Even so, Luo Yanglu did not believe Huo Yuhao already possessed mental control rivaling that of a Titled Douluo; he assumed it was merely the effect of his third soul skill.
Huo Yuhao had not possessed his third Spirit Ring for very long, so Luo Yanglu had no idea what its effect was. Furthermore, the boy's Ice Silkworm Soul Spirit was mutated, having granted him a divine skill like Spiritual Detection Sharing—who could guarantee it wouldn't produce other bizarre soul skills?
It was likely a special soul skill that enhanced his mental control...
Having dealt with Gu Yuena's first wave of attacks, Huo Yuhao pushed lightly off the balls of his feet and darted forward in an instant, leaving an afterimage in his wake as he charged straight at Gu Yuena. His astonishing speed made Xie Xie wonder whether he himself was even an Agility-Attack Battle Soul Master.
Relying on his exceptional speed, Huo Yuhao arrived before Gu Yuena in practically a blink, clenching his right hand into a fist and driving it straight toward her abdomen.
Yet this strike, which seemed certain to hit, met only empty air.
With a flash of silver light, Gu Yuena had already appeared ten meters away.
"Spatial element?"
Wei Xiaofeng's eyes went wide.
Against Huo Yuhao, he had completely yielded; that soul power rank alone snuffed out any notion of a challenge. But toward the others, he hadn't yet conceded. He had originally intended to secure third place and fight for second by testing himself against Gu Yuena, but seeing the battle unfold this far, he completely discarded the thought.
Gu Yuena had already displayed six distinct elements, including an element as baffling as space. For him to defeat her was utterly out of the question!
Gu Yuena glanced in Luo Yanglu's direction, drew a deep breath, and swiftly formed a complex hand seal before her chest. The first and second Spirit Rings circling her body flared with brilliant light.
A cluster of fiery red light blossomed in front of her while a swirl of cyan light wrapped around it.
Wind and fire complemented each other. The cyan wind element ceaselessly bolstered the flame's might, stoking it ever higher. In the blink of an eye, a meter-tall dual whirlwind of wind and fire took shape before her, radiating a suffocating, violent aura.
That was not all. Although Gu Yuena was no longer channeling additional soul power, the elemental energy in the air converged on its own, fueling the fury of the wind-and-fire twister.
The spectating students cried out in shock and hastily scrambled back.
Seeing this, Luo Yanglu was equally stunned. "The Heart of Elements?"
Elemental Soul Masters were exceedingly rare. If one wished to become a powerhouse, one had to comprehend the Heart of Elements—the true essence of the elements.
Mastering the Heart of Elements meant a Soul Master could truly harmonize with their Martial Soul. Instead of relying solely on their own soul power, they could directly draw upon elemental power from the air, vastly increasing both their attack and defense.
For a Soul Master to master the Heart of Elements at this age—and for two different elements at that—was something he had never even heard of!
At this thought, Luo Yanglu silently rejoiced that he had become Class One's teacher.
Channeling so much elemental power, the wind-and-fire storm now rivaled the strongest soul skill of a four-ring Battle Soul Master. If Gu Yuena's spiritual power failed to contain it and it erupted out of control, an ordinary Soul King might not even arrive in time to save her opponent.
He wasn't worried about Yuhao, but if a teacher unaware of Gu Yuena's true strength rashly paired her against someone else, and that opponent managed to provoke her, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Watching the incoming attack, Huo Yuhao knew Gu Yuena didn't want to drag this out and intended to conclude the spar quickly. His eyes flashed. A cold, eerie light coated his palm as his boundless spiritual power blended with his Ultimate Ice soul power, infusing his entire presence with an otherworldly, transcendent aura.
*Let's use a little of my own creation, then.*
As the fiery storm swept close, Huo Yuhao unleashed this palm strike, condensed with a portion of his essence, energy, and spirit.
*Boom!*
A violent elemental storm erupted. Under Huo Yuhao's deliberate control, the chill of Ultimate Ice did not spread; instead, it entirely neutralized the fiery elemental vortex, extinguishing the dual wind-and-fire cyclone in an instant.
With a flash of silver light, Gu Yuena reappeared right before Huo Yuhao, dozens of frosty ice spikes swirling around her.
Yet before she could hurl the ice spikes, she was touched by the lingering spiritual conception remaining in the air. Her mind froze for a heartbeat, and a scroll of imagery seemed to unfurl before her eyes.
Amidst the boundless mortal world, a figure was draped in a veil of cold hues. He watched the bustling throngs come and go, as though standing in an entirely different time and space, bearing witness to the flow of years and the shifting tides of the world...
The mortal world sank into turmoil; he merely looked on!
"Thank you for the match," Huo Yuhao said, seeing Gu Yuena halt her attack. He made no further move.
Neither had revealed their true capabilities, nor was it possible for them to fight with genuine strength here. He understood what Luo Yanglu wanted to learn and had already tested it out for him when closing the distance. Ending it here was the best outcome.
Snapping out of her daze, Gu Yuena took a deep breath, and the ice spikes around her dissipated into cold mist.
Just now, that artistic conception had genuinely affected her. If an attack had followed, she likely would have struggled to react in time.
Yet she didn't care about victory or defeat. What intrigued her more was the conception within that skill. Was that truly how this Godking viewed the world?
It felt quite far removed from what she had imagined; she had assumed he was far more involved in mortal affairs...
"Are you two all right?"
Seeing both stop, Luo Yanglu walked over. He looked them over and, finding no injuries, relaxed completely.
Only then did he find the time to ponder the fight he had just witnessed.
That Huo Yuhao would face the fire storm head-on had surprised him, but what was even more unexpected was that final palm strike Huo Yuhao delivered.
The other students couldn't comprehend it, but Luo Yanglu understood what that blow represented.
That was a self-created supreme technique!
Harmonizing one's comprehension of their Martial Soul, soul power, blood essence, spiritual power, and even their very will and emotion into a supreme combat technique perfectly tailored to oneself was a path that only Titled-level powerhouses gradually explored.
The Qiangu Clan's Unyielding Staff Technique in their Spirit Pagoda, Shrek's Red Dragon Douluo's Nine Red Dragon Forms, and others all belonged to this domain—the difference lay merely in what elements were integrated.
Regardless, such supreme techniques were uniquely suited to their creators and could grow ever stronger alongside the Soul Master.
*No wonder Yichen said he couldn't teach you, and that his self-created soul skills weren't suitable for you. So this was why. Creating your own combat technique at such an age... you really are something, Yuhao. Still, to weave in such an aloof, detached conception... you really need to learn how to connect with people.*
Luo Yanglu sighed with emotion.
And Gu Yuena, who had comprehended the Heart of Elements in two attributes... Both of them were utter freaks of nature!
Then again, these were the future successors of their Spirit Pagoda. The freakier, the better!
After his bout of marveling, Luo Yanglu did not forget the purpose of arranging this duel. Looking at Gu Yuena, he smiled and said:
"Your understanding of your Martial Soul is very solid, and you clearly know how to leverage your advantages. However, it seems you haven't received enough fundamental training; you're lacking combat experience.
"When Yuhao closed in just now, he actually had ways to restrict you and end the fight right then and there. But knowing what I wanted to test, he refrained from using his Simulation and Disruption skills, letting you escape with your spatial element.
"Your movements back then showed no intention of dodging; you intended to rely purely on your Martial Soul's innate abilities, didn't you? But have you considered what happens if that approach fails?"
Gu Yuena: "..."
*I see. So that was his point?*
Strictly speaking, she truly lacked actual combat experience and worldly knowledge.
After all, once she went to rest in the Lake of Life, she had never left. Where would she have gained combat experience or worldly knowledge?
It was just that in battles at the divine level, the decisive factor was the laws of the universe—where overwhelming power could brute-force anything. Experience wasn't useless, but it wasn't as critical as mortals imagined.
Nonetheless, Gu Yuena showed none of her thoughts and humbly accepted the critique.
*Learn from Godking Huo!*
Chapter 38