Chapter 472 - 472: Against Thousand Spirits Academy — Huo Yuhao Finally Takes Action
Team battle!
One-on-one elimination matches were certainly thrilling—
but it was always team battles that pushed both fighting spirit and strategy to their limits.
Amid thunderous cheers that shook the skies, the referee announced loudly:
"Both teams, take the stage!"
In the preparation area, Bei Bei and the other five stood up solemnly. Huo Yuhao also opened his eyes, emerging from his cultivation state.
...
On the arena,
the two sides stood facing each other.
On Shrek Academy's side:
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi stood at the very front. Behind them, Jiang Nannan and He Caitou guarded the center. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao took the two flanks, while Huo Yuhao stood surrounded at the very heart of the formation.
His expression was calm—he even closed his eyes again, as if merely resting.
If anyone else acted this way,
they would have long been drowned in boos.
But he was Huo Yuhao—the one who had revealed eight blood-red Spirit Rings.
Instead, the audience erupted into even more frenzied cheers.
In their eyes,
a monstrous genius ought to carry himself like one.
If he behaved like an ordinary person, it would somehow feel out of place.
In the rest areas of the other teams,
many geniuses wore solemn expressions.
"Those eight hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings of Huo Yuhao's are obviously fake, yet he still dares to act so arrogantly?"
"Thousand Spirits Academy isn't like Shrek's previous opponents. This time they'll definitely force out his true strength!"
Over at the Sun Moon Emperial Academy, Xiao Hongchen's face was still somewhat pale as he stared fixedly at the blue-robed youth on stage. "Putting on an act."
Thousand Spirits's team captain, Shen Ce, narrowed his eyes at Huo Yuhao. There was no fear in his gaze—only boiling battle intent.
"Match—begin!"
At the referee's command,
spirit light blazed across the arena.
A powerful aura swept up dust from the ground, rippling outward in layers.
"Follow the plan!"
Shen Ce gave the order.
The four already tall Spirit Masters in front of him swelled further in size.
Muscles bulged and twisted along their right arms, and shields burst forth through their skin—the Spirit Rhinoceros' Shield Martial Soul, a variant of the Rhinoceros Martial Soul.
Four giant shields over a meter in diameter stood like walls of iron and bronze, radiating a heavy, indestructible aura.
At the same time,
behind Shen Ce, two female Spirit Masters released their Martial Souls.
A three-meter-tall white ice bear threw back its head and roared, while beside it a blazing crimson tiger stood amidst flickering flames.
Just as described of Thousand Spirits's lineup:
Four shields united like a fortress of gold and stone; ice and fire dual control with a thousand-strike spear!
Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom!
The first Spirit Rings beneath the four Spirit Rhinoceros' Shield Spirit Masters lit up simultaneously as they shouted in unison:
"First Spirit Ability—Shield Wall!"
Their bodies sank slightly.
Leg muscles bulged as they raised their massive shields like four mobile fortresses and charged fiercely toward Shrek's formation.
"Hmph!"
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou showed no fear. Their Spirit Rings flashed as they intercepted from different angles.
"Roar!"
At that very moment,
the white ice bear let out a heaven-shaking roar.
Its first and second Spirit Rings shone in succession.
"First Spirit Ability—Frost Shield!"
"Second Spirit Ability—Frozen!"
Azure ice crystals coated the four Spirit Rhinoceros' Shields. A biting chill spread from the ground, and the arena floor instantly froze into a slick sheet of ice.
The movements of Bei Bei and the others visibly slowed.
"First Spirit Ability—Thunder Dragon Claw!"
"Second Spirit Ability—Black Tortoise Shield Array!"
"Third Spirit Ability—Butterfly Goddess Slash!"
The three unleashed their Spirit Abilitys simultaneously.
Meanwhile, He Caitou, as a soul engineer, revealed cold cannon barrels from his arms, firing beams of soul tool light in rapid succession.
Four waves of attack collided head-on with the four ice-coated shields.
Boom! Boom!
Amid deafening explosions, the ice crystals on the shield surfaces shattered instantly.
As the aftershocks of energy gradually faded,
the Spirit Rhinoceros' Shields were revealed—scorched black with burn marks, cracks crisscrossing their surfaces—
yet they had not shattered.
"What?!"
Bei Bei and the other three's expressions changed drastically as they urgently tried to retreat.
However—
the four massive shields, still carrying their remaining momentum, slammed into them.
Boom!
Bei Bei and the others were sent flying more than ten meters. Only then did the Spirit Rhinoceros' Shields finally reach their limit, shattering into countless fragments.
Before the four could steady themselves,
amid the scattering shards, Shen Ce's figure suddenly burst forth.
He gripped the Thousand-Strike Spear in his hand. Five Spirit Rings revolved beneath his feet—especially the fifth, whose purple hue was so deep it seemed ready to drip.
Judging by its color, it was likely over eight thousand years old.
"Roar—!"
The young female Spirit Master with the Blazing Tiger Martial Soul activated her first, second, and third Spirit Rings in succession.
Flames surged from the tiger's jaws, enveloping Shen Ce's entire body.
Within the roaring blaze,
he seemed to transform into a god of fire.
This was her first Spirit Ability, Blazing Ring.
It not only granted the target fire-attribute enhancement and resistance, but also imbued all of their attacks with scorching flames—a top-tier fire support skill combining offense and defense.
And the Blazing Tiger's enhancements were not yet finished.
"Second Spirit Ability—Blazing Wings!"
With the girl's clear shout,
a pair of four-meter-long flaming wings suddenly spread from the Blazing Tiger's back.
As the saying goes, like a tiger that has grown wings.
Under the Blazing Wings's enhancement,
its fire aura surged dramatically. The red flames around it gradually shifted into a dazzling blue-white.
"Third Spirit Ability—Blazing Tiger's Protection!"
A strand of blue-white flame separated from the Blazing Tiger's body.
The Martial Soul, already a projection of light, appeared even more illusory after the separation.
But the detached blue-white Blazing Tiger showed no hesitation.
With a flap of its wings, it leapzt into the air—
and plunged straight into the Thousand-Strike Spear in Shen Ce's hand.
In an instant,
blue-white flames surged along the spear. A low tiger's roar reverberated from its shaft.
The astonishing scene caused the entire audience to hold their breath, and the geniuses from the other teams below the stage all revealed grave expressions.
"Thousand Spirits's strength is not weak. With this level of enhancement, even a Spirit Emperor would have to treat that Thousand-Strike Spear seriously!"
"Even if Huo Yuhao can block it, he'll surely be thrown into chaos!"
Under this dual amplification,
the Thousand-Strike Spear's sharpness increased explosively.
Scorching, razor-like aura filled the arena. Holding the spear, Shen Ce's confidence soared as his gaze locked onto Huo Yuhao, who still stood with eyes closed as if resting.
"Huo Yuhao—take my spear!"
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
From Shen Ce breaking through the Spirit Rhinoceros' Shield formation to the Blazing Tiger completing its enhancement of the Thousand-Strike Spear, only a moment had passed.
Shen Ce moved like lightning.
Gripping the spear blazing with blue-white flames,
he flashed past the still-unsteady Bei Bei and the others—
and charged straight toward Huo Yuhao, who remained motionless with eyes closed.
"Fifth Spirit Ability—Thousand Strikes Break!"
His fifth Spirit Ring shone brilliantly with purple light. Fierce energy burst outward, carving deep grooves into the arena floor.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands,
the Thousand-Strike Spear thrust straight toward Huo Yuhao's face.
Ten meters!
Eight meters!
Two meters!
The spear tore through the air.
The fierce wind it generated lifted Huo Yuhao's black hair—
yet he did not move an inch.
Some spectators were so tense they shut their eyes.
At the very instant the spear tip closed within one meter—
Huo Yuhao finally opened his eyes.
As his eyes opened,
a vertical mark split open upon his forehead.
A vast vitality mixed with razor-sharp energy burst forth from the crack.
Threads of green-gold light condensed three feet before him—
finally forming a delicate green-gold blade.
The blade was about a foot long.
Its entire body shimmered with a radiance interwoven of life and cutting edge.
With a slight tremble of its edge,
it shot forth like a streak of jade lightning—
directly meeting the incoming spear head-on.