A few days later.
Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire.
As the political, cultural, and economic heart of the empire, this ancient city—boasting a history spanning several thousand years—radiated unparalleled prosperity and heritage.
With the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament about to begin, Star Luo City was livelier than ever.
Merchants, tourists, and participating teams from academies all across the continent flooded into the city, packing its streets until movement was almost impossible.
Amid the bustling crowd, one particular group quickly drew everyone's attention.
Though they looked travel-worn, every member carried an indescribable sense of pride.
Especially the old man walking at the very front—his hair disheveled, clothes stained with grease, a massive wine gourd slung in his hand. His appearance was sloppy, yet his stride was bold and unrestrained, as though the entire avenue belonged to him.
Behind him followed a group of young men and women clad in dark green academy uniforms.
The color itself wasn't exactly appealing—some might even call it tacky. There were those who joked that it was "Shrek Green," claiming it resembled the color of a Shrek monster's droppings.
Yet this uniform, which severely tested one's looks, produced a miraculous effect when worn by this group.
When passersby caught sight of the ferocious monster emblem embroidered in gold thread on the chest of those dark green uniforms, gasps and murmurs immediately erupted.
"Look! That emblem—it's Shrek Academy!"
"My god! It really is Shrek! They're here!"
"So this is the continent's number one academy? That old man leading them must be a Titled Douluo, right? Look at that bearing—truly extraordinary!"
"And those students behind him—every one of them sharp-eyed and imposing. They really are heaven's chosen!"
People instinctively stopped in their tracks, retreating to either side to make way, forming a wide path through the crowd.
Their eyes brimmed with awe, envy, and even near-fanatical reverence.
In a world where strength was supreme, the name Shrek represented the pinnacle of glory in the Soul Master world—a living myth of invincibility.
Bathed in countless admiring gazes, the Shrek group—who had been somewhat exhausted from the journey—straightened their backs almost subconsciously.
The earlier embarrassment?
The crushing setback in the Ming Dou Mountain Range?
Their teammates' severe injuries?
At this moment, all of it was flung far beyond the clouds.
This was the halo of Shrek Academy.
As long as they wore these uniforms, they were the center of attention—figures standing above all others.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the others walking in the formation still felt a trace of guilt deep down, but swept up by the atmosphere, they unconsciously lifted their chins, doing their utmost to maintain the dignity befitting the "number one academy on the continent."
Even Xuan Zi, who had been gloomy for days, now felt his spirits soar. A healthy glow returned to his aged face as he strode forward with head held high, enjoying the scene like an emperor on an inspection tour.
"Hmph, see that?"
Xuan Zi said smugly, his voice low enough that only those nearby could hear.
"This is Shrek's prestige."
"No matter where we go, we are always the most dazzling existence. What do a few setbacks matter? As long as we step onto the competition stage, the championship will belong to us!"
Soon, under countless gazes, Xuan Zi led the group to the Star Luo Imperial Hotel, located beside Star Luo Plaza.
This was the official registration site for the tournament and the designated lodging for all participating academies.
At that moment, the hotel lobby was already packed.
Teams from over a hundred advanced Soul Master academies of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Dou Ling Empire, and the Star Luo Empire filled the space, all gathered to register.
Academy uniforms of every imaginable color intermingled, voices overlapping in a noisy din.
However—
The instant Xuan Zi led the Shrek group into the lobby, it was as though an invisible giant hand seized the hall by the throat.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
All eyes converged on the entrance in the very first moment.
That iconic dark green uniform carried an almost magical effect, sending a jolt through everyone's hearts.
"Shrek… has arrived."
Someone whispered.
Immediately afterward, teachers and students from other academies—who had been crowding the registration desk—panicked like startled quails, retreating to the sides and forcibly clearing out the most central and spacious area for Shrek's group.
This was deterrence.
A name alone could cast a shadow like a towering tree.
Even without doing anything, Shrek's mere presence was enough to suffocate the other academies.
Xuan Zi was clearly used to this.
He didn't spare a glance for the awestruck looks around him and walked straight to the registration desk.
The young staff member in charge of registration flushed bright red with excitement, his hands trembling slightly.
He had never imagined he would personally receive the legendary Shrek Academy.
"H-Hello!"
The staff member stood up nervously and respectfully handed over a thick stack of forms.
"Welcome, honored guests from Shrek Academy. Um… please follow the procedure and fill in the detailed information for all participating members. We need to verify bone age and soul power rank…"
This was a mandatory rule.
No matter how powerful the academy, everyone had to fill it out truthfully and undergo on-site inspection to prevent cheating.
Xuan Zi glanced indifferently at the stack of forms.
Then he frowned.
"Fill out forms?"
He snorted coldly, as though he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.
"At my age, you expect me to hold a pen and fill out such tedious nonsense one by one?"
"What a waste of time!"
The staff member froze, flustered.
"B-But sir… these are the tournament regulations. If the forms aren't filled out, we can't file the registration—"
"Regulations?"
A curl of disdain lifted the corner of Xuan Zi's mouth.
In this world, the will of the strong was the regulation.
Boom—!
Without any warning, an utterly terrifying aura erupted from Xuan Zi's slightly hunched body.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
Nine brilliant soul rings rose slowly from beneath his feet, floating around his body like blazing suns.
That final blood-red hundred-thousand-year soul ring radiated a chilling, heart-stopping glow, bathing the entire hotel lobby in crimson light!
A Titled Douluo!
And a Super Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!
The overwhelming pressure crashed down like Mount Tai.
Thump! Thump!
Students with weaker cultivation instantly buckled, collapsing to their knees.
Even Soul Emperors and Soul Saints leading their teams turned pale, cold sweat pouring down their faces as they didn't dare breathe too heavily.
As for the staff member directly facing Xuan Zi's pressure—he was so frightened that he slumped into his chair, his face deathly pale, teeth chattering.
"So…"
Xuan Zi clasped his hands behind his back, nine soul rings pulsing as he looked down at the trembling man.
"Do I still need to fill them out?"
"I don't have the leisure to write."
"I'll dictate—you write."
"Understand?"
Was this registration?
This was issuing an imperial decree.
At this moment, who would dare say no?
The staff member had long since lost all composure. Hearing Xuan Zi's words felt like a pardon from execution.
He hurriedly grabbed a pen, nodding frantically.
"Y-Yes! Sir, please speak! Please speak! I'll write it all down—every word!"
Xuan Zi nodded in satisfaction, slightly restraining his pressure—though the nine soul rings remained suspended overhead, continuing to intimidate the entire hall.
He cleared his throat and swept his gaze over the surrounding academy teams, who were silent as cicadas in winter. His eyes brimmed with mockery and contempt.
If he was going to show off, he would do it properly.
Let these frogs at the bottom of the well see what a true monster looked like.
"Listen carefully!"
Xuan Zi's voice rang out, loud and clear, echoing through the entire lobby.
"First—team captain, Ma Xiaotao!"
The staff member hurriedly wrote it down.
"Ma… Ma Xiaotao…"
"Age—nineteen."
"Martial Soul—Evil Fire Phoenix!"
Xuan Zi deliberately paused, then raised his voice, enunciating each word with crushing force—information enough to plunge everyone present into despair.
"Soul power rank—"
"Rank seventy-two!"
"Power Attack System—Soul Saint!!!"
-------------Author---------------
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