In the early morning, sunlight bathed the Great Competition Arena, casting a golden glow across every contestant's shoulders—reflecting the excitement on their faces.
Today marked the semifinals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. Spectators had arrived early, eager for two of the final three matches. The battles today promised to be more thrilling than ever before.
As the scheduled time approached, the top four teams all entered the venue. The day was split into two matches—Tang Sect vs. Snow Demon Sect in the morning, and Shrek Academy vs. Holy Spirit Sect in the afternoon.
On the VIP platform, Xu Tianran, who had stormed off two days prior, now sat calmly in his original position. Beside him were the Regent Consort Juzi and the Black-Robed Grandmaster. As for Jing Hongchen, he had not been seen since the Sun Moon Royal Soul Academy's withdrawal.
"Heh, this bracket arrangement is interesting." Xu Tianran mused before asking, "Grandmaster, your sect is up against Shrek Academy. How confident are you in winning?"
"Eighty percent." The Black-Robed Grandmaster replied, full of confidence.
"Oh?" Xu Tianran raised an eyebrow in surprise, then said with interest, "Impressive as expected. Then let us look forward to the afternoon's battle."
In truth, Xu Tianran had originally hoped the Holy Spirit Sect wouldn't shine too brightly—after all, he knew he was destined to be emperor, and the Holy Spirit Sect was not truly aligned with him. But after being publicly humiliated by He Caitou and Ma Xiaotao two days ago, he now hoped the Holy Spirit Sect would win, or at the very least, cause mutual destruction with Shrek!
Otherwise, when would he get his revenge?
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The first semifinal began—Tang Sect vs. Snow Demon Sect (Body Sect). Truthfully, the two teams were evenly matched. On paper, it was impossible to say who would win.
But unfortunately for the Body Sect, Tang Sect had a Child of Destiny—his very presence tipped the scales of fairness.
As expected, Huo Yuhao, who had been keeping a low profile until now, entered the ring as Tang Sect's first singles competitor, and began his dazzling performance. He effortlessly defeated three of the Body Sect's contestants, earning Tang Sect the right to initiate the team battle.
The team battle began. Though the Body Sect's teamwork was excellent, they found themselves unable to perform fully. As an observer, Zhu Ziyang could clearly tell that the Body Sect was being completely suppressed, mainly because their core control-type soul master Wei Na was locked down the entire time by Tang Sect's control-type—Huo Yuhao.
In the end, Tang Sect defeated the Body Sect and advanced to the finals.
This result stunned the audience. It meant that if Shrek Academy defeated the Holy Spirit Sect, both teams in the finals would come from Shrek—a devastating blow to the prestige of Mingdu. How could the spectators of the Sun Moon Empire tolerate that?
Even spectators who disliked the Holy Spirit Sect began praying for their victory. Judging from what had been shown so far, however, the Holy Spirit Sect's chances were slim.
Shrek Academy had already revealed at least two Soul Sages, two Soul Emperors, and three Soul Kings—an extraordinary lineup. Even more terrifying was the fact that only four of the seven who'd fought so far were core team members!
Meaning: they still had three Soul Emperors in reserve.
In contrast, the Holy Spirit Sect had only shown one Soul King and two Soul Emperors. Would they truly be able to defeat Shrek?
Even Mingdu's commoners were filled with unease.
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"Grandmaster, I hope your disciples won't let me down," Xu Tianran said grimly atop the platform. "I absolutely refuse to see two Shrek teams standing on Mingdu's grandest stage. That would be a disgrace I could never bear!"
"Rest assured, Your Highness," the Black-Robed Grandmaster said confidently. "I have made thorough preparations."
As anticipation mounted, afternoon came, and the second semifinal—Shrek Academy vs. Holy Spirit Sect—was about to begin!
In Shrek's rest area, aside from the Shrek members, Tang Sect and the princesses Wei Na and Xu Jiujing were present too—to cheer for their allies.
"Ziyang, you all must win today!" said Xu Jiujing, eyes gleaming. "I can't wait to see Xu Tianran's face contort with fury."
"With Ziyang's strength and Shrek's lineup, I'd say the Holy Spirit Sect has little chance." Wei Na offered earnestly.
"Little? Try none at all!" Tang Ya rolled her eyes.
"Senior brother," Huo Yuhao asked, "if you win this, can we leave the city early?"
"Mm." Zhu Ziyang nodded and stood up. "Alright, time to head out. Save the rest for tonight."
He led Jiang Nannan, Qian Lingyi, Diwu Huan'er, Zhou Tianhe, Chu Hua, and Ning Tian to the waiting area. This was Shrek's first time deploying their full official roster. Though Zhu Ziyang planned to let Qian Lingyi lead the charge, full preparation never hurt.
On the Holy Spirit Sect's side, the lineup had changed too. The familiar Soul King Jili was missing, replaced by two look-alike girls. The team leader had also changed—to someone Zhu Ziyang had met before.
Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng.
Zhang Peng's face twisted as soon as he saw Zhu Ziyang. He wanted to cancel the match on the spot. He was one of only two people in the Holy Spirit Sect who knew Zhu Ziyang's true strength—enough to force back even Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao. Letting these kids fight him? That was suicide!
He opened his mouth to speak—but stopped.
A silent warning buzzed in his ear. Glancing over, he saw the handsome Zhu Ziyang making a hush gesture with his finger. Zhang Peng's blood froze.
Save yourself, not others. Sacrificing his own life for some disposable pawns? Not worth it.
Zhang Peng wisely held his tongue.
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On the VIP stage, as soon as Zhu Ziyang appeared, Xu Tianran, Juzi, and the Black-Robed Grandmaster all reacted.
Xu Tianran was filled with jealousy and hatred—jealous of Zhu Ziyang's talent, his looks, and most of all, his ability to be surrounded by four stunning women. Xu Tianran himself had the desire but not the power.
The Black-Robed Grandmaster was both wary and excited. He hadn't fully believed the rumor about Zhu Ziyang's six 100,000-year soul rings—until he saw Diwu Huan'er's soul ring setup days ago. That, and the likelihood that Zhu Ziyang possessed the Ultimate Light, made him desperate to kill him before he could grow stronger!
Seeing that Zhu Ziyang might actually take the field today made him tremble with anticipation. No matter how talented Zhu Ziyang was, he thought, he was at most a Soul Douluo. No Soul Douluo could possibly stand against the Wu Yun-Wu Yu Sisters!
As for Juzi, the moment she saw Zhu Ziyang's face, she recognized him. Her heart stirred, but more than that—she felt deep worry. She silently prayed that she wouldn't have to watch the man she had just rediscovered bleed out on the battlefield.
For the first time in years, Juzi felt powerless.
(End of Chapter)
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