One of life's greatest blessings is having a girl who's willing to stay by your side. She may not understand all your actions, but she'll always be there—with you, forever…
"Hey! Jiang Jue, what should I say when I go up next?"
Xiao Hongchen was fired up with adrenaline, but when he turned his head, he saw Jiang Jue whispering sweet nothings to his little sister. His expression immediately fell.
"This guy, so obsessed with beauty—it's unbearable!"
"When I'm strong enough to beat him, I'll definitely mock him hard... No, wait, mocking people isn't good…"
"Whatever! I just won't let that jerk Jiang Jue look good!"
Riding his wave of emotion, Xiao Hongchen was already imagining his glorious future.
"Bro, why are you grinning like an idiot?"
"Cough, nothing, nothing at all."
Realizing he had laughed out loud, Xiao Hongchen quickly stopped and tried to act casual.
Meanwhile, Ma Rulong and his team returned triumphantly, walking tall like victorious soldiers.
"Alright, next up, everyone pay attention to the other teams' matches. Don't get careless and mess up."
Old Ma smiled and patted a few shoulders, then reminded them seriously.
The elimination round was decided by a single team match. If a team lost, they were out—no second chances.
Competitions were always cruel.
"Yes, sir!"
Ma Rulong and the others responded in unison, then sat down in the rest area to watch the other matches. They began analyzing the opposing teams' martial souls, soul skills, and combat styles.
Everyone who had made it here was among the top talents of their academies, each with their own unique strengths.
Due to the knockout format, the battles were especially intense. Although the organizers tried to minimize casualties, nearly 200 participants suffered various degrees of injury in the first round alone.
Some even died—more than a dozen, in fact. These bloody scenes, though tragic, made the event even more thrilling to watch.
Of course, all those who died in accidents during the matches would receive a generous compensation from the Star Luo Empire government.
Time passed quickly, and the day's matches came to an end.
"Jiang Jue, what do you think of that soul master with the Golden Leaf martial soul?"
Xiao Hongchen walked alongside Jiang Jue and asked.
"The martial soul is of high quality, and the user has developed it well."
"Hahaha! Jiang Jue, let me tell you, I'm his natural counter."
Xiao Hongchen pointed at himself with a proud grin.
He was right, actually. The Golden Leaf had a metal attribute, and Xiao Hongchen's Three-Legged Golden Toad gave him superior control over metal. He could even absorb certain special metals to assist in his cultivation. Within the same rank, he had an inherent advantage in anything metal-related.
"Mm... got it. But it's pointless."
Jiang Jue nodded slightly and replied quietly, then walked past Xiao Hongchen with Meng Hongchen in tow.
"Huh? What do you mean 'pointless'? Jiang Jue, explain yourself!"
Xiao Hongchen chased after him, unwilling to drop the issue.
Why pointless? Of course—because they'd never face each other. Jiang Jue remembered clearly that this Golden Leaf user was one of Shrek Academy's major powerhouses.
"Click—"
Suddenly, a door opened to their right. A young man stepped out of the room.
He was handsome and fair-skinned, with strikingly large eyes—a pale pink-blue color. His neatly trimmed hair was the same shade. His appearance was arguably even more attractive than Xiao Hongchen's.
This was none other than Wang Dong, who had battled earlier alongside Huo Yuhao.
As Wang Dong exited, his gaze immediately locked onto Jiang Jue. For a moment, his pink-blue eyes flickered in confusion.
Jiang Jue gave him a long, deep look, then continued walking forward with Meng Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen didn't glance twice at the boy. Though Wang Dong was handsome, in her eyes, Jiang Jue's charm—with its hint of devilish mischief—was unmatched.
Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy were on the same floor, their rooms directly opposite each other.
"Ugh! Why did I even come out just now?"
"Why did I suddenly feel that weird sensation?"
Wang Dong muttered in confusion, his eyes a little dazed.
Moments ago, he had been about to cultivate with Huo Yuhao when he suddenly felt a vague sense of unease. After excusing himself and walking out, that strange feeling only intensified.
What no one noticed was that between his brows, a faint golden trident mark had begun to glow softly…
Time passed swiftly. The elimination round ended completely, and today marked the start of the round-robin phase.
The round-robin matches had three possible formats, determined by random draw.
On stage, the host droned on, hyping the crowd up, before finally shouting in an impassioned voice:
"Now, please welcome the representative teams from the Sun Moon Empire's Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, and their opponents, the Otto Advanced Soul Master Academy from the Heavenly Soul Empire. Please have both team captains step up to determine the match format!"
Ma Rulong walked onto the stage. From Otto Academy, a tall young man with dark green hair also stepped forward.
As soon as the green-haired youth arrived, he made a mocking gesture toward Ma Rulong. Ma Rulong's eyes narrowed sharply.
The Heavenly Soul Empire and the Sun Moon Empire were mortal enemies, their hatred dating back thousands of years—ever since the Sun Moon Continent had blitz-attacked what was now the Heavenly Soul Empire during the great war.
Of all the original three empires, the Heavenly Soul Empire harbored the deepest hatred toward the Sun Moon Empire, and also opposed soul tools the most fiercely.
The draw process was simple. The referee brought out a cylindrical lottery drum, letting both captains examine it thoroughly.
Three small balls representing the different formats were inserted. Then the drum was sealed and flipped upright. Ma Rulong and the opposing captain each placed one hand on it.
"Three, two, one!"
With the referee's shout, both men pushed at once. A yellow ball fell out—the color representing one-on-one matches.
"The match between Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy and Otto Academy will proceed as one-on-one elimination duels. Will both teams send out their first competitors!"
The two captains exchanged glances and stepped down. Ma Rulong quickly returned to the waiting area.
They had prepared thoroughly for all formats and had a plan for each.
"Jiang Jue, you're up."
Old Ma patted Jiang Jue's shoulder and said encouragingly.
"Don't worry."
Jiang Jue nodded slightly and stepped out of the waiting area. This one-on-one format had been something he personally requested to lead.
Otto Academy's strongest members were two Soul Kings—a solid upper-middle tier. But Sun Moon Academy's margin for error was low, so Old Ma had agreed readily.
And not because of Jiang Jue's background, as some might assume.
Jiang Jue stepped onto the stage, scanning the VIP seats. His lips curled upward slightly.
The person he had been waiting for… was up there.
Otto Academy sent out a tall, lean young man who looked at Jiang Jue with menace.
Jiang Jue only glanced at him—expression indifferent—then ignored him completely.
"Arrogant bastard! You've pissed off a lion!"
The young man growled.
"In three seconds, you—and your mouth—will be on the ground."
Jiang Jue said coldly.
Once the two stood in position, the referee stepped back.
"Match, begin!"
The referee shouted as he quickly retreated to the edge.
"Flamingo, possess!"
At the call, four soul rings lit up—two yellow, two purple. The youth's body ignited in flames. Wings sprouted from his back as he soared into the air, glancing mockingly at Jiang Jue on the ground.
Their captain had chosen him because his flying martial soul made him ideal for testing their opponent's tactics and forcing a prolonged fight.
"Third Soul Skill: Blaze Ball!"
Flames gathered before him, heating the air. Three massive fireballs formed in front of him.
With a flap of his wings, he launched all three down at Jiang Jue.
"Boom!"
The ground exploded in a blaze of fire and thick smoke.
"Hmph! Took a hit from my thousand-year soul skill—he's toast!"
As he smirked in triumph, a silver-white light suddenly burst out of the smoke—racing straight at him.
"What?! Could he also have a flying martial soul?"
Panic surged within him. He tried to flap his wings to escape—but the silver light was already at his face.
A metallic hand suddenly grabbed his neck. A wave of suffocating pressure overwhelmed him.
"Urgh…"
His face turned red as he tried to resist—but a glowing silver fist smashed into his head.
His eyes rolled back—and he instantly blacked out.
"Thud!"
The sound of a body hitting the floor echoed.
"Next."
A cold voice followed.
From start to finish—not a second more, not a second less—
Exactly three seconds.
(End of Chapter)