Under the gaze of the four Titled Douluos, the four captains came before His Majesty the Star Luo Emperor. The Star Luo Emperor gave a roguish, wicked smile and said, "It is a great pleasure to see you young talents. The competition is about to begin. Remember for this old one to uphold the principle of 'friendship first, competition second.' Do not maliciously injure others, understand? In a moment, this humble one will toss out four balls with the lot numbers written on them. You will all go and snatch them at the same time. Are you ready?"
Ma Rulong's eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at Princess Jiujiu beside him. How could he not guess that the reason His Majesty the Emperor said this was to ensure his sister's safety?
Princess Jiujiu smiled faintly and nodded. Dai Yueheng and the captain of the Di'ao Academy also nodded respectively.
"Pay attention," the Star Luo Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly. Immediately after, no one saw clearly how he had made a move, but four balls of golden light had already risen into the air at the same time.
Dai Yueheng had long been ready. The moment the Star Luo Emperor had made a move, he had already shot upwards. In this close proximity, releasing a martial soul and soul skills would affect one's speed. Whether it was her, the captain of the Di'ao Academy, or Ma Rulong, the choice they made was the same: a dry jump, rushing towards the golden balls in the air with the fastest speed. On the field, only Princess Jiujiu did not move at all, still standing there with a faint smile on her face.
Dai Yueheng was worthy of being the current captain of Shrek Academy. His physical fitness was superior to everyone's. With this fierce exertion of force, his tiger body soared up like a spring. In almost an instant, he had caught a small ball from the air and landed. When he began to descend, the captain of the Di'ao Academy and Ma Rulong had both just gotten theirs. And the last golden ball fell from the sky. Princess Jiujiu just stretched out her hand and caught the small ball.
A faint smile appeared on this princess's pretty face. She glanced at the small ball in her hand. Although she was the last one to get it, she was the first to report the result.
"I am number one."
Ma Rulong also glanced at it, then immediately looked towards Princess Jiujiu and said in a deep voice, "Number one."
The captain of the Di'ao Academy cast a somewhat ugly look at Dai Yueheng. "Number two."
At this point, although the Shrek Academy side had not yet reported their number, the result of the draw was already out. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, also being number one, would be facing the Star Luo National Academy today, while Shrek Academy would naturally have to face the Di'ao Academy.
Huo Yuhao, who had been watching the situation on the field, his heart moved. Has the world line changed?
After the Star Luo Emperor had personally inspected the lot numbers, he announced this result to the common people. When the common people of the Star Luo Empire heard that their team was to face the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, one after another of gasps sounded from the spectating crowd.
At least on the surface, Ma Rulong had drawn an upper-upper lot for the Sun Moon Academy, because according to Old Ma's analysis yesterday, the Star Luo National Academy, which didn't even have a Soul Emperor, should be the weakest in overt strength among these four academies.
The competition rules for the semifinals and finals followed the rules of the previous knockout tournament. They were also held over two days, with a team battle plus an individual knockout match. The difference was that one had to win both matches to advance. If the two opposing sides each won one match, then a two-two-three battle format had to be held as a tiebreaker. In other words, winning the team battle no longer had any advantage.
The difference between the semifinals and the finals was that the semifinals were not completed in one day, while the final, including the team battle, individual knockout match, and the two-two-three battle format, would be carried out in one go. At that time, what would be competed was not just strength, but also continuous combat power and endurance, and at the same time, it was even more so a contest of willpower.
The Star Luo Emperor smiled faintly. "I wish the four teams will be able to display their full strength in the upcoming matches. The draw is over. Please prepare yourselves. The first team battle of today will be the Star Luo National Academy against the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. The second match will be Shrek Academy against the Di'ao Academy."
Ma Rulong returned to the rest area. Old Ma was the first to greet him. He asked in a low voice, "Rulong, what do you feel about that princess of the Star Luo Empire?"
Ma Rulong shook his head and said, "I can't see through her depth. She is very not simple. Originally, I had hoped to be able to assess her cultivation through her physical strength during the fight for the draw, but she did not move, and there was no sign of her activating her soul power, which made it completely impossible for me to judge."
At this time, everyone had gathered around. The semifinals were about to begin. An unknown variable had suddenly appeared in their opponent, but for their Sun Moon team, which was composed entirely of soul tool masters, it might be a little troublesome.
Previously, with the tactics of the Sun Moon team, no matter what opponent they faced, a round of wild bombardment and it was over.
"This one, let me and my partners do it," Huo Yuhao suddenly stood out and said, volunteering himself.
"You?" Xiao Hongchen frowned. "This is the semifinal stage now. A single mistake from you could lead us into an extremely unfavorable situation. How can we let you go up?"
Ma Rulong looked at Huo Yuhao, also not believing that he could win the first team battle for the Sun Moon team, especially with an added Princess Jiujiu whose abilities were unknown on the other side.
"I will bring Ju Zi up with me," Huo Yuhao took Ju Zi's hand by his side and turned his gaze to Xiao Hongchen. "If I lose this team battle, from now on, I will not appear before her again."
Xiao Hongchen subconsciously wanted to agree, but Old Ma beside him frowned tightly. "Huo Yuhao, this is no child's play."
"Believe me. If I'm not mistaken, Her Highness Princess Jiujiu's martial soul should be the Star Crown," Huo Yuhao said with absolute certainty. "Among our Sun Moon team, I should be the only one who can completely counter her martial soul."
"Believe him."
Just at this moment, a slightly majestic voice sounded from behind the crowd. Hearing this voice, the Xiao Hongchen siblings' bodies both shook, their expressions immediately becoming respectful.
A fat middle-aged man had at some unknown time already appeared in the waiting area of the Sun Moon team. The moment he appeared, the Xiao Hongchen siblings went to meet him.
"Grandfather!"
The visitor was precisely the Dean of the Sun Moon Empire's Illustrious Virtue Hall, one of the few level-nine soul tool masters in the current world, Jing Hongchen.
A half-smile was on his face as his gaze landed on Huo Yuhao among the crowd. "Little brother Huo, it's been seven years. You haven't changed at all."
"Greetings, Hall Master Hongchen," Huo Yuhao had long since discovered Jing Hongchen's arrival through his spiritual power. He had appeared this time also to show his and his group's strength in front of Jing Hongchen. After all, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy was not a place just anyone could enter.
Compared to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's side, the Star Luo National Academy's side appeared much calmer. The members of the Star Luo team who were about to fight came out one by one. Princess Jiujiu was standing at the very front. She looked at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's side with a calm gaze. The first one she found was surprisingly not the Sun Moon team's captain, Ma Rulong, but Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was also looking at their side. The two's gazes met. Huo Yuhao was slightly stunned. He was surprised to find that in this life, he still saw a trace of a provocative taste in the eyes of that elegant and noble princess.
Why are you provoking me? On the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's side, in a normal battle, it shouldn't be my turn to fight her, right?
How could Huo Yuhao know that ever since his appearance out of nowhere, where he had taken down the entire opposing team without even moving his body, he had successfully been elected to the position of the one with the strongest individual strength in this year's tournament.
Don't look at the fact that he only had four rings. Haven't you seen that even a half-step Soul King was taken down by his one spiritual power attack?
The common people of the Star Luo Empire had always worshiped individual heroism. In private, they had surely done research on the performance of the contestants in this year's tournament to see who was the undisputed number one.
Soul power had always been the standard for measuring a soul master's individual comprehensive combat power. And the appearance of Huo Yuhao had for the first time made the word "spiritual power" be equated with soul power. It turned out that a Soul Ancestor, by relying on formidable spiritual power, could also cross two great soul power ranks to contend with a Soul King or even a Soul Emperor.
Although it was somewhat inexplicable, Huo Yuhao still narrowed his two eyes, a cold light flashing in their depths. Don't look at the fact that there was a one-rank gap in their cultivation. But just that flash of his gaze made the distant Princess Jiujiu feel a chill in her heart, and she actually trembled fiercely.
"Star Luo National Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, team battle members, enter the stage." The one responsible for today's team battle match was, as expected, precisely the previous Heaven-Shaking Douluo. And the Star Luo Emperor, Xu Jiawei, had already returned to the imperial city under the protection of the other two Titled Douluos, one leg crossed over the city wall as he watched the battle.
Huo Yuhao walked at the very front. Xie Huanyue, Cui Yejie, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Nanmen Yun'er, and Ju Zi followed closely behind. The two teams ascended the competition stage at the same time.
The semifinals had not yet begun. Under the mutual gaze of the team members, a thick smell of gunpowder originating from the Star Luo team had already filled the air.
Princess Jiujiu's expression had also changed somewhat. Her pair of bright, azure eyes emitted a faint golden luster. If one looked closely, there was a feeling of being as vast as the sea.
Huo Yuhao's eyes, however, were like two pools of stagnant, ancient wells. The strange depth in them easily brought a soul-deep fear to his opponents.
On the Sun Moon team's side, besides Huo Yuhao, the rest had never appeared on stage before. And they all looked very young, like a preparatory team.
This was also the first time Huo Yuhao and his companions were participating in the competition. Previously, almost no one had ever seen Xie Huanyue and the others make a move.
Compared to Huo Yuhao's side, which was scattered and had no formation at all, on the Star Luo National Academy's side, it was a somewhat strange formation. Six of them stood in a triangle: one in front, then two, then three. Only Princess Jiujiu stood at the very back. The golden color in her eyes was clearly beginning to become stronger, as if she were the commander of the team.
Huo Yuhao stared at the princess with a cold gaze, his eyes wantonly sweeping over her exquisite and shapely body. A smile with a hint of a wicked taste suddenly appeared on his face.
"I hope Her Highness the Princess can withstand my personal 'tutelage'..."
His almost-unsolvable, powerful spiritual cultivation was already well known. But even if it was well known, it didn't necessarily mean there was a complete counter-measure!
At this time, looking at Huo Yuhao's eager appearance, even Princess Jiujiu couldn't help but frown slightly. It was clear that she was also somewhat wary of this youth's spiritual power attack methods.
"The match begins." Just as both sides were closely observing the opponent's situation, the Heaven-Shaking Douluo shouted loudly. A golden light flashed in the center of the competition stage, and this powerful Titled Douluo disappeared.
And at this instant, a protective shield rose above the head of every participating member of the Star Luo National Academy team, solidly protecting their heads. This was clearly a means to target Huo Yuhao's spiritual power.