed no signs of being pressured and nodded, saying, "I know."

At this moment, the host said, "Now let's welcome the students from Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy to the stage."

A group of young people with unsteady steps walked out of the players' seats. Their faces were gloomy and their steps were somewhat unsteady.

"Looks like Yuhao, you've managed to show off successfully," Gu Yue joked.

“Gu Yue…” Huo Yuhao looked at Gu Yue helplessly, wondering if he was that kind of person.

Cheers rose and fell, until finally, the host raised his voice and drew out his words:

"Next up, please welcome the Shrek Academy team!"

In an instant, the cheers in the entire Xingluo Square reached their peak, with countless people standing up and raising their arms in celebration. The sound of the three words "Shrek" created a wave that made people's eardrums buzz.

On the city wall, Xu Jiawei clapped slowly with a polite smile on his face, but his fingers, hidden under his wide sleeves, tightened slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

But when everyone could see who was taking the stage, the entire venue fell silent for a moment.

There were only two people walking at the very front.

PS: I've modified Xu Jiawei's character design. The one in the original work was really abstract, but now he's been changed to an empire leader who is wary of Shrek Academy but doesn't want to offend it.

(See Chapter 101: Even the Star Luo Emperor, who was sitting atop the city wall watching the battle, couldn't help but stand up, his face revealing excitement. Who would have known that when he was still a prince, he had studied at Shrek Academy under an assumed name? Even now, he still deeply loves someone, loves her who remains in the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy…)

Is it abstract?

Chapter 73 Title Douluo Huo Yuhao? A Soul Bone Gift!

Whispers gradually spread from the stands, and the faces of the seven contestants from Tianling Academy across the street grew increasingly grim.

Gu Yue stood by the stage, turned her head and chuckled: "Yuhao, it seems you're being underestimated."

"Isn't it obvious?" Huo Yuhao shrugged, his black wide-brimmed hat casting a small shadow that concealed the mischievousness in his eyes. His tone was as calm as if he were stating the weather.

He had bought the top hat specifically before the match; it wasn't a pre-installed soul tool. The referee checked it and then let him pass.

Hmm... the top hat is the true essence of the sea patrol ranger.

Have both parties confirmed this?

These words were clearly not spoken to the students of the Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy team.

The captain of the opposing team was a young man with a stern face. His cultivation level of a peak four-ring Soul Master was already top-notch among young Soul Masters. At this moment, his gaze as he stared at Huo Yuhao was icy cold: "Are all the people from Shrek Academy so arrogant?"

It wasn't that he couldn't accept defeat, but the fact that the opponent fielded two opponents and didn't even unleash their martial spirits was beyond the realm of tactics and was a blatant humiliation.