"Yu Xiaogang's... head."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Dead silence filled the air as everyone's expressions shifted dramatically.
"Ye Hao! I'll kill you!" Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at the blood-stained sack in Ye Hao's hand.
At this moment, Tang San was utterly enraged. He gripped the Clear Sky Hammer, its four soul rings glowing brightly. The hammer grew in size as he swung it toward Ye Hao with all his might.
Before Tang San could complete his attack, Xie Hu mercilessly punched him, sending him flying.
Especially after learning from Ye Hao that Tang San was the Sea God's heir, Xie Hu had developed a killing intent toward him.
There was no other reason. The Evil Spirit Orca King had never worshipped the Sea God.
The Evil Spirit Orca and the Devil Soul Great White Shark were both carnivorous soul beasts in the ocean. Each level of the food chain had its own hierarchy, and in the ocean, the food chain was even more brutal.
The Devil Soul Great White Shark worshipped the Sea God and even became his mount, so of course, it had the right to say who disrespected the Sea God.
The Sea God usually didn't interfere in worldly matters, and Xiao Bai, as the Sea God's representative among the ocean soul beasts, naturally could label the Evil Spirit Orca King as a bloodthirsty soul beast.
This was the logic of the strong.
Tang San's body flew through the air like a kite with its string cut.
"Brother!" Xiao Wu rushed to support Tang San, but from start to finish, Tang San's eyes never left Ye Hao.
"Xiaogang..."
"Xiaogang..." Flender's eyes welled up with tears as large drops fell from his eyes. He recalled the days when the three of them had traveled the continent together.
"Xiaogang! You can't die! Wuwuwu..." Liu Erlong collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably. She couldn't accept this reality.
Just a few days ago, he had been fine. How could he be dead now?
"Ye Hao! Spirit Hall! I will never forgive you in this lifetime!" Liu Erlong's voice was hoarse, and a solemn killing intent rapidly spread from her.
"Yu Xiaogang trespassed into the Spirit Hall and was killed on the spot. When I returned to the Spirit Hall, I saw Yu Xiaogang's headless corpse."
Ye Hao stepped on "Yu Xiaogang's" head with his foot. "You should thank me. If it weren't for me, you might never have seen him again."
No one believed Ye Hao's explanation.
"The dead are gone." Tang Xiao sighed deeply. "Ye Hao, take your foot off. Grandmaster was once a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. By doing this, you're openly challenging the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"Challenge?" Ye Hao laughed heartily. "This is Yu Xiaogang's deserved retribution. He wanted to kill me, first by contacting the Strength Clan's Tai Tan. Unfortunately, the Strength Clan no longer exists."
"So it was you! You really destroyed the Strength Clan! I'll kill you! I'll avenge my clan, my grandfather, and my father!" Tai Long's anger boiled over, but he was held back by the others. They were no match for Ye Hao.
Moreover, Ye Hao had many powerful experts behind him, including countless Title Douluos.
Everyone fell silent. Although they had suspected that Ye Hao might have been behind the destruction of the Strength Clan, hearing him admit it now filled them with despair.
In a single night, an entire clan had been wiped out.
The fall of the Strength Clan was a warning to everyone present. Who would be next?
"Ye Hao, you're making an enemy of the entire Douluo Continent!" Ning Fengzhi could no longer hold back. The situation was clear. It was only a matter of time before Ye Hao turned his attention to the top three clans.
The destruction of the Strength Clan was a wake-up call and a warning to the top three sects and other major forces.
"An enemy?" Ye Hao smiled faintly. He applied a slight pressure with his right foot, and "Yu Xiaogang's" head exploded like a watermelon.
"I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me."
Everyone was stunned. Ye Hao was declaring war on the entire continent.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Clear Sky Clan, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—the top three clans are all here now."
Ye Hao sneered, his eyes filled with icy coldness.
"Ye Hao, in this lifetime, I will definitely kill you!" Tang San's eyes burned with determination. Upon learning that his teacher had been beheaded and his head crushed by Ye Hao, Tang San felt an unprecedented surge of rage.
After all, Master had been like a second father to him, caring for him all these years.
Now, he had been killed by the Spirit Hall, and even his body couldn't be preserved. This was a disgrace, an unbearable humiliation for Tang San.
Liu Erlong's eyes were lifeless, swollen from crying. With Yu Xiaogang's death, Liu Erlong felt as though she had lost her reason to live.
She stood up again, her eyes gleaming with a cold light, blue flames flickering within them.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Blue Dragon True Body."
Liu Erlong's seventh soul ring lit up as she transformed into a massive blue dragon. Scorching dragon breath spewed from her mouth.
Kill Ye Hao!
Kill Ye Hao!!
Kill Ye Hao!!!
This was all Liu Erlong could think of now. It was her sole desire.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Eagle True Body."
"Third Soul Skill: Spider Web Bind."
"Fourth Soul Skill: White Tiger Meteor Shower."
"First Soul Skill: Phoenix Fire Line."
"..."
"..."
In an instant, the Shrek Academy members were consumed by rage. Each of them unleashed their most powerful soul skills.
Yu Xiaogang's death had shaken them to the core. First, the Strength Clan, and now Yu Xiaogang. With these two events, their hearts were constantly on edge, fearing that they might be next.
To avenge Yu Xiaogang and for their own sake, they chose to attack Ye Hao collectively.
They refused to believe that Ye Hao could calmly withstand such a massive assault.
Following the rule of "smoke without injury," they unleashed their most powerful soul skills, pouring everything into this attack.
Everyone frowned, not daring to let their guard down.
When the smoke cleared, six massive mirrors appeared in front of Ye Hao.
"Impossible! How are you still alive?" Tang San was utterly shocked.
The others were equally dumbfounded, their foreheads dripping with cold sweat, their backs soaked.
Yu Xiaogang and the Strength Clan had both fallen to Ye Hao. What about those who had once harmed him? Would they be next?
Flender hesitated, his heart already set on retreating. Going to the Spirit Hall now would be suicidal.
Perhaps they had been blinded by their earlier rage, but as the Shrek Academy members slowly regained their senses, they shivered under Ye Hao's icy gaze. Their hair stood on end, and their hearts raced with anxiety.
"Good, very good," Ye Hao clapped his hands.
"Clap!"
"Clap!"
"Clap!"
The sound of his clapping grew louder, like a death knell. Everyone looked terrified, and Ma Hongjun's legs gave out, causing him to collapse to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
"Yu Xiaogang deserved to die, and his death was insignificant. I welcome you to seek revenge on me at any time," Ye Hao spread his arms, facing everything with calm composure.
"But let me make this clear: if you can kill me, that's your skill. If you can't, then every single one of you here today will be eliminated by me," Ye Hao said coldly, each word cutting deep into their hearts.
"Ye Hao, you're too arrogant!" Tang Xiao frowned. "Don't forget, evil will never triumph over good. One day, you will pay for everything you've done."
Ye Hao smiled faintly, his icy gaze fixed on Tang Xiao.
"Tell me, what is good, and what is evil?" Ye Hao asked nonchalantly.
"I..." Tang Xiao was speechless.
"You! You are evil!" Tang San stepped forward, pointing at Ye Hao in anger.
"Evil?" Ye Hao sneered. "This world has always been this way—a world where the strong prey on the weak. History is written by the victors. You say who is evil, and they are evil. You say who is good, even if their hands are stained with blood, they are good."
"Good and evil can be reversed, facts can be twisted, and people are no different."
Ye Hao paused, then added, "Just like you."
"Me?" Tang San frowned, his fists clenching tightly.
"Back in Soto City, do you remember the six innocent soul masters you killed?" Ye Hao's lips curled into a sinister smile, his cold gaze piercing through Tang San.
Tang San's face turned pale, his heart pounding violently. He trembled as he looked at Ye Hao, disbelief written all over his face.
"You... what are you talking about? I... I don't know what you're referring to!" Tang San shook his head desperately, trying to distance himself from the accusation.
Then, he glanced at the confused faces around him and quickly added, "Everyone, you have to believe me. This is all fabricated by Ye Hao."
"The way of death, what a fitting way of death," Ye Hao slowly walked toward Tang San, his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. Each step he took intensified the tension in the air.
Strangely, they could only watch as Ye Hao approached Tang San, powerless to stop him. An invisible barrier surrounded Ye Hao, and even Tang Xiao's Clear Sky Hammer couldn't make a dent in it.
"You... what are you going to do?"
Tang San backed into a corner, his voice trembling with fear. From Ye Hao, he sensed an overwhelming danger.
"Your family is truly bizarre," Ye Hao shook his head with a bitter smile. "One loves grass, the other loves rabbits. Truly, birds of a feather flock together."
Tang San wiped the cold sweat from his brow and glanced at Xiao Wu, who was trembling behind Liu Erlong, and sighed in relief.
"Ye Hao, I will never let you go," Tang San said fiercely. Then, he suddenly pulled out a Zhuge Divine Crossbow and aimed it at Ye Hao.
But before he could pull the trigger, a purple-black lightning bolt struck from the sky, knocking the crossbow from his hand.
"Ahhh!" Tang San's right arm went numb, and blood gushed from the wound.
"Hidden weapons? Only cowards use such methods. Of course, the one who invented them is no better," Ye Hao said indifferently.
Tang San's pupils contracted. Ye Hao punched Tang San in the abdomen, causing him to vomit bile. The intense pain made him curl up on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
"Let me tell you a secret," Ye Hao leaned close to Tang San's ear and whispered, "I am... Ye Ritian."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tang San's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Goodbye, everyone." Ye Hao spread his Six-Winged Purple Light Wings and left the scene with Xie Hu.
...
As the sun set, its golden rays bathed the earth.
After a fierce battle, the Royal Knights became even more cautious. It wasn't until late at night that the Heaven Dou Empire's delegation finally arrived at Spirit City.
Everyone silently acknowledged the day's ambush.
"Make sure the participating students are settled. The elimination matches will begin in a few days. I don't want any more surprises," Xue Qinghe said sternly, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yes," the group quickly agreed.
Atop the Pope's Hall, Ye Hao sat alone on the roof, enjoying the cool night breeze. His gaze fell on the Heaven Dou Empire's delegation entering the city.
"Tang San, you probably still don't know that Yu Xiaogang isn't dead yet. I can't kill you now, but that doesn't mean I can't make you despair. This is a thousand times better than killing you."
Ye Hao smiled faintly, then returned to his room.
There were still a few days before the elimination matches began. The participating students needed time to familiarize themselves with the environment and adjust their mindset.
Especially Tang San's mindset. Ever since Tang San learned the truth about "Ye Ritian" from Ye Hao, his eyes had been filled with murderous intent for sixteen hours a day.
Flender had asked what Ye Hao had said to Tang San to make him like this, but Tang San remained tight-lipped.
Helpless, Flender could only drop the matter and remind Tang San not to do anything foolish.
This was the Spirit Hall!
The Spirit Hall!!!
On the final day before the elimination matches began, Xue Qinghe, having completed all his duties for the Heaven Dou Empire, finally had a moment to breathe.
Taking advantage of the night, she resumed her true form as Qian Renxue and entered the Pope's Hall through a secret route.
No one noticed her along the way, as her identity was known only to the highest echelons of the Spirit Hall.
Under the dim light, Ye Hao was busy handling Spirit Hall affairs. The bright light illuminated his face, and from the outside, one might easily mistake him for Bibi Dong.
As Bibi Dong had said, the burden of being the young master of the Spirit Hall was not light.
If you wear the crown, you must bear its weight.
Ye Hao scratched his head. He hadn't rested properly for several days. Why were there so many Spirit Hall affairs to handle?
Just then, a figure in a black robe pushed the door open.
Ye Hao looked up in confusion at Qian Renxue. Through the black hood, he could see her smooth golden hair spilling out, glowing with a golden halo under the light.
"I'm back," the black-clad figure, clearly a woman, spoke in a voice that sounded familiar to Ye Hao.
"Sis, it's me," Ye Hao said helplessly, recognizing the voice.
"?" Qian Renxue was startled. Why did this voice sound so familiar?
Qian Renxue lifted her hood, revealing her heroic and beautiful face, her brows exuding a sharp aura.
"Little brother, what are you doing here?" Qian Renxue asked in surprise.
"I should be asking you that!" Ye Hao looked at Qian Renxue's black robe. Despite its looseness, it couldn't hide her perfect figure, curvaceous and alluring.
"Big sis, you didn't mistake me for our mom, did you?" Ye Hao guessed.
Qian Renxue nodded silently, brushing the hair by her ear, her face flushing slightly.
"Usually, at this time, she would be here handling affairs. This little rascal just came back a few days ago, and she's already free," Qian Renxue thought to herself.
"You keep working. I'm going to see Grandpa," Qian Renxue said, about to leave.
But Ye Hao quickly stepped in front of her, blocking the door.
"Little rascal, move aside!" Qian Renxue frowned, her beautiful eyes narrowing.
Ye Hao refused to budge. He knew Qian Renxue was going to tattle.
In Qian Daoliu's mind, Qian Renxue was Ye Hao's sister, and Ye Hao was Qian Renxue's brother. The two could never be together.
Perhaps sensing Ye Hao's concern, Qian Renxue's lips curled into a smile.
"Now you're scared? Back in Heaven Dou City, you didn't hesitate to take advantage of me. You even kissed me once, twice, three times..."
Qian Renxue held up five fingers, grinning triumphantly. "More than five times!
I'm going to tell Grandpa and have him teach you a lesson!"
Sure enough, Ye Hao nodded inwardly. Then, taking advantage of Qian Renxue's smugness, he expertly wrapped his arms around her slender waist. The softness and warmth of her body ignited a fire in his heart.
"You... little rascal, let me go! I'm really angry now!" Qian Renxue pounded Ye Hao's chest, her cheeks turning a deep pink, like a ripe peach, making his blood boil.
"Sis, I need to confess something to you," Ye Hao said seriously.
Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned, but when she felt Ye Hao's next move, she panicked!
"Whatever it is, let me go first, you..."
"Mmm..."
Seeing Qian Renxue struggling, Ye Hao resorted to his old method. Holding her tightly, his lips met hers. The moment they touched, Qian Renxue felt an electric shock, that strange sensation returning.
Her earlier struggles like a kitten now turned into wholehearted surrender.
Time seemed to stand still. When their lips finally parted, Qian Renxue seized the opportunity to break free from Ye Hao's embrace.
"You little rascal, asking for a beating, aren't you? I'm definitely telling Grandpa! He'll teach you a proper lesson."
Ye Hao acted as if nothing had happened, stepping aside to let Qian Renxue leave.
"Go ahead. Even if you go to Grandpa, I have my reasons. Grandpa will definitely agree, and..." Ye Hao's lips curled into a confident smile.
"You..." Qian Renxue frowned, her beautiful eyes narrowing. She knew her brother too well. He wouldn't do anything without being sure of the outcome.
Reluctantly, Qian Renxue sat down on a chair, removing her black robe and placing it aside. She crossed her legs, revealing her flawless, jade-like skin.
"Go on, then. I want to hear what makes you so confident. You know how Grandpa's temper is..."
Ye Hao chuckled, pulling up a chair to sit across from Qian Renxue.
Suddenly, Ye Hao's expression turned serious. "Actually... I'm not Mom's biological son."
"Huh?"
"What did you say?" Qian Renxue's eyes widened in shock, a glimmer of light flashing through them before being quickly concealed.
"I said," Ye Hao cleared his throat, taking a sip of tea from the table to moisten his throat, "I, Ye Hao, am not Mom's biological son."
Ye Hao's words echoed in Qian Renxue's mind like a resounding bell. She stared at him in disbelief, covering her cherry-like lips with her hand.
"What... what exactly happened?"
This news was undoubtedly explosive, hitting Qian Renxue like a tidal wave and completely reshaping her understanding.
Ye Hao sighed softly and began to explain, "Back then, the Spirit Hall invaded Sea God Island..."
"..."
"..."
The room was silent, illuminated by the soft glow of the night lights.
Under the light, Ye Hao and Qian Renxue sat facing each other, adding a unique atmosphere to the quiet night.
Qian Renxue listened intently to Ye Hao's explanation, her expressions shifting dramatically, often gasping in surprise.
"And that's how Mom accepted me," Ye Hao finished, a relieved smile spreading across his face. He was one step closer to success.
"This..." Qian Renxue's eyes were filled with astonishment. She sighed softly, "It's unbelievable, unheard of."
After a long silence, a glimmer of light shone in Qian Renxue's eyes as she looked at her "brother." For some reason, he now felt unfamiliar.
Previously, they had addressed each other as siblings, but now the situation had completely reversed.
It turned out that her "brother" wasn't her biological sibling at all but a creation of a "god" modeled after her.
This revelation shocked Qian Renxue, and for some inexplicable reason, a faint sense of joy bubbled up in her heart.
"But... I still can't believe it. Are you lying to me?" Qian Renxue stared intently at Ye Hao.
When their eyes met, Ye Hao's gaze was sincere and steady, devoid of any deception. This temporarily convinced Qian Renxue.
However, such an unbelievable thing happening to her brother—no, to Ye Hao—was still hard to accept.
"Sis, no, I should call you Xue'er now," Ye Hao grinned, his white teeth gleaming under the light, a confident smile spreading across his face.
"You!" Qian Renxue blushed furiously, her cheeks turning a deep red.
Having been called "sister" by Ye Hao for so long, the sudden change in address made Qian Renxue feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"You should keep calling me 'sister.' It sounds more natural," Qian Renxue said, taking a deep breath to calm her restless heart.
Seeing this, Ye Hao stood up and grabbed Qian Renxue's hand, pulling her toward the door.
"Where... where are you taking me?" Before leaving, Qian Renxue didn't forget to grab the black robe she had set aside, wrapping herself tightly in it.
"To see Mom. Since you don't believe me, let Mom tell you herself. Only she and I know about this," Ye Hao said, leading Qian Renxue toward Bibi Dong's bedroom.
Late at night, the Pope's Hall was quiet except for the occasional patrol. The two moved stealthily, careful not to expose Qian Renxue's identity.
Ye Hao activated his Death God's Heart, allowing them to walk openly without being noticed by the patrolling Spirit Hall disciples.
When they reached Bibi Dong's bedroom, just as Ye Hao was about to knock on the door, Qian Renxue hesitated, grabbing Ye Hao's hand.
"Maybe we should forget it. It's so late. She's probably asleep. Let's not disturb her."
Ye Hao smiled softly, leaning down to kiss Qian Renxue's forehead.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
With that, Ye Hao ignored Qian Renxue's resentful gaze and knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock..."