The students looked at the papers in their hands as if they were seeing the challenges they were about to face. Some had solemn expressions, some had Battle Intent burning in their eyes, but most had sweaty palms and brows knit with lingering anxiety.
The line moved forward slowly. Huo Yuhao stood quietly between Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, his expression unusually calm.
His gaze didn't fall on the forms ahead, but instead locked onto a proud and conspicuous figure in the line across the crowd—Dai Huabin.
Wang Dong could clearly feel the icy aura radiating from Huo Yuhao.
He gave Huo Yuhao a gentle nudge in the side with his elbow and tilted his chin toward Dai Huabin.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath. The long-suppressed air within his chest, a mix of hatred and resolve, seemed to find an outlet at this moment.
He didn't speak, only gave Wang Dong a heavy nod.
Then, under everyone's unexpected gaze, he resolutely stepped out of the line.
This action instantly shattered the oppressive silence of the scene.
Almost all the students' eyes were drawn to him simultaneously.
The seniors distributing the assessment forms stopped what they were doing. In the distance, Wang Yan, Han Ruoruo, and several teachers from Class 2 who were overseeing the arena also frowned and cast their gazes over.
Huo Yuhao acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Step by step, he walked toward Dai Huabin.
His pace wasn't fast, but it was exceptionally steady.
His shoes left shallow marks in the sand.
There was no extra expression on his slightly pale face; only those eyes, which had once always carried a hint of inferiority, were now like cold ice—clear, firm, and possessing a heart-palpitating sharpness.
Dai Huabin, who was waiting in line, naturally noticed this unusual commotion.
When he saw that Huo Yuhao was actually coming for him, he was first stunned, but then the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably into a sneer filled with contempt and ridicule.
Huo Yuhao came to a halt about three meters away from Dai Huabin.
The whispers throughout the arena vanished completely at that moment as everyone held their breath.
'Dai Huabin.'
Huo Yuhao spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying a steadiness and coldness that didn't belong to someone his age.
'Our bet is today. I've come to confirm it with you once more in front of all the teachers and students.'
He looked directly into Dai Huabin's proud eyes and said word by word, 'Do you regret it?'
Dai Huabin was slightly taken aback; he felt that something might truly be wrong with Huo Yuhao's head.
A humiliating private bet like this was something a normal person would avoid at all costs, yet he had actually brought it out into the open. Was he afraid he wouldn't lose badly enough?
But more than that, he felt a sense of morbid satisfaction.
He nodded, his voice filled with condescending arrogance and a sort of charitable tolerance.
'Of course I won't regret it. What, do you want to beg for mercy now? It's too late. We agreed that in this Promotion Assessment, whichever of us has a lower final score will kneel before the other, kowtow in admission of defeat, and publicly admit that they are a complete and utter waste.'
He deliberately emphasized the words 'kowtow' and 'waste,' the mockery on his face growing more intense, as if he could already see the pathetic sight of Huo Yuhao kneeling and begging for mercy.
'Good.'
Huo Yuhao nodded, still without any emotional fluctuations on his face, as if Dai Huabin's insulting words were nothing more than a gentle breeze.
He slowly scanned his surroundings, his gaze passing over faces filled with curiosity, sympathy, or schadenfreude, before finally settling on the distant teachers' seats. He spoke again, raising his voice slightly.
'Then I ask all the teachers and students present to help witness this. This bet takes place today, based on the final scores of the Promotion Assessment. Is that right, Dai Huabin?'
Like an experienced hunter, he calmly set the trap and then handed the choice to the prey.
Dai Huabin was a bit dazed by this move, but having no way out under the gaze of hundreds, he could only instinctively reply, 'That's right.'
Upon receiving this affirmative answer, the corners of Huo Yuhao's tightly set mouth finally curled into a cold arc.
'When the assessment is over, I'll be waiting for you right here.'
He let out a cold laugh. After finishing this chilling sentence, he didn't look at Dai Huabin, whose expression was already starting to change, and turned cleanly to walk back to his team.
After he left, the Beast Fighting Arena remained deathly silent for several seconds before it suddenly erupted like a drop of cold water hitting boiling oil.
'Is he crazy? Huo Yuhao actually dared to publicly challenge Dai Huabin?'
'The stakes are that high? Kowtowing in admission of defeat... If he loses, how will he ever face anyone in the academy again?'
'Where does he get the courage? Dai Huabin is a Soul Elder nearing Rank 40, with the White Tiger Spirit and a top-tier attack system. Huo Yuhao is only just over Rank 20, right?'
'There's going to be a good show now.'
The whispers breaking out among the students were like countless tiny needles pricking Dai Huabin.
He finally snapped out of the shock of having the rhythm controlled by Huo Yuhao, his face darkening so much it looked like it could drip ink.
He felt like he had been played. Regardless of whether he won or lost, he had been dragged down to the same level as this waste in his eyes, placed on the two ends of a scale for people to judge.
An uncontrollable rage burned from his heart. He stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao's back and squeezed a sentence through his teeth:
'You brought this on yourself. Since you want to lose face in front of the entire Outer Court, I will fulfill your wish.'
'Huabin, be careful.'
Zhu Lu quickly walked to his side, her brow furrowed tightly. She lowered her voice, her tone full of worry.
'I just feel like something is wrong. This Huo Yuhao... where does he get the nerve to make this kind of public bet with you?'
Although Huo Yuhao had a record of fighting Wu Feng to a draw and eventually winning by a narrow margin, Wu Feng was no match for Dai Huabin.
Wu Feng had a top-tier Beast Spirit, and so did Dai Huabin, but his Soul Power Rank was far ahead.
Huo Yuhao had such a difficult time fighting Wu Feng; why and how did he dare to use his dignity to bet against Dai Huabin?
No matter how Zhu Lu thought about it, she felt there must be a conspiracy.
This didn't fit logic, and it certainly didn't fit Huo Yuhao's long-standing character of endurance.
'Conspiracy?'
Dai Huabin snorted coldly. Clouded by rage and pride, he was completely unable to listen to Zhu Lu's warning.
'In the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy or trick is a joke. He's nothing more than a clown trying to gain attention this way. I'll make him understand that a waste will always be a waste.'
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