Among the four nations on the continent, the strongest soul engineer academy naturally belongs to the Sun Moon Empire, while the academies of the other three nations are roughly on par with each other.
Even the Soul Tool Department of Shrek Academy stands at the pinnacle of the original Douluo Tripartite Alliance.
Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineer Academy hails from the Star Luo Empire. Among their seven selected participants, not a single one is a Soul King—they can't even field a full team of Soul Ancestors.
Under such circumstances—
Xu Sanshi and He Caitou took the lead in battle.
Xu Sanshi employed his fourth soul skill Xuanming Replacement (Mysterious Underworld Displacement), instantly swapping positions with his opponent. \
The move was executed with shocking precision. After swiftly eliminating one enemy, he teamed up with He Caitou for a two-on-one, securing victory.
Later, Bei Bei and Tang Ya fought side by side, their coordination seamless.
Their opponents were the captain and vice-captain of Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineer Academy, both Soul Ancestor-level powerhouses.
Captain Situ Yu resorted to fortress tactics, deploying a six-barreled rapid-fire soul cannon—the best suppression-type Class 4 soul tool.
But under the combined assault of Bei Bei's lightning and Tang Ya's Tang Sect techniques, Situ Yu's attacks proved utterly futile.
As Tang Ya restrained the two, Bei Bei unleashed his soul skills in rapid succession.
With blue-purple lightning crackling around him, amplified by his third soul skill, Thunderous Fury, Bei Bei gathered the electricity with Thunderous Dragon's Grasp—then obliterated both opponents in a single strike.
This was a battle decided by sheer disparity in strength.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya hadn't even revealed their trump cards.
Tang Ya smirked. "So what if they're soul engineers? My Tang Sect hidden weapons are no slouch either!"
After the victory, the long-lost cheers erupted once more.
The audience, initially disappointed, was now electrified.
If Xu Sanshi's first-match tactics had seemed underhanded—relying on tricks and He Caitou's soul tools—then this second match was a head-on clash!
It showcased the overwhelming superiority of soul masters.
This was the true confrontation between soul masters and soul engineers!
As the saying goes, amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts discern the technique.
The students of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy found Xu Sanshi's spatial soul skill far more threatening—a rare and formidable ability!
Though the four Shrek participants this time were all soul masters, their combat prowess wasn't as monstrous as Huo Yuhao's previous display.
But let's not forget—these were merely reserve team members.
This tournament might not be their stage, but for those eyeing the championship next time, they posed a serious threat.
Ma Rulong's expression darkened. "Shrek Academy never lacks talent."
Their morale took another hit.
Xiao Hongchen frowned, lost in thought.
Meng Hongchen, seated beside him, whispered, "Brother, what's on your mind?"
Xiao Hongchen shook his head. "Nothing. I just think Shrek's reserve team is mediocre—no one worth my attention. They're even worse than Huo Yuhao."
Meng Hongchen nodded solemnly. "Of course. A genius like Huo Yuhao is once-in-a-millennium, just like us in our academy."
Xiao Hongchen sighed. "Still, those two soul masters in the second match were interesting. Did you catch their footwork?"
He exhaled deeply. "Probably an ancestral soul skill. This is Shrek's legacy—ten thousand years of foundation. It's… a little discouraging."
The girl giggled. "Oh please, since when do you get discouraged? Even against Huo Yuhao, you'd only feel the urge to crush him."
Xiao Hongchen laughed. "Fine, you're right. I'm itching for a fight—can't wait to face Huo Yuhao."
He then added teasingly, "Meng, don't go soft on him when the time comes just because you've got a crush!"
She stuck out her tongue. "Yeah, yeah, I know."
…
The Third Round of the Round-Robin Tournament
Of the healing trio, only Dai Yuheng remained.
With Ling Luochen and Xixi regaining their combat strength, Wang Yan finally breathed easy.
'Everything's stable now.'
But what truly reassured him was Xuan Zi's return.
Once Ma Xiaotao came back as a Soul Sage, this Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament would be as good as won.
That's right—just yesterday, Xuan Zi had returned alone to take command of the Shrek team.
However, Ma Xiaotao wasn't with him.
When Huo Yuhao brought it up, Xuan Zi seemed displeased.
His explanation: "Don't worry. The academy sent someone more suitable to help Xiaotao secure her soul ring."
"But mark my words—until the Top 16, Xiaotao won't return. You'll have to rely on yourselves."
"Remember this: Win every round-robin match. A single loss would disgrace Shrek. You know the consequences!"
With a wave of his hand, Xuan Zi laid down the law.
Wang Yan was more than happy to defer to the elder's authority.
But the seven reserve team members groaned under the pressure.
Xuan Zi's orders were clear: "Unless the opponent is strong, the main team sits out. The reserves carry the burden!"
Thus, even with the two senior sisters back in action, the reserves faced even greater expectations.
…
A week prior, to secure Ma Xiaotao's seventh soul ring, Xuan Zi and the others had returned to Shrek first, hoping to leverage the academy's intelligence network.
After all, haste makes waste—finding a suitable spirit beast wasn't easy, especially for such a critical breakthrough.
But upon reporting to Yan Shaozhe, the matter reached Mu En, who promptly berated Xuan Zi and kicked him off the hunting team.
Ma Xiaotao was instead escorted by the Vice-Dean of the Martial Soul Department and Zhang Lexuan to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Left behind, Xuan Zi drowned his frustrations in alcohol—until Wang Yan's message spurred him to rush back.
"Where are those two Body Sect brats!?"
This was the perfect sandbag to vent his anger—for Huo Yuhao's sake!
Huo Yuhao, ever the opportunist, handed over Lang Ya's intel without hesitation.
Though he did spare a moment of silent pity for the duo.
For a Super Douluo, tracking down two Soul Douluos in Star Luo City was child's play.
…
Star Luo Square buzzed with excitement, erupting as Shrek Academy appeared.
Most of the crowd chanted Huo Yuhao's name—even with the stunning, ice-cold senior sister present, his popularity remained unmatched.
Accompanied by his teammates, Huo Yuhao strode into the rest area.
In this tournament, if any team enjoyed privilege, it was Shrek.
Today's match was again scheduled first—by Shrek's own request.
"Shrek Academy vs. Thousand Spirits Academy—Team Battle!"
The referee's announcement sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Team battles were the most intense and comprehensive, and Huo Yuhao's presence guaranteed fireworks.
Xixi, lounging in the rest area, smirked at the juniors. "Yuhao's popularity is insane."
Wang Dong'er, watching Huo Yuhao's back, nodded firmly.
She'd wanted to join him but yielded the spot to Xiao Xiao—after all, she'd already participated in the elimination round's team battle, albeit as a benchwarmer.
Today's lineup: Huo Yuhao, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, and Xiao Xiao.
Wang Yan had prepared tactics tailored to Thousand Spirits Academy's known strengths—team battles were Shrek's forte.
On stage, the two teams faced off.
Thousand Spirits Academy's formation: Four hulking shield men upfront, two girls one ice, one fire behind, with captain Shen Ce poised like a javelin between them.
Shrek's formation: A standard 3-2-2.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan at the front; Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen in the middle; Tang Ya and Xiao Xiao at the rear.
"Begin!"
Soul rings erupted on both sides.
Ling Luochen's five rings—two yellow, two purple, one black drew gasps—Shrek's main team had entered the fray!
Thousand Spirits Academy's team stiffened under the pressure.
Their strategy was simple: Go all out! Even in defeat, they'd show their worth.
The four shield men merged their Lingxi Shields into an impenetrable wall, guarding Shen Ce—whose Thousandstrike Lance martial soul thrummed with lethal aura.
Behind him, the Frost Giant Bear and Blaze Tiger martial soul materialized—An Lengye and Fei Yuyan's unique Spirit Mimicry technique.
Their teamwork was flawless: Four Shields, Ice-Fire Control, and the Lance's Deadly Strike!
But just as Shen Ce prepared to unleash his ultimate move—
With a flash of blue light an ice prison encased him mid-action.
Shen Ce's fury peaked.
'Where are my teammates? Why aren't they protecting me?'
…
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