"Ghost Punishment!"

Ai Jiangtu stopped holding back—the aura of curse magic erupted wildly across the entire arena.

In an instant, a massive spectral ghost appeared behind Zhou Haoyu, its huge arm lunging for him.

If that creature got hold of him, Zhou Haoyu wouldn't end well.

Though it couldn't harm the body directly, it could attack the soul—far more terrifying.

Zhou Haoyu reacted quickly, using Blink to pull distance, then tried attacking the ghost with Psychic magic.

But it was barely effective—his Psychic Element was only Basic-Tier Level 3. To destroy a spirit like that, he would need to reach at least High-Tier.

"Profound Yang Golden Thunder—Lonely Death Lightning: Thunder Arm!!"

A radiant constellation lit up, gathering every spark of lightning on the field into one fierce pillar.

The moment it focused, that pillar shot out like a laser cannon—instantly piercing straight through the ghost's chest.

A giant hole opened, and moments later, the ghost dispersed into nothingness.

"SOUL-SEED!!"

Both Pang Lai and Ai Jiangtu couldn't help but exclaim. A soul-seeded spell at this stage—clearly the Zhou clan had gone all in!

They naturally assumed the soul-seed was something the Zhou family bought for him.

After all, even the weakest soul-seed cost upwards of 400 million, while Zhou Haoyu's clearly high-quality one was worth at least 600 million.

If they knew it was actually a Domain soul-seed, they'd have been stunned speechless.

"I concede," Ai Jiangtu said decisively.

His Space Element had already been suppressed, and his Curse Element hadn't worked—there was no point continuing.

"Thank you for the match."

Zhou Haoyu didn't flaunt his win—he cupped his fists politely.

There was no doubt Ai Jiangtu was strong—definitely a leading figure among their generation.

But—unfortunately—he ran into someone with "cheats".

Zhou Haoyu hadn't even used Spiritual Force Techniques lethally—if he had, he could have one-shot Ai Jiangtu.

Pang Lai looked at Zhou Haoyu's back thoughtfully… If Haoyu led the team, perhaps China might actually win the Championship this time.

"I truly underestimated your strength, Brother Zhou. I did investigate you beforehand—but you've exceeded my expectations entirely." Ai Jiangtu laughed boldly, not dispirited by defeat.

"You're very strong too. Without my soul-seed, I'd have had trouble dealing with your Curse Element." Zhou Haoyu replied.

Ai Jiangtu shook his head. "A soul-seed is a part of one's true strength."

Zhou Haoyu shifted the topic. "You sparred with me because of the National Team, yes?"

Ai Jiangtu smiled—then shifted to his serious tone. "A month ago, I was practically confirmed as National Team Captain—but someone suggested I duel with you first to determine who should be Captain."

"Clearly, what that person said was true—you are more suitable."

Zhou Haoyu frowned slightly, instinctively glancing at Pang Lai—but the teacher gave no reaction.

If not the teacher… then was it Zhu Meng?

"But I only have two nomination tickets," Zhou Haoyu pointed out.

"Nominations are only one factor. What you did in Hangzhou is already worth four. Besides, you're far stronger than I imagined," Ai Jiangtu said calmly.

Zhou Haoyu shrugged. If he could become Captain, that would be ideal.

Leading the team to victory would benefit both him and his clan enormously.

His treasure chest wasn't open yet—clearly he needed the Captain position to be officially confirm.

Time passed quickly. Soon, the Imperial Capital Academy Nomination Trials began.

For a single nomination ticket, every confident student signed up—eager to represent the nation.

Even those slightly weaker aimed for spots in the National Pavilion Team.

Mu Residence.

Mu Ningxue slowly opened her somewhat exhausted eyes and glared at Zhou Haoyu with a slight grudge in them.

Seeing that resentful look, Zhou Haoyu looked proud and pleased.

Every 'interaction' with Mu Ningxue offered completely new sensations and experiences…

That glimpse of her snowy smooth back alone was enough to make him burn up inside.

"I see your cultivation is already at Intermediate Perfected. Find some time to attempt a breakthrough to High-Tier," Zhou Haoyu suggested.

"I'll do it after the nomination trials are over," Mu Ningxue answered firmly, though a trace of weariness still lingered on her delicate face.

As long as she didn't run into a High-Tier mage in the trials, she was confident she could handle any opponent.

"Up to you. Don't worry about the Galaxy Vein—if you need more, just ask me," Zhou Haoyu replied.

Mu Ningxue nodded gently.

"By the way, I'm heading to the Ancient Capital," Zhou Haoyu added.

"The Ancient Capital?" Mu Ningxue asked doubtfully. What was he suddenly going there for?

"When?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. I may be gone for about half a month," Zhou Haoyu said.

He spent a bit more time sharing affection with Mu Ningxue.

The next day.

Zhou Haoyu did not go straight to the Ancient Capital—instead, he first stopped in the Magic City.

The moment he entered the apartment, he bumped straight into Ai Tutu, who was just about to leave.

He glanced once at that bouncing figure—and immediately understood.

No wonder it had felt so soft just now.

"You don't know how to knock before coming in?" Ai Tutu glared at him angrily and stomped down on his foot.

"What are you talking about? Why would I knock on the door to my own house?" Zhou Haoyu retorted.

"I live here with Mù-jie too! Can't you be a little more gentlemanly?!" Ai Tutu huffed.

"Do you think a gentleman would be sharing an apartment with two women?" Zhou Haoyu shot back without hesitation.

Ai Tutu froze—unable to find a comeback. After a moment, she puffed up again. "That may make some sense, but talking back to this young lady is still your fault!"

Zhou Haoyu rolled his eyes and ignored her.

He brushed past her, flopped down on the couch, and started scrolling through his phone.

Seeing herself ignored, Ai Tutu stomped her foot in anger. "Zhou Haoyu—you cold, heartless jerk!"

At that moment, Mu Nujiao was also sitting on the sofa. When Zhou Haoyu came in, she lifted her eyes slightly.

Perhaps because he'd been away from the apartment a while, Mu Nujiao was dressed much more casually than usual.

A long, light-colored wool knit sweater draped down to mid-thigh, just barely covering her shorts—at a glance, it looked like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

After a short moment of hesitation, Mu Nujiao looked toward Zhou Haoyu and asked softly, "Have you already been confirmed for a National Team spot?"

As a High-Tier mage, it wasn't hard to imagine him becoming an official member.

"Mm, it was finalized not long ago," Zhou Haoyu replied, putting down his phone.

Hearing this, Mu Nujiao didn't look surprised. She simply stared at him with those bright eyes but for a moment, she wasn't sure what she wanted to say next.

.....

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