Chapter 53: The Entire Star Luo City Is Rigged with Soul Guidance Bombs (2-in-1)
Outskirts of the Mingdou Mountain Range.
The group led by Elder Xuan looked like withered leaves battered by rain. Their morale had completely collapsed.
Wang Dong's survival was a small comfort, but the sudden calamity had left Shrek's students dead and gravely wounded. The damage was irreparable. Under such circumstances, participating in the upcoming Continental Soul Master Tournament according to plan was utterly impossible.
Initially, Wang Yan had wanted to withdraw, but Elder Xuan, remembering Shrek's ten thousand years of honor and prestige, simply couldn't accept it. Pulling Wang Yan aside, he declared firmly:
"Shrek's glory cannot be abandoned. The tournament is about to begin. These children are too badly injured—I must take them back to Shrek for treatment. From here on, you will have to act as interim leader."
Wang Yan nearly exploded on the spot.
If Elder Xuan hadn't been a Rank 98 Super Douluo and Shrek's Great Elder, Wang Yan would've pointed at his nose and cursed him out.
Too badly injured?
This wasn't "too badly injured." Four dead, three gravely wounded—Dai Yueheng and Xu Sanshi were already at death's door! How could Elder Xuan gloss over such devastation with one vague phrase?
Elder Xuan, do you even have a heart?!
But with Elder Xuan's oppressive aura weighing on them, Wang Yan could only swallow his anger and reluctantly accept.
He gathered the surviving students, his tone heavy:
"The situation is critical. We must split up. Elder Xuan will take back the news of Yao Haoxuan and Xi Xi's sacrifice to the Academy, while escorting Dai Yueheng and Xu Sanshi back for emergency treatment.
The rest of you—Ma Xiaotao and the others—will follow me to Star Luo City and participate in the tournament."
The moment those words fell, the camp erupted.
Ma Xiaotao and Wang Dong were still unconscious, unaware of what was happening. But Dai Huabin, Ning Tian, and several others were awake, and their reactions were explosive. Even Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan were dumbfounded.
"What? Just us, to compete in the Continental Tournament?"
"But Senior Sister Xiaotao and the others are still unconscious! Shouldn't we focus on helping them recover first?"
"Exactly! With their injuries, there's no way they'll fully recover before the tournament begins. How are we supposed to carry this burden?"
The students weren't fools. They understood exactly what this meant.
The Academy was placing its ten-thousand-year honor on their shoulders. If they won, the glory would belong to Shrek. At best, they'd receive a small reward. But if they lost, they would forever be remembered as the ones who destroyed Shrek's reputation.
And look at them—barely Soul Elders and Soul Ancestors, some even weaker—expected to fight Soul Kings and Soul Emperors?
It was suicide!
Bei Bei clenched his fists as he looked at his best brother's condition. Xu Sanshi's martial soul was shattered—something that could destroy any soul master's future. If Shrek abandoned him now, Xu Sanshi's dream of becoming strong would vanish forever.
But would the Academy really invest enormous resources into saving a broken, crippled man? Even the mighty Xuanshui Sect might be powerless here.
Jiang Nannan bit her lip, eyes full of conflicted emotions. She'd always disliked Xu Sanshi, even loathed him at times. But seeing him like this—body ruined, martial soul broken—she couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in her heart. (She was truly an old patient of Stockholm Syndrome.)
Ling Luochen, who had been saved by Xu Sanshi's sacrifice, stepped forward. Her eyes were hollow, her heart weighed down by grief. Yao Haoxuan, Xi Xi, her teammates—they were gone, forever. She hated the Evil Soul Masters who caused it, but she hated Elder Xuan even more.
"You... you're unworthy of being Shrek's Elder. Even less so of leading the new Shrek Seven Monsters!"
The Seven Monsters… broken. Yao Haoxuan and Xi Xi, once so dazzling, their futures filled with endless possibilities, were gone in an instant because of Elder Xuan's mistake. She would never forget the look in their eyes before death—the despair, the unwillingness.
Elder Xuan said nothing. His greasy, calloused hands clenched tightly. He had no excuses left.
Everyone's gaze fell to Xu Sanshi. His injuries were horrific—his lower body completely destroyed. If not for Elder Xuan's intervention, Xu Sanshi would already have followed his ancestors. But even with life barely preserved, his wounds were irreversible.
Martial soul restoration might be possible at great cost, but his body would never be whole again.
Xu Sanshi, the shameless joker of their team, had been turned into a cripple. A eunuch—not born, but forced into it by fate.
"Enough!" Dai Huabin suddenly roared, holding his maimed elder brother Dai Yueheng in his arms.
"My brother's life hangs by a thread, and you still have the mood to talk about this damn tournament? Do you not see the situation we're in?! If he dies because of your delay, the White Tiger Duke's mansion will never forgive you!"
Yes, he competed with Dai Yueheng for family glory, but he didn't want to see his brother ruined. His father, his mother—how would they view him if Dai Yueheng died because of his weakness?
Wang Yan could only sigh. He'd expected this. Elder Xuan stepped forward again, forcing himself to speak:
"Children… It's all this old man's fault. But there's no time to call for reinforcements from the Academy. For now, you alone must hold the line.
Fight through the first rounds, at least until reinforcements arrive or until Xiaotao and the others recover.
Shrek's honor depends on you. Victory and glory will belong to you. Failure and disgrace… will fall on me."
He said this, then immediately turned away, disappearing into the distance with the broken, half-dead students, leaving only the pre-selection team standing in stunned silence.
Only when Elder Xuan's figure had vanished did Dai Huabin clench his fists and snarl:
"Hmph. Easy for him to say! Glory and victory belong to us; failure and shame belong to him? But we're the ones fighting, not him! If Shrek loses its ten-thousand-year honor, the shame will follow us forever!"
The others stayed silent. They all felt the same bitterness but dared not speak.
Ning Tian's face was pale. Bei Bei and Jiang Nannan exchanged uneasy glances.
At last, Bei Bei, now acting as captain of the pre-selection team, forced himself to rally them:
"Don't worry. We're Shrek's elites. The tournament isn't hopeless. We just need to hold out for the first match—reinforcements will arrive by then.
Besides, with us stepping up so suddenly, we might even catch our opponents off guard."
His words were pure comfort. The tournament roster had long been set; reinforcements were nearly impossible. At least for the first few rounds, it would be up to them alone.
Ning Tian and He Caitou chimed in, voices tight with suppressed fear:
"That's right! We are Shrek's elites, students of the continent's number one academy! There's no reason to shrink back!"
But in their hearts, one thought kept repeating—
"Can we really do this?"
(Huo Yuhao: Definitely not, brothers. Just wait to be abused, that's all. Also, thanks to Death God Envoy, Huo Yuhao sent a reward to Death God Envoy, thank him for the MVP he sent!)
Meanwhile—Star Luo City.
At the luxurious Star Emperor Grand Hotel, headquarters of the Star Luo royal family, the students of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy were in stark contrast—lounging by the rooftop pool, indulging in wine, food, and laughter.
"Yuhao, this is a local Star Luo delicacy. You have to try it—it's delicious."
Meng Hongchen, dressed in a cool white mini-skirt, held a dessert in her hand and walked over to Huo Yuhao, who was lying on a lounge chair sunbathing, speaking in a gentle tone.
Xiao Hongchen, who was also wearing frog-eye glasses and drinking coconut juice nearby, scoffed.
"Meng, are you blind? Your big brother is sitting right here too. Am I invisible? I want some as well!"
"Heh, I knew you'd compete with Yuhao for affection. Here, I prepared a super spicy dessert for you. You have to eat it all!"
"That's not fair, Yuhao, say something!"
Huo Yuhao was enjoying a peaceful moment, but now he only found them noisy.
At that moment, their mentors Elder Ma and Lin Jiayi arrived, clapping to draw attention.
"Everyone, enough play. You've all seen the intel on the other academies. Let's hear your thoughts."
Everyone immediately stopped their playful antics, and Ma Rulong and the others also came over from the self-service dining area. Xiao Hongchen snorted.
"My thoughts? One word—trash. Every single one of them."
Lin Jiayi's mouth twitched. Before Elder Ma could scold him, he cut in dryly:
"Very well said. Don't say it again next time."
Elder Ma then turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, what about you? Do you have confidence in taking the championship this time?"
Yuhao slid off his sunglasses, smirking slightly.
"I have a question first. For our Academy, who is the real obstacle to winning the championship?"
Elder Ma and Lin Jiayi exchanged glances. Yuhao continued:
"The truth is clear. Only two: Star Luo Imperial Academy and Shrek Academy. Everyone else is irrelevant.
But since the Star Luo Empire is hosting, their team will be strategically positioned against us in later rounds. Whether in the quarterfinals or semifinals, we'll almost certainly clash with both Shrek and Star Luo Team."
"Exactly," Elder Ma nodded gravely. "The Star Luo team has at least six Soul Kings. Their strength is formidable. We may face two brutal battles."
Yuhao raised a brow.
"But tomorrow is the opening ceremony. Why haven't we heard any news about Shrek?"
His tone was innocent, but inside, he sneered. Without his prior warning, what kind of disaster had struck Shrek this time?
Elder Ma's expression darkened.
"We've received word: Shrek has indeed arrived in Star Luo City. They'll be staying here, at the Star Emperor Hotel.
However, what's strange is that, apart from their lead teacher, only two main team members have shown themselves."
"Director Lin and I suspect that Shrek might be planning something else, perhaps hiding their strength, or preparing to make a big splash."
Huo Yuhao grinned upon hearing this news and posed a soul-searching question.
"Elder Ma, tell me, is it possible that Shrek suffered some major unforeseen event on their way to participate?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiayi's eyes lit up. Before he could press further, a cloaked figure appeared behind Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao is right. I have personally observed them. Apart from those two wounded students, there are no hidden teammates. Their condition is unstable, their auras weak. It seems Shrek has indeed suffered a catastrophic blow."
The one speaking was Kong Deming, who had been hiding in the shadows all along. He had originally planned to meet an old acquaintance from Shrek in secret today, but apart from Shrek's lead teacher, no strong individuals were protecting them in the dark.
Out of curiosity, he observed Shrek's members and investigated the traces of Shrek's arrival, only then discovering that something was amiss.
Lin Jiayi and Elder Ma naturally knew of Kong Deming's existence, which was why they dared to so brazenly inquire about other academies' news this time.
Is it actually true?
The two were shocked at this moment. What kind of powerful individual could actually severely injure Shrek's participating members under the protection of Shrek's powerful individuals? It was simply terrifying!
The opponent must be at least a Super Douluo.
(Death God Envoy: Thanks to the useless Xuan Zi for the Greatsword!)
"That's great! This means our only obstacle to winning the championship is the Star Luo Royal Academy team!"
Lin Xi, Ma Rulong, and others were happy but also somewhat regretful.
"Heh, Shrek, who has always aimed for the championship and dominated the competition's ten-thousand-year Top, is finally going to fall from grace."
Xiao Hongchen scoffed even more disdainfully, "Tch, I still wanted to test Shrek's strength, but it seems there's no chance now."
Hearing everyone's words, Kong Deming didn't care and simply pulled Huo Yuhao into a room.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen naturally knew Kong Deming because of their grandfather, but Mijia and Chen Fei didn't know, so they all asked Lin Jiayi and Elder Ma.
"Elder Ma, who was that powerful individual just now?"
"Yeah, yeah, why was he able to take Yuhao away?"
Lin Jiayi and Ma Lao smiled without speaking. Xiao Hongchen couldn't hold back and decided to show off for Huo Yuhao.
"That's Yuhao's teacher, the Empire's stabilizing force, the only Level 10 Soul Elder, Elder Kong!"
As soon as these words came out, the few people who had been worried about Huo Yuhao immediately opened their mouths in shock.
Level 10 Soul Engineer, the Empire's stabilizing force… They knew each of these words, but they couldn't understand them when put together!
Damn it, a Level 10 Soul Engineer! They also wanted a teacher like that!
This kid Yuhao hides his true self so well, having such a powerful teacher without saying a word.
But it must be said, he truly lives up to his reputation as the greatest genius in the Empire's history. It's only natural that Yuhao could be taken as a disciple by such a big shot.
"Xiao Hongchen, what are you laughing at?!"
Xiao Hongchen looked at Ma Rulong's big face and smoothed the hair on his forehead.
"Sigh, Yuhao and I are the best of brothers. Seeing your expressions, should I cry instead of laugh?!"
Mijia and the others felt their fists itching, and their desire to beat this guy up grew even stronger. He was too arrogant, and this kid was becoming more and more skilled at it.
In the room, by the top-floor French window.
Kong Deming looked at Huo Yuhao, his closed-door disciple, and instructed.
"I know your plan, but there are still some things I need to tell you."
"Teacher, please speak, I'm listening."
Patting Huo Yuhao's shoulder, Kong Deming said with concern, "Remember, no matter what you do next, even if you turn the world upside down, your own safety must always come first."
He then looked at the afterglow scenery outside Star Luo City and said seriously.
"I will protect you in the dark. If those guys jump up to cause trouble and something happens to you, I will make everyone pay with their lives."
He knew his disciple's plan. Breaking Shrek's ten-thousand-year glory, bringing the championship back to Sun Moon Empire—all that was actually insignificant in his disciple's eyes.
His disciple's purpose from beginning to end was only one: revenge, revenge, and damn it, more revenge!
Everything else was actually a concession and a setup for this matter.
Huo Yuhao was touched, but he couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Teacher… don't tell me… You planted Soul Guidance bombs in the city?"
Kong Deming's lips curved in a chilling smile.
"Not just bombs. Level 9 Soul Guidance bombs. Hidden all across Star Luo City. If triggered, they'll blast this entire city into rubble."
"Holy crap!!!"
The Soul Guidance Bomb Deterrence Era has arrived!
End of Chapter