As long as one possessed and could control them, both soul tools and battle armors were permitted in the competition.
Therefore, the one-on-one duels were bound to be the most intense and exciting matches.
The Star Luo Empire had always revered personal heroism. Here, the Tang Sect founder Tang San and Spirit Transmission Pagoda creator Huo Yuhao were idols among soul masters — both legendary figures who once turned the tides of history through sheer personal strength.
In Star Luo, individual power could decide wars — a sharp contrast to the Douluo Federation, which emphasized teamwork and collective effort.
After organized registration, the final number of legitimate entrants for the one-on-one matches exceeded 5,000, nearly every soul master of appropriate age had chosen to compete.
For the two-on-two battles, there were 864 teams.
For the seven-on-seven team matches, there were 113 teams.
And for the mecha battles, there were 461 participants.
When the registration finally closed, the grand competition was set to begin in four days.
Those from Shrek Academy didn't need to line up to register — their entry was directly handled by Star Luo's officials.
Ordinarily, pre-tournament briefings weren't something Shrek students had to attend — yet an issue arose this time: Gu Yue refused to participate.
Cai Yue'er frowned deeply as she said,
"I remind you — this tournament doesn't just represent you personally, it also represents our academy. Moreover, your time here in Star Luo is a test. Everything you do here will be scored. If you refuse to compete, you'll be disqualified from the next selection for the future generation of the Shrek Seven Devils, and even your qualification to enter the Inner Court will depend on your later performance."
Gu Yue replied simply:
"Alright."
Cai Yue'er's brows furrowed tighter.
"Why?"
Gu Yue's tone remained flat.
"I'm not in the mood."
"That's a joke of an answer."
"I've already joined the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, which means I was never going to be chosen as one of the next Shrek Seven Devils anyway. Elder Cai, why lie to me?"
"You—"
"The relationship between the Pagoda and Shrek Academy isn't exactly good," Gu Yue said, her eyes turning cold before she turned and walked out of Cai Yue'er's room.
Outside, Gu You was waiting.
"You're here?" Gu Yue said flatly.
Gu You gave a light hum and nodded, patting her shoulder.
"Do as your heart wishes."
Gu Yue blinked, slightly stunned — she had thought Gu You came to persuade her to compete. Instead, he left her with something so cryptic.
"Follow your heart…"
Having said that, Gu You walked away, looking faintly mysterious.
Finally, the Continental Advanced Youth Soul Master Elite Tournament began amid overwhelming anticipation.
The competition was held at the Star Luo Grand Stadium in Star Luo City.
Due to the sheer number of entrants, the preliminary rounds were organized into numerous divisions — these initial rounds would last quite some time.
To quickly reduce the number of competitors, all preliminary matches were elimination-style: lose once, and you're out.
Of course, this format introduced an element of luck — but luck, too, was a form of strength.
Absolute fairness doesn't exist. As someone once said:
"In this world, there is no true fairness. To obtain fairness, to control fairness — you must rely on your own power."
The individual matches began first — the most highly anticipated and intense event of all.
Inside the stadium stood fifty arenas, each conducting matches simultaneously in sequence. Once one match ended, another began immediately, repeating endlessly until all preliminaries concluded.
Every participant received an electronic competition badge, which contained detailed information and match schedules. Missing one's assigned match time resulted in automatic disqualification.
The opening ceremony wouldn't be held until after the preliminaries — there were simply too many contestants.
The Star Luo Grand Stadium could accommodate 300,000 spectators, making it the largest and most advanced arena not only in the Star Luo Empire, but across the entire continent.
Tickets had long since sold out. Combined with the huge number of participants, the revenue from ticket sales alone was enough to cover the event's costs.
Moreover, the tournament was broadcast live across the continent through soul-guide technology — even watching the broadcast required purchasing access rights.
The Star Luo Empire had long since mastered the art of monetizing the Elite Tournament in every possible way.
Even ordinary citizens possessed a yearning to become soul masters — being able to watch such magnificent battles was like celebrating a national festival. The excitement wasn't limited to Star Luo City; it spread across the entire Star Luo Continent.
Because the match order was randomized, Shrek Academy's participants weren't competing all on the same day.
Gu You's assigned number was easy to remember — 250.A very… "special" number.
He even had to fight on the first day.
Gu You yawned — to him, such tournaments were basically bully-the-weak exercises.
The area around the stadium was absolutely packed — entire streets had been closed off. Even with his competitor's badge, it took Gu You quite some time to push through the crowd and enter via the special competitor passage.
As soon as he stepped into the arena, he was hit by a tidal wave of deafening cheers.
The roars from 300,000 spectators crashed like waves, so loud that normal conversation was impossible.
Each arena was protected by soul-guide energy shields to prevent interference or energy overflow between matches.
Gu You looked over the platforms, deep in thought.
According to the rules, participants could use any ability — and were even required to sign life-and-death waivers. Though deaths were rare, referees would intervene when necessary.
Few chose to compete using mechas, as each arena was only about 50 meters in diameter — far too small for proper maneuvering, turning mechas into a liability.
Before long, the announcer called Gu You's number:
"Contestant No. 250 — please proceed to Arena No. 25!"
Gu You's face darkened.
There's definitely something shady going on here!
No way his luck was so bad that he ended up with two 250s — contestant 250 on arena 25?
Impossible! There had to be an inside job!
Stepping onto the platform felt completely different from watching below — down there it had seemed dazzling and chaotic, but up here, before the soul-guide shield was activated, the roars of the crowd surged like an ocean storm.
(End of Chapter)