"Whhhhhh—"
With a dazzling burst of light and flashing sword shadows, seven opponents were swept aside in an instant, each losing a strand of hair like paper cuttings drifting to the floor.
The entire arena fell dead silent.
For a heartbeat, no one dared breathe.
Then, the referee's voice boomed across the space, "Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins this match!"
So quick. Just a blink of an eye, and the battle was already over.
Their opponents hadn't even had the chance to reveal their martial spirits before they were swept aside.
At that moment, just about every competitor in the audience shared the same silent prayer: Gods above, please don't let us meet that monster Lu Yuan anytime soon…
This was terrifying. Terrifyingly good.
Yu Tianheng glanced at his opponents sprawled across the floor, then casually shrugged his shoulders. Sometimes, victory came this easily. There wasn't even a need for him to move. Before he could lift a finger, Lu Yuan had already flattened everything in sight.
After the announcement, Tianheng stepped down from the platform. He walked over to his cousin Yu Tianxin, whose face looked like it had been carved out of stormclouds.
"Tianxin, don't feel discouraged!" Tianheng called with false cheer. "You've got to believe in yourself. You can do it! Even if we don't manage the championship this time around, there's always next time. You've still got the chance for a great comeback."
The more he smiled, the more confident he sounded.
Yu Tianxin, however, darkened further. "...What does any of this have to do with you?"
Champion? Half a damn coin's worth of credit do you even have in this?
He wanted to curse at Tianheng right then and there—call him a shameless dog without even a fleck of face!
But before he could explode, that dog had already slipped away.
…
Time moved on quickly. Soon enough, the first half of the finals had already passed.
For the Heaven Dou Royal Academy under Lu Yuan's absolute dominance, the past rounds were uneventful, filled with either easy victories or bored competitors withdrawing and forfeiting before even trying.
The brutal elimination rounds had whittled away the weaker soul master academies, leaving behind only the real powerhouses of the continent:
Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Star Luo Royal Academy.
Martial Soul Temple Academy.
Shrek Academy.
And so the competition entered a white-hot stage.
Every academy knew that from here on, tactics would matter just as much as strength.
Xingluo Royal Academy's Strategy
Inside the team's war room, Davis stood with his hands braced over a tactical table, his sharp eyes sweeping across his gathered team members.
"In this tournament, if we win one more match, we'll secure a position in the top three!" he declared. "That's our minimal goal this year, and it's within reach."
He pointed toward the sheets of information before him. "Let's analyze the remaining teams."
"First up—Shrek Academy. Among them, we need to pay special attention to one person."
His finger landed squarely on a name.
"Tang San."
The moment the name was spoken, the expressions around him shifted. Everyone knew the blue-haired youth had been carrying his teammates since day one.
"This Tang San has an almost endless bag of tricks. The fact that he's dragged that group of pig-brained teammates this far is proof enough of his capabilities. Don't underestimate him for a second."
Davis' voice grew cold, tinged with growing hostility.
"For our tactics, here's the plan: stall Tang San as long as possible. Meanwhile, focus on crushing that bastard Dai Mubai to death!"
The sharp murderous intent he unleashed silenced the room.
"I don't care who it is—if you hesitate or hold back against Dai Mubai, don't blame me later for being merciless!" His fists clenched white.
That dog of a man dared show up at this Soul Master Tournament? If fate brought them face to face, Davis swore he'd slaughter him then and there.
After a pause, he took a calmer breath. "Next: Martial Soul Temple Academy."
His expression stiffened slightly.
"Our greatest threat there is Hu Liena and Xie Yue's Martial Soul Fusion skill. If we encounter them, our only option is to bring out the Nether White Tiger. That's the only thing strong enough to oppose them."
"And as for Heaven Dou…" A cold sneer twisted his lips. "Forget it. Not worth analyzing! With Lu Yuan there, what's the point? Boring! Move on!"
The Martial Soul Temple Academy
At the Papal Palace, the aura was heavy as Bibi Dong sat cross-legged upon her ornate throne. She leaned back casually, legs crossed, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"I don't ask for much from you during this tournament," she said. "Just defeat as many opponents as possible before running into Lu Yuan."
"Any questions?"
"The Pope under heaven!"
Yan suddenly leapt forward, clenching his fists tightly. "Even if we do face Lu Yuan, we've got the confidence to win!"
His roar burst with heat, an aura swelling around him that seemed ready to crack the stone pillars of the hall.
Xie Yue nearly choked on his own breath. Win? Against Lu Yuan? The thought itself bordered on suicidal lunacy.
Inside, he scoffed viciously. What, you want to fart yourself into a Title Douluo now? Last I checked, even Contras aren't Lu Yuan's match. And yet you still feel bold enough to run your mouth about beating him? Foolish beyond help!
Of course, he swallowed those words. No way he'd humiliate his teammate in front of the Pope.
"Very good," Bibi Dong replied instead, her lips curving faintly upward, apparently satisfied by Yan's bravado. "Then I look forward to you winning another championship for our Martial Soul Hall."
If she was pleased, Xie Yue most definitely was not. He leaned his head into one hand, suppressing a groan.
Brother… where is your brain? The Pope threw us a decent excuse to save face, and you just go and climb right over it. What are you thinking? Defeat Lu Yuan? Did you add the wrong seasoning to your rice this morning?
They all knew very well—during the previous battle at Heaven Dou City, Lu Yuan had singlehandedly chased their entire squad across half the streets. He was a monster, plain and simple.
And Yan here, their straight-up iron-headed teammate, had the guts to suddenly stand and spout nonsense like this? Had he eaten something rotten?
Yet Yan's reasons ran deeper.
Days earlier, he had seen Hu Liena slip quietly out of the hotel where Lu Yuan was staying well past midnight. His heart had snapped right there.
He had admired Nana for years, poured his devotion into her—yet he had never once managed to catch her eye.
But then, Lu Yuan arrived.
Not only did Hu Liena sneak off to his hotel at night, but she had willingly accepted the rare immortal herb he gifted her too.
The sight of it sickened Yan to his very core.
So he swore, no matter what, he'd burn away that resentment on the battlefield.
Shrek Academy's Condition
Elsewhere, the Shrek team gathered in their quarters. Tang San sat, his face pale with exhaustion but his lips curled in a slight smile.
"Brother, are you okay?" Ma Hongjun asked, genuine concern in his eyes.
"No big problem. Just let me rest two days," Tang San forced a calm voice. Deep down, however, he knew exactly how taxed his body was. The grueling high-intensity matches had wrung him dry. If it continued like this, he wouldn't last.
"Young master, don't worry!" Tyrone declared boldly. "Next match in three days, whoever the opponent is, I'll be first up!"
Everyone immediately turned stiff.
"Sit down and shut up," Flender scolded, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Don't disturb Tang San's rest."
This idiot has the face to boast about protecting Tang San, yet look—Tang San's thigh has practically been broken carrying everyone on his back!
If not for the six months Tang San had trained with the Clear Sky Hammer, honing countless techniques, Shrek Academy wouldn't have even made it this far.
But still, Flender was satisfied. Top six already exceeded his expectations. Plus, the advertising fees rolling in had lined his pocket very nicely. The old owl wasn't complaining at all.
At the side, he noticed Yu Xiaogang frowning deeply in thought. "Xiaogang, what are you planning?"
The Master slowly opened his eyes. His voice was calm but heavy with intention. "I have a bold idea. But it depends on the outcome of the draw."
Everyone leaned closer.
"If we don't get matched against Heaven Dou Academy, we've got hope for a real win. But if it's Lu Yuan…"
He paused, shaking his head slightly.
"No chance. Against absolute strength, all tactics are meaningless."
His words silenced the room.
Then, clapping his hands, he gestured. "Come here, children! It's time I teach you the next set of tactical arrangements."
Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Relaxation
Meanwhile, in stark contrast, the atmosphere in the Heaven Dou lounge was one of racket and laughter.
"Leopard!"
"Full set of treasure cards!"
"I'm stud!"
"Me!"
"I'm crazy!"
"Two pairs of twos and two kings!"
Their card game had turned into sheer chaos, loud enough to echo down corridors.
But really, what else could they do?
Following Lu Yuan meant battles ended before anyone else even had the chance to strike. With victory guaranteed every round, boredom was the only opponent left.
Seated nearby, Qin Ming watched the frenzy with a bemused smile as he tapped the table.
Strangely, he almost found it comforting.
From the beginning of this tournament, the other academies' mentors had been splitting headaches: worrying about injured students, agonizing over terrible matchups, losing sleep over bad tactical calls.
Yet he, Qin Ming? Nothing. Not once had he needed to bark orders, make speeches, or stress over injuries. His students were gliding forward with ease.
Honestly, this was… paradise.
He nodded to himself with secret pride. Sometimes, even farting counts as victory. He'd hardly needed to put in any effort at all! And when they returned, his evaluation for "Outstanding Teacher" in front of the Board of Education would be set in stone.
After all, the championship was already theirs. He truly couldn't think of any way they could possibly lose.
--
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