Night fell over Star Luo City.
In the top-floor suite of the Star Sovereign Hotel, Zhu Ziyang sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed, breathing calm and steady. The glowing mark of the Underworld Flower on his forehead shimmered faintly, as if declaring his uniqueness to the world.
In that moment, Zhu Ziyang was no longer physically present in his room. His consciousness had entered the Divine Inheritance Realm, where he was receiving the reward for completing the First Trial of the God of Death, and learning the details of the Second Trial.
He stood atop the tenth step of the Path to Godhood. On either side of the step were the Soul Locking Pillars. The description of the first trial had vanished from them, replaced by lines of mysterious, divine runes.
Just then, Xiaobai's voice echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations on completing the First Trial of the God of Death. The reward will now be granted."
As her voice fell, Zhu Ziyang's body shuddered slightly, and information began pouring into his consciousness:
"God of Death First Trial: Trial Passed.
Reward: +10% Affinity with the God of Death.
Soul Locking Pillars: One pair."
"…That's it?" Zhu Ziyang thought with some annoyance. This is a divine inheritance, and that's all I get? But he quickly let it go with a sigh.
If he had known how generous the Sea God's trials had been for Tang San—boosting spirit power levels, enhancing soul rings, practically handing out a divine seat—he would've been furious at the comparison.
The God of Death, in contrast, seemed downright stingy.
Of course, Xiaobai would've found that deeply unfair. Tang San had inherited the title of Sea God while the previous Sea God was still alive—able to lend his power at will, even open back doors if he pleased. But the God of Death had been dead for hundreds of thousands of years, and could barely sustain the divine inheritance itself. How could there be any room for cheating?
As the reward took effect, the mist that shrouded the stairs ahead began to clear. The steps beyond became visible—eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth... all the way to the twentieth step. Only then did the vision stop.
At the same time, the Soul Locking Pillars flanking the tenth step began to shake violently. Suddenly, they shot up into the sky and, before Zhu Ziyang's stunned eyes, began to shrink—smaller and smaller—until they transformed from towering monoliths into two needle-sized items, which floated gently into his hands.
Zhu Ziyang found them fascinating and immediately wanted to inspect them. But to his disappointment, he was told he lacked the authority to use them just yet. While disheartened, he also grew excited—such mysterious divine tools surely had incredible powers.
Setting aside the Soul Locking Pillars, he began ascending once more, step by step, until he reached the twentieth step. As expected, another pair of Soul Locking Pillars stood on either side. This time, they displayed the content of the Second Trial of the God of Death.
Zhu Ziyang read it carefully:
Divine Affinity: 20%
Second Trial of the God of Death:
The God of Death's might lies in overwhelming combat strength—he once slew three kings in a single battle. As the inheritor of this divine seat, you must prove your power.
Trial Objective:
In a single battle, kill five soul masters or soul beasts whose cultivation is no lower than your own.
Trial Conditions:
Must fight alone.
Second martial soul forbidden.
Soul tools forbidden.
Must be completed within three years.
Trial Reward: Unknown.
Compared to the first trial, this one was clearly more difficult—but not overwhelmingly so.
Five opponents at my level in a single fight? That's it? Zhu Ziyang nearly laughed. For him, it was hardly a challenge.
Don't tell me Xiaobai is going easy on me? he wondered.
The Next Morning – Star Luo City
As the first rays of sunlight lit the rooftops, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament officially began.
Every street surrounding Star Luo Plaza had been sealed off by rows of heavily armored soldiers. Security was especially tight around the Star Sovereign Hotel, where hundreds of troops stood guard. The roads leading from the hotel to the competition grounds were closed to all except officially registered teams.
No one expected any serious incidents during such a grand event, but the security presence was necessary—more than just protection, it was a declaration of how much importance the Star Luo Empire placed on the tournament.
Unlike previous years, the main competition stage had not been built at the center of the plaza. Instead, it stood on the southern side, directly opposite the Imperial Palace's main gate. This allowed the emperor and his court to watch from the palace wall—offering a perfect view while ensuring the emperor's safety.
At the moment, the vast plaza stood nearly empty, aside from stationed soldiers.
After a deadly stampede had marred the last tournament held in Star Luo Empire, the royal court had learned its lesson. This time, they had imposed strict new safety measures and doubled the military presence.
The entire plaza was divided into fenced-off sections, each with its own entrance and exit. Soldier patrols were organized by sector, and each section had a strict capacity limit to prevent crowding.
The Imperial Palace stood at the northern edge of the city, directly aligned with the arena. To the west of the competition platform was a specially built rest area, available only to academies that advanced beyond the elimination round. It was lavish and comfortable—but with space for only seventy schools.
That meant the elimination round truly was a life-or-death trial. Since the competition format had changed, this first stage had become the most brutal. There were no tactics, no second chances. Lose once, and you were out.
Even the mighty Shrek Academy was not exempt.
At dawn, team leaders from each academy had reported to the Imperial Palace for the official drawing of lots. With 133 schools participating, every matchup was determined by a random number assigned at registration. Once that was done, the final preparations for the tournament were complete.
The sun rose higher. Its golden rays struck the palace walls as a young man in bright yellow robes appeared. His hands clasped behind his back, his posture regal—this was Xu Jiawei, Emperor of the Star Luo Empire.
Beside him stood his empress and several high-ranking ministers. All of them gazed down at the plaza, anticipation in their eyes.
Xu Jiawei smiled faintly and said to his empress, "Zitong, look. The academies are entering the plaza. But only the winners will be allowed into the rest area today."
"They say Shrek Academy only brought ten students this time, and most of them are very young. I'm curious to see how they'll perform. It's a shame… Yaoheng should've been among them."
He sighed. "I had hoped to use this as a reason to summon Dai Hao back to the capital. After all, this tournament only comes here once every twenty years. But considering the unrest everywhere, I figured it best to let it go."
His expression darkened slightly, and the empress gently squeezed his hand.
"Your Majesty," she said softly, "this wasn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself."
"…Hmph. Those so-called royalist traitors… I'll cleanse the court of them one day," Xu Jiawei muttered under his breath—so softly that even the empress barely heard him.
Meanwhile, at the contestant staging area, the members of Shrek Academy had taken their places.
All ten wore the academy's traditional dark green uniforms, standing tall at the very front of the assembly. No one disputed their position—this place had been earned through centuries of dominance.
But behind them, murmurs of disbelief spread among the other teams. Not only had Shrek brought just ten people, but most of them looked shockingly young.
Some didn't even need age tests—their youth was written all over their faces.
Many teams, especially the powerful ones, were visibly annoyed. This was arrogance. How dare Shrek look down on them like this?
None were more upset than the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Although they'd known Shrek's roster in advance, seeing it in person was a different story.
Their team stood directly behind Shrek, giving them the clearest view.
Among Shrek's group, the youngest were Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao. Huo Yuhao looked slightly older thanks to his physique—enhanced by the Ice Jade Empress' torso bone—but Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao still had visible baby fat. Xiao Xiao's petite figure made her look like a middle-school student, not a tournament contender.
This bizarre lineup left even Xiao Hongchen frowning in confusion.
What on earth is Shrek Academy planning?
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