It seemed that as soon as Ye Yu uttered the words "Dragon Transformation," the last bit of clarity in his mind would be engulfed by evil, black energy would surge forth, and his body would transform accordingly.
Ye Yu's gaze pierced through to Ye Lengqiu in the distance, and a feeling within him confirmed that his mother's death was undoubtedly related to her!
Ye Yu harbored intense aversion toward the members of the Nine-Hearted Begonia Sect, especially the sect leader possessing the Nine-Hearted Begonia Martial Soul.
Ye Yu desperately wanted to act, to unleash madness, as if a demonic voice inside him urged him on, encouraging him to act freely, assuring him that even if the sky were to fall, he could withstand it.
Yet, Ye Yu's tightly clenched fists restrained the black energy on the verge of erupting from within him, a sliver of clear consciousness warning him that now was not the time, that there was no urgency.
Ye Yu's figure shifted as he departed from there, rushing toward the outskirts of Soto City.
Reaching a forest outside the city, the loathsome and hateful aura he felt gradually became indiscernible, his mind clearing, and the black glow in his eyes gradually dissipated.
Boom… boom… boom…
Ye Yu's fists repeatedly struck the giant trees, one by one toppling them. Without employing soul power, as if there was still some lingering black energy, his fists were faintly enveloped in black mist, amplifying strength and defense.
With large sections of towering trees and rocks shattered, Ye Yu's mind became completely clear after venting, the black energy entirely dissipating.
Reflecting on how he had almost lost control earlier, nearly uttering the words "Dragon Transformation," realizing that doing so would have led him into chaos.
Even if he could kill that woman, what would follow? If he were alone, he might have acted this way without concern, but he had companions, and he couldn't do it. He couldn't stir trouble that could entangle his friends, only to leave himself.
Ye Yu felt he had to endure; his current strength in the entire continent ranked at most within the lower middle tier. Acting now would only leave him incapable of handling the unknown, continuous trouble that would ensue. Even though the black energy within him could make him stronger, Ye Yu wouldn't allow himself to completely lose reason unless faced with a life-or-death crisis.
Perhaps when his strength was sufficiently formidable, he could utilize this power while maintaining rationality.
Ye Yu now desired to use the energy but found its response lacking, realizing it only erupted during emotional upheavals or when facing crises.
When Ye Yu had the earlier surge of murderous intent, Ye Lengqiu's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a feeling of unease lingering in her mind. Yet observing her surroundings without anomalies, she could only conclude she was overthinking.
In the forest, after calming down, Ye Yu confirmed that his second Martial Soul was a dragon, specifically an extremely evil dragon.
Ye Yu composed himself and entered Soto City, heading to the Fighting Soul Arena.
At this time, in the Soto Fighting Soul Arena, Tang San and others had already easily completed their solo and duo battles.
Next was the team battle, Shrek Seven Monsters against Huang Dou Team.
Flande exclaimed excitedly, "I've bet my entire fortune on this, little monsters, be sure to give it your all and win later!"
Ma Hongjun assured, "Don't worry, teacher, with our strength, challenging Huang Dou Team is no issue, especially with Boss Yu on our side—we're confident in victory!"
Master cautioned, "Don't become complacent just because Ye Yu is with you; Huang Dou Team hails from Huang Dou Academy and are naturally outstanding elites. Their qualifications might not be much less than yours, so you won't have too much advantage in terms of aptitude when facing them."
At this moment, Manager Ao delivered Huang Dou Team's dossier. Master perused each piece of information, gradually growing solemn.
Huang Dou Team, all seven members.
Captain: Yu Tianheng, age sixteen. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrannosaur. Level: Thirty-nine Strong Attack Type War Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Vice Captain: Dugu Yan, age sixteen. Martial Soul: Emerald-Scaled Snake. Level: Thirty-eight Control Type War Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Member: Shi Mo, age sixteen. Martial Soul: Black Tortoise. Level: Thirty-eight Defense Type War Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Member: Shi Mo, age sixteen. Martial Soul: Black Tortoise. Level: Thirty-eight Defense Type War Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Member: Yu Feng, age fifteen. Martial Soul: Wind Chime Bird. Level: Thirty-six Agile Attack Type War Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Member: Osro, age fifteen. Martial Soul: Ghost Leopard. Level: Thirty-six Agile Attack Type War Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
Member: Ye Lingling, age fourteen. Martial Soul: Nine-Hearted Begonia. Level: Thirty-four Support Type Artifact Soul Venerable. Soul Ring Configuration: Two Yellow, One Purple.
The dossier contained no introduction of soul techniques, nor would it. Already, such detailed information was quite satisfactory.
Upon seeing Huang Dou Academy's dossier, Tang San and the others were exceedingly surprised. Just as the Master said, they indeed were geniuses.
Manager Ao said, "The match is about to begin, do your best!"
Despite his words, he felt Shrek Seven Monsters were unlikely to win. The reason for letting them face Huang Dou was because only Shrek Seven Monsters were worthy of challenging Huang Dou; it prevented everyone from betting solely on Huang Dou, which would minimize their losses somewhat.
With three minutes remaining before the match began, Flande hurriedly asked, "Where's Ye Yu? What is he up to, still not here yet."
Having seen Huang Dou Team's dossier, Flande felt somewhat anxious, not expecting them to be all at a genius level, nor predicting they would have Martial Souls such as the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaur and Nine-Hearted Begonia.
Previously unknown about Nine-Hearted Begonia, upon meeting Ye Yu, he realized its powerful support capabilities, even though it was solely for healing, it certainly offered significant support. As for the other teammates, their Martial Souls were not lacking either.
Master remained calm, saying indifferently, "Pressure serves as motivation. Retreating in the face of challenges never forges a strong individual. Flande, why are you flustered; where's the vigor of your youth?"
Tang San and the others felt Master spoke rightly—only by confronting challenges could they achieve growth and improvement.
Flande conceded, "I'm merely worried about their safety."
Master said, "If Ye Yu can't make it, Oscar will substitute him. Xiao San, I permit you to use your External Soul Bone Eight-Spider Spear later. Never concede until the last moment."
Dai Mubai thought even without Ye Yu, their seven members wouldn't be much inferior to Huang Dou, right? Although there's a significant difference in levels, despite Huang Dou all being geniuses, they are monsters beyond geniuses.
Dai Mubai queried, "Master, do we lack a good chance of winning?"
Master replied earnestly, "Our odds are less than thirty percent—a very well-rounded team. You must particularly watch out for three members: the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaur Soul Master, the Emerald-Scaled Snake Soul Master, and the Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Master. Although challenging, try to deal with the Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Master first from the start; otherwise, even if you manage to injure others, they'll rapidly be healed by the Begonia Master."
"As for why you must beware of these three, it's because their Martial Souls are exceedingly powerful. Should these three encounter issues, your winning chances rise to ninety percent. The Blue Lightning Tyrannosaur Martial Soul is among the top in Beast Martial Souls, acclaimed as the strongest in attack power—its status in Beast Martial Souls is akin to that of the Seven Treasures Glaze Tower in support Martial Souls. As for the Emerald-Scaled Snake, being a Control Type, it reminds me of someone. Flande, can you guess who it might be?"
Flande was startled by this statement, "Xiao Gang, are you referring to..."