Chapter 169: Collapse of the Plan
Because of his confidence in the simulation created by his third soul skill, Huo Yuhao exuded arrogance toward the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy.
However, that arrogance was short-lived.
As the inspection was about to begin, Huo Yuhao discovered a startling detail—the soul guide device employed by the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy to prevent cheating didn't just suppress soul power. It also restricted mental power.
His plan collapsed the moment his mental power was sealed.
The second he realized that the device would simultaneously suppress both soul power and mental power, the pride on Huo Yuhao's face vanished, replaced by sheer panic.
He wasn't afraid of losing access to his soul power; he could still activate soul skills through mental power alone. But now, even that was blocked. He had been reduced to the level of an ordinary person.
And the thought of being in a completely powerless state, while carrying both the stolen blueprints and the prototype of the mecha, sent Huo Yuhao into a visible state of alarm.
As Yuhao panicked, Fan Yu also sensed something was wrong. Someone like Huo Yuhao—professionally trained by Shrek Academy—should have remained calm under pressure. There was only one possible explanation for this abnormal reaction.
His simulated soul skill had failed.
The moment that thought hit him, Fan Yu's own composure cracked.
With his deep knowledge of soul tools, Fan Yu realized that the inspection device must somehow suppress both soul power and mental power. He couldn't be sure, but the dread in Huo Yuhao's expression said it all.
"Don't move! Cooperate with the inspection!"
Huo Yuhao's expression had changed dramatically—from smug superiority to trembling fear. Not only Fan Yu noticed, but so did everyone present. It was clear something was terribly wrong with the Shrek representative.
Several guards from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy swiftly surrounded Huo Yuhao, aiming soul-guided ray guns at him.
Fan Yu's heart sank. Those soul guide weapons wouldn't be effective against someone like him, an eight-ring Soul Douluo. Their users were only around the five-ring Soul King level.
But they weren't aiming at him—they were targeting Huo Yuhao.
Soon, it would be their turn for inspection. Huo Yuhao's inability to use his simulated soul skill would be exposed, and He Caitou would be implicated too. Their soul guide blueprints would be discovered. Shrek's entire plan—one personally ordered by the Sea God Pavilion's leadership—would fall apart.
And Fan Yu would become a sinner of Shrek.
That was something he could never accept. Yet in this moment, he was helpless.
"What's going on here?"
Xiao Qiang arrived late, having just been forcibly inspected by Meng Hongchen. The first thing he saw was a tense standoff—Sun Moon Academy's guards had their weapons drawn on Huo Yuhao, Fan Yu, and He Caitou.
"Master Xiao, these three are acting suspiciously. We're preparing to restrain them before the inspection begins," a guard reported.
Fan Yu suddenly barked out, his voice sharp with anger. "Restrain us in advance? Hah! You mean to force a confession! Shrek Academy will never tolerate such humiliation!"
At that moment, Fan Yu knew—he had to act.
He couldn't hope to break through with the students; he wasn't someone like Elder Mu, and he didn't have the strength to defeat everyone here. But the moment he laid eyes on Xiao Qiang, a desperate plan began forming in his mind.
Xiao Qiang stood nearby, relatively undefended, and with the elites of Mingde Hall off chasing the Body Sect, there was no other high-end combatant nearby. If he couldn't win a battle, maybe he could buy time.
If he could capture Xiao Qiang, he could give his students a chance to destroy the blueprints and escape being caught red-handed.
Of course, he didn't intend to truly harm Xiao Qiang. As long as the latter remained uninjured, and the blueprints were completely erased, Shrek Academy could still deny everything. Even if the Sun Moon Academy tried to pressure them politically, it would appear to the outside world that they had overreacted—especially if they'd driven a Soul Douluo, someone with potential to become a Titled Douluo, to sacrifice himself out of despair.
After all, without evidence, and with no losses on the surface, what could the Sun Moon Empire truly gain?
It was a gamble, but to Fan Yu, a worthy one.
He took a deep breath and began to act.
With no other top-tier opponents nearby, Fan Yu—an eight-ring Soul Douluo—unleashed his pressure. His eight soul rings appeared one after another: two yellow, two purple, and four black. The oppressive force spread across the area, sending guards scrambling back.
Yet just as he believed the area was under his control—
Six dazzling red soul rings flared to life around Xiao Qiang.
Red. Red. Red. Red. Red. Red.
Each one a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. The pressure they exuded collided with Fan Yu's, halting him in his tracks.
Things had spiraled completely out of control.
But Fan Yu had no choice. His fifth black soul ring lit up. He darted forward in an instant, aiming straight at Xiao Qiang.
"Master Xiao! Be careful!"
The guards shouted in panic. No one nearby was powerful enough to stop an eight-ring Soul Douluo, and they could only watch as Fan Yu closed the distance.
But amidst the panic, Xiao Qiang remained calm.
As Fan Yu's attack approached, Xiao Qiang softly uttered five words:
"Great Wilderness Prisoner Heaven Hand."