Early the next morning, brilliant sunlight poured over Star Luo Plaza, which was already packed with a dense mass of people. For those who worked night shifts, it was another difficult day—because the cheers of the audience were simply too loud.
Even thick glass windows couldn't block the noisy clamor, which still pierced through.
Couldn't sleep. Absolutely couldn't sleep.
After a brief rest, the Soul Fighting Tournament finally entered the sixteen-to-eight knockout stage. The academy rest area, which had originally been especially lively, suddenly became much quieter, with only sixteen rest points remaining. All the others had been dismantled.
Facing the absolute king of the tournament, the Douling Royal Soul Master Academy—Shrek Academy's opponent—was now entirely tense.
A lineup containing five Soul Kings was already astonishing, but their draw position was simply too bad. There was no way around it.
Today and tomorrow would be the team battles, while the day after tomorrow and the day after that would be the individual matches. Four days in total to determine the top eight.
After that, each team would rest for one day before the quarterfinals.
"Wang Dong, that beauty from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy keeps staring at you,"Xu Sanshi said cheerfully as he teased.
Everyone glanced over with the corners of their eyes and discovered that a certain girl with wine-red long hair was blushing slightly as she occasionally looked in their direction. Combined with Xu Sanshi's words, they immediately understood, and Yao Haoxuan even took the lead in making teasing noises.
Wang Dong's expression stiffened. "She almost slipped, I just helped her up. Don't think crooked thoughts."
"We're not thinking crooked, not at all." Beibei and Xu Sanshi laughed in collusion.
"No, you guys—" Wang Dong looked helpless.
"Alright, quiet down. The match is about to start." In the end, it was the senior sister who spoke up, and only then did everyone settle down.
They may have quieted down, but clearly the team members weren't taking this match very seriously. Most of them had expressions that were more or less calm and lazy.
All of this was seen by Wang Yan. As the vice team leader, he knew he couldn't compare to Zhang Lexuan in terms of authority. The team members mostly only respected him slightly because of his teacher identity, but he still wanted to say something.
As for the teasing earlier, it actually stemmed from something that had happened in the morning.
When Shrek's group set out, they happened to run into members of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy heading out as well. The two teams departed almost simultaneously.
But while going down the stairs, Meng Hongchen—whether because she slipped or not—nearly fell. In the end, Wang Dong reacted in time and supported her, preventing an embarrassing incident.
Meng Hongchen repeatedly expressed her thanks, while Wang Dong casually said it was nothing.
However, Xiao Hongchen and Huo Yuhao unanimously stated that Meng Hongchen had done it on purpose—because she just happened to fall when she reached Wang Dong's side.
In terms of looks, Huo Yuhao admitted he couldn't beat Wang Dong. On that point, he conceded.
At this moment, Wang Yan clenched his fist and stepped forward, lowering his voice."Although I don't know exactly what happened, the Douling Royal Soul Master Academy gave up first place and ultimately matched up against us. There must be some special preparation behind this. In the coming battle, you must not let your guard down."
"I know you're all geniuses. Geniuses have their pride and disdain toward peers. But I still need to tell you one sentence. This sentence came from Yuhao himself, and I think it can very well explain how high a genius's upper limit can be."
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other. Just as Wang Yan said, without having experienced the hand of death and with smooth sailing all the way, they indeed felt disdain toward their peers.
But… something Huo Yuhao said?
What sentence?
Everyone was curious.
Huo Yuhao himself was even more confused. Came from my mouth?
Wang Yan's expression was solemn as he enunciated each word clearly:"This sentence is—'A true master always carries the heart of an apprentice.'"
"Pa."
Huo Yuhao, whose thirst for knowledge had been at full capacity, froze in shock. Then, reacting, he abruptly covered his face. He never imagined that the boast he casually made in class would be remembered by Wang Yan.
While Huo Yuhao covered his face—so embarrassed his toes could dig out a three-bedroom apartment—the others sitting in their chairs were all stunned.
A true master always carries the heart of an apprentice.
These words were like a sharp arrow, deeply piercing their hearts.
Their previously calm minds instantly rippled.
For people who had never experienced Blue Star's various motivational "chicken soup" quotes or classic life-summary sayings, to the people of the Douluo Continent, such words struck with the force of a heavy hammer.
And in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's rest area, not far from Shrek Academy, those soul masters heard Wang Yan's words as well.
They had thought it was some confidential discussion, but now, they too were stunned.
Especially Xiao Hongchen, the young man hailed as the number one genius of the Sun Moon Empire since awakening his martial soul.
He fell silent for a moment, and the faint smile at the corner of his mouth slowly faded.
For a time, silence appeared simultaneously within both academy teams—an astonishing sight.
Yet within that silence, every person's soul seemed to be stirred.
…
As the match time approached, the atmosphere on the audience's side grew increasingly fervent.
Sixteen-to-eight meant that the loser would leave this tournament. This format was more brutal, but also more eye-catching.
Under the gaze of countless people, Cheng Gang, serving as the referee, stepped onto the competition platform. Facing tens of thousands, he announced loudly:
"Sixteen-to-eight, first team battle. Shrek Academy versus Douling Royal Soul Master Academy. Both sides, please enter the arena."
"Wah—!"
A wave of cheers erupted, surging like a raging tide.
The cheers broke the silence. On Shrek's side, everyone cast complex looks toward Huo Yuhao. Just a few words seemed to have unlocked some kind of shackle, causing a special change within their souls.
"Everyone, it's time to set out. Remember—toward the enemy, do not show the slightest carelessness. Being serious is the greatest respect you can give them."
Zhang Lexuan's gaze softened as she gave Huo Yuhao a look of astonished admiration. This was also the first time she had heard such words.
After settling the turmoil in their hearts, the seven team members walked toward the competition platform one after another. The laziness that had been on their faces earlier had completely vanished.
Huo Yuhao walked at the very back, his expression strange as he muttered inwardly,"Should I say things like this more often in the future?"
If it spreads widely, maybe people on the Douluo Continent will even see me as a life mentor.
Wouldn't faith just come flooding in?
Huo Yuhao's eyes suddenly lit up. Where would be the fastest place to spread these sayings?
Obviously—the academy.
When I go back later and attend the mobilization meeting, throwing out a few more lines would be perfect, wouldn't it?
After the seven from Shrek stepped onto the stage, all the participating academies turned solemn. This time, Shrek had sent out six main-team members.
But why hadn't their captain stepped onto the stage?
Everyone couldn't help but look toward Shrek's rest area, only to see Ma Xiaotao sitting there with a light smile.
It's already sixteen-to-eight and they're still hiding her? Just what cultivation level does this captain have?
Don't tell me she's a Soul Sage.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
On the field, Huo Yuhao and the others were already facing the Douling Royal Soul Master Academy team.
Like them, Douling Royal Academy also had a lineup of five men and two women, mostly nineteen-year-old youths.
Douling Royal Academy's captain, Gu Zhujian, stepped forward and spoke with a smile:"It's an honor to face your esteemed academy. I hope to learn something from you."
"Want to learn something? Then we'll fight seriously. I look forward to your performance." Dai Yueheng stepped forward. Originally intending to say something harsh, he suddenly felt it was meaningless and instead spoke calmly.
But the calm tone Dai Yueheng believed he was using sounded more provocative than taunting to Gu Zhujian. A trace of cold light flashed through Gu Zhujian's eyes. He chuckled softly and retreated back into his team.
Huo Yuhao caught Gu Zhujian's smile. His expression shifted as if he remembered something, and he immediately felt a bit annoyed.
"Both sides, retreat," Cheng Gang shouted.
Both teams withdrew.
"They'll do the same thing as the Qianling Academy we encountered before—set up a formation, then combine a level-seven Thunder Great Cannon to attack us."
As they walked, Huo Yuhao explained.
Everyone was stunned, not understanding how Huo Yuhao knew this.
"Trust me. You'll see in a moment." Huo Yuhao couldn't exactly say that he had suddenly remembered Douling Royal Academy's fighting style.
Yes—Huo Yuhao had just recalled why Douling Royal Academy deliberately lost the round-robin and fell to second place. They had prepared a level-seven Thunder Great Cannon specifically to deal with Shrek Academy.
"So how do we fight?" Ling Luocheng asked.
The others also looked over. With Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection Sharing, he was absolutely qualified to act as commander.
"Wait until they pour all their soul power into the Thunder Great Cannon and unleash it," Huo Yuhao said calmly.
"Wait?" Dai Yueheng raised an eyebrow. "I don't know much about soul tools, but when a level-seven Thunder Heavy Cannon erupts, it could kill a high-level Soul Sage. We can't wait."
"I never fight battles I'm not confident in," Huo Yuhao replied with a smile, his tone extremely confident.
Dai Yueheng wanted to say more, but Yao Haoxuan interrupted:"Let's listen to Yuhao. With Spirit Sharing helping us, and even if they build up the energy and Yuhao fails to stop it—hehe—I've got something good here that can protect us."
"I agree," Xixi said. Even Gongsun Mo and the taciturn Chen Zifeng spoke up.
Seeing this, Dai Yueheng could only agree.
Huo Yuhao said, "Once I deal with the Thunder Great Cannon's attack, then it'll be time for the seniors to go on a killing spree."
After speaking, the seven spread out casually and formed their formation.
On the other side, Douling Royal Academy also completed their preparations.
Their formation was particularly special. Captain Gu Zhujian stood in the center. At the very front were the Dreadclaw Bear Soul King Qian Yuan and the defensive-type Soul King Chi Hengyu. Behind them was agility-type Soul King Han Ling'er. On both sides were control-type Soul King Xiao Feng and control-type Soul Elder Qing Feng. At the very back was auxiliary-type soul master Tang Niuniu.
"Match start."
After giving both teams a moment to speak, Cheng Gang immediately announced the start.
In an instant, Douling Royal Academy moved, with a smoothness that felt almost rehearsed.
Chi Hengyu quickly summoned his Vajra Shield martial soul—a golden shield with a rectangular top and triangular bottom, two meters long and one and a half meters wide.
With a roar, Chi Hengyu drove the Vajra Shield into the floor. His fifth soul skill activated immediately. As purple light flared, the already heavy shield burst with golden light, then split—one into two, two into four, four into eight—until it became a solid wall that enclosed the entire team.
Tang Niuniu released her third soul skill, enhancing Qing Feng, who immediately unleashed his strongest fourth soul skill.
A layer of earth-yellow light spread outward from his feet, stopping outside the shield wall and forming an earthen barrier. Countless spikes surged outward from the wall, combining with the shield wall in a defense that reached the extreme.
Unless attacking from the air or the sides, it was impossible to break through this defense.
Outside the arena, the audience was stunned.
What kind of tactic is this—blocking yourselves in?
Sure, it's hard for the opponent to attack you, but it's also hard for you to attack them.
This goes both ways.
"They intend to—!"
On the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's side, Ma Rulong frowned, instantly seeing through Douling Royal Academy's plan.
Such a formation could only be used when employing a terrifying soul tool.
Sure enough, once everything was ready, Captain Gu Zhujian immediately took out a strange object from his storage ring—a circular metal piece as large as a millstone.
The interior glowed faintly, clearly operating, with countless patterns flashing across its surface.
A core formation.
At the same time, the other six members each took out a component from their storage rings. Like assembling a puzzle, they rapidly combined them.
"That's… the Thunder Great Cannon?"Ma Rulong exclaimed in shock.
"How do they have the manufacturing technology for this cannon?"
Xiao Hongchen replied calmly, "Most likely a castrated version. Look at the size—it's much larger than the one we use."
Only then did everyone realize.
On the field, soul power was steadily accumulating at the Thunder Great Cannon's muzzle. The seven members' soul power surged wildly through the core formation, compressing inward.
On the other side, however, Shrek Academy did absolutely nothing. They just stood there waiting—no attacks, not even releasing their martial souls.
This scene left the audience utterly confused.
"What is Shrek trying to do?"
In Shrek's rest area, Zhang Lexuan and the others grew tense. They clearly didn't understand what the team members were doing either—this was completely different from the tactics they had discussed.
Yet with Spirit Detection Sharing, every move of Douling Royal Academy had already been seen through.
"They're charging. Everyone, take these."
Yao Haoxuan hurriedly took out six heart-protector-like soul tools.
"Invincibility Barrier?" Huo Yuhao was surprised—he recognized this thing.
"Hehe, senior sister gave the order. The academy will vigorously promote soul tools in the future, so as an inner court disciple, I had to lead by example. I secretly had Xiao Tian help me get a few. These are level five—can block a Soul Douluo's attack. Yuhao, give yours to Luocheng."
"Not bad." Xixi patted Yao Haoxuan's shoulder approvingly.
"That's right." Yao Haoxuan grinned.
Under this strange situation, time passed. Shrek didn't move, while Douling Royal Academy happily poured in energy.
One minute later, violent lightning completely crackled around the muzzle of the four-meter-long Thunder Great Cannon. Its terrifying aura spread outward, making it hard to breathe.
"Charging complete. Release the shield wall."
Gu Zhujian looked excitedly at the energy progress in the core formation and laughed loudly."Let's send Shrek Academy home!"
A level-seven Thunder Great Cannon—even a high-level Soul Sage would need to find a way to survive.
"Whoosh."
Chi Hengyu and Qing Feng quickly withdrew their soul skills. As the shield wall vanished, the two academies faced each other directly.
Cheng Gang's expression changed drastically. He was already prepared to intervene, utterly confused. What is Shrek doing?
Just giving the opponent time to charge?
"Shrek Academy, are you ready to accept defeat?" Gu Zhujian laughed loudly, his voice amplified by a sound-enhancing soul tool.
The audience fell completely silent. Facing that cannon brimming with killing intent, their breathing grew rapid.
"Then fire already. Doesn't holding it in feel uncomfortable?"
At that moment, Huo Yuhao stepped forward and shouted impatiently.
Gu Zhujian was completely thrown off by Huo Yuhao's unconcerned demeanor. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
"Fire!"
Afraid of accidents, Gu Zhujian suppressed his displeasure and roared.
"Weng—!"
In an instant, a deep, abyss-like hum resounded, and crackling lightning ravaged the competition platform.
"Boom!"
Under the gaze of countless people, a dazzling blue beam erupted. As it flared, the space within the platform visibly twisted, as if compressed. Lightning adorned the air, threads of light lingering like afterimages.
"Whoosh."
As the light bloomed and the air became so chaotic it was hard to breathe, the entire Shrek team tensed and looked toward Huo Yuhao.
"I want to see how you deal with this," Dai Yueheng thought.
How would Huo Yuhao deal with it?
Very simply.
At the moment the Thunder Great Cannon erupted, a gray halo flashed through his eyes. In the next instant, under the gaze of hundreds of thousands, a massive golden gate—surrounded by countless floating golden feathers—condensed in front of him.
The gate was enormous. Angelic carvings adorned both sides of its frame, exuding an overall aura of holiness.
But soon, as countless people were still shocked by the gate, something bizarre happened—the blue soul beam fired by the Thunder Great Cannon was directly swallowed by the gate.
In the next moment, the light on the platform vanished. Everything returned to normal.
The holy gate closed and dissipated, leaving only golden feathers falling onto Huo Yuhao.
"Huh?"
The smiles on the faces of the seven Douling Royal Academy members gradually froze as they stood there blankly.
Captain Gu Zhujian was utterly dumbfounded.
"My cannon?"He couldn't help shouting, "Where's my cannon?"
No one could answer him.
Below the stage, hundreds of thousands of spectators were stunned. What… just happened?
In the other academies' rest areas, everyone stood up, eyes wide.
"This—?" Xiao Hongchen and Ma Rulong stared at each other in disbelief.
"It was caused by that Angel Gate," team leader Pan Tianxing frowned, using soul power transmission to explain to his team.
"That's impossible. A level-seven Thunder Great Cannon—something a Soul Elder's soul skill can deal with?" Meng Hongchen refused to believe it.
"Don't forget, this guy previously released a Soul Emperor-level soul skill and instantly wiped out an academy," Pan Tianxing said calmly.
Only then did Meng Hongchen and the others react.
On the field, Huo Yuhao smiled slightly."Seniors, it's up to you."
"Ah… okay."
Still dazed, Dai Yueheng and the others finally snapped out of it. Suppressing the shock in their hearts, they surged forward like they'd been injected with chicken blood, charging at Douling Royal Academy.
…
In a dim world where almost no light existed,
Ilex stood beside an alchemy platform, tinkering with a round purple cannonball before him.
Terrifyingly, three undead bone dragons with frightening auras lay nearby.
"The soul tool technology of this Douluo Continent is quite interesting," Ilex said as he analyzed a dismantled component that flickered with faint light.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, as he spoke, Ilex sensed something and turned his head.
The three bone dragons raised their heads sharply, looking toward the sky.
In the next instant, a gate opened in midair, and an incomparably brilliant blue beam flew in.
Countless undead creatures looked up at the light. As it bathed them, it was as if they were draped in a sacred veil.
The dazzling light drove away the darkness.
And lit up this world.
It also illuminated the astonished gaze of Ilex.
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