The Imperial Capital of the Star Luo Empire.
The Emperor of Star Luo, Xu Jiawei, sat upright on the viewing platform with a smile, his gaze sweeping across the bustling square below.
He tilted his head slightly toward an elderly man beside him dressed in crimson civil official attire, his tone carrying a hint of leisure. "Prime Minister, how are the arrangements?"
The Prime Minister bowed respectfully, his voice steady and clear. "To answer Your Majesty, everything has been arranged properly. The drawing of lots is finished, the match order is set, and the perimeter is in order. We can allow the citizens to enter now."
The Emperor of Star Luo nodded slightly, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening. "Very good."
He seemed to remember something. "Additionally, who is the opponent for the Axis Cult's Jianan Academy team?"
The Prime Minister glanced at the booklet in his hand and replied, "Your Majesty, it is just an Advanced Spirit Master Academy with average reputation. Whether they can win depends entirely on whether the Axis Cult itself shows some backbone."
He pondered for a moment before adding, "However, in this old official's view, it's a bit touch-and-go. The members of that team are all too young, and only eight people came. That is to say, they don't even have a second team."
Xu Jiawei nodded thoughtfully, his tone not showing much concern. "After all, it has only been established for a little over a year; this is perfectly normal. If it weren't for the rule forbidding ordinary people from participating, I feel they might have even sent out commoners."
The Prime Minister was slightly stunned and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid that's impossible? Even if ordinary people could participate, it would be difficult to defeat a Spirit Master. Even with the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons from ten thousand years ago, it's unlikely—nowadays, Spirit Masters can also use spirit tools to fight."
"Not necessarily." The Emperor of Star Luo shook his head, his gaze falling toward the direction of the Jianan Academy team in the distance, saying meaningfully, "I do not believe the Axis Cult is simply putting ordinary people and Spirit Masters in the same school to study."
He retracted his gaze, looked at the sky, and his tone became solemn. "It is getting late. Pass my order: begin letting people in through the checkpoints. Control the speed and maintain order. Whoever is responsible for a sector that has issues will be severely punished without mercy."
"Yes." The Prime Minister first took a few steps back before turning away with a steady pace.
The Emperor of Star Luo turned to the beautiful woman beside him, his tone softening. "Empress, I have waited twenty years for this grand event. I truly miss my younger days! It's a pity there are too many royal rules, otherwise I really would have wanted to personally participate back then."
The Empress smiled slightly, looking at him tenderly, and said softly, "The Emperor has always possessed the heart of a Martial Artist."
The Emperor of Star Luo laughed and cast his gaze back to the square, his tone tinged with emotion. "Look, the students from the participating academies have already taken the lead in entering. However, they cannot use the rest area today. Only those who win the knockout rounds will have the qualification to enter the rest area."
He paused. "It is said that Shrek Academy only brought ten people this time, and many team members are very young, only two more than the Axis Cult. It really is a strange coincidence."
His tone became more playful. "Furthermore, one of the leading teachers for Shrek Academy this time is actually that young Supreme Pontiff of the Axis Cult. I clearly heard she was studying at Shrek, so how did she suddenly transform into a leading teacher?"
He shook his head gently with a smile. "I must say, she truly has some skill. It's just a pity; if she had joined the Axis Cult's Jianan Academy team with her talent and strength, they would surely be a dark horse capable of reaching the top eight or even the top four."
His gaze searched through the crowd as if looking for someone. "Among the leading members of Shrek this time is Dai Hao's eldest legitimate son. I originally wanted to recall Dai Hao to watch the matches, since it's only our country's turn once every twenty years. But on second thought, I decided against it. The Sun Moon Empire's restlessness is increasing; with him guarding the western border, I feel more at ease."
The Empress simply listened tenderly without making any comments. As the Mother of the Nation, she likewise could not involve herself in politics, especially when there were many civil and military officials on both sides.
...
On the square.
Furina stood below the platform, her gaze sweeping the surroundings.
The Star Luo Plaza used for this tournament was now packed to capacity. According to the original story, there were at least two hundred thousand spectators. The tide of people was like an ocean, their clamor merging into a boiling sea that surged from all directions, nearly drowning the entire square.
And just like the Shrek Academy cafeteria, there were no seats or chairs except for the Emperor.
The reason was to accommodate enough spectators. Fortunately, the people of the Douluo Continent never cared about such small matters; whether sitting on the ground or standing all day to watch the matches, it was a trivial thing for them with their mysterious Physiques.
"Only by passing the knockout rounds can we have a rest area," Furina muttered to herself. "Ah, but that's normal. If you can't even pass the knockouts, you basically should just pack up and leave."
She looked up at the sky, then lowered her head in thought. "Please don't arrange Shrek against Jianan Academy! That would be very troublesome for me. At least wait until after the top eight."
Despite saying this, she wasn't actually very worried. From the current look of things, the Star Luo Empire wanted to be on good terms with the Axis Cult, so they wouldn't pull such a nonsensical move. They likely arranged an opponent of equal standing.
Moreover, her own Jianan Academy team was placed almost in the last few rows. Although the hotel was second-tier, the academy itself had little reputation and hadn't shown its proper strength yet. Coupled with the small number of people, it was easy to cause controversy, so they were placed further back.
Furina turned her head to look far back and saw Gu Qiuer at a glance. The young girl was pouting, grumbling about something with a dissatisfied expression, probably annoyed that her team's position was too far back.
It was a pity that spirit tools like mobile phones hadn't been developed yet, otherwise she would really want to call her to comfort her and tell her she must use her strength to prove herself and knock down all those guys who look down on them.
Just as she was thinking this, a booming voice resounded throughout the square.
"According to the rules of the Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the first round will be a knockout round! In this tournament, a total of one hundred and thirty-four Advanced Spirit Master and Soul Engineer academies have registered, for a total of sixty-seven matches! The first round is a knockout format; the losers will directly end their journey in this tournament!"
The voice echoed over the square, the clamor of the crowd gradually quieting as countless eyes focused on the center of the arena.
"Now, the first match will begin immediately!" The announcer's voice rose several notches. "The two sides of the match are the Tianling Advanced Soul Master Academy representative team from the Dou Ling Empire, and the number one academy on the continent, possessing countless glories and having swept almost all tournament championships for the past nearly thousand years—the Shrek Academy representative team!"
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere of the entire Star Luo Plaza instantly reached a boiling point.
"Shrek! Shrek! Shrek...!!!"
The shouts for Shrek Academy resounded in almost every corner of the square. The sound waves of two hundred thousand people converged, sweeping in like a tsunami.
Huo Yuhao and the others stood at the edge of the arena, but they didn't show shock, bewilderment, or pale faces as in the original story.
There was no nervousness in their eyes, only confidence, expectation, and a bit of irrepressible excitement.
Furina faced them, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, her tone as relaxed as if discussing what to eat today. "Well, it's about to start. Let's keep the first wave simple—either scare them away or knock them out."
She crossed her arms, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalance. "It's just the knockout round anyway, it's practically a formality. Perform however you like."
Bei Bei smiled and rubbed his chin, glancing at Huo Yuhao. "Let Yuhao handle them directly."
Xu Sanshi's eyes lit up, and he leaned in to suggest, "Why not have Huo Yuhao help us all Simulate hundred-thousand-year spirit rings and scare the opponents right onto the ground!"
Xiao Xiao clapped in approval, her eyes curving into crescents. "Great idea!"
Wang Dong also joined in the fun. "How about just simulating as Titled Douluo?"
Being egged on by their chatter, Huo Yuhao helplessly rubbed the back of his head, caught between laughter and tears. "You guys sure have a lot of requests... We'll see how it goes, I'll do my best."
"Good!" everyone responded in unison, their laughter spreading through the crowd.
Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen stood to the side, watching the relaxed demeanor of these youngsters and couldn't help but feel emotional.
This was much more relaxed than when they had taken the stage themselves; back then they were young, and seeing such a grand scene made their palms sweat, fearing they would make fools of themselves in front of two hundred thousand people.
Yet Huo Yuhao and the others, under such immense pressure, could still act so composed—they were much more mature than they had been back then.
Ma Xiaotao sighed, her tone carrying a bit of self-deprecation. "I guess this is the new wave pushing the old wave aside."
Dai Yueheng nodded with a smile, his gaze full of gratification. "Haha, yes. Without realizing it, we've all grown old."
Before his voice finished, Ling Luochen stomped hard on his foot.
"Ah! What was that for!" Dai Yueheng grimaced in pain, hopping around while holding his foot.
Ling Luochen glared at him, hands on her hips, righteous and bold. "You're the old one! Your whole family is old! I am still a Damselette in her prime, okay!"
"Hahaha—" Everyone around laughed, even Teacher Wang Yan couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"