Jing Hongchen nodded. His expression seemed a lot better than before with the Imperial Tutorâs affirmation.
The rostrum was calm and cool, but that didnât mean the audience shared the same composure. Retreating without a battle was a cowardly act in their eyes, and the team that represented the empireâs dignity actually admitted defeat, just like that! Shouts and curses echoed throughout the arena, and some impulsive citizens would have rushed forward if there hadnât been soldiers standing guard all around.
Xiao Hongchen threw a cold glance in Huo Yuhaoâs direction after admitting defeat, before jumping down from the competition stage along with his sister and his two remaining companions. Nothing else was said.
Huo Yuhaoâs eyes closed into slits. âThe Sun Moon Empire will be a lot harder to deal with now.â
Xu Sanshi frowned and said, âI wanted to take this chance to cripple them for good. I didnât expect them to be so frightened.â
Jiang Nannan shook her head and said, âI donât think theyâre afraid. Look at Xiao Hongchenâs eyes... do you see a drop of fear? We would definitely be unable to emerge unscathed even if we met them head-on and beat them in the group battle. Weâve improved since five years ago, but Iâm sure our opponents have improved, as well. Donât forget that the two siblings were already Soul Kings five year ago.â
Xiao Xiao chimed in, âThe Sun Moon Empireâs reserve team canât be that weak. Even though weâve won this round, we havenât done much to weaken their overall strength.â
âLetâs go,â Huo Yuhao said.
---
Everyone got off the competition stage, and their expressions immediately became a lot more relaxed than before. No matter what, they had still managed to defeat the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy in front of the Sun Moon Empireâs crowd. They believed that the Tang Sectâs name would resonate through every single household within the Sun Moon Empire. Of course, the other teams would also begin to place a lot more emphasis on them...
âHuo Yuhao.â A voice rang out behind them just as they were about to head back to the Brilliant Delight Hotel, and someone blocked their path.
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned when he saw this person. âDo you need something, Qiuâer?â Wang Qiuâer, the Shrek Academy team leader, was the one who had stopped them.
Wang Qiuâer lowered her voice and said, âShrek Academy doesnât need your help. We will defeat them all the same.â Of course, she knew why the Tang Sect had decided to go all-out in this round. Her voice sounded tough and cold, but her eyes were filled with unbending will.
Huo Yuhao was still under his own spell, and thus his expression could only be cold as he said plainly, âWe didnât mean to help you guys, and we were only helping ourselves. Weâve won the first round, and good luck to you guys.â
Wang Qiuâer grunted coldly as she turned around and left. Nobody saw it, but she was biting down on her rosy lips when she turned back, and her eyes were a little blank and vacant. A thought suddenly surfaced in her mind... Did he do all that for me?
The round robin stage continued, but the Tang Sect and the Sun Moon Empireâs team both decided to leave immediately.
------
Everyone returned to their respective rooms to rest once they were back in the hotel. Huo Yuhao followed Wang Dongâer back to their room.
Huo Yuhao suddenly said, âTake off your clothes.â
Wang Dongâer was momentarily stunned, but she quickly recovered and understood that he wanted to see her injuries. But she still pouted and said, âYuhao, youâre not allowed to use that ice-cold spell anymore. I donât like you this way.â
The corner of Huo Yuhaoâs mouth twitched. âDo you think Iâll have the ability to direct a battle with you around if I donât use this ability? I didnât say it before this, but the truth is that we might not have won the group battle today. If Iâm not wrong, Xiao Hongchenâs abilities have broken through into yet another level. I studied his blood circulation and his soul power undulations closely before this, and I believe that my judgment is right.â
Wang Dongâer was dumbfounded. âAre you saying that heâs already⦠how is that possible? Heâs only twenty years old!â
Huo Yuhao answered, âDonât forget that the Illustrious Virtue Hall is excessively wealthy, and they donât lack resources of any kind. Itâs not impossible to use exotic herbs and medicine to force out a Soul Sage at the age of twenty. Furthermore, the effects that his abilities have against soul tools are incredibly difficult to deal with. Iâm very worried about how Shrek Academyâs team will fare against them. They will never give up their combat against the Sun Moon Empire with our performance today, and with Shrek Academyâs glory at stake. They will undoubtedly choose to fight until the end, but thatâs not something that I wish to see.â
Wang Dongâer thought for a moment and said, âWeâve already done what we could. Donât think too much.â
Huo Yuhao tilted his head and said, âItâll be very difficult for Shrek Academy to defeat the Sun Moon Empireâs team with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen around. Eh, why havenât you taken off your clothes yet?â
Wang Dongâer blushed. âYou⦠youâre staring at me like that, how am I supposed to take them offâ¦?â
Huo Yuhaoâs eyes were as cold as ever. Wang Dongâer felt as if she were being scrutinized and interrogated by that pair of eyes, and it didnât feel good at all.
Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, âIâll turn around, then. Lie down on the bed after youâve taken off your clothes, and Iâll help you inspect your body.â
The corner of Wang Dongâerâs mouth twitched. âYour words sound very strange. Youâre not allowed to touch places youâre not supposed to.â
âAhem, am I that kind of person?â Huo Yuhao answered calmly.
Wang Dongâer grunted and retorted, âYes, you are!â
It took five minutes, as Wang Dongâer took her time and reluctantly removed her clothes before she laid face down on the bed, and Huo Yuhao began to inspect the injuries on her back.
The Goddess of Lightâs Possessionâs defensive effects were extremely formidable. Even though the decomposition rays didnât have their own element, the Possession withstood the brunt of the attack, and Wang Dongâer merely suffered surface abrasions and scratches. She also wielded the powerful element of light, and this continuously nourished her body and helped her recover.
Huo Yuhao still wasnât assured despite all that. He discreetly poked a hole in his own finger as he inspected her wounds, and he squeezed some blood onto her wounds. The Life Gold that he had ingested contained immense life energy, and even though there was little of it left because he had been continuously assimilating it, he still had ample life energy. Wang Dongâerâs recovery naturally accelerated because of his blood.
âYuhao, the Radiant City Elite Soul Engineering Competition is happening tomorrow night, right? Lucky for us, itâs on a different day from our own tournament.â Wang Dongâer was a little panicky and anxious. Even though her relationship with Huo Yuhao had already been settled, this was the first time that she had revealed her naked body before him. Huo Yuhao was just looking at her back, but she was still a virgin young girl, and it was incredibly embarrassing. She tried her best to talk about other things so that she could distract herself.
Huo Yuhaoâs eyes were already slack at this point. He felt an intense heartache seeing the three wounds on Wang Dongâerâs back, but even so, her silky and smooth skin, the tender curves of her body, her thin and slender waist, and her perky buttocks were so fatally alluring and beautiful. He felt as if her body was inviting him to make a mistake.
No spell could enable Huo Yuhao to keep his cool at a time like this. He took deep and forceful breaths again and again so that he could maintain his composure. It took a lot of effort before his quivering fingers managed to smudge some of his blood onto all three of Wang Dongâerâs wounds.
âWhat are you doing, Yuhao? Why do my wounds feel so itchy?â Wang Dongâer suddenly shifted her body subtly.
Huo Yuhao felt his entire body freeze up. Right when Wang Dongâer was shifting her position, two semicircles that were squeezed out from underneath her chest entered his field of view.
This⦠the proportion is just so good⦠even though she canât compare to Xiaotao, she isnât that far off...
âWhy arenât you talking, Yuhao?â Wang Dongâer turned around to look at him, and she coincidentally met his eyes that were fixated upon a certain somewhere. She exclaimed in shock and immediately pulled up the blanket to cover her body, and tossed a pillow at him with her other hand.
âWhat are you looking at, you idiot!â
Huo Yuhao wasnât prepared at all, and the pillow almost knocked him dizzy. However, he still maintained his cool because of the spell and he answered calmly, âIâm staring at the most beautiful things in the world.â
Wang Dongâer poked her head out from underneath the blanket and said angrily, âWere they nice to look at?â
Huo Yuhao sounded very serious as he replied, âYes, they were very nice.â
Wang Dongâer grunted indignantly and said, âYouâre sleeping on the floor today as punishment.â
Huo Yuhaoâs body suddenly trembled, and his face became ghastly pale as his head tilted back diagonally onto his wheelchair. âIâve used too much spiritual power. I feel so weak.â He closed his eyes as he spoke.
Wang Dongâer was truly startled by his behaviour, and she wrapped the blanket around herself as she sat up. However, she quickly realized that a certain shameless fellow had his eyes closed, but his eyelashes were still quivering faintly.
âYou feel weak, huh. Then you can sit on your wheelchair and feel weak all you want. Iâm going to take a nap, and you can forget about going for lunch after this. Just stay there and feel exhausted.â Wang Dongâer muttered coldly, and she rapidly put on her clothes with the blanket covering her body before she lay down comfortably on the bed.
Huo Yuhao opened his eyes exasperatedly. âI donât want to be like this either, and this is all because of that spell. Yes, itâs all because of that. The spell will always make me deal with things in the way thatâs most beneficial for me. Look like I canât use this spell anymore. You canât blame me, Dongâer. You canât punish me like that.â
Wang Dongâer still sounded a little upset. âYouâre still under that spell, so I will not believe a single word you say. Furthermore, dealing with things is one thing, and your eyes looking at things youâre not supposed to is another. If I donât punish you in some way⦠hmph!â
Huo Yuhao droned on and said, âYouâve changed, Dongâer. Youâve always been so gentle and tender in recent days. Why are you like this today? I was just taking a look, itâs not a big deal.â
Wang Dongâer sat up and stared at Huo Yuhao seriously. âTell me honestly, Yuhao. Do you like how I am like now, or do you like how gentle and tender I was?â
Huo Yuhao was taken aback. âI donât know. Both seem pretty good. When youâre warm, I feel like Iâm about to melt. However, I feel a little more familiar with the way you are now. Whatâs wrong, Dongâer? Is there something on your mind? If there is, you should tell me, you should never bottle things up in your heart. Have I made you angry somehow?â