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

Xiao Hongchen sat upright in his seat, his gaze fixed on the young figure in the center of the arena. The scene of Huo Yuhao crushing the entire arena just now kept replaying in his mind.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his tone filled with undisguised solemnity: "They are ridiculously strong."

“That’s right.” Ma Rulong nodded emphatically, his brows furrowed with deep apprehension, and the pressure in his heart increased sharply. “His fighting style is too bizarre and does not follow the common sense of a Soul Master at all.”

Everyone clearly remembers that Huo Yuhao was only a level 28 control-type Great Soul Master.

Level 28 is considered a low level among the contestants, yet he displayed control and killing power far exceeding that of a Soul King and comparable to that of a Soul Emperor.

His ability to instantly lock onto the entire field with his mental power, crush opponents with his wind attribute, and switch weapon forms at will all subvert the traditional understanding of Soul Masters, making it impossible for anyone to fathom his true trump card and upper limit.

Just as the two were on high alert and secretly plotting their battle strategy, Meng Hongchen suddenly blinked her beautiful eyes and uttered a casual remark without warning: "He's so handsome."

Those four simple words instantly silenced the atmosphere completely.

Xiao Hongchen froze, his face instantly turning ashen, a surge of pent-up desire rising within him. Ma Rulong's lips twitched violently, and he fell silent, utterly at a loss for words.

"Dream!!"

Xiao Hongchen gritted his teeth and hissed, suppressing the bitterness and anger in his heart. His slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of the seat, and a shadow flashed in his eyes.

The damaging information and secret intelligence about Shrek Academy that Sambo previously provided... perhaps it's time to put them to use.

Since it's difficult to contain Huo Yuhao in a direct confrontation, then we'll break through from the shadows and destroy Shrek Academy's reputation.

……

A day passes in the blink of an eye, and the knockout stage continues.

In this round of matches, Huo Yuhao voluntarily chose to rest and sit on the bench.

The Shrek team members appearing today consist of seven people: Dai Huabin, Cao Jinxuan, Wu Meng, Zhou Sichen, Gu Yue, Xixi, and Chen Zifeng.

Huo Yuhao's move was a deliberate arrangement, a way of making up for what he owed Zhou Sichen.

In the last team battle, I specifically asked him to fight, but I ended up taking over the entire battle. The opponent didn't have a chance to make a move from beginning to end, and it was a complete waste of time.

Today, we gave him a special opportunity to play and practice, so as not to overlook the team members' hard work.

On the field, the pace of the match proceeded steadily.

Perhaps Dai Huabin was not focused on fighting and was deliberately holding back, because in the early stages of the battle, Gu Zhujian, who had recovered most of his strength, seized an opening and swept him away with a single blow.

However, all of this was within the expectations of the Shrek team.

Today's key players are being rested primarily for training, team cohesion, and gaining experience; the outcome is not a major concern.

The task of holding off and wearing down the enemy in the early stages, and then cleaning up and stabilizing the situation in the later stages, fell squarely on Chen Zifeng and Xixi.

Outside the arena, the crowd was noisy and the stands were filled with cheers. A malicious storm targeting Shrek Academy was quietly brewing.

With nothing to do, Huo Yuhao got up and strolled past the audience seats. He originally just wanted to hear what people thought of yesterday's match, but he unexpectedly caught a few deliberately lowered but grating comments.

"Have you heard? Rumors are circulating online that Shrek Academy is protecting evil spirit masters!"

Upon hearing these words, Huo Yuhao suddenly paused, a sense of astonishment rising in his heart.

"What's going on? Tell me more!" The audience member next to him immediately asked curiously.

The audience member who knew the "insider information" lowered their voice and said confidently, "You know the Gluttonous Douluo Xuanzi who became famous recently, right? His martial soul is the Gluttonous Divine Ox, which has the ability to devour things by nature. It's definitely the standard martial soul for an evil soul master!"

"But he's a titled Douluo, a high-ranking member of Shrek Academy. Who would dare spread rumors about him? Aren't they afraid of being held accountable?"

"What's there to be afraid of! We're just discussing it privately; he has no idea! Besides, if he didn't have something to hide and wasn't an evil soul master, why would he conceal his martial soul characteristics and deliberately keep a low profile? Isn't this just admitting his guilt?"

Huo Yuhao listened to the entire conversation and instantly understood.

Good heavens, this is a classic example of flattery followed by mudslinging!

It's no wonder that these are old-fashioned public opinion tactics; they're still effective after all these years.

They directly seized upon the devouring characteristics of the Taotie Martial Soul, taking things out of context and deliberately distorting the truth, thus smearing Shrek Academy's veteran Title Douluo as an evil soul master.

Oh no! Elder Chicken Leg has been exposed!!

Although the Chicken Leg Elder is indeed a bit... unreliable, and is known as the "Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult," it's just a nickname.

Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated.

The characteristics of Xuanzi's martial soul were actually well known to all the top forces.

Shrek Academy has stood on the continent for ten thousand years, possessing immense strength. As long as Xuanzi does not openly devour living beings, indiscriminately kill the innocent, or commit evil deeds, even with his special martial soul, he will still be seen as a righteous Title Douluo who protects the continent in the eyes of the world.

Strength is Shrek's greatest source of confidence!

But these rumors don't tell the truth at all; they're just based on prejudice.

Before Huo Yuhao could finish his reflection, a new wave of rumors began to circulate.

"That's not all! Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, is also involved in a problem!"

Upon hearing this, even Huo Yuhao became interested, thinking to himself: "These people who spread rumors are really something else, their digging for information is so accurate!"

Those around her were immediately puzzled: "Impossible, right? Her Majesty Ming Feng's martial soul is the Phoenix of Light, which is of the Light attribute and naturally counters evil soul masters. How could she possibly be associated with evil soul masters?"

"You just don't understand!" the whistleblower said smugly, his tone certain. "His Majesty Ming Feng himself is fine, but he is a descendant of an evil soul master! I have inside evidence here, absolutely true!"

The other party spoke with such detail and conviction that it immediately drew the attention of onlookers, who stopped to listen and believe him, and the rumor spread rapidly.

A hint of seriousness flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Outsiders may not know, but he is aware of the secrets involved.

Yan Shaozhe's background is one of the deepest secrets in the entire Shrek Academy. Only Mu En and Ye Xishui know the truth, and even Long Xiaoyao is completely unaware of it.

Now, their secrets have been completely exposed and openly spread in public!

Huo Yuhao immediately realized that this was definitely a premeditated and organized smear campaign.

As the rumors continued to spread, more and more dirt was dug up, including the past of Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui as evil soul masters, as well as their intricate connections with Shrek Academy.

It should be noted that Long Xiaoyao acted in secrecy in his early years, and almost no one knew his identity as an evil soul master. Now, however, he has been completely exposed and directly accused of "Shrek Academy protecting evil soul masters."

Huo Yuhao was deeply shocked.

Which top-tier paparazzi is this?

The intelligence network is terrifying; it targets Shrek's deepest and most secret old secrets, striking with precision and delivering fatal blows!

Not long after, the Shrek team returned to their seats after finishing their match.

What greeted them were the strange looks from the entire audience.

Fear, hatred, suspicion, disdain, and ridicule—a myriad of negative gazes converged, shrouding the entire Shrek team.

The relaxed atmosphere vanished completely, and the whole team fell silent instantly. Everyone's face was extremely grim, and their hearts were deeply hurt by the unwarranted malice.

Among the crowd, Ma Xiaotao reacted the most violently.

Her fists were clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. A faint black aura surrounded her, and her body trembled slightly from extreme anger. Suppressed rage and grievance surged in her eyes.

This is because these rampant rumors have never been aimed at just Xuanzi and Yan Shaozhe.

Her martial soul possesses inherent dark attributes, making her the easiest to be defined as an evil soul master.

Unfounded slander, fabricated charges, and societal prejudice weighed heavily on Ma Xiaotao, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Seeing the girl on the verge of losing control and having an emotional breakdown, Huo Yuhao sighed helplessly.

Huo Yuhao knew Ma Xiaotao's fragility and stubbornness, and he was also aware of the terrible consequences of the backlash of evil fire and the loss of mental composure.

Without further hesitation, the ultimate power of light from the Emperor's Bow Master was quietly released.

The gentle, pure, and boundless energy of light, like a spring breeze, silently enveloped Ma Xiaotao, soothing her restless mind, suppressing her out-of-control anger, and gradually calming her nerves on the verge of collapse.

Of course, gentle reassurance is just a safety net.

The Emperor Bow didn't mind, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, wiping out Ma Xiaotao with a single shot...

Chapter 102 The Final Four: A Long-Standing Question

The gentle, pure, and ultimate power of light flowed slowly, seeping into Ma Xiaotao in strands.

The Emperor Bow Master's power of light is specifically designed to suppress evil and malevolent energy and calm restless inner demons. In just a few breaths, it completely suppressed the black malevolent energy surging around Ma Xiaotao.

His tense, trembling body gradually calmed down, and the almost out-of-control crimson ferocity in his eyes faded away completely.

Huo Yuhao secretly calculated that appeasement was only a temporary measure.

Ma Xiaotao's pent-up anger and resentment had accumulated too deeply. If she forcibly suppressed them for a long time, it would only allow her inner demons to take root even deeper, and sooner or later they would completely backfire on her.

We must find a suitable opportunity to let her fight with all her might, to let her have a thorough and unrestrained outburst, and to vent all her negative emotions in order to truly stabilize her mindset and eliminate potential problems.

Wang Yan, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth, his throat was dry, but in the end he had nothing to say.

Rumors are rampant and widespread, and they are no longer simply baseless speculations.

Outsiders directly accused Shrek Academy of protecting evil spirit masters. From Xuanzi's Gluttonous Devouring Martial Soul to Yan Shaozhe's hidden background, and then to Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire, each and every one of these incidents was magnified and maliciously smeared.

He wanted to explain, but found himself speechless.

The secrets of the higher-ups, the past of the elders, and the characteristics of the students' martial souls are all rooted in Shrek Academy itself.

The logic of the world is simple yet domineering: those in authority must bear all criticism and blame!

Once the stain is exposed, all the blame lies with the authority.