After the quarterfinals, three peaceful days passed for Huo Yuhao. The day of the semifinals had arrived once again.
"We're up against the Heaven Dou Empire's Dio Academy. Shrek Academy will be facing Star Luo National Academy, huh."
Lounging idly in the luxurious suite of the Star Crown Hotel, Huo Yuhao sat comfortably on the soft bed, swinging his legs up and down against the springy mattress.
The other team members had already headed to the arena to prepare for the match. Only Huo Yuhao and a few other reserve members remained at the hotel.
Facing Dio Academy, whether Huo Yuhao was there or not, the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy would win either way. So, Huo Yuhao decided to rest (or slack off) for the day.
As for Shrek Academy… could they win?
To be honest, if Shrek Academy were to lose to the Star Luo National Academy, then the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy taking the championship would basically be a done deal.
"Hmph. Shrek Academy should be able to make it to the finals."
The only one to blame would be that Holy Spirit Sect elder—Chicken Leg Douluo—not being reliable enough. Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, and Ling Luochen were all back in action now.
But this actually made Huo Yuhao quite happy. It meant that in the finals, he'd have the opportunity to face off against Shrek Academy… and that hateful person.
A cold gleam flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
He stood up, thinking about how nothing unexpected had happened these past few days.
'It's about time something did.'
With that, Huo Yuhao shoved his hands into his pockets and swaggered out of his room.
Before leaving, he made sure to slip a communication soul tool into his pants pocket.
Huo Yuhao wandered around the hotel for a bit. In the end, aside from some students from the three Douluo nations' academies and a few Star Luo citizens pointing fingers or even yelling insults at him, nothing unusual happened.
Sighing, Huo Yuhao stepped out of the hotel and began to stroll through the streets of Star Luo City.
He avoided the busy, crowded areas and deliberately sought out quiet, deserted alleyways.
"Still not here, huh?"
Just as he muttered those words, his sharp spiritual perception caught something—the surrounding area had suddenly gone eerily quiet.
Even in a deserted alley like this, it shouldn't be this silent.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao pressed a concealed button on the communication soul tool he had readied in his pocket.
What followed came as no surprise—his body was suddenly bound by an invisible force. He could no longer move, only speak.
From the far end of the alley, a disheveled old man holding a wine bottle slowly walked toward him.
It was Chicken Leg Douluo—Xuan Zi.
"Kid, didn't your parents ever tell you not to wander into quiet places alone?"
Xuan Zi strolled up without a sound, took a swig from his bottle, and leaned lazily against the wall.
At the mention of "parents," Huo Yuhao's eyes turned cold. He stared daggers at the carefree old man gulping down his drink.
'Old bastard. I originally just wanted to scam you a bit.'
Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth at the thought.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's murderous glare, Chicken Leg Douluo chuckled.
"Nice eyes. I'm guessing you're wondering why you've been immobilized, who I am, and what I've come for?"
Huo Yuhao wanted to say he didn't care—but he decided to generously give the old man his final moments to show off.
"You have an ice-type martial soul. And not just any ice… the one and only Ultimate Ice, right?"
At those words, Huo Yuhao feigned a shocked expression.
"Hmph. Just as I thought. Let me be direct—you're wasting your talent at the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Come to our Shrek Academy. Only there will your potential truly shine. Soul tools will never compare to the strength of a true powerhouse."
"I'm only one step away from becoming a Limit Douluo. Your Sun and Moon Empire's ridiculous soul tools? To me, they're nothing more than scrap metal. Easily torn apart. And even so, I'm not the strongest at Shrek."
"That… is the heritage of our Shrek Academy. So, are you coming? Or not? Give me an answer."
Huo Yuhao nearly burst out laughing.
'Seriously? You think Shrek Academy had anything to do with my growth in the original story?'
"Get lost."
Huo Yuhao said flatly.
That nearly made Xuan Zi blow a fuse. He almost smacked the kid into a pancake, but thinking of Ma Xiaotao's future, he held back. Instead, he reached out with a gesture of control toward Huo Yuhao.
"Hmph! If you won't drink the wine offered, then you'll be forced to swallow the punishment. Whether you want to leave or not—you're going."
He yanked his hand back… only to discover, to his astonishment, that Huo Yuhao hadn't budged an inch.
Even more shocking was the fact that Huo Yuhao, who should have been completely restrained, simply clapped his hands and smiled.
"Nice line about 'you don't want to leave, but you'll leave anyway.' Thing is… why haven't I gone anywhere?"
A tidal wave of dread surged in Xuan Zi's heart.
'Impossible. No—something's wrong!'
His face twisted. Years of battle-hardened instinct screamed danger. He spun to flee—
But to his horror, he found that it was now he who couldn't move.
At that moment, an elderly man with crimson hair and a calm demeanor stepped out from behind Huo Yuhao, dressed in long ceremonial robes.
"So you're that so-called Super Douluo from the Sea God's Pavilion—Xuan Zi, is it?"
The old man—Kong Deming—spoke calmly.
Chicken Leg Douluo's face darkened as he felt the aura radiating from this man. Clenching his teeth, he snarled,
"A Limit Douluo…? No, impossible! You don't even have Super Douluo-level soul power! How can you possess Limit Douluo combat strength?!"
Kong Deming remained unperturbed.
"A frog at the bottom of a well. Ninth-tier soul tool, Forbidden Domain. See, Yuhao? This level of soul tool—no matter how powerful this old man's cultivation is—can still keep him locked in place for quite some time."
Huo Yuhao noticed four small, conical, floating devices surrounding the alley. They had appeared at some point, quietly forming a seal around Chicken Leg Douluo.
Xuan Zi couldn't believe it. A mere soul tool could restrain someone of his level?
In truth, if he were to unleash his full power, the restriction wouldn't hold long. But this was Star Luo City. If he let loose and destroyed the capital by accident, the highest elder in the Sea God's Pavilion would probably die of anger.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, Go Check It Out.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.