Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

Wang Qiu'er frowned, a sudden sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

"So what if I am? And who are you? Do I need to meet you to be a Shrek Academy student?"

“To attack a classmate on the street without provocation and rob them of their belongings—good, very good.” Zhang Lexuan’s tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority. “You will learn what Shrek’s school rules truly represent.”

Having said that, she turned and walked towards Kong Tianxu as if the brief conflict had never happened. Kong Tianxu had already paid for the jade hairpin to the silent stall owner beside him.

Zhang Lexuan took the elegant jade hairpin from Kong Tianxu, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, and solemnly put it away.

After giving Wang Qiu'er, who was standing there with an ever-changing expression, a meaningful glance, Kong Tianxu said nothing more and continued to stroll leisurely toward Shrek Academy.

Wang Qiu'er bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then, as if possessed, followed behind, deliberately keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

She had no idea at that moment how thoroughly the four words "human relationships and social customs" would torment this darling of fate in the time to come.

……

Walking along the familiar streets of Shrek City, feeling the long-lost academy atmosphere, Zhang Lexuan seemed to suddenly remember something, turned her head and asked softly:

"By the way, Tianxu, about that time at the Clear Sky Sect... that ice-attribute Limit Douluo powerhouse, is she alright? The people at the Clear Sky Sect called her the Snow Empress? Isn't that the title of the head of the three Heavenly Kings of the legendary far north? But she seems to be different from your sister Xue'er..."

Kong Tianxu remained calm and replied, "She is in a deep state of slumber and recovery. A powerhouse at the Limit Douluo level doesn't fall so easily. As for her origins, she is indeed the Snow Empress, ranked third among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts and the ruler of the Far North."

Under the sudden, wide-eyed gaze of Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao, Kong Tianxu's tone softened unconsciously:

"It was quite a coincidence. Xiao Tao should know where she came from."

He looked at Ma Xiaotao.

Ma Xiaotao was taken aback, then suddenly remembered: "Could it be the 100,000-year-old soul beast embryo that appeared at the Star Luo Empire auction during the last competition?!"

“Exactly.” Kong Tianxu nodded. “By chance, she stopped her studies, but also lost most of her memories and began to regard me as her older brother.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao exchanged bewildered glances, their pretty faces filled with shock.

A legendary overlord of the far north appeared beside me in this way, and even became my "sister"? The amount of information contained here is enough to cause a huge uproar in the hearts of anyone who knows the weight of the Snow Empress.

"I believe the academy will investigate the matter of the Haotian Sect thoroughly and give you a satisfactory explanation," Zhang Lexuan said firmly after a moment's thought.

Ma Xiaotao's eyes darted around, while Kong Tianxu pursed his lips, remaining noncommittal.

"Hard to say."

As the three talked, they entered the academy area. Before they had gone far, a commotion and obvious fluctuations of soul power came from ahead.

Immediately afterwards, a figure tumbled and rolled like a sandbag thrown by a great force, landing right at Kong Tianxu's feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his breath weak.

Coincidentally, this person was the first outer court student who questioned whether to call Kong Tianxu "senior brother" after Kong Tianxu single-handedly defeated the entire inner court. His name was Jin Sha, and his nickname was "Sandbag".

A familiar voice also rang out at that moment:

"How dare you presume to comment on the academy's eternal glory? Kong Tianxu is dead! Even if he were still alive, if he dared to appear in this competition, I would show him what true strength is! Today's punishment is merely a small lesson; if it happens again, I will not let him off lightly!"

Kong Tianxu followed the sound and looked in that direction—

Not far away, a number of students had gathered to watch the spectacle. In the center of the arena, Huo Yuhao did not even glance at the trajectory of the flying golden sand. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his face as calm as still water, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster, as he slowly withdrew the arm he had just swung out.

Chapter 244 Huh? You're not dead?

In the year following Kong Tianxu's death, Huo Yuhao finally released the pent-up emotions that had been building up for so long.

To be honest, at first, Huo Yuhao was somewhat at a loss when the figure behind him, who was like a whip constantly lashing and urging him on, suddenly disappeared.

But soon, amidst Shrek's familiar academy life and nourished by Wang Dong's revelation of the love behind his daughter, he gradually relaxed.

Although he still cultivated diligently, and was occasionally covered in dust and dirt by the absurd seal on Wang Dong'er's body, he was no longer as tense as before, and his confidence and pride were quietly growing.

Simply put, he became somewhat arrogant due to the explosion that came after a long period of self-suppression.

After all, even without Kong Tianxu, Huo Yuhao would still be the number one genius on Douluo Continent. The war threat from the Sun Moon Empire, the eternal glory of Shrek Academy, and the revival of the Tang Sect would all be erased and rebuilt through his and his companions' efforts.

As for the other geniuses of the Sun Moon Empire, they are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs piled up with drugs, which can be broken with a flick of the finger.

Even so, everything related to Kong Tianxu, especially the crushing defeat in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, remains, like his mother's story, the deepest scar in his heart.

Today, when that outer court student was discussing with his companions, he not only praised Kong Tianxu's past achievements in sweeping the inner court, calling him the true senior brother, but also lamented his passing. He even went so far as to speculate that if Kong Tianxu were still alive, Shrek Academy's future in the upcoming competition would likely remain uncertain.

These words undoubtedly struck a nerve with Huo Yuhao. He usually controlled his pride quite well, but Jinsha's words had clearly touched a raw nerve.

Dragons have scales that cannot be touched; those who touch them will die. Considering we were classmates, this minor punishment serves as a warning and a justifiable course of action.

After disciplining Jinsha, Huo Yuhao's imposing gaze swept over the surrounding students who were trembling with fear:

"As your senior, I'm a little older than you, so I'd like to remind you again, juniors, that Kong Tianxu is dead—"

"Your mother is the one who died."

His calm yet straightforward words broke the tension he had been building up and instantly froze the air in the room.

Huo Yuhao's lips trembled violently.

That sound?

But what flowed out before the memories was anger.

How dare they insult his great and suffering mother, Huo Yun'er, the author of the sesame seed cake story?!

No matter who it is!

"You have already chosen a path to death!"

Huo Yuhao's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and a raging fire of anger and killing intent surged into the sky as he whirled around!

The newcomer was dressed in a black robe, with a tall and straight figure, flowing silver hair, and two strands of golden hair that adorned his purple-gold eyes. He exuded an air of authority without being angry.

Huo Yuhao immediately sobered up.

It's him?

Is it a person? A ghost? A dream?

In the dead of night, the nightmare figure still wakes me up in a cold sweat. Has it really returned?

Kong Tianxu remained expressionless, casually flicking his finger towards Huo Yuhao from afar.

Danger!Danger!Danger!

It was as if every cell was screaming shrilly! The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and Ice Emperor in the Sea of ​​Spirit were instantly awakened. This seemingly harmless finger strike made a warning sound in Huo Yuhao's heart!

Although his body was ice-cold, Huo Yuhao's honed and powerful fighting instincts allowed him to make the right choice immediately.

With a roar that was hard to tell whether it was from fear or rage, Huo Yuhao's eyes turned emerald green. The temperature in the air around his body plummeted instantly. A faint, primordial aura also began to emanate from him.

A vibrant emerald light appeared on his torso and bones, spreading throughout his entire body, all of it converging towards his chest. A terrifying, ultimate power surged forth in that instant.

"Look! It's Huo Yuhao's strongest skill, the Wrath of the Ice Emperor! That's the fury from his ultimate martial soul, the Ice Jade Scorpion! This guy who overestimated himself and dared to provoke Senior Huo Yuhao is finished!"

Among the crowd, a second-year student wearing a yellow school uniform recognized Huo Yuhao's skill at that moment and exclaimed in surprise.

This second-year student clearly idolized Huo Yuhao, and it just so happened that Huo Yuhao had returned to Shrek Academy in disgrace during the few days he enrolled.

However, in the past year, with his twin martial souls, ultimate ice, Tang Sect's unique skills, and a constant stream of powerful soul tools, Huo Yuhao has risen rapidly in the inner academy and has also made quite a few appearances within Shrek Academy, earning the prestigious title of "Hundred Transformations of Spirit Ice".

Although he is only a Soul King, he has already achieved the amazing feat of fighting a Soul Saint to a draw in a head-on battle. Among the freshmen who have only been enrolled for a year, there are undoubtedly many of his fans.

However, faced with his overwhelming excitement, the older student beside him could only murmur in shock:

"The Supreme Dragon Kong Tianxu, it's him? He's back? And he seems even stronger?"

But I'm not the same person I used to be!

Huo Yuhao shouted in his heart. He didn't have the Snow Empress's Three Absolute Skills, but he still possessed the Ice Empress's 400,000-year-old soul ring and soul bone. He would use his strongest form to announce to the world this transformation forged through hard work and sweat!

A beam of emerald green light burst forth from his chest. Where the light passed, the surrounding air instantly began to solidify, so much so that a solid emerald green ice pillar appeared in the void after the light flashed, and only began to fall to the ground after it spread out, which shows how terrifying the extreme cold was.

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's 400,000-year-old torso bone soul skill—Wrath of the Ice Emperor—is Huo Yuhao's strongest personal attack soul skill, unleashed at full power!

In response, Kong Tianxu simply lowered his gaze slightly by an inch.

The straight, emerald-green beam of light that Huo Yuhao had placed so much hope in actually bent and softened downwards as it gradually slowed down, taking on the shape of a faucet.

It's like a caterpillar that can't get up again in a day.

The Ice Emperor's Wrath! Even you...

You better stand up straight!

Huo Yuhao seemed to be suddenly stung by something; his hair and beard stood on end, his face turned bright red, and he frantically circulated his soul power, but he could not save the emerald green pillar of light from withering.

There was a soft "pop" sound.

Like a balloon that has been inflated to its maximum size and then suddenly burst.

The Ice Emperor's wrath shattered with a deafening roar.

Huo Yuhao was horrified. He quickly crossed his arms to protect himself. A blood-red soul ring flashed in a white light, and hexagonal diamond ice crystals covered his entire body. He activated the Ice Emperor Protection to its limit in an instant.

In addition, a hazy golden light permeated the area, and an invincible protective shield quietly appeared.

But all of this was in vain.

"Bang!!"

Ice Emperor's Protection, broken! Invincible Shield, broken!

Several rapid, light sounds converged into an indescribable muffled sound, as if Kong Tianxu had not flicked a finger, but a fixed-position soul-guided cannonball with physical properties!

Huo Yuhao was sent flying backwards like a kite with a broken string, drawing a messy arc in the air before crashing heavily into the thick courtyard wall dozens of meters away, leaving a human-shaped dent before slowly sliding down.

The scene was completely silent.

This is simply—

Clay chickens and earthenware dogs, easily broken with a flick of the finger.

It's him.

Huo Yuhao knelt on the ground, his face pale, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. His arms lay limply on the broken rubble, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and fear.

It's him! It's him! It's him!!!

He's back, everything's back, it's him again, it's that feeling again! He's really back!

Kong Tianxu.

He looked up, as if he were a child facing his father's imposing back in the Duke's mansion, mouth agape, murmuring: