NOVEL NEXT Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Strong, Reliable, but Overweight!
"Teacher Wang Yan, it's me, Yuhao."
A sigh could be heard at the door, and several of Shrek Academy's students craned their necks to look. To their surprise, they were all stunned at the sight.
Standing at the doorway of the meeting room was a large, rotund boy, snow-white and round like a ball. The boy was about 1.8 meters tall and weighed at least 300 pounds, resembling a small mountain of flesh blocking the entrance.
His face still had faint traces of Huo Yuhao's features, but he'd broadened considerably.
His face was now plump and rosy, resembling a marshmallow—round, soft, and a bit bouncy, making everyone stare in disbelief.
Huo Yuhao wore a loose robe he had managed to find somewhere, concealing the thick layer of fat on his body. If people saw him like this, they might mistake him for a character from a two-letter video game.
"You—you're Yuhao?" Teacher Wang Yan said in shock, eyes wide. "What happened? How did you get so… big?"
"Sigh, I've been exploring too many restaurants in Star Luo City lately and forgot to watch my diet, so I've put on a bit of weight," Huo Yuhao sighed. "The food in Star Luo City is way better than the cafeteria at Shrek Academy. I just couldn't stop."
"Alright, Yuhao, stop joking. What really happened?"
Ning Tian, looking at this 'plus-sized' version of Huo Yuhao, covered her mouth as her shoulders trembled, nearly laughing out loud.
The others in the room were also trying hard not to laugh. Seeing Huo Yuhao, who was usually the one playing pranks on others, turn out like this was quite refreshing.
"It's nothing. There was a bit of an issue with my cultivation, but it'll be fine in a few days," Huo Yuhao said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.
Earlier, due to the residual medicinal power of an essence pill within him, Huo Yuhao had involuntarily begun to absorb the pure life force contained within the Gold of Life.
Although the life force was beneficial, it was far too much to digest in such a short period.
Thus, the side effect of absorbing the Life Gold appeared. The excessive life force accumulated into large chunks of fat, stretching his once muscular physique into a barrel-like shape.
But if he were to sell the fat on his body, each piece would likely be worth a fortune.
It was important to note that the fat in his body was condensed from the purest life force, significantly enhancing a soul master's vitality, recovery, and physical strength.
If Huo Yuhao were to fully absorb this life force, he could potentially strengthen his body to near the Soul Saint level. When the time came, he could dominate in close combat in this competition, completely overwhelming any opponent.
"Alright, Teacher Wang Yan, my issues are minor, and this body size doesn't affect my combat ability," Huo Yuhao said, waving his hand dismissively.
"According to the latest order from the Sea God Pavilion, I will be personally in charge of formulating all strategies for the upcoming matches. Elder Xuan has already been sent back to Shrek Academy. Elder Song will soon arrive to take his place, ensuring our safety."
"So now, I want to know who our next opponents are and to hear any insights you may have."
Wang Yan smiled and nodded. Huo Yuhao's return instantly boosted his confidence.
"Our next opponent, the Zheng Tian Academy team, is very strong. In the last tournament, they made it to the top eight and lost to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy in the quarterfinals. But in terms of overall strength, they actually have the potential to advance further and are capable of competing for a spot in the top four."
"This time, among their seven main team members, there are three Soul Kings and four Soul Ancestors. Notably, their captain, Ye Wuqing, is considered a once-in-a-millennium talent at their academy. Even in Shrek, he would have a chance to be chosen as one of the current Shrek Seven Devils. Elder Xuan once evaluated him personally, stating that if he were at Shrek, he would definitely reach the Soul Emperor level by the age of twenty. Unfortunately, Zheng Tian Academy holds him back."
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao showed no particular reaction, but the other students, even Bei Bei, rolled their eyes.
They had already lost respect for Elder Xuan, even seeing Shrek Academy in a less sacred light.
"This is also why I previously advocated for us to withdraw. With him and two other Soul Kings on their team, our chances were very slim. But now that Yuhao is back, we can confidently face him head-on. No matter how strong he is, he can't match Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng combined."
"Since the rules haven't been finalized yet, the specific tactics are up to Yuhao. Children, this time, it's all up to you!"
While Shrek Academy held their pre-battle meeting, the students of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had also gathered in their hotel's meeting room, discussing the Shrek team rather than planning their own tactics.
"Let's hear it—what did you all think after watching their previous matches?" Elder Ma asked in a deep voice.
"Shrek Academy now seems like a spent force. Their main team members, for some reason, haven't participated, and this time, it seems only the substitutes are competing. Their combat strength is laughably weak," Meng Hongchen commented.
"That's right, and Elder Ma's prediction was spot on. Shrek has indeed had an internal conflict. Huo Yuhao, for some reason, didn't participate in the last match, and their only remaining Soul King had to use desperate measures and ended up seriously injured," Xiao Hongchen agreed.
However, Ma Rulong shook his head, saying, "We can't get careless because of that. Huo Yuhao could return to compete at any time, and his strength…"
"What we see isn't necessarily the truth. Have you ever heard of any research that could turn a soul master's rings all into 100,000-year rings? And Huo Yuhao is only in his second year, probably around thirteen years old. Even if he started cultivating in the womb, he couldn't have reached the Soul Emperor level. Shrek must be using some special method to disguise his power," Elder Ma said, smiling faintly.
"My estimation is that Huo Yuhao's strength is at most at the Soul King level, and he certainly doesn't have 100,000-year rings. These illusions are all thanks to his spiritual-attribute martial soul. Among his spiritual soul skills, one must be able to create such illusory effects. Using this, he has built up his aura of mystery and strength."
"Even though he managed to achieve two one-against-seven victories, his opponents had no Soul Kings among them. Their strength wasn't impressive. If Xiao Hongchen or Meng Hongchen took his place, they could probably achieve the same result."
With growing confidence, Elder Ma concluded, "In short, Shrek Academy's main lineup has significant problems. I am certain that this tournament is our opportunity to win."