Jing Hongchen nodded. His expression seemed a lot better than before with the Imperial Tutor’s affirmation.


    The rostrum was calm and cool, but that didn’t mean the audience shared the sameposure. Retreating without a battle was a cowardly act in their eyes, and the team that represented the empire’s dignity actually admitted defeat, just like that! Shouts and curses echoed throughout the arena, and some impulsive citizens would have rushed forward if there hadn’t been soldiers standing guard all around.


    Xiao Hongchen threw a cold nce in Huo Yuhao’s direction after admitting defeat, before jumping down from thepetition stage along with his sister and his two remainingpanions. Nothing else was said.


    Huo Yuhao’s eyes closed into slits. “The Sun Moon Empire will be a lot harder to deal with now.”


    Xu Sanshi frowned and said, “I wanted to take this chance to cripple them for good. I didn’t expect them to be so frightened.”


    Jiang Nannan shook her head and said, “I don’t think they’re afraid. Look at Xiao Hongchen’s 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. We’ve improved since five years ago, but I’m sure our opponents have improved, as well. Don’t forget that the two siblings were already Soul Kings five year ago.”


    Xiao Xiao chimed in, “The Sun Moon Empire’s reserve team can’t be that weak. Even though we’ve won this round, we haven’t done much to weaken their overall strength.”


    “Let’s go,” Huo Yuhao said.


    ---


    Everyone got off thepetition stage, and their expressions immediately became a lot more rxed than before. No matter what, they had still managed to defeat the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy in front of the Sun Moon Empire’s crowd. They believed that the Tang Sect’s name would resonate through every single household within the Sun Moon Empire. Of course, the other teams would also begin to ce a lot more emphasis on them...


    “Huo Yuhao.” 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. “Do you need something, Qiu’er?” Wang Qiu’er, the Shrek Academy team leader, was the one who had stopped them.


    Wang Qiu’er lowered her voice and said, “Shrek Academy doesn’t need your help. We will defeat them all the same.” 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 inly, “We didn’t mean to help you guys, and we were only helping ourselves. We’ve won the first round, and good luck to you guys.”


    Wang Qiu’er 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 nk 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 Empire’s 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 Dong’er back to their room.


    Huo Yuhao suddenly said, “Take off your clothes.”


    Wang Dong’er was momentarily stunned, but she quickly recovered and understood that he wanted to see her injuries. But she still pouted and said, “Yuhao, you’re not allowed to use that ice-cold spell anymore. I don’t like you this way.”


    The corner of Huo Yuhao’s mouth twitched. “Do you think I’ll have the ability to direct a battle with you around if I don’t use this ability? I didn’t say it before this, but the truth is that we might not have won the group battle today. If I’m not wrong, Xiao Hongchen’s abilities have broken through into yet another level. I studied his blood cirction and his soul power undtions closely before this, and I believe that my judgment is right.”


    Wang Dong’er was dumbfounded. “Are you saying that he’s already… how is that possible? He’s only twenty years old!”


    Huo Yuhao answered, “Don’t forget that the Illustrious Virtue Hall is excessively wealthy, and they don’tck resources of any kind. It’s 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. I’m very worried about how Shrek Academy’s team will fare against them. They will never give up theirbat against the Sun Moon Empire with our performance today, and with Shrek Academy’s glory at stake. They will undoubtedly choose to fight until the end, but that’s not something that I wish to see.”


    Wang Dong’er thought for a moment and said, “We’ve already done what we could. Don’t think too much.”


    Huo Yuhao tilted his head and said, “It’ll be very difficult for Shrek Academy to defeat the Sun Moon Empire’s team with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen around. Eh, why haven’t you taken off your clothes yet?”


    Wang Dong’er blushed. “You… you’re staring at me like that, how am I supposed to take them off…?”


    Huo Yuhao’s eyes were as cold as ever. Wang Dong’er felt as if she were being scrutinized and interrogated by that pair of eyes, and it didn’t feel good at all.


    Huo Yuhao forced augh and said, “I’ll turn around, then. Lie down on the bed after you’ve taken off your clothes, and I’ll help you inspect your body.”


    The corner of Wang Dong’er’s mouth twitched. “Your words sound very strange. You’re not allowed to touch ces you’re not supposed to.”


    “Ahem, am I that kind of person?” Huo Yuhao answered calmly.


    Wang Dong’er grunted and retorted, “Yes, you are!”


    It took five minutes, as Wang Dong’er took her time and reluctantly removed her clothes before sheid face down on the bed, and Huo Yuhao began to inspect the injuries on her back.


    The Goddess of Light’s Possession’s defensive effects were extremely formidable. Even though the dposition rays didn’t have their own element, the Possession withstood the brunt of the attack, and Wang Dong’er 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 wasn’t 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 assimting it, he still had ample life energy. Wang Dong’er’s recovery naturally elerated because of his blood.


    “Yuhao, the Radiant City Elite Soul Engineering Competition is happening tomorrow night, right? Lucky for us, it’s on a different day from our own tournament.” Wang Dong’er was a little panicky and anxious. Even though her rtionship 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 Yuhao’s eyes were already ck at this point. He felt an intense heartache seeing the three wounds on Wang Dong’er’s 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 hisposure. It took a lot of effort before his quivering fingers managed to smudge some of his blood onto all three of Wang Dong’er’s wounds.


    “What are you doing, Yuhao? Why do my wounds feel so itchy?” Wang Dong’er suddenly shifted her body subtly.


    Huo Yuhao felt his entire body freeze up. Right when Wang Dong’er 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 can’tpare to Xiaotao, she isn’t that far off...


    “Why aren’t you talking, Yuhao?” Wang Dong’er turned around to look at him, and she coincidentally met his eyes that were fixated upon a certain somewhere. She eximed in shock and immediately pulled up the nket to cover her body, and tossed a pillow at him with her other hand.


    “What are you looking at, you idiot!”


    Huo Yuhao wasn’t prepared at all, and the pillow almost knocked him dizzy. However, he still maintained his cool because of the spell and he answered calmly, “I’m staring at the most beautiful things in the world.”


    Wang Dong’er poked her head out from underneath the nket and said angrily, “Were they nice to look at?”


    Huo Yuhao sounded very serious as he replied, “Yes, they were very nice.”


    Wang Dong’er grunted indignantly and said, “You’re sleeping on the floor today as punishment.”


    Huo Yuhao’s body suddenly trembled, and his face became ghastly pale as his head tilted back diagonally onto his wheelchair. “I’ve used too much spiritual power. I feel so weak.” He closed his eyes as he spoke.


    Wang Dong’er was truly startled by his behaviour, and she wrapped the nket around herself as she sat up. However, she quickly realized that a certain shameless fellow had his eyes closed, but his eyshes were still quivering faintly.


    “You feel weak, huh. Then you can sit on your wheelchair and feel weak all you want. I’m going to take a nap, and you can forget about going for lunch after this. Just stay there and feel exhausted.” Wang Dong’er muttered coldly, and she rapidly put on her clothes with the nket covering her body before shey downfortably on the bed.


    Huo Yuhao opened his eyes exasperatedly. “I don’t want to be like this either, and this is all because of that spell. Yes, it’s all because of that. The spell will always make me deal with things in the way that’s most beneficial for me. Look like I can’t use this spell anymore. You can’t me me, Dong’er. You can’t punish me like that.”


    Wang Dong’er still sounded a little upset. “You’re 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 you’re not supposed to is another. If I don’t punish you in some way… hmph!”


    Huo Yuhao droned on and said, “You’ve changed, Dong’er. You’ve always been so gentle and tender in recent days. Why are you like this today? I was just taking a look, it’s not a big deal.”


    Wang Dong’er sat up and stared at Huo Yuhao seriously. “Tell me honestly, Yuhao. Do you like how I am like now, or do you like how gentle and tender I was?”


    Huo Yuhao was taken aback. “I don’t know. Both seem pretty good. When you’re warm, I feel like I’m about to melt. However, I feel a little more familiar with the way you are now. What’s wrong, Dong’er? 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?”