Douluo Continent: I, Huo Yuhao, have a Beast Taming Space

Chapter 88 Ling Luochen: I Will Not Give Up
Hearing his sister's mutterings, Xiao Hongchen's forehead creased with annoyance. He couldn't help but nudge her with his elbow: "Hey, Meng! What do you think of this Huo Yuhao?"

Meng Hongchen continued to gaze intently in the direction of Shrek Academy's rest area, subconsciously replying, "So handsome~"

Xiao Hongchen's lips twitched, and he emphasized, "I'm asking about his strength! Strength!"

Meng Hongchen suddenly snapped out of her daze, blinked, looked at her speechless brother, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said very seriously, "Strength? Of course, he's very strong! Strong and handsome! Perfect!"

Xiao Hongchen: "..."

He looked at his sister, who was completely captivated by his beauty, and helplessly rubbed his forehead.

He felt that in addition to facing Shrek Academy's formidable strength, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy might also have to worry about the mental state of their main team members in this competition.

Amidst deafening cheers and countless complex gazes, Huo Yuhao calmly stepped off the competition stage and returned to Shrek Academy's rest area.

As soon as he stepped into the rest area, a fiery red figure rushed over with a fragrant breeze.

"Xiao Yuhao! That's awesome!"

Ma Xiaotao gave Huo Yuhao a big hug without any hesitation, excitedly patting his back. Her stunning figure pressed tightly against Huo Yuhao, her face beaming with pride.

"Well done! Let those guys who underestimated us see that even if only half of Shrek Academy's members are left, they're not someone they can mess with!"

Huo Yuhao was somewhat exasperated by her enthusiasm, but he smiled and gently patted her shoulder: "Sister Xiaotao, be gentle, I can hardly breathe."

"Hmph, you got off easy."

Ma Xiaotao then let go of him, but still stood beside him, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the gazes cast by other students from the surrounding colleges, with a hint of provocation.

Immediately afterward, Wang Dong'er also stepped forward. Unlike Ma Xiaotao, she didn't rush over directly. Instead, she gently took Huo Yuhao's hand, tilted her pretty face up, her eyes full of tenderness, and whispered, "Yuhao, you're amazing."

Huo Yuhao took her slightly cool hand in his own, and gently scratched her palm with his fingertips, earning Wang Dong'er a coquettish glare in return, but the blush on her face deepened.

"Boss Huo, you're awesome!"

Xu Sanshi gave a funny thumbs-up and made a face.

Beibei smiled and nodded: "Yuhao, you played beautifully this time, and your morale is greatly boosted."

Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, Wu Feng, and others also gathered around, their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation. The tension and repression they felt earlier vanished in an instant.

Huo Yuhao's overwhelming victory completely dispelled the gloom that had hung over the team.

Ling Luochen stood quietly outside the enthusiastic crowd.

Her icy blue eyes fell on Huo Yuhao, who was being "occupied" by Ma Xiaotao and Wang Dong'er on either side, her expression complex.

Seeing Ma Xiaotao's intimate posture, almost clinging to Huo Yuhao, and witnessing the unspoken understanding and affection between Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao, an indescribable bitterness and jealousy quietly entwined around her heart like vines.

She also longed to rush up to him without hesitation, just like Ma Xiaotao, and give him a hug to share his joy and glory.

She also longed to be like Wang Dong'er, naturally taking his hand and receiving his tender gaze in response.

But, she can't.

She is Ling Luochen, the Ice Control Soul King of the Inner Academy, known for her aloofness and coldness.

There always seemed to be an invisible barrier between her and Huo Yuhao.

Unlike Ma Xiaotao, she didn't share the special experience of facing the evil fire with him, nor did she have the destiny of merging martial souls and the emotional foundation of a long-lasting relationship with Wang Dong'er.

"Damn it...why wasn't it me...who met him first..."

Ling Luochen's hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched slightly, her fingertips turning white. If she had met him sooner, if she had discovered him when he first entered Shrek Academy… would the ending have been different?
Her gaze involuntarily fell on Huo Yuhao's wrist—there, he wore an ice-blue jade bracelet, its texture warm and smooth, radiating a faint chill that shared the same origin as her.

He was also wearing...

This discovery stirred a ripple in Ling Luochen's frozen heart, and a faint flame of hope quietly ignited.

He's still wearing it. Does that mean... I still hold a little place in his heart?
The aura of extreme ice emanating from Huo Yuhao held an almost fatal attraction for her, a top-tier ice-attribute soul master.

It's not just an attraction based on power, but also a desire and closeness stemming from the instinct of one's martial spirit.

Every time Ling Luochen got close to him and felt the pure and powerful ice attribute source on his body, he felt his dormant martial soul cheering and the circulation of soul power in his body seemed to become smoother.

This temptation was irresistible to her.

But... Huo Yuhao was being watched too closely!

Ma Xiaotao, that fiery phoenix, has a bold and shrewish personality, never leaving her side, like a fierce tigress protecting her food.

Wang Dong'er was inseparable from him, and the intimacy between them was so great that it was almost impossible for a third party to interfere.

Thinking of this, Ling Luochen's gaze towards Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but carry a hint of resentment and "hostility".

"That wretched Ma Xiaotao..."

She gritted her teeth inwardly.

"There will always be a chance... I won't give up."

……

As night deepened, the hustle and bustle and excitement of the day gradually subsided in the luxurious suite of the Xingluo Hotel.

Huo Yuhao leaned against the soft headboard, and Ma Xiaotao, like a lazy phoenix, nestled in his arms, her fiery red hair spreading across his chest like flowing lava.

Her slender fingers poked at his chest, then she suddenly looked up, her captivating peach blossom eyes filled with obvious dissatisfaction and a hint of anger.

"Xiao Yuhao!"

Her voice sounded like she was gritting her teeth.

"I've noticed that more and more women are staring at you! Dong'er is one thing, but even Ling Luochen's gaze towards you was off today!"

Huo Yuhao looked down at the delicate, thorny rose in his arms and smiled helplessly yet indulgently.

He raised one hand and gently smoothed her slightly messy red hair, while his other hand soothed her smooth back.

"Sister Xiaotao."

His voice carried a hint of teasing.

"You need to have confidence in yourself. You are one of the youngest Soul Emperors in Shrek Academy, the owner of the Phoenix Martial Soul, and the beautiful and powerful Ma Xiaotao."

His words were like the best soothing balm. As Ma Xiaotao listened to him list her strengths, from talent to ability, from figure to appearance, the dissatisfaction on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by an undisguised pride, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

"Hmph, you still have some vision."

Ma Xiaotao proudly raised her chin, her fiery red eyes sparkling with pleasure.

(End of this chapter)