"The final winner of this All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the team advancing to the Top Eight is—Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!!"
"Shrek Academy—eliminated! Stopped at the top sixteen!"
As the referee's high-pitched, impassioned announcement rang out—his voice even cracking from excessive excitement—the atmosphere of the entire Star Luo Plaza was pushed to its absolute peak.
At that very moment, a figure shot out from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's waiting area like an arrow loosed from a bow.
It was Jing Hongchen.
This dean, who normally carried himself with dignity and composure, had completely cast aside all restraint. His slightly round body actually burst forth with astonishing speed as he stumbled onto the stage.
"We won… we really won! Hahahaha!"
Jing Hongchen rushed to the center of the stage, staring at the young faces before him. His old face was flushed red with excitement, and his gray beard trembled violently.
He first pulled Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen into a tight embrace. Before the two siblings could even react, he released them and rushed straight toward Liu Yuan, who stood at the very front.
"Good boy! Well done! All of you—well done!"
Jing Hongchen grabbed Liu Yuan by the shoulders. A hazy glimmer of tears flickered in his eyes.
No one understood the weight of this victory better than he did.
This was not merely the outcome of a single match—it was a counterattack from utter desperation, after the Sun Moon Empire had been suppressed for thousands of years by the three original empires of the Douluo Continent and Shrek Academy within the Spirit Master world.
How many years had it been?
Every tournament, the Sun Moon Team arrived brimming with confidence, only to return home burdened with the humiliation of second place.
That crushing pressure had been a massive mountain weighing down on the entire Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool world, an inescapable nightmare.
And today, that mountain had been smashed apart by the iron fists of the young man before him!
"Dean, take it easy—you're about to crush my bones," Liu Yuan said with a helpless smile as he looked at the incoherently excited Jing Hongchen.
"Crushed? Where? Let me see!" Jing Hongchen was startled and quickly let go—only to realize Liu Yuan was joking. He burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Good! Excellent! When we get back, I'll reward you handsomely! Whatever you want, I'll give it to you! Even if you want the stars in the sky, I'll fly up in ninth-rank soul tools and pluck them down for you!"
Led by Jing Hongchen, the members of the Sun Moon Team basked in the glory of victory. With heads held high, they slowly walked off the stage under countless gazes filled with complex emotions.
…
The tournament still had to continue.
According to the schedule, there were matches yet to be held between other academies.
However, when the next pair of competing teams—two high-rank Spirit Master academies from the Star Luo Empire—stepped onto the stage, they were met with an unprecedentedly cold reception.
Normally, a duel between Spirit Kings would be enough to ignite the crowd's passion.
But now?
Watching the two Spirit Kings on stage summon their Spirits and exchange brilliant Spirit Abilities, the hundreds of thousands of spectators below were utterly uninterested. Some even yawned openly.
"What kind of fighting is this? It's so weak—like they haven't even eaten."
"Exactly. Compared to the match just now, this is like kids playing house."
"Sigh. After seeing Liu Yuan shatter an eighth-rank soul tool with one punch, watching ordinary Spirit Masters fight is just tasteless."
The audience's standards had been completely raised by the earth-shattering battle earlier.
The Spirit Abilities that once amazed them now looked like nothing more than meaningless flashes of light.
No one cared who won or lost this match.
In the stands, people gathered in small groups, animatedly discussing the battle that had just ended:
"Did you see that punch clearly? It was terrifying! That was an eighth-rank soul tool!"
"What kind of monster is Liu Yuan? The Sun Moon Empire is really about to rise!"
"Shrek really lost face this time. Being eliminated in the top sixteen—that's definitely the biggest news in ten thousand years!"
Compared to the audience's chatter, the reaction of the media reporters was even more direct—and frantic.
They didn't spare the match on stage a single glance. Without waiting for the day's schedule to end, they rushed toward the exits of Star Luo Plaza like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, clutching notebooks and image-recording soul tools.
"Quick! Go back and write the draft!"
"Headline—absolute headline! 'The Collapse of the Shrek Dynasty!'"
"I need something even more explosive—'Hand of God! Sun Moon Team's Liu Yuan Decides Victory with a Single Punch!'"
"Tell the layout department to scrap all the original pages! Even if it's His Majesty's speech, push it back! Today there can be only one protagonist—and that's Liu Yuan!"
In an instant, major newspapers and news agencies descended into chaos.
Everyone knew that whoever released this news first would dominate attention for at least the next month.
…
At the same time.
Scouts planted in Star Luo City by various major factions also sprang into action.
Countless carrier pigeons took to the skies, and beams of light from transmission soul tools shot through the air, carrying this continent-shaking news in all directions.
Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
Deep within the Imperial Palace, inside the Imperial Study.
The Sun Moon Emperor paced back and forth across the spacious hall with his hands clasped behind his back.
Though he was the ruler of a great empire and long accustomed to remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, today his heart refused to settle.
Because today was the decisive battle of the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament—the Sun Moon Team versus the Shrek Team.
"Judging by the time, the results should be out by now…"
The Emperor stopped, gazing intently toward the direction of Star Luo City, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Shrek's foundation runs deep, and their Spirit Master ranks are simply too high… Even though we won the round-robin stage, the outcome of the team battle is still uncertain…"
Just then—
"Report—!!!"
A hurried, piercing shout broke the silence of the Imperial Study.
A Messenger clad in Royal Guard armor rushed in, clutching an urgent secret report. He was moving so fast that he nearly tripped over the threshold.
"Your Majesty! Great news! Wonderful news!"
The Messenger knelt to the ground, holding the report high with both hands, his voice hoarse from excitement.
The Sun Moon Emperor's heart leapt. Disregarding his imperial dignity, he strode forward, snatched the report, and felt his hands tremble slightly.
He unfolded the letter and scanned it rapidly, eyes flashing.
First line: "The Sun Moon Team achieved a great victory over the Shrek Team in the individual elimination match!"
Second line: "Shrek Team captain Ma Xiaotao injured, eighth-rank soul tool shattered; the entire team lost their fighting spirit and voluntarily surrendered!"
Third line: "Shrek Team stopped at the top sixteen! Our Sun Moon Empire prevails!"
"Good! Good! Good!!!"
The instant he finished reading, the Emperor—ruler of the strongest empire on the continent—actually leapt into the air like a child who had just received his favorite toy.
He truly jumped.
"We won! I won! The Sun Moon Empire won!"
"Hahahaha! Shrek! So you have this day as well! The so-called ten-thousand-year glory, the so-called invincibility—today, all of it is trampled beneath my feet!"
The Emperor's wild laughter echoed through the hall, sweeping away years of pent-up frustration.
This was not merely a victory in an academy tournament; it symbolized the rise of the Sun Moon Empire's national fortune, and the triumph of spirit tool technology over traditional Spirits!
After finally calming himself slightly, the Emperor turned urgently to the Messenger.
"Quick! Tell me in detail—how exactly did we win?"
The Messenger hurriedly kowtowed and replied reverently:
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this battle was entirely thanks to Captain Liu Yuan!"
"Liu Yuan?" The Emperor's eyes lit up. "Him again?"
"Yes!" the Messenger replied, swallowing nervously as he spoke. "According to reports from our scouts, Captain Liu Yuan relied solely on his own strength to perform a single-point breakthrough, defeating Shrek Team captain Ma Xiaotao on the stage!"
"Moreover, after defeating Ma Xiaotao, he was essentially still at full strength."
"Seeing no hope of victory, the rest of the Shrek Team chose to surrender."
Listening to this, the Emperor's breathing grew rapid once more.
"So that's how it was…"
He paced back and forth across the study, the light in his eyes growing brighter with each step.
"To have Liu Yuan is truly a blessing for my Sun Moon Empire!"
"My earlier judgment was correct—we must keep him! He is the future hope of the Sun Moon Empire!"
The Emperor stopped abruptly, murmuring to himself.
"But how can I do even better…"
He pondered for a long moment.
At last, a flash of decisiveness and ruthlessness crossed his eyes, transforming into deep desire.
"Pass my decree!"
"Draft the edict!"
"On the day Liu Yuan returns in triumph, I will personally go ten miles outside the city to welcome him!"
"At the same time, announce to the entire nation that Liu Yuan led the team to victory over Shrek! Let all citizens know that Liu Yuan is the young hero of my Sun Moon Empire!"
…
On the other side, as the Sun Moon Empire erupted into nationwide celebration and the Emperor prepared to bestow lavish rewards—
On the Douluo Continent, in Shrek City.
At this moment, Shrek Academy was still bathed in gentle afternoon sunlight, peaceful and serene.
Sea God Lake shimmered brilliantly. Outer Court students sweated on the training grounds, while Inner Court disciples cultivated step by step.
Everything appeared beautiful and calm.
However, at this very moment, a piece of news reached Shrek Academy's Communications Department…