However, he still could not use his immense spiritual power to its fullest extent. Chiefly, he could not use explosive-type abilities. As for Spiritual Detection, Spiritual Interference, Spiritual Sharing, and other pseudo-soul skills, they had all experienced a tremendous increase in power. This was why Huo Yuhao was still the main control-type soul master on the team.
As a faint light flashed, a cold look crossed Huo Yuhao’s face. He narrowed his eyes and his spiritual power was locked onto the youth from the Holy Ghost Sect. From his target’s soul power, he could sense that he was a five-ringed Soul King. He could not be said to be strong. However, the eeriness he gave off told Huo Yuhao that he was an evil soul master. There was no other possibility.
The Heavenly Capital Academy was an old, well-established school. Like the Earthdragon Sect that the Tang Sect had just encountered, it was from the Dou Ling Empire. The first person it sent out was also a youth. He was tall, sturdy, and clearly energetic.
The judge noted that both competitors were in their respective positions. His right hand came down swiftly, and the two competitors acted at the same time as they charged toward each other.
The Holy Ghost Sect youth’s body started to shine with a pale, white light. His body seemed to remain normal, but his two hands, under the glow of the light, turned ghastly pale. As he lowered his head, his eyes turned white too.
What kind of martial soul was this? Even Huo Yuhao could not detect the martial soul this youth released instantly.
This was the first round of the tournament, and every team wanted to start their first rounds off with a bang. The youth from the Heavenly Capital Academy was not weak either. As he roared loudly, his body emitted a powerful energy.
Two long knives appeared in his hands. A total of five soul rings, two yellow and three purple, circled around his knives. Without a doubt, they were his martial soul!
The two sides quickly approached each other. When they were just inches away, the Heavenly Capital Academy youth leapt into the air. The first soul ring around his body started to shine and in mid-air, he sliced down toward the Holy Ghost Sect competitor in a crescent-shaped arc.
Yellow jolts of electricity shot out from the blades of his knives, and crackling sounds rang out as they arced through the air.
This martial soul was impressive indeed. On the battlefield, it was more powerful than normal assault-type martial souls! Huo Yuhao silently assessed the situation. At the same time, he began to concentrate harder as he observed how the Holy Ghost Sect youth would react.
The Holy Ghost Sect youth had five rings too. However, he had the ideal soul ring combination. As he noticed his opponent’s crescent-shaped attack coming toward him, his body suddenly twisted oddly. Everyone felt as if he had turned into a shadow, causing his opponent to momentarily lose his target. The crescent-shaped attack landed on the metallic ground, leaving a deep scar behind. At the same time, a black tornado rose up from the ground. As the tornado shrieked, it charged toward the Heavenly Capital soul master.
The Heavenly Capital student was still in mid-air. In this position, his strength was maximized. His third soul ring started to shine, and the knives in his hands formed three rays of faint shadow. This time, the three rays, which seemed more powerful than the light from the knives, came rushing out. As the rays of blade light flew out, the body of the Heaven Capital Academy youth shone with an intense yellow light. It was as if the sun had descended.
Triple Sun Moon Slash, a powerful thousand-year soul skill!
Instantly, the tornado that was about to encircle him was sliced to pieces by the knives. The three rays of blade light then turned inward, and quickly afterwards, they exploded into countless smaller rays that shot outward.
Regardless of whether it was in terms of strength, control, or power, this attack had them all. The other teams in the resting zone could not help but nod their heads in approval. This student from the Heavenly Capital Academy was extraordinary, indeed!
Just when everyone thought that the Holy Ghost Sect youth could not continue this fight anymore, the black smoke, which had just been sliced apart, suddenly spread outward. Following that, its color became paler, and soon, it turned purple before reforming itself.
With Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection, he could hear wailing and crying. From the inside of the thick purple smoke, a purple skull flashed and then quickly disappeared.
It all happened too fast. As it was too fast, almost everyone on-scene could not even react. The Heavenly Capital Academy youth had already been devoured by the purple smoke.
In the next instance, the smoke retracted itself and turned into an arrow as it flew into the distance. Over there, the Holy Ghost Sect youth’s body reformed as he landed on the ground.
The Heavenly Capital Academy youth re-appeared in mid-air. However, he appeared to have lost control over his body. At that moment, his skin was deathly white. The knives in his hands disappeared, and his body fell from the sky, unmoving.
Oh shit! Huo Yuhao closed his eyes. He had been using Spiritual Detection to observe this competition. He had the best view and understanding of this entire fight. The soul of the Heavenly Capital Academy youth had been completely devoured. While his body was intact, it was just an empty shell!
The fourth soul skill! The combatant from the Holy Ghost Sect had used his fourth soul skill from the smoke. His soul skill was akin to an insect, a very odd insect. It was small and like a needle. If not for Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power, accompanied with the evolution of his Purple Demon Eyes to the Sumeru Realm, he would not have been able to discover it.
The black smoke was a manifestation of countless insects from his martial soul. When the black smoke turned purple, it was because these insects opened their wings, which were purple. Then, their bodies entered a half-energy realm as they forced their way into the head of the youth from the Heavenly Capital Academy. They entered him from his seven orifices. Not only did they devour his soul, but they even ate his brains.
Such a cruel evil soul master! The Holy Ghost Sect youth, who had just devoured a Soul King, brimmed with energy. His icy-cold eyes betrayed a look of joy.
Evil soul masters were not only strong, but they were able to improve rapidly at a certain cultivation level. However, after they accumulated more than five rings, their cultivation would gradually slow down, depending on how powerful their evil martial souls were. The more powerful their evil martial souls were, the faster they would improve. At the same time, they required other forms of assistance. If not, why would they be called ‘evil soul masters?’
“Heavenly Capital Academy, dead. Next.”
When they heard the word ‘dead’, the waiting zone for the Heavenly Capital Academy instantly went into an uproar. Everyone stood up as they stared angrily at the Holy Ghost Sect competitors.
The first competitor from the Holy Ghost Sect rushed out from the waiting zone. After he ran out, the other members of the Holy Ghost Sect sauntered out. According to the rules, there should have been six members. However, only three of them walked out. Tang Ya was nowhere to be seen, there were just three cold youths. They all had different physiques. However, their eyes were all icy-cold and treacherous.
Including the one on stage, there were only four people on their team. This also meant that they were confident in winning this competition with just four members. What level of confidence was this?
The Heavenly Capital Academy sent two of its students to retrieve the corpse of their schoolmate. When they lifted his corpse, a huge amount of blood gushed out from his orifices, staining the arena red.
Over on the Holy Ghost Sect side, a youth licked his lips and mumbled to himself, “What a waste, such fresh blood.”
“How can you kill?” The teacher in charge of the Heavenly Capital Academy stood up in rage as he made an angry protest.
“In previous tournaments, people died too. If you are capable, you can kill us too!” a cold, clear voice retorted from the resting zone.
The Heavenly Capital Academy had no right to enter the pavilion in the resting zone. The face of the teacher in charge changed rapidly. Suddenly, he strode toward the waiting zone.
“Stop, the teacher in charge can’t enter the waiting zone to direct the battle. If not, you’ll be disqualified.” The organizing team of the tournament naturally sent someone out to block him.
“We aren’t going to fight. We admit defeat,” the teacher said angrily. “This is a competition, not a life-and-death fight. That was pure murder! Everyone can see that it was blatant murder! It was not an accident from the competition. The Heavenly Capital Academy withdraws from the competition. Everyone get back, we aren’t doing this anymore.”
When they heard the teacher’s words, the remaining members of the Heavenly Capital Academy team sighed in relief. The youth in black was too mysterious! They had sent their captain out just now, and if even he died under such mysterious circumstances, how would the rest of them fare? Everyone feared death. They were here to compete, not to die!
On the main podium, Xu Tianran frowned and said, “Imperial Tutor, tell your guys not to go overboard. This is just a competition. There are other places for them to show off their skills where they won’t be subjected to such criticisms.”
“Okay,” the man in black next to him said plainly.
In just one round, the Holy Ghost Sect was able to scare its opponent off. Likewise, they progressed to the next round with 12 full points. When the youth in black walked off the arena, he was booed intensely by everyone. His cruel methods not only provoked the other teams in the resting zone, but also earned him the displeasure of the crowd.
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Huo Yuhao sat there stunned in his wheelchair. His eyes were blank. Slowly, his blank eyes betrayed an incredulous look.
Wang Dong’er was the first to notice this. “What happened, Yuhao?”
“That voice, did you hear it? From the pavilion in the resting zone,” Huo Yuhao said dazedly.
Wang Dong’er paused for a while, and then said, “I heard it. It sounded familiar. Was that Teacher Tang Ya?”
Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “No, no. It… it sounded like sister’s voice!”