The two of them walked through the passage reserved for participating students, heading from the Star Emperor Hotel on the east side of Star Luo Square all the way to Shrek Academy's resting area beneath the city wall of the royal capital.
As they moved, the eyes of countless spectators followed them.
The mood of the crowd was instantly lifted. Some bold young girls even shouted Xu Zihuang's name aloud.
Of course, what they were shouting was not "Xu Zihuang," but his alias within Shrek Academy—Yu Tianhuang.
Although two of the academy's main team members would be appearing in today's lineup, they had yet to demonstrate their true strength. By comparison, Xu Zihuang remained the center of attention.
Strong, gifted, handsome, and elegant—it was only natural that he would be admired by so many women.
On the Douluo Continent, soul masters were the most revered of professions. Those who could qualify for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament were all elites among the younger generation of soul masters.
If a commoner could somehow form a connection with such a person, it would be a path straight to glory.
Even the Star Luo Empire's officials didn't restrict such matters; in fact, they encouraged them.
Most of the spectators in Star Luo Square were citizens of the empire, and if relationships between powerful soul masters and local residents led to children, the chances of those offspring awakening with innate soul power would rise sharply.
In a sense, this indirectly strengthened the empire's overall national power.
In some darker corners of the continent, people even paid extravagant prices to buy the "seed" of strong soul masters to produce gifted descendants.
In a world where one's future depended on the strength of their martial soul, such things were inevitable.
Of course, great soul master families were always strict in maintaining the purity of their bloodlines and martial soul inheritance. Those willing to sell themselves this way were usually wandering rogue soul masters who had recently gained power.
Under the countless gazes of the audience, Xu Zihuang remained perfectly composed, unaffected by the attention.
Ning Tian was the same. As the sole heir raised by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she was no stranger to being in the spotlight.
Standing side by side, the two appeared remarkably well-matched.
As they passed the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's resting area, Ma Rulong and Xiao Hongchen squinted their eyes, examining Xu Zihuang closely, while Meng Hongchen's gaze was fixed instead on Ning Tian, her delicate brows faintly furrowed.
Sensing her look, Ning Tian turned slightly to meet her eyes. For a moment, the two young women locked gazes—an unspoken clash of willpower.
When they reached Shrek Academy's resting area, Wang Yan immediately came forward to greet them. Feeling the still-unrestrained edge of Xu Zihuang's aura, he asked with delight,
"Tianhuang, did you break through?"
When a soul master advanced past a bottleneck, their aura changed subtly and required time to stabilize.
Though Wang Yan was only a Soul King, he could easily perceive it.
Xu Zihuang smiled and nodded. "Yes. I took the opportunity to break through to level forty-three."
Hearing this, everyone in the Shrek team was visibly startled.
Twelve years old—and already a level forty-three Soul Ancestor.
Among the reserve team, only Xu Sanshi could compare in cultivation level. Even Beibei's soul power was slightly weaker, at level forty-two.
Wang Dong looked at Xu Zihuang with a complicated expression. After witnessing Xu Zihuang's displays in the previous two matches, he had been completely convinced of his strength.
A genius like Yu Tianhuang—
Even if he didn't possess twin martial souls, he was destined to become a top-tier powerhouse whom others could only look up to.
For the first time, Wang Dong felt a deep, almost despairing sense that he could never catch up.
Wang Yan smiled, patted Xu Zihuang's shoulder, and turned to Wang Dong.
"Tianhuang will be taking your place for this match. Wang Dong, do you have any objections?"
"Huh?" Wang Dong was stunned for a moment, then shook his head lightly.
Though proud by nature, his pride had already been crushed to dust by Xu Zihuang's overwhelming talent. And since this was about Shrek Academy's honor, he wouldn't dare act out of selfishness.
Wang Yan gestured for everyone to sit and began briefing them.
"Our opponent this round is Zheng Tian Academy from the Heaven Dou Empire. They're one of the oldest and most prestigious academies there, producing many talents over the generations.
In the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, they lost to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy in the semifinals. Their overall strength is extremely formidable.
I'll introduce the three members you need to pay special attention to."
"First, their captain—Ye Wuqing, martial soul Golden Leaf. He's Zheng Tian's strongest member, with soul power nearing level sixty.
In the previous tournament, he already fought as a main team member. Elder Xuan once personally evaluated him, saying—and I quote—'If he studied at Shrek Academy, he would definitely reach level sixty before the age of twenty.'"
For the reserve team members unfamiliar with what that implied, Chen Zifeng and Gongyang Mo, both from the inner court, understood all too well.
They exchanged a glance, each seeing the same seriousness reflected in the other's eyes.
Reaching the Soul Emperor level before twenty was entirely different from doing so after twenty.
Those who broke through before twenty almost certainly had a bright future ahead. Barring accidents, they were destined to reach Titled Douluo, and possibly even Super Douluo, the pinnacle of human soul masters.
With the evolution of the soul master cultivation system over the millennia, Titled Douluo were far more numerous than before—but among every hundred, fewer than ten could ever step into the Super Douluo realm.
Even within Shrek's inner court, Chen Zifeng and Gongyang Mo were considered among the most gifted of their generation. Yet neither had reached level sixty.
Both were nineteen years old; Gongyang Mo, with soul power of fifty-nine, might still make it, but Chen Zifeng likely wouldn't.
Wang Yan paused briefly before continuing.
"Other than Ye Wuqing, the one we must be most cautious of is a female student named Yu Mengdi. Her martial soul is Angel, a direct inheritance of the ancient Angel Lineage once belonging to Spirit Hall thousands of years ago."
The Angel Martial Soul, possessing divine attributes, was a standard example used in Shrek's Martial Soul Identification classes—even first-year students learned about its extraordinary strength.
"Lastly," Wang Yan said, "there's another Soul King—Tang Xiaolei, martial soul Zihuagong, a rare ranged attack-type battle soul master. He uses his own soul rings as arrows—each shot consumes a ring, and after five shots, his soul power is completely exhausted. But in return, his attack power becomes terrifying."
As Wang Yan explained Zheng Tian Academy's members, the referee for this match stepped onto the stage.
"The draw begins! Both teams, enter the waiting area and send one representative to the stage to determine the match format."
Wang Yan rose, leading his students to the waiting area, and nodded toward Beibei.
Beibei stepped forward and ascended the stage.
Just like in their first round-robin match, both sides threw their hollow spheres into the air simultaneously.
A moment later, the referee caught a small red ball, held it high for all to see, and shouted:
"Shrek Academy vs. Zheng Tian Academy—format: seven-versus-seven team battle! Both sides, prepare!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yan's expression brightened.
With Gongyang Mo—an auxiliary-type soul master—in their lineup, the team battle format was by far their most advantageous option.
Beibei returned to the team with a lighter step.
"Nice draw, Junior Brother Beibei," Gongyang Mo said with a faint smile, his tone teasingly ambiguous.
Beibei stiffened awkwardly. After spending this much time together, he was well aware that Gongyang Mo's… preferences were somewhat unusual.
Xu Sanshi, resting his hands on Xu Zihuang's and He Caitou's shoulders, grinned mischievously at Beibei. If not for the seriousness of the situation, he would have burst out laughing just to irritate his always-stoic teammate.
Wang Yan waved to draw everyone's attention.
"You haven't fought together much, so I won't give detailed tactical instructions. Tianhuang will lead the command—just adapt as needed. I trust that Shrek's students are no weaker than anyone else. If you have questions, speak now."
"I have no objections, Teacher Wang. Leave Ye Wuqing to me."
Chen Zifeng's warm smile contrasted sharply with the burning battle spirit in his eyes.
Just then, the referee's voice boomed again:
"Both teams, take the stage!"
From the waiting area, Xu Zihuang, Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou strode forward toward the platform.
Wang Yan, Ning Tian, and Wang Dong remained seated below.
Both teams lined up on opposite sides.
For Shrek Academy, Chen Zifeng stood in front, followed by Beibei, Xu Sanshi, He Caitou, and Jiang Nannan. Xu Zihuang, the team's main control-type soul master, stood behind them, while Gongyang Mo, as the auxiliary, took position at the rear.
The crowd's cheers grew deafening.
This match promised to be spectacular—Shrek's side had Yu Tianhuang and two inner court members making their debut, while Zheng Tian boasted three Soul Kings.
It was undoubtedly the most anticipated battle since the start of the round-robin.
On the opposing side, Ye Wuqing stood at the front. He was around twenty, unremarkable in looks but tall and slender, his face devoid of emotion, his eyes indifferent to everything.
Behind him were Yu Mengdi, the angelic beauty, and two robust young men: Blood Wolf, a power-type assault master, and Yang Yifan, a speed-type attacker.
Though burly, Yang Yifan was indeed a genuine agility-type soul master.
Behind them stood the long-ranged attackers Yan'er and Tang Xiaolei.
Tang Xiaolei was tall and lean, his eyes sharp with faint violet light flickering within.
Yan'er, another strikingly beautiful girl with fiery red hair, exuded youthful charm and vitality, her developing figure drawing countless eyes.
At the rear stood Shangguan Can, their control-type auxiliary soul master—unfortunately plain to the point of pitiful. Despite being only twenty, he already had sparse hair, a flat nose, tiny eyes, and thick lips.
Gathering every unattractive feature imaginable—he was, in a sense, gifted in his own way.
Zheng Tian Academy's lineup was exceptionally balanced, and their average soul power even exceeded Shrek's.
Yu Mengdi and Tang Xiaolei were both Soul Kings at levels fifty-four and fifty-three.
Shangguan Can and Yan'er were at level forty-six. Blood Wolf and Yang Yifan were slightly weaker, around level forty-two.
Seeing both teams ready, the referee shouted:
"Begin!"
Both sides released their martial souls simultaneously.
Ye Wuqing's eyes flashed gold, and a slender leaf hovered quietly before him. He held it between his index and middle fingers, and around him appeared two yellow, two purple, and one black—the perfect five-ring configuration.
Though his martial soul seemed simple, the aura that erupted from him instantly swept across the arena.
Behind him, Yu Mengdi's awakening was dazzling. Radiant golden light burst from her back as a pair of pure white wings spread wide, bathing her in sacred brilliance that inspired reverence.
Her five soul rings—two yellow, two purple, one black—shone brightly as she flapped her wings and ascended. Her first soul ring gleamed, and golden longswords appeared in both her hands.
Then she dove sharply, aiming straight at Xu Zihuang, who stood at Shrek's center.
At the same time, Shangguan Can activated his strongest skill.
A large, ancient-looking bell appeared in his right hand, its dark blue surface engraved with strange markings. Three eerie beads rolled within its hollow interior.
His fourth purple soul ring glowed fiercely as dark red light enveloped the bell. A pulse of energy spread outward in rippling waves, locking precisely onto Xu Zihuang.
Zheng Tian's team had clearly done their research.
They knew how devastating Xu Zihuang's Mirror of Annihilation, his second soul skill, could be—an ability capable of wiping out entire teams, as seen when Qianling Academy was nearly obliterated under it.
Their plan was simple: have Shangguan Can restrain Yu Tianhuang briefly, while Yu Mengdi used her flying advantage to strike him down swiftly.
But what happened next stunned everyone.
The instant Shangguan Can's skill connected, his body convulsed violently—blood gushed from his seven orifices, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The match had barely begun, and Zheng Tian Academy had already lost a member?!
The entire audience was struck dumb. Even the referee froze for a moment, unable to process what had happened.
From atop the royal stands, Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire suddenly appeared, his eyes wide in astonishment.
"Soul skill backlash? This youngster's spiritual power… is terrifying!"
The severity of soul skill backlash depended on the difference between the caster's spiritual power and that of their target.
Both Shangguan Can and Xu Zihuang were above level forty.
Yet, under such similar cultivation, Shangguan Can had suffered such catastrophic rebound that he lost consciousness instantly—proof that the gulf between their spiritual powers was utterly vast.
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