Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao who returned from Sekiro

Chapter 143 Cat and Mouse (Daily 10,000 words)

Black halos also rose around Xiao Xiao's body, and her face was becoming increasingly pale. When Dai Huabin released the White Tiger Vajra Transformation, Xiao Xiao finally couldn't hold on any longer. Dai Huabin took a step forward, and the sharp claws on his tiger paws shot out, tearing fiercely at Xiao Xiao.

Fortunately, the referee's agility-based Soul Saint was genuine and immediately took Xiao Xiao away, causing Dai Huabin's claw to land in empty space.

Returning our attention to Huo Yuhao and Zhu Lu, Zhu Lu was in immense agony. Her black, tight-fitting leather suit was already showing holes, revealing large expanses of her fair skin. However, this did not add any allure to the battle; instead, it made the atmosphere even more tense and fraught with danger.

Fine beads of blood flowed from the puncture wound in Zhu Lu's leather coat, turning her into a half-bloody mess. Each of Huo Yuhao's stabs was not fatal, but each one was significantly weakening Zhu Lu's ability to resist.

Before Zhu Lu's Netherworld Thrust state disappeared, she could easily dodge Huo Yuhao's attacks. But now, with more and more injuries on her body and the disappearance of the Netherworld Thrust state, it has become increasingly difficult for Zhu Lu to dodge. She can only retreat again and again, using space to buy time.

As the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch more dangerous." This saying may not apply to high-level Soul Masters, but it perfectly describes Zhu Lu's current predicament as a two-ring Great Soul Master.

Huo Yuhao didn't have much experience with spear techniques. He learned most of his skills from the Oni-Tsubasa Master Mayaji and Yamauchi Shikibu Toshikatsu. Although Oni-Gyobu and Ashina Isshin were also skilled with spears, they were more familiar with the cross-shaped spear technique, which Huo Yuhao's small frame couldn't master.

Even so, Huo Yuhao, wielding his mechanical spear, still managed to keep Zhu Lu from raising her head. With a few mediocre spear techniques—one thrust, two stabs, three blocks, and four swings—combined with the terrifying attack range of nearly two and a half meters from the spear to the arm, Zhu Lu was unable to break through and could only passively take the beating.

Every time Zhu Lu seemed to find a weakness in Huo Yuhao's powerful attacks and tried to close in on him, Huo Yuhao's mechanical spear would snap back into a one-meter-long short spear, still managing to leave Zhu Lu disoriented and in a state of chaos.

Huo Yuhao's short gun moved like a serpent probing its hole, suddenly thrusting towards Zhu Lu's fair neck. A look of hatred flashed in Zhu Lu's eyes. She had lost count of how many times she had managed to break through to Huo Yuhao's defenses, but she just couldn't gain any further advantage.

With a sudden burst of power from her taut, strong thighs, Zhu Lu's body shot backward. As she retreated, she tried to adjust her posture to avoid Huo Yuhao's fatal thrust, but her small movements were meaningless in front of Huo Yuhao, who possessed the reaction speed of a Soul Emperor.

Forced to use Netherworld Thrust once again, Zhu Lu retreated so fast that she almost became a blur.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out as the trigger snapped open and then snapped back into place. Huo Yuhao's short gun continued its momentum, the previously retracted half of the barrel now shooting out like a dragon, once again hurtling towards Zhu Lu.

"asshole!"

Zhu Lu was well aware that Huo Yuhao was toying with her like a cat playing with a mouse, but what could she do?

There's a saying, "three times stronger than a weapon," meaning that to defeat a weapon-wielding opponent, you need to be at least three times stronger. Even against a child who's only eight or nine years old and has a dagger, you'd need at least a well-trained and strong adult to have a good chance of taking them down.

At this moment, it was Huo Yuhao who was armed, while Zhu Lu was the unlucky guy who was unarmed.

Zhu Lu stretched out her palms to block Huo Yuhao's thrusting spear. Her gleaming cat claws were instantly covered in blood. Fortunately, Zhu Lu managed to catch her breath by using the Netherworld Thrust and blocking Huo Yuhao's thrust. Then she turned and ran without any hesitation.

Zhu Lu knew very well that she could not last as long as Wang Dong, who could fly. Before Dai Huabin could kill Wang Dong and come to support her, Huo Yuhao would eliminate her by cutting her flesh with a dull knife.

To Zhu Lu's surprise, Huo Yuhao seemed to have no intention of pursuing her. He simply put away his mechanical spear and took out a katana forged from hundred-times-forged steel mixed with tungsten steel from his storage soul tool.

"Does this little guy have a grudge against Dai Huabin, or against Zhu Lu?"

Downstairs in the freshman dormitory, an elderly man dressed in a gray cloth coat, his face covered with wrinkles, his eyes dim and yellow, his eyelids drooping, looking frail and old, lay on a rocking chair and murmured something with interest.

The old man, who had been saying he was going to watch the finals, now stood respectfully behind the old man and smiled, saying, "Who knows? But judging from this kid's attitude, he's planning to crush the spirits of these two in one go."

The old man nodded almost imperceptibly: "If these two can emerge from the shadows, they might still have a chance to continue following in the footsteps of this child. But if they can't, their achievements in this life will be in jeopardy."

"Elder Mu," Elder Xuan looked at the old man in the rocking chair with some curiosity, "You think so highly of this young fellow, believing that he, a great Soul Master, can suppress the Netherworld White Tiger on his own? Dai Huabin's talent is even better than Dai Mubai's back then."

"What, you don't think he's a good candidate?"

The old man, addressed as Elder Mu, shook his head with a smile: "If you didn't think highly of him, would you have come to me to try and steal him from Qian Duoduo? Qian Duoduo and Yan Shaozhe are clearly on the same side, allowing this child to develop in both the Martial Soul System and the Soul Guidance System, yet you're still so determined to bring him under your wing into the Martial Soul System?"

"This child shouldn't become an ordinary Title Douluo. He should become a Super Douluo, a Peerless Douluo, or even a Limit Douluo, instead of some level nine Soul Master. Elder Mu, you can feel that the shadow of war is growing thicker and thicker."

Seeing that Elder Mu did not seem to agree with his plan, Elder Xuan spoke somewhat anxiously.

In response to Elder Xuan's words, Elder Mu simply smiled and waved his hand: "Why are you so sure that this child can't make progress in both Martial Soul and Soul Guidance?"

"Don't forget, we are Shrek Academy. The students here are monsters among monsters. You're confident that this child will become a titled master and has the opportunity to reach the ninth-level Soul Master realm, a level no one in the Douluo Three Kingdoms has ever reached. Why don't you dare to be a little bolder?"

Old Master Mu slowly got down from his chair, stood up, and looked at Xuanzi.

"You mean, Super Douluo, and the Level 10 Soul Master who can only be reached at the Super Douluo level?"

Elder Xuan swallowed hard. He hadn't expected Elder Mu to have such high expectations for this child, and—to be so audacious!

(End of this chapter)