Outside the Skysea Stadium, the crowd surged in all directions like a receding tide under the night sky, yet the waves of discussion about the match rose higher and higher like incoming waves.
From the bar streets around the stadium to the subway cars at the other end of the city, the entire Skysea City was immersed in heated discussions.
Through the soul guidance network, this match had already begun spreading throughout the entire Federation.
However, Huo Yuhao and the others didn't pay attention to this. They just returned to the hotel as before, preparing to rest.
After all, in the eyes of Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena, this was nothing significant.
As for Xie Xie and the others...
"What's there to be proud of about winning by lying down? We're just the background for our boss," Xie Xie rolled his eyes.
It was too brutal. Boss Yuhao's battle had almost shattered people's confidence in cultivation.
Fortunately, they weren't his opponents, otherwise the psychological shadow would have been severe.
"Don't compare yourself with others," Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. "There will always be someone better than you. You can't compare with everyone."
"I don't believe there's anyone more outstanding than you, boss," Xie Xie pouted.
"Aren't you better than me?" Huo Yuhao chuckled. "I can't learn your sharp tongue."
"...Pfft!" Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help laughing, and the others also couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Is that the same thing?" Xie Xie retorted verbally, but his mood had eased quite a bit, becoming more relaxed.
Indeed, the boss is a monster, why compare with him?
...
In front of the soul guidance screen, Yu Zheng and Long Hengxu watched the entire match without speaking for a long time.
Long Hengxu closed his eyes, waiting for his emotions to calm down before opening them and saying, "Principal, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't have believed that such a genius came from Eastsea and has some connection with our academy."
The soul guidance screen was still replaying Huo Yuhao's earlier scene, with just one palm strike, his opponent's battle armor shattered piece by piece.
Who could have thought that one day their Eastsea Academy could defeat Shrek Academy? And in such a crushing manner?
Yu Zheng shook his head, "He's no longer a genius, but a strong expert."
Being able to defeat a Shrek Academy genius student equipped with battle armor, Huo Yuhao's strength could rank highly even in Eastsea.
"In the coming days, the Eastsea Administrator will probably come to me to discuss some matters. Please take care of things at the academy."
Yu Zheng rose from his office chair and walked towards the door with a straight back.
With Eastsea Academy making such a big splash, it would undoubtedly attract attention from all sides.
However, isn't this exactly what he wanted?
"Taking advantage of the wind stirred up by student Yuhao, our Eastsea Academy can also rise."
As for Shrek Academy's attitude... Yu Zheng wasn't too worried.
Essentially, this competition was between the Spirit Pagoda and Shrek Academy. Once Huo Yuhao and the others' identity as members of the Spirit Pagoda was revealed, not many people would pay attention to them.
Moreover, he had already contacted Hua Yichen, who said they wouldn't implicate them.
Having cooperated with Eastsea Spirit Pagoda for so long, their credibility has always been trustworthy.
...
As an alliance of five major first-tier cities in the east, the Skysea Alliance's competition naturally attracted attention from the entire Federation.
With some forces adding fuel to the fire, within just a few days, the news of Shrek's defeat by a single person had spread throughout the entire Federation, being repeatedly played and watched by many.
It was at this time that the Spirit Pagoda adjusted Huo Yuhao's ranking on the Young Genius List from eighth place to first, bestowing upon him the title of "Spirit Sovereign."
Regardless of the internal factions within the Spirit Pagoda, no one who had watched the match footage dared to directly raise any doubts.
With spiritual power reaching the Spirit Abyss Realm, four ten-thousand-year soul rings, and Soul Ancestor cultivation, achieving such accomplishments at the age of ten is probably unprecedented and may remain unmatched in the future.
With the Spirit Pagoda as his background, there's no doubt that Huo Yuhao would be a prominent figure of this era.
This match completely brought Huo Yuhao into the sight of various forces, making him famous throughout the world.
"Boss, you're really number one in the world now!"
Xie Xie looked at the praises for Huo Yuhao on the internet and the new rankings on the Young Genius List, exclaiming repeatedly.
"Not just Yuhao, Na'er's ranking has also risen, to Yuhao's previous position," Xu Xiaoyan sighed. "If Na'er had performed a bit more on the battlefield earlier, she might have risen even higher."
"I don't care," Gu Yuena sat beside Huo Yuhao, gently picking up a delicate rose pastry and taking small bites. Her black hair fell down, glowing softly in the sunlight.
"Rankings and such, they don't matter."
Gu Yuena swallowed the sweet pastry, her eyes slightly curved, "Anyway, Yuhao is already first."
Huo Yuhao smiled and handed her a cup of warm honey flower tea, "Eat slowly, don't choke."
Xie Xie looked at the two, dramatically covering his chest, "Hey hey, can you two not be so calm? The entire soul master world is discussing Boss Yuhao now, and we've been dug up too!"
"You've also become famous across the continent, isn't that good?" Gu Yuena took the teacup.
"...That's true too."
Xie Xie thought carefully and nodded.
Becoming famous, which young man doesn't have such a dream?
But the pressure is also quite high. At least he can't remain as calm as Boss Yuhao. Should he wear a mask when going out in the future?
Beside them, Tang Wulin held a crystal cake made by Huo Yuhao, eating it with a blissful expression while asking, "But what about Shrek? They lost so badly this time, and the online comments about them aren't very friendly... Could something happen?"
People always side with the weaker party. Although the result was Huo Yuhao single-handedly sweeping through the opposition, their Eastsea team's ages were there for all to see.
Naturally, public opinion sided with them, putting all the pressure on Shrek.
"Wulin, you're too soft-hearted,"
Wang Jinxi shook his head, "Everything has its price. Teacher Luo has already communicated with the Skysea Alliance and didn't let the conflict's origin be exposed. That's quite humane of them, don't overthink it."
It's worth mentioning that during this public opinion storm, the Spirit Pagoda didn't add fuel to the fire.
Instead, they proactively communicated with the Skysea Alliance and appropriately controlled certain key information.
If not for this, once the true origin of the match conflict was exposed, those seven Shrek students would likely have suffered an even heavier blow.
Hearing this, Tang Wulin nodded and stopped overthinking.
Xie Xie asked curiously, "By the way, how's your forging competition going, Wulin?"
Tang Wulin swallowed the last piece of cake, confidently saying, "The finals are in one more day, I can win!"
"That's great. Compared to us who won by lying down, you're really going to become famous, Wulin," Xie Xie said somewhat enviously.
Secondary professions... Although they had also chosen their own secondary professions, their progress wasn't fast and needed time to improve.
Tang Wulin scratched his head and smiled.
It was the Spirit Pagoda that gave him this opportunity. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to show his forging talent in front of others.
Compared to the relaxed atmosphere at Eastsea Academy, the Shrek students staying at the hotel were in a state of lifeless gloom.
In the spacious suite, the curtains were tightly closed, with dim light covering every corner.
The once proud and confident young soul masters were now either slumped on the sofa or leaning against the wall, their eyes vacant, as if they hadn't recovered from the shock of that battle.
"We... lost to one person?" Yao Qixuan stared at the match footage looping on the soul guidance screen, his voice hoarse.
In the footage, Huo Yuhao's figure moved like a ghost, four pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul rings emitting suffocating pressure, while they were as powerless as children before him.
"Spirit Abyss Realm spiritual power... how is that possible..." Ning Yue murmured to herself, her fingers unconsciously twisting her clothes, still unable to believe it.
Lin Xuyao stared at the constantly jumping posts on the soul guidance screen, his face dark.
[Seven vs Seven? Wrong, One vs Seven! Shrek's Glory No More.]
[Shrek Students' Post-match Interview: "We lost fairly, he's really too strong..."]
[From Eighth to First: This Youth's Path to the Top Shocked Everyone.](Small text: Especially those he defeated)
[Shrek Academy Issues Emergency Statement: This Match Was Pure Accident, We're Studying How to Reasonably Lose to a Child!]
As he scrolled down, especially when he saw the fourth post, Lin Xuyao's forehead veins bulged, his fists clenched with cracking sounds, unable to hold back any longer, "These unscrupulous..."
Swish,
Perhaps sensing his anger, the fourth post quickly disappeared, having been deleted.
"..."