Chapter 465: Chapter 465: Encountering Xiao Hongchen — It’s Only Polite to Return the Favor (Extra)
Inside Bei Bei’s room, the five of them had already gathered, the tension in their brows not yet faded.
"Sigh, why would the academy let the reserve team take the lead?"
Xu Sanshi was still lamenting.
Xiao Xiao spoke softly,
"Huo Yuhao is incredibly strong..."
"Nan Nan and I saw it with our own eyes—he even forced Senior Ma Xiaotao back."
"If he fights at full strength, we might not be without a chance."
Jiang Nan Nan nodded slowly.
"Huo Yuhao’s Martial Soul is extremely terrifying."
"When that mysterious giant ape Martial Soul of his manifested, even my Softbone Rabbit was trembling."
At those words, the room fell silent.
Bei Bei broke the quiet.
"Wang Dong has already gone to invite Huo Yuhao. I hope he’ll come."
None of the five showed even the slightest displeasure.
If it were anyone else—
if they had to be personally invited like this just to discuss tactics, they would have been annoyed long ago.
But Huo Yuhao was different.
The strength he displayed in those two fights—
even as the next generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, they couldn’t help but admire him.
Before long,
a knock sounded at the door.
The wooden door opened.
The blue-robed youth stepped into the room, and Bei Bei and the others immediately rose to their feet.
"Welcome, welcome!"
"Huo Yuhao, you’re finally here!"
Seeing him was like spotting a lifeline; the heavy weight in their hearts instantly lightened by several degrees.
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded, casually choosing a seat.
"Sorry, I was cultivating just now. I didn’t know we were discussing tactics."
Seeing how modest he was, everyone hurriedly responded,
"No worries, no worries. We should’ve arranged it in advance."
At that moment,
Wang Dong followed him in. Her eyes flickered as she walked straight toward the empty seat beside Huo Yuhao.
But just as she sat down,
Huo Yuhao stood and moved to sit beside Bei Bei instead.
"You—"
Wang Dong choked on her words, her chest rising and falling sharply.
Yet Huo Yuhao remained calm and composed, not even glancing sideways.
The atmosphere in the room instantly stiffened.
Bei Bei and the others looked at Wang Dong, then at Huo Yuhao, completely puzzled.
"As for the tactical arrangements..."
Bei Bei began tentatively.
Everyone’s eyes instinctively turned toward Huo Yuhao.
"I have no objections. Just follow your plan."
Bei Bei said sincerely,
"Yuhao, you’re the strongest among us. The position of reserve team captain—"
Huo Yuhao interrupted gently,
"I’m not a student of Shrek Academy. I’m participating only because of an agreement with Senior Sister."
"It would be more appropriate for you to serve as captain, Bei Bei."
Bei Bei no longer declined. Taking a deep breath, he began laying out strategies for the match the day after tomorrow.
Throughout the discussion,
Huo Yuhao remained silent, listening attentively.
Only occasionally did he nod when necessary.
From midday until dusk, they repeatedly simulated tactics. Only when fatigue began to set in did they finally disperse.
...
The next day at noon,
they gathered again to refine their strategies.
After lunch,
Bei Bei suggested heading to the hotel’s underground training arena for practical drills and asked for Huo Yuhao’s opinion.
Huo Yuhao had no objections.
At two in the afternoon, the seven of them entered the underground training grounds.
To prepare for this year’s Spirit Master Tournament, the royal family had specially constructed dedicated arenas for each participating team.
Shrek Academy was even granted the most spacious—Arena No. 1.
As soon as they stepped into the underground corridor, rumbling sounds echoed from the sealed training chambers on either side.
Even with soundproof materials blocking the noise, one could still sense the surging waves of soul power behind the doors.
Sensing so many powerful auras, Bei Bei and the others grew even more solemn.
Entering Arena No. 1, continuous explosions of energy soon began to ring out.
"Oh? The people from Shrek have already arrived?"
At that moment, a team of seven stepped into the underground level.
The handsome young man at the front heard the commotion from Arena No. 1 and curled his lips into a faint smile.
"Shrek Academy has won consecutive championships for so many years and is still this diligent. Unfortunately, when I compete in the next tournament, your winning streak will come to an end."
His name was Xiao Hongchen.
He was the captain of the reserve team of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
Although he was not participating in this tournament, he had come specifically to observe the competition—and to personally gauge the caliber of Shrek’s reserve team.
"If the main team isn’t training, we’ll go in and warm up ourselves."
He cast a glance toward Arena No. 1,
then turned and pushed open the doors to Arena No. 2 beside it.
...
Time passed amid fierce combat.
Creak—
The doors of Arena No. 1 opened.
Bei Bei and the others walked out, their clothes soaked with sweat, yet their eyes burned with intensity.
After this round of practical sparring,
everyone felt they had gained a great deal. The anxiety in their hearts gradually dissipated, replaced with growing confidence.
At that very moment,
the doors of Arena No. 2 also opened.
Led by Xiao Hongchen, seven figures stepped out.
When he saw Bei Bei’s group,
Xiao Hongchen paused briefly, then a broad smile spread across his refined face.
Bei Bei and the others naturally recognized these formidable opponents from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. The smiles on their faces faded slightly as they lifted their chins and walked forward.
In the dim corridor,
the two teams walked side by side.
Other academy teams, upon seeing them, quickly made way, whispers erupting all around.
"It’s Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Academy!"
"This year’s champion and runner-up will probably be those two again!"
"They look like reserve teams!"
"The destined rivals of the next tournament are meeting ahead of time!"
Listening to the murmurs rising around them,
the smile on Xiao Hongchen’s lips did not fade in the slightest.
He suddenly turned his head,
looking at Bei Bei at the front of Shrek’s group.
"The reserve team captain?"
Bei Bei responded calmly,
"The same as you."
"Heh..."
Xiao Hongchen’s gaze was sharp as a blade as it swept across each member of Shrek’s team, his aggression undisguised.
"As your opponent in the next tournament, I, Xiao Hongchen, offer a friendly reminder..."
"You should all train harder, lest when the time comes, defeating you proves too dull."
Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nan Nan, and the others glared at him angrily.
Bei Bei turned and met Xiao Hongchen’s eyes directly, lightning flickering faintly in his pupils.
"I return those words to you unchanged."
Just then,
the two teams reached the midpoint of the corridor.
A row of bronze cauldrons, each waist-high, divided the passage clearly into two sides.
Bang!
Buzz!
Without warning, Xiao Hongchen flipped his palm and struck the cauldron beside him. A deep boom reverberated throughout the entire floor.
The thousand-pound cauldron was sent flying sideways, crashing straight toward Bei Bei, who was walking alongside him.
Lightning burst from Bei Bei’s right palm as he struck the incoming cauldron, but the impact forced him to stagger back several steps.
"Bei Bei!"
Xu Sanshi and the others shouted in alarm.
"Hahaha! Why don’t you hurry and steady your captain!"
Xiao Hongchen and his six teammates burst into loud laughter.
At this scene,
the surrounding academy teams erupted into an uproar.
"A two-thousand-pound cauldron sent flying with a single palm strike? Xiao Hongchen isn’t even fifteen yet?"
"Shrek’s reserve team captain was suppressed—could it be that the Sun Moon Imperial Academy will win next time?"
Amid the swelling commotion,
a blue-robed figure suddenly stepped forward, coming to stand parallel with Xiao Hongchen.
"It’s only polite to return the favor."
Huo Yuhao smiled lightly.
He raised his hand and gently patted the five-thousand-pound cauldron beside him.
Boom!
Crack!
The moment his palm landed,
a thunderous explosion erupted.
The sound made everyone’s ears ring and their blood surge.
The massive cauldron instantly split with several cracks, then hurtled forward with overwhelming force, charging straight toward Xiao Hongchen.
...
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