[Zhu Xian]
The moment Ye Cheng entered this unknown universe and saw the familiar setting and character backgrounds, he immediately realized what kind of world this was.
Instantly, he felt lost.
How could it be such a coincidence?
He had picked a random world to explore, and it just so happened to be from a work he'd read in his past life.
But that was practically impossible.
Logically, with the infinite worlds in the vast chaos of the multiverse, the odds of finding one he recognized were astronomically low—practically zero.
And yet, he found one on the first try?
Not only that, it was one he had casually chosen nearby—and it turned out to be a work he'd once read.
Such an uncanny "coincidence" made him seriously question whether the world he was in was even real.
After all, wasn't the Douluo Continent also based on a fictional work from his past life?
Could it be that all of this was just a lucid dream?
That once he woke up, he'd return to being that mediocre, insignificant man—just a poor nobody?
Or maybe… there was never any transmigration at all. No system. Everything he was experiencing now was nothing more than the dying fantasy of a pitiful office worker named Ye Cheng, hallucinating in his final moments…
He had no Interest in dealing with this [Zhu Xian] universe anymore.
Ye Cheng withdrew his consciousness and sat in his seat, dazed and vacant, his face full of existential doubt.
At the moment, he had no motivation to carry on with the whole "universe fusion" endeavor. He just wanted some peace and quiet—he needed peace and quiet.
…
It took him a full three days to recover from that identity crisis.
And during that time, he made a decision: he would postpone exploring other universes.
He simply wasn't ready to face the "truth" beyond this universe yet.
For now, it was better to focus on managing his own backyard.
In short… he would quietly stockpile some powerful personas, and when he finally felt confident enough to confront the unknown risks of the wider cosmos, he could make plans then. It wouldn't be too late.
…
The Soul Contract Master Tournament
The event was in full swing.
Very quickly, the top 100 contestants were selected.
At this stage, they had all passed the preliminary rounds and entered the semi-finals. Even if they didn't make it to the finals or win the championship, they would at least receive a consolation prize. After all, emerging from a pool of over a thousand competitors was no small feat. They couldn't just leave empty-handed.
As for what the consolation prizes were, they varied from person to person. The organizers would assess what each contestant needed or lacked and tailor the reward accordingly. While the items might not be particularly rare or precious, they were generally thoughtful and well-received.
Among the top 100+ contestants, the majority came from Baiyun Academy—not because Ye Cheng played favorites or manipulated the results, but because the academy's training programs naturally included "beast mastery." Combined with the excellent cultivation conditions—especially the accelerated cultivation provided by the spiritual tower—some Soul Contract Masters even surpassed their Soul Beasts and ended up dragging them forward instead.
That's why it was entirely logical that most of the successful contestants were Baiyun Academy students.
The semi-finals venue was different from the preliminaries. The preliminary matches were held across various regions, hosted by local branches of the Spirit Hall and funded by national institutions. The battles were broadcast live in their respective regions.
This not only reduced the chance of corruption and favoritism, but also served as a valuable promotional opportunity.
As for the source of the live broadcast tech? Naturally, it came from the latest inventions of Xuanji, a soul guide master who had been hard at work in recent years. Each Spirit Hall branch was equipped with communal "television sets," allowing passersby to freely watch the matches—an effective means of outreach.
From this alone, one could see how closely Baiyun City and the Spirit Hall had been working together in recent years.
While Baiyun City was undeniably strong, it lacked the widespread presence and influence of the Spirit Hall, which had established branches throughout the continent. Now that the two forces were collaborating, they made up for each other's weaknesses—truly a powerful alliance.
Unlike the preliminary rounds, the semi-finals and finals could not simply be held in various local arenas. The preliminaries were open selection; the semi-finals marked the real tournament.
And a real tournament required a formal venue to convey its gravity and prestige.
Ye Cheng selected his home turf—Baiyun City—as the official site of the Soul Contract Master Tournament. It was spacious enough to accommodate any number of spectators. More importantly, only here could he suppress all manner of demonic threats. With divine authority backing him, those who plotted in the shadows would think twice before making a move.
When the semi-finals arrived—
Baiyun City exploded with activity.
People surged in from all corners of the world!
They came to witness the first-ever Soul Contract Master Tournament—to be part of history. Among them were not just locals, but also Soul Masters and civilians from other continents.
In recent years, due to the booming development of the Douluo Continent, more and more stowaways risked their lives to cross treacherous seas just to reach its shores. Some came for selfish gain; others sought knowledge to bring back and benefit their homelands.
As for how the people of Douluo Continent viewed these stowaways—they weren't particularly welcoming, but they weren't hostile either. After all, these people brought neither major harm nor notable benefit. At most, the locals viewed them with a faint sense of superiority—like urbanites looking down on bumpkins. The people of Baiyun City especially saw outsiders that way.
Though the crowds in Baiyun City swelled, there was no sign of chaos or mismanagement. After all, few dared to act out in a land blessed by divine power. One careless move, and a bolt from the blue could turn you into a smoking husk.
Besides, the city's enforcement squads were no joke. Their average strength far surpassed that of typical Soul Masters. With these guardians maintaining order, things remained stable. Even if a few troublemakers stirred up something, they were swiftly suppressed.
The semi-finals followed a single-elimination format:
Two contestants would face off, with the loser eliminated and the winner advancing. Apart from the final champion, the remaining rankings would be determined by a panel of judges, who scored contestants based on their performance. The higher the score, the higher the rank.
The preliminary round followed the same system: scored by judges, then ranked. In the rare case of a tie, the two contestants would engage in a tiebreaker battle to determine who advanced.
Though the format might not guarantee that the absolute strongest would always win, it was as fair as possible—and that was good enough.
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