Chapter 262 Liu Yuan enters, shocking the entire audience.
The morning sun broke through the clouds and shone on the huge square on the outskirts of Mingdu.
This vast area, which could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, was now completely filled with a dense crowd.
Accompanied by the thunderous sound of war drums, the entrance ceremony for the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament officially began.
Teams from all over mainland China began to enter the venue one after another.
Some of them wore magnificent uniforms representing their respective empires, while others wore unique sect-specific outfits. Under the protection of fully armed soldiers of the Sun and Moon Empire, they walked along the wide central passage toward the core competition area.
The cheers from the surrounding stands were deafening, creating a vibrant atmosphere throughout the square.
"The Heavenly Soul Royal Academy team is entering!"
When that loud voice came from the soul tool that was amplifying the sound, the already noisy square suddenly erupted into a violent tremor.
Countless ordinary people, soul masters, and even high-ranking officials from various forces on the grandstand who were previously whispering to each other all spontaneously stood up at this moment and fixed their gazes on the wide entrance passage.
The Heavenly Soul Royal Academy, the champion of the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, is a legendary team that single-handedly dethroned Shrek Academy.
"They're out! That's the team from the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy!"
In the audience, a middle-aged Soul Master pointed to the entrance of the passage, his face flushed, and shouted to his companion, "That white-clad youth at the front, that must be Liu Yuan, the core member from back then, right? I didn't expect that five years later, he would look even more composed than before."
"I wonder if the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy can withstand the pressure and win the championship again this year." A companion frowned, his tone inquisitive. "There have been quite a few doubts about their last championship win on the continent in recent years. And I just heard that Xuanzi from Shrek Academy has become a Limit Douluo. Shrek will definitely be determined to catch up this year."
"Yes, it's going to be a close call to see whether they retain their title or the Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Empire's native academies catch up. This competition is going to be quite a spectacle."
A cacophony of voices and inquiring, skeptical gazes surged into the passageway like a tidal wave.
Liu Yuan, dressed in neat white robes, walked at the head of the group with even steps and a calm expression. Although his double pupils were not open, his heightened senses after completing his Golden Awakening allowed him to hear every subtle whisper from thousands of meters away.
Listening to the surrounding speculations about whether they could retain the championship and whether Shrek Academy would catch up, Liu Yuanqing's handsome face remained completely calm, even his eyes showed only a serene indifference.
Chen Lu followed closely beside Liu Yuan, listening to the noisy discussions in the audience on both sides. He frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Senior brother, these people think that our generation might not be able to keep our position as soon as they mention that Shrek Academy has a Limit Douluo. It's really annoying to hear."
Long Aotian crossed his arms and walked forward without looking to the side, only scoffing, "Just an ignorant fool. The competition is about the strength of the younger generation. Even if Xuanzi becomes a Limit Douluo, can he replace a Shrek Academy student on the field?"
Liu Yuan slightly turned his head and smiled faintly at Chen Lu and Long Aotian. His expression was extremely confident, a calm and composed demeanor built on absolute strength.
Liu Yuan knew very well what these people were afraid of, but inwardly he found their worries somewhat laughable. Over the past five years, through in-depth study of the "Body Body Secret Technique" and several awakenings of his Martial Soul, his true combat power had now completely surpassed the level of ordinary Title Douluo.
If he were to deal with those renowned, reclusive top experts on the Douluo Continent, he might need to put in some effort. But in the arena of the All-Continent Youth Soul Master Elite Competition, dealing with these young soul masters of the same age is no different from playing with children in his eyes.
Whether they question or are pessimistic, once they truly witness the power of his dual pupils on the field, they will naturally swallow all their nonsense.
"Ignore them, let's go." Liu Yuan replied calmly, then withdrew his gaze and led Vina, Mu Xue, Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong and others, walking calmly along the passage to the exclusive preparation seats belonging to the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy.
As the members of the Body Sect took their seats, the other participating teams also began to speed up their entry process.
Not long after, accompanied by a series of neat footsteps, the Star Luo National Academy team, dressed in magnificent Star Luo royal uniforms, slowly entered the venue.
Walking at the head of the group, Xu Jiujiu was still wearing a well-tailored long dress, her features exquisite and her demeanor noble. After entering, she did not immediately take a seat, but led the group directly towards the preparation area of the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy.
"Liu Yuan".
Xu Jiujiu stopped a few steps away from the Heavenly Soul's preparation area. She looked at the white-robed youth sitting calmly in his chair, a complex light flashing in his beautiful eyes.
Upon hearing the voice, Liu Yuan slowly stood up, bowed slightly to Xu Jiujiu, and greeted her politely: "Princess Jiujiu, how have you been?"
"It has indeed been many years." Xu Jiu sighed softly, then a gentle smile appeared on his lips as he looked Liu Yuan up and down. "It has been five years since we last parted in Star Luo City. You returned to the Body Sect these past few years, and there has been very little news of you on the continent. However, I have been keeping an eye on you. This time, on the territory of the Sun Moon Empire, I am very much looking forward to your performance. I hope you will not disappoint me."
Vina, who was standing to the side, also stood up and held Xu Jiujiu's hand. The two princesses had known each other since childhood, and when they met again, they naturally had to reminisce in hushed tones.
Liu Yuan replied calmly, "Your Highness, rest assured, I know exactly how to fight."
Seeing that Liu Yuan remained indifferent and overly composed, Xu Jiujiu shook his head helplessly, then led the Star Luo Empire team back to their own preparation seats.
Shortly after the Star Luo Empire team took their seats, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere quietly spread into the north passage of the entire Mingdu Grand Square once again.
The Shrek Academy team has finally arrived.
Bei Bei, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao and others walked side by side in front, while Huo Yuhao pushed a wheelchair in the middle of the group. Every young person's face was solemn.
At the rear of the Shrek Academy team, Xuanzi, unlike his usual disheveled appearance, was now dressed in the same somewhat worn gray robe. His hands were clasped behind his back, and a sharp, cold glint flashed in his narrowed eyes. The earthy-yellow soul power emanating from him was so heavy that it distorted the surrounding air. Even with his best efforts to conceal it, the pressure of a level 99 Limit Douluo still caused passing soul masters to instinctively avoid him.
Upon entering, Xuanzi's gaze completely ignored the cheering audience around him. Instead, like an eagle searching for its prey, he frantically scanned the entire venue.
Soon, his gaze passed over the layers of people and was fixed on the white-clad figure at the very front of the Heavenly Soul Royal Academy's preparation area.
That's Liu Yuan.
Xuanzi stared at Liu Yuan's calm profile, his right hand, hidden in the sleeve of his gray robe, unconsciously tightened, and his knuckles made a soft cracking sound.
Although on the way to Mingdu, he had already heard from Huo Yuhao about how Liu Yuan defeated Ma Xiaotao in the Sun Moon Empire, and knew that this young man with the Double Pupil Martial Soul was an absolutely formidable monster in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
However, as a proud and arrogant Limit Douluo who had just broken through to level 99, Xuanzi was not so willing to believe Huo Yuhao's words deep down.
In his subconscious, even if a young junior starts cultivating from the womb, even if he has the third awakening of his original martial soul or some other strange means, he will eventually have a limit in the face of absolute soul power level.
Huo Yuhao, that brat, is too ignorant. Perhaps he was frightened by some of Liu Yuan's tricks back then, which is why he exaggerated the other party's strength to such an extent.
Thinking of this, the violent look in Xuanzi's eyes subsided slightly, and his expression gradually became cold and deep.
He smirked, coldly calculating in his mind. Since Huo Yuhao had praised this kid so highly, he, as an elder, wouldn't mind sitting in the back and observing the kid's true strength firsthand during the initial stages of the competition.
If, after the competition actually begins, he observes and discovers that Liu Yuan's strength is not as extraordinary as Huo Yuhao described, but merely at the level of an ordinary young genius, then he naturally won't bother to lower himself to deal with a junior.
But what if... this kid's strength is really as Huo Yuhao said, so powerful that it's beyond reason, to the point that he could single-handedly extinguish Shrek Academy's hopes of winning the championship this year?
Xuanzi's eyes, hidden beneath his gray robe, suddenly turned as sinister as a venomous snake.
Therefore, in the Mingdu City of the Sun Moon Empire, during this turbulent and complex competition, he would absolutely not mind finding a secluded opportunity to use his absolute strength as a Limit Douluo to secretly and cruelly assassinate this monstrous talent who could completely destroy Shrek Academy's millennia-old foundation.
(End of chapter)