As sunlight bathed the seats of Star Luo Square, tens of thousands of spectators shouted in unison—chanting a single name. And under the gaze of the roaring crowd, Zhu Ziyang walked at the front, leading the Shrek Academy team into the square.
Ever since Zhu Ziyang's battle against the Dou Ling team, everyone had realized he was the true core of Shrek Academy. From that point on, the team stopped trying to hide anything—Zhu Ziyang openly stepped forward as the leader. Since his presence had already been revealed, they decided to fully embrace it.
As they approached the newly designated resting area for the top four teams, the crowd's excitement only grew louder. It wasn't enough to just chant "Shrek Academy" anymore—now, fans from all sections began calling out individual names of the Shrek members.
"Emperor of the Golden Moon!"
This title was given to Zhu Ziyang. Though he had only appeared in one battle, the technique he used—Imperial Moon—left an unforgettable impression. It was a spectator in the front row who first shouted the name, and it quickly spread and gained wide recognition.
"Phoenix Queen!"
Naturally, this referred to Ma Xiaotao. A far better title than the "Flame Demon" she once called herself. Though she too had only fought once, she was the first Soul Emperor to appear in the tournament and the first to achieve a seven-on-one sweep. The name was more than deserved.
"Moon Goddess Princess!"
This title went to Jiang Nannan, hailed as the most beautiful contestant of the tournament. She had the largest fanbase of any participant. After all, who wouldn't admire a peerless beauty who could also fight? The name had two origins—one was her ethereal soul skill, especially the fifth soul skill, which summoned a silver moon so dreamy it seemed divine. The second was her exquisite beauty and graceful aura, reminiscent of the legendary Moon Fairy from Douluo myths.
Other Shrek members received their own titles as well:
Bei Bei was dubbed the Thunder Dragon of Destruction.
Xu Sanshi earned the name Xuanming Demon Shield.
These two, due to their standout performances, also gained devoted fans.
In truth, only Shrek Academy's team had earned the rare honor of being named by the crowd. Not even teams like Sun Moon Academy or Star Luo Academy received such fanfare. This was Shrek's unparalleled prestige.
The raucous cheers left the other three finalist teams feeling sour. Being dismissed and overshadowed before the match even began was maddening.
"Enough," Elder Ma of the Sun Moon team clapped his hands, drawing his students' attention. "Ignore the voices of these ignorant fools. They're nothing but blind sheep."
"Sigh... It's always the same scene every year. It really makes one envious," said Princess Xu Jiujie of the Star Luo team, eyes filled with both helplessness and longing. Even as a royal princess, she couldn't command the public's adoration like Shrek Academy.
"Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi... This tournament's getting more and more meaningless," muttered Jiang Peng, captain of the Dio Academy team.
The four semifinalist teams had gathered. The semifinals were about to begin.
Surprisingly, Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire did not appear on the Royal Viewing Tower as expected. Many assumed he wouldn't attend the match—but just then, Xu Jiawei stepped out from the palace gates, surrounded by a group of powerful elders, and walked straight to the center of the arena platform.
After a thunderous cheer of "Long live the Emperor," he addressed the crowd with a warm smile:
"The Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament is the greatest event on our continent, held every five years. It is my honor to host this year's competition in the Star Luo Empire.
I want to thank the 100-plus teams from across the nations. Your passionate participation has brought thrilling battles and shown us how rapidly the world of soul masters and soul engineers is advancing.
Today begins the semifinals—the tournament is nearing its end. Since this is the final draw of the competition, I shall personally oversee it.
I hope that Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Dio Academy, and our very own Star Luo Royal Academy will deliver even more spectacular battles.
I know you're all eager for the match to begin. I too look forward to it. Let us begin the draw! And may the Star Luo Empire flourish for generations to come!"
As cheers erupted again, one of the four elders behind him stepped forward. Taking two strides, he looked toward the four teams and declared in a deep voice:
"Captains of all four teams, come forward to draw lots!"
A wave of immense pressure erupted from the elder's body, sweeping across the square and dimming the sky for a moment. Every spectator instinctively looked up in awe.
Zhu Ziyang's expression didn't change, but as he looked at the four elders, he instantly guessed their identities: they were clearly Title Douluos in service to the imperial family.
His suspicion was confirmed a moment later when Xu Jiawei smiled and announced:
"To ensure the safety of all semifinal and final matches, each will be supervised by one of the Empire's Guardian Douluos.
Today's draw and the first match will be hosted by Senior Huang Jinxu, whose title is Skyshroud (Tiansha)."
Zhu Ziyang raised an eyebrow at the name. He had heard of this Titled Douluo before and was surprised he was still alive—much less serving as one of Star Luo's protector Douluos.
Doesn't Xu Jiawei worry that Huang Jinxu might backstab him? Ziyang mused, his expression turning odd.
Wang Yan was equally shocked. "Skyshroud Douluo Huang Jinxu? I thought he died years ago! I didn't think he'd switch sides to the Star Luo Empire…"
Nearby, Huo Yuhao leaned in and asked, "Brother Ziyang, who is this Skyshroud Douluo? Is he strong?"
Zhu Ziyang chuckled and briefly explained, which left Huo Yuhao astonished.
Martial souls in this world really are full of wonders, Yuhao thought.
The captains of the four teams stepped onto the arena platform.
Among them, Princess Xu Jiujie—captain of the Star Luo team—drew gasps of shock from the other three teams.
"Isn't that the auctioneer Jiujie?" Wang Yan exclaimed. Then he remembered what that other auctioneer Qingya had said: "The imperial princess is joining the battle."
"So Star Luo really hid a trump card!"
"Teacher Wang, if I'm not mistaken, the Star Luo royal family's martial soul is the Stellar Crown, right?" Zhu Ziyang asked, thoughtful.
"That's right," Wang Yan nodded, his expression serious. "The Stellar Crown is a support-type martial soul—on par with the Clear Sky Hammer, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. According to academy intel, the current emperor is a rare cultivation genius. If Jiujie is his sister and is representing the academy, then she's surely at least a Soul King. This changes things slightly."
"Haha, not really," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile. "She's a support-type. Without a strong teammate, she's no threat."
"Fair point," Wang Yan chuckled. "Let's see how the draw goes. It's a one-in-three chance."
On the stage, watched by four Titled Douluos, the captains approached Xu Jiawei.
"I'm pleased to meet such outstanding youths," the emperor said warmly. "The semifinals are about to begin. Remember: friendship first, competition second.
Soon, I'll toss four golden spheres into the air—grab whichever you can. Ready?"
Ma Xiaotao narrowed her eyes, glancing at Princess Jiujie. "Ready."
Jiujie smiled gently and nodded. Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng also gave their assent.
"Begin!" Xu Jiawei's eyes flashed. No one could even see his movements—four balls of golden light soared into the sky.
Ma Xiaotao had already been prepared. As soon as the orbs flew up, she leapt gracefully. Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng followed closely behind, racing to snatch one.
Only Princess Jiujie remained still, smiling gently.
Ma Xiaotao snatched her orb first and landed softly. Only then did the other two secure theirs. The last golden ball drifted down toward Jiujie, who simply reached up and caught it with elegance.
With a faint smile on her lips, she looked at the orb in her hand.
"I'm Number One," she announced.
"Number Two," Ma Rulong added.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes met Jiujie's. "Number One."
Though Jiang Peng hadn't spoken yet, the matchups were clear:
Shrek Academy vs. Star Luo Royal Academy
Sun Moon Academy vs. Dio Academy
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