"The first qualifying match of the Top 16—Shrek Academy versus Dou Ling Royal Academy! Competitors, please enter the waiting area!" As soon
"The first qualifying match of the Top 16—Shrek Academy versus Dou Ling Royal Academy! Competitors, please enter the waiting area!"
As soon as the referee's voice faded, the audience erupted into thunderous cheers, the atmosphere instantly reaching a fever pitch.
Huo Yuhao, Dai Yuheng, Ling Luochen, Xixi, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and Tang Ya—seven in total—followed Wang Yan into the waiting area.
Dai Yuheng, who had yet to appear in the competition until now, immediately drew the attention of the crowd and the major academies.
The Sun and Moon Academy, in particular, tensed with heightened vigilance.
'Is he finally making his move?'
In the previous tournament, Dai Yuheng had appeared as the captain of the reserve team, already a focal point of attention. Thus, his presence now came as no surprise to the top teams—they had long prepared countermeasures.
The intelligence networks of the academies that made it to the Top 16 were formidable.
In the imperial city, Emperor Xu Jiawei of the Xing Luo Empire smiled approvingly at the sight of Dai Yuheng and remarked to the queen beside him, "That is Dai Hao's eldest son, Dai Yuheng. He has already reached the level of Soul Emperor."
The queen nodded gently. "Like father, like son. Dai Yuheng will be a pillar of our empire in the future. I look forward to his performance on the field."
It was really a pity.
Dai Yuheng might not even get the chance to perform.
How could Huo Yuhao fail to notice Dai Yuheng's barely concealed eagerness? The desire to prove himself was practically written across his face.
Losing the position of Shrek's captain, being sidelined by his lung injury—Dai Yuheng had been stewing in frustration all this time. Now that he had finally recovered, he naturally wanted to vent through battle.
But Huo Yuhao had no intention of indulging him.
'I should let him stay uncomfortable.'
After all, he had promised Ma Xiaotao yesterday that he would win this match for both of them.
Keeping his word was his soul path!
Besides, the stage of the Continental Elite Young Soul Master Tournament was far too small.
One star was enough to shine.
…
"Competitors from both sides, step onto the stage!"
At the referee's call, Huo Yuhao led the six others forward.
The Dou Ling Royal Academy's team consisted of five men and two women, all around nineteen years old.
Their captain, Gu Zhujian, stepped forward and addressed Shrek Academy with forced courtesy: "It's an honor to face Shrek Academy. We hope to learn from you."
Huo Yuhao, as the acting captain in the absence of the official one, responded coolly, "I hope you're prepared."
Gu Zhujian's dry face twitched into a strained smile. "Of course. We look forward to gaining valuable experience from this match."
"That might be difficult."
With a dismissive wave, Huo Yuhao retreated to his team's formation.
Gu Zhujian's eyes flashed coldly, but he only chuckled and said nothing more.
'Shrek… let me show you our trump card!'
Behind him, the rest of the Dou Ling team radiated confidence, as though victory was already assured.
They had prepared meticulously for this tournament—even deliberately conceding a match in the group stage just to conceal their ultimate weapon: the Thunder Cannon.
Admittedly, their luck had run out when they drew Shrek in the Top 16.
If they lost here, their chances in the individual matches would be slim.
But there was no helping it—the pressure from Huo Yuhao was overwhelming.
With Soul Emperor-level powerhouses like Ma Xiaotao and likely Dai Yuheng, Shrek could easily crush them in a direct confrontation.
[**They don't know that Ma Xiaotao is now a Soul Sage.**]
Yet they refused to back down in this team battle.
Their confidence stemmed from one thing: A class 7 soul tool—the Thunder Cannon.
Even a Soul Sage would struggle to withstand its blast.
They would win!
"Both sides, retreat and prepare for battle!" Today's referee was none other than Giant Strength Douluo Cheng Gang, an old acquaintance of Huo Yuhao.
In this timeline, since Huo Yuhao hadn't borrowed the Ice Empress's aura, Cheng Gang had no reason to suspect him of being a soul beast. Instead, he had even shielded Huo Yuhao from the Body Sect's provocations.
Perhaps fate had spared him a beating.
As both teams retreated, Shrek assumed a standard formation.
Dou Ling's arrangement, however, was unusual.
Gu Zhujian, their strongest offensive Soul King, stood at the center of the team—a position typically reserved for a control-type soul master.
Shrek's team remained vigilant but composed, ready to adapt.
Huo Yuhao already knew the source of their confidence.
But he saw no need to expose it prematurely.
'Let the battle unfold naturally.'
Wang Yan had prepared several strategies, but in the heat of combat, the team would have to rely on their own instincts.
'As long as Huo Yuhao remained the core, they couldn't lose.'
"BEGIN!" Cheng Gang's voice boomed as he soared into the air, overseeing the match.
Both sides released their martial souls instantly.
Ling Luochen summoned her ice staff but held back from freezing the entire arena like she had against Qianling Academy. Instead, she remained poised to control the battlefield as needed.
After fusing with the Deep Blue Glory Skull Bone, her soul power had surged by three levels to Level 58, and her ice manipulation had reached new heights.
The skull bone had also granted her a powerful dual-purpose soul skill—Deep Blue Ring—which synergized perfectly with her existing abilities.
The others were similarly prepared, their martial souls flaring.
Dai Yuheng unleashed his full Soul Emperor aura, his two black soul rings dwarfing Dou Ling's lineup.
On the opposite side, Dou Ling's team moved frantically.
Three of their members activated soul skills immediately.
Chi Hengyu, a Soul King with the Diamond Shield Martial Soul, unleashed his fifth soul skill—Diamond Barrier.
His massive shield split into eight segments, forming an impregnable wall.
Two teammates reinforced it with spiked earthen ramparts, creating a near-impenetrable fortress.
Only an aerial assault could breach it.
The audience buzzed with confusion.
'What kind of turtle strategy is this?'
While it made them hard to attack, it also limited their own mobility.
Unless… they planned to dismantle the defense later.
Ma Rulong of the Sun Moon Academy narrowed his eyes.
'They're preparing a soul tool tactic.'
Sure enough, Gu Zhujian retrieved a massive, grindstone-like metal device—the Thunder Cannon's core.
The other six produced matching components, assembling them around it with practiced precision.
Xiao Hongchen frowned. 'If Shrek doesn't act now, they're in trouble!'
But he also seethed inwardly. 'Shrek can't lose here—only I get to defeat them!'
Ma Rulong muttered, "A Thunder Cannon? How do they have the technology for this?"
Xiao Hongchen scoffed. "A knockoff, no doubt. Their version is bulkier and requires seven people to operate. Ours is far superior."
On the arena, Dou Ling's team channeled their entire soul power reserves into the cannon.
The barrel crackled with blue lightning, its power swelling ominously.
Yet Shrek's team did nothing.
Xu Sanshi even dismissed his martial soul, looking utterly unconcerned.
Wang Yan, watching from the sidelines, paled.
'Huo Yuhao, why aren't you moving?!'
This wasn't part of their strategy!
He Caitou's expression darkened.
'This is bad.'
He knew the Thunder Cannon's destructive potential—far surpassing even his Ultra-Concentrated Soul Cannon.
If it fired, even a Soul Sage would struggle to survive.
'Can Yuhao and the others really block it?'
Ma Xiaotao, though absent, felt no worry.
She trusted Huo Yuhao's strength implicitly.
Even if he hadn't broken through to Soul Sage, victory was assured.
The only question was—how would he do it?
Huo Yuhao had a plan.
That's why he held back, letting his teammates act freely.
As the Thunder Cannon charged, its oppressive aura made even Dai Yuheng tense.
But Huo Yuhao only said one word: "Wait."
At the perfect moment, he would teleport in and dismantle their strategy from within.
"Do as you please."
His teammates relaxed, trusting him completely.
Why attack now? That would be too boring.
Ling Luochen made no move either. Though she could bypass the defense with her ice, it wasn't necessary.
Dai Yuheng reluctantly agreed.
Even as a Soul Emperor, breaching that defense quickly would be embarrassingly difficult.
The Thunder Cannon's power peaked, its barrel crackling with lethal energy.
The Dou Ling team poured every last drop of soul power into it, their faces strained with effort.
Gu Zhujian briefly wondered, 'why hasn't Shrek interfered?'
But it didn't matter.
"Caliber is justice. Range is truth."
'Once the cannon fired, neither Shrek nor the Sun Moon Empire could withstand it!'
Huo Yuhao smirked. 'Now.'
With two flashes of his third soul skill, he crossed 100 meters in an instant—Appearing right in the middle of Dou Ling's formation.
The seven gaped in horror.
"How—?!"
They were seconds away from firing!
But Huo Yuhao merely raised a hand—And the Thunder Cannon vanished.
The audience gasped.
"Where did it go?!"
Unnoticed by all, Huo Yuhao had severed the soul tool's connection using the Knife of Life Watch, then stored it in an class 8 storage ring looted from a dead Titled Douluo.
Before Dou Ling could react, Huo Yuhao teleported again—this time, high above the arena.
"Screee—!"
A phoenix's cry split the air as an Evil Fire Phoenix phantom materialized behind him.
His fourth soul ring lit up—
"One shining star is enough."
"Phoenix Meteor Shower!"
A hundred flaming meteors rained down, engulfing Dou Ling's team in an inferno.
The seven stood frozen, their faces drained of color.
One even burst into tears.
"Our cannon… w-we lost it!"
…
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