"Oh? Another new mission?"
The moment the system's voice echoed in his mind, a flicker of unexpected delight flashed through Liu Yuan's eyes.
Come to think of it, the system had been silent for a long time ever since it issued the mission to win the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament. If it hadn't suddenly activated again, Liu Yuan might almost have forgotten that he even possessed such a thing.
With that thought, he immediately began checking the details of this newly triggered mission.
He was genuinely curious what kind of objective and reward the system had prepared this time.
…
Under his focused attention, the system's voice rang out once more.
[Side Quest Triggered: King of the Group of Death]
[Mission Objective: Lead the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team to first place in their group during the upcoming group-stage matches.]
[Quest Reward: Random Pokémon Ability ×1]
"First place in the group…"
Liu Yuan's smile widened.
"Looks like the rewards are getting better and better."
"Then I should speed things up as well."
Without wasting any time, Liu Yuan waved at his teammates.
"Let's head back to the hotel."
…
In the days that followed, the hotel where Liu Yuan and the others were staying practically turned into a sealed-off arsenal.
The members of the Sun Moon team barely stepped outside their rooms.
Under Liu Yuan's command, everyone had a clear division of labor, immersing themselves day and night in the research and development of soul tools.
Sparks flew across the workbenches. Crisp metallic clangs echoed endlessly through the rooms.
One soul tool after another—gleaming with cold light and exuding a dangerous aura—took shape amid the bloodshot eyes of the exhausted team.
When the final soul tool finished charging and its indicator light lit up, a chilling killing intent filled the entire space.
Far from being worn down by the continuous labor, every member's eyes burned with fervor, as if a hunter's instinct had been awakened.
Now, all the soul tools they needed were ready.
Everything was in place—only the final stage remained.
…
Time passed swiftly.
At last.
The matches of the first five groups concluded amid waves of noise and excitement.
And then came the moment everyone had been waiting for—
The sixth group's round-robin matches officially began!
On this day, the atmosphere at Star Luo Square reached its peak since the start of the tournament.
Before dawn, long queues had already formed outside the ticket gates.
The arena, capable of holding hundreds of thousands of spectators, was packed to the brim—even the aisles were filled with enthusiastic fans waving colorful banners.
Everyone wanted to witness firsthand what kind of sparks would fly in Group Six, which gathered former champions, runners-up, and the long-established powerhouse, Crimson Flame Academy.
With the referee's whistle, the round-robin matches of Group Six began under the gaze of countless eyes, ushering in a bloody prelude.
However, the battles did not unfold as fiercely as most spectators had expected.
At least—not when facing those weaker teams that were merely "along for the ride."
Although Group Six was known as the Group of Death, there were only three true "grim reapers" within it: Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and Crimson Flame Academy.
As for the remaining teams, they were simply cannon fodder in this chaotic battlefield.
The matches progressed at an astonishing pace.
On Shrek Academy's side, Ma Xiaotao descended like a queen of flames, sweeping away nearly every opponent in her path.
Below the stage, Xuanzi watched his students dominate the individual matches, his face filled with smug satisfaction, as if the championship were already in his grasp.
Crimson Flame Academy was no less impressive.
Those fire-wielding maniacs displayed terrifying explosive power—often blasting their opponents off the stage in a blaze of raging flames before they could even react.
The most "bizarre" performance, however, came from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
They lacked Shrek's overwhelming presence and Crimson Flame's violent spectacle.
Under Liu Yuan's leadership, the Sun Moon team operated like a finely tuned machine.
Every time they stepped onto the stage, they resolved the match in the shortest time possible, with the least soul power consumed, using the most efficient combinations of soul tools.
More often than not, their opponents were eliminated by strange and ingenious technologies before they even understood what had happened.
First round—all victories.
Second round—all victories.
Third round—all victories.
…
As the matches continued, the remaining teams—who had once clung to a shred of hope—were completely crushed.
In the face of absolute disparity in strength, any tactic became laughable.
Within just a few days, every other academy in Group Six aside from the three powerhouses was utterly defeated. Their scores were dismal, and they were eliminated from qualification contention early.
At last, the situation unfolded exactly as everyone had anticipated—
A three-way deadlock.
On the Group Six leaderboard, Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and Crimson Flame Academy stood tied for first place, each maintaining an undefeated record.
This also meant—
From this point on, every match would be a battle to the death.
Three powerful teams.
But only two spots in the knockout stage.
One of them was destined to be eliminated.
…
Star Luo Square, atop the walls of the Imperial City.
This was the best vantage point in the entire arena—and the exclusive viewing area of the Star Luo Empire's royal family.
Emperor Xu Jiawei of Star Luo, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing down at the arena below.
Beside him stood the prime minister who had presided over the opening ceremony's draw, his posture respectful.
Looking at the glaring scoreboard on the massive screen, Xu Jiawei broke the silence with a faintly amused smile.
"I truly didn't expect this…"
"I originally thought that being placed in this group would spell disaster for the Sun Moon team."
"But who would have guessed that these soul-tool tinkerers could perform so well in individual elimination matches?"
Xu Jiawei turned his head slightly and asked in a casual tone:
"Prime Minister, after watching for so many days, which two of these three teams do you think will ultimately advance?"
The prime minister pondered for a moment.
As a seasoned statesman, he naturally understood what His Majesty wanted to hear—but he also had to preserve his professional judgment.
"Reporting to Your Majesty,"
he said carefully,
"based on their current strength, Shrek Academy is undoubtedly in a league of its own."
"Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng are nearly unbeatable in individual combat. One qualification spot should be guaranteed for them."
He paused, his gaze shifting toward the other two preparation areas.
"As for the remaining spot, it will come down to Crimson Flame Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."
"Though both appear slightly weaker than Shrek, after prolonged observation, it seems they are deliberately holding back."
"The captain of Crimson Flame Academy possesses an extremely domineering fire-attribute martial soul and has yet to reveal his full strength."
"And the Sun Moon team is even more unfathomable…"
"So far, they haven't revealed any true trump cards, relying only on basic soul tools to win their matches."
After hearing this analysis, Xu Jiawei nodded slightly. However, a cold glint flickered deep in his eyes.
The Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire had been at war for years, with constant border conflicts. Their hatred ran deep, accumulated over thousands of years.
As the ruler of a nation, he naturally did not wish to see an academy from an enemy empire shining on his own soil.
"Holding back, hm…"
Xu Jiawei sneered, his gaze fixed on the Sun Moon team's rest area.
"I truly hope Crimson Flame Academy gives me a pleasant surprise."
"With Shrek Academy present, this tournament's championship is destined to remain within the original three empires of the Douluo Continent. But if—"
His voice dropped, carrying a chilling undertone.
"If the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy can be eliminated in the group stage, failing even to enter the top sixteen—failing even to secure a runner-up qualification…"
"That would be a devastating blow to the Sun Moon Empire's prestige, turning them into a laughingstock across the entire continent."
The prime minister's expression shifted as he instantly grasped the emperor's intent.
He bowed deeply, his tone respectful yet resolute.
"Your Majesty is wise. Crimson Flame Academy belongs to the Heavenly Soul Empire and maintains close ties with us. If they can defeat the Sun Moon team and crush them in the group stage, it would indeed be cause for celebration."
"This is likely the outcome Elder Xuan of Shrek Academy wishes to see most."
The two exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them.
Just as emperor and minister were speaking, the once-noisy square below suddenly fell silent—followed by a deafening roar of cheers.
The referee's voice rang out, amplified by a soul guide and spreading instantly to every corner of the arena.
"Group Six round-robin match—key battle!"
"Please welcome both teams to the stage for the next match!"
As the referee's impassioned announcement faded, two beams of light shot down onto opposite sides of the preparation area.
The massive screen flickered, the subtitles scrolling rapidly before freezing on two lines of blood-red characters—
Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy Team
VS
Crimson Flame Advanced Soul Master Academy Team!
-------------Author---------------
Read 50 advanced chapter
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic
U can read 10 chapters ahead just for 5$